1984 Draft, what could have been.

[PDX MM]

Here is another what if that I don't see talked about much with this draft. What if Portland had won that coin flip and taken Olajuwon #1, does Houston pick Jordan was that a sure thing? And if so then who does Chicago take #3?

[8305]

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In 1978 Larry Bird was eligible for the draft and was taken with pick 5 by Boston. He chose to stay in school and remained the property of Boston.

Indiana had pick 1 traded it for Johnny Davis and pick 3 which they used on Rick Robey.

Had Indiana taken Bird at 1 and essentially added nothing to one of the worst teams in the league the following draft might have seen them with pick 1 again. The hands down number 1 pick that year Magic Johnson.

[LikeABosh]

Warriors passed up on Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki in consecutive drafts. Would have been a nice trio in their primes.

Would be the greatest trio of all time.

No

[defhalotones]

Warriors passed up on Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki in consecutive drafts. Would have been a nice trio in their primes.

Ehh... they would be ok I guess.

LOL, playing this game could make someone sick...just the fact we could have had Wesbrook, Hibbert, Love, Ibaka, Lopez etc over Bease stings..

You guys have enough good players..
And Beasley (in a way, by releasing him) allowed Miami to form the Big 3.

[ClintonDemocrat]

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In 1978 Larry Bird was eligible for the draft and was taken with pick 5 by Boston. He chose to stay in school and remained the property of Boston.

Indiana had pick 1 traded it for Johnny Davis and pick 3 which they used on Rick Robey.

Had Indiana taken Bird at 1 and essentially added nothing to one of the worst teams in the league the following draft might have seen them with pick 1 again. The hands down number 1 pick that year Magic Johnson.

Magic could've returned to school in 79 if he had known Indiana had the 1st pick. In the late 70s, there was still a small window of days that allowed the 1st pic to know which team won the coin toss, meaning the Lakers already had the 1st pick in hand a few days before he had to declare. The league closed up that loophole within a couple of years, at least by the time Sampson was a Jr (he said he went back to school because there was a 50/50 chance of the Clippers winning the toss in 82). Magic admitted in 91 that he left early precisely because LA had the 1st pick, so that renders any chance that he would've gone to Indy moot considering he didn't even want to go to Chicago. Someone here actually found an archived LA Times snippet from 79 that proved the Draft order was already set 3-4 days before Magic had to decide.

But still, for Indiana to be involved in the 79 Draft, they woulda had to have been worse than Chicago record-wise to get into the coin toss for 1/2. LA was in the coin toss no matter what. Their pick came from a trade made in 76 with the NO Jazz for a future 1st rounder 3yrs down the road. They didn't have protected picks back then. Interestingly, the Lakers and Celtics copped the 1st overall pick in 79, 80, and 82 from the 3 teams that finished with the worst records (Jazz, Pistons, Cavs in order). Boston traded that 1st pick to GS for Parish and #4 (McHale). Lakers took Worthy #1 in 82 (similar to the 79 Magic pick, they got the Worthy pick from a trade with Cleveland some 3 yrs earlier). Easy to see why the NBA fixed that issue. Lakers won the title in 81/82 only to get the 1st pick in that Summer's Draft.

Here's another scenario. Jerry Krause was doing freelance scouting for the Lakers in the late 70s. He supposedly advised them to do whatever they could to move up into the top 10 for the same chance at Bird that Boston took. Lakers had plenty of trade pieces that could've taken them into the top 4-5 (Norm Nixon, Adrian Dantley, James Edwards, etc). Had they done all that and managed to take Bird, they STILL would've gotten Magic in 79 assuming the coin flip woulda gone the exact same way. LA were already set players in the 79 Draft regardless of what woulda/coulda/shoulda happened in 78.

They could've feasibly had both. Btw, Jack Kent Cooke also blew getting Dr. J in 76 or thereabouts. Jerry West and Bill Sharman were trying to convince him to pony up the money, but he didn't do it. West talked about this at the unveiling of Kareem's statue at The Stapler. That's no fantastic story. Dr. J was essentially being sold by his ABA team at that point. Put up the money and he's yours. Jack Kent Cooke was an extremely egocentric and cheap guy according to West and Baylor. West sued the franchise over a contract promise broken and he dropped it after Cooke let him coach the team.

You think LA has already had more than its share of the league's greatest players, imagine adding Dr. J onto the pile to play with Magic and Kareem. The thought of what either Doc or Bird playing with Magic boggles the mind. There have been a few instances of Bird and Magic on the same team and it was unreal passing.

[Americafkya]

Magic on the 94 Knicks... Instant title, since they went to 7 with John Starks as the second-best offensive player and STILL nearly won... Damn.

Magic and Ewing, man oh man...

Uh magic had AIDS.....I don't think he would have been that great. Can't say insta title

[ClintonDemocrat]

Magic on the 94 Knicks... Instant title, since they went to 7 with John Starks as the second-best offensive player and STILL nearly won... Damn.

