“Chris and I went at each other for about 20 minutes or so” – George Karl tested Chris Mullin in a one-on-one before the 1985 Draft originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In the 1985 offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to add a big guard to their roster. One name that made sense for them was Chris Mullin. Cleveland invited the St. John’s University product to take a personality test and showcase his skills.
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Cavs coach George Karl, then only 34, played an actual one-on-one game with Mullin to see just how good he was.
“Chris and I went at each other for about 20 minutes or so,” Karl said after that one-on-one game with Mully via NYT. “That’s about all an old man like me can take. We played defense against each other.”
Karl added that there was no winner in that game. The one-on-one was his way of trying to figure out the strength, quickness, slyness and cleverness of the 6’7″ player. Overall, the Pennsylvania native was impressed with Chris.
“Chris plays the game the old-fashioned way. It seems like he is always in control of his actions and, more importantly, his defensive man’s action. I enjoyed being with him and talking basketball with him,” the Cavs coach quipped.
Cavs coveted Mully
With Karl’s high praise for Mullin, there was no question that he was a target once the draft got going. However, the problem was whether Chris would still be available. The Cavaliers were 9th in the draft order that year.
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According to then-Cavs scout Barry Hecker, Mully lacked speed. However, he added that Chris’ outside shooting and wits made up for that deficiency.
“He’s a team player who enhances the attributes of the other four players on the court. Sure, he’s not fast, but neither is Larry Bird. Both have instinct,” Hecker stated at the time.
Warriors spoil Cavs’ plans
When the 1985 Draft went underway, pundits suggested that teams would select the best centers and forwards first. Patrick Ewing was the top pick, and the next five picks were either power forwards or centers.
The Golden State Warriors, selecting Mullin with the 7th pick, broke that trend. Apparently, the Warriors had their eye on Mully’s uncanny sniping.
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“We think that shooting is God-given,” then-Warriors general manager Al Attles said via the Mercury News. “The one thing we know is that Chris can shoot the basketball.”
Adding Mullin made sense. The Warriors were the worst shooting team during the 1984-85 season, with a 46% clip. The team finished with a woeful 22-60 win-loss record, the worst record in the league at the time.
Poor Plan B
With Mullin gone, the Cavs needed to find an alternative. Two names, Joe Dumars and Karl Malone, were also targets and still available at the time. However, Cleveland chose to get Charles Oakley instead.
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Oakley ended up not playing a single game for the Cavs, with fans sounding off their disapproval. He would be shipped to the Chicago Bulls along with Calvin Duncan, not long for Keith Lee and Ennish Whatley.
Despite the brouhaha on the 6-foot-10 player, Lee hardly lived up to expectations. He was expected to help out in the scoring department, but the former Memphis Tigers fared miserably.
With things in disarray, the Cavs experienced a woeful season that saw them finish with a 29-53 record. Karl would be fired in the regular season and replaced by Gene Littles. That coaching change hardly made a difference.
The Cavs could have done better considering Dumars and Malone were still available. Dumars would have been ideal for their guard needs.
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As for Malone, who Karl branded as a chance player, “The Mailman” could have been a godsend; despite his 6’9″ frame, Karl showed he could give and take the physicality. Best of all, he owned a good outside shot, skills that the Cavs could have thrived with.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.