The 1984 NBA Draft Is the Greatest Draft Ever | Bill Simmons’s Book of Basketball 2.0
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2022
- The Ringer’s Bill Simmons chronicles all the triumphs, failures, and what-ifs from the 1984 NBA draft, a.k.a. the greatest draft of all time.
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We can all agree we want bill doing more of these types of videos right?
Yeah I enjoy the video format way better esp. for this type of content. Book of Basketball 2.0 is on Spotify
No i prefer it when he writes
I'd enjoy this content more than getting blown underneath a table before selecting Michael Jordan to play for my team.
@@TheTwinkiefoot LMAO 🤣 I was dyin’ when Bill said that
YES. Just do a retrospective on literally whatever and I'll be happy
It's amazing that Hakeem being picked #1 isn't considered a bad pick or a pick you'd do differently. That's probably Olajuwon's greatest feat.
In that time period. Hakeem a BIG was considered a no brainer
Hakeem’s #1 achievement is leading the lowest ranked team ever to a championship without any other all stars on the team.
@@weezingplatypus you mean in '95? They had an All-Star caliber Clyde who made All NBA 3rd team.
The fact that even Jordan himself doesn't bring it up says it all. I don't think there was a player that he respected more, or at least a player that played against during his time.
Yeah I think it’s just the fact that he was unanimous, like a Myles Garrett kinda. And a hall of famer in his own right
“Looks like he’s getting blown under the table” -Perfect Bill, Perfect
LOL
For as much we clown on Bill, no one in any sport makes this type of content. This incredibly in-depth breakdown of famous drafts and moments in basketball history. The way it’s mixed with interviews and conversations from people as well as theories and what ifs, it’s great. I wish somebody would do this for football. Not Bill Simmons though. Ive never liked his football takes.
People clown Bill ?
He makes fan content, but he needs to be less biased fr sometimes...can't hate though.
Check out Secret base
@@Muklatim Been watching SB for 5 years. They also make spectacular content
Great video, but at this Bill is a poor man's Jon Bois at best.
As a Blazer fan, this video is just pain.
Portland made similar blunder, twice! Let's sink it in.
@@manchesterunitedno7 Not blunders with these picks but Portland also had Bill Walton, Brandon Roy, and Greg Oden as well. All careers cut short with injuries. All three had a chance to become a top 20 players of all time.
@@Joseph-lz5er Don't get drafted by Portland!
You had Clyde, was a logical pick to get a big man….
If it helps, the Bulls passed over Drexler a year earlier.
ABSOLUTE GOLD @ 5:08 - Knight’s response to Portland saying they can’t pick MJ bc they need a Center: “WELL - play him at Center then!”
These are great Bill. You always joke about your fingers not working anymore but these are the new columns anyway. Keep making these because they are gold
Honestly, as someone who hasn’t read anything since I graduated school, I prefer this format over written columns
Between MJ, Stockton, A. Robertson, & Hakeem; this draft also produced the greatest pickpockets in NBA history. Barkley was no slouch at steals for his position as well.
Total thieves. Wolves. Don't turn your back, pass to the sidelines, bring the ball low or blink with these guys.
"How good was Hakeem?"
"The Rockets picked him over Michael Jordan and even in hindsight no one thinks it was a bad pick."
- that dream shake is something else. DPOY, MVP, shook everyone including DPOY David Robinson? Lebron, Kobe, Dwight...all sought out Hakeem to learn the unstoppable dream.
But not the best pick!😂
@@markbantz9699 I'm inclined to agree, but it's impossible to say. We don't know how things would have been if those picks were swapped. Unfortunately, Hakeem didn't get his Pippen outside of like 2 years with Sampson and 2 years with Clyde, where he snagged 2 titles and a 3rd Finals trip.
@@markbantz9699 for ‘84, it was an insane idea to pick a SG over a Center. That was the mentality back then. Had Ewing been on that draft, MJ would have been the #4 pick or lower
@@joshruiz809 Absolutely, the Bulls were the first team build around a shooting guard and his scoring!
