Derrick Coleman: He was supposed to be THE GREATEST POWER FORWARD OF ALL TIME | FPP

I always prided myself on being a great man who never got sunk, so one

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in New Jersey because I'm from Newark, New Jersey, in front of all the fans playing against Derek Coleman and if you don't know Derrick Coleman, he's gone. delivered, he's a beast, so Derek has me on the block and he does one dribble, two dribbles, one step, he hits me with a little bow and he throws it and I didn't really know he dunked it until I got down and spread out, he owned everything I could. That's what you could ask for in a modern

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, but he came into the league in the early '90s with all these skills, which was even more impressive: He could do it all on the court in his prime and probably at some point. he dunked on your favorite big guy.

During his career he was a star at Syracuse and looked like he would continue that way in New Jersey, as he went 20-10 during his five years with the Nets, but he had trouble controlling his temper and often seemed to clash. with the coaches removing him from almost every situation he was in in tragedy in New Jersey, it also affected the trajectory of the Nets and probably affected Coleman's, since when the Nets stopped winning he became unhappy and then the rest of His career was marred by an inability to stay in shape. struggles with alcohol abuse and general questions about his commitment to the game and although he played 70 games only once after the age of 26, he still put together some great seasons even with his injuries and weight issues, but if we look strictly at his best years with the Nets, you'd never believe this guy would only make one All-Star Game appearance in his career, he was

supposed

to be a Hall of Famer and while he'll probably never get that call in his prime, Derrick Coleman was the last player you wanted. matches and that is why he is the subject of today's episode, let's draw his memory Derek Coleman was born in Mobile Alabama but grew up in Detroit Michigan where as a child he would become friends with future NBA All-Star Steve Smith Coleman attended to Northern High School in Detroit. where he would be a McDonald's All-American in his senior season and his talent was recognized since at only 14 years old his coach told the Pistons Hall of Famer that Dave was talking about him and Bing would become Coleman's mentor and Coleman would decide to attend Bing's alma mater.

When he accepted a scholarship to play for Syracuse and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, expectations were not too high for the 87 Syracuse team, as they had lost players like Raphael Addison and Dwayne Pearl Washington, but still had center junior Ronnie in cycling and about to be a sophomore. Point guard Sherman Douglas, who took an unexpected leap in his second year. Coleman and Stevie Thompson were Syracuse's top recruits and Coleman would quickly carve out an important role as he started the first day and would finish fourth on the team in rebounding first and second in scoring. in blocks and with 56 percent shooting.

Syracuse would begin the year on a 15-game winning streak and move up to fifth in the nation. They would finish the regular season 24-5 and make it all the way to the Big East championship game early. losing to Georgetown, but they saved their best for the NCAA tournament, entering as a two seed and beating Georgia Southern in the first round, followed by Western Kentucky in the second round, the sweet 16 brought Florida and Coleman would finish with 15 points and nine rebounds. his worst offensive performance of the tournament in the Elite Eight against North Carolina, where he would score eight points on just 2-of-10 shooting, but still pull down 14 rebounds and block three shots, while Syracuse still had one and earned a finals matchup. four with Providence, who they would defeat as Coleman had 12 points and 12 rebounds on 66 shots as Syracuse advanced to its first national championship game in program history.

This would be a very competitive game against Indiana, but Syracuse would unfortunately lose. Coleman only managed eight points, but he established. a record for freshmen in an NCAA tournament with 19 rebounds. Unfortunately, this is probably a game Coleman wants to forget, as with Syracuse up by one with about 30 seconds left, Coleman was at the free throw line for a 1-1 that could have been ice. game, but Coleman would come up short on the first free throw, then Indiana would get the rebound and Keith Smart would score the game-winning goal with about five seconds left to give the Hoosiers the victory, ending Syracuse's incredible season, but By his freshman year, Coleman averaged around 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game while being named third team, all-Big East Syracuse had one of the best starting lineups in the country in 1988 with Coleman cycling and Douglas along with Stevie Thompson , who had now been elevated to starter.

