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27. John Paxson

27. John Paxson

John Paxson was a two-time Second Team All-American at Notre Dame, and after two years with the San Antonio Spurs, he joined the Chicago Bulls as a Veteran Free Agent.

 

The Point Guard was the consummate team player, who was content to defer to the team's stars (namely Michael Jordan) for the team's greater good.  It made him a background player in Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense, but he was a good shooter when called upon, and he was an underrated defensive player. Paxson was a starter on Chicago's first two NBA Championships (1991 & 1992) and a backup on their third (1993), and he twice had 10-plus PPG seasons (1986-87 & 1989-90). Retiring in 1994, Paxson averaged 7.6 Points over 645 Games, but again it was the things he would do that never appeared on a stat sheet that made him valuable to Jordan and company.

After his playing career, Paxson became an Assistant Coach under Jackson, winning a fourth Championship Ring in 1996.  He left that role after one year to broadcast, but would become the Bulls GM in 2003 and would later be their Vice President of Basketball Operations.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Acquired: Signed as a Veteran Free Agent (San Antonio received Cash as compensation) 10/29/85.
  • Departed: Retired 8/22/94.
  • Games Played: 645
  • Per Game Averages:

    21.1 MP
    .530 eFG%
    .807 FT% 
    7.6 PTS 
    1.2 RB 
    3.7 AST 
    0.7 STL
    0.1 BLK

    114 Playoff Games
    22.0 MP
    .530 eFG%
    .530 FT% 
    6.9 PTS 
    0.9 RB 
    2.5 AST 
    0.5 STL
    0.0 BLK

  • Advanced Stats:

    12.0 PER 
    .548 TS%
    2.8 VORP
    33.4 WS

    114 Playoff Games
    10.0 PER 
    .562 TS%
    0.5 VORP
    5.3 WS

  • Played For: Chicago Bulls
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    NBA Champion (1991, 1992 & 1993)

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