The '84 Draft: A Forever Different NBA
- Thread starter sashlon
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yeah, but they paid a hefty price. No 1988 or 89 first rounder. That means no Sean Elliott and Willie Anderson.
Haven't worked it all through yet, but building a contender around Robinson just got a lot tougher.
The 1987 NBA Draft
Now in possession of the coveted number one pick the San Antonio Spurs wasted no time in selecting David Robinson. The Clippers needed to find an impact player with their selection. They chose UNLV star forward Armen Gilliam. Washington chose Georgetown star Reggie Williams.
1. San Antonio David Robinson (Navy) C
2. LA Clippers Armen Gilliam (UNLV) F
3. Washington Reggie Williams (Georgetown) G-F
With the fourth pick the Philadelphia 76ers chose explosive California guard Kevin Johnson to complement their young big men. The Golden State Warriors were also looking for backcourt talent. Sleepy Floyd and Purvis Short had both fallen out of favour in the Bay Area. The Warriors chose North Carolina guard Kenny Smith. The rest of the top ten were:
4. Philadelphia Kevin Johnson (California) G
5. Golden State Kenny Smith (North Carolina) G
6. Phoenix Olden Polynice (Virginia) C
7. Cleveland Derrick McKey (Alabama) F
8. Sacramento Reggie Miller (UCLA) G
9. Seattle Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas) G-F
10. 10 Denver Horace Grant (Clemson) F
Other notable selections that day were; Mark Jackson (Guard, 13 New York), Ken Norman (Forward, 15 Utah), Muggsy Bogues (Guard, 17 Seattle) and Reggie Lewis (G-F, 19 Chicago).
Next: The 1987 Off Season
Now in possession of the coveted number one pick the San Antonio Spurs wasted no time in selecting David Robinson. The Clippers needed to find an impact player with their selection. They chose UNLV star forward Armen Gilliam. Washington chose Georgetown star Reggie Williams.
1. San Antonio David Robinson (Navy) C
2. LA Clippers Armen Gilliam (UNLV) F
3. Washington Reggie Williams (Georgetown) G-F
With the fourth pick the Philadelphia 76ers chose explosive California guard Kevin Johnson to complement their young big men. The Golden State Warriors were also looking for backcourt talent. Sleepy Floyd and Purvis Short had both fallen out of favour in the Bay Area. The Warriors chose North Carolina guard Kenny Smith. The rest of the top ten were:
4. Philadelphia Kevin Johnson (California) G
5. Golden State Kenny Smith (North Carolina) G
6. Phoenix Olden Polynice (Virginia) C
7. Cleveland Derrick McKey (Alabama) F
8. Sacramento Reggie Miller (UCLA) G
9. Seattle Scottie Pippen (Central Arkansas) G-F
10. 10 Denver Horace Grant (Clemson) F
Other notable selections that day were; Mark Jackson (Guard, 13 New York), Ken Norman (Forward, 15 Utah), Muggsy Bogues (Guard, 17 Seattle) and Reggie Lewis (G-F, 19 Chicago).
Next: The 1987 Off Season
Y'know, if Tarpley can stay out of trouble, he and KJ could be the foundation for a pretty good team.
Too bad they screwed the pooch by drafting Turpin.
Kenny dishing to Ewing and (hopefully) Rock in Oakland? Like it.
If they can suck enough to land in Lottery Land in '89, hopefully they can land Glen Rice.
After that, they just need to find a power forward, a steady sixth man and solidify the bench.
Seattle going to keep Pippin ITTL? They took him in OTL...then sent him to the Bulls. (Do you think Jordan and Phil Jackson send the guys who gave them Pip a nice Christmas present every year? They really should...)
Too bad they screwed the pooch by drafting Turpin.
Kenny dishing to Ewing and (hopefully) Rock in Oakland? Like it.
If they can suck enough to land in Lottery Land in '89, hopefully they can land Glen Rice.
After that, they just need to find a power forward, a steady sixth man and solidify the bench.
Seattle going to keep Pippin ITTL? They took him in OTL...then sent him to the Bulls. (Do you think Jordan and Phil Jackson send the guys who gave them Pip a nice Christmas present every year? They really should...)
