9. Steve Alford, Dallas Mavericks
Drafted: 26th Overall (Round 2), 1987
College: Indiana, 2-Time All-American
Steve Alford was another talent that could do nothing else but score. In college, that’s what he was recruited and placed on the floor to do for Bob Knight. He wasn’t much of a defender, passer or rebounder – his skill was putting the ball in the basket – and during his college career, he was one of the best.
He finished his career at Indiana as the All-Time leading scorer and won an NCAA title in 1986.
| Season | Tm | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | TRB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | DAL | 28 | 7.0 | .382 | .125 | .391 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| 1988-89 | TOT | 66 | 13.7 | .457 | .364 | .488 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 5.5 |
| 1988-89 | DAL | 9 | 4.2 | .273 | .000 | .273 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| 1988-89 | GSW | 57 | 15.2 | .463 | .377 | .495 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 6.3 |
| 1989-90 | DAL | 41 | 7.4 | .457 | .318 | .482 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 4.1 |
| 1990-91 | DAL | 34 | 6.9 | .504 | .304 | .534 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| Career | 169 | 9.7 | .459 | .324 | .487 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 4.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/17/2015.
He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with hopes of taking over the starting point guard spot, but he was never able to recapture the magic he possessed in college. Alford, for all his offensive firepower, only scored 744 points in five seasons in the NBA. He figured he couldn’t make it in the league, so he quit and decided that coaching was the best move for him – and so far, he has proven to have made the right decision.
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