OT: Larry Bird/Magic
It seems I cannot get a concise answer to this question:
Bird and Johnson were the best players in college basketball in 1979 and played against each other in the NC.
The thought occurred to me as to HOW the two top players in college were able to be drafted by the top 2 franchises of all time, the Celtics and the Lakers. At the time both clubs were nearly at the top of their respective leagues. How were they able to pick the best players in a draft?
Ideas? Insights?
Only someone from Mgoblog will know.............
Bird was actually drafted by Boston the year before, and was allowed to come back to school under a bizarre old rule. At that time, Boston was mediocre. Bird was the #6 pick in 1978. He would have gone higher had he been immediately eligible. Red Auerbach had the patience to draft him and wait a year. The additions of Bird and McHale turned them into a championship-caliber team.
The Lakers were a playoff team before they got Magic, but they owned the rights to Utah's pick that year, which became #1 overall. The Jazz have got to be kicking themselves for that one.
So basically, it was shrewd front-office moves that landed them.
Yes in 1980 the Celtics somehow had the third overall pick and landed Kevin McHale. Golden State had the top pick in 1980 and picked Purdue big man Joe Barry Carroll, whose work ethic earned him the moniker Joe Barely Cares.
Was that the pick they got from the Pistons? I think one of these teams swindled Detroit around this time.
Wikipedia has an article on the 1980 draft. A footnote says that Boston got 2 first-round picks from the Pistons in exchange for Bob McAdoo.
They called him Mcadon't here. Mysterious injury upon mysterious injury kept him in street clothes consistently. He recovered very well when he joined the Lakers in 82 and became a key role player for Magic Johnson's second title.
April 27th, 2011 at 12:47 AM ^
Yeah Dickie V got screwed.
From Wiki
"Vitale coached the Detroit Pistons of the NBA for the 1978-79 season, leading them to a 30-52 (.366) record.[1] On Nov. 8, 1979, Pistons owner Bill Davidson came to Vitale's house and told him that the Pistons were making a coaching change. It was twelve games into 1979-80 season, after the Pistons struggled to a 4-8 start. The primary reason for Vitale's downfall with the Pistons was the maneuver that brought Bob McAdoo to Detroit. M.L. Carr’s decision to sign with Boston as a free agent in 1979 spawned a transaction in which the Pistons, entitled to compensation for Carr, demanded Bob McAdoo, who the Celtics were looking to unload due to injuries. The Celtics took two 1980 first-round draft picks (in addition to Carr) from the Pistons in exchange for McAdoo in a combination free agent signing/trade. One became the first overall pick in the 1980 draft. Boston would trade that pick (Joe Barry Carroll) plus the #13 pick to the Warriors in exchange for Robert Parish and the #3 pick (Kevin McHale"
Also orchestrated paying Milwaukee 50 grand to swap places with them in the draft. They took Sidney Moncrief--Dickie V took Greg Kelser.
Milwaukee got paid to take the guy they would have drafted anyway.
Oh, that Dickie V--he was shrewd.
Yeah I remember, I loved that Arkansas team with the Three Musketeers; Moncrief, Delph and Brewer, was not happy when Larry Bird knocked them out of the tourney in the Final Four.
He also traded Chris Ford for Earl Tatum. I don't think Tatum even made the team. Worst GM I'd ever seen in Detroit until Millen.
And young 'un's think Darko was the darkest draft pick(s) mistake in Piston's history.
April 27th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
I didn't realize it was THAT bad. That may be the most one-sided exchange ever. If all that is correct, Boston got a free agent they wanted (Carr), got rid of a guy they didn't want (McAdoo) and acquired two future top-3 draft picks along the way. Yes, I think that constituted a fireable offense for Vitale.
April 27th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
Not only did the Celtics draft McHale, but they got Robert Parrish in the trade with Golden State. Not a bad trade for Joe Barely Cares.
How the Celtics got their main starting 5 of the 80's is amazing. In addition to drafting Bird a year ahead of time and the trade with Golden St. They drafted Danny Ainge in the second round because he was playing baseball for the Blue Jays and had no intention of playing in the NBA. Then they got Dennis Johnson from the Suns for Rick Roby because Johnson had some drug and personal issues.
Red Auerbach should have been arrested for theft, with those moves.
The Lakers getting James Worthy a couple years later? Hmmmmm? I think they nabbed him with the 1st pick in the draft a couple years later. HOLY SHMOLY
They took the best players.
Is there more to it?
My dog ate my copy (no joke, I rescued a dog, he grew to 95 pounds, and likes books) so I dont remember exactly but I'll take a shot at it..
Bird was drafted in the 1978 draft #6 overall by the Celtics. The Celtics were 32-50 that year. Bird was a junior, and eleced to stay in school, but the Celtics retained his rights
Magic was #1 overall in 1979. I dont remember exactly, but I think it was a compensatory pick the Lakers got for losing Gail Goodrich in Free agency to the Jazz. They were supposed to get the Jazz' highest pick in the 1979 draft and somehow it ended up being #1.
so it must have been a compensatory pick
He must have weighed 100 lbs.
Not Magic, but all I could think of when I saw the thread title was this...
I think we should insititue a rule that the top 2-3 franchises in every sport should never be allowed to draft players in teh top 5 in any given year b/c whahhhhhhh it's not fair they they are good and my team is not.
The 2003 Pistons agree with you, they knew they were good, they knew it was unfair, and they knew drafting Milicic was the only way to prevent them from completely dominating the 2000's.
First thing I thought about regarding bad #1 picks, the Blazers taking Greg Oden. Just think, they could have Kevin Durant and Aldridge, along with Roy (who's damn good when he stays healthy).
but wouldn't the Grizzlies be even scarier this year if they hadn't drafted Hasheem "D-League" Thabeet at #2? Granted, at this point, the 2009 NBA Draft looks to have been a weak one, but still...
And of course, Portland also drafted Sam Bowie when Michael Jordan was available. They keep trying to find the next Bill Walton.
When Gail Goodrich signed with the Jazz the Lakers got 2 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder in the deal.
In 79 there was a coinflip to determine the #1 pick which was between the Lakers (Jazz pick) and the Bulls. The Bulls got to call the flip and called Heads and the coin came up Tails so the Lakers got the #1 pick which they drafted Magic with.
April 27th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
How did compensatory picks work? Did you have to arrange a trade giving up a draft pick anytime you signed a free agent? It seems like an interesting risk/reward scenario.