The late Magic Lakers and the Pistons were build around point guards with special emphasis on one side of the ball. Teams build around centers were the norm since George Mikan, with some exceptions for PF and SF...
Close enough to Bill writing again, I’ll take it!
I really thought the Trailblazers were just unlucky. Turns out they were just plain stupid. Did not know about Bobby Knight begging their GM to take MJ.
TWICE DOH!
Let’s also not forget that the 1984 draft produced the NBA’s all time leader in assists AND steals!
He talked about Stockton when he said two 30 players all time. He said Barkley and Stockton
@@kingray3139 Yeah... but to be honest he needed to talk about them a little more.
@@kingray3139 He talked about Stockton for less than 5 seconds in this video.
He didn't have to cover John Stockton more and if y'all don't like it make your own video on Stock. This was about the 84 draft it was a lot of players to cover as well as some of the events surrounding them.
@@kingray3139 exactly 👍🏽
11:52 only Bill would come up with that 😂. Always loved his sarcasm and humor
This mf was phoning in the greatest basketball player of all time, probably better feeling than getting blown tbh lmao
Bill is clearly a porn addict. The dude references porn or porn stars in almost every Rewatchables and in his B.O.B. book. Either that or him and his wife are swingers, open marriage or he's on Coke (something he mentions a lot too)
That part about Philly offering Dr J to get MJ must have something to do with Dr J's apparent bitterness about MJ and about how he feels his own legacy isn't talked up enough.
Why do we not talk about the potential team of MJ, Hakeem and Clyde…. That’s fucking crazy
They would’ve 10 in a row not even kidding. Michael and Hakeem alone is unstoppable and then you add Clyde too. Man they really missed out
Imagine being the GM that didn't pull the trigger and then looking back at that in hindsight... OUCH!
That would be insane
I dont know where other people rank Hakeem but to me, he is like a top 3 defender of all-time (higher than Pippen), top 10 in steals and number 1 in blocks. That duo itself would have been insane on both sides of the ball.
@@Lordandmaster26 For me, it depends on if you're looking at what a player proved they can do vs if you're looking at how their career played out.
Example, I think Hakeem proved he's a "better player" than Bill Russell, but Russell OBVIOUSLY had the greater career.
When you look at Hakeem's numbers against other top centers and considering he was playing with a wider lane and a 3-point line, I don't know how you can argue against him being top 3 defensively and top 3 2-way players. For my money, Jordan, Hakeem & Wilt are the 3 best 2-way players.
The idea of what a Hakeem & Jordan duo could have been is just insane, especially if they had Clyde fucking Drexler as their 3rd guy. That would likely be the greatest trio in NBA history.
No one ever talks about Stockton being missed by 15 teams before being drafted ? Imagine him with Olajuwon , Clyde and Sampson.
On Ewing's eligibility ~ even if he was available there was no way in hell Houston would have selected him first over the home grown Akeem. They would have been absolutely murdered by the fans and press.
I know you were living in Boston at the time but Phi Slamma Jamma was HUGE in Houston. Hell, when they were playing games in the NCAA tournament that coincided with my classes my teachers would roll in TVs on carts and cancel the class so we could all watch the game(s) together.
I couldn't believe his comment. I agree with you. No way Houston picks Ewing first. Ridiculous statement.
Ewing was dubbed as the next Bill Russell in college. He was Lebron level hype.
@@KTF0
Yeah. But Houston (the Rockets), and the NBA new better.
Bill Simmons, acting like a silly ESPN reporter.
You’d think they’d learn their lesson. Aaaaaand 23 years later they did it again.
Sure thing Superstar scorer in KD? Nah we need a bigman.
Bigman with leg injuries in Oden? Say no more. Well takem.
Oden was a consensus 1st pick across the board, revisionist history is a great thing but few if any were arguing kd should go first. Don’t be that guy
To be fair, even KD thought Greg Oden deserved to go first.