As all four would shoot over 51 this season, Syracuse began the year as the top-ranked team in the nation, but this would not last long as they lost two of four games during the Greater Alaska Shootout and would overall finish the season. Regular at 21-6 Coleman would average a double-double and his 11 rebounds per game would rank 10th in the nation and this year he would shoot a career-high 58.7 from the field. Syracuse would win the Big East tournament by defeating Villanova in the final, but their NCAA tournament run would be a huge disappointment, they would defeat North Carolina in the first round, even with Coleman struggling as he scored just four points in two of nine shots, but would then be upset by Rhode Island in the second round Coleman.

He had a much better game as he had 16 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting, but would have foul trouble as he was knocked out after 29 minutes of action when Syracuse lost by three points. Coleman would finish his sophomore season averaging 13 and a half points, 11 rebounds and one and a half blocks per game, as he would be named First Team All-Big East in 1989. Syracuse had lost the Cycling to the NBA, so expectations were high for Coleman and he would play center this year to fill the position. The gap left by cycling, but it was easier to turn around since Syracuse had a great freshman named Billy Owens.

All five starters would average double figures and Coleman would finish third on the team in scoring and first in rebounds and blocks, as he would rank. sixth in the nation in rebounds and fourth in blocks, he would also get into some trouble this year as he got into a fight with some football players for not wanting to pay admission to a fraternity party and Syracuse would start the year 13-0 . and rank second in the nation, would eventually finish the regular season at 25-6, reach the Big East championship for the third year in a row, but lose to Georgetown, enter the NCAA tournament as a two seed and have a better performance than the previous year, Coleman would improve his game as each game progressed and would have his best performance in the Elite 8 against Illinois and their flying Illini offense.

He would play all 40 minutes scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but Illinois outscored Syracuse when they won by three points late in Syracuse's season and for his Junior season, Coleman averaged around 17 points, 11 and a half rebounds and three blocks and half per game while being named First Team, all of Big East Douglas left for the 1990 season. Coleman as the team's best player with Thompson and Owens providing big contributions. Coleman would achieve career highs in scoring and rebounding, as he again finished in the top 10 in the nation in rebounding. He would also shoot over 50, 25 from the field and over 36 percent from Deep on more than one attempt per game Syracuse would start the year as the top ranked team in the nation and finish 10-0 before losing Villanova overall, They would finish their regular season 22-5 and again reach the Big East tournament championship. but they would lose for the third

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in four years, this time against Yukon, they would enter the tournament as a two seed and Coleman would have a good tournament as he scored at least 14 points and 10 rebounds in each game, but had trouble making shots. the Sweet 16 against Minnesota when he made just 5 of 13 field goals and Syracuse lost, which would mark the end of Coleman's college career, one in which he left the NCAA as the all-time leader in rebounds and during the regular season Coleman averaged approximately 18 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per game as he was named Big East First-Team Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American.

Coleman seemed like the complete package; He could score rebounds and block shots, but he was also excellent at running the floor and was a great ball handler for someone his size, add his three-point range at a time when big men didn't stretch the floor and it seemed like he was destined to be an all-time great, so he went first. pick in the 1990 NBA draft, the New Jersey Nets selected Derek Coleman out of Syracuse, the Nets were coming off a terrible age 17 and age 65 season. Under head coach Bill Fitch and Coleman expected to be the savior of the franchise, the team had some good pieces outside of Coleman. as they had former second overall pick Sam Bowie and second-year point guard Mookie Blaylock, plus they had a 30-year-old high flyer in Chris Morris and had traded for veteran Reggie Theus in the offseason.

