Trying to determine what qualifies a player as underrated in the NBA can be pretty tricky business. Like the awarding of the M.V.P. trophy, you won’t find any shortage of opinions on what basis the player should be judged upon.

Efficiency and statistical ratings have now become en vogue. Some consider how much the player makes as a tool to estimate ones value. Or perhaps the team’s location comes into play, because you won’t find too many athletes in New York or Los Angeles on these lists.

With no clear cut answer, I decided to try and simplify things, breaking everything down to one statement: Who doesn’t get enough credit for their play?

That’s simple enough. Whether they’re a scrub or superstar, making the league minimum or maximum, the criteria will be the same.

I will exclude sophomores players as one year isn’t enough time to establish a proven track record (I will call this the Andrea Bargnani rule). Also keep in mind this isn’t a list of players the “casual fan” has never heard of. If you still don’t know how good the David Wests and Shawn Marions of this league are, then I suggest an NBA League Pass subscription may be in order.

So, without further adieu, here are your candidates heading into the 08-09 season:

Maurice Williams
The newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Williams comes in with the pressure of being looked upon as the missing link on a team in the mix to win an NBA championship this season. Being buried in the basketball wasteland that is Milwaukee the last few years, Williams has quietly established himself as one the top scoring point guards in the NBA. Possessing a smooth jumper and the ability to attack the rim at any time, he has no problem creating plays for himself or others. Along with being the fourth ranked scoring point guard in the league at 17.3 points per game, Williams has also shown an impressive all-around game. Averaging over six assists and close to four boards a game, this silky smooth guard is just as comfortable running the offence as he is playing off the ball.

Danny Granger
Also known as the “guy we passed on for Joey Graham” to Raptors fans, Granger has shown steady improvement over his first three years in the league. Although overshadowed by some of the big names at the small forward position, make no mistake, this guy can flat out play. The New Mexico State alum is an athletic wingman who does a little bit of everything. Deadly at the free throw line, improving from beyond the arc, and an efficient 45% career shooter from the field, makes the former first rounder, a nightmare to defend. Add in his solid rebounding and defence, and you’ve got yourself one of the top young forwards in the game. A solid 2007 season saw Granger average over 19 points per game, tying him with Paul Pierce for eleventh highest in the Eastern Conference. With Indiana rebuilding and starting to return to respectability, look for Granger to have a breakout year and take his game to an All-Star level.

Devin Harris
Although he may never turn out to be an All-Star, Harris has proven himself to be a solid starting guard in the league. With a blend of lock down defence, blazing speed, and an improving offensive game, the former Dallas Maverick looks to be on the cusp of realizing his potential. It seems high expectations and an impatient Dallas club may be the biggest reason for his flying under the radar. In an era where winning now is everything, Harris who hadn’t made the leap to stardom yet in only his fourth year, was cast off, with the franchise believing he didn’t have what it took to lead a team to a championship. I guess improving his scoring and assists average each year, and bringing a hard nosed defensive intensity and attitude to the game every night, wasn‘t enough for the Dallas brass. Harris might not be the 20/10 guy that they envisioned, but that doesn’t mean he can’t excel in the league. I believe New Jersey will attest to that.

Andre Miller
If there was ever a player over the past decade to epitomize what it means to be underrated, this guy would be it. Hard to believe Miller has been in the league for almost ten years now, but this former NBA All-Rookie team selection, is now a grizzled vet, and still churning out high calibre seasons. One of the most consistent and balanced guards in the league, the three pointer seems to be this man’s only kryptonite. Career averages of 14.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds a game, don’t tell the whole story. A pillar in his team’s line-up, Miller has started at least 80 games in everyone of his seasons and continues to be one of the best passers and distributors in the transition game. And although polarized most of his career for a weak jumper, Miller possesses a higher shooting percentage than many of his more publicized counterparts, including: Baron Davis, Chauncey Billups, and Jason Kidd.

Jose Calderon
A house hold name in Europe and Canada, he is still waiting for the credit he deserves from south of the border. The Spanish born Calderon, who has now officially taken the reigns as the Raptor’s starting point guard, is a throwback guard, always looking to create for others while still being able to create his own offence if needed. What separates Calderon from others is his amazing efficiency on the floor. Finishing first in assists-to-turnover ratio, fifth in the league in assists per 48 minutes, and fifth overall in assists per game, helped put the league on notice that last year’s season was not a fluke. Surprisingly though, his playmaking skills may not even be his most impressive attribute. Shooting over 50% from the field, 90% from the line and 40% from beyond the arc in ’07, has helped elevate the fan favourite into rarefied air. He joined Steve Nash as the only other player in the league to accomplish the feet. Just call him Nash Lite.

