If there was ever a what if …it was Derrick Coleman…
What if he played up to his potential every night …what if he did …he would have been the best power forward in the game.
Better than Malone and Barkley…yeah what if ..
Throughout his career, the left-handed Coleman was an effective low post scorer, averaging 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. He enjoyed his best years as a member of the New Jersey Nets, where he averaged 19.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. When Coleman entered the NBA, he was compared to elite power forwards such as Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, and expected to put up similar numbers, only with the added ability to shoot from three-point range. Instead, his career was overshadowed by numerous injuries and attitude problems. Sports Illustrated once remarked that “Coleman could have been the best power forward ever; instead he played just well enough to ensure his next paycheck.”
His Syracuse jersey number, 44, was retired on March 5, 2006.
Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …spotlights…Derrick Coleman
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