gold star for USAHOF

26. Otis Birdsong

26. Otis Birdsong

Before he arrived in New Jersey, Otis Birdsong played in three All-Star Games for the Kansas City Kings, so many people may not have noticed!  Birdsong was traded to the Nets, where he was often injured, but played there for seven years.  When he was playing, Birdsong was able to show off his strong shooting skills, and he had a 20.6 points per Game season in 1984-85, but the year before, he was named to his fourth All-Star Game, and the only one as a Net, when he averaged 19.8 Points per Game.  His overall PPG for New Jersey was a strong 15.9.

Where his ranking suffers is that Birdsong was only average at defense, turned the ball over a little more than he should have, and a quick look at his advanced metrics with New Jersey (especially a 2.7 VORP and a PER of 14.5 over 375 Games) isn’t something to brag over.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • Acquired: Traded from the Kansas City Kings with a 1981 2nd Round Pick (which would be Steve Lingenfelter) for Cliff Robinson 6/8/81.
  • Departed: Waived 8/31/88.
  • Games Played: 375
  • Per Game Averages: 30.2 MP
    .502 eFG%
    .591 FT%
    15.9 PTS
    2.5 RB
    3.6 AST
    1.1 STL
    0.2 BLK

    16 Playoff Games
    34.8 MP
    .438 eFG%
    .536 FT%
    15.6 PTS
    2.5 RB
    3.8 AST
    1.8 STL
    0.3 BLK
  • Advanced Stats: 14.5 PER
    .517 TS%
    2.7 VORP
    18.5 WS

    16 Playoff Games
    11.4 PER
    .457 TS%
    0.2 VORP
    0.5 WS
  • Major Accolades and Awards: All-NBA Third Team (1993)

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