Tyson Chandler
This seven-footer has shedded his earlier bust label to become one of the most valuable and consistent big men in the game. Yet when talk arises of the top centres in the league, Chandler’s name is usually an afterthought. With the focus now on high scoring, or new dynamic hybrid big men, the more prototypical, defensive centres can get lost in the mix. Players like Chandler often get overlooked because of their offensive weaknesses. Although an argument can be made that many of the top scorers hold just as big a flaw, rarely displaying much of an effort on the defensive end (I’m looking at you Amare Stoudemire) the former Baby Bull does have some moves under the basket and can burn you if not accounted for. A center who ranks near the top of the NBA in shooting percentage, rebounding, and double-doubles should not be taken for granted. As Bill Russell showed, you don’t need to be a dominant center on the offensive end to change the game.

Stephen Jackson
Try to forget about his issues off the court. Based on what he’s done on the court, Jackson is a multi-talented swingman who has become an invaluable part of the Warriors. After putting up some good numbers on bad teams and showing a perchance for finding trouble, Jackson has turned things around in the Bay. His ability to score, pass, and defend has fit in perfectly with the up tempo, high paced Golden State squad. Versatile enough to play point forward or bang up front with the big men, he’s displaying his versatile playing style in the Nellie Ball system. There have even been rumblings that he’s now become a leader, providing a veteran presence in the locker-room and if he can keep the off court distractions to a minimum, Jackson should continue to thrive and continue to help Golden State on their rise from mediocrity.

Honourable Mention: Jeff Foster (Indiana), Antonio McDyess (Detroit), Linas Kleiza (Denver), Joe Smith (Oklahoma City), Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat), Anthony Parker (Toronto Raptors), John Salmons (Sacramento)

Have an opinion? Agree or disagree with my choices? I want to hear who you think should or shouldn’t have made the list below in the comments section.

Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media

Even though Kristen’s already been a great asset to Hoops Addict this month, she dropped yet another dime to Hoops Addict tonight when she sent a bunch of pictures from the adidas Nations camp which recently wrapped up in Dallas. Thanks once again Kristen, you’re amazing!

In an attempt to determine exactly when or where said twist occurred, one must take a good long look at perhaps the most overlooked career of perhaps the game’s best generation. Simply put, the statistical comparisons to a slightly more modest Dwyane Wade are better than you think. This, of course, deserves your respect.

Crack that same nutshell open however, and unveil a devastating knee injury that stripped the once incredibly athletic Harper of his ability to fill stat sheets like a grocery cart. But - and here’s where things get interesting - even though the injury induced a 25% drop in Harper’s PER, a closer look into the bowels of early-90s basketball history reveals that the man went on to average 18+ points per game over the course of his final three years as a Los Angeles Clipper.

Flashback to June 1986. Drafted eighth overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers is Ohio native and Miami University graduate Ron Harper. Fresh off a senior year that saw the 6′6″ athlete erupt for 24.4 points per game, the aforementioned 11.7 rebounds and an optimistically well-rounded 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, Harper looked poised to help a struggling Cavaliers team in his first season in the NBA.

As a pro, swingman Harper’s godlike big man numbers leveled out to a more reasonable 4.8 rebounds and one block per game, but his 22.9 points per contest were enough to warrant runner up status in Rookie of the Year voting (thank you Chuck Person).

Though the offensive mark would go on to be the highest of his career, Harper continued to prove himself - first in Cleveland and soon after in Los Angeles - as a legitimate scoring threat for the bulk of his professional career. At least until signing with the then-Michael Jordanless Chicago Bulls in time for the 1994-95 season.

Even with Jordan out of the mix, Harper never quite picked up where he left off in a Clippers uniform. All, however, was quickly forgotten when the man found himself the token big point guard in coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.

With Jackson and assistant coach Tex Winter’s insistence on running the offense through a good-sized quarterback, Harper was once again in high demand, less for his ability to score or rebound well from the wings and more for his ability to mold his game alongside a recently unretired Jordan and small forward Scottie Pippen.

Younger fans may remember Harper for his brief stint with coach Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he became one of five NBA players to have won multiple championships with multiple teams (or even for his recent role as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons), but older fans may instead recall the blossoming stud derailed in the midst of a promising prime.

