Ryan Van Dusen: ‘Bullets Push Pistons To The Limit in 1988 Playoffs ‘

Source:Ryan Van Dusen– Bullets center Moses Malone.

“Washington Bullets guard Jeff Malone averaged 25.6 points over five games and nearly propelled his team to an unlikely upset over the Detroit Pistons in the 1988 playoffs. Malone scored 35 points on 15-of-22 shooting in Game 3, including 4-of-4 in overtime, sparking Washington’s retort after dropping the first two contests of the series. At a loss as to how to cool off an opposing two-guard on an unconscious run, Chuck Daly appealed to his secret weapon for the deciding Game 5. In lieu of Joe Dumars, Daly assigned the task of slowing Malone to the 6-foot-8 Dennis Rodman, who held him to just 1-of-12 shooting and four points in a 99-78 rout.”

From Ryan Van Dusen

In 1988, the Detroit Pistons were still somewhat in transition from a team that annually win 45-50 games, but go out in the 1st round of the playoffs, to a team that was becoming a great, dominant, NBA championship team.

The 1988 Bullets, whatever they lacked in chemistry and coaching, made up for in talent. They had a lot of firepower on that team, including off the bench, with players like John Williams. It wasn’t just Moses and Jeff Malone, but Bernard King was on that team, as well as Terry Catledge.

So when the Bullets played a team that didn’t respect them, which is what the Pistons didn’t, especially after beating them easily at home during the 1st two games of that series, the Bullets could catch you napping and beat you. Which is what they did to the Pistons, even as a 7th seed, 2/3 games in that series.

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Fatal Ish: Video: CBS Sports: NBA 1978-Los Angeles Lakers @ Washington Wizards: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Highlights

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This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Interesting video about Kareem, considering that the Bullets won this game and the Lakers lost. But the person who did the video decides to show Kareem’s highlights in this game. But again in this video, you see how great a player that Kareem was. Not just as a scorer in the post, but the great defensive player and rebounder that he was. And how big, tall and strong that he was. Where you got a tank in Bullets center Wes Unseld, who was built like a defensive lineman. And yet Kareem was consistently getting great position against Big Wes in the post.

This game is one of those deals that the other team’s great player can have a big game. As long as we win the game and Kareem’s teammates aren’t killing us as well. What you see here is the Bullets without a traditional center anyway. The Bullets tallest player at least in their starting lineup was Elvin Hays. A 6’9 strong power forward, but a power forward and someone who didn’t play center as their first position. But would play center to give Wes Unseld a break. Unseld was the Bullets center and a great defender, rebounder and passer, but he was 6’6 maybe 6’7. Sort of like the Charles Barkley of the center position size wise. And Kareem could easily shoot over both Bullets big men.

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CBS Sports: NBA 1975- Washington Wizards @ Buffalo Braves: Bob McAdoo’s 50 Points

Source:CBS Sports– the Wizards and Braves in the 1975 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Source:The New Democrat

“Bob McAdoo puts up one of the best playoffs scoring performances ever. He scores 50 points, despite the fact that the Bullets have a four defender rotation on Big Mac. McAdoo also crashed the boards as he had 10 in the 3rd quarter, I don’t know how much he could have had for the whole game. A well-deserved standing ovation from the noisy Buffalo crowd, an out-of-his-mind Oscar Robertson screaming while announcing the game and the series tied at 2-2 after McAdoo’s career game. April 18, 1975.”

From Lamar Matic

Anytime there’s a choice between having the player who scored the most points in a game and the team that scored the most points in a game, especially a playoff game, I would always take the team.

When one player scores fifty points and his team loses, it generally means he was doing most of the scoring for his team in that game. And that his teammates weren’t doing much damage to the other team. Classic example of Michael Jordan vs. the Boston Celtics in the 1986 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, where he scored sixty points in back-to-back games, but the Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls in both games and beat them badly.

That is how you defended Bob McAdoo when he was with the Buffalo Braves. You guarded him tough and you tried to stop him. But not to the point where it would free up other Braves to beat you with open shots and layups.

