The 1989-90 NBA season was all about the continuity of the dynasties. The Los Angeles Lakers hoped to win their sixth championship with Magic Johnson. The MVP winner might have come up short, but he led the Lakers to a successful season once again. The Eastern Conference was all about the continuation of the Boston Celtics living up to high standards while the Detroit Pistons were looking to defend their NBA championship.
The 76ers, Knicks, and Suns were looking to rise to the ranks of new competitors. What all of these successful teams had in common was consistency. If you looked at their lineups, the best starting lineups from the 1989-90 season featured players making 70 starts. The teams that did not produce great seasons saw mix and matching because they were employing young talent or trying to find a remedy for the injury bug. In today’s era, playing 82 games is not something we see a lot of because of rest management. Back then, playing 80 games was the mentality of many of the players.
These are the starting lineups from the 1989-90 season.
Atlanta Hawks
Starting Lineup: Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, John Battle, Dominique Wilkins, Moses Malone
Regular Season Record: 41-41
Playoffs: None
Despite owning a tandem of Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone, the Hawks were no more than a .500 team. The 34-year-old Malone was productive with 18.9 points and 10.0 rebounds, while the 30-year-old Wilkens was 26.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. The guard play was not enough, as the team didn’t have any great outside shooters. Doc Rivers led the team with a 36.4% shooting mark from outside. As a team, the Hawks shot just over 30% from long range.
Boston Celtics
Starting Lineup: 52-30
Regular Season Record: Ed Pinckney, Reggie Lewis, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Robert Parish
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference First Round vs. Knicks (2-3)
Kevin McHale averaged 20.9 points and 8.3 rebounds despite being the team’s primary sixth man. McHale made 25 starts during the regular season but typically came off of the bench. The Celtics were led by the play of their former MVP Larry Bird, who averaged 24.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. Robert Parish led the team in starts with 78 while also contributing a double-double of 15.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Sam Bowie, Purvis Short, Lester Conner, Charles Shackleford, Chris Morris
Regular Season Record: 17-65
Playoffs: None
The Nets were a young team with three starters 24 years old or younger. Chris Morris led the way with 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 80 appearances. He was the only player in the rotation that made over 70 stars. Three players made at least 60 starts. Along with Morris, Dennis Hopson added 15.8 points, while Lester Conner averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 assists. Sam Bowie averaged a double-double of 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds but was in and out of the rotation with 54 starts.
Charlotte Hornets
Starting Lineup: J.R. Reid, Kelly Tripucka, Muggsy Bogues, Armen Gilliam, Rex Chapman
Regular Season Record: 19-63
Playoffs: None
The Hornets suffered a tough season, but it helped prepare at least one of their core for the later part of the 90s. Muggsy Bogues nearly averaged a double-double with 9.4 points and 10.7 assists. No player on the team averaged a double-double. Armen Gilliam led the team in scoring with 18.8 points, and Rex Chapman averaged 17.5 points but played in only 54 games.
Chicago Bulls
Starting Lineup: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright
Regular Season Record: 55-27
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Finals vs. Detroit Pistons (3-4)
The Bulls were consistent all season with their starting lineup. The player with the sixth-most starts was Will Perdue with 11. Stacey King made two starts. These seven players were the only ones that made a start all season. Michael Jordan led the way with 33.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.8 steals. Pippen provided the next-best line at 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.6 steals. Jordan, Pippen, and John Paxson all made 82 starts. Had Horace Grant not missed two games, he might have as well, starting in all 80 games he played.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Starting Lineup: Mark Price, Craig Ehlo, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, Chucky Brown
Regular Season Record: 42-40
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference First Round vs. 76ers (2-3)
Ron Harper was playing well in seven starts with 22.0 points but was moved to the Clippers during the season. One player made at least 70 starts, and that was Mark Price, averaging 19.6 points and 9.1 assists per game. Craig Ehlo made 64 starts in 81 games. Those were the only two consistent starters all season. The Cavaliers played .500 ball all year and were able to squeak into the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks
Starting Lineup: Derek Harper, Rolando Blackman, Adrian Dantley, James Donaldson, Sam Perkins
Regular Season Record: 47-35
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference First Round vs. Trail Blazers (0-3)
The fifth starter spot was a rotational one when Adrian Dantley was lost for the season. Dantley played well in 45 starts by averaging 14.7 points. However, the other four players were consistent pieces in the rotation, averaging over 70 starts. Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman each made at least 80 starts. Harper averaged 18.0 points and 7.4 assists. Blackman led the team in scoring with 19.4 points.
