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10. Dave Cowens

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10. Dave Cowens

Dave Cowens stood at 6'9", which, while it is undoubtedly a tall frame, he played at Center, making him a little undersized for that position in the 1970s.  Cowens made up for that with sheer determination, savvy, and every inch of his body to be one of the most complete players in the game, and this was showcased immediately, as he was the Rookie of the Year in 1970-71.  Cowens would become a two-time NBA Champion with Boston in 1974 and 1976 and was a surprise MVP in 1973 (he was not a First Team All-Pro that year).  An eight-time All-Star, Cowens holds the distinction of being one of the few players in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories (Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, and Blocks) in a season (1977-78).  At the point of his retirement (he would come out of retirement and play with Milwaukee for half a season), he averaged 18.6 points and 14.0 Rebounds per Game.

Cowens would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991, ten years after his number 18 was retired.  He would later be chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 4th Overall 3/23/70.
  • Departed: Traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Quinn Buckner 9/9/82.
  • Games Played: 726
  • Per Game Averages: 39.3 MP
    .460 eFG%
    .782 FT%
    17.6 PTS
    14.0 RB
    3.9 AST
    1.2 STL*
    1.0 BLK*

    89 Playoff Games
    42.3 MP
    .451 eFG%
    .744 FT%
    18.9 PTS
    14.4 RB
    3.7 AST
    1.2 STL*
    0.9 BLK*

    *Steals and Blocks were not statistics until the 1973-74 Season.
  • Advanced Stats: 17.2 PER
    .496 TS%
    21.1 VORP**
    83.7 WS

    89 Playoff Games
    16.6 PER
    .480 TS%
    2.2 VORP**
    9.4 WS

    **VORP was not a statistic until the 1973-74 Season
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    NBA Champion (1974 & 1976)
    MVP (1973)
    Second Team All-NBA (1973, 1975 & 1976)
    First Team All-Defensive (1976)
    Second Team All-Defensive (1975 & 1980)
    All-Star (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 & 1980)
    Rookie of the Year (1971)
    First Team All-Rookie (1971)
    All-Star Game MVP (1973)
    Most Defensive Win Shares (1972-73)

     


     
  • Other Points of Note: Top Ten MVP Finishes:
    7th in 1972, 1st in 1973, 4th in 1974, 2nd in 1975 & 3rd in 1976
    Finishes 1st in Rookie of the Year Voting in 1971
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