NBA what-ifs not discussed enough

[EnergizedLib]

We all know some of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history - what if Portland drafted Michael Jordan, what if the Hornets kept Kobe Bryant, etc. Those have been done to death. I think we should discuss some other ones.

I’ve got a few involving Michael that I think are worth discussing:

What if the Bulls won the coin flip for the 1979 Draft? This is the big one, this changed everything. The Lakers won the coin flip and the right to draft Magic Johnson. We get the Showtime Dynasty of the 1980s and the continuation of the Bird vs. Magic rivalry.

Neither of these things happen if Magic is a Bull. He doesn’t see instant success that he saw in L.A., though who knows about long term in Chicago? But it’s almost guaranteed Michael Jordan is never drafted by the Bulls, since I can’t imagine a scenario they’re in a position to draft Michael with a fully healthy Magic. The game doesn’t grow the way it does thanks to Magic, Bird and Jordan. Another Hall of Famer, Sidney Moncrief, got selected in the top five in 1979, and would’ve been pretty good consolation if the Lakers went that route, though he was obviously no Magic.

What if the Blazers won the coin flip over the Rockets in 1984? Akeem Olajuwon was the top prospect, and he’s probably chosen by Portland here. There’s almost certainly another championship banner, maybe multiple more, in addition to the one Portland has from 1977 to reunite Phi Slamma Jamma earlier than in the original timeline and that Portland team with Olajuwon would be unfair. The Rockets don’t reach the 1986 NBA Finals, no Twin Towers with Ralph Sampson and the Rockets might still be waiting on their first Finals appearance since 1981, plus no champion banners, if Hakeem went to Portland.

Ralph Sampson wasn’t healthy. Like Greg Oden two decades later, Sam Bowie wasn’t bad, he just got marred by injuries. In this scenario in which Olajuwon is a Blazer, Bowie is a Rocket, the Bulls still take Michael Jordan. The Celtics still win the championship in 1986, though Bird has two Finals victories against Magic instead of just one. Jordan might still reach the top and win, but has lesser rings than what he actually won.

What if the Bulls packaged the third pick for Jack Sikma? This one I’m glad didn’t happen, being a Bulls fan. Sikma is a Hall of Famer, and the Bulls needed a center, but his last All Star appearance came during Jordan’s rookie season. A potential pick of Michael Jordan in Seattle might mean the Sonics still exist and the Thunder do not. We almost certainly never get the duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton.

What if Michael stayed in school? He had one more season left to play, if he wanted to. In addition to the league being changed forever with him going to a different team, who do the Bulls take? Does Rod Thorn recognize Charles Barkley’s talents like he recognized Jordan’s? Or do the Bulls go with need and take Jordan’s fellow former teammate at North Carolina in Sam Perkins? Perkins went fourth in 1984 to Dallas, Barkley fifth to Philly.

Some non-Jordan what-ifs:

What if Dominique Wilkins suited up for the Jazz and they didn’t trade him? Dominique didn’t want to leave Georgia, and the Jazz traded him to the Hawks, a pretty one-sided deal. In this scenario, Dominique is a Jazz player. In the original timeline, the Hawks took Kevin Willis 11th overall in 1984, two years after they acquired Dominique, while the Jazz took John Stockton 16th. In this scenario, I will say Stockton still goes to Utah and is paired with Wilkins. But is Karl Malone still there for the taking in 1985 at No. 13?

If not, Wilkins-Stockton is a nice pair. If so, a trio of Malone-Stockton-Wilkins would’ve been scary. The Jazz are potential title contenders here, but Dominique‘s best years were behind him when the Jazz reached the Finals against the Bulls, so he wouldn’t have swung either series.

What if the 76ers won the 1977 NBA Championship? Philadelphia won the first two games, Portland won the next four. Gene Shue would’ve had his championship after previously falling shy in 1971 as coach of the Baltimore Bullets, was a 5X All Star, plus All-NBA First and Second Teams as a player in addition to two Finals appearances a day coach. Maybe he’d have been in the Hall of Fame by now. I sure hope 2025 is the year the late Gene Shue goes in.

What about all of you? What what-ifs in NBA history don’t get talked about enough?

[Tarzanrock]

1. Big Red beat the snot out of the 76ers back in 1977.

Anyone who watched that '77 Championship season well knows that a great 76er team was absolutely destroyed in 4 straight games by the Trailblazers. After game 3 it was crystal clear which team was going to win that Championship series.

