Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday…Xavier Mc Daniel aka the XMan

As a knick fan McDaniel is thought of fondly as being a key player that restored toughness to the Knicks in the one season he was with the Knicks. McDaniel was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (4th overall) of the 1985 NBA draft and became an instant starter. He averaged 17.1 points

Smallthoughts:Old School Tuesday…Kevin Porter

Welcome back to this week’s Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday as we go back in time and spotlight some of the best players from the past. This week we spotlight among others…Kevin Porter. Porter was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the 3rd round as the 39th pick of the 1972 NBA draft. In his second

Smallthoughts:Old School Tuesday…Buck Williams

After three years at Maryland, Williams decided to leave for the NBA. The New Jersey Nets selected him third overall in the 1981 NBA draft, behind Olympic teammates Aguirre and Thomas. In his first season with the Nets, he averaged 15.5 points and led the team with 12.3 rebounds per game, helping New Jersey win

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Maurice Cheeks

Maurice Cheeks was a underrated but an important player for the Philadelphia 76ers during the Dr. J era in Philly. Cheeks was solid at both ends of the floor offense and defense and played unselfishly keeping the stars of the team involved offensively. Cheeks played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Kendall Gill

Playing four years for the Fighting Illini, Gill was a starter for his last three seasons. As a junior, Gill led the Fighting Illini to the 1989 Final Four before losing to Michigan on a last second shot. Gill was chosen in the 1990 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets,

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Rony Seikaly

Rony Seikaly wasn’t the most spectacular but was solid and held his own in the pros. Considered one of the top college players from Syracuse Orange men’s basketball program, Seikaly’s stellar offense and defense placed him among the school’s all-time leaders in rebounds, points and blocks while earning several nationally recognized awards and honors. His

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday…Derrick Coleman

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

Smallthoughts:Old School Tuesday …Dwayne “The Pearl” Washington

If you were a fan of Big East basketball then you tuned in for must see TV when Syracuse played on Tv because Dwayne the Pearl Washington was going to put on a show. His pro career never lived up to the promise of his college career but without a doubt he was one  the biggest

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Phil Jackson

Before he became the Zen Master, Phil Jackson was considered a defensive specialist with limited offensive ability.In 1967, Jackson was drafted in the second round by the New York Knicks. While he was a good all-around athlete, with unusually long arms, he was limited offensively and compensated with intelligence and hard work on defense. Jackson

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday…Walter Berry

Berry was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 14th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. However, he did not want to play for the Blazers and soon after being drafted was traded to the Spurs in exchange for Kevin Duckworth. He spent three seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1989 with