Whether the name Ron Harper triggers your own memories of the Jordan Era Bulls Dynasty, a college phenom with statlines capable of making perennial all-star centers blush, or simply just a young athlete contributing mightily to a pair of teams at a time when they needed it most, make sure to take the extra time to acknowledge everything else he was in between.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Basketball Goals

“If I didn’t have Tourette’s, I would probably go crazy,” Abdul-Rauf told the Sporting News back in 1994.

The disease, which affects over 100,000 Americans, is characterized by a series of uncontrollable tics and twitches, and though it may have distinguished Abdul-Rauf from the rest of his peers off the court it certainly didn’t put him at any disadvantage on it.

In fact, far from it.

Chris Jackson’s basketball story begins at Louisiana State University. It was here where the Gulfport, Mississippi-born sniper erupted for 55 points as an NCAA freshman. Over the course of his first season in Baton Rouge, Jackson would go on to average a record 30.2 points per game.

In his sophomore campaign, alongside LSU beta dog Shaquille O’Neal, Jackson was named college Player of the Year. In other words, coming out of university, the frail looking kid who bobbed his head while carrying the rock up the court was pretty good at putting points on the board and the Denver Nuggets laid claim to his services with the third pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.

When Jackson converted to Islam in 1991 he took on the name Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. It wasn’t long after that when the combo guard started putting up numbers just shy of 20 points per game for four seasons with Denver.

But what set Abdul-Rauf apart from the rest of the league in terms of his offense wasn’t just his ability to heat up from behind the arc - as seen in a 51-point night against the Utah Jazz in 1995 - it was his penchant for nailing free throws with brain surgeon-like accuracy.

In 1993-94, Abudl-Rauf literally came up one made free-throw short of setting the NBA record for free throw percentage in a season. Instead he finished 0.2% back of the 95.8% record set by Calvin Murphy in the 1980-81 season. Upon his retirement from the NBA, Abdul-Rauf had a career percentage of 90.5%.

After six years with the Denver Nuggets, Abdul-Rauf was traded to the Sacramento Kings where he played for two years in a decreasing role. From there Abdul-Rauf would play all over the globe with pit stops in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vancouver and everywhere in between.

These days Abdul-Rauf is known less for his ability to fill the net and more for the controversy he created opting not to stand for the national anthem in 1996. A compromise between the league and Abdul-Rauf resulted in him agreeing to stand for the national anthem but reciting a Muslim prayer while his teammates acknowledged the flag.

Over the course of his career it became clear that Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was far more than just a basketball player and, as a result, one of the most intriguing personalities to find his way into the NBA. The fact that he combined an untraditional approach to the game with a life-altering disease and still managed to be one of the best in the league at his position simply makes the story even more impressive.

But on top of just looking like a bouncer in New York’s finest clubs, Mason made his living combining an unseen versatility on the court with a passion lit from years bouncing around the outskirts of the NBA.

Originally drafted to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988, Mason didn’t quite catch on from the start and found himself venturing abroad to play professionally in Turkey long before European basketball was as chic as it is today. It wasn’t until the 1989-90 season that Mason made his debut in the Bigs with the New Jersey Nets.

After parts of two seasons in the NBA (one with the Nets and another with the Denver Nuggets), Mason headed for stints in the CBA and USBL before a man by the name of Pat Riley scooped him up to star in a frontcourt alongside the likes of Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Charles Smith.

During his days with the Knicks, Mason found himself emerging as a force offensively while still responsible for shutting down some of the game’s greatest players on the other end of the floor. In the 1995-96 season Mason led the entire NBA in minutes played, a testament to his drastic improvement as a player.

In 1996 Mason was swapped as part of the deal that brought Larry Johnson to the Knicks from the Charlotte Hornets. Despite the move, however, Mason continued to lead the league in minutes played as his numbers blossomed yet again playing alongside Glen Rice in North Carolina.

Statistically, the 1996-97 marked the best of Mason’s career as he erupted for 16.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Mason was rewarded for his efforts with a spot on the All-NBA Third team at the conclusion of the season.

Mason would go on to play for Charlotte for the next two seasons (plus the lockout) until he was once again recruited with Riley, at this point with the Miami Heat. Here, Mason would end up being the main beneficiary of the glut of minutes made available when Alonzo Mourning went down with a kidney ailment.

That February, during his first and only season with the Heat, Mason was elected to replace his injured teammate and help fill the void created by an also-injured Grant Hill on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. The selection would be the first and last for Mason while also making the beginning of the end of his 13-year career.

