Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 8:00 am  |  50 responses

1988 NBA Draft Remix

We reminisce over them.

by Jeff FoxMitch Richmond

We’re getting to the point in the NBA Draft Remix series where a writer starts to feel his age. It’s been more than 20 years — two decades! — since the 1988 NBA draft class hit the pros, and we’re starting to feel really old. Danny Manning, pick No. 1 and star of the 1988 NCAA Final Four is now primed to add to his jewelry collection as a coach at Kansas, the top team heading into this college season. Anthony Mason’s kid, Anthony Jr, is in his fifth year at St. John’s University. Rony Seikaly is a popular DJ.  Rex Chapman is in the Nuggets’ front office. Avery Johnson has already been fired from the coaching profession. Where has the time gone? It seems just like yesterday when we were watching these guys lace them up and collecting their SkyBox trading cards.

But enough feeling sorry for ourselves. The 1988 NBA Draft class was deep in talent, led by a quiet, under-the-rader superstar at the top of the class. So old heads, enjoy the memories. Young bucks, learn your history.

1988 NBA Draft

Grade: B-

All-Stars: 7 (Danny Manning, Rik Smits, Mitch Richmond, Hersey Hawkins, Dan Majerle, Anthony Mason, John Starks)

Biggest Bust: Tim Perry, Phoenix, pick No. 7
Late Round Steal: Anthony Mason, Portland, pick No. 53 (round three)
Winning Team (in the long run): New York Knicks (Anthony Mason, John Starks)
Career Scoring Leader: Mitch Richmond
Career Rebounding Leader: Anthony Mason
Career Assist Leader: Rod Strickland

Pick No. 1 | Los Angeles Clippers
Actual Selection: Danny Manning
Draft 365 Remix: Mitch Richmond (5)

Mitch Richmond was quite possibly the most overlooked scorer of his generation, but that was the price you paid for being a high scoring shooting guard in the era of Michael Jordan. But still, despite the accolades — six All-Star appearances, a Rookie of the Year award and five All-NBA appearances — Rock Richmond doesn’t seem to get the respect he deserves. His first 10 years in the League his lowest scoring average in a season was 21.9 ppg, only 30 players have scored more career points in NBA history than he has and, as his career shooting percentage of 45.5 shows, he wasn’t a chucker. Hall of Fame, here he comes.

Pick No. 2 | Indiana Pacers
Actual Selection: Rik Smits
Draft 365 Remix: Rod StricklanRod Sticklandd (19)

Little known fact — Rod Strickland never made an All-Star team. Despite being named Second Team All-NBA in 1998, Strickland never made an All-Star team. Despite leading the NBA in assists per game in 1998 (10.5 apg), he never made an All-Star team. Despite, at the peak of his powers, being good for 19-10-4 a night, he never made an All-Star team. Despite being eighth all-time in career assists, he never … well, you get the picture.

Pick No. 3 | Philadelphia 76ers
Actual Selection: Charles Smith
Draft 365 Remix: Danny Manning (1)

As if playing the first five and a half years of his career with the Clippers wasn’t punishment enough, Danny Manning also had the dubious distinction of being the first NBA player to come back from reconstructive surgeries on both his knees. When healthy, the two-time All-Star was a highly skilled big man, able to score, board and pass the rock.

Pick No. 4 | New Jersey Nets
Actual Selection: Chris Morris
Draft 365 Remix: Dan Majerle (14)

You wouldn’t guess that someone nicknamed “Thunder” would be a long-range bomber, but Dan Majerle started out as a dunker, not a three-pointer shooter. But, by his fourth season in the League Majerle had become the designated outside shooter for the powerhouse Phoenix Suns teams. But as his three All-Star and two All-Defensive Team appearances can attest, Majerle was more than just a bomber.

Pick No. 5 | Golden State Warriors
Actual Selection: Mitch Richmond
Draft 365 Remix: Hersey Hawkins (6)

Hersey Hawkins is one of the rare examples of a “combo guard” who ended up excelling. Too small for the shooting guard spot, but not a point guard either, Hawkins had an All-Star career, good for double-digit scoring his first 11 years in the NBA (including two years averaging over 20 a game) and, surprisingly to some, currently ranks 20th all-time in steals.

