What do you feel was the ultimate potential of Richard Dumas?

[Charlie Smithy!]

This is something that Kryptonic (or as I like to call him, Special K) and myself were discussing offline, with extreme amounts of enthusiasm, vigor, as well as perhaps... botulism (as I'm possibly about to try some Botox for my cerebral palsy).

I do believe Richard was referred to by John Lucas as Dr J with a jump shot. Obviously that never materialized, and Richard ultimately retired from Basketball by 2003, when both of his knees were shot.

Looking back, I have to think he would have become at least as good as say, a Michael Finley. But I must admit, that quote by John Lucas, however much it was and is an exaggeration, will always be something that I think about in the context of Richard Dumas.

Edit: I also wrote Richard a letter as a kid and I sent it to the Phoenix Suns address for fan mail or whatever. I told him that maybe coach Westphal would give him more playing time if he laid off the drugs. I'm guessing it didn't help

[Kryptonic]

Like I told you…. If the guy just could have maintained that coke habit he could have been great lol.

[Charlie Smithy!]

And like I told you, I'm pretty sure he was more of a Pepsi guy, lol.

[Split T]

I was 6 years old for the Dumas era, so not sure my recollection of it means much haha

[SunsRIt]

I think Dumas and Ceballos were very similar.

[Charlie Smithy!]

I was 6 years old for the Dumas era, so not sure my recollection of it means much haha

But split, maybe that's exactly why your recollection means more than you think it does!! Pretty sure we're close in age

[Charlie Smithy!]

I think Dumas and Ceballos were very similar.

2K definitely has them pretty similarly built. I want to say ceballos was rated with slightly better defense, and Dumas with a better jump shot. On the potential side with the RNG in the game, I think Dumas was slightly higher. Either way, I think that comparison tracks for sure.

[Kryptonic]

I think Dumas and Ceballos were very similar.

2K definitely has them pretty similarly built. I want to say ceballos was rated with slightly better defense, and Dumas with a better jump shot. On the potential side with the RNG in the game, I think Dumas was coked out. Either way, I think that comparison tracks for sure.

FTFY

[Charlie Smithy!]

I see you saw what I did there

[The Bobster]

I think Dumas's ceiling was at All-Star level. A 20+ point scorer, highley-skilled offensively, maybe a little weak on defense.

He wasn't really that siomilar to Ceballos. Ced was more of a "garbage man" doing most of his damage around the basket. Dumas was over-enthusiastically described as "Dr.J with a jumpshot", but that will give you an idea of what kind of player he was (prototypical scoring small forward). He wasn't on the same level as a Dr. J or Dominique Wilkins of course, but he had the potential to be a 20-25 point a game player eventually.

Dumas had a higher ceiling than Ceballos, but obviously a much greater chance of failure.

[Charlie Smithy!]

I think Dumas's ceiling was at All-Star level. A 20+ point scorer, highley-skilled offensively, maybe a little weak on defense.

He wasn't really that siomilar to Ceballos. Ced was more of a "garbage man" doing most of his damage around the basket. Dumas was over-enthusiastically described as "Dr.J with a jumpshot", but that will give you an idea of what kind of player he was (prototypical scoring small forward). He wasn't on the same level as a Dr. J or Dominique Wilkins of course, but he had the potential to be a 20-25 point a game player eventually.

Dumas had a higher ceiling than Ceballos, but obviously a much greater chance of failure.

Thank you for your insight, bob, I was honestly hoping to see you post in this thread.

As a bit of an aside, after we moved to Texas as a kid, and got most of the Mavericks games on TV, I feel like there was a point where the games between the Phoenix Suns and Mavericks felt like intersquad scrimmages. Especially by the time ceballos himself was on the Mavericks.

Seems like it could not have been all that common in our League's history for two teams to end up with so many of each other's players, and in the same time frame.

[The Bobster]

Oliver Miller was another great waste of talent. He could have been an All-Star caliber player if he had been in good shape. He just had great natural passing, shot-blocking and rebounding skills. He was so skilled and good with the ball for a big man.

[TOO]

Oliver Miller was another great waste of talent. He could have been an All-Star caliber player if he had been in good shape. He just had great natural passing, shot-blocking and rebounding skills. He was so skilled and good with the ball for a big man.

Round is a pretty good shape sir.

[The Bobster]

Oliver Miller was another great waste of talent. He could have been an All-Star caliber player if he had been in good shape. He just had great natural passing, shot-blocking and rebounding skills. He was so skilled and good with the ball for a big man.

Round is a pretty good shape sir.

Oh, I can attest to that personally, but it's not the best shape for basketball unless you're talking about the ball itself.

[Cap]

I think Dumas's ceiling was at All-Star level. A 20+ point scorer, highley-skilled offensively, maybe a little weak on defense.

He wasn't really that siomilar to Ceballos. Ced was more of a "garbage man" doing most of his damage around the basket. Dumas was over-enthusiastically described as "Dr.J with a jumpshot", but that will give you an idea of what kind of player he was (prototypical scoring small forward). He wasn't on the same level as a Dr. J or Dominique Wilkins of course, but he had the potential to be a 20-25 point a game player eventually.

Dumas had a higher ceiling than Ceballos, but obviously a much greater chance of failure.

Thank you for your insight, bob, I was honestly hoping to see you post in this thread.

As a bit of an aside, after we moved to Texas as a kid, and got most of the Mavericks games on TV, I feel like there was a point where the games between the Phoenix Suns and Mavericks felt like intersquad scrimmages. Especially by the time ceballos himself was on the Mavericks.

Seems like it could not have been all that common in our League's history for two teams to end up with so many of each other's players, and in the same time frame.

I think a Nash-Finley-Ced-AC-Hot Rod lineup played for the Mavs at some point.