Jeff Ruland appreciation thread

[JellyBean]

he went to my high school

Pretty cool. I just remember Jeff and Rick Mahorn forming that original "Bruise Brothers" pack back in the day. Jeff Ruland was pretty cool.

[Niquesports]

Pretty cool. I just remember Jeff and Rick Mahorn forming that original "Bruise Brothers" pack back in the day. Jeff Ruland was pretty cool.

Rick and Jeff were the Beef Brothers

[GOBB]

I still shake my head when Sixers signed this dude.

[TheMarkMadsen]

What's with the comparisons to Blake Griffin?

He shares an ELITE record with Bg for being one of the 8 players (including girffin) to put up 22 12 & 3.8 assist

[DKLaker]

He played hard all game long, no quit in the guy. He wasn't a great talent but you had to admire his heart.

[The_Yearning]

Check out the white supremacy in this thread.

[Niquesports]

Check out the white supremacy in this thread.

Im black and grew up in DC watching him play. Dude could ball GTFOH with that

[Lebron23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjJe6I5auA

One of the underrated players of all time. He was really a good player.

[chocolatethunder]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjJe6I5auA

One of the underrated players of all time. He was really a good player.

In 1986 I think the Sixers traded Moses and I think Terry Catlege and two picks to Washington for Ruland and Cliff Robinson. They also traded the number one pick that year for Roy Hinson and that pick was used to select Brad Daughtery. Ruland could totally ball his ass off and was a great passer. He was big but he was really more of a power forward. He was plagued with foot injuries and it was a disaster for the Sixers. The card you have is from when he came back in the early 90s only to rupture his Achilles' tendon and retire believe. Barkley I think said that he was one of the toughest guys to guard ever. Take that with a grain of salt because Barkley says a lot of bullshit. My friend played under him at Iona. I'm pretty sure he was a jerk.

[Rake2204]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjJe6I5auA

One of the underrated players of all time. He was really a good player.

That video has an ending that I was not expecting.

And that card - 1993 Fleer - is exactly how I remember Jeff Ruland. I was in elementary school in '93 so I knew virtually nothing about his prime. I'd get cards like his and Kiki Vandeweghe and I just thought they looked like dads who were allowed to play basketball. It was quite the revelation when I finally got around to caring to enough to look at the back of Vandeweghe's card.

[iamgine]

This guy looked like a complete scrub, but he was actually a beast before injuries ruined his career.



1981-82 (rookie year): 14/9/2/1/1 on 56% FG and 75% FT in only 27 MPG. 17/9/1/0/1 on 48% FG and 77% FT in playoffs.

1982-83: 19/11/3/1/1 on 55% FG and 69% FT.

1983-84: 22/12/4/1/1 on 58% FG and 73% FT. 24/13/8/1/1 on 52% FG and 82% FT in playoffs

1984-85: only played 37 games, but still put up 19/11/4/1/1 on 57% FG and 69% FT. Put up 18/9/5/2/1 on 60% FG and 70% FT in playoffs.

1985-86: Limited to 30 games, but Jeff da GAWD still managed 19/11/5/1/1 on 55% FG and 73% FT. 14/6/5/0/1 on 50% FG and 82% FT in playoffs in just 27 MPG.



Sadly, Jeff barely played at all after that, as his chronic injuries to his feet effectively ended his career. Anyone here remember this guy? What was he like as a player? His stats look almost like a poor man's Charles Barkley though impressive

I thought he was a beast too when I browsed bballreference a few years ago.

But then I saw his TO #.

This guy turn the ball over almost 5 times a game.

That's terrible.

Downgrades his numbers from "beastly" to "just okay".

[lilandywiggins]

I only knew the scrub version of him.

[Shep]

Ruland was the league's best center and top 4 player overall in 1984

[Done_And_Done]

Not to mention a top 7 moustache in league history

[SHAQisGOAT]

Jeff could definitely play.

People never thought he would amount to much, I think he even spent some time in Europe before the NBA. Fact is that he had some pretty good years in the league, 2x all-star even.

Dude was not what you'd call very mobile but could play bully-ball on just about anybody down-low, very strong, very big, very physical. Had some very good skills under the rim, pretty good right-handed hook from the post, had footwork and post-game, a solid jumper too, up to 20 feet. Went to the line plenty and could shoot over 70%. Just a great rebounder on both sides. Decent passer as well, had that outlet game too; could turn it over a bit too much though. Not much on defense but definitely not bad.
He would be even better in today's league with the decline of the bigmen.

Him and Mahorn made a nice PF/C duo, McNasty and McFilthy, The Beef Brothers.
I think he was better as more of a PF, on the offensive end. Bball-reference lists him as a C and Mahorn as a PF but on the court it was more like the other way around, at least on offense.

Ruland was the league's best center and top 4 player overall in 1984

You're taking it way too far there, if serious.