30 Years Ago

[fuller4379]

30 years ago this week, the Mavs came one game shy of making it to the finals against a stacked Lakers team.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1988-nba-western-conference-finals-mavericks-vs-lakers.html

Game 6 in Reunion Areana.

Watch on YouTube

[bran muffin]

Mark Aguirre, Ro Blackman, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, and Roy Tarpley. Plus Detlef Shrempf. All of them between the ages of 23 and 28. Took the Showtime Lakers to Game 7 of the 1988 Western Conference Finals.

And yet by 1990, the Mavs were fielding a 28-win team.

[fuller4379]

Mark Aguirre, Ro Blackman, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, and Roy Tarpley. Plus Detlef Shrempf. All of them between the ages of 23 and 28. Took the Showtime Lakers to Game 7 of the 1988 Western Conference Finals.

And yet by 1990, the Mavs were fielding a 28-win team.

Bad decisions from the front office and bad luck destroyed the team.

During the 88-89 season:

1. Aquirre turned into a malcontent and forced a trade to Detroit the next season for 32 year old Adrian Dantley who didn't want to be a Maverick and became a malcontent.

2. Tarpley - Suspended for violation of the drug program. This becomes the story of the rest of his career. On and off substance abuse suspension program.

3. Schrempf - Traded to Pacers for 30 year old Herb Williams because the Mavs needed a rebounder after losing Tarpley. Schrempf would go on to have a fine career. Williams would be a bench contributor for a couple years before heading to New York.

After 88-89

4. Mavs draft Randy White to start their streak of dreadful draft choices.

After 89-90
5. Sam Perkins escapes to LA Lakers as a free agent.

6. Mavericks sign 36 year old Alex English during free agency. After scoring 17.6 PPG for Denver the previous year, he score 9.7 per game off the bench in Dallas.

7. Mavs trade 2 first round draft picks for 30 year old Fat Lever. Lever has a Chandler Parsons in Memphis four years with the Mavs where is always injured.

[Teffer10]

Mark Aguirre, Ro Blackman, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, and Roy Tarpley. Plus Detlef Shrempf. All of them between the ages of 23 and 28. Took the Showtime Lakers to Game 7 of the 1988 Western Conference Finals.

And yet by 1990, the Mavs were fielding a 28-win team.

Bad decisions from the front office and bad luck destroyed the team.

During the 88-89 season:

1. Aquirre turned into a malcontent and forced a trade to Detroit the next season for 32 year old Adrian Dantley who didn't want to be a Maverick and became a malcontent.

2. Tarpley - Suspended for violation of the drug program. This becomes the story of the rest of his career. On and off substance abuse suspension program.

3. Schrempf - Traded to Pacers for 30 year old Herb Williams because the Mavs needed a rebounder after losing Tarpley. Schrempf would go on to have a fine career. Williams would be a bench contributor for a couple years before heading to New York.

After 88-89

4. Mavs draft Randy White to start their streak of dreadful draft choices.

After 89-90
5. Sam Perkins escapes to LA Lakers as a free agent.

6. Mavericks sign 36 year old Alex English during free agency. After scoring 17.6 PPG for Denver the previous year, he score 9.7 per game off the bench in Dallas.

7. Mavs trade 2 first round draft picks for 30 year old Fat Lever. Lever has a Chandler Parsons in Memphis four years with the Mavs where is always injured.

God and before that the worst trade in NBA history.....Dale Ellis for Al Wood.