Horace Grant going to Denver and being paired with Alex English could be a very lethal combo.
The 1987 Off Season
Portland
The Trailblazers basked in the glory of winning an NBA championship. However, the Blazer’s front office were busy. Portland had won the title riding the backs of their young superstars Olajuwon and Drexler. However, many people around the league were putting an asterisk next to the win. Many argued that Portland had won by default, due to Michael Jordan’s injury. After all, the Rockets had been the favourites.
The Blazers couldn’t afford to sit still. Power forward Mychal Thompson was declining and Kiki Vanderwighe had been lost in the shuffle of the team’s youth movement. In September, Portland trade Vanderwighe and their 1988 and 1992 first round picks to the Denver Nuggets for forward Dan ny Schayes and veteran big man Wayne Cooper.
With Thompson moving to a reserve role, it was believed that he would be more productive with fewer minutes. The move also made more minutes available to young forward Jerome Kersey and veteran reserve Jim Paxson. The Blazers now felt they were set to make a run at becoming the first NBA team to win back to back titles in twenty years.
Los Angeles Lakers
Many questions and doubts swirled around the Lakers after a second playoff disappointment. Many people felt that both Portland and Houston had leapfrogged LA and that it was now time for a rebuild. Lakers GM Jerry West had other ideas. He still believed in his core group of players and Coach Pat Riley. Magic Johnson was a top five player in the league, and James Worthy had blossomed into a star. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was aging of course, but he was still a great player.
West had no intention of rebuilding. He was going to remodel instead. In September, he traded young swingman Bill Thompson, reserve big man Mike Smrek and a future First round pick (1992) to San Antonio for big man Frank Brickowski and reserve Ed Nearly. Brickowski was an excellent offensive player and would provide a much need weapon on LA’s bench.
On the same day, he traded the Lakers’ 1991 First rounder and reserve Kurt Rambis to Cleveland for young centre Mark West. A week later he traded 3 future Second round picks to Golden State for out of favour guard Purvis Short. Now he and Pat Riley believed that the Lakers were tooled to reclaim their place at the top of the Western Conference.
Houston
Michael Jordan worked like a mad man to rehab his foot. He came back faster and stronger than before. The Rockets were angry. Jordan was angry. They looked forward to the 1987-88 season with one thing on their minds: revenge.
Golden State
With Patrick Ewing fully recovered from his foot injury, the Warriors set about building a competitive roster around him. The addition of young guards Dell Curry and Kenny Smith allowed the Warrior’s front office to do what they considered some house cleaning by shipping out disgruntled star guard Sleepy Floyd. Floyd was traded to Philadelphia for championship veteran guard Mo Cheeks. It was believed that Cheeks would be an excellent mentor for young Kenny Smith.
Two weeks before the season began, the Warriors made a second move, trading veteran big man Joe Barry Carroll and their 1993 First round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for disgruntled young power forward Michael Cage, an excellent rebounder and intimidator.
Philadelphia
The Cheeks/Floyd trade gave the Sixers a much needed scorer in Sleepy Floyd. They also traded oft injured guard Andrew Toney and a 1992 first round pick to Cleveland for talented young forward Roy Hinson. The Sixers rebuild had happened at an astonishing speed. In two years they had gone from one of the oldest teams in the league to one of the youngest.
Utah
Making the Western Conference Finals had been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz. Now Utah looked to capitalise on that success by making a bold move. The Jazz traded star forward Thurl Bailey, reserve Kelly Tripuka and a future first rounder (1990) to New Jersey for All Star power forward Buck Williams. Adding Williams gave the Jazz a stellar starting group (Eaton / Williams / Corbin / Harper / Stockton). Utah now looked to build on their momentum.
Detroit
The Detroit Pistons improved their 50 win team by acquiring veterans Darryl Dawkins (Centre) and Gerald Henderson (Guard). The Pistons believed that they were ready to make a run at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta
The Atlanta Hawks had come within a few minutes of making the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they made a move that might put them over the top. The Hawks traded talented youngsters Detlef Schrempf (F) and Antoine Carr (F-C) to the Seattle Supersonics for All Star forward Tom Chambers.