Lol
This was an amazing watch
Amazing that Portland did it again with the Oden draft. Another big man that couldn't stay healthy. So sad
It's their fate as a franchise. Walton had foot problems. Bowie had lower leg problems. Sabonis had leg and knee problems. They *had* to draft Oden. The story wouldn't be complete otherwise.
@@75aces97 Nurkic broke his leg
@@rcnyoplait True. I meant just the ones they've drafted. Sabonis is most interesting to me in this story. They picked him in 1986, a few years before most of the world knew about him, but it was a pipe dream at the time they'd be able to bring him over. Then...well, lots of stuff happened. I'm not sure why ESPN or the NBA network hasn't already produced a film about it.
Could you imagine being the Houston rep who didn't take the steps to get Hakeem, Drexler, and Jordan together? I'd be having What If nightmares for the rest my life.
😂😴😱
I agree. I still think about how many championships we could have won here in Houston.
@Psiros
Remember, they could have had Sampson; Clyde Drexler and Olajuwon (though we know what happened to Sampson). That's if the Rockets would have chose Drexler in 83, instead of Rodney McCray. Clyde's presence would have surely helped Hakeem.
We NEED more of this Bill!! Surprised it’s taken so long for this type of CZcams content
Awesome video. Been loving the interview back catalogue podcasts to get me through my commute in the dog days of summer with no NBA
Stockton, Jordan, Barkley, Olajuwon, and stick a rotation of Otis Thorpe and Sam Perkins at that other Forward spot, and the class of 1984 is whooping any other lineup that any other draft could throw out on the court.
96 draft Is a legit argument
@@dickhardpicard Always cracks me up when people try to claim the 1996 draft is even almost as good as the 1984 draft. Was '96 loaded with Guards? Yes. If the question is just "What draft had the greatest number of elite Guards of all time" then sure, '96 probably wins. But what made '84 so ridiculous was how you had an All-Timer at FOUR different positions. And two others with over 100+ win Shares for their career who in this fictional scenario could be your fifth starter and sixth man. You can 100% see a backcourt of Stockton and Jordan paired with a front court of Barkley and Olajuwon. Whereas with the 1996 group, you'd never have Kobe, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson all on the court at the same time. You'd probably end up going with Nash at the 1, AI at the 2, and move Kobe to the 3, with Ray Allen as sixth man. Now look at the matchups that creates. Look at it head to head and 1984 wins easily.
@@5StarFlix Camby, ben wallace, Antoine walker.. yea but I guess you 4got about them. That's 2 defensive players of the year and a legit stretch 4.
@@dickhardpicard LOL the most famous thing about Ben Wallace was that he was undrafted, so sorry he doesn't count. And if you are trying to imply that Marcus Camby and Antoine Walker are even in the same universe as Hakeem and Sir Charles then I guess you must know something that I don't.
@@5StarFlix widely considered to be one of the deepest and most talented NBA drafts in history, with one-third of the first-round picks later becoming NBA All-Stars. The draft class produced three players who won a combined four NBA MVP awards (Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash), seven other drafted players who became All-Stars (Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O'Neal, Peja Stojaković, Antoine Walker), and one undrafted All-Star (Ben Wallace), for a grand total of 11 All-Stars. Moreover, eight players from this draft class have been named to at least one All-NBA Team, the most among any draft. The draft class also produced three players who have been named to the NBA's all-defensive first team: Bryant, Marcus Camby, and Wallace
I need more vids like these bill this was phenomenal!
Yo bill do more of these. Great format
These are always the best Bill Simmons/ringer vids.
Love the context of all the old clips.
The biggest winners of this…were the Lakers. Portland butchering the draft kept the West mostly on cruise control with the exception of the 86 and 88.
Yes. The Lakers dodged a major bullet. If the Blazers won that toss, they take Akeem, and the Rockets probably take MJ (then, the Bulls would have taken Bowie and traded him to Seattle for Illinois native Jack Sikma).
We need more of this from Bill/the ringer. Bill shines when discussing the history of the game, it's his best asset that we only get to see sprinkled in during the pods. Give us more ya bum.
