OT NBA Hypotheticals

[GhostOfPGA]

Besides the painful ones like MJ>Bowie, Durant>Oden, CP3>Webster... what are some scenarios you would love to see an alternate timeline for?

 

[BigGameDamian]

Letting go of Moses Malone.

 

[hoopsjock]

Shaq staying in Orlando (Would they have ever won a title?).

CP3 trade to the Lakers not getting vetoed (That team would've been gutted, would they have had enough to contend?).

Jordan not retiring either time (Could they have won 8 in a row? Or a 4th after their 2nd 3-peat?)

The absolute biggest for the Blazers outside of draft blunders and injuries is what if Sabonis came to the NBA in the late 80's instead of the mid 90's?

 

[GhostOfPGA]

Kind of a small one, but what if Carlos Boozer didn’t screw the Cavs over? LeBron would’ve had a legit all-star PF, who knows what else could’ve happened after that.

 

[illmatic99]

If the refs don't fuck us over in the fourth quarter of Game 7 in the 2000 WCF, we have at least one more title.

37-16 FTA discrepancy. Pippen and Sabonis fouled out.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Tim Duncan going to Orlando.
If they dont cheat Blazers and Sacremento out of going to the finals.

 

[Chris Craig]

Blazers taking Giannis over CJ

Wes not injuring his achilles

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I think CP3/Kobe/Dwight team would’ve been really good.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

What if Pistons draft Melo or Wade?

 

[Minstrel]

Jerry West's Grizzlies team had a legit chance at the #1 pick in the LeBron James draft but obviously they didn't win that lottery and lost the pick (to Detroit, obviously) since it was only top-one protected. West had actually assembled some decent talent going into that season, just missing a superstar. I've always wondered what have happened if that Grizzlies team with Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, James Posey, Mike Miller, Dahntay Jones (and Bonzi Wells!) had also added LeBron James. That's a far, far better team than James ended up on in Cleveland, or ever had in during his first stint in Cleveland.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

We don't win the #1 pick in the Oden year and we end up taking Joakim Noah.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

We do what Zach Randolph wanted: take Durant, keep him and play LaMarcus at center.

 

[illmatic99]

We don't win the #1 pick in the Oden year and we end up taking Joakim Noah.

We climbed up from the 6 spot that year. The #6 pick was Yi Jinlian. What's to say KP would have taken Noah?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You (i.e. everyone but hoopsjock) haven't mentioned the biggest Blazer counterfactuals:
Walton stays healthy
Arvydas Sabonis comes over when he's drafted and plays with the Drexler/Porter team

 

[Rastapopoulos]

We climbed up from the 6 spot that year. The #6 pick was Yi Jinlian. What's to say KP would have taken Noah?

Me. I'm defining the counterfactual.

 

[wizenheimer]

1a: Porter + Jordan + Drexler + Kersey/Robinson + Sabonis

1b: Healthy Walton and/or keep Moses Malone

2: Porter + Drexler + Barkley + Buck + Sabonis (Philly wanted Kersey + Robinson for Barkley, Blazers backed out)

3: Dame + Matthews (no Achilles tear) + Middleton + Giannis + Nurkic

 

[PtldPlatypus]

You haven't mentioned the biggest Blazer counterfactuals:
...
Arvydas Sabonis comes over when he's drafted and plays with the Drexler/Porter team

Or, maybe someone did, in the third post...

The absolute biggest for the Blazers outside of draft blunders and injuries is what if Sabonis came to the NBA in the late 80's instead of the mid 90's?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Here's another small one: what if we never traded Alvin Williams for Damon Stoudamire. Williams went on to be a beloved figure in Toronto - a big, unselfish, superior-defender point guard. Everything Mighty Mouse wasn't.

And of course: what if we kept Jermaine O'Neal instead of getting Kemp.

Ooh, ooh: what if we fired Dunleavy after the WCF loss to the Lakers. Yes, everyone would have screamed blue murder, but his micro-managing, play-the-matchups style didn't really use our players to their full advantage. Some coach with the vision to just let Pippen be the point guard instead.