Coleman would be the starting

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for a network. Five starters in which each player scored at least 12 points per game. Coleman would finish second on the team in scoring behind Theus and first in rebounding, as he reached double figures in 66 of the 74 games he played, had 40 double-doubles and would record 28 points. and 23 rebounds in a Nov. 27 win against Philadelphia, in addition to scoring a career-high 42, and a Feb. 15 win against Denver, he finished first among rookies in scoring and rebounding and his 10.3 rebounds They were in the top 10 of the league, as Coleman would finish. winning Rookie of the Year this season and being named First Team, all rookie, but it was midway through this season when the nest made arguably their biggest acquisition of him.

New Jersey was 13-26 when they were involved in a three-team deal on Jan. 24. and the biggest piece they would receive would be second-year guard in Portland's Petrovich. The Nets needed some bench scoring and second-year Petrovic was coming off a rookie season in which he was third in the league with three-point percentage. He would play very well for the Nets in his 43 games with the team, the Nets would finish 13 and 30 the rest of the way to finish at 26 and 56, but Petrovich had shown promise and Coleman had given every indication that he was on his way. to stardom. and his rookie season saw him average around 18 and a half points, 10 and a half rebounds and a block per game.

This was gone to start the '92 season and the Nets clearly believed in Petrovic making him the starting shooting guard. They had also selected a lightning bolt. Georgia Tech's speedy point guard named Kenny Anderson Blaylock would still be the starter this year, but it would be Coleman and Petrovich who would create a dynamic scoring duo for New Jersey, as they combined for over 40 points per game and every shot went over 50. On the field, Coleman would struggle with an ankle injury this year as he missed 17 games over the course of the season, but would finish in the top 25 in the league in both scoring and rebounding as he had 59 games. in double figures, 35 double doubles and another 20 and 20 games, but this season would be plagued by an ongoing conflict between him and Fitch that had been present since Coleman joined the Nets.

Coleman would question his coach's ability in a December 7 game against the Lakers when Fitch kept him out of most of the game due to Coleman re-aggravating an ankle injury despite Coleman saying he was ready and then The boiling point came at the end of the year when Coleman refused to re-enter a game in the fourth quarter against Miami and

supposed

ly would have some option. words for Fitch, but even with Coleman's ankle and the conflict, the network still improved as they finished 40th and 42nd and would get a playoff matchup with Cleveland. Coleman would have a great debut in the playoffs, as he finished second on the team in scoring and first in rebounds.

Recording a double-double in three of the four games in a loss in a four-game series, he would shoot at least 50 percent in the first three games, but would have his worst performance in the series by securing the fourth game as if I would have made a game. - With 22 points, he did so with 7 of 21 shots, but in his regular season he averaged around 20 points, nine and a half rebounds and one and a half blocks per game with 50.4 percent shooting, the highest of his career. career, the only time in his career. where he shot at least 50 percent, Blaylock was traded to Atlanta during the offseason, meaning Kenny Anderson would be the team's new starter coming into '93.

Additionally, Fitch resigned after the season andHe was replaced by former Pistons and Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly, and with Daly at the helm of the Nets and their new trio of Coleman Anderson and Petrovic would prove to be one of the best young cores in the league, as Coleman would report that Daley did not limit him as Fitch did. Coleman would finish second on the team in scoring with a career-high 20.7 points per game and first in rebounding and blocks as his trio would combine to average nearly 60 points per game and, according to Coleman, some were beginning to referring to him and Anderson as the Stockton and Malone of the East Coast, although he thought they were going to be better than the legendary Jazz Duo Coleman will be one of the top 20 scorers and top 10 rebounders in the league, as he would be named second team the NBA, would score double figures in all but two games and set a record. 51 double-doubles and two games of 20 and 20, including a career-high 24 rebounds and a December 20 win against Sacramento, the Nets were sitting at 31 and 24, but would then suffer a big loss when Anderson would break his wrist after of a flagrant foul by John.

