A Case for Sam Bowie

Why doesn't anyone like me? I feel so worthless...

Contrary to public opinion, the Blazers actually made the right decision by drafting Bowie with the #2 pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Hakeem went with the #1 pick, so he wasn't available. MJ was still on the board when the Blazers were drafting, but, since they had drafted Drexler the year before (who plays the same position), they weren't able to take him.

The 1984 Blazers team had their franchise player at SG (Drexler), and two very good forwards (Mychal Thompson and Kiki Vandwedhe) who averaged 18.4 and 22.4, respectively. The next pick taken, after Bowie, was Sam Perkins. Before Bowie suffered multiple injuries he was playing at a higher level that Sam Smooth. And besides, Perkins had a pretty mediocre career overall. The #4 pick, after Perkins, was Charles Barkley. The strength of the Blazers team was at their forward positions, so taking Chuck wouldn't have made sense. The Blazers were looking for a center. With Bowie at 7'1, they had seemingly found the piece to complete their team.

After the first 4 picks, there were TONS of scrubs taken. If not for Jordan and Hakeem (which is a huge "if not"), this would have been remembered as a very weak draft.

Sam was on his way to becoming a very good player before he was sidelined with multiple injuries. In 89' he was averaging 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and was known as one of the best defensive players in the league. If not for injuries, he may have been a 20/10 player and one of the best defensive centers of his era (exluding Hakeem, of course).

Sam feels very lonely.... be nice to him, he wasn't that bad....