Memories Of 1984 Could Haunt Portland

By Brian Fitzsimmons: SPM NJ Columnists
Posted Thursday, June 28, 2007

NEW YORK— About 23 years ago to the day, GM Stu Inman sat with a wicked smile that hid insurmountable joy as NBA commissioner announced his Portland Trail Blazers selected center Sam Bowie with the second pick in the 1984 draft.

Bowie was the obvious choice over the gangly project named Michael Jordan, since he was reportedly more NBA-ready and was a center in league still trying to find the next Bill Walton to terrorize the paint.

Bowie averaged 28 points, and 18 rebounds his senior year at Lebanon high school. Those gaudy statistics earned him a golden ticket to compete in the McDonald’s All-American game and participate in the United States Olympic men’s basketball team. He was steal of the draft at number two since the Houston Rockets selected Akeem Olajuwon first overall. It didn’t matter. Bowie possessed skills of a top overall pick and slipped to the second slot.

It was a winning situation for the Trail Blazers, and passing on such an imposing specimen was unfathomable in that day and age.

Tonight will mark the beginning of a similar era, as the 2007 NBA draft kicks off. It is expected that Portland will select Ohio State center Greg Oden ahead of Kevin Durant, a lanky and athletic forward with skills scouts call, “a mix of Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady.”

Current Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard hopes not to make the same mistake his front office ancestor did.

Eventually, two broken legs, three teams, and ten years of cumulating averages of 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.78 blocks was all Bowie could put on his NBA resume. Those numbers aren’t bad, but in comparison to Jordan—the lanky and raw guard who the Blazers passed on—they don’t come close for obvious reasons.

Oden has achieved all those same credentials Bowie did prior to draft night, despite tallying about six points and eight rebounds less his senior year of high school. As a freshman at Ohio State, he averaged 15.7 points and 9.7 boards per game. Some suggest those totals would’ve been better if not for the wrist surgery he underwent just over a year ago.

But still, his potential outshines any shade that could deter his quest to becoming the next Tim Duncan. Starting to sound familiar, you say?

San Antonio struck gold with a big man and are now ready to chase a fifth title in the decade. Just because Oden and Duncan are imposing 7-footers, it doesn’t mean they are the same. That’s the sad-but-true fact that every GM is blind to, as their vision is replaced with a mirage glimpse of having Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan on their future squad.

Just ask the Detroit Pistons, who were stuck with Darko Milicic instead of Carmelo Anthony, courtesy of that “rule.”

Thursday morning, it was reported that Portland, will in fact, select Oden. Not that this is a bad move, but it once again promotes and feeds the unwritten rule of the ever-changing NBA that every team needs a dominant center. I know many will argue that the Los Angeles Lakers won because of Shaq, and the Spurs win because of Duncan, but remember this: Bill Wennington and Luc Longley were the big men for Jordan’s championship teams.

There is no doubt that Oden will have a fine career as an NBA All-Star center. However, don’t misconstrue that with greatness. Durant’s ceiling is invisible simply because we’ve never seen a player like this.

Tonight, Brandon Roy will meet his new playmate and best friend for the next decade. Pritchard just better make sure it is the right player and not the mirage coated by the venom of the NBA’s unwritten rule.

PREDICTED DRAFT ORDER (FIRST ROUND)

1. PORTLAND- GREG ODEN
2. SEATTLE- KEVIN DURANT
3. ATLANTA- AL HORFORD
4. MEMPHIS- MIKE CONLEY
5. BOSTON- JEFF GREEN
6. MILWAUKEE- BRANDON WRIGHT
7. MINNESOTA- JOAKIM NOAH
8. CHARLOTTE- COREY BREWER
9. CHICAGO- SPENCER HAWES
10. SACRAMENTO- YI JIANLIAN
11. ATLANTA-ACIE LAW
12. PHILADELPHIA- JULIAN WRIGHT
13. NEW ORLEANS- NICK YOUNG
14. LA CLIPPERS-JAVARIS CRITTENTON
15. DETROIT- RODNEY STUCKEY
16. WASHINGTON- AL THORNTON
17. NEW JERSEY- SEAN WILLIAMS
18. GOLDEN STATE- THADDEUS YOUNG
19. LA LAKERS-RUDY FERNANDEZ
20. MIAMI- GABE PRUIT
21. PHILADELPHIA- JASON SMITH
22. CHARLOTTE- GLEN DAVIS
23. NEW YORK- WILSON CHANDLER
24. PHOENIX- TAIGO SPLITTER
25. UTAH-MORRIS ALMOND
26. HOUSTON- NICK FAZEKAS
27. DETROIT-MARGO BELINELLI
28. SAN ANTONIO-JARED DUDLEY
29. PHOENIX- PETTERI KOPONEN
30. PHILADELPHIA-JOSH MCROBERTS