This is awesome content. More like this please
Terrific video Bill
Great video and analysisi.... more plz
such a great video
JFC that what if lineup with Jordan, Hakeem, and Drexler was nuts. And all at the low low price of Ralph Sampson!
Also, insane to see that Ewing could've been the number one pick here. I doubt Houston would've done it though since Hakeem was from a Houston Uni and they've had their eye on him for a while. The biggest loser in all this is still Portland who COULD (and most probably would) have picked Ewing over Bowie but just didn't get the chance. Hell, if Ewing was picked first there is still a chance that Portland picks Bowie over Hakeem since their scouting was so bad. Insane
THEY'D WIN 15 RINGS STRAIGHT😂😂😂
Portland would have been fine. They'd have Drexler and then Ewing instead of Kevin Duckworth. Irony to all this is, they drafted very well in the 1980s except for that one pick. Which shows you that it's not how many good picks you make. It's whether you make or miss the one great pick. As it was they went to 2 finals. With Ewing instead of Duckworth and then the endless angst over Sabonis, maybe they get off to a championship a year earlier.
@@75aces97 Getting Sabonis earlier would have also been great!
@@exilhamburger4802 it would have, but Sabonis is a whole other kettle of fish.
Another really good what if came from this draft, what if Oscar Schmidt played in the NBA? He made the hall of fame and never player in the league.
Never new that appreciate it
It is the Basketball Hall of Fame. Not the NBA Hall of Fame.
@@kevinthomes1046 Basketball is Basketball 🙂 Oscar Schmidt IS AN NBA PLAYER, HE LOVES TO PLAY FOR BRASIL BASKETBALL. New Jersey Nets didn't allow him to play there...
@@LeirkAnoras Did Oscar ever play in the NBA? My comment was about not needing to be an NBA player to make the Basketball Hall of Fame. It is not like the NFL or MLB. They have their own HOF. Basketball HOF is for all leagues.
@@kevinthomes1046 New Jersey Nets tried to bring Oscar Schmidt to the NBA, OSCAR SCHMIDT LOVES TO PLAY FOR BRASIL BASKETBALL in FIBA Competitions, New Jersey Nets didn't like that back then...
There are very few people that I could always listen to talk sports. Bill is one.
"Play him at center then!" LOL
Inject this into me forever. Great content
Loved this vid
Great vid bill!
More of these types of videos please
Fantastic. This type of video is what makes simmons the best
Love this video
Or if Portland needed a Forward SO BAD, pick Barkley #2 and then you have Drexler, Barkley, Porter, Kersey and Duckworth against the Pistons in 1990 Finals and against the Bulls in the 1992 Finals
The 1984 class is the most top heavy ever. But I would still argue '96 as the best ever in terms of depth. 4 drafted Hall of famers (Iverson, Allen, Nash, Kobe), 1 undrafted (Ben Wallace). The non hall of famers Bill mentioned from 1984 were mostly role players. 1996 had 10 total players that made at least one All-Star game (9 of the 10 had multiple selections). Compared to only 7 players from 1984 with at least one All-star selection. One non-All Star (Marcus Camby) won Defensive Player of the year (2007) and led the lead in shot-blocking 4 times. Derek Fisher was also a 5-time NBA champion from the 96 draft.
I guess it depends on how much you value the top of the 84 for draft versus the depth of 96. With 84, you get a top-2 ever, top-12, and a couple top 25-30 with a few other pretty good guys. In 96, you have a top-10, a couple top 40 and a top 75 with a handful of other pretty good guys. I still think I'd pick 84 for having 4 of the top 30 ever including the possible goat vs. one that had 3 in the top 40, but happened to have a few more borderline All-stars.
@@AddMiller221 Top 2? LOL
@@Marlowe10100 Yeah, I say that because not everyone believes MJ is the GOAT. I was being conservative and saying he was one of the 2 best ever.
1984 had 3 MVP's and 3 DPOY's, and 4 50th anniversary honorees. I take quality over quantity without blinking.