Denver Nuggets
Starting Lineup: Alex English, Fat Lever, Michael Adams, Blair Rasmussen, Jerome Lane
Regular Season Record: 43-39
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference First Round (0-3)
A 36-year-old Alex English proved you can be durable in your mid-30s. English started in all 80 games he played and provided 17.9 points per game. Fat Lever started in all 79 games he played. Lever led the team with 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. Michael Adams was the only other starter with at least 70 starts, averaging 15.5 points per game. Blair Rasmussen (55 starts) and Jerome Lane (46 starts) were the two other main pieces that made starts.
Detroit Pistons
Starting Lineup: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman
Regular Season Record: 59-23
Playoffs: Won NBA Finals vs. Trail Blazers (4-1)
Both Dennis Rodman and Mark Aguirre rotated in and out of the starting lineup. Rodman made 43 starts in 82 appearances, while Aguirre made 40 starts in 78 games. The main four with at least 70 starts were Isiah Thomas, and Bill Laimbeer, both made over 80 starts, and then Joe Dumars and James Edwards. Thomas led the way with 18.4 points and 9.4 assists. Dumars provided 17.8 points, while Laimbeer averaged 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Golden State Warriors
Starting Lineup: Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Terry Teagle, Uwe Blab
Regular Season Record: 37-45
Playoffs: None
Blab claimed the most starts of the fifth rotational piece with 33. Rod Higgins, Tom Tolbert, and Manute Bol each had at least 20 starts. Terry Teagle made 49 starts in 82 games. The consistent big three were Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond, and Tim Hardaway, with 78 starts each. Mullin averaged 25.1 points and 4.1 assists. Richmond averaged 22.1 points, while Hardaway averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. In a reserve role, Bol averaged 3.2 blocks.
Houston Rockets
Starting Lineup: Mitchell Wiggins, Sleepy Floyd, Buck Johnson, Otis Thorpe, Hakeem Olajuwon
Regular Season Record: 41-41
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference First Round vs. Lakers (1-3)
Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, and Buck Johnson were iron horses all season. These three players started in all 82 games they played. Sleepy Floyd was right into the thick of it with 73 starts in 82 appearances. Olajuwon led the way with 24.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game. Thorpe averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 rebounds, while Johnson averaged 14.8 points.
Indiana Pacers
Starting Lineup: Reggie Miller, Vern Fleming, Rik Smits, Chuck Person, LaSalle Thompson
Regular Season Record: 42-40
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference First Round (0-3)
All members of this starting five made at least 60 starts. Three members of the squad started in all 82 games. That included Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, and Vern Fleming. Miller averaged 24.6 points and shot 41.4% from three-point range. Smits averaged 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. Fleming averaged 15.5 points and 7.4 assists. Person was second on the team in scoring with 19.7 points. Detlef Schrempf averaged 16.2 points but was the team’s main sixth man. Only seven players on the team made a start during the season.
Los Angeles Clippers
Starting Lineup: Charles Smith, Ken Norman, Benoit Benjamin, Gary Grant, Danny Manning
Regular Season Record: 30-52
Playoffs: None
One player made at least 70 starts on the season. That was 24-year-old Charles Smith, leading the team in scoring with 21.1 points per game. Ron Harper made 28 starts for the team but played in just 28 games due to injuries. He was averaging 23.0 points per game. The most consistent lineup was this group of five who made at least 40 starts. The Clippers employed 14 different players that made at least one starter. With little consistency, the team finished near the bottom of the league.
Los Angeles Lakers
Starting Lineup: Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson, James Worthy, A.C. Green
Regular Season Record: 63-19
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference Semifinals vs. Suns (1-4)
Five players made at least 70 starts. The next-highest number of stars was 10 by Michael Cooper. For the most part, the Lakers had a consistent rotation. A.C. Green started in all 82 games, while James Worthy made 80 starts. Magic Johnson (79), Byron Scott (77), and Mychal Thompson (70) all had started over 70. Magic Johnson led the team with 22.3 points and 11.5 assists. Behind him, Worthy added 21.1 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Memphis Grizzlies
Starting Lineup: None
Regular Season Record: None
Playoffs: None
The Memphis Grizzlies began as the Vancouver Grizzlies. This franchise was not founded until 1995.