[EnergizedLib]

3. He lit things up for sure

Jack Ramsay is still probably a Hall of Famer, deservingly so, even if the Blazers lose that series. Gene Shue’s family, sadly, still waits for his induction, and how I want that to change.

Walton was special for a brief time, especially in his championship season, plus his MVP season the next year.

[Tarzanrock]

4. Here's a basketball "what if:"

What if the NBA had not widened the lane when Wilt Chamberlain came into the league to try to hinder his offensive and defensive prowess? What if the NBA tracked and counted “blocked shots” when Wilt Chamberlain was playing? What if the NBA counted and credited offensive rebounds to the individual player when Wilt Chamberlain was playing instead of crediting them as “team” rebounds; and, how many more “rebounds” per game would Wilt Chamberlain have “averaged” if he had the benefit of this rule change? What if the NBA credited “assists” like they do today back when Wilt Chamberlain was playing? How many "assists" would Wilt Chamberlain have "averaged" if they counted "assists" like they do for Jokic today? What if Wilt Chamberlain was allowed 3 and ½ steps like the rule change for today’s players? In the 1960s, basketball players were whistled for traveling if they moved more than one step without dribbling the ball. In 1994, the travel rule is completely re-written. The first foot to touch the floor becomes the pivot foot instead of the rear foot. What if Wilt Chamberlain was allowed to utilize the “European step” like today’s players? What if Wilt Chamberlain could have run 4 steps with the basketball like LaBron James does? What if Wilt Chamberlain was permitted to “palm” the basketball like players do today? Also, in 1994, the Alley-Oop is allowed, that is the offensive player may also touch the ball during a pass in its downward flight above the level of the ring. What if Wilt Chamberlain was permitted to do that back when he was playing and how many more points would his scoring “average” be from this rule change? What if Wilt Chamberlain had the benefit of the 3-point shot like players do today and how many points would that add to his scoring average? What if Wilt Chamberlain played with the defensive 3 second rule and the no hand-checking rule of today’s NBA and how many points would he score under these modern rules when he would not be double-teamed and triple-teamed? What would Wilt Chamberlain’s free throw percentage be if he was permitted to dunk the basketball from the free throw line? What if Wilt Chamberlain was allowed 3 and 1/2 running steps -- could he dunk the basketball from the 3-point line? In the NBA, the 3-point line is 23 feet, 9 inches from the center of the hoop, except in the corners where it is 22 feet away. The free throw line is 15 feet away from the front of the backboard, which is the standard measurement for all levels of basketball play. Wilt Chamberlain could dunk the ball from that distance with a standing leap which is why they changed that rule. Remember, Wilt was a track star at Kansas and Chamberlain triple jumped in excess of 50 feet and successfully won the Big 8 Conference high jumping competition three years in a row.

[EnergizedLib]

5. You know your stuff, I'm impressed

I hear all the time people dismiss Wilt as playing a weak era. Yet, Wilt put up some ridiculous numbers, strong era or not.

It’s the same thing with the Bill Russell dynasty. Yes, there were far fewer teams. Eight in a row is still very impressive.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. While I'm A Huge Admirer Of Wilt...

...your post is full of unsupported myths.
Nothing in the Kansas or conference record books supports the 50' triple jump claim, nor the 6'6" high jump.
His HS achievements are even more exaggerated.
He claimed, and it was reported as fact, that he had a 48" standing vertical. Yet, there are exactly zero photographs from college or the pros that has his adam's apple at the rim, which would happen with a 7'2" guy.
His great athleticism, especially for a guy his size has lent itself to these exaggerated claims. And people buy into it because his was such a uniquely gifted athlete.
This link gives a comparison of the myth with the real number.
There are plenty more similar cites out there, but I'm only linking one.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/9akkos/debunking_most_every_wilt_chamberlain_track_field/?rdt=35061
Finally, I played in the late sixties through the early 70s. The traveling rule was not called, even then. As strictly as you suggest. Now, do I think the Eurostep is a travel? Yes. The current rule doesn't allow for 3 full steps. More like 2½. The Eurostep can only barely be done without 3 full steps. On this we agree. But, even today, a 2nd full step on a post move us called a travel. It's more the perimeter where the 2½ is allowed.

[EnergizedLib]

7. How far did you make it as a player?

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Irrelevant To The Point