@@75aces97 3 MVPs from the 1996 class too. 4 top 75 guys (none were eligible for Top 50).
Loved your commentary. Hindsight is 20/20 and an easy get.
I just love Bill man!
more of these please
Deep Rewind ft. Bill Simmons lol. All content is approaching a singularity of Absolute Totality lol.
Portland has to be the biggest what if of all time in NBA. They had so many clear chance at building a super team
1- drafting Bowie over the Goat mj
2- the squandered championship due to sudden meltdown by the pippen led blazer 2000s team. They were so close to beating Lakers the eventual champ
3- the big three of gred Oden, la Marcus and Brandon Roy which never took off. Portland passed out on KD, Brandon Roy had knee issue and retire early which is a shame. He had one of the smoothest game I ever seen.
With the current team I don't see them making strides to a championship anytime soon. Goes to show how important mgt w foresight is
Filip Bondy wrote a book about the 84 Draft called " Tip Off" excellent read. Great read. 📙📘
Jordan would’ve been a great SF for Portland. But he also could’ve been the best point guard ever next to Drexler!
Not really. Jordan early in his career wasn't a great ballhandler. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't a weak ballhandler either. But much of his early career success was based on him being quicker and more athletic than his opponents. It wasn't until the late 80's that you got to see a much more complete Jordan. Where not only was he quicker and more athletic than everyone. He was also much more skilled. He became absolutely deadly from 15-20 ft. His fadeaway was disgusting and he was able to add a consistent 3pt shot to his arsenal. Watching Jordan in the early 90's is a thing of beauty.
@@alexh8613 he wasn’t a good defender either, but he won DPOY.
Like everything else in basketball, he would’ve figured it out
@@withalittlehelpfrom3 Jordan was always a good defensive player, just based on his ridiculous athleticism. He averaged 2.4 steals a game in his rookie season. If he were to have played point guard, it would just been a shooting guard with the ball in his hands all the time. He wouldn't be distributing the ball like a point guard
@@alexh8613 He wasn't a great defender when he came back from baseball. His DPOY's were given to him by Stern, even if he didn't deserve them.
You forget legendary Brazilian Oscar Schmidt which also part of this draft. He was chosen as 131th pick by New Jersey Nets, but he didn't follow through as NBA forbid players from joining national teams at that time.
Schmidt however, was a regular player in Brazilian National Team so he withdraw from NBA
Dude you are hilarious. Great work.
The craziest part of this video is that Jason Robards won a best supporting actor Oscar for that scene.
My God Simmons, that is one helluva room!
Just to think 23 years later they’d make a similar mistake is mind blowing. We all knew Greg Oden was supposed to take the crown from Shaq but wow how very similar to American politics history repeats itself
Old Bill Simmoms can still pull diamonds out of his ass. This is terrific...just like the one about Bird's perfect game, his last conversation with Kobe etc
People rag on sam bowie but honestly he was really good till he kept getting injured
He was. But his legacy is always connected to getting picked before MICHAEL JORDAN
@@JonCom3dy that's not his fault.
@@Hazztech of course it isn’t. It’s unfortunate
Ewing almost coming out in 84 is an insane what-if to consider. Do the Rockets make the 86 Finals with a Ewing-Sampson twin towers combo? Does Sampson end up suffering that career-altering fall if Ewing’s there? Do the Blazers still make that dumb Kiki trade if they know they’re getting Hakeem instead of Bowie (if not, Christ that’s a loaded team)? Where does Bowie end up instead and do his fortunes turn out differently if it’s a situation where he doesn’t have to play big minutes right away? Who do the Knicks take in 85 if Ewing isn’t there? Do they even try to tank if Ewing isn’t there?
Good questions. As to the last one, there wasn't much point in tanking from 1985-1993 since the odds were the same whether you were dead last or just missed the playoffs. Either way, there was nobody else worth tanking for in that class. Malone turned out great, but no one was sure what to expect from him. Can't imagine any team throwing a season for Wayman Tisdale. I guess NYK would draft Mullin if Ewing isn't there? Hometown kid, just came off a final 4? Also had alcoholism issues at the time.