Chambers had fallen out with coach Sonics coach Bernie Bickerstaff. He also didn’t fit with the new style the Sonics wanted to implement. Chambers and Dominique Wilkins gave the Hawks a devastating offensive one-two punch.
The Seattle Supersonics were now one of the deepest, most versatile teams in the NBA.
Next: The 1987-88 Season
Portland
The Trailblazers basked in the glory of winning an NBA championship. However, the Blazer’s front office were busy. Portland had won the title riding the backs of their young superstars Olajuwon and Drexler. However, many people around the league were putting an asterisk next to the win. Many argued that Portland had won by default, due to Michael Jordan’s injury. After all, the Rockets had been the favourites.
The Blazers couldn’t afford to sit still. Power forward Mychal Thompson was declining and Kiki Vanderwighe had been lost in the shuffle of the team’s youth movement. In September, Portland trade Vanderwighe and their 1988 and 1992 first round picks to the Denver Nuggets for forward Dan ny Schayes and veteran big man Wayne Cooper.
With Thompson moving to a reserve role, it was believed that he would be more productive with fewer minutes. The move also made more minutes available to young forward Jerome Kersey and veteran reserve Jim Paxson. The Blazers now felt they were set to make a run at becoming the first NBA team to win back to back titles in twenty years.
Los Angeles Lakers
Many questions and doubts swirled around the Lakers after a second playoff disappointment. Many people felt that both Portland and Houston had leapfrogged LA and that it was now time for a rebuild. Lakers GM Jerry West had other ideas. He still believed in his core group of players and Coach Pat Riley. Magic Johnson was a top five player in the league, and James Worthy had blossomed into a star. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was aging of course, but he was still a great player.
West had no intention of rebuilding. He was going to remodel instead. In September, he traded young swingman Bill Thompson, reserve big man Mike Smrek and a future First round pick (1992) to San Antonio for big man Frank Brickowski and reserve Ed Nearly. Brickowski was an excellent offensive player and would provide a much need weapon on LA’s bench.
On the same day, he traded the Lakers’ 1991 First rounder and reserve Kurt Rambis to Cleveland for young centre Mark West. A week later he traded 3 future Second round picks to Golden State for out of favour guard Purvis Short. Now he and Pat Riley believed that the Lakers were tooled to reclaim their place at the top of the Western Conference.
Houston
Michael Jordan worked like a mad man to rehab his foot. He came back faster and stronger than before. The Rockets were angry. Jordan was angry. They looked forward to the 1987-88 season with one thing on their minds: revenge.
Golden State
With Patrick Ewing fully recovered from his foot injury, the Warriors set about building a competitive roster around him. The addition of young guards Dell Curry and Kenny Smith allowed the Warrior’s front office to do what they considered some house cleaning by shipping out disgruntled star guard Sleepy Floyd. Floyd was traded to Philadelphia for championship veteran guard Mo Cheeks. It was believed that Cheeks would be an excellent mentor for young Kenny Smith.
Two weeks before the season began, the Warriors made a second move, trading veteran big man Joe Barry Carroll and their 1993 First round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for disgruntled young power forward Michael Cage, an excellent rebounder and intimidator.
Philadelphia
The Cheeks/Floyd trade gave the Sixers a much needed scorer in Sleepy Floyd. They also traded oft injured guard Andrew Toney and a 1992 first round pick to Cleveland for talented young forward Roy Hinson. The Sixers rebuild had happened at an astonishing speed. In two years they had gone from one of the oldest teams in the league to one of the youngest.
Utah
Making the Western Conference Finals had been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz. Now Utah looked to capitalise on that success by making a bold move. The Jazz traded star forward Thurl Bailey, reserve Kelly Tripuka and a future first rounder (1990) to New Jersey for All Star power forward Buck Williams. Adding Williams gave the Jazz a stellar starting group (Eaton / Williams / Corbin / Harper / Stockton). Utah now looked to build on their momentum.