After signing with the Milwaukee Bucks before the 2001-02 season, Mason showed up to training camp with his new team overweight and drew criticism over the next two seasons for not helping the team chemistry which was previously at a relative high thanks to the contributions of Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell.

After the 2002-03 season Mason called it quits and has quietly remained out of the NBA ever since. After helping usher in the league’s bold new identity, the man who once rocked team logos shaved into the back of his head has withdrawn from the eyes of the public while his son, Anthony Mason Jr., makes a name for himself at St. John’s University.

basketball backboards

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Otherwordly height, community assistance and Space Jam cameo appearances aside, in a league with such an urban-rooted identity, the German-born American Mormon stood out like… well, like a 7′6″ guy. Simply put, Shawn Bradley was unlike anything basketball fans had ever seen before and thus dutifully filled the role of NBA punchline for over a decade. To some he was an elbow-wielding, salary-eating bust with a penchant for getting dunked on, but to so many more he was a prime example of what can happen when one proudly lives their life with the cards they’re dealt.

On top of making grown men look like overly-muscular children upon being drafted in 1993 up until the day he called it quits in 2004, Bradley boasted incredible athleticism (foot speed, coordination, explosiveness and surprising agility) for a person even close to his size and as a result will go down as one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history.Stop for a second, recall all the grief Bradley took over the course of his career from sports magazines, players looking to make their own personal statements and even broadcasters on national TV. Now think about it; if only the slightest percentile of basketball players ever set foot on an NBA court and even less make a career out of it, it makes it kind of hard to justify the jokes now synonymous with the man’s name, doesn’t it?

To say that Bradley was an all-star caliber player during his stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks would be an overstatement, but as far as niche players are concerned, can you name even a handful who specialized in particular areas as well as the man who averaged 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, 3.4, 3.3 and 3.2 blocks per game over the first six years of his career? Probably not.

During the 1996-97 campaign, Bradley averaged a more-than-respectful 13.2 points per game to go along with 8.4 rebounds and the aforementioned 3.4 blocks. In 2001-02 he even managed to connect on over 92% of his free-throws, completely debunking the myth that bigger players are at a disadvantage at the line.

It’s been over three years since Bradley set foot on an NBA court, but if one thing is clear, it’s that his name will forever live amongst the basketball community in jest; not nearly indicative of the person and player he is or was. But don’t think Shawn Bradley is beating himself up over it, when you’re 7′6″ you get used to people not exactly seeing the full picture.

Basketball goals

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Perhaps most well known for his reserve role with the 1991 and 1992 championship-winning Bulls, BJ Armstrong was more than just Chicago’s baby-faced answer to teams that doubled down on Jordan and Pippen in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense; he was the symbolic leader of the early Jordanettes, the one to whom the youngest basketball generation could relate.

Don’t get me wrong, Armstrong’s career .425 three-point percentage is evidence enough to convince anyone that the baby-faced point was more than capable of making his living from long range, he just happened to be so much more than what his 9.8 points and 3.3 assists per game averages suggest. Originally the back up to John Paxson, Armstrong took over as the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls in 1993, just in time to help lead Jordan’s Army to its third consecutive title. The next year, when Jordan opted to try his luck with the Chicago White Sox farm system, Armstrong held the position and didn’t look back. People often forget that BJ Armstrong was voted in as a starter for the 1994 All-Star game. Yeah, let that marinate for a bit.

Though Armstrong will never be remembered in the upper echelon of NBA guards, the fact that he brought to the table an intangible presence will never be forgotten by those who watched him play. Whether it be those who silently appreciated the seven consecutive years of .400-plus from beyond the arc, or the younger bunch that emulated him out in their driveways.

The second half of Armstrong’s career is not without its twists. In 1995, Armstrong became the first Toronto Raptor in franchise history, as the recently-created club quickly snagged him in the first round of the expansion draft with the Vancouver Grizzlies. From here Armstrong was relayed to the Golden State Warriors where he would play for two years before being bounced around Charlotte, Orlando and then finally Chicago once again.

At the end of the 1999-2000 season, Armstrong would retire from basketball and walk directly into a front office job with the Bulls under Jerry Krause. Until 2003 Armstrong filled the role of special assistant to the Vice President of Operations, but when Krause resigned Armstrong opted to try his hand as a scout, a position he held until 2005.

