Lottery Justice

[Nevadaref]

Does anyone else think that there was some cosmic justice in this year's NBA lottery?

Neither of the two teams with the worst records (Memphis and Boston) were selected for the top three picks and thus will choose 4th and 5th, respectively.

That should quiet the "tanking" conspiracy!

[BktBallRef]

"With the second pick in the 1984 NBA draft, the Portland Trailblazers select Sam Bowie of the University of Kentucky."

If the Jailblazers draft Oden, they could repeat history.

[JRutledge]

Sam Bowie did not play most of his career at Kentucky because of injury. I even think Bowie missed an entire season and most of another season. Oden only broke a wrist and played with that injury and performed very well. Not quite the same person or history. I think Oden will make any team he plays on much better.

Peace

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Sam Bowie did not play most of his career at Kentucky because of injury. I even think Bowie missed an entire season and most of another season. Oden only broke a wrist and played with that injury and performed very well. Not quite the same person or history. I think Oden will make any team he plays on much better.

First, that's not true and second, that's not the history I'm referring to.

Sam Bowie missed one season at UK because of injury but he played 96 games in his other three seasons. So to say he "did not play most of his career" and missed "most of another season" is incorrect.

Portland drafted Bowie when they should have drafted Jordan.

If they draft Oden instead of Kevin Durant, they will have once again screwed the pooch, IMHO.

That's my point. Time will tell.

[DC_Ref12]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

If they draft Oden instead of Kevin Durant, they will have once again screwed the pooch, IMHO.

That's my point. Time will tell.

Hopefully, in 10 years, both Durant and Oden will have had miserable careers so that neither of you can make the absolutely bogus claim of knowing 10 years ago how good your respective picks would be.

The kids these days are too young and too inexperienced for it to be anything more than a crapshoot, plain and simple. That's why they call it the lottery.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by DC_Ref12

The kids these days are too young and too inexperienced for it to be anything more than a crapshoot, plain and simple. That's why they call it the lottery.

Actually, it's not.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Portland drafted Bowie when they should have drafted Jordan.

While that is a popular point of view, we can never really know. Injuries are unpredictable and who know what would have happened if the picks were different. Bowie may have had different conditioning and training that may have helped avoided his injuries. Jordan may have become injured and never been the same. You just can't tell in this type of situation.

Bowie was a well respected college player that was expected to be a NBA star. Sure Jordan, by far, ended up the better player. But was Bowie the wrong pick? Only if you can see the future and tell who'll never overcome an injury.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

First, that's not true and second, that's not the history I'm referring to.

Sam Bowie missed one season at UK because of injury but he played 96 games in his other three seasons. So to say he "did not play most of his career" and missed "most of another season" is incorrect.

Sam Bowie

I know this was a long time ago, but this source says he missed two seasons and I have read and heard that he missed a lot of other time to constant leg injuries. So I am not sure what I said that was not true? Oh well it does not make that much difference to me. I just remember that Bowie had many health problems at Kentucky and it had been said that the Trail Blazers should have known Bowie was a bigger risk. But the Trail Blazers did have Drexler and even without picking Bowie Jordan might not have been a perfect fit.

Peace

[DC_Ref12]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Sam Bowie

I know this was a long time ago, but this source says he missed two seasons and I have read and heard that he missed a lot of other time to constant leg injuries. So I am not sure what I said that was not true? Oh well it does not make that much difference to me. I just remember that Bowie had many health problems at Kentucky and it had been said that the Trail Blazers should have known Bowie was a bigger risk. But the Trail Blazers did have Drexler and even without picking Bowie Jordan might not have been a perfect fit.

Peace

FWIW, Wikipedia is not a very credible source.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Actually, I think Oden would be a good fit for Portland. I believe Durant is the better player, but he's not someone the Blazers need right now. LaMarcus Aldridge is the same type player and is already here and had a good rookie season...what Portland needs right now is a rebounder and defensive presence in the middle - that would be Oden, not Durant...

From a 1984 post, if the Internet existed back then:

"Actually, I think Bowie would be a good fit for Portland. I believe Jordan is the better player, but he's not someone the Blazers need right now. Clyde Drexler is the same type player and is already here and had a good rookie season...what Portland needs right now is a rebounder and defensive presence in the middle - that would be Bowie, not Jordan..."