Detroit
The Detroit Pistons improved their 50 win team by acquiring veterans Darryl Dawkins (Centre) and Gerald Henderson (Guard). The Pistons believed that they were ready to make a run at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta
The Atlanta Hawks had come within a few minutes of making the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they made a move that might put them over the top. The Hawks traded talented youngsters Detlef Schrempf (F) and Antoine Carr (F-C) to the Seattle Supersonics for All Star forward Tom Chambers.
Chambers had fallen out with coach Sonics coach Bernie Bickerstaff. He also didn’t fit with the new style the Sonics wanted to implement. Chambers and Dominique Wilkins gave the Hawks a devastating offensive one-two punch.
The Seattle Supersonics were now one of the deepest, most versatile teams in the NBA.
Next: The 1987-88 Season
The 1987-88 NBA Season
Portland’s season:
The defending NBA champs didn’t skip a beat, jumping out to a 12-0 start to the season. Olajuwon (24.5ppg, 14.1rpg, 3.5bpg) and Drexler were both All Stars. However, in March the Blazers hit a snag. Drexler suffered a hamstring injury, and would miss a big chunk of the season’s second half. Olajuwon would win his second Defensive Player of the Year award as he terrorised opponents under the hoop. Youngsters Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey continued to improve and were important contributors. The Blazers finished with a 58-24 record but the Lakers pipped them on the last day of the season for the Pacific division crown.
Houston’s season:
The Rocket’s season began ominously with reserve guard Mitchell Wiggins suspended by the NBA for drug use. Ralph Sampson injured his knee in the season’s second game, and would miss 40 games. It didn’t matter. Michael Jordan raised his game to new heights in ’87-88. He put together one of the best individual seasons in recent memory (32.5ppg, 6.1rpg, 7.5apg, 2.6spg) and would collect his second consecutive MVP award. Aiding Jordan was young Karl Malone (20.3ppg, 11.5rpg), who would be an All Star in just his third season. When Sampson (16.9ppg, 9.7rpg, 3.1bpg) returned in the second half of the season, the Rockets steamrolled to a 35-5 finish. The Rockets supporting role players continued to perform admirably. Houston once again finished with the league’s best record (63-19).
Chicago's season:
Charles Barkley (26.9ppg, 13.0rpg) continued to raise the level of his play in his fourth season. Sir Charles dominated opponents and finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. With Moses Malone anchoring the pivot and Joe Dumars’ steady improvement the Bulls stormed to the best record in the Eastern Conference (57-25). Rookie swingman Reggie Lewis showed promise, steadily improving throughout the season to become the Bull’s sixth man. Both Barkley and Malone were All Stars.
Golden State’s season:
Young Patrick Ewing was able to put the struggles of his sophomore season behind him. Ewing (21.2ppg, 10.5rpg, 2.4bpg) was a monster in his third season. New addition Michael Cage teamed with Ewing to give the Warriors a fearsome inside tandem. Young guards Dell Curry and Kenny Smith showed promising signs, and veteran Mo Cheeks provided strong leadership for the young group. New coach Don Nelson couldn’t have been happier. Ewing made the All Star team. Golden State returned to the playoffs, posting a 44-38 record.
Philadelphia’s season:
The Sixers were rebuilding. Young center Roy Tarpley played very well in his second season (15.5ppg, 10.9rpg) and won the league’s Most Improved Player award. Brad Sellers struggled in his second season, as expectations became a burden for the young big man. Sellers would lose his place in the starting five midway through the season, and he never got it back. Rookie guard Kevin Johnson had a frustrating rookie season, missing 25 games through injury, but he showed a lot of potential. Veteran guard Sleepy Floyd led the Sixers in scoring (21.7ppg). The Sixers finished 29-53.
The league:
In the Eastern Conference the Chicago Bulls, the Boston Celtics (56-26) and the Atlanta Hawks (56-26) battled it out until the season’s last day for the top record. The Celtics once again struggled with injuries, with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale both missing a big chunk of games, however young players Greg Andersen and Johnny Dawkins stepped into bigger roles, and the Celtics continued to be the elite of the Atlantic division.