Starks knocked him out for the rest of the year, the Nets would finish 12th and 15th the rest of the way to finish 43-39 and get a rematch with Cleveland; However, Anderson's wrist would keep him out of the first round series and so would the series. Five games passed and Coleman would do everything he could to make up for Anderson's absence, but it wasn't enough as the Nets lost in five; would score at least 21 and shoot at least 50 percent in all five games while playing all 48 minutes in Games 2, 4 and 5. He would save the best for last, as he scored a career-high 33 points in the postseason, along with 16 rebounds in the Nets' loss in Game 5 and for the regular season, Coleman would average around 20.5 points, 11 rebounds and a block and a half per game, but the Nets looked promising coming into the game. 94 with Anderson healed along with Coleman and Petrovic a moment of silence was held for Drazen Petrovich the net star died Monday night in a car accident in Germany Petrovich was a native of Croatia less than a month since his playoff exit in which Petrovich was involved in a fatal car accident while in Poland for a European Championship basketball qualifying tournament that would end tragically would have all the ingredients for an NBA Hall of Fame career.

The Nets did everything they could to fill the void by signing Kevin Edwards, who would have his best professional season for the team in '94 but couldn't make up for the loss of Petrovic and just before the season started Coleman turned down an offer from the Nets for eight years and $69 million due to details such as the starting salary being too low and the final year of the contract not being guaranteed, however, he would finally agree to a four-year, $30 million contract extension in February. . Coleman would play the healthiest year of his career as it was his first season as the team's leading scorer and Anderson again played in all 82 games as the duo combined for 39 points per game, but we're not very efficient in doing so.

Coleman would be a top 15 scorer and top 10 rebounder with a career-high 11.3 rebounds per game, score in double figures in 69 games, record 47 double doubles and two triple doubles and turn away nine shots, the most of his career, in a Feb. 1 win against Seattle. He would be voted to his first and only All-Star Game as a starter and earn his second and final All-nba second team selection. The Nets started the year 7th and 13th, but were able to bounce back and finish with their best record since 1984. With 45th and 37th and a third straight playoff berth this time against New York, Coleman would have a good series as he led the team in touchdowns and rebounds and would record a postseason career high with 21 rebounds in the second game, unfortunately the Knicks won in four games, as although Coleman scored well, he would have a 4-of-17 shooting performance in the second game and would later have a record 5-15 in the series. him taking the loss in game 4, although he would still manage 31 points as he went 21 of 25 from the free throw line, so another season ended with a first round elimination before their regular season.

Coleman averaged around 20 points, 11 and a half rebounds and a career high. 1.8 blocks per game Coleman's season would not end here, however, as he was a member of Dream Team 2 that will represent the USA at the FIBA ​​'94 World Championship, where he would help the team win a medal. of gold. 95 would be a big step back. For New Jersey, Daly had left the team because it was reported that he felt that some of the players and management were not mature enough, but it was more likely that he wanted to leave in good health since he felt that his age was diminishing. would update. him before the Nets could compete and would be replaced by Butch Beard in the offseason.

Anderson had a screw inserted in his wrist but was bothered by pain all season and Coleman would deal with wrist injuries this year and missed 26 games, but would still endure another 20-10 season, although he wouldn't play enough games to Qualify for the league leaderboards. Coleman and Anderson would still make a solid duo, but the team overall didn't have much direction and seemed to be regressing afterwards. a promising start to Coleman's time there Coleman would have 53 games in double figures and 34 double doubles and would still record a 20 and 20 game on November 29 against the Lakers, but the Nets were unable to accomplish anything this year and ended this season in 30. and 52 and missed the playoffs for the first time in Four Seasons and during the regular season Coleman averaged about 20 and a half points, 10 and a half rebounds and one and a half blocks per game.

Coleman turned 28 in the off-season and had developed a negative reputation as a player with an attitude problem and a less than stellar work ethic, there were many concerns surrounding his temperament due to conflicts with the coach and multiple times his anger had taken over on the court, even from his Syracuse, but Coleman was unhappy and didn't believe the Nets could build a winner anytime soon, so entering training camp, Coleman requested a trade. He started the year on the Nets but wasn't playing. to an irregular heartbeat that would eventually correct itself and after 13 games he still had him playing, but then he got his wish.