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

While that is a popular point of view, we can never really know. Injuries are unpredictable and who know what would have happened if the picks were different. Bowie may have had different conditioning and training that may have helped avoided his injuries. Jordan may have become injured and never been the same. You just can't tell in this type of situation.

Bowie was a well respected college player that was expected to be a NBA star. Sure Jordan, by far, ended up the better player. But was Bowie the wrong pick? Only if you can see the future and tell who'll never overcome an injury.

Based on how history played out, we know that Jordan would have been the better pick.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I know this was a long time ago, but this source says he missed two seasons and I have read and heard that he missed a lot of other time to constant leg injuries. So I am not sure what I said that was not true? Oh well it does not make that much difference to me. I just remember that Bowie had many health problems at Kentucky and it had been said that the Trail Blazers should have known Bowie was a bigger risk. But the Trail Blazers did have Drexler and even without picking Bowie Jordan might not have been a perfect fit.

Bowie played 34 games, 28 games, and 34 games in the three seasons he played. That's 96 games with an average of almost 29 minutes per game. So to say that he missed much of his career is not true.

Face it or not guys, Portland ****ed up.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Sam Bowie

I know this was a long time ago, but this source says he missed two seasons and I have read and heard that he missed a lot of other time to constant leg injuries. So I am not sure what I said that was not true? Oh well it does not make that much difference to me. I just remember that Bowie had many health problems at Kentucky and it had been said that the Trail Blazers should have known Bowie was a bigger risk. But the Trail Blazers did have Drexler and even without picking Bowie Jordan might not have been a perfect fit.

Peace

One of those two missed seasons was a red-shirt season. So, he played games in three seasons and sat out two.

Even with his problems, he's at near the top of a lot of several UK statistical catagories...even only playing 3 years.

• Career scoring #27: ahead of Scott Padgett, Randolph Morriss Rex Chapman Jamaal Magloire, Antoine Walker, Derek Anderson.
• Rebounds #8: Ahead of Magloire, Tayshaun Prince, Pat Riley, Scott Padgett, Randolph Morris, Walter McCarty
• Blocked Shots #3: Ahead of Tayshaun Prince, Nazr Mohammed, Chuck Hayes, Randolph Morriss, Kenny Walker, Scott Padgett, Jamal Mashburn, Antoine Walker, Rex Champman

http://bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statist...Bowie_Sam.html
http://www.michaeljordansworld.com/college_stats.htm


He was 2nd Team All American in 81 as a sophomore and 84 as a senior (did not play in 82 and 83)

Hindsight is clear, he turned out to be a poor choice for the Blazers but looking at his numbers in college, he was a good pick. While he had some major injury trouble in college, perhaps the doctors all throught it was a 1 time problem.

If you were looking for a rebounding shot blocker, Bowie beat Jordan soundly...at the time... averaging almost 10 RPG and 2.3 Blocks per game versus Jordan's 5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. If you were looking for a scorer or someone who could steal the ball, Jordan was the man. Jordan's assists were only marginally better than Bowie's.

They were simply differnet players...with similarly impressive college performances in differnet facets of the game. One went on to be the best player ever the other went on to a career of injuries....never having the opportunity to display what he could or couldn't do. I doubt he would have ever been as good as Jordan became...but that doesn't say anything about the quality of Portland's pick. Their choice at the time made sense given they already had a top scorer in Drexler.

[Jimgolf]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

If they draft Oden instead of Kevin Durant, they will have once again screwed the pooch, IMHO.

This is more like choosing between Olajuwon and Jordan. Bowie wasn't all that good when he was healthy.

IMO, Oden is a once per generation talent. Durant is a wing. There are great wing players every year. You pays your nickel, you takes your choice.

[DC_Ref12]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

Jordan is a wing. There are great wing players every year. You pays your nickel, you takes your choice.

Funny. That's probably what Portland said that year as well.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

Jordan and the Bulls didn't start winning titles until the Celtics, 76ers, Lakers and Pistons finally began to wear thin.

I think that had more to do with Jordan's development than the decline of the other teams. Jordan and company beat some decent teams on their way to the top.

[Junker]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

"With the second pick in the 1984 NBA draft, the Portland Trailblazers select Sam Bowie of the University of Kentucky."

If the Jailblazers draft Oden, they could repeat history.

Poor Sam Bowie. You know, at the time it was a better pick for Portland. They didn't need Jordan with Drexler already there. Sam was a gamble, but especially at that time, teams needed size.