Wow this was great. That Bowie pick aged liked milk half way into Jordan's rookie season.
Love sports What Ifs. Please do more of these.
That Bill Simmons guy is hilarious and smart 🤣 🏀
I guess in Boston it’s “white flags” instead of green 🤣😂
Nice Video. For everyone who liked this, and did not know it already, it's from his book of basketball. The actual book, not the Podcast. It is a great read and full of storys, lists and what ifs. Anyone interested in Basketball should read it.
Yeah I second this, while it’s always nice to get new content, I don’t actually mind the “book sections” being turned into videos. Makes them more accessible for the people!!
I can't believe you didn't mention the 76ers drafting Barkley, and could have also had Stockton. Imagine what Stockton to Barkley would have looked like.
Barkley was my favorite player back in the day, but I think Stockton was better off with Malone.
This pod highlights how much big men were valued over guards. Magic and MJ changed that preconceived notion
Well, Magic was a big man AND a guard.
@@terry7907 Magic was a big (point) guard, but not a “big man” (meaning Center/Power Forward)
@@lrod2004 Maybe you should watch Magic's first championship. (Spoiler: he wasn't playing guard)
@@ricobarth - I am an 80’s Laker fan. Magic is a point guard. People who think or say different are ignorant or just want to argue based on a minor exception to Magic’s overall career.
@@ricobarth You should *actually* watch it then. Magic was playing Point. In Game 6, he still played Point on offense and was a free safety on defense as LA put him on Philly's offensive-zero Caldwell Jones. Jim Chones played Center in place of Kareem. Magic just did the jump-ball.
Hakeem is still pronounced without the H, just so you know.
A postscript to Portland selecting the brittle-legged Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan is they did it again in 2007 when they selected Greg Oden over Kevin Durant.
Ouch..! 😂
I agree 💯
11:54 classic Bill Simmons!
Five things that people have to consider:
1) Centers were more valued than guards in the 80s, which was why Dream and Bowie were picked ahead of Jordan
2) Everybody knew that Mike was incredible, but the common belief in the 80s was that the road to the championship went through centers
So it's no wonder why Portland had blind faith in Bowie regardless of his history with injuries
3) Ralph Sampson was THAT dude before the injuries
He was 7'4" with guard skills; he could bring the ball up the court and take his man off the dribble from the top of the key. He played the 4 even though Dream was 4 inches shorter @ the 5
The idea of Houston trading Sampson for Glide and possibly drafting Jordan wasn't considered a bad move @ the time because of his skill set
4) Bowie never told Portland about the pain in his left tibia. He was too thirsty to get picked over Jordan. If Portland knew of the pain in his knee, they might've picked Sam Perkins instead, who was picked by Dallas after Jordan (Portland already had Glide and Jim Paxson @ the guard positions, so there was no "NEED" to draft MJ)
5) There was no guarantee that MJ would've been comfortable playing the point or the 3 in the NBA while sharing scoring duties with Dream and/or Glide - drafting two guards who were ball dominant with the same skill set would've been redundant (you saw what happened when the Knicks drafted Rod Strickland the year after drafting Mark Jackson).
It's no excuse for bowie after losing center to same exact injury
@@tonemoney1733 - Hindsight is always 20/20, but I just told you the logic behind Portland choosing him, especially when he told the team that he no longer had knee problems, which was a lie
To your points (which I mostly agree with) a healthy Bowie would have been a very good player, particularly on defense. Imagine a healthy Sam Bowie playing 30 minutes a game for the 1990 Blazers instead of Kevin Duckworth? Maybe the Finals goes differently in that case
@@srj34 - Duckworth was actually a good center in the late 80s/early 90s - he was an all-star in '89 and '91
He fell off after the '92 Finals tho
@@authornahsun634 He was a good player; I think at their best Bowie would have been better, especially given how vital interior defense was back then.