Now it so happens that the Braves won this game and Big Bob was able to put the Braves on his back. But the Bullets won this series, because they had a better team, even if the Braves had the better player in the series.

Good teams, or in the Bullets case very good teams, if not great teams, generally beat teams that have a great player, if that player doesn’t have a very good supporting cast around him.

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Hal 15 Greer: ‘Vintage NBA-Wes Unseld’

Source:Hal 15 Greer– This is probably from the 1978 NBA Finals, between the Wizards and Seattle Sonics.

“Vintage NBA – Wes Unseld”

From Hal 15 Greer

When I think of Wes Unseld and not someone who s old enough to have seen him play when he was still playing, but what I’ve seen from him on film and have heard about guys who played with and against him. I think of those great screens that he set that no one could get through. That freed up so many players for open layups or open jump shots and those great chest passes he threw after those big rebounds he was always grabbing that led to all of those great Bullets fast breaks.

The Bullets back then were a big physical team as far as physical strength. Which is different from being a tall team and when your starting center is listed at 6’7 when he’s. Really 6’6 back when 6’6 or 6’7 is short for power forward.

Your team is probably not that tall but the Bullets back then were big up front as far as. physical strength with guys like Elvin Hays, Mitch Kupchak and Wes Unseld and Wes is a perfect example of that and fit those teams perfectly and despite giving up 4-6 inches every game for the most part to guys he was guarding at center. He was so strong similar to a Charles Barkley that he could move his man out of position in the post and for rebounding position clear his man out-of-the-way to get the ball.

The player I would compare Wes Unseld to physically and as far as game would be Ben Wallace who also played for the Bullets/Wizards but made his mark in his career with the Detroit Pistons and part of their 2004 NBA Finals championship team. Listed at 6’9 but more like 6’8 or 6’7 playing center full-time for the most part. Not a great scorer but someone who was a great defender and rebounder and could also score from time to time as well.

Which goes to show you that you don’t have to be a great scorer in the NBA to be a great player if you do other things very well that good teams need great rebounders, defenders and passers. Skills that Wes Unseld possessed all of them and big reasons why he was a great player.

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CBS Sports: NBA 1978- Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Washington Bullets @ Philadelphia 76ers: Elvin Hayes Highlights

Source:CBS Sports– Bullets backup center Mitch Kupchak.

“Elvin Hayes – 1978 ECF Gm 1 – (28pts 18reb 6blk 4stl) vs. 76ers”

From Basketball Composition

This was back when the Bullets and 76ers were pretty good rivals. Because both teams were always in contention for the Eastern Conference championship and NBA Finals. But this rivalry was all but gone by the late 1980s when the Bullets became perennial losers.

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Lamar Matic: NBA 1986- Eastern Conference 1st Round Game 1- Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers: 4th Quarter

Source:Lamar Matic– the Wizards and 76ers from 1986.

“One of the greatest NBA comebacks ever. The Washington Bullets are down by 17 with 4 minutes left and seems like have lost the first playoffs game of 1986. However, veteran Dan Roundfield scoring on one end and Charles Barkley with Julius Erving choking on the other lets the Bullets get back in the game and win it with an impossible game winning three by Dudley Bradley. 1986 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1 Game 1.”

From Lamar Matic

Definitely one of the most surprising comeback victories of all-time and perhaps the best comeback in Bullets playoff history.

You come back from eighteen points with four minutes left in the game especially in a playoff game, you are getting a lot of breaks with the team with the lead falling asleep and thinking they’ve already won the game. Which is what the 76ers did, as well as the Bullets never giving up and coming up with a lot of great plays. Especially on defense, but scoring every time they had the ball.

When you have a big lead like this, all you really have to do is work the clock, don’t turn the ball over and hit your foul shots. You do all of those things and even if the other team scores every time they have the ball, they won’t have enough time to come all the way back. The 76ers failed to even do these basic fundamental things late in this game.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

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CBS Sports: Moses Malone Feature With Washington Wizards (1987)

Source:CBS Sports– interviewing Wizards center Moses Malone in 1987.
“Interview with Moses Malone mid-season after trade to Washington Bullets.”

