Nothin' But Nets
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Brooklyn Nets: 15 best draft picks of all-time (updated through 2018-19)

By Phil Watson

Brooklyn Nets Jarrett Allen (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Brooklyn Nets Jarrett Allen (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets, NBA Draft
INGLEWOOD, CA – CIRCA 1981: Mike Gminski #42 of the New Jersey Nets slam dunks 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 /

7. player. 147. . C. New Jersey Nets (1st round, 7th overall, 1980 NBA Draft). Mike Gminski

He was a starter, a backup and even spent a season buried on the depth chart. But Mike Gminski, the former Duke All-American taken with the seventh overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets spent most of his seven-plus seasons with the franchise persevering.

Gminski struggled as a rookie with his shooting before it was discovered he had a nerve problem in his right elbow that was causing numbness in his shooting hand. Can’t feel, can’t shoot as it turns out.

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After being limited to 56 games as a rookie, Gminski spent the next two seasons unable to regain the starting job amidst a cast of characters that included such immortals as Joe Cooper, Len Elmore and Sam Lacey.

He backed up Darryl Dawkins for most of 1983-84 before taking over the starting gig when Dawkins’ balky back began to act up the following season.

Along the way, Gminski developed a deft touch at the foul line — particularly for a big man. He dropped in 89.3 percent of his attempts in 1985-86 and topped the 80 percent mark in five of his eight years with New Jersey.

Never a star in the NBA, Gminski was steady, averaging better than 16 points and eight rebounds per game in his last two full seasons with the Nets. In January 1988, Gminski was swapped to the Philadelphia 76ers along with Ben Coleman, with New Jersey getting back Roy Hinson, Tim McCormick and a second-round pick in 1989.

He played 14 seasons in the NBA, leaving the 76ers in 1990 for the Charlotte Hornets and making a cameo with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1994.

In seven-plus seasons, Gminski averaged 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. His 550 games played is third in team history, he’s fifth with 3,671 rebounds and fourth with 599 blocked shots. He’s in the top 10 in 12 categories in all.

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