1992 NBA Draft Remix
Never mess around with a Shaq Fuschnick.
Now who’s the first pick? Me, word is born and
Not a Christian Laettner, not Alonzo Mourning.
Shaquille O’Neal, What’s Up Doc (Can We Rock?)
Don’t worry Shaq — these lyrics from your 1993 debut rap album still hold true today — you’re still at the top of the heap of the 1992 NBA Draft remix. In fact, Shaq is one of the few players from this draft year who truly had a special career. Other than the top two or three players in this remix, there aren’t a whole lot of standout players to choose from. There are loads of quality players who had solid careers, but no real superstars among the bunch. Which made the remixing of this draft all the more difficult.
1992 NBA Draft
Grade: B+
All-Stars: 5 (Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner, Tom Gugliotta, Latrell Sprewell)
Biggest Bust: Adam Keefe, Atlanta, pick No. 10
Second Round Steal: P.J. Brown, New Jersey, pick No. 29
Winning Team (in the long run): Los Angeles Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal)
Career Scoring Leader: Shaquille O’Neal
Career Rebounding Leader: Shaquille O’Neal
Career Assist Leader: David Wesley
Pick No. 1 | Orlando Magic
Actual Selection: Shaquille O’Neal
Draft 365 Remix: Shaquille O’Neal (1)
Four NBA titles. Three NBA Finals MVPs. Rookie of the Year. NBA MVP. 15-time All-Star. 14 All-NBA appearances. Three All-Defensive Team appearances. Top ten all-time in blocks, field goals, field goal %, free throw attempts, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and points. ‘Nuff said.
Pick No. 2 | Charlotte Hornets
Actual Selection: Alonzo Mourning
Draft 365 Remix: Alonzo Mourning (2)
There wasn’t a more intimidating player in his prime than Alonzo Mourning, with his chiseled frame, fierce competitiveness, physicality, and most importantly, ever-present scowl. Remembered mostly for his defensive talents (he was a two-time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award), Zo was a more-than-capable scorer also, topping the 20 ppg mark six times in his career. And lets not forget he was barely beaten by Karl Malone for the 1999 NBA MVP trophy and was third in voting the next season. Yet, some people still question whether or not the seven-time All Star should get into the Hall of Fame!?!
Pick No. 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves
Actual Selection: Christian Laettner
Draft 365 Remix: Latrell Sprewell (24)
Unfortunately Latrell Sprewell is remembered for all the wrong things, whether it be choking his coach, complaining that the millions of dollars he was being offered wasn’t enough to feed his family, or his recent bankruptcy woes. But, put all that aside if you can, and concentrate on his performance on the court. Spree was a joy to watch during his career, a player able to do a bit of everything at both ends of the floor, and his resume has four All-Star appearances as well as All-NBA and All-Defensive 
Team honors to show for it.
Pick No. 4 | Dallas Mavericks
Actual Selection: Jim Jackson
Draft 365 Remix: Doug Christie (17)
This is the part of the remix where it gets tough to figure out the pecking order. Doug Christie ultimately gets the nod due to his four All-Defensive Team appearances and his versatility on the court. Not only was he a lock-down defender, he was an above average ball-handler, a solid rebounder and a capable scorer. (Feel free to insert your own wife joke here).
Pick No. 5 | Denver Nuggets
Actual Selection: LaPhonso Ellis
Draft 365 Remix: P.J. Brown (29)
For a small school, Louisiana Tech sure knows how to pump out NBA big men. Karl Malone, Paul Millsap and, you guessed it, P.J. Brown all are alumni. Despite not putting up big numbers, Brown was in enough demand to last over 1000 games in the League, and made his way onto three All-Defensive Teams. But, seriously, who was the joker who gave him a MVP vote in 2005?
Pick No. 6 | Washington Bullets
Actual Selection: Tom Gugliotta
Draft 365 Remix: Christian Laettner (3)
Dream Team anyone? Yes, the only member of the original Dream Team from this draft class is one Christian Donald Laettner. While Laettner didn’t come close to matching his success in college while in the NBA, his first five years in the League he was good for about 17-8-3. Plus he made the 1997 All-Star team.
Pick No. 7 | Sacramento Kings
Actual Selection: Walt Williams
Draft 365 Remix: Jim Jackson (4)
If every season could have been like ‘94-95 for Jimmy Jax (not including the knee injury and the Jason Kidd-Toni Braxton issue) he would have ended up No. 2 on this remix. 25.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg is not too shabby at all.
Pick No. 8 | Milwaukee Bucks
Actual Selection: Todd Day
Draft 365 Remix: David Wesley (Undrafted)
Perhaps its fitting that after being underappreciated and not getting drafted, David Wesley also had an under-the-radar NBA career. Still, he’s fifth all-time in this class in scoring and first in assists. You have to appreciate that.