Pick No. 6 | Los Angeles Clippers
Actual Selection: Hershey Hawkins
Draft 365 Remix: Anthony Mason (53)

“I got my hair cut correct like Anthony Mason.” An early day Ron Artest — both with his style of play, physique and, of course, hairdo, was one Anthony George Douglas Mason. Despite only being 6-7, Mason manned the power forward spot, scoring, passing, rebounding and intimidating his way to stardom. His resume reflects his renaissance ways — he was an All-Star, the Sixth Man of the Year, an All-NBA Team member and an All-Defensive Team member. And was there ever a more unaesthetically pleasing sight as Mase leading a fast break?

Pick No. 7 | Phoenix Suns
Actual Selection: Tim Perry
Draft 365 Remix: Rik Smits (2)

Rik Smits, aka The Dunking Dutchman, played his whole career with the Indiana Pacers, including centering their team that made the 2000 NBA Finals. The 7-4 All-Star averaged double-figures in scoring his whole 12-year career.

Pick No. 8 | Charlotte Hornets
Actual Selection: Rex Chapman
Draft 365 Remix: John Starks (Undrafted)

The 1988 draft was three rounds and 75 picks long, yet no team wanted anything to do with John Starks. Big mistake. Once he got himself into the League, Starks blossomed into an All-Star and All-Defensive Team member and a Sixth Man of the Year. Oh — and he did this.

Pick No. 9 | Miami Heat
Actual Selection: Rony SeikaRony Seikalyly
Draft 365 Remix: Rony Seikaly (9)

DJ Rony Seikaly is a Syracuse legend and was a lynchpin of some solid Miami Heat teams of the late 1980s-early 1990s. He average a double-double five straight years for the Heat.

Pick No. 10 | San Antonio Spurs
Actual Selection: Willie Anderson
Draft 365 Remix: Rex Chapman (8)

Nicknamed “The Boy Wonder,” Rex Chapman was a crowd pleaser, either with his high-flying dunks or his incredibly long-range three-pointers. He scored in double-figures in 11 of his 12 injured ravaged NBA seasons.

Barely missed the Top 10 Remix: Vernon Maxwell, Avery Johnson, Charles Smith, Grant Long

Next on the Remix: The very underrated, Hall of Fame packed 1987 draft class.

Read more of Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto.

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  • http://www.in-n-outnba.blogspot.com Lucas

    Dan Majerle was great, loved watching that guy play. I wonder… Will there ever be another guy like him?

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    Thunnnnnder Dannnnn!
    Majerle was actually (by statistics) a below-average shooter his first few years, and gradually became very, very good. Hard work pays off apparently.
    Those early 90′s Suns teams are good to go back and watch footage of.
    KJ, Barkley, Thunder Dan, Tom Chambers etc.
    Tom Chambers was a fiend of a dunker too.

  • Clay

    I still can’t believe that the Hawks traded The Human Highlight Film for Danny “My Knees Hurt” Manning! Good write up… but you’re right, it does make me feel old.

  • Ken

    Isn’t Mitch also one of only 2 or 3 players who began his career with 10 seasons of 20+ points? It’s like him, Kareem, and maybe Jordan? LBJ will likely end up on that list too.
    Oh, and Starks not even being drafted is amazing.

  • http://www.another48minutes.com Gerard Himself

    Rik Smits! The Netherlands! Whoo! (I feel as a dutchman I need to “whoo” it out)

  • http://www.another48minutes.com Gerard Himself

    oh and Mad Max… I remember this epic layup (yes, an epic layup)… he was mad alright. By the way, wasn’t Chapman’s nickname Rex “The Wonderdog” Chapman? And I think I would’ve put Avery Johnson in the top 10 too.

  • From out of Nowhere

    Hershey Hawkins? (btw, if anyone’s wondering, HERSEY became the player development director for the Blazers in September)

  • http://slamonline.com/ niQ

    How come John Starks isnt the “Steal?” Or it just cause he wasn’t drafted?

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.com Jeff Fox

    I can’t believe I called him “Hershey”! What an idiot I am. I’ll get that corrected shortly.

    And Starks wasn’t the steal because Mason was a better player.

  • tavoris

    niQ, it was because John Starks was woefully OVERRATED…alot of people look at Youtube and see ythis dude dunking on the Bulls and raining 3′s. What they don’t realize is that Starks shot the Knicks OUT OF many more games than he shot them into. Mason, however, was a double-double off the bench for them, and probably one of the best two-way players in the league when he was in Charlotte.

    Oh, and nothing is more unasthetically pleasing as Bill Cartwright at the free-throw line…

  • http://thacorner.net/forums/ Kevin

    Man, Mitch Richmond was that dude. I saw him during his Sacramento days and he was nice on the court, he definitely needs to be in the HOF

  • bakers’ dozen

    His name is Hersey Hawkins….do your research.