The Atlanta Hawks rode the combo of Dominique Wilkins and Tom Chambers all season. The two star forwards both made the All Star game. The Detroit Pistons used their improved depth to good effect. Isaiah Thomas put together a career year and the Pistons finished 54-28. In New York, the young Knicks finished second in the Atlantic division (44-38). Their young core of Brad Daugherty, Chris Mullin and rookie guard Mark Jackson combined beautifully to give the Knicks one of the most deadly offensive attacks in the NBA.
In Cleveland, Len Bias had a terrific second season (20.5ppg, 7.7rpg), the Cavs were a playoff team again. The New Jersey Nets (21-61) and the Indiana Pacers (27-55) were the worst teams in the East.
In the Western Conference, Houston, the Lakers (59-23) and the Portland Trailblazers continued to set the standard. In LA, Magic Johnson and James Worthy took their play to new heights, and Frank Brickowski was the league’s best sixth man.
In Utah, the addition of Buck Williams made the Jazz a sleeper contender. John Stockton, Williams and Ron Harper led the Jazz to a 48-34 mark. The Dallas Mavericks won 45 games. The Los Angeles Clippers got an unexpected boost from a rejuvenated Bernard King (24.0ppg) who made the All Star game and led them to a 30-52 record, a twenty game improvement.
The Seattle Supersonics, led by star forward Xavier McDaniel, and exciting rookies Scottie Pippen and Muggsy Bogues, returned to the playoffs with a 41-41 record. Denver 24-58 , Phoenix 22-60 and Sacramento 22-60 were all looking to the lottery to improve their fortunes.
In the Playoffs, the Boston Celtics were eliminated in the second round by Atlanta in six games. Dominique Wilkins dominated Larry Bird. Chicago went to the Eastern Conference finals without dropping a game, their sweep of the Pistons was a big statement. In the Conference Finals, Barkley and Wilkins struggled for control of the series, both playing brilliantly. The series went to seven games, with the Bulls winning the decider at home 113-108.
In the West, Golden State stunned the Blazers in the first round, knocking the defending champions out in four games. Clyde Drexler struggled, clearly not over his injury. Olajuwon played poorly, Ewing getting the better of him in the big moments.
The Rockets had their revenge against Utah in the second round. Jordan played magnificently (twice dropping 50 points) as Houston swept the Jazz. The Lakers beat the upstart Warriors in five games, with James Worthy running rampant.
In the Western Conference Finals, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson locked arms in a titanic struggle. Ralph Sampson again had the better of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Worthy was superb. Malone also. The Rockets won games one and three to stake themselves to a 2-1 lead. James Worthy scored 44 points in game four and Magic Johnson had 23 assists as LA routed the Rockets 127-108. The Rockets rebounded behind a 46 point Jordan masterpiece to win the pivotal fifth game 114-105. The Lakers held on at home for a 116-112 win to stave off elimination.
In the seventh game, Michael Jordan (45 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals) and Magic Johnson (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists) were both magnificent. James Worthy hit a jump shot with 44 seconds to go to give LA a 104-100 advantage. However, Jordan would score on a brilliant driving move to halve the lead. Next, Jordan stole the ball from Byron Scott and hit Jay Humphries for a game tying layup.
LA still had eighteen second left to win the game. Magic fed Abdul-Jabbar in the post, but Kareem missed his sky hook. Malone rebounded and the Rockets called time out. 1.5 seconds remained.
Jordan got the ball on the right block, and rose over Scott and Worthy for his shot. It found the bottom of the net. Houston were going back to the Finals. Jordan’s game winner would go down in sporting history as ‘The Shot’. He would go on the hit many more winners, but none would be remembered the same way.
Waiting for Jordan and the Rockets were Charles Barkley and the Bulls. Air Jordan against Sir Charles. The NBA’s two most captivating young star would do battle for the league’s top prize.
Next: the 1988 NBA Finals
Portland’s season:
The defending NBA champs didn’t skip a beat, jumping out to a 12-0 start to the season. Olajuwon (24.5ppg, 14.1rpg, 3.5bpg) and Drexler were both All Stars. However, in March the Blazers hit a snag. Drexler suffered a hamstring injury, and would miss a big chunk of the season’s second half. Olajuwon would win his second Defensive Player of the Year award as he terrorised opponents under the hoop. Youngsters Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey continued to improve and were important contributors. The Blazers finished with a 58-24 record but the Lakers pipped them on the last day of the season for the Pacific division crown.
