Top 100 NBA Players: #82

Chris Mullin

(Simmons: #82, BBR: #60)

Chris Mullin might not be remembered too well by younger NBA fans, but those of us who have been watching the league for a while definitely remember his days with the Golden State Warriors in the late 80's and early 90's. Back then he was one third of the trio known as "Run TMC," along with Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway, a team that was remembered for their fast-paced style.

Mullin was the best player on those teams, averaging over 25 points per game for 5 straight seasons, a feat only one other Warrior in history has accomplished, a player you may have heard of named Wilt Chamberlain. During the last three seasons of that run he also averaged over 40 minutes per game, twice leading the league in that category, but all the extra minutes wore down his body, and he spent the next four seasons in and out of the lineup, missing 140 games over those four years.

Mullin was not only a great scorer, he also had a great shooting touch. He shot nearly 51% for his career from the field and 86.5% from the free throw line, which included a league-leading 93.9% in 1998. His three-point shooting improved throughout his career, and he hit over 40% from long distance 5 times.

Mullin's major downfall, like that of many others, is that he was not successful in playoff basketball. While with Golden State, he never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, and by the time he reached the Conference Finals and NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers, he was no longer a major factor in their success. He did score some major points in 1989 with 29.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, but that playoff run only lasted 8 games.

Mullin, like Johnston before him, was a superstar for the Warriors who didn't enjoy much playoff success. Both players' peaks lasted about the same amount of time, but Mullin's peak was much higher than Johnston's, which allows him to trump the championship that Johnston brought to the franchise. The longer tail at the end of Mullin's career did nothing for him historically, so Johnston would not have gained anything by holding on for another 8 years like Mullin did.