  • tavoris

    baker’s dozen…he already acknowledged the flub 3 posts above(and 1.5 hours) before your comment.

  • pennydunk_1

    I hope those articles continue as deep as ’77

  • pennydunk_1

    And Mad Max should have been in the top 10, just for us to read a crazy story again

  • pennydunk_1

    and I’m feelin’ the BBoys reference

  • pennydunk_1

    And Rod is the most underrated PG ever

  • Sploff

    loved vernon in houston..and wasn`t Mason some sort of “something-went-terribly-wrong”-albino..
    he was like really dark skinned, yet always had red eyes..whoops!!..

  • http://slamonline.com/ Ryne Nelson

    Other than Jordan, Mitch Richmond was probably my favorite player when he was with Sacramento.

  • davidR

    as a kid, i’ll always remember mason for his haircuts, and the way he shot his freethrows

  • andy

    Rod Strickland, a point guard’s point guard.

  • http://www.slamonline.com JL

    wow, I think this draft has the most interesting mix of personalities and characters, and good ones at that!

  • http://www.hoopsmanifesto.com Jeff Fox

    I would have loved to include Maxwell in the top 10 so I could dig up a crazy story about it. Plus I was hoping Charles Smith would crack the top 10 so I could include video of his layup adventure!

  • oddball

    keep these remixes going! good stuff….and i wish the knicks had a rod strickland type point right now!

  • UnRel

    on the super NES.. there was a game called Tecmo Basketball.. or something.. and Mitch and Spud on the kings was my team.. draining 3s all day.. but.. this was a nice draft.. rod strickland was so good it.. but all these players doesn’t make me feel old.. it’s the shout out to Sky Box bball cards.. HELL YEAH!!!.. all those crazy graphics?.. untouchable..

  • bakers’ dozen

    My bad…didnt’ read all the comments.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/online/category/blogs/san-dova-speak-easy/ San Dova

    Great stuff, Jeff…
    But you forgot to mention how “The Dunking Dutchman” was the most underrated center of his generation. The entire 1990s were dominated by great centers, but Rik Smits was always super-reliable and steady. On any other team other than the lame dunk Pacers, Smits probably could’ve had a championship.
    Also, Rod Strickland was truly great and his play was definitely good, if not very good. His problem was that if he were more of a team player, he could’ve done even more. He’s like the point guard equivalent of Rasheed Wallace, outstanding play sometimes, good play most of the time, and a less-than-stellar coachable attitude. His attitude kept him from truly excelling (sadly)–a rich man’s Kenny Anderson, sort of (*sigh*).

  • nastierthanu

    Loved rex chapman I think he pledged omega psi phi @ kentucky. Mitch was nails when he was ballin. Rod strickland was the man he was dissed by the l big time. Vernon maxwell was the best player I have ever seen play pick up. It was my first day on campus @ u of h (houston) and I hear the ball bouncin by the track office. I take a peak in and I see the dream and his brother v max and otis thorpe ( who was f ing huge) ballin. My mom and i sat down and were amazed at just how fast v max really was. He was gettin to the cup like nothin. the year was 1991. Didn’t mase get caught in a limo with a 16 year old

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    I would place John Starks way higher on this list. I also think Mad Max should have cracked the top 10.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    This was a very good draft. All of these players contributed a great portion to their teams.

  • http://www.yamahyouth.com Gerwin

    Nice post Jeff. Reading this post makes me feel old, but when people start talking about SNES….
    Got to join in with Gerard and WHOO!it out for Rik Smits. Still enjoying the around-the-back in the ’98 All Star Game in MSG on VHS (which again makes me feel old…).
    The fact that Jeff is only able to write a few words on the DDM says enough. Read his story in ‘The Dunking Dutchman’ and you will respect hem for always being himself, away from the spotlights.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    This draft might very well deserve an ‘A.’
    Look at all the impact players in this draft. Mase, Starks, Mad Max, Mitch, Dunking Dutchman, Avery Johnson, etc. ALL had good to great careers as main players on their teams, many of which became contenders. A lot of these guys paved the way for hardnosed, 90′s basketball.

  • dma

    i completely agree, john starks is well overrated. seems like a lot of knicks are when they were on the roster aren’t they – starks, ewing, mason, houston, spreewell, grandmama. i think rik smits should be higher and majerle should be lower.

