A Case For The Naismith HOF: Brad Daugherty?
With North Carolina legend Charlie Scott’s recent ascent into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, we thought it would be fun to evaluate the candidacy of some other former Tar Heels not yet enshrined.
We selected seven players and will run this series in seven segments. Understand that the Naismith Hall of Fame isn’t an NBA hall, it’s for all of basketball. Dean Smith and Roy Williams, as examples, are in.
So are players such as Bill Walton and Bill Bradley. Walton was one of the greatest college players ever, but aside from a couple of very good NBA seasons, his pro numbers may not measure up to most players inducted. His career was massively affected by injuries, but they are part of the game, and he was a bit overrated after returning from missing a lot of time.
That he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 1986 averaging 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds is an example. The media liked him and propped him up, this building up his aura.
Bradley was an outstanding college player and a good NBA player. But his numbers weren’t that great, yet he played for the New York Knicks and the media loved him, too. And one has to wonder if there was some element of bias in his induction, give his post-basketball career in politics.
So, with all of that in mind, we're looking at eight former Tar Heels and their candidacies for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We will explore one player a day,
So far we’ve done:
(Note: We want your thoughts on each player, as well)
Brad Daugherty
A 2-time first-team All-ACC performer, Daugherty was a consensus All-America a as senior in 1986 before being selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft. He was on the 1984 UNC teams that went unbeaten in ACC play.
He played just eight seasons in the NBA, as a series of back injuries cut is career short. But he still made five NBA All-Star teams, was on the NBA All-Rookie team, and finished his career with averages of 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He also averaged 3.7 assists per contest.
His No. 43 is retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Daugherty deserves inclusion more than Bradley and is the test case regarding Walton. Clearly, NBA performance trumps college resumes, and while Walton has gained favor because of his injuries, Daugherty deserves some of the same consideration.
He was well on his way to Springfield, and like Kirby Puckett in Major League Baseball, his body of work and the understanding of what he would have done should be more than enough to include Daugherty in the Naismith Hall of Fame.