Post by aar on Nov 24, 2011 13:06:09 GMT -5
Each year, the league's best players are honored with the All-League, All-Defensive and All-Rookie awards, as well as the individual awards, but what about the league's worst starters?
This article will focus on the worst starters across the league and offer analysis on why they are even starting in the first place.
The selections are based on current depth charts.
All-Awful 3rd Team
Kwan Xi PF 33 6'10'' 227 C+ A- C- C+ A- D – 76ers
32.9 mpg 11.7 ppg 9.2 rpg 1.2 apg 0.8 bpg
The fact is that Xi has really never been that good. He starts every year, puts up solid percentages and grabs a good amount of rebounds, but for some reason, he is exceptionally passive when it comes to shooting and his shot blocking is sub-par.
Xi is a solid player, but as a starter, he's below average.
Jim Washington PF 22 6'6'' 210 C+ C D A- A- B - Bucks
29.4 mpg 9.7 ppg 8.3 rpg 1.2 apg 0.6 spg 1.6 bpg .380 fg%
The lone weak link on an otherwise stacked Bucks team. Washington certainly isn't a liability defensively or on the boards, but offensively, he's just awful.
He's undersized for a PF and often gets into foul trouble.
He won't hurt the Bucks, but he certainly won't help them. They will continue to look to package him with some picks for an upgrade and that's the right move.
Duke Hogue C 25 6'9'' 246 C+ D+ D A- B+ C - Wizards
27.8 mpg 6.3 ppg 9.0 rpg 1.5 apg 1.0 spg 1.2 bpg .399 fg% .595 ft%
Hogue puts up decent defensive and rebounding numbers, but is a liability on the offensive end.
The Wizards have a decent squad, but Hogue is holding them back.
Douglas Washington SG 36 6'7'' 215 B A C+ B- C D - Pistons
28.2 mpg 8.7 ppg 4.0 rpg 2.6 apg 0.9 topg .418 fg % .333 3p%
Age has caught up with Douglas Washington, who had a few decent years in the league, but time has since passed him by.
He helped the Hornets to a championship in his final year as an effective player. Now, he'll get more opportunity on the Pistons and try to prove that he can still ball.
Tom Gola PG 32 6'6'' 214 A- C B- C C D – Hornets
12.2 mpg 3.9 ppg 1.7 rpg 3.3 apg 1.1 topg
Like Jim Washington on the Bucks, Gola is the weak link on the defending champion Hornets.
Gola fits the system, but is a liability on defense and will turn the ball over.
He has no business being a starter.
All-Awful 2nd Team
Gene Guarilia PF 28 6'6'' 226 B+ D C- A- B+ C - Suns
22.8 mpg 7.9 ppg 7.3 rpg 1.2 spg 2.1 bpg .347 fg% .550 ft%
Has great ratings year after year, but puts up abysmal percentages and underperforms when given minutes.
Guarilia once had value, but is now exposed as being a total liability.
Charley Brown C 29 6'8'' 235 C+ D+ D- B+ B- C - Bobcats
14.9 mpg 3.8 ppg 3.9 rpg 0.8 bpg .364 fg% .510 ft%
Brown will get the opportunity to start for the Bobcats, but he certainly hasn't earned it.
His offensive numbers are staggeringly bad and he'll average under 2 bpg as a starter.
The Bobcats are in tanking mode and Brown will certainly help their cause.
Bill Smith SF 24 6'5'' 193 C B+ D B- B+ C - Magic
31.9 mpg 4.7 ppg 6.5 rpg 1.0 apg 1.8 spg 1.4 bpg 0.9 topg
The Magic gave up a late 1st rounder for Smith and while Smith puts up decent numbers in certain categories, he shouldn't be a starter on a contending team.
Repole falls in love with odd players and Smith definitely fits that mold.
This guy won't help you win a title. That's the bottom line.
