Kemp

Number 50: Shawn Kemp

Ranking NBA players from various decades is a daunting task in of itself, but to rank different eras is virtually impossible. How can anyone possibly differentiate and accurate judge Bob Cousy from Isiah Thomas, for example. With this is mind, I have decided to rank the top 50 players from the 3 point era. Here is the first instalment. 

Despite all his entertainment value, it is far too simplistic to label Shawn Kemp as just an athletic juggernaut. Sure, Kemp was extremely explosive and his career montages of dunks and blocks will indeed live on forever. But there was far more depth to his game than those awesome highlights that we see. On the court, he was a very intelligent and complete player who played within the flow of the offense and rarely took bad shots. To compliment his freakish athleticism, he added a reliable jumper along with a polished post game. In addition to that, he was a willing and above average passer and made his teammates better, especially on the defensive end of the floor where his ability to protect the rim, was often overlooked. With Kemp protecting the rim, it allowed Seattle’s guards to play aggressive defence and pressure the ball all the way up the court and their vaunted half-court trap. In his first 7 seasons in the NBA, he improved his scoring average in each. In his first 8 seasons, he only shot the ball below 50% from the field twice (in his rookie season, and his 4^th season when he shot 49%). He also averaged 10 + rebounds each season from 91 to 97. When you consider his consistent improvement, it’s easy to see why many considered him a future hall of famer during his peak.

His game was explosive, unpredictable and at times lacked discipline. Only once (the lockout season in 99) did he average over 35 mpg. In certain games during the playoffs, he looked like he was the best player in the NBA. At other times, he seemed totally disinterested. On the 93 Sonics team (the one that pushed the Suns to 7 games in the Western Conference Finals), he averaged 16.5 ppg (on 52% shooting) and 10 rebounds a game. That was against the likes of Hakeem, Malone and Barkley. Then the very next year in the playoffs, he put up 14.8 ppg on 37% shooting against the 8^th seeded Nuggets who rolled them in the first round. In 95, The Sonics were upset again in the first round but Kemp put up monster numbers in 4 games (25 ppg on 58% shooting and 12 rpg).

So how does Kemp make the top 50 with solid, but not spectacular, numbers and a history of his team underperforming in the playoffs? The deciding factor was his play in the 96 playoffs. In the midst of Michael Jordan’s return season, the Sonics won 64 games and were the top seed in the West. That did not prevent them from dropping game 2 in the first round to Sacramento and losing the home court advantage. This was, as I mentioned before, losing in back to back years in the first round where they had absolutely no right to drop those series. Seattle responded by winning two tough games in Sacramento before moving on to face the two time defending champion, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were a confident team full of veterans, capable of beating anyone. Seattle crushed them in 4 straight games. In the final game, Kemp poured in 32 points on 13 of 19 shooting and had 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. His defence on Hakeem throughout that series was a significant factor, and is even more impressive when we keep in mind how unstoppable Olajuwon had been throughout the playoffs the previous two years. He dominated and embarrassed Barkley and Malone twice. He made Robinson at times look silly. He outplayed Shaq and destroyed Ewing. To anyone who knows anything about basketball knows what I just said is not hyperbole. Over a span of 4 years, Hakeem and the Rockets would only be eliminated by Kemp and the Sonics (93 and 96, winning championships in 94 and 95).   

Kemp would battle Malone for supremecy in the West

Next up for Kemp was the aforementioned Karl Malone and Utah Jazz. Seattle jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Utah won the next two games to force a game 7. Malone and Kemp battled each other valiantly throughout this classic series, but throughout the first 6 games, the Mailman was playing better and was more consistent (even in Utah’s losses). Game 7 would come down to the final minute. Kemp would be fouled, he made both free throws. Malone would also be fouled, and he missed his. That was essentially the difference in that series.                                                                                                                                                                                         

The Sonics moved on to the NBA finals and faced the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls boasted Jordan, Pippen and Dennis Rodman, each of whom were all NBA defensive first teamers. The Bulls won the first 3 games, but the Sonics won games 4 and 5 convincingly to push the series back to Chicago. In game 4 (remember, this is against Rodman who is one of the all-time greatest defenders in the history of the league) he posted 25 points on 12/17 shooting and 11 rebounds. Game 5, he put up 22 points on 8/16 shooting and 10 rebounds. In game 6, Chicago would take care of business and win their 4^th title in 6 years, but Kemps incredible playoff run should not be forgotten. I have no hesitation in claiming that the 96 Sonics would have won the championship in most other years. They just ran into one of the best teams the NBA has ever seen. Would he have made the list if not for 96? No. But Iverson, Barkley and Dirk all get plus marks for special playoff runs (even if they didn’t always culminate in a championship), and I refuse to contradict myself by deducting grades for Seattle’s failures in the playoffs without rewarding their success. Sometimes in sports, the story will create a perception that is not accurate. Kemp’s career ending in a whimper does not discount the fact that he was a huge part of the Sonics ascension into the NBA’s elite and a revolutionary power forward.