Underrated Hoopers: Mookie Blaylock

Maybe the most forgotten player of the 90s, and without good reason, Blaylock constantly flies under the radar, and really, some people aren’t even aware of his game. A defensive stopper and big part of the Hawks throughout the 90s, Mookie deserves his respect.

Career Path

Blaylock was drafted as the 12th pick in the 1989 draft by the New Jersey Nets, and immediately his impact would make itself obvious, averaging 10 points per game and 1.6 steals per game across 50 games.

Blaylock would cement himself as a starter in his next two years in New Jersey, consistently averaging over 13 points along with over 6 assists and over 2 steals. He played just one playoff series there, and although they lost, Blaylock averaged a whopping 3.8 steals across the 4 games. He would get upset in New Jersey, however, and would end up being traded to Atlanta along with Roy Hinson in exchange for Rumeal Robinson.

In Atlanta, Blaylock’s career would take off, and he would end up playing 7 years as a starter for the franchise. He averaged over 13 his whole tenure there, including averaging 17.4 one year. The three point shot would significantly improve there as well, leading the league in both three pointers made and attempted in the 1997 season.

The defense would remain his most attractive attribute, however, as he averaged over 2 steals per game his whole time in Atlanta, making 6 all defensive teams and leading the league in steals per game twice.

Playoff wise, Blaylock would make the playoffs every year during his time in Atlanta, and although the furthest the team would ever go was the second round, Blaylock would put up solid numbers, staying mostly consistent to his regular season stats.

After his time in Atlanta, Blaylock would spend a quick 3 year stint in Golden State, where his numbers would slowly start to decline. For his first two years there, he would still consistently start and still put up great defensive numbers, but by the third year he lacked much of his prior impact, and would be out of the league at 34.

Unfortunately, Mookie would face scandal after the end of his career. He would be involved in a car crash that ended up killing a woman, which would earn him 3 years in prison. It wasn’t directly connected to his basketball career, but it is certainly worth mentioning and being aware of here.

Peak

Both Blaylock’s winning and individual peaks came during his time in Atlanta. Winning wise, he never made it past the second round, but he was consistently present in the postseason, unfortunately running into teams like the Reggie led Pacers, Shaq led Magic, and of course, the Bulls. Although he made one playoffs with New Jersey, he clearly had far more team success during the time he spent in Atlanta. He also was a big factor in the success they did enjoy, as he consistently had positive plus minus and win share stats, which aren’t perfect measures of impact but can be useful.

Individually, there isn’t any debate: Mookie was at his best in a Hawks uniform. He established himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, averaging 2.6 steals with just 1.8 fouls per game during his time in Atlanta. For contrast, all time perimeter defenders like Sidney Moncrief, Gary Payton, and Michael Jordan all averaged more fouls than that in their careers, and many of them were less consistent with their great steal numbers, emphasizing just how smart and skilled of a defender Mookie was.

Offensively, Mookie was at his best during those Atlanta years as well, shooting the three ball with confidence and making a fair number per game, especially considering that three point shooting was less of a focus for players during the 90s. He also had his best playmaking years there, and overall just was at his best during the time he played in Atlanta.

Playstyle

In case you haven’t picked up on it by now, Mookie was a defensive menace, using his quickness and skilled hands to rip ball handlers often and intercept passes in transition, making it difficult to move the ball up the court when on the opposing team. As a short guard, just 6 feet tall, he was never much of a shot blocking presence, but he forced turnovers like no other.

With these forced turnovers, Blaylock was extremely effective in transition. An extremely fast player with a solid handle, he could push the floor very well in transition, opening up opportunities for him to score and for his teammates to get easy looks when they ran the floor with him.

Scoring in the half court was never Blaylock’s focus, but he was a very capable and willing three point shooter, and his handle made getting to his shots easy, when he looked to do so. Granted, it still wasn’t his strength, and his small stature didn’t help with that. Another aspect that wasn’t a focus was rebounding, but he was surprisingly solid at it, pulling down around 5 rebounds per game during his time with Atlanta, more than expected of a 6 foot guard. That could possibly be attributed to the fact that he was so quick and got into the right position to break out in transition, or because he could collect so many shots that Dikembe sent away.

The best comparison for Mookie in my eyes is Jrue Holiday. An extremely capable point of attack defender who can also playmake and knock down the three point ball, and can be an extremely valuable piece on a contender but not the first option.

So, Why Isn’t He Remembered?

How does an all time great defender possibly fall under the radar of almost every NBA fan? He was consistently in the playoffs and his game seems like it would translate extremely well to today, but maybe fans don’t give him his respect if they acknowledge him at all. I would account it to a couple of factors.

Firstly, the Hawks teams he helped lead were never super successful. They were playoff teams, but they were never able to make it past the second round, and history isn’t written by the losers. Oftentimes the less great (although very solid) teams of the 90s can be overshadowed by the big names, the Rockets, Jazz, Knicks, and of course, the Jordan era Bulls.

Moreso, however, I think the playstyle of Blaylock just doesn’t draw many eyes nor much interest. He wasn’t a great scorer, and was consistently inefficient. He wasn’t super flashy, and his value didn’t come through his creation. Point of attack defenders aren’t the most revered nor respected roles, although they are invaluable to any team looking to contend. Unfortunately, even someone as skilled as Blaylock can fall subject to the lack of excitement people feel about certain roles.