Miami Heat
Starting Lineup: Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, Glen Rice, Kevin Edwards, Billy Thompson
Regular Season Record: 18-64
Playoffs: None
For the fifth spot, the Heat roasted Billy Thompson, Tellis Frank, Grant Long, and Rory Sparrow. The fifth starting spot was never consistent, while Kevin Edwards was not necessarily consistent with 54 starts. This Heat team was young, with the oldest player being Pat Cummings at 33. The 22-year-old Glen Rice made 60 starts and averaged 13.6 points. The 23-year-old Sherman Douglas averaged 14.3 points and 7.6 assists. Finally, the 24-year-old Rony Seikaly was the only player with at least 70 starts with 72 and led the team with 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks
Starting Lineup: Jay Humphries, Alvin Robertson, Fred Roberts, Jack Sikma, Jeff Graver
Regular Season Record: 44-38
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference First Round (1-3)
Ricky Pierce led the team in scoring with 23.0 points per game but made zero starts for the team. Two players started in over 80 games. Both with 81 starts, Jay Humphries and Alvin Robertson gave the team 15.3 points and 14.2 points, respectively. Jack Sikma made 70 stars in 71 appearances. Sikma tied Robertson for the lead in rebounding with 6.9 per game. Fred Roberts made 66 starts, and Jeff Graver made 40 starts. Graver, Greg Anderson (28 starts), Brad Lohaus (17 starts), and Tony Brown (10 starts) all made rotational efforts in the lineup.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Starting Lineup: Pooh Richardson, Tod Murphy, Tony Campbell, Tyrone Corbin, Randy Breuer
Regular Season Record: 22-60
Playoffs: None
The top four players in the starting rotation were consistent. Tony Campbell, Tyrone Corbin, Tod Murphy, and Pooh Richardson each played all 82 games. Both Campbell and Corbin made 80 starts. After that, Murphy (59 starts), Richardson (48 starts), Breuer (47 starts), Sidney Lowe (38 starts), and Sam Mitchell (30 starts) were worked around. All of these players were under 30 years old except for Lowe, who was 30 years old. The young lineup needed to be experimented with for the future. Campbell led the team with 23.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
New Orleans Pelicans
Starting Lineup: None
Regular Season Record: None
Playoffs: None
The Pelicans were founded as the New Orleans Hornets in 2002. The team became the Pelicans in 2013.
New York Knicks
Starting Lineup: Mark Jackson, Gerald Wilkins, Johnny Neman, Charles Oakley, Patrick Ewing
Regular Season Record: 45-37
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Pistons (1-4)
All members of the starting lineup made at least 60 starts during the season. Charles Oakley was limited to 61 games, while the rest of the lineup played in at least 80 appearances. Patrick Ewing was the only player to make all 82 starts. He led the way with 28.6 points and 10.9 rebounds. Oakley added a double-double of 14.6 points and 11.9 rebounds. Gerald Wilkins played in all 82 games and made 80 starts.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Starting Lineup: Nate McMillan, Xavier McDaniel, Derrick McKay, Dale Ellis, Michael Cage
Regular Season Record: 41-41
Playoffs: None
The Thunder were the Seattle SuperSonics at the time. Health issues limited this team to their true potential. Dale Ellis led the team in scoring with 23.5 points but made just 49 starts in 55 games. Xavier McDaniel added 21.3 points but started in 67 of his 69 games played. Michael Cage started in all 82 games and led the team in rebounding with 10.0. Derrick McKay also made 80 starts, while Nate McMillian made 69 starts in 82 games.
Orlando Magic
Starting Lineup: Mark Acres, Reggie Theus, Sam Vincent, Terry Catledge, Jerry Reynolds
Regular Season Record: 18-64
Playoffs: None
The 1989-90 season was the first year of the Orlando Magic franchise. Like any young team, you will experience growing pains. That’s what happened to the Magic in their first year. Two players who made at least 70 starts were Terry Catledge and Reggie Theus. Catledge averaged 19.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. Theus added 18.9 points and 5.4 assists. Outside of those two players, Mark Acres (50 starts), Sam Vincent (45 starts ), Jerry Reynolds (40 starts), Otis Smith (35 starts), Scott Skiles (32 starts), and Sidney Green (31 starts) were all rotated in and out.
