Each State’s All-Time NBA Starting Five
By Ben Gibson
Maine
Erick Barkley, Cuttino Mobley, Caron Butler, Jeff Turner, Brad Miller
Total of 4 All-Star appearances, 0 NBA/ABA championships
Only a total of 10 players in NBA history have been born or played high school basketball in Maine according to Basketball-Reference but in spite of that they have several recognizable names to fill out the roster.
Erick Barkley isn’t one of those though, as he played only two seasons in the NBA and averaged 2.9 points a game, totaling 77 points in 226 minutes of play.
But you may recognize Cuttino Mobley and his 11-year NBA career where he averaged 16 points and 3.9 rebounds a game. He ranked 64th all-time in three-point field goals made with 1,085.
Next up is Caron Butler, a two-time All-Star who averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a game so far in his career. He’s in the top-100 in NBA history with 1,154 total steals and should be an interesting piece for the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings this year.
Jeff Turner averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds with the New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic in the late 80s and early 90s.
Brad Miller rounds out The Pine Tree State’s team with a pair of All-Star appearances and career averages of 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. Miller shot 52.4 percent in the 2003-04 to lead the league with 125.1 offensive rating. Miller’s precise shot selection allowed him to carve out an NBA career as an offensive option while playing defensive well enough to be a strong, positive influence on the floor throughout his career.
Grade: D+
Next: Maryland