Trivia with Player Game Finder

[nuraman00]

Who is the only NBA player to average more than seven rebounds and more than two steals per game in his career?

How can you ask a question when you haven't answered the previous one about whether the Jazz have come back from down 3 - 2? And which times those were, if they've done it? Other than in 2007 against Houston.

If I'm guessing a big man, I might try Pippen, Olajuwon.

If I'm guessing guard, I might try Francis, Kidd, Larry Hughes, Fat Lever.

That's sad that it's only been done once.

 

[nuraman00]

Oh, you said for his career. I thought you meant single season.

 

[nuraman00]

Spoiler: Answer

Jerry Sloan.

He doesn't meet the minimum games played for years in which steals is tracked.

Rate Statistic Requirements | Basketball-Reference.com

Career NBA 400 G (except PTS, which is 400 G or 10000 PTS)

 

[MHSL82]

He doesn't meet the minimum games played for years in which steals is tracked.

Rate Statistic Requirements | Basketball-Reference.com

Career NBA 400 G (except PTS, which is 400 G or 10000 PTS)

Nah, he played 755 games. He still stole the ball before they tracked the stat. I am going to presume that his last three years were not his prime.

I suppose some players do get better and therefore would, but he had plenty of seasons before that were his defense was known. It’s not his fault that they didn’t track his stats before.

Maybe someone else would’ve also qualified? But I’m not going take it away from him qualifying. If it had been the other way around where they tracked it for the first three years and then didn’t afterwards, I would say he got older and so probably not.

 

[MHSL82]

How can you ask a question when you haven't answered the previous one about whether the Jazz have come back from down 3 - 2? And which times those were, if they've done it? Other than in 2007 against Houston.

If I'm guessing a big man, I might try Pippen, Olajuwon.

If I'm guessing guard, I might try Francis, Kidd, Larry Hughes, Fat Lever.

That's sad that it's only been done once.

0-2, 2-3: 2006-07 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1-2 in Best of 5: 1998-99 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1997-98 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1983-84 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[nuraman00]

Nah, he played 755 games. He still stole the ball before they tracked the stat. I am going to presume that his last three years were not his prime.

I suppose some players do get better and therefore would, but he had plenty of seasons before that were his defense was known. It’s not his fault that they didn’t track his stats before.

Maybe someone else would’ve also qualified? But I’m not going take it away from him qualifying. If it had been the other way around where they tracked it for the first three years and then didn’t afterwards, I would say he got older and so probably not.

Thanks.

I'm not going to assume.

Sometimes there's players that look like they're on track to break a record, and it doesn't happen.

For example, part of why I think Stockton's steals record is amazing, is because people either have a long career in steals, but don't top 2.0 steals per game in a lot of seasons.

Or there's players that steal the ball a lot for a few years, then flame out.

Then there's some players that have weird surges in the middle or end of their career.

No one else seems to be able to both be prolific, and have a long career.

I wish Sloan would have just been able to have steals tracked for 223 more games. Then we would know for sure.

Also, even though he was a great defender, maybe he played defense without getting steals.

Just like some players are great defensive big men without blocking shots, some players can play great defense without stealing the ball much.

Bruce Bowen is one example. He averaged 0.8 steals per game in his career. He only had 3 seasons of more than 1.0 steals per game.

Tayshaun Prince? He averaged 0.6 steals a game in his career, and 0.5 blocks per game. But he was one of the best defenders in the game.

 

[nuraman00]

0-2, 2-3: 2006-07 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1-2 in Best of 5: 1998-99 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1997-98 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

1983-84 Utah Jazz Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com

Thank you. I guess add something else on the to do list.

I'd like to see that if the Jazz are down 3-2, that they come back from it, a few times, in my life. Other than 2007.

Do it against a great team too, not a team like the 2007 Rockets.

 

[MHSL82]

Thanks.

I'm not going to assume.

Sometimes there's players that look like they're on track to break a record, and it doesn't happen.

For example, part of why I think Stockton's steals record is amazing, is because people either have a long career in steals, but don't top 2.0 steals per game in a lot of seasons.

Or there's players that steal the ball a lot for a few years, then flame out.

Then there's some players that have weird surges in the middle or end of their career.

No one else seems to be able to both be prolific, and have a long career.

I wish Sloan would have just been able to have steals tracked for 223 more games. Then we would know for sure.

Also, even though he was a great defender, maybe he played defense without getting steals.

Just like some players are great defensive big men without blocking shots, some players can play great defense without stealing the ball much.

Bruce Bowen is one example. He averaged 0.8 steals per game in his career. He only had 3 seasons of more than 1.0 steals per game.

Tayshaun Prince? He averaged 0.6 steals a game in his career, and 0.5 blocks per game. But he was one of the best defenders in the game.

Nah, he counts. I don’t give any credence to websites on what counts. You don’t need to count him. But he counts. It is a perk of me being a fan of yours. Just like how Karl Malone is the best power forward in the history of the NBA, even though he doesn’t have a championship. I don’t care if a million people disagree. I don’t care if everyone and their mama picks Duncan. He’s a center to me, even if he played the PF position. I wonder what Popovich would have done with Malone in that same timeframe if he had drafted him.

I mean, I’ve liked your posts more than I have liked other people’s posts, but if you had been on here earlier, you would have even more. The fact that I know of you from the ESPN boards, gives me that knowledge though it doesn’t tell me how many. I’m going to estimate it was the same as it has been here. I don’t really care that I don’t know the exact number. Sacktaters isn’t here very often, but he could tell that I have liked your posts more than anyone else.