Pick No. 9 | Philadelphia 76ers
Actual Selection: Clarence Weatherspoon
Draft 365 Remix: Tom Gugliotta (5)
Googs’ first seven seasons in the League were pretty stellar, culminating in an appearance in the 1997 All-Star Game. But Tom Gugliotta never could stay healthy enough to play a full season and almost died due to an allergic reaction to a supplement while riding on the Phoenix Suns’ team bus in 1999.
Pick No. 10 | Atlanta Hawks
Actual Selection: Adam Keefe
Draft 365 Remix: Clarence Weatherspoon (9)
The poor man’s Charles Barkley, Clarence Weatherspoon had his best year in 1994, when he put up 18 and 10. Not bad for a 6-6 power forward.
Barely missed the Top 10 Remix: Robert Horry, LaPhonso Ellis, Walt Williams, Todd Day.
Next on the Remix: Tark the Shark’s Runnin’ Rebels descend on the NBA.
Read more of Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto.
wowcakes
Horry is kind of a slacker. When he got drafted, they had him projected as a Pippen type player. He never really lived up to that.
“Tenth!!!!!! Dunno why that’s cool, I just am! LOLZZ!!!”
however, he’ll take his 7 rings over this top 10 ranking…
I don’t believe PJ was a better player over the course of his career than Horry.
should be 4th on this list.
One of my all-time favorite ball players. He was one of the first players I started rooting for back as a kid in New York.
Robert Horry should definitely be ahead of Christian Laettner in my opinion. If this were an NCAA Recruiting Class Remix, then he’d be in a good spot. But no offense to him, as he had a decent NBA career, but Horry had more of an impact for his teams than Laettner. Yes, Big Shot slacks around until the last minute of every game, but his gamewinners should be recognized somehow. I’m not saying he’s the best role player ever though.
for sure he was never an all star or ever the main guy on any of his teams but robert horry is perhaps the most influential role player to have ever played the game
It still goes to show a lot of people value quantity over quality. But most sucessful person know better.
IMO, if 6-10 were really impact players, and translated their stats to wins,cahmpionships WITH Consistency, then Phil,Popo and Rudy T> would have snatched’em right away. And i’ll go as far as saying Horrys career was no. 4. Bcpz Latrell was unfortunate to play Against all those champ. teams.
Of course, I’m totally biased because the dude hip checked Nash into a scorers table, but yeah… I don’t get PJ being so high being sort of the same type of player Horry was.
you might have a good pt. when we’re talking bout stats so Ill give you that Spoon ober Horry..but the rest? Wesley,brown,etc. You assess players over the course of their careers..not just becoz they were “great” the first 5 years. Where’s the justification i that? Jordan was awesome his first 4 years, but was he called great? Not until he beat the likes of Bird,Magic and entire Pistons,Knicks team.
Alanzo Mourning was the greatest player in the history of the NBA never to fully bloom, and I mean that over T-Mac, G-Hill, Penny… Maybe not over Bill Walton, but well over everyone else.
I’ll give you your spoon o’er horry if thats what u like. but the rest? A player’s career is assessed for the lenghth of it. not just bcoz they we’re “great” the first few years.
Jordan was brilliant his first few yrs. but not until he beat the likes of Bird, Magic and the entire Pistons, Knicks team that he was placed in the elite and later GOAT. Who was the next big man after Robinson and Duncan, Shaq and Grant(wouldnt even really consider) and Olajuwon in their respective teams?
see my 2nd revised post after 6:39 which i thought was never posted due to whatever errors.
Not to disrepect but for the sake of arguement.
Bcoz i admire all these guys.
OK, let’s look at Spoon and Horry after the age of 25 (because I’m flexible): Horry’s highest ppg was 7.8 in ’97 (mind you, he avg. 6.9 on a Suns team that started 0-13 so for those who think he’d put up stats on non-HOF teams is wrong) while Spoon’s was 12.2. Spoon was at about 8 rpg solid until age 32, when his avg. was 7.6, which is ironically still higher than Horry’s best ever rebounding season. They were a wash career-wise with defensive stats. Spoon was four inches shorter than Horry, mind you, and routinely outplayed him in both college and pros (thank you DVD collection). Bottom line: Horry played on good teams, Spoon didn’t. Also, my theory on Horry is that he had no fear taking big shots because had he missed he wouldn’t have copped any scrutiny; that would have fallen on Dream, Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, etc. Am I denying Horry didn’t make some crazy-big shots? No. He did. Was he anything more than an average (emphasizing “average”) player? No.
