BadBaronRudigor

The May/Kupchak/Shelton position is clearly the weakest on the 76 team; the center position on the 81 team is similarly weak (better players, playing much more out of position . . . though English could play the 4 also as he did in Denver next to Issel and Vandeweghe). Scott May had only a bit less than two healthy years in the league, his first two. In them he averaged about 33 minutes a game and showed himself as a smart 4 with good defense and a midrange jump shot who could be overpowered by big fours . . . a poor man's Horace Grant in the making maybe . . . he was then injured and never played well again. That was his prime; for these teams he is clearly the most marginal starter (if you start him over Kupchak and Shelton which with modern rules and late 70s/early 80s players I probably would). Still, he is the 5th option and can hit an open jump shot, move the ball, and play defense. For more energy, size, and rebounding Kupchak would get as many minutes as May with Shelton coming in for the physical banging as the 4th big.

Rolando Blackman was a midrange shooter. He was a smart, consistent player with good size and strength but only average quickness who knew enough not to shoot outside his sweet zone very often. He was not a long range shooter and, unlike a lot of players, didn't try to force it thus his excellent FG%.

The 76 team would use Dantley in the only way a good team can use him, as the primary scoring option. I mentioned his slowing the ball down with his post style and his miserable defense but he was a guy who could get you 25-30 points a game with a TSP of well over .600 for his career. The rest of the team would have to be built around him but all of DJ, Lucas, May and even Parish were decent spot up midrange shooters who could play off Dantley's post game and DJ and Parish were both capable of consistent 15-20 points a game while May and Lucas were good for 12-15. Add that to HOF Alex English's versatile game off the bench for any of the starting 5 other than Parish (going small if coming in for May, DJ moving to the point if for Lucas) and good role players in Kupchak, Shelton, Buckner and Johnny Davis and you have a team that would compete for the championship in a normal NBA assuming good health and Lucas not yet being into the cocaine. I see English getting 30+ mpg as 5th man with Lucas, May, and Kupchak being in the 25-30 range and Shelton, Davis and Buckner in the 10-20s (the other two are garbage time).

I loved the Bad Boy Pistons being one of the few people not from Detroit to ever root for Bill Laimbeer, but Isiah had a Jordan sized ego and I saw him freeze out Dantley and Aquirre (Dantley outscored him in 87, 88, and 89 but on 3,4, and 3.5 less shots a game). He will distribute the ball around but only in his offense, he won't let Aquirre post up and hold the ball like I believe Lucas would with Dantley (Aguirre and Dantley are very similar players). Similarly I see ego issues if Chambers is relegated to the bench behind Buck Williams and Larry Nance even though I think both are much better players. I just can't see the 81 players playing or staying together as a team, there are too many stress points despite their greater talent; that is why I think the less talented 76ers would win.

I will say that having Buck Williams (which I hadn't noticed for some reason when I first looked at the teams) is a HUGE difference maker and might be enough to carry the 81 team; he was a great team player but a 4, not a center.

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