Is MJ better or Hakeem better. And don't tell me that its unfair to compare them. So, you are the GM in the 1984 draft and you know the future, who do you draft MJ or Hakeem with the first round. Now the irony, Hakeem was surely the concensus number 1 draft pick back then. Chicago got lucky when they got MJ. If Chicago had the number one pick, they'd have pick Olajowon too. Chicago had a shot at Francis, but bypassed to take Brand. Who's future do you think is brighter now, brands' or Francis'. Of course it is francis'. But the sad part is that portland had offered the rockets their number one pick and Drexler for Sampson. So, keeping hakeem and trading Sampson, the rockets could have been awosme. Imagine Olajowon, Drexler, and MJ on the same team for a career. Can you say 15 straight championships.
Is MJ better or Hakeem better. And don't tell me that its unfair to compare them. So, you are the GM in the 1984 draft and you know the future, who do you draft MJ or Hakeem with the first round. Not difficult to answer at all... from a player standpoint and from a marketing standpoint, if I knew the future as you stated, duh... Michael. Yeah and everybody passed up on Stockton and Malone as well. The past is the past... what if's aren'ts... who cares? ------------------ Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...
When I was 14 and 15, I mowed lawns during those summers. In 1984, I was 16. If I would have invested the money I had made mowing lawns in the stock market--given that I knew the future--I could be richer than Bill Gates. With nothing more than a few years of lawn mowing money. Would-a Could-a Should-a
I hadn't heard that Portland made that offer that would have been so awsome if we had Phi Slama Jama Back togethter in '84 and had MJ I got to agree w/ vince about the 15 straight titles. I do agree w/ the Dr of Dunk and would have taken MJ. But right now if u ask me who I like better hands down I have to say Hakeem ------------------ ~John~ Rockets I Want Back In Clutch City: Mario "Junk Yard Dog" Elie and Sam my man Cassell. Fav. Quote: "We Want Scottie Back.....Scottie Brooks That Is" ~Off of A Banner at the game.
Who is to say that Jordan would have been as great as Jordan was if the draft went a different way. Would he still have won 6 titles if he played for Houston? Maybe, but maybe not. Maybe if Portland had taken him instead of Bowie, MJ would have been the bust and Bowie would have been hailed as the all-time greatest. Certainly, Jordan's success is largely based on innate ability, but there is also a degree to which his experience (both the extent and the nature) has formed him as a person and a player. It is too simplistic to say that, if we had Jordan, history would have marched on just as before with the Rockets as the 6 time champions instead of the Bulls.
Definetely Jordan, but my question is would MJ be the icon he is now if he didn't play in the Chicago market (or LA or NY)? They both would have been succesful, but it did wonders for the NBA having MJ in Chicago.
No, if we had picked Jordan, Rudy would have killed his game by making him dump the ball into the post. Oh, wait -- that's Caveman's line . . .
I'm a huge fan of Hakeem's, but MJ is the best to ever play the game. At his peak (against the Spurs in '95, for example) I believe Hakeem is the best center to ever play the game, but MJ dominated the league for the entire end of his career.
If we would have made the Sampson for Clyde and pick deal the careers of the three hall of famers would have been very different. I dont think that Hakeem would ever have become the offensive player he has (was) and Clyde would have been another Pippen-esque side kick. As it turned out the three developed their games out of neccessity. It is scary to think about the three together for ten or twelve years, it would have been like the great Celtics teams.
Although in hindsight it looks like that if that deal went through the Rockets would be heraled as the greatest basketball franchise ever, but there are other ways to look at it. 1. Which would be more interesting to watch.... double clutch, or quincintal-clutch? (15) 2. It would break my heart to think that the Kiss of Death would have never happened. 3. The Rockets would not be in the hall of fame for the worst team to win the championship (seeding wise)...... cause they would always be the first seed. 4. Rudy T would have never coached the Rockets because Fitch would have stayed. 5. Could you imagine not having Charles as a Rocket? That would eat me up. 6. The Rockets would end up just like the bulls...... prepetual bottom feeders, after MJ, Hakeem, and Drexler's days were over. 7. The Rockets would never have got Sam Cassell because they would be picking 29th and 58th every year. 8. I'm almost positive that all those guys couldn't stay together their whole careers anyway, David Stern would make a salary cap exemption that would penalize teams that are too good and the Rockets would end up getting screwed so bad that they will only be left with Hakeem. 9. If Rudy T does coach the "SUPER ROCKET TEAM" his in and out offense will be just as timeless as the triangle is right now. 10. if you think hearing Karl Malone whine about not getting a championship could you imagine all the years of hearing Malone, Stockton, Barkely, Ewing, Kareem, and of course the worst case Isaiah Thomas AND Magic Johnson? (The last two particularly would be hell) Thats about all I could come up with.... I like the way things turned out for the Rockets right now.... I wouldn't be as proud to be a Rocket fan if they were that dominating, which they undoubtedly would be if they had that big three. Man when you think about it deep the whole sports world would be turned upside down if ONE deal would have went through.... only one way to describe it: deep. --Rocketman Message to the East when it comes time to battle the Rockets: Your messin with the WEST and we don't *%$# with the stress!"
I believe it's been posted before. Hakeem had two of the best years of any player during the Rocket's two championships... better than any two years of Jordan's. However, Jordan had the better career. Does that mean that Hakeem was better than Jordan when both peaked? Maybe so. [This message has been edited by haven (edited January 20, 2000).]
