1994 Offseason: The Summer of Chaos
NBA Board of Governors approves changes to draft lottery system
The NBA board of Governors today approved a change to the draft lottery format, with the changes beginning for the 1985 draft. Under new rules, all teams who miss out on the playoffs will have a chance at the number one pick but with odds weighted in favor of those franchises with a worse record.
The teams with the four worse records will each have a 14% chance of winning the coveted number one pick in the following draft, with the odds then decreasing with each team outside the initial four teams. Under the current system, the worst seven teams have all had an equal chance of grabbing that number one pick, which has more often than not in recent seasons gone to a team with one of the better records of the seven instead of the teams suffering right at the bottom of the conferences. That left four teams who missed out on the playoffs without any chance of moving up the lottery order, often leading to a scenario where teams even with a chance of still making the playoffs would start to lose games at the end of the season in order to fall into the bottom seven and get the chance of the number one pick.
Minnesota Gain No 1 Pick
The Minnesota Polars have been awarded the number one pick for the 1994 draft in today's draft lottery. The Polars will pick first for the first time in their history as a franchise, beating out the Boston Celtics who will pick second. Indiana Pacers, with the draft hosted in Indianapolis, had a chance at the first pick having acquired the New Jersey Nets’ first round pick but in the end had to settle for the sixth pick after being drawn out second of the seven teams. It is still unclear who the Polars might select, with Glenn Robinson, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill all a contender for that first pick according to analysts. The Milwaukee Bucks have picked up the third pick, thanks to owning the Detroit Piston’s first round pick for this year and will be relishing the chance to add a quality rookie to an aging roster.
NBA Finals Suffer Sharp Decrease in Viewership
The numbers for this season’s NBA finals have been revealed, and it’s bad news for NBC. The 1994 final between eventual champions Tampa Bay Bandits and runners up Los Angeles Clippers posted a 10.8 rating average across the entirety of the series. It represents an incredible drop from 1993’s 19.3 rating as one of the greatest ever finals took place between Michael Jordan’s New York Knicks and Charles Barkley’s Houston Rockets. Last year's finalists were both eliminated in their respective Conference Finals this season, leaving small market team Tampa Bay and the outsiders Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers, despite being a Los Angeles based franchise, have a much smaller following than their neighbours Los Angeles Lakers contributing to a big drop off in viewership.
Barkley Officially a Hornet
Charles Barkley has gotten his wish today, as his move away from the Houston Rockets was confirmed in a trade announced with the Charlotte Hornets. Barkley and Houston have been involved in a public war of words since the Rockets’ elimination from this season’s playoffs at the conference final stage, losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Clippers. The feud originated as Barkley, injured in the semi finals against Dallas, announced himself fit to play in the crucial game seven. Coach Bill Fitch had other ideas however, declaring that Barkley was not fit and would play no part in the game. The Rockets lost a tense, overtime encounter and were eliminated, with Barkley blaming Fitch for the defeat and therefore leaving the relationship between the two untenable. The Rocket’s ownership have supported Fitch, meaning Barkley was always going to be on the move this summer. His list of options were diminished as teams one by one backed away from any deal. There were rumours of a shock move to Minnesota, who potentially would have given up practically the entire top of their roster in order to get Barkley, including newly drafted number one pick Jason Kidd the move never materialised. Instead, Barkley now heads eastwards, forming an intriguing roster line up alongside Center Dikembe Mutombo and Point Guard Muggsy Bogues. In return, the Rockets have gained Rex Chapman, Tom Gugliotta and draft picks.
Kidd Goes First to Minnesota
The Minnesota Polars used their number one pick in this year's NBA draft to acquire Point Guard Jason Kidd. The Polars will hope Kidd, lauded for his vision and playmaking abilities, can be the one to finally lift them away from the bottom regions of the Western Conference where they’ve languished since joining the league in 1989. The former Cal superstar averaged 16.1 points, 9.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game a season ago. Boston used their second pick to take Grant Hill, who should become an instant starter replacing the declining Clark Kellogg at Small Forward. Hill was a four-year starter at Duke and posted averages of 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game his senior season. The third pick went to the Milwaukee Bucks and David Robinson rounded out the top three to sure up the Bucks’ roster in an attempt to return to the playoffs this season. Robinson's scoring ability and versatility make him a highly anticipated addition to the Bucks.
The 1994 NBA Draft - First Round Picks
1 | Jason Kidd | Minnesota Polars |
2 | Grant Hill | Boston Celtics |
3 | Glenn Robinson | Milwaukee Bucks (Via Pistons) |
4 | Donyell Marshell | Utah Jazz |
5 | Juwan Howard | Toronto Huskies |
6 | Sharone Wright | Indiana Pacers (Via Nets) |
7 | Eddie Jones | Golden State Warriors |
8 | Brian Grant | Seattle SuperSonics |
9 | Eric Montross | Detroit Pistons (Via Bullets) |
10 | Khalid Reeves | Denver Nuggets |
11 | Yinka Dare | Milwaukee Bucks |
12 | Carlos Rogers | Atlanta Hawks |
13 | Lamond Murray | Los Angeles Lakers |
14 | Jalen Rose | Phoenix Suns |
15 | Eric Piatkowski | Philadelphia 76ers (Via Mavericks) |
16 | Wesley Person | Charlotte Hornets (Via Clippers) |
17 | Clifford Rozier | Atlanta Hakws (Via Bulls) |
18 | Aaron McKie | Golden State Warriors (Via Pacers) |
19 | Eric Mobley | Milwaukee Bucks (Via Heat) |
20 | Toby Dumas | Golden State Warriors (Via Trail Blazers) |
21 | Derrick Alston | Charlotte Hornets |
22 | B.J. Tyler | Cleveland Cavaliers |
23 | Bill Curley | Sacramento Kings |
24 | Dickey Simpkins | Houston Rockets |
25 | Brooks Thompson | Philadelphia 76ers |
26 | Monty Williams | New York Knicks |
27 | Michael Smith | Tampa Bay Bandits |
Cablevision to Acquire MSG and Related Properties
Madison Square Garden and its properties -- including the Knicks, the Rangers and the MSG network -- will be sold to Cablevision Systems, a cable television giant based on Long Island, and the ITT Corporation, executives of a rival bidder said yesterday.