Philadelphia 76ers
Starting Lineup: Johnny Dawkins, Hersey Hawkins, Mike Gminski, Charles Barkley, Rick Mahorn
Regular Season Record: 53-29
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Bulls (1-4)
These five were predominately always in the starting lineup, with all five making at least 66 starts during the regular season. Hersey Hawkins started all 82 games, while Johnny Dawkins and Mike Gminski started all 81 games they played. Charles Barkley made 79 starts to lead the way with 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds. Rick Mahorn closed it out with 66 starts and was enforced inside. Mahorn (7.6 RPG) and Gminski (8.5 RPG) contributed to a strong rebounding core.
Phoenix Suns
Starting Lineup: Kevin Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, Kurt Rambis, Mark West, Tom Chambers
Regular Season Record: 54-28
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference Finals vs. Trail Blazers (2-4)
The Suns had a successful season thanks to a strong rotation. Kurt Rambis (45 starts), Dan Majerle (23 starts), and Tim Perry (18 starts) each made rotations in and out. Jeff Hornacek, Kevin Johnson, Mark West, and Tom Chambers all made 60 or more starts. Chambers had a huge season with 27.2 points and 7.0 rebounds. Johnson added a double-double of 22.5 points and 11.4 rebounds. The Suns won 54 games thanks to consistency and nearly made the NBA Finals.
Portland Trail Blazers
Starting Lineup: Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth, Buck Williams
Regular Season Record: 59-23
Playoffs: Lost NBA Finals vs. Pistons (1-4)
The Trail Blazers knew exactly what they were doing. Their starting five all started in 70 or more games. That included four members making 80 starts. Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams, and Kevin Duckworth started all 82 games. Terry Porter started 80 games, while Clyde Drexler started in all 73 games he played. Drexler averaged 23.3 points, with Kersey, Duckworth, and Porter all averaging at least 16.0 points per game. This consistency and talent helped the Trail Blazers make an NBA Finals appearance.
Sacramento Kings
Starting Lineup: Kenny Smith, Danny Ainge, Greg Kite, Rodney McCray, Wayman Tisdale
Regular Season Record: 23-59
Playoffs: None
Kenny Smith made 46 starts in all 46 games but was limited during the season. Vinny Del Negro made 29 starts in 76 appearances, while Pervis Ellison made 22 starts. Two members were consistent in the lineup. Rodney McCray started all 82 games. He posted 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Wayman Tisdale started in all 79 games he played and posted 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. Danny Ainge was the only other player to start at least 60 games by making 68 starts, and he posted 17.9 points.
San Antonio Spurs
Starting Lineup: Maurice Cheeks, Sean Elliot, Willie Anderson, Terry Cummings, David Robinson
Regular Season Record: 56-26
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference Semifinals vs. Trail Blazers (3-4)
Cheeks began the season as the starting point guard but were unable to finish the season. That left Rod Strickland (24 starts), Frank Brickowski (12 starts), and six other players rotating in and out. The four consistent starters were David Robinson, averaging 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks, with 81 starts. Willie Anderson also made 81 starts and played in all 82 games. Terry Cummings averaged 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 78 starts. Finally, Sean Elliot added 10.0 points in 69 starts.
Toronto Raptors
Starting Lineup: None
Regular Season Record: None
Playoffs: None
The Toronto Raptors did not have a team during this season. The Raptors were founded in 1995.
Utah Jazz
Starting Lineup: John Stockton, Blue Edwards, Bob Hansen, Karl Malone, Mark Eaton
Regular Season Record: 55-27
Playoffs: Lost Western Conference First Round (2-3)
Karl Malone and Mark Eaton each started all 82 games. Bob Hansen would have started all games but missed one, so he started in all 81 games he played. John Stockton started all 78 games he played. Blue Edwards made 49 starts, while Thurl Bailey made 33 starts. Malone led the way with 31.0 points and 11.1 rebounds. Eaton defensively brought 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Stockton recorded a double-double of 17.2 points and 14.5 assists. The Jazz won 55 games but had a tough draw against the Suns in the first round.
Washington Wizards
Starting Lineup: Darrell Walker, Bernard King, Jef Malone, Charles Jones, Harvey Grant
Regular Season Record: 31-51
Playoffs: None
John Williams made 18 starts and provided 18.2 points and 7.6 rebounds before he was lost for the season. The lineup featured four players making at least 70 starts in the season. That began with Bernard King starting all 82 games. King was second in scoring with 22.4 per game. Darrell Walker and Charles Jones each started 81 games. Jef Malone started in 74 of his 75 games to lead the team with 24.3 points per game.
Source: fadeawayworld
