First of all... I think even knowing what we know now... I think taking Hakeem 1st in that draft was probably the best move. If i'm running a team and I have an option between arguably the most skilled center of all time and Michael Jordan, I probably taken my chances with Hakeem. You might suggest this is nuts... Jordan was a god. The best player ever. But a lot of his success had to do with situations and circumstances. We simply don't know if he would win 6 titles without also having a Scottie Pippen (criminally underrated player). It's fair to note that during JOrdan's first three seasons (despite his ridiculous stats), the Bulls failed to even play .500 basketball. They posted losing records all three years. They DID manage to barely make the playoffs, in part due to the eastern conference only having 11 teams. They were out in the 1st round in all three years. It wasn't until Pippen's rookie season that they won 50+ games and had an extended playoff run... Hakeem, on the other hand... you could stick him on any team and instantly be a contender. I know the saying is, "You need a dominant big man to win a title... unless you are Michael Jordan" and I'd agree with that. But even knowing that... I think you have to go with Hakeem in that draft. Rockets went from 29 wins (pre Akeem) to 48 wins his rookie season. Made the finals his second season. 7 feet 255... arguably the best low post moves ever... averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.2 steals on 54% shooting as a rookie. Forget it... I'm 100% taking Hakeem in a do-over. It's a no-brainer. But I don't blame any of you if you'd rather take your chances that things work out the same way with Jordan (also fair to note that the Rockets probably COULD have gotten away with taking JOrdan there... they already had Ralph Sampson and he was a beast in his own right... but in general I'm operating under the idea that regardless of situation/team... in a blind pick, my best move is taking Hakeem over JOrdan).
With that said... The Sam Bowie thing is another story entirely.
Bill Simmons disproves this myth in his "Book of Basketball". In short, there wasn't ever much doubt that Jordan was going to be a star. Pre-draft they labelled him (as well as a few other players like Barkley and Hakeem) "bona fide superstars". Here are some of the points Simmons makes:
While Jordan's potential was unclear while playing for Dean Smith, everyone knew he was good. But during the 84 Olympic tryouts, Jordan supposedly DOMINATED. The two best players of those tryouts were apparently Jordan and Barkley. US coach Bobby Knight was so thoroughly impressed by Jordan that he called Portland's GM (a friend of Knight) and "implored" him to draft Jordan. Supposedly when the GM said, "we need a center', Knight responded, "well play him at center then".
Jordan also was thought to be one of the most exciting college players of the decade. When the Bulls actually selected him, the announcers refer to him as a "can't miss prospect" and instantly compare him to Dr. J. In contrast, when Portland takes Bowie they are quick to bring up the fact that he had come back from a stress fracture injury to the left shinbone and was out for two seasons and redshirted. It even seemed moronic at the time. Six years earlier they had lost Walton to repeated stress fractures... and here they were passing up a "can't miss" prospect in order to take an injury prone big man coming off a stress fracture injury... who averaged a mere 10 points and 9 rebounds in college. Also they mentioned the fact that "he passed up the olympics".
After the Blazers picked Bowie the announcers had the following exchange:
AL: "You know, there was a question a little earlier perhaps, Portland toying with the idea of the great, can't-miss talent of Michael Jordan against Sam Bowie, who, uh, who of course, coming off the injury, he says he is sound. Portland has checked him out through a seven-hour test, but the question is Bowie going now over the course of an 82-game schedule"
Lou (nodding): It is a calculated risk.
So in other words... even at the time, educated Portland fans were probably pretty peeved. As Bill Simmons put it, "at that point, every Blazers fan in 1984 had thrown up in their mouth at least a little".
Long story short. We are well aware that ANthony Davis is a can't miss. Beyond that, there's no Barkley/Jordan that I'm hearing is a "lock" to be a star. JOrdan WAS a lock. Bowie wasn't.
Topic: Could this draft be a repeat of the 1984 draft of Jordan (Read 10202 times)