Brady Cooper PG 33 6'1'' 203 C A C C F+ D - Celtics
27.1 mpg 14.5 ppg 1.3 rpg 4.2 apg 1.1 spg 2.7 topg
Cooper is over the hill, but like Rickey Francis, he puts up numbers despite having awful ratings.
The Celtics are tanking and Cooper puts up numbers that are good enough to make it look like they're making a respectable effort to win.
Donovon Beals PG 32 6'0'' 188 C B+ B+ A+ C D - Wizards
38.3 mpg 12.4 ppg 5.2 rpg 8.5 apg 1.8 spg 4.6 topg
Great ratings, but man does Beals suck.
Beals used to have value, but with his ball handling abilities being virtually nil, he has become the new Broderick Hayes.
If you want to lose games, Beals is your man!
All-Awful 1st Team
Mike Graney PG 27 6'5'' 187 C A- B- A- C D – Mavericks
0 mpg
Jay Arnette PG 26 6'2'' 175 C C+ B+ A- D C - Bobcats
0 mpg
These two clowns are over 25 and are starting next sim despite not playing a game this season.
Pathetic.
Vern Baggenstoss C 28 7'1'' 220 C+ D+ D B+ B- D - Bobcats
34.1 mpg 14.7 ppg 9.2 rpg 1.4 apg 1.2 spg 0.4 bpg 1.7 topg .387 fg%
Another great piece to the Bobcats' tanking puzzle.
This guy is easily the second worst starting big in the league.
Despite nearly averaging 15/10, he is really, really bad.
John Thompson C 24 6'10'' 225 C C C A C C – Warriors19.3 mpg 2.7 ppg 4.1 rpg 0.5 bpg .469 .758 .000
Another joker who has no business starting.
He's young, but other than his defensive, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Luis Nazario Hartley PG 38 5'8'' 161 C+ C+ B+ A- D- D – Hawks
17.9 mpg 8.1 ppg 1.4 rpg 3.1 apg 1.2 spg 1.6 topg
The sad thing about Hartley getting another starting gig is that the Hawks are actually hoping to win games with him.
This clown has never been any good and the Hawks will soon find that out the hard way.
This article will focus on the worst starters across the league and offer analysis on why they are even starting in the first place.
The selections are based on current depth charts.
All-Awful 3rd Team
Kwan Xi PF 33 6'10'' 227 C+ A- C- C+ A- D – 76ers
32.9 mpg 11.7 ppg 9.2 rpg 1.2 apg 0.8 bpg
The fact is that Xi has really never been that good. He starts every year, puts up solid percentages and grabs a good amount of rebounds, but for some reason, he is exceptionally passive when it comes to shooting and his shot blocking is sub-par.
Xi is a solid player, but as a starter, he's below average.
Jim Washington PF 22 6'6'' 210 C+ C D A- A- B - Bucks
29.4 mpg 9.7 ppg 8.3 rpg 1.2 apg 0.6 spg 1.6 bpg .380 fg%
The lone weak link on an otherwise stacked Bucks team. Washington certainly isn't a liability defensively or on the boards, but offensively, he's just awful.
He's undersized for a PF and often gets into foul trouble.
He won't hurt the Bucks, but he certainly won't help them. They will continue to look to package him with some picks for an upgrade and that's the right move.
Duke Hogue C 25 6'9'' 246 C+ D+ D A- B+ C - Wizards
27.8 mpg 6.3 ppg 9.0 rpg 1.5 apg 1.0 spg 1.2 bpg .399 fg% .595 ft%
Hogue puts up decent defensive and rebounding numbers, but is a liability on the offensive end.
The Wizards have a decent squad, but Hogue is holding them back.
Douglas Washington SG 36 6'7'' 215 B A C+ B- C D - Pistons
28.2 mpg 8.7 ppg 4.0 rpg 2.6 apg 0.9 topg .418 fg % .333 3p%
Age has caught up with Douglas Washington, who had a few decent years in the league, but time has since passed him by.