Houston’s season:
The Rocket’s season began ominously with reserve guard Mitchell Wiggins suspended by the NBA for drug use. Ralph Sampson injured his knee in the season’s second game, and would miss 40 games. It didn’t matter. Michael Jordan raised his game to new heights in ’87-88. He put together one of the best individual seasons in recent memory (32.5ppg, 6.1rpg, 7.5apg, 2.6spg) and would collect his second consecutive MVP award. Aiding Jordan was young Karl Malone (20.3ppg, 11.5rpg), who would be an All Star in just his third season. When Sampson (16.9ppg, 9.7rpg, 3.1bpg) returned in the second half of the season, the Rockets steamrolled to a 35-5 finish. The Rockets supporting role players continued to perform admirably. Houston once again finished with the league’s best record (63-19).
Chicago's season:
Charles Barkley (26.9ppg, 13.0rpg) continued to raise the level of his play in his fourth season. Sir Charles dominated opponents and finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. With Moses Malone anchoring the pivot and Joe Dumars’ steady improvement the Bulls stormed to the best record in the Eastern Conference (57-25). Rookie swingman Reggie Lewis showed promise, steadily improving throughout the season to become the Bull’s sixth man. Both Barkley and Malone were All Stars.
Golden State’s season:
Young Patrick Ewing was able to put the struggles of his sophomore season behind him. Ewing (21.2ppg, 10.5rpg, 2.4bpg) was a monster in his third season. New addition Michael Cage teamed with Ewing to give the Warriors a fearsome inside tandem. Young guards Dell Curry and Kenny Smith showed promising signs, and veteran Mo Cheeks provided strong leadership for the young group. New coach Don Nelson couldn’t have been happier. Ewing made the All Star team. Golden State returned to the playoffs, posting a 44-38 record.
Philadelphia’s season:
The Sixers were rebuilding. Young center Roy Tarpley played very well in his second season (15.5ppg, 10.9rpg) and won the league’s Most Improved Player award. Brad Sellers struggled in his second season, as expectations became a burden for the young big man. Sellers would lose his place in the starting five midway through the season, and he never got it back. Rookie guard Kevin Johnson had a frustrating rookie season, missing 25 games through injury, but he showed a lot of potential. Veteran guard Sleepy Floyd led the Sixers in scoring (21.7ppg). The Sixers finished 29-53.
The league:
In the Eastern Conference the Chicago Bulls, the Boston Celtics (56-26) and the Atlanta Hawks (56-26) battled it out until the season’s last day for the top record. The Celtics once again struggled with injuries, with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale both missing a big chunk of games, however young players Greg Andersen and Johnny Dawkins stepped into bigger roles, and the Celtics continued to be the elite of the Atlantic division.
The Atlanta Hawks rode the combo of Dominique Wilkins and Tom Chambers all season. The two star forwards both made the All Star game. The Detroit Pistons used their improved depth to good effect. Isaiah Thomas put together a career year and the Pistons finished 54-28. In New York, the young Knicks finished second in the Atlantic division (44-38). Their young core of Brad Daugherty, Chris Mullin and rookie guard Mark Jackson combined beautifully to give the Knicks one of the most deadly offensive attacks in the NBA.
In Cleveland, Len Bias had a terrific second season (20.5ppg, 7.7rpg), the Cavs were a playoff team again. The New Jersey Nets (21-61) and the Indiana Pacers (27-55) were the worst teams in the East.
In the Western Conference, Houston, the Lakers (59-23) and the Portland Trailblazers continued to set the standard. In LA, Magic Johnson and James Worthy took their play to new heights, and Frank Brickowski was the league’s best sixth man.
In Utah, the addition of Buck Williams made the Jazz a sleeper contender. John Stockton, Williams and Ron Harper led the Jazz to a 48-34 mark. The Dallas Mavericks won 45 games. The Los Angeles Clippers got an unexpected boost from a rejuvenated Bernard King (24.0ppg) who made the All Star game and led them to a 30-52 record, a twenty game improvement.