Magic and Ewing, man oh man...

Uh magic had AIDS.....I don't think he would have been that great. Can't say insta title

He doesn't have AIDS, kid. HIV is the virus that CAN lead to AIDS. In his case, it never did. Want proof? The fact that he's still alive and fat.

[LloydFree]

The real what could have been in 1984... Is what the draft would have looked like if Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin would have declared as Juniors, like Hakeem, Jordan and Barkley.

It would have been

1. Houston - Patrick Ewing (alongside Ralph Sampson)
2. Portland - Akeem Olajuwon (alongside Clyde Drexler for 15 years)
3. Chicago - Sam Bowie
4. Dallas - Michael Jordan
5. Philadelphia - Sam Perkins (alongside Dr J and Moses Malone)
6. Cleveland - Charles Barkley

[Shem]

Patrick Ewing was going to come out after his junior year and would have been drafted by Portland, but he decided to go back for his senior year. Talk about an interesting scenario of a Drexler and Ewing 1-2 combo.

[LloydFree]

Here is another what if that I don't see talked about much with this draft. What if Portland had won that coin flip and taken Olajuwon #1, does Houston pick Jordan was that a sure thing? And if so then who does Chicago take #3?

I don't think it would have been a foregone conclusion that Houston would have taken Jordan with the 2nd pick. My recollection of the prevailing thought back then, was that Bowie was the consensus #2 player, once Ewing decided to go back for his senior season. I also recall that most teams liked Sam Perkins better than Michael Jordan. Chicago #3, and Philadelphia #5, liked Jordan.

[LloydFree]

Patrick Ewing was going to come out after his junior year and would have been drafted by Portland, but he decided to go back for his senior year.

There was no team on the Planet, that would have passed on Patrick Ewing at #1, in 1984. Even with Akeem, Jordan and Barkley available.

[Shem]

Patrick Ewing was going to come out after his junior year and would have been drafted by Portland, but he decided to go back for his senior year.

There was no team on the Planet, that would have passed on Patrick Ewing at #1, in 1984. Even with Akeem, Jordan and Barkley available.

From my understanding, it was up in the air between who would have gone #1 between Ewing and Hakeem. The point I was trying to make is if Ewing was in the draft and the scenarios it would have created.

[Kabookalu]

Being a Raptors fan I have so much to contribute to these what if threads.

[tha_rock220]

The real what could have been in 1984... Is what the draft would have looked like if Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin would have declared as Juniors, like Hakeem, Jordan and Barkley.

It would have been

1. Houston - Patrick Ewing (alongside Ralph Sampson)
2. Portland - Akeem Olajuwon (alongside Clyde Drexler for 15 years)
3. Chicago - Sam Bowie
4. Dallas - Michael Jordan
5. Philadelphia - Sam Perkins (alongside Dr J and Moses Malone)
6. Cleveland - Charles Barkley

No way Houston doesn't draft Hakeem Olajuwon that year. Still, Portland would have been disgusting.

[Manuel Calavera]

Ewing would have went over everyone except maybe Kareem and Wilt in a draft.

[Reservoirdawgs]

Walton would have gone first over Ewing as well.

[HeatFanSince87]

Warriors passed up on Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki in consecutive drafts. Would have been a nice trio in their primes.

Ehh... they would be ok I guess.

LOL, playing this game could make someone sick...just the fact we could have had Wesbrook, Hibbert, Love, Ibaka, Lopez etc over Bease stings..

You guys have enough good players..
And Beasley (in a way, by releasing him) allowed Miami to form the Big 3.

Miami could have drafted Lopez, Hibbert etc and still signed the big 3 since they woukd have been on rookie deals. Trading Bease allowed Miami to sign Mike Miller in 2010. Yes, can't complain overall but that's like saying the 2004 pistons should be ok with drafting Darko over Wade, Melo or Bosh since they win the 2004 title and went to the 2005 finals.

[Brandon-Clyde]

Patrick Ewing was going to come out after his junior year and would have been drafted by Portland, but he decided to go back for his senior year.

There was no team on the Planet, that would have passed on Patrick Ewing at #1, in 1984. Even with Akeem, Jordan and Barkley available.

Houston would have taken the hometown hero in Akeem who MIGHT have been less regarded than Ewing but not enough to anger the hometown fans. Choosing Olajuwon would have also meant thousands more ticket sales than Ewing would have

[Americafkya]

Magic on the 94 Knicks... Instant title, since they went to 7 with John Starks as the second-best offensive player and STILL nearly won... Damn.

Magic and Ewing, man oh man...

Uh magic had AIDS.....I don't think he would have been that great. Can't say insta title

He doesn't have AIDS, kid. HIV is the virus that CAN lead to AIDS. In his case, it never did. Want proof? The fact that he's still alive and fat.

ok, so Magic has HIV, I'd say that is quite the handicap going into a finals series, don't you?