With a resume that by then had already included years as a championship-winning sixth man, time as an NBA All-Star, professional scouting experience and a reputable front office gig, it wasn’t hard for Armstrong to then catch on as an NBA analyst for ESPN. Now Armstrong pays the bills representing athletes from an agent’s perspective, one of whom is projected to go first overall in tonight’s NBA Draft.

These days Armstrong seems to have found yet another calling giving young pros the tools to deal with the NBA lifestyle, but it wasn’t long ago when Armstrong was just as content dropping daggers against any who challenged the Jordanettes Dynasty (YouTube).

mammoth basketball goals

Everyone knows pretty much that the top tier, lottery picks turn out to be pretty decent pros (in my mind, Kwame Brown never happened). But it’s the second round picks that’ll really surprise you.

Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, Manu Ginobili, the list goes on, are guys who were overlooked in the draft only to make teams pay for it later. One Nick Van Exel from Kenosha, Wisconsin was one of the leaders of that trend.

Coming out of Bob Huggins’ system with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Nick was eased into leadership status, not really starting until his senior year. But it was then that Van Exel excelled (I know, I’m bad), taking his team to the big dance and in the process, putting Cincy college ball on the map. He was an Iverson-sized point guard with Ohio sized confidence when it came to shooting the three ball, and he had the shattered Cincy records to show for it.

In the 1993 Draft, Big Daddy Stern called Nick’s name from the podium and he was off to Tinseltown. But things weren’t all golden in Los Angeles at the time, with the “Showtime” era having just concluded; the Lakers were in a “rebuilding” phase. (Back then; you’d NEVER think to hear “Lakers” and “rebuilding” in the same breath). Magic, and Worthy were gone. Pat Riley was replaced with Randy Pfund (a Pat Riley look-alike) until borrowing Milwaukee’s old coach, Dell Harris. L.A. was banking on Nick and second-year man Eddie Jones to carry the Lakers into the future, and they brought the team back to the playoffs in 1995. Nick also helped close down Boston Garden, nailing a three at the buzzer to give the Lakers a late season road win.

The Lakers were officially Nick and Eddie’s team, that is until a large present from Orlando was dropped in Jerry Buss’ lap, in the form of newly signed Shaquille O’Neal. Add that with another young punk (Kobe) that the Lakers gave up center Vlade Divac for and there was some smoke in the City of Angels.

Van Exel had a reputation of being a hot head as well. After beefing with Dell Harris, Kobe, Shaq, Chick Hearn, Magic (remember when he came back and faked Sprewell out of his shoes?) some refs and the guy in the front row, Nick was shipped to the Denver Nuggets for peanuts (Tony Battie and Tyronn Lue).

In the Mile High city, Nick was the lone star on a team that couldn’t buy a win. Nick slugged it out for four years in Denver until getting shipped to Mark Cuban’s Billionaire Boys Club in Dallas. With the Mavericks, Nick played an off-the-bench role that was crucial to the revival of the Mavs as a legitimate NBA team, with the Mavs going back to the playoffs for the first time since Magic, Kareem and Worthy.

Nick was a victim of Mark Cuban’s meddling, and was sent to Golden State for Antawn Jamison and cap room, and in Oakland, he floundered playing in only 39 games. The weak showing towards the end of his career made him constant trade bait, being sent to Portland, with disastrous results once again.

After being waived by the Blazers, Nick’s last crack at a ring came calling, with the San Antonio Spurs calling for his services. In an almost tragic twist of fate and irony, the Spurs made is to the conference semis before bowing out in game seven in San Antone to the Mavs, the very team Nick helped put back on the basketball map. He announced his career was over shortly thereafter.

One thing about Nick, despite his Donald Duck temper, was his clutch shooting ability. Like a true NBA vet, he always elevated his game during the playoffs. Today, you’d think of him as a flashier, more evil Tony Parker.

In the next few weeks, you’ll see Larry Brown, a Van Gundy, and some other guys’ names spinning around, waiting to get scooped up by a team. What you’ll see often however, are teams that sign their “native sons” to coaching commitments (see: Magic and the Lakers, Rudy T and the Rockets, Frank Johnson and the Suns) and the newest example of this is T-NBC’s own Reggie Theus.

Everyone growing up in the 90’s remembers the neon colored, Saturday morning seizure known as T-NBC, with one of my favorite shows being “Hang Time”, which starred our honoree Reggie Theus as coach of a ragtag team of high school ballers (the girl had the most skills on that team, and they changed characters like dirty draws). But before the acting and coaching gigs came about, Reggie was kinda raw on the basketball court.