At about 9:08 Bill says "low cut Jeri Curls..." No Bill, that was a natural. lol
Since this video is all about what-if's, my what-if question would be, what would the Bulls have taken Bowie third, looked to move the pick ahead of the draft had they known Portland was going to take MJ, any thoughts on there in CZcams land?
KIKI was an all-star averaging 30 points in 56%FG he was one of the TOP3 players of that 84 season.
He was ahead of players like I.THOMAS and SAMPSON himself.
He was ahead of DR J (dunks are just 2 points).
He changed to a team that played him in a different position and didnt play small ball the pace of those BLAZZERS were SLOW.
I’ve read this excerpt in the book, but man: if there were any Blazer Truthers out there that didn’t hate Simmons before…
I think you gotta think about the league in 1984. The biggest winners at that point won with big men. Russell, Chamberlain, Reed, Cowens, Walton, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Kareem. Heck Bird and Magic were bigger than Jordan. Nobody under 6’8 had a chance to be the dude on a title team.
Oscar Jerry west
@@tonemoney1733 Oscar wins his only title with Young Kareem and Jerry wins his only title with Wilt
The fifth-string comic at open-mic night at the Chuckle Hut doesn't have to worry about Simmons taking his spot.
Bill makes some great points. So many people act like Jordan was such a surprise. I don't think anyone thought he would be THAT good, but plenty of people knew that he could be a star.
What about the what if, of Chicago not passing over Drexler in the 83 draft? Do they still take Jordan in 84 (they may not have had as high a pick either if rookie Drexler won them more games)? And if not, how much success do an eventual prime combo of Drexler and Pippen have?
If Houston accepts the trade w/Portland, they give up Ralph, who is DONE in 3 yrs, and receive Clyde Drexler, to give them 22-yr-old versions of Clyde AND Dream. That’s already ridiculous. Already, we’re talking about a completely different WC for 10 yrs. To think they would then have the #2 pick AS WELL…mercy.
Even if they said, “we already have Clyde, we don’t need Jordan. With Ralph gone, we’re gonna bolster our front line by taking this Barkley kid, he might fit well with this Akeem kid.”
Dream-Chuck-Clyde, all aged 21-22, for 10+ years. Yikes.
Considering Sam Perkins’ UNC pedigree and superior stats to Auburn Chuck, and questions regarding Chuck’s conditioning, it’s reasonable to assume they might have taken Perkins over Chuck.
However, with Clyde, Reid and McCray, HOU was looking good on the wings as well as the bigs with 22 yr-old sure-thing Dream w/33 yr-old Top 5 All-Time shot blocker (at the time) Caldwell Jones.
This means it’s pretty plausible that, at this point, with depth/talent on the wings and at center, the Rockets would have said, “our weakest area now is at PG, we should go for the Stockton kid outta Gonzaga. He just avg. 21 PPG on 58% shooting, 7 APG and 4 SPG.”
Olajuwon-Drexler-Stockton, all 22 years old.
Had Houston accepted the Portland trade, out of all three Big 3 scenarios, this one is arguably the most plausible and the most perfectly complimentary Big 3.
Top 5 All-Time PG facilitating a Top 5 All-Time C and a Top 5 All-Time SG, each age 22, simultaneously peaking over the next decade.
@Margarine
Thanks!!
Txt I sent to my best friend from HS, both of us life-long die-hard Blazer fans:
“Hey… this vid is def worth watching - if you have limited time, then at least watch from 8:15-15:40… I would also highly recommend having three items with you for the viewing:
• Something to Punch
• Something to Dry your Eyes
• Something to Muffle your Sobs”
The greatest draft ever was 1955, when the Boston Celtics took Bill Russell. The result was 11 championships in 13 years. End of discussion.
Why not do a rewatchables for past draft coverages?
Great video all around! But Olajuwon didn’t have a jeri curl. It was more like lol, “berries & juices” - Coming to America…
I was 8 years old, just beginning to learn how to root for my Blazers.
