NBA Inside Stuff Review - Hocus Pocus
Volume Two, Issue Five: Award predictions, a shark hunter, and Barkley for governor!
Happy Thursday, everyone! Let’s get into the 94-95 NBA Preview Issue featuring everyone’s favorite Orlando Magician, Penny Hardaway!
News & Notes
Here’s a fun exercise! Let’s take their 1994-95 awards predictions from this issue and see how close they got:
MVP Prediction: Patrick Ewing
Actual MVP Winner: David Robinson
Ewing ended up fourth. A very distant fourth.
Rookie of the Year Prediction: Grant Hill
Actual ROY Winner: Grant Hill and Jason Kidd (tie)
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Most Improved Player Prediction: Shawn Bradley
Actual MIP Winner: Dana Barros
This is a tough award to predict. Bradley didn’t end up with a single vote.
Defensive Player of the Year Prediction: Hakeem Olajuwon
Actual DPOY Winner: Dikembe Mutombo
Super safe pick from Inside Stuff. Unfortunately for them, Mutombo blocked (get it?!) his way to the award.
Sixth Man of the Year Prediction: Nate McMillan
Actual SMOY Winner: Anthony Mason
McMillan finished fourth.
Coach of the Year Prediction: Larry Brown
Actual COY Winner: Dell Harris
No votes for Brown despite the Pacers finishing first in the Central division. I guess when you don’t have MJ running roughshod in your division, voters are less impressed with you.
All-NBA Predictions (assuming first-team, although it’s not specified):
Shawn Kemp
Larry Johnson
Shaquille O’Neal
John Stockton
Kevin Johnson
Actual All-NBA First Team Selections:
Karl Malone
David Robinson
Scottie Pippen
John Stockton
Anfernee Hardaway
Lots of first-team contenders this year. Kemp didn’t receive a single first-team vote.
So, all in all, they nailed the Rookie of the Year and a single All-NBA first-team selection. The sample size is small (one issue), but I’m not so sure how inside the inside stuff is. More research is needed. Stay tuned.
Notes:
The amount of disrespect for the Admiral in these predictions is unreal. Someone at NBA Inside Stuff Magazine had a bone to pick. Get Ahmad Rashad on the phone.
Michael Jordan, despite playing in only 17 games that season, received SEVEN 1st Team ALL-NBA votes (according to Basketball Reference).
Definitely love this list of players’ favorite TV shows:
Inside Stuff visits the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The highlight of which is a virtual reality game where you can go one-on-one with Bill Walton. Technology!
Love the piece about what players do with their free time. Vlade HUNTS SHARKS.
Golf is a popular pastime for a lot of players, as well. Here’s a video of one of my favorite Lakers, James Worthy.
Here’s a list of previous BPG leaders. Looking into it, did Mutumbo ever get 5 BPG? His highest BPG is from the 95-96 season when he averaged 4.5.
Say whaaaaat?
There’s a Q&A with Charles Barkley where he drops this bomb:
He even restated his intentions in 2006: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-barkley-eyes-run-for-governor/
Best card
The best card for this issue is definitely the Gheorge Muresan. My only complaint is that it should really be a Muresan/Shawn Bradley card.
Best Ad
Remember when ESPN2 was supposed to be the wild and crazy extreme sports alternative to ESPN?
Another NBA JAM ad! This one is for the Sega DC and Game Boy versions with updated rosters!
I always take it to the edge..
The JAM
Houston’s starting five showing off their skillzzzz:
In the next newsletter
Rule changes, Shaq stuff, and your favorite player’s favorite actors!
Just want to say that you are doing the lord's work here. And OMG I wish I had that Hornets hat.