 

[nuraman00]

Just like how Karl Malone is the best power forward in the history of the NBA

Can we make him the best power forward in the history of the NBA and ABA combined?

 

[nuraman00]

I mean, I’ve liked your posts more than I have liked other people’s posts, but if you had been on here earlier, you would have even more. The fact that I know of you from the ESPN boards, gives me that knowledge though it doesn’t tell me how many. I’m going to estimate it was the same as it has been here. I don’t really care that I don’t know the exact number. Sacktaters isn’t here very often, but he could tell that I have liked your posts more than anyone else.

Well, there's two considerations for that.

First, ESPN didn't have a Like feature.

Second, I would have had to have a post good enough, for you to actually click the Like button.

Maybe my posts would have been good, but not so good that you would click the Like button, during the ESPN era.

 

[nuraman00]

I wonder what Popovich would have done with Malone in that same timeframe if he had drafted him.

I had forgotten Malone was drafted 13. That is pretty funny that the best power forward wasn't even a top 12 pick.

I didn't realize the Spurs had a pick right after the Jazz, at 14.

I didn't realize the 1985-1986 Spurs had Alvin Robertson. I'd always thought of him as a Buck. Robertson averaged 3.7 steals a game, and played all 82 games, that year. I didn't even know steals went as high as 3.7. I thought 3.1 or 3.2 was the highest anyone had done.

That Spurs team also had someone named Johnny Moore, who averaged 9.0 assists a game. That team seems very interesting.

It looks like the Spurs eventually traded Robertson for center Terry Cummings. Well, if they would have had Malone, maybe they wouldn't need another big man.

That Spurs team also played at a pace of 103.8 possessions per 48 minutes. That's really fast.

To compare, that would be the 3rd fastest team THIS YEAR, behind the Bucks and the Pelicans.

Some former NBA player last week said that teams in the 80s played fast. It's just people forget about it. I guess this is proof. Also, they just didn't score as many points, because they didn't take as many 3's.

That is true. No one on that Spurs team even averaged 1.0 3-point attempts per game.

 

[MHSL82]

Who was the first all-time NBA leading scorer?

Ossie Shectman scored the first basket. Yes, this assumes no free throws to start.

 

[nuraman00]

Good one.

But he did it for the BAA, not the NBA. The NBA didn't exist until 1949-1950.

Ossie Schectman - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MHSL82]

Good one.

But he did it for the BAA, not the NBA. The NBA didn't exist until 1949-1950.

Ossie Schectman - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ok, who scored the first NBA basket? ABA?

 

[nuraman00]

Clippers came back from down 35 against Washington.

They also trailed by 7 with 20 seconds left. Teams had been 1-16,239 in that situation.

Allegedly the Jazz are the one other team. Which game was it? Can you help find it?

It's not the game where the Jazz came back from down 36 against Denver, the Jazz had lead by the time 20 seconds were left.

Clippers mount 2nd-Biggest Comeback in NBA history!! — Bench On a QUEST™

Biggest Comeback in CLIPPERS history!!

www.benchonaquest.com

 

[MHSL82]

Clippers came back from down 35 against Washington.

They also trailed by 7 with 20 seconds left. Teams had been 1-16,239 in that situation.

Allegedly the Jazz are the one other team. Which game was it? Can you help find it?

It's not the game where the Jazz came back from down 36 against Denver, the Jazz had lead by the time 20 seconds were left.

Clippers mount 2nd-Biggest Comeback in NBA history!! — Bench On a QUEST™

Biggest Comeback in CLIPPERS history!!

www.benchonaquest.com

I went to that game and it was against Denver Nuggets in 1995-97. Forgot what year. I was older than one and younger than 30.

I think the game they came back down by seven or more was the Houston Rockets game with Tracy McGrady scoring 11 points in the last something seconds. Or it may have been 13 points.

 

[MHSL82]

I want Jay Scrubb to win the MVP one year.

 

[nuraman00]

I went to that game and it was against Denver Nuggets in 1995-97. Forgot what year. I was older than one and younger than 30.

I think the game they came back down by seven or more was the Houston Rockets game with Tracy McGrady scoring 11 points in the last something seconds. Or it may have been 13 points.

Good call, looking that up. I remember that night, because it was a great TNT double header.

The Houston - San Antonio game was the first game. The 2nd game was Boston-Portland, with an Abdur-Rahim buzzer beater game winner.

McGrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds.

It wasn't this game. San Antonio had a 5 point lead with 16 seconds. That's not 7 points.

Spurs vs Rockets, December 9, 2004 | Basketball-Reference.com

SAS (80) vs HOU (81). Get the box score, shot charts and play by play summary of the Spurs vs Rockets, December 9, 2004.

www.basketball-reference.com

 

[nuraman00]

It wasn't the game where Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds. Indiana was down 6 with 18.7 left, that's not 7.

 

[MHSL82]

Clippers came back from down 35 against Washington.

They also trailed by 7 with 20 seconds left. Teams had been 1-16,239 in that situation.

Allegedly the Jazz are the one other team. Which game was it? Can you help find it?

It's not the game where the Jazz came back from down 36 against Denver, the Jazz had lead by the time 20 seconds were left.

Clippers mount 2nd-Biggest Comeback in NBA history!! — Bench On a QUEST™

Biggest Comeback in CLIPPERS history!!

www.benchonaquest.com