I hate that logic, it’s uncomprehendingly dumb. So, if Jordan never retired, Hakeem was never great? If Garnett was never traded with Allen to the Celtics, he was never great? What if the calls sided towards the Mavericks, is Dirk great and Wade is not? Is Kareem that much less great if he never won four more championships as a second cog with Magic Johnson?
If this was tennis or chess or fencing, you’d be right— greatness is determined by winning. Since basketball is a team sport, which is determined by at times five and at times twelve players, you’re 100% wrong. Jordan never BEAT Larry’s Celtics or Magic’s Lakers— the Celtics were obliterated and imploding with age, and the Magic were ravaged with retirement and injury. Jordan himself said he never played against Magic and Bird— just their veteran shells.
Man, your thinking is so flawed, it’s ludicrous.
Shame.
“Jordan was brilliant his first few yrs. but not until he beat the likes of Bird, Magic and the entire Pistons, Knicks team that he was placed in the elite and later GOAT. ”
which I also wrote “A player’s career is assessed for the lenghth of it. not just bcoz they we’re “great” the first few years.”
Whch why I CAN NOT understand from you why your saying that I don’t consider Garnet and Dream. And If I do, what can you do about it? Nothing.
You consider Jordan and the Bulls not gaing when the won thier 2nd 3peat Jukai? Your thinking is flawed. If you call everyone great in your neigbhorrhood basketball, can’t someone be the Greatest? But if your talking collectively about all basketball greats as a whole of course, your gonna call them great. And yeah I do consider D-wade great at 6′4 with eveything he did and is stil doing. Novitzki?
I dont consider a 7-footer who’s shoots all day during the early part of his career great. Thoug I do like how he has improved now. And remember, the Celtics were beaten by the Pistons when they weren’t Imploring with age twice with a championship and lakers too..and the Bad boys line-up or capacity didnt change (WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY DEFEATED BY THE BULLS)or aged so they’r still the same team who defeated your “aged” lakers and celts.
ANd i do consider b-ball 100% Team that is why I do not like Iverson or starbury or t-mac.Guys who shoot all day but dont play defense. And that has been my norm since I learned to play it and all my posts here @ SLAM. I only PERSONIFIED the bulls as Jordan’s supposedly to avoid long posts like this.
And I’m not talking to you just about LOgic. Coz where I come from, we eat, dream,sleep,breasth bbal despite our physical short comings. You dont know that from where you are in New york, I think. Coz you only argue all the time in here.
If Jordan never retired we will never know who will win the 94-95 championship because it, never, happened. OK? Your good at what if’s..That’s not Logic! You cant argue something and lay justification on that..if, it, never, happened.
All games are called regardless of who YOU THINK was favorably sided.Your not the official. So you cant do anything about that. Pointless in discussing that. Might as well call Jordan with the offensive when he pushed Russel out the way. It Just might caused a 7 game. But it didn’t. So, was Russel Great or not great? The same way you alleged I said Akeem wasnt bcoz Jordan retired? C’mon. Review what I wrote.
Why do you think some players like Garnett,Barkley,Payton,Malone and all those whose careers were statistically Great including awards chose to be traded and chased the Title. BCOZ THEY WANTED TO WIN. GREATS want to win. Therefore, Greats=WIN. C’mom man.
Man, i appreciate you going thru being “flexible” But u really didnt have to. ) bottomline is Horry was taken by great teams and coaches. And he played there and won 7. Enough said.
I wish I could’ve said the same for Spoon. Though I admire his game too since im for underdogs. he was acutally listed at 6′8″ ANd I know for sure watching sixers and rockets games on TV when he was side by side with 6′6 players that He was taller. 2 inches aint a bit diffrence with Horry man esp. if your as big as Spoon. 4inch. even isnt. Look at Barkley. And regardless of who he played with, most NBA players really don’t fear shooting a lot. I’m not even measuring him as a player just bcoz of his ‘big shots”. Horry during his prime had the bball IQ that all those Coaches Knew he had and that what separated him from the others from this batch. He knew how to fit in and not cause a rift in his team like 2004 lakers and starbury etc. He knew how to do more with less.
And that’s what we need during this recession.-Aint it? + )
But is that enough to say Akeem wasnt great? as you accused me? All of em were great.Only JOrdan was the Goat. I even rank Akeem as the greatest over Bill and Wilt. Though it’s unfair as they totally played in a different era.
UNLESS Lebron win it NOW while KG and Kobe is still there, I’ll NEVER call him great.
COz he’s all corporate now and those latter two i think are the only ballahs ryt now with the competitive fire(at the highest) of not wanting to lose. Evah.
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