Brooklyn Nets: 10 best players from 1st NBA decade (1976-86)

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INGLEWOOD, CA – CIRCA 1981: Mike Gminski #42 of the New Jersey Nets drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA basketball game circa 1981 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Gminski played for the Nets from 1980-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mike Gminski /

C. 1st round, 7th overall from Duke, 1980 NBA Draft. Mike Gminski. 4. player. 147.

Mike Gminski was expected to be on his way to stardom when the New Jersey Nets took the two-time All-American from Duke with the seventh overall pick in 1980.

That didn’t turn out to be the case for Gminski, who battled through a nerve problem in his elbow as a rookie and was buried on the bench for three seasons before re-emerging as a starter when Darryl Dawkins‘ back went bad in 1984.

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Gminski would become one of the best free-throw shooting bigs in NBA history, including shooting 89.3 from the line in 1985-86, when he also averaged 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game — all career-highs to that point.

He secured the starting job as a rookie, but sat out the final two months of the 1980-81 season after undergoing surgery on his elbow.

He would only start nine games the next three seasons, averaging 16.2 minutes per game as a reserve over that span.

In his first six seasons to close out the Nets’ first NBA decade, Gminski put up 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.9 minutes a game, shooting .479/0-for-7/.828.

He was third in the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1985-86 and in the playoffs for New Jersey appeared in 20 games, averaging 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 22.6 minutes a night while shooting .514/—/.791.

Gminski remained a Net until January 1988, when he was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers and played 14 NBA seasons in all, also spending time with the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks.

His 2,721 rebounds and 444 games played were second-best among Nets who played 1976-86, he was third with 497 blocked shots and fifth with 4,663 points.

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