Coleman was traded to the 76ers for a Sean Bradley starting package while the Sixers were in the midst of an 11-game loss. streak and were trying to find a way to inject some life into the team and, looking back on his time with the Nets years later, Coleman speculated that his career could have been much different if New Jersey had prioritized bringing in a veteran to will guide him. to give him the keys to the team as a rookie, but Coleman was now six years old and would join rookie Jerry Stackhouse and fourth-year forward Clarence Weatherspoon as the team's best players;

However, even though Coleman's heart had improved, he would only appear in 11 games for the Sixers this year, as doctors advised him to sit out the rest of the season after a nagging ankle injury that eventually resolved. He discovered that it was an injured tendon and the Sixers would finish the year at 18 and 64 years old, but in his 11 games he would average around 11 points, six and a half rebounds and a block per game, the Sixers would receive the first pick in the 96 draft. and they would draft a franchise-altering player in Allen Iverson, Coleman Iverson and Stackhouse would form a solid trio that would combine for over 62 points per game. game, but Coleman struggled to stay on the court as he logged 57 games and shot below 45 percent for the fourth straight season.

He was still a double-double player when he played, as he had 28 double-doubles and two games of 20 and 20, but it had now become a matter of availability as he was developing another negative reputation as an injury-prone player, but Even with Coleman playing, the Sixers were far from successful as they finished 18-39 with Coleman and 4 and 21 without him finishing at 22 and 60 and missing the playoffs and during their regular season Coleman averaged around 18 points, 10 rebounds and one and a half blocks per game, the 98 Sixers released the same trio and created their second overall pick in the nets for veterans Jim Jackson, Eric Montrose and However, the trio of Coleman Iverson and Stackhouse would not last much longer, as that with the Sixers sitting at 6 and 16 they sent Stackhouse to the Pistons for Theo Ratliff and Aaron Key as the new head coach.

Larry Brown did not feel that Iverson and Stackhouse could coexist in the backcourt. Holmen would once again have a shortened year as he struggled with ankle injuries and his irregular heart rate had returned and he played in only 59 games, he would still be the second leading scorer. of the team behind Iverson and leader in rebounds, but his efficiency continued to decline as he barely managed 41 field goals, he would still record 32 double doubles this year and the Sixers would improve to 31-51, but they missed the playoffs and Coleman averaged around 17 and a half points, 10 rebounds and a block per game.

The Sixers will buy Coleman at the end of the year. Larry Brown had been a big fan of Coleman, but Sixers president Pat Croce was not a fan of Coleman and was looking for ways to get rid of him; He had supposedly attempted to add a Weight Clause to any contract negotiations with Coleman as he had been out of form during his time with Philadelphia which had likely contributed to his injuries and this angered Coleman, so the Sixers on Coleman they would end up agreeing to a contract bio during the offseason. Coleman would sign with the Charlotte Hornets for six years 40 million before the lockout, in the '99 season he would join a new Hornets team that let its starting center Vlade Divac walk during the offseason and did not have forward Anthony Mason , who had missed a year.

With a torn biceps, the team featured All-Star Glenn Rice, but he would be traded to the Lakers midseason for Eddie Jones and Eldon Campbell. Even in the lockout-shortened season, Coleman struggled to stay healthy as who only managed 37 games and scored a few. one of the worst numbers of his career and would lose his starting job near the end of the season and the Hornets would do better when Coleman was not playing, as they were 15-22 when he was on the court and 11-2 when he was not because they finished 26th and 24th, but they missed the playoffs and during the regular season Coleman averaged about 13 points, nine rebounds and half a block per game until 2000.

