Author Topic: Taking Okafor over Porzingiz  (Read 4338 times)

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Re: Taking Okafor over Porzingiz
« Reply #30 on: July 17, 2018, 10:22:53 AM »

Offline nickagneta

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Will it go down as one of the worst draft decisions in history? It sure seems so. I know Porzingiz has injury concerns but if he pans out he is poised to be one of the best international players to ever play. Okafor, on the other hand, can’t even seem to get a minimum contract..I’ll actually be surprised if he’s playing in the NBA next year.

1984 called, they want their title as "Worst draft decision ever" back. ;)

Mike
Yeah, nothing is going to be a worst draft decision than bypassing Michael Jordan for Sam Bowie. Heck I am not so sure its even as bad as taking Darko over Melo, Wade or Bosh.
that's hardly the worst draft decision ever.

Bowie, when healthy, was a really good player.  sure, question picking him due to his well known health issues with his legs, but he was a talented player.  also, there was no one who could have seen Jordan becoming a top all-time player.  all-star for sure but Portland already had Drexler. 

for me, the all-time blown draft decision would have to involve a high risk player that was a bust taken before a player that had a high ceiling and high floor.  Bowie/Jordan isn't that situation.

So, would that be Oden/Durant?

We all knew Durant WOULD be a great scorer in this league, but he elevated his game to perennial top-3 status. About the only knock on him was how frail he was.

Oden we knew COULD be a dominant defender and good offensive player but all the health concerns had to be in the medical report. His back, his legs, even his thumb. When you see a guy like Porter drop the way he did, it makes you wonder what Portland was thinking back then.
I didn't provide a 'winner' mainly because I hadn't come up with a really clear 'winner'.  I don't think the Oden/Durant pick by Portland fits for the same reason Bowie/Jordan doesn't fit.

I'm thinking more along the lines of Darko at #2 by Detroit, Anthony Bennett at #1 by Cleveland and Michael Olowanki at #1 by the Clips --> players that were taken where they were based purely on conjecture over their development over players that were considered more of a sure thing at the time of the draft (and not several years later when time exposed the bad from the good picks).  I'm sure there are some people here who can think back to the drafts in the 70's and 60's who can come up with better examples.

also, I'm sort of on the fence as to whether to include players taken "high" in the draft who busted out due to drug issues rather than talent issues--> William Bedford and Chris Washburn are prime examples.
One problem I see in your logic in not including Bowie over MJ, or even Oden over Durant is most in the decision making processes in the league at those times still valued centers as the most necessary and important  position on the floor. The game still revolved around the big man.

Hakeem and Bowie were chosen over Jordan not because those GMs thought Jordan was an inferior talent or didn't know he would be exceptional but because he played a position of much less importance. Same with Oden. Most thought both KD and Oden were equal in talent but Oden played the 5, gotta take him. Same for the Kandyman. Same for tons of bad big players chosen in the top of the draft for decades.