Additionally, when the Cavaliers were really bad throughout the late seventies and most of the 1980's-the Phoenix Suns were the team that I pulled for that had a chance to win.
I may have even been at the game that the shown picture was taken as my first ever NBA game was 1978 with the Suns against the Washington Bullets at the Capital Centre,
Those Cavalier teams usually had less than exciting or fun players to watch over those ten to fifteen years with just two exceptions, but the Suns were loaded with players that were enjoyable to watch and root for and despite not winning an NBA title, were usually offering playoff excitement.
I had my share of favorites, but of those Suns (not the late 80's-early 90's teams) my favorite was a 6'4 guard with floppy hair that could fill the hoop up with abandon.
Sounds a lot like Pete Maravich, but Paul Westphal had his own game and it was plenty flashy and effective.
Paul Westphal was a first-round pick for Boston in 1972, spent his first three seasons as a part-time player, and was noted in Terry Pluto's Loose Balls, an oral history of the ABA, as being a player that would have been better suited as an ABA player with his fast-paced offensive style and outside shot.
Westphal was traded to Phoenix before the 1975-76 season for Charlie Scott in a trade that looked to be a lopsided swap before the season.
Once Westphal began playing starting minutes, it could clearly be seen that Boston had missed the boat by not playing him more.
Had Boston held on Westphal, it's possible that the Celtics could have avoided their late 70's fall and been improved enough to not select Larry Bird in the draft.
Westphal was the main cog in the "Sunderella Suns" 1976 title run that saw the Suns knock off the defending champion Golden State Warriors and lose to the Celtics in the league finals, but not before the historic three-overtime game five that is generally regarded as the greatest game in league history.
Westphal would average over twenty points a game in each of five seasons in Phoenix and did it shooting over 50 percent in four of those seasons.
Westphal would be named to the all-league first team at guard in three seasons and in another was named to the second team.
Westphal would make the All-Star team in each of his five years as a Phoenix Sun, along with having his number 44 retired by the team as well.
Westphal's creativity was shown as he was the winner of the famous CBS HORSE contest that was taped before the season and then shown at halftime of the CBS game of the week.
Considering the competition and the skill needed, that shows the offensive machine that was Paul Westphal.
Westphal's star would fall quickly as he was traded to Seattle in a one for one blockbuster for Dennis Johnson.
Westphal would struggle with injuries in Seattle and played just 36 games in 1980-81 before three non-descript seasons as a Knick and a cameo return to Phoenix and was finished at the age of 33.
Westphal had a great deal of success as the Suns' coach in the early '90s as he took the team to the NBA Finals and won 177 games in three seasons before a slow start in year four cost him his job.
Westphal wasn't as successful with Seattle and Sacramento terms, although he did take Pepperdine to the NCAA tourney in between those pro stints.
Strong offensive player.Underrated coach. Those are some memories of Paul Westphal as we welcome him to the Forgotten Superstars Universe.
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