Coleman was behind the wheel during a serious car accident that almost took him life. Coleman, his teammate Eldridge Recasner, refused a breathalyzer, but was arrested for DUI, of which he was later acquitted due to lack of evidence, but there was still speculation that alcohol was involved, as he would battle alcoholism throughout his career. career. Fortunately, everyone would survive, but this won't be the only tragic car accident this season, as guard Bobby would lose his life when he lost control of his car while racing on the street on January 12 of this season. Colony would bounce back in 2000 as he played 74 games.

It was the first time he played at least 70 games since '94 and the last time he would do so in his career he would finish second on the team and score behind Eddie Jones and tie in first place in rebounding, but his biggest improvement would be his efficiency as his 45.6 shooting mark was his best since 1993 and he shot a career-high 36.2 percent from deep, and this season the Hornets had a winning record with Coleman, as they went 43-31 when he was in the lineup and finished the year at 49 and 33. marking Coleman's first postseason appearance since 1994, where they would play his former team in the Sixers, but Coleman He still couldn't get past the first round as Charlotte lost in four games, but Coleman would have a classic performance as he scored over 20 points and 12 rebounds per game and would score a game-high 29 in the team's only victory.

Hornets series in the second game and during the regular season Coleman averaged around 16 and a half points, eight and a half rebounds and two blocks per game which Coleman did not have. A good start to the 01 season as he reported training camp 30 pounds overweight, so he played all year out of shape and again saw his irregular heartbeat return and Coleman would even be placed on the injured list for a lack of physical conditioning. Coleman would be stripped of his co-captain title early in the season and relegated to a backup role this year, which he wasn't very happy about.

The 01 Hornets again looked much better as Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason had transferred to Miami in the offseason for Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown and second-year guard Baron Davis had taken a big leap in year two, but Coleman, unfortunately,would seem more like an afterthought this year, as he only managed 34 games overall, starting three of them and averaging single-digit points. for the first time in his career while he shot only 38 field goals, yet he would shoot a career-high 39.2 percent from Deep. The Hornets' 46 and 36 record made it to the playoffs, where they swept Miami in the first round, although Coleman would be limited. minutes and averaged only five points, he would then play the first two games of their second round loss to Milwaukee before recording dnps the rest of the series and during the regular season he would score around eight points, five rebounds and a half and a half blocks.

Per game, there was supposedly an opportunity over the summer for the Sixers to reacquire Coleman, but Sixers team president Pat Croce had promised that Coleman would never return to the Sixers while he was president, but then in July he resigned as team president, so with Croce gone Larry Brown and the Sixers took advantage of the opportunity to reacquire the veteran forward they valued so much years earlier when they acquired Coleman in a three-team trade on October 25. This was a move both sides wanted, as Coleman had been trying. Returning to Philadelphia for years, the Sixers were coming off an NBA Finals appearance and hoped Coleman could provide them with a versatile starting forward who could play minutes at center if needed.

Coleman would have a solid season for Philadelphia, as he would be the second. on the team to score behind League leader Alan Iverson and do so with a relatively efficient 45 field goals, but the Sixers would be hampered by injuries as their backboard of Iverson and Eric Snow missed 22 and 21 games respectively. Coleman would also be injured throughout the year, as although he played more games the previous season, he still missed 24 due to a lingering knee injury that had occurred in an early season matchup against Toronto. He would also miss a game due to a suspension for throwing a punch at Utah's Carl Malone in a December 29 game and this would be an issue that Coleman had held on to for years, as he had referred to Malone as Uncle Tom during his time with the Nets.