Coming out of the Westside (Inglewoooood!), Reggie started his stellar career hooping it up at Inglewood High (Paul Pierce’s alma mater). After his prep days, Reggie committed to play for Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels at UNLV, giving the program its first real exposure and run to the Final Four (with Theus getting All-American honors).

After the college, it’s the afterparty, known as the NBA, and the Bulls invited Reggie to party right along with them, getting scooped in 1978. But Theus was no ordinary baller, he was known in the Chi as “Rush Street Reggie”, for being “The Man” about town and having a playboy pad that would make Hugh Hef jealous. He had style, and a vicious Jheri curl that looked like it could spontaneously combust at any minute. Theus was backing up his nightclub game with his on-court game, averaging around 22pts a game, and garnering 3 All-Star appearances in the Windy City.

Sometimes when a new coach brings a new system with him, things fall apart (see: Flip Saunders/Pistons), and in Reggie’s case, wackness showed up in the name of Kevin Loughery, a coach who would later run the Heat and Bullets into the ground. K-Lock benched Reggie, which led to Theus being shipped to the Kansas City Kings. Somehow, the Bulls would recover the following spring when they drafted some kid from Carolina with crazy skills.

In Kansas City, Reggie was called on to be the leader of a team with no identity, with the Kings eventually moving to Sacramento, and in their first year in Nor-Cal, the Kings made the playoffs (and wouldn’t see them again until 1996!) with Reggie leading the team in minutes played.

After struggling in Sacramento (think powder blue jerseys with the name under the numbers), Theus went on to be a special guest star for the Hawks, Nets and expansion Magic. After retiring from the league, Reggie got his act on, as mentioned before and coached at New Mexico State, bringing them to the big dance, before getting hooked up with the King’s job. No word yet on a “Deering High School Throwback Night.”

Never mind the fact that nobody plays board games anymore, it was Michael Dickerson, on the cover of a board game, looking as if maybe he was being held at gunpoint. I knew I had to do my weekly duty on this site on none other than the star-crossed Mr. Dickerson.

Coming into the NBA from a stellar season at Zona’, Mike Dickerson had a lot going for him entering the 1998 draft. He had the body (6’5”, 190) and insane leaping ability that made him one of the bright spots for the Houston Rockets. He averaged a modest 10 points per game on a Rockets squad that was busy recovering from the Clutch City era (Barkley/Drexler/Olajuwon/Pippen). It was the next season, however, that things would change for Mike.

The 1999 NBA Draft took place, and David Stern strolled to the podium to announce the second pick, which belonged to the Vancouver (yes, there was a team up there once) Grizzlies. Former Maryland Terrapin standout Steve Francis immediately (in the worst case of sportsmanship and straight up whining) balled his face up, when he realized he’d be paid millions to play basketball professionally. Really, Francis was upset at the fact that he’d be so far away from Takoma Park, MD, so he forced the Grizz’ hand and got himself shipped to Houston for Mike D.

Francis’ career jumped off nicely, but Dickerson’s journey wasn’t bad either. In the Pacific Northwest, Dickerson teamed up with fellow Zona’ alumn Mike Bibby (when he had hair) to form one of the league’s most promising young backcourt. Mike D averaged 18ppg and shot the lights out from downtown. You’d compare him today with a Jason Richardson, a guy who has the long rangy, body, but very explosive, with a nice jumper to boot. Granted, the Grizzlies were more of a Canadian sideshow than a good team, Dickerson gave opposing defenses problems night in and night out. Mike wasn’t an all-star, but he was on his way, and he was happy with his role (as evidenced by the smile on the cover of his board game).

Well kids, we all know how these stories end, and for Dickerson it hurt really bad, literally. Mike’s groin just wouldn’t cooperate, and once that goes, the rest of the lower body usually breaks down in some way shape or form. After Mike Heisley sold the team to Graceland, Dickerson tried his best to heal up so he could join Jerry West’s newest diamond in the rough, Pau Gasol. When that experiment failed to come to fruition, it was pretty much over for Mike D, as he called it quits in 2002.

Doing some TPS reports (i.e. “Googling”) I ran into a website that claims Mike D as a founder for News For The Soul, which is a life-changing internet radio show that can…..well…..teach you how to bend spoons with your MIND! Dead serious folks check that link here.

But seriously, Mike had skills on the court and it’s a shame we never got to see his full potential.