The Seattle Supersonics, led by star forward Xavier McDaniel, and exciting rookies Scottie Pippen and Muggsy Bogues, returned to the playoffs with a 41-41 record. Denver 24-58 , Phoenix 22-60 and Sacramento 22-60 were all looking to the lottery to improve their fortunes.
In the Playoffs, the Boston Celtics were eliminated in the second round by Atlanta in six games. Dominique Wilkins dominated Larry Bird. Chicago went to the Eastern Conference finals without dropping a game, their sweep of the Pistons was a big statement. In the Conference Finals, Barkley and Wilkins struggled for control of the series, both playing brilliantly. The series went to seven games, with the Bulls winning the decider at home 113-108.
In the West, Golden State stunned the Blazers in the first round, knocking the defending champions out in four games. Clyde Drexler struggled, clearly not over his injury. Olajuwon played poorly, Ewing getting the better of him in the big moments.
The Rockets had their revenge against Utah in the second round. Jordan played magnificently (twice dropping 50 points) as Houston swept the Jazz. The Lakers beat the upstart Warriors in five games, with James Worthy running rampant.
In the Western Conference Finals, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson locked arms in a titanic struggle. Ralph Sampson again had the better of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Worthy was superb. Malone also. The Rockets won games one and three to stake themselves to a 2-1 lead. James Worthy scored 44 points in game four and Magic Johnson had 23 assists as LA routed the Rockets 127-108. The Rockets rebounded behind a 46 point Jordan masterpiece to win the pivotal fifth game 114-105. The Lakers held on at home for a 116-112 win to stave off elimination.
In the seventh game, Michael Jordan (45 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals) and Magic Johnson (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists) were both magnificent. James Worthy hit a jump shot with 44 seconds to go to give LA a 104-100 advantage. However, Jordan would score on a brilliant driving move to halve the lead. Next, Jordan stole the ball from Byron Scott and hit Jay Humphries for a game tying layup.
LA still had eighteen second left to win the game. Magic fed Abdul-Jabbar in the post, but Kareem missed his sky hook. Malone rebounded and the Rockets called time out. 1.5 seconds remained.
Jordan got the ball on the right block, and rose over Scott and Worthy for his shot. It found the bottom of the net. Houston were going back to the Finals. Jordan’s game winner would go down in sporting history as ‘The Shot’. He would go on the hit many more winners, but none would be remembered the same way.
Waiting for Jordan and the Rockets were Charles Barkley and the Bulls. Air Jordan against Sir Charles. The NBA’s two most captivating young star would do battle for the league’s top prize.
Next: the 1988 NBA Finals
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This is actually Chicago's season.
Either way, I'm glad to see the Sixers end up with KJ (an excellent start to us not being afterthoughts, at least), and Jordan's Rockets vs. Barkley's Bulls should be one for the ages. Keep up the awesome work!
Fun; nice to see a historic shot happen against a generally great team and not against the Cavs.
any chance things get worse with Donald Stern earlier and he's thrown out of the league? I'm not sure how outspoken Bernard King is, but somewhere, you'd think someone could get peoples' attention concerning how WStern was treating tenants in his housing complexes.
Then again, if Elgin Baylor couldn't avoid Stern's smearing, and he was one of the great names in previous NBA history, it might be hard for anyone.
any chance things get worse with Donald Stern earlier and he's thrown out of the league? I'm not sure how outspoken Bernard King is, but somewhere, you'd think someone could get peoples' attention concerning how WStern was treating tenants in his housing complexes.
Then again, if Elgin Baylor couldn't avoid Stern's smearing, and he was one of the great names in previous NBA history, it might be hard for anyone.
I'm predicting a Bulls win. Barkley/Dumars/Moses is the perfect team to defeat this Rocket team imo.
Also, a healthy Danny Manning would be a coup for whoever wins the lottery. Some decent players in 1988.
Also, a healthy Danny Manning would be a coup for whoever wins the lottery. Some decent players in 1988.
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