Iverson broke his hand on March 22 with the Sixers sitting at 36 and 32 and trying. stay alive in the Playoff Chase, so it didn't look good as up to that point the Sixers were 0-8 without Iverson, but Coleman would help the team go 7-7 the rest of the way to hold on to sixth place. place and get the Celtics in the first round Iverson returned for the playoffs and was still averaging 30 per game, but he did it with about 38 shots, but his second leading scorer was Coleman and, although he averaged only 13 points and nine rebounds, he was a efficient scorer for the Sixers. shooting over 52 field goals, but a back-and-forth series would see the Sixers fall to the Celtics in five games and during the regular season Coleman averaged around 15 points, nine rebounds and a block per game Coleman would be arrested for d UI out of season and suspended for one game so he would also offer surgery on his injured knee from the previous year since along with his suspension he would miss the first 10 games of the season. and overall played only 64 games, plus Coleman started the season off the bench, the Sixers had traded their former Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo in nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd McCullough during the offseason and Van Horn would be the team owner. power forward before being switched to small forward when the Sixers acquired Kenny Thomas in a three-team deal in December, however, Mccalla began suffering from a neurological disorder affecting the nerves in his feet that ended his season and eventually with his career, so Coleman had to replace him. in the center of him for the rest of the year as Philadelphia finished with a record of 48-34.

Coleman continued to start in the first-round matchup with his former team in the Charlotte Hornets, and although he would start slow with four points in the first game, he would finish. being one of five starters to score in double figures and would lead the team in blocks for the series as the Sixers won in six games, the second round brought the Pistons and the team split the first four games before Detroit won the games 5 and 6 for a combined Five Points to advance Coleman would have a great series as he would be second on the team with 16 and a half points per game and would take down a team leading 11 rebounds per game and even drop a game-high 23 game.

The Sixers lost by one point in game five, however, this would be overshadowed by the fact that he was called for goalie on Chucky Atkins' floater attempt to win the game with less than a second left, giving Detroit won and in his regular season he averaged around nine and one. half a point, seven rebounds and a block per game o4 would be an injury-filled year for Philadelphia before the year Larry Brown went to work in Detroit and the Sixers would end up going through two coaches this season. Coleman played only 34 games as a starter, a broken finger kept him out for 22 games, and knee tendonitis ended his year early.

The Sixers had acquired Glenn Robinson from Atlanta during the offseason, but injuries derailed his year as Iverson missed 34 games and Robinson missed 40. And even though he had a respectable year all things considered, his record of 33 and 49 was not enough for the playoffs and for the regular season Coleman averaged around eight points, five and a half rebounds and a block per game, the Sixers traded Coleman to the defending champion Pistons in the off. -Season where he would be reunited with Larry Brown, but this would be short lived for Coleman as he would appear in only five games for Detroit in very limited minutes and would also be suspended for one game for leaving the bench during the malice at the Palace He would play three more games after this incident before being released on January 5 after posting averages of two points and three rebounds per game and that would be the end of Derrick Coleman's career.

His career began with a lot of promise and there was no doubt he had all the tools to be an all-time great, he had a skill set rarely seen in players his size and seemed to be on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Fame in his early years in New Jersey, but he lacked maturity and discipline and was probably right that the Nets should have hired a veteran to guide him at first, but he also should have made his own changes, but those Nets of The mid-90s are one of the biggest question marks, as if Petrovic hadn't been in that car accident, who knows what they could have done and if the Nets had been winning, maybe Coleman would have been more committed once he got to Philadelphia, his problems became a major problem as they severely affected his availability and level of playing and while this may have been related to attitude and alcohol, it is important to mention that his irregular heartbeat probably made it difficult for him to stay in shape and strive safely.

His career is one that might make you feel more frustrated than sympathetic like he had. He showed how great he was when he was fit and if he had been able to stay fit, we would probably include Derrick Coleman in the discussion of the

greatest

great men of all time, but instead he is regarded more as the classic Wasted Potential story, but if someone asked you to build the perfect power forward, it's safe to say he would look a lot like an excellent Derrick Coleman, but that's it for today's episode on DC. I hope you enjoyed it and be sure to subscribe for more videos like this.

If you like this one, check out this video about his Hornet teammate or this one about his brief teammate during his first season in Philadelphia, thanks for watching and see you next time.