Hypothetically speaking, if Ming became eligible for the draft this year, rather than last year, and the Rox still had the #1 pick, would he have been picked over Lebron James? Sorry if this has been asked before.
My 2 cents. How many superstar guards are there in the league? Let's face it, they're a dime a dozen. Not too many 7'5" centers floating around though. If you pass on Lebron, you could probably find another player who could fit his shoes. Pass on Ming, might not see another player like that for a decade. I'd go with Ming.
The Rockets would trade Francis for an experienced big man and select Chris Duhon #1 overall. Sincerely, Duke Vitale
Yes. If Sampson didn't get hurt and our guards didn't decide to party together, we would have been a dynasty for all of the late 80's.
Certainly. Do you even know that Jordan would have had nearly the success that he did if he didn't play for the Bulls? You lament drafts where the guy you took really sucks, not the ones where someone else got a slightly better guy.
How many other shooting guards has dominated the game like Jordan? None. What about centers? Shaq, Olajawon, Russell, Chamberlin, Jabbar... It's much easier to dominate the game if you're a center than a shooting guard. Jordan is an exception, not the rule. Even in this year, when Kobe and McGrady are having monster seasons, people will still take Shaq over them if they had a choice.
I would think that 75% of the NBA teams would take James over Yao. Partly, because you don't have Red China jerking James around, like they do with Yao.
But Rox will pick Yao definitely. That's the tradition. NY, Mavs, Kings may also pick Yao, if they have the chance.
Jordan didn't know how to play team basket ball until Phil Jackson taught him so. If the team had a coach as good as Jackson, I would pick Jordan, otherwise, Dream.
Remember that Yao was a "risk" in the draft. James is a surefire #1 pick... In hindsight, it would probably be 50/50, by virtue of Yao being a C. But, if Yao hadn't played in the NBA this year, and had the same question marks heading into the 2003 draft, Yao would go #2 after James. I wonder if Milicic would be ahead of Yao?
I assume you mean...if we knew how they'd turn out? If so, I'd take Dream 1st. Then I'd trade Sampson to Portland for #2 (and probably Drexler). Then I'd take Jordan at #2. Hey,if we're allowing for hindsight,you gotta give us that option. As long as Portland didn't have hindsight!
Hindsight would have taken up the Blazers on their offer of Clyde and their No. 2 pick in the '84 draft for Ralph. You wouldn't be able to see the roof of Compaq from all the clutter from the banners that Jordan, Clyde and Dream would have brought had that trade gone down.
Under the circumstances given I wouldve taken LeBron James for some of the same reasons stated - not having to deal with the Chinese govt's BS. Having said that, right now I wouldn't trade Yao for anybody in the league except for maybe 3 or 4 players.
Doug Collins taught Jordan to play team ball. He put him at point for awhile, in fact. Then Jordan fired him so he could be a ballhog again.
