Sam Bowie Is Not A Bust...

[Dro]

Hindsight is overpowering when it comes to Jordan, and they really didn't need another SG. But it does sound like Bowie was a huger risk due to his extensive college injuries, and Portland should have looked into it more carefully.

Charles Barkley was picked 5th. Maybe Portland should have tried trading down a couple spots if there was a team that wanted to take Jordan before Chicago got the chance?

I just read that Barkley was next on the list after Bowie. Jordan's name apparently wasn't brought up.

Barkley should have been there pick. Bowie was just way too risky for the that high of a pick.

Good point. Barkley + Drexler + Kersey, Duckworth, Porter, may have won at least 1 ring.

[Owl]

Hindsight is overpowering when it comes to Jordan, and they really didn't need another SG. But it does sound like Bowie was a huger risk due to his extensive college injuries, and Portland should have looked into it more carefully.

Charles Barkley was picked 5th. Maybe Portland should have tried trading down a couple spots if there was a team that wanted to take Jordan before Chicago got the chance?

I just read that Barkley was next on the list after Bowie. Jordan's name apparently wasn't brought up.

Barkley should have been there pick. Bowie was just way too risky for the that high of a pick.

If they wanted Barkley they would likely have had to have picked him there. Certainly they couldn't have traded down far (at all) and be confident of getting him.

If Bowie doesn't go at number two, Bull's GM Thorn says in the documentary something to the effect that he didn't want Bowie, he was scared off by the injuries. So if Jordan is off the board, and it's not Bowie there was a clear top 6 (at the time) and "Dinner Bell" Mel Turpin was generally regarded as 6th. So the Bulls' 3rd pick would be likely have been Barkley or Perkins.

[ILLsmak]

Sam Bowie -- the great thing to happen to Chicago sports -- ever.

Also IMO it's the text book example of why you never draft simply based on need.

Jordan + Drexler + the solid depth Portland amassed otherwise would've been enough to start winning titles by the late 1980s.

I think the issue is that you don't draft on need that high. You draft the best player you can. If you want, you can trade one of them. I'd say, if the draft is a strong draft, or has strong players near the top and you have the second pick then you should take the best player that you can get.

-Smak

[Dro]

I think the issue is that you don't draft on need that high. You draft the best player you can. If you want, you can trade one of them. I'd say, if the draft is a strong draft, or has strong players near the top and you have the second pick then you should take the best player that you can get.

-Smak

So do you think the Cavs made the right pick?

[Collie]

The thing with Bowie is that he was already an incredible reach during that draft. I mean, if he was the consensus 2nd best player, I'd understand, but the guy missed 3 years (THREE) of his college playing days and was a 10-9 player coming into the 84 draft. Portland picked him because he was literally the 2nd best Center in a draft that only had Hakeem and maybe Sam Perkins as a good college center (Kevin Willis had a so-so college career)

[JellyBean]

I never really thought of Sam Bowie as being a bust. The dude just caught some bad breaks. A bust to me is someone who is hyped, is injury free, plays but does not play to their potential. Bowie and a several other so-called "bust", just had some injuries that limited their careers.

[Dro]

The thing with Bowie is that he was already an incredible reach during that draft. I mean, if he was the consensus 2nd best player, I'd understand, but the guy missed 3 years (THREE) of his college playing days and was a 10-9 player coming into the 84 draft. Portland picked him because he was literally the 2nd best Center in a draft that only had Hakeem and maybe Sam Perkins as a good college center (Kevin Willis had a so-so college career)

This is a good point.....I wonder how good Portland may have been with Perkins? A different type of team for sure.....

[AnaheimLakers24]

yes he is

[outbreak]

people have different definitions of what a bust is, for me someone's only a bust if they do a darko or thabeet. I wouldn't call someone a bust just because a better player is taken later in hindsight.

[hawksdogsbraves]

people have different definitions of what a bust is, for me someone's only a bust if they do a darko or thabeet. I wouldn't call someone a bust just because a better player is taken later in hindsight.

I don't think it's fair to label people busts based on what guys picked after them did. They have no control over that.

His production never lived up to what you want out of a number 2 overall pick, so in that sense he is a bust.

But I can see people not liking to hand the bust label to guys who had their careers derailed by injuries though. Like you can't really compare Greg Oden to Darko. One 'busted' due to his body failing him, the other 'busted' due to being a shitty basketball player.

[ZMonkey11]

bust. definition of bust.

[oarabbus]

bust. definition of bust.

He's not a bust. As other people said guys like Olowokandi, Kwame, Beasley, Darko, Johnny FLynn are busts. He actually played for a decade and was pretty solid despite basically being crippled through the entirety of it. Steve Stipanovich (2nd pick in 1983 draft) is another guy who just had a lot of injuries. Also Adam Morrison.

His pick was the right choice at the time. In the documentary one of the Blazers execs says even with hindsight he would have picked Bowie at the time. I mean this guy was just that good. Guys who beat Hakeem in a 1 on 1 match in college... no joke. He just got hurt. If he was able to stay healthy, he would have easily played at a second pick level, near the same level as Hakeem. Jordan would still be GOAT. Just imagine 2 Hakeems in the NBA though... sad story really.

[deja vu]

Jordan and Drexler would have been unstoppable. 4-6 titles would be realistic.

[Stringer Bell]

A lot of players, selected very highly in drafts, have had less productive careers than Sam Bowie.

It's just unfortunate for Bowie that the next guy picked was MJ. He'll always be remembered for that.

Portland already had a shooting guard, but I do question picking a player who had missed two seasons in college due to injury. That's a huge gamble.

[iamgine]

I think the issue is that you don't draft on need that high. You draft the best player you can. If you want, you can trade one of them. I'd say, if the draft is a strong draft, or has strong players near the top and you have the second pick then you should take the best player that you can get.

-Smak

Untrue. It all depends on how good the players in the draft were.

For example, if you rate Jordan a 7.9 and Bowie a 7.8, it makes a lot of sense to draft Bowie if you need a C and you already has a star SG.