Derrick Coleman talk on Bill Simmons podcast

[Ghost]

People forget, but when he and Kenny Anderson were both with the Nets, and Chuck Daley was the coach, that team was really good for fa few years. DC averaged 20 and 10 for his first five years in the NBA, and then he had a bad first year when he was traded to Philly, but then put together another 3 or 4 pretty good years. DC was on the Dream Team II

His NBA career was not the complete car wreck people make it out to be. If you want to talk about who was a bigger disappointment in the NBA compared to their natural talent, just look at Billy Owens. He would be happy to have had the career that Derrick did.

I'm too lazy to look for it, but I remember Michael Jordan talking about Billy Owens once....said he loved challenging rookies (highly regarded ones), and he mentioned Billy. He said something like he went after Owens, and Owens backed off, and he knew Owens would never be a star in the NBA from that first moment.

 

[Newhouser]

DC had to play the 5 a lot in the NBA - especially after the injuries. Early in his career and at his natural position - BEAST.

 

[AZOrange]

Well, you're limiting it to beginning the 80s. If you dig a little deeper, Rony Seikaly had a very solid NBA career. So did Sherman Douglas, although he never quite became a top star he lasted for quite a while. So did Etan Thomas and Jason Hart, and of course Danny Schayes played 18 years in the league. Going back to football, don't forget about guys like Kevin Mitchell, Gary Anderson, Keith Bulluck (1o years), Donovan Darius, John Flannery, Tebucky Jones, Joe Morris, Stan Walters, Craig Wolfley, Terry Wooden, Olindo Mare (played around 10 years, too), and of course the legends like Csonka and Floyd Little, who both had tremendous, Hall of Fame quality careers. Daryl Johnston is another who had a very good career. Our record of putting guys in the NFL is really outstanding when you look at it. It's just that we haven't had enough of those elite guys most years, to compete with the teams at the very top.

Man even SU fans forget about Art Monk...

 

[IthacaMatt]

Man even SU fans forget about Art Monk...

Well, this was more about forgotten players. Only at the end did I start mentioning legends who also get overlooked, like Csonka.

 

[RF2044]

People forget, but when he and Kenny Anderson were both with the Nets, and Chuck Daley was the coach, that team was really good for fa few years. DC averaged 20 and 10 for his first five years in the NBA, and then he had a bad first year when he was traded to Philly, but then put together another 3 or 4 pretty good years. DC was on the Dream Team II

His NBA career was not the complete car wreck people make it out to be. If you want to talk about who was a bigger disappointment in the NBA compared to their natural talent, just look at Billy Owens. He would be happy to have had the career that Derrick did.

DC did himselves no favors early in his career. Like many pro athletes, he got by on his natural ability and didn't have a work ethic commensurate with his skill level. Then he had heart issues which required him to be on medication that caused his weight to balloon. That's when he started maturing, and got serious about his career. By then, his physical capabilities weren't what they once were. But that was the DC that HOF head coach Larry Brown self proclaimed loved coaching. Too bad he didn't get serious about his career a little sooner, as he might have been one of the all time greats. But I have to defend him somewhat -- he was far from a bust statistically, and I don't make that attribution to guys who have medical issues that derail their careers.

That's what happened with Billy Owens, too. One injury after another from his second year on. By the time he was on the SuperSonics [they acquired him to be a starter], he could barely move and was out of the starting lineup about 5 games into the season. Owens was supremely talented--his body did him in.

 

[MikeSU02]

People forget, but when he and Kenny Anderson were both with the Nets, and Chuck Daley was the coach, that team was really good for fa few years. DC averaged 20 and 10 for his first five years in the NBA, and then he had a bad first year when he was traded to Philly, but then put together another 3 or 4 pretty good years. DC was on the Dream Team II

His NBA career was not the complete car wreck people make it out to be. If you want to talk about who was a bigger disappointment in the NBA compared to their natural talent, just look at Billy Owens. He would be happy to have had the career that Derrick did.

Did someone say Dream Team II?

*Cough Cough, look at my pic, cough cough*

 

[IthacaMatt]

Did someone say Dream Team II?

*Cough Cough, look at my pic, cough cough*

Sorry, was it the first one? I didn't take the time to look it up.

 

[MikeSU02]

Sorry, was it the first one? I didn't take the time to look it up.

No no. My pic is of DC's Dream Team II jersey.