Olajuwon on the '97 & '98 Jazz

[Hardaway2step]

Lol a black Muslim as the franchise player for a team in Utah. You couldn't make this up.

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People forget that Salt lake, the City itself is a far cry from the rest of Utah the STATE. It's just like any other American City, not some white morman haven

[GreatWhiteStiff]

Lol a black Muslim as the franchise player for a team in Utah. You couldn't make this up.

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[PistolPeteJR]

They would very likely win in 1997... Hakeem was still quite good that year.

In 1998 Hakeem only played half the season and was awful in the playoffs... so that's more iffy.

Awful as a #1 option, which he wouldn’t have been with the Jazz in ‘98. Managing his energy as making him a secondary option would benefit that team loads. They win in ‘98 as well.

[PistolPeteJR]

Uh, yeah. A team with Stockton, Malone, Olajuwon and Hornacek would be great. Why stop there though? We'll take Drexler too.

I'm trying to think of what it would look like if a player had done in the 90's what Durant just did with Golden State. The best I could come up with was this scenario of Hakeem joining Malone, arguably the 2nd and 3rd best players in the NBA at the time.

Well - Imagine if he signed in 1997 with a team coming off a 72 win season... and the Bulls weakest position was center too ... lol

Oh Kevin...

[PistolPeteJR]

If I remember correctly (I am getting old) Olajuwan did so well because he was surrounded by shooters and excellent passers. The Rockets were a threat all over the court and it frustrated other teams badly.
The jazz were nothing like the Rockets. They would have had to change up the entire team to get the most out of Hakeem.
But yeah the Jazz's BIGGEST issue in especially the late 90's was a weak center position. I mean it was BAD for them! So even Hakeem at minimal participation maybe would have put the Jazz on top

They wouldn’t have utilized Hakeem as a #1 option and centered the offense around him. It would still be around Malone. Imagine Stockton getting Hakeem, the #2 option, looks. Plus, imagine how much better defensively they would have been with him in there instead of Ostertag.

They would have been better on both ends and, in my opinion, win back-to-back both in ‘97 and ‘98.

[Reeko]

Lol a black Muslim as the franchise player for a team in Utah. You couldn't make this up.

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People forget that Sale lake, the City itself is a far cry from the rest of Utah the STATE. It's just like any other American City, not some white morman haven

Yeah, this was brought to my attention a few months ago when I made a smart ass remark on youtube regarding the lack of diversity in Salt Lake City. Residents there were quick to correct me and I took the time to research the demographics and lo and behold SLC is actually quite diverse.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Changes entire team for them. Doesn't move the needle, although a bit closer series.

Didn't disappoint.

[mcmurphy]

There was not need of Olajuwon... switch Kukoc with Bryon Russell and Utah would have 2 rings and Chicago 0.

[Ferulci]

The disrespect 97/98 bulls team always get on this board never cease to amaze me. Just yesterday, we got posters picking Olajuwon for GOAT career because "jordan feared him".
But let's not stop at Kukoc/Russell switch.
If we switched Eric Montross with Adam Keefe Utah would have 2 rings.
If we switched Antoine Carr with Matt Bullards, Bulls would've been defeated both times.

[mcmurphy]

The disrespect 97/98 bulls team always get on this board never cease to amaze me. Just yesterday, we got posters picking Olajuwon for GOAT career because "jordan feared him".
But let's not stop at Kukoc/Russell switch.
If we switched Eric Montross with Adam Keefe Utah would have 2 rings.
If we switched Antoine Carr with Matt Bullards, Bulls would've been defeated both times.

The disrespect in this board is only in consider Toni Kukoc a role player.