“Interview with Moses Malone mid-season after trade to Washington Bullets.”

From NBA Trades

The worst move that Harald Katz ever made running the Philadelphia 76ers (and there might be a David Letterman top 10 list of bad moves that he made running the 76ers) was trading Moses Malone to the Wizards. They were called the Washington Bullets back then, but trading Moses and not getting anything in return with Jeff Ruland who had a bad leg before that trade told 76ers fans and perhaps the rest of the NBA that the 76ers were not only no longer NBA Finals contenders, but they weren’t interested in being contenders. Especially with 1987 being Julius Erving’s last season.

A healthy Moses Malone with the 76ers in 87 and finishing his career there with Charles Barkley and you add a small forward to come after Dr. J and the 76ers would have remained not just a playoff team in the late 1980s and 1990s, but they would have remained a contender for the NBA Finals.

The 76ers after trading Moses have never been the same since. They were a solid playoff team in 1989, 1990 and 1991, but the fell back and missed the playoffs in 92 and then make another trade with Charles Barkley and were essentially a last place team for the rest of the 1990s.

And after two great seasons personally that Moses had for the Wizards in 87 and 88, the Wizards make a bad move themselves by not resigning Moses who was 33 at that point and probably had another 3-5 good years left in him. But that’s on Abe Pollin who at least in the 1980s was only interested in making the NBA Playoffs and putting enough people in the seats at the Capital Centre to make a profit for his team.

The Wizards keep Moses to go along with Jeff Malone and a young and very talented, but undisciplined player in John Williams, Bernard King would have still been there and Wizards would have at least remained a consistent playoff team in the 1990s.

I’ve never figured out how come Moses played for six NBA teams. I mean he is one of the top 4-5 NBA centers of all-time. Maybe only Wilt Chamberlain was a better rebounding center than Moses. Arguably the best center of the 1980s. Certainly in the Eastern Conference and you could argue about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Moses for the NBA as a whole. And yet the team he played the most games with was the Houston Rockets which was for six seasons. Even though he’s known as the great low-post player both offensively and defensively and the great rebounder and for bringing another NBA championship to the 76ers.

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Ginoong Kamote: Vintage NBA- Moses Malone: ‘The Chairman of The Boards’

Source:Ginoong Kamote– Moses Malone, when he was with the Houston Rockets, playing the Boston Celtics, perhaps in 1981.

Source:The Daily Press

“Moses Malone is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player who also played in the American Basketball Association (ABA), as well as on the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Bullets. Malone played 21 seasons in the NBA. Before retiring from basketball, he was the last ABA participant to still be playing in the NBA. In 2001, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame”

From Ginoong Kamote

Just from looking at the background of this photo, I would say this game was played at the Atlanta Omni, with the Philadelphia 76ers playing the Atlanta Hawks. But that’s all I know about it.

Source:NBA-TV– one of the thing that made Moses Malone so effective as an NBA big man, was his ability not just to get to the free throw line, but make his free throws. He always shot around 75-80% from the foul line, which always made him one of the best free throw shooting big men in the NBA. Which put even more pressure on the other teams big men, because not only where they in foul trouble a lot, but they were also giving up a lot of free points to Moses and his team.

Moses Malone was simply a bull with a lot of skills who was almost impossible to box out with his brute strength, quickness and determination. Whose one of the top five centers of all-time because of what he could do in the paint both offensively and defensively. Who also might be the best offensive rebounder of all-time as well. Kareem, Wilt, Bill Russell and maybe Hakeem and that would be the only centers I would take over Moses and I could easily have Moses over Hakeem, but that would be a tossup.

Imagine a man 6’9-6’10 260 pounds or so, of brute strength and muscle, but who was also very quick and athletic. The man was impossible to box out for the most part, I’m not sure Wilt Chamberlain could box out Moses in his prime. The man was simply a bull physically as a man, but with a heart bigger than that. And when he was finally put on a very good team, a great team, one of the best teams of all-time in the NBA, the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, you really got to see how great he was and how great he could make other players, including other great players.

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