  • Dave

    @Tavoris: “What they don’t realize is that Starks shot
    the Knicks OUT OF many more games than he shot them into.”
    Utter hyperbole.
    I’d take almost anyone on that list over Danny Manning. Managed to disappear in all his big NBA games as I remember it. I’d certainly take Avery Johnson over him.

  • tavoris

    Dave…why do you think the Knicks spent every offseason trying to find a shooting guard? Starks-when hot-was money. However, he tended 2 go COLD when the stakes got big. He would have been a much better fit for the Knicks if they didn’t rely on his scoring.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    tavoris, I disagree. Starks’ strong play was a HUGE reason the Knicks made it to the finals in ’94. He was that right-hand man Ewing needed to get to that next level. Really, he was a great player. But people will always think of the 2-18, as if everything he did before that doesn’t matter–which is unfair, because he had a great season. You’re also neglecting his stellar defense; John Starks was definitely top 5 non-center defenders in his era.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Mase was just a baaaaaad man.

  • 5footfreak

    tavoris, i have a few pals that hate Starks, and it’s basically because they think his Dunk on the Bulls in 93 was overrated. You sound a bit like them. Remember some of Mikes best battles were with Starks and NY, for that alone he’s worthy..

  • http://fdjksl.com Jukai

    Teddy: Starks’ HUGE play in 94? Dude had 19 points, career highs for sure, but was doing it on a 42% clip: he was shooting the Knicks out of games, as previous mentioned. His six assists doesn’t hide his three turnovers a game, and quite frankly, he just LOVED to jack up threes, they would seemingly never go in.
    Great defender, but his offense was hugely overrated.

  • http://www.twitter.com/Th3_R3al_Chris Th3_R3al_Chris

    Three of my favorite players of all-time featured here in Dan Majerle, Rod Strickland, and King Rex.

  • tavoris

    Teddy, he was a pretty good defender. I doubt he was close to top 5 non-centers with Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Payton, and Jason Kidd all being CLEARLY better than he was on that end. In addition, I’d throw Craig Ehlo or Dan Majerle (or even an aging Joe Dumars) on my best perimeter player over Starks. He was a GOOD defender on a great defensive team.

    As far as his shooting is concerned, he could go on hot streaks, but he was just as capable of going on even longer cold streaks. The numbers don’t lie.

  • tavoris

    also, Teddy, that was a contract year. No real surprise that he had his best season when his livelihood depended on it.

  • tavoris

    oh crap, i forgot Derek Harper too.

  • tavoris

    and Mooke Blaylock

  • http://slamonline.com Dave

    @Tavoris: He may have been a streaky shooter, but your statement was utter hyperbole. I can only think of one particular game where shooting them out of the game was an issue – but frankly, I blame Pat Riley for not benching his a##. Hands down the worst decision of Riley’s career.

  • http://slamonline.com Dave

    @Tavoris: I think Jordan would laugh at your decision to put Craig Ehlo or Dan Majerle on him rather than John Starks. And there was a reason the smaller Starks guarded Jordan when both Starks and Harper played for the Knicks.
    (Big ups for Mookie, though. Pound-for-pound one of the best defenders in the NBA.)

  • tavoris

    how is it a hyperbole when a 6’5″, 195 SG shoots 41% for his career? It’s not like he wasn’t quick, strong, and athletic? It’s not like he didn’t have a center down there that commanded a double team. He was a streaky-but average-shooter AT BEST. And Craig Ehlo was a great defender-which is the reason he always got the assignment against the best perimeter player. The only one that really toasted him as MJ. Dan Majerle also has as many All-Defense Team appearances as Starks, albeit on a much less high-profile team. Save for his last 2 or 3 seasons when his legs were gone, Majerle was KNOWN for his defense in his heyday.

  • tavoris

    @5footfreak…I actually think that dunk was UNDERRATED…as he shook the bejeesus out of BJ Armstrong (I think?), and rose over the ENTIRE Bulls squad. I don’t hate the player, but I do recognize that his playing for the Knicks (who was a contender at that time) exaggerated his profile quite a bit.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    Vernon Maxwell is a straaaange dude.
    Mookie Blaylock has the weirdest eyes. Kinda like Houston’s David Andersen. Iced out and.. ice looking.

  • http://slamonline.com Dave

    @tavoris: So now he’s a streaky but average shooter? So I guess average shooters shoot their teams out of more games than into them?
    Or maybe you don’t know what hyperbole means?

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