07-01-2021, 08:52 AM
(07-01-2021, 08:36 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: Flashback to 1986 where we had the first pick in the 1984 draft, Hakeem Olajuwon, going to his first NBA finals before anyone else in his draft class. He put on a show next to fellow future HOF Ralph Sampson and had a breakout year.
They did lose to one of the best teams of all time in the finals, but the general take was Hakeem is going to be a fierce force in the NBA for years to come and everyone should watch out.
I don't think for one second the Bulls really cared that others in that draft class succeeded earlier on than their own superstar who was just coming off one of the best individual scoring performances ever, but his team didn't have enough talent to get out of the first round (sound familiar?)
Point of the story is, it doesn't really matter who gets to the finals first (or even wins a ring first).
The what could have been Mavs draft. I know the big story was Bowie over Jordan but the Mavs ended up with Perkins (4th pick) instead of Barkley (5th pick) and Stansbury (15th pick) instead of Stockton (16th pick). Imagine the late 80s and early 90s Mavs with Stockton and Barkley. Blackman, Aguirre, Harper and Davis already on the roster. Even without them they made some deep playoff runs and barely missed out on the first finals appearance in 1988.