He helped the Hornets to a championship in his final year as an effective player. Now, he'll get more opportunity on the Pistons and try to prove that he can still ball.
Tom Gola PG 32 6'6'' 214 A- C B- C C D – Hornets
12.2 mpg 3.9 ppg 1.7 rpg 3.3 apg 1.1 topg
Like Jim Washington on the Bucks, Gola is the weak link on the defending champion Hornets.
Gola fits the system, but is a liability on defense and will turn the ball over.
He has no business being a starter.
All-Awful 2nd Team
Gene Guarilia PF 28 6'6'' 226 B+ D C- A- B+ C - Suns
22.8 mpg 7.9 ppg 7.3 rpg 1.2 spg 2.1 bpg .347 fg% .550 ft%
Has great ratings year after year, but puts up abysmal percentages and underperforms when given minutes.
Guarilia once had value, but is now exposed as being a total liability.
Charley Brown C 29 6'8'' 235 C+ D+ D- B+ B- C - Bobcats
14.9 mpg 3.8 ppg 3.9 rpg 0.8 bpg .364 fg% .510 ft%
Brown will get the opportunity to start for the Bobcats, but he certainly hasn't earned it.
His offensive numbers are staggeringly bad and he'll average under 2 bpg as a starter.
The Bobcats are in tanking mode and Brown will certainly help their cause.
Bill Smith SF 24 6'5'' 193 C B+ D B- B+ C - Magic
31.9 mpg 4.7 ppg 6.5 rpg 1.0 apg 1.8 spg 1.4 bpg 0.9 topg
The Magic gave up a late 1st rounder for Smith and while Smith puts up decent numbers in certain categories, he shouldn't be a starter on a contending team.
Repole falls in love with odd players and Smith definitely fits that mold.
This guy won't help you win a title. That's the bottom line.
Brady Cooper PG 33 6'1'' 203 C A C C F+ D - Celtics
27.1 mpg 14.5 ppg 1.3 rpg 4.2 apg 1.1 spg 2.7 topg
Cooper is over the hill, but like Rickey Francis, he puts up numbers despite having awful ratings.
The Celtics are tanking and Cooper puts up numbers that are good enough to make it look like they're making a respectable effort to win.
Donovon Beals PG 32 6'0'' 188 C B+ B+ A+ C D - Wizards
38.3 mpg 12.4 ppg 5.2 rpg 8.5 apg 1.8 spg 4.6 topg
Great ratings, but man does Beals suck.
Beals used to have value, but with his ball handling abilities being virtually nil, he has become the new Broderick Hayes.
If you want to lose games, Beals is your man!
All-Awful 1st Team
Mike Graney PG 27 6'5'' 187 C A- B- A- C D – Mavericks
0 mpg
Jay Arnette PG 26 6'2'' 175 C C+ B+ A- D C - Bobcats
0 mpg
These two clowns are over 25 and are starting next sim despite not playing a game this season.
Pathetic.
Vern Baggenstoss C 28 7'1'' 220 C+ D+ D B+ B- D - Bobcats
34.1 mpg 14.7 ppg 9.2 rpg 1.4 apg 1.2 spg 0.4 bpg 1.7 topg .387 fg%
Another great piece to the Bobcats' tanking puzzle.
This guy is easily the second worst starting big in the league.
Despite nearly averaging 15/10, he is really, really bad.
John Thompson C 24 6'10'' 225 C C C A C C – Warriors19.3 mpg 2.7 ppg 4.1 rpg 0.5 bpg .469 .758 .000
Another joker who has no business starting.
He's young, but other than his defensive, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Luis Nazario Hartley PG 38 5'8'' 161 C+ C+ B+ A- D- D – Hawks
17.9 mpg 8.1 ppg 1.4 rpg 3.1 apg 1.2 spg 1.6 topg
The sad thing about Hartley getting another starting gig is that the Hawks are actually hoping to win games with him.
This clown has never been any good and the Hawks will soon find that out the hard way.