Obviously Bowie was a disaster, and the Kiki trade was horrible, but I never thought about how they were connected. Ahh...what if?
I'd love to hear any other fan base talk to us about injury. Franchise altering players, potential dynasties lost, I dont think any team comes close.
Walton, Bowie, Kiki, Sabonis, Roy, Oden. ( also Petrie, Outlaw, Fernandez, Nurkic)
I was born in the 90's but can anyone explain to me what was the logic behind Sam Bowie's pick? I by the looks of it he didn't really popped out in college.
Another "what if": In the 1984 season finale, the Jazz lost to the Clippers, putting Houston in the Super Flip with Portland. If the Jazz won, the Clippers would have had the worst pick in the West, and Philly would have gotten the Clips' pick due to a 1978 trade for World B. Free. No matter who won the flip, MJ would have been the successor to Dr. J in Philly, and Akeem would have been going to Portland.
That MJ, Hakeem and Clyde ROCKETS team would've been Champs within the 1st 3 years and would've started one epic dynasty. MJ having the best center in the league in Hakeem (Offensive juggernaut and an even better defender) with him and a SUPERSTAR Clyde Drexler. They would've rivaled that Celtics dynasty from the 60's. I predict 10+ chips. MJ would've won 8 if he didn't get suspended in Chicago. With those two? Unfair.
1995 he played and lost to Magic.
Houston would not have picked Ewing first. Akeem (Hakeem) was their pick regardless of Ewing. The city of Houston would have been pissed if they passed on the University of Houston center Akeem Olajuwon. Come on man.
Do a video on if the Hardship rule didn't exist. Ewing, Hakeem, Barkley, Jordan and Mullin coming out in 85.
Great job Bill but you should have added that Portland didn't even learn its lesson after 1984, because they then again rolled the dice in 2007 by taking Greg Oden #1 over all instead of Kevin Durant!
Hakeem, MJ, and Clyde. With Jordan locking down Magic and Kareem having no idea how to guard Hakeem. Could the Rockets have won it all in 84-85? I would assume Jordan still gets injured in in 85-86, so the Celtics still win then. 86-87 would be the most epic Western Conference Finals in history.
Olajuwon, Jordan and Drexler... That team starts winning titles in 1990 (instead of Detroit, one year ahead of our current timeline for Michael) and stops in 2002. Olajuwon and Jordan would be 39, Drexler would be 40. That team would have just enough to hold off Tim Duncan / David Robinson and whatever the Lakers are putting out there.
Even before 1990, they would have been a worthy Western Conference rival for the Showtime Lakers. Now picture this team going up against a Celtics team with a living Len Bias. Epic.
Houston already beat the Lakers in 86. With Hakeem, Jordan and Drexler they would have been an even better team. Coaching would have been there only issue. From 87 on they win and challenge Boston's 60's teams for dominance.
@@kevinthomes1046 About the only worry I would have is team chemistry. Jordan always wanted to be the alpha dog, but Hakeem wasn't one to back down from anybody, and Clyde wouldn't have been happy if his touches were limited by the other two. Could be another Kobe-Shaq situation (although even that was pretty darn good until they decided they couldn't play together).
@@big8dog887 Good point. Winning usually cures problems. Another post on here a guy said having Stockton would make more sense. He would replace Jordan or Clyde. The trade might of happened with today's thinking.
I love my City Chicago ❤️.
11:50 LOL
With Olajuwon being at Houston university they would have surely seen a lot of him already and knew what he was guaranteed to bring to the rockets
How about this Butterfly Effect: How #23 for the Bulls led to their dynasty. I’m talking about Mike Bratz of course.
I'm doing that first what if of dream Drexler and mike in nba2k23 myeras
So glad the Blazers learned their lesson with Walton and Sam Bowie, and decided they would never draft another center, and/or player with unknown upside and extremely questionable health, and pass on a sure fire star in the making... Like they did in 2007 when they drafted Kevin Durant over Greg Oden......... Wait.... What?!