Officials of the Garden's owner, Viacom Inc., did not announce a deal today, but executives of the competing bidder, the Liberty Media Corporation, said they were told they had lost the bidding contest. Viacom acquired the Garden and its related properties when it merged earlier this year with Paramount Communications Inc.
"They said Viacom told them it's a done deal -- it's over," said a New York business executive who also has sports interests and is close to Liberty Media officials.
Although several companies had previously expressed interest in the arena and sports franchises, the final negotiations had come down to ITT-Cablevision and Liberty, which is owned by Tele-Communications Inc., the nation's largest operator of cable television systems.
Cablevision, which would appear to be the operating partner in the deal, has no experience at running a team, although Charles F. Dolan, the head of Cablevision, tried unsuccessfully to buy the New York Islanders from John Pickett last year. Nor has it run a sports arena like Madison Square Garden.
The winning bid was said to be close to $1.3 billion. Liberty Media had offered $1 billion. Some financial analysts on Wall Street, who had estimated the value of the Garden properties at no more than $700 million to $800 million, said the bids seemed quite high.
Rick Replaces Issel in Denver
The Denver Nuggets have announced that former Portland Head Coach Rick Adelman will be their new head coach, replacing the outgoing Dan Issel. Issel was fired after the Nuggets failed to reach the playoffs despite trading for Glen Rice last summer. The Nuggets are now without a playoff appearance in three seasons despite putting together a roster that looks more than capable of competing in the postseason.
Adelman became available after leaving Portland by mutual consent at the end of a season that saw the young side lose in the West First Round to eventual West Conference champions and finals runner ups Los Angeles Clippers. The Trail Blazers made the playoffs in every one of his six seasons in charge, winning 278 and losing 214 of their regular season games but only winning one playoff series, when they beat the Chicago Bulls in the 1992 First Round. There is still no news on who might replace Adelman at Portland.
Hardaway Heading West as New Knicks Owners Make Their Mark
Point Guard Tim Hardaway is a New York Knicks’ star no more, following a shock trade announced today. Just weeks after the New York Knicks were acquired by Cablevision, the former Golden State Warriors man was sent packing in an apparent effort to strengthen the rotation options on the Knicks’ roster. Hardaway has moved to the Denver Nuggets, with Dee Brown, Jon Koncak and a 1997 First Round Draft Pick sent the other way to New York. According to reports, the new ownership think allowing Hardaway to leave will both improve the depth of the team and increase the already incredible numbers of superstar Michael Jordan. The ownership point to a period at the start of the last regular season where Hardaway was out injured and Jordan was regularly posting 40+ point games. Hardaway leaves the Knicks a two time champion, winning the championship in his first season on the team in 1991 and again in 1993.
Given it was Michael Jordan who pretty much forced the previous ownership group to make a play for Hardaway in the first place, it is unknown how appreciative the star will be that the new ownership has given him away.
Michael Jordan Announces Retirement
In a press conference that shocked the world this afternoon, Michael Jordan has announced his departure from the New York Knicks and his retirement from professional basketball. Flanked by his wife, Juanita, and coach Pat Riley with whom Jordan has developed perhaps the most successful and talented partnership in basketball over the past four years, the 31 year old superstar spoke about his reasons for his sudden retirement.
“I have achieved a lot in my short career. I just feel I don’t have anything else to prove,” Jordan said in walking away from the game after winning three scoring titles and leading the New York Knicks to two championships in the past three seasons.
The 31-year-old two time champion — one of basketball’s greatest players and perhaps the world’s most recognisable athlete — said “it was time to move forward, away from games,” but did not rule out a comeback.
“I’m not making this a ‘never’ issue. I’m saying I don’t have the drive right now,” Jordan said.
Jordan went on to say that he had been leaning towards retirement after the gruelling playoff campaign that led to the Knicks thrilling second championship in 1993, but had decided to stick it out one last year to see if the desire would return.
There was no comment on the new ownership, or the departure of close friend Tim Hardaway who was recently traded to the Denver Nuggets, but many feel that Hardaway’s departure could potentially be what has pushed Jordan into quitting the sport he has dominated individually since he arrived in New York ten years ago.
Jordan ended the press conference by saying that he planned to explore other sporting interests, in golf and baseball, potentially even looking at joining up with a MLB organization and then thanked all of his teammates, Riley, and his family for their support.
His departure follows the retirement earlier this decade of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, dealing the NBA an incalculable loss. The ratings for the most recent final between Los Angeles Clippers and champions Tampa Bay Bandits were the NBA’s lowest since 1981 showing the NBA will have work to do to attract an audience without its superstars. With his slithering drives through the lane, airborne slams and radar 3-point shots -- always with the trademark tongue sticking out of his mouth -- Jordan played the game like no other.
Asked about the effect on basketball of losing Bird, Johnson and Jordan in such a short span, Stern said, “We’re still planning to open the season on Nov. 5.”
Lakers Head Coach Johnson called Jordan’s retirement “a big, big loss.”
“He probably will come back in one year to show everyone he’s still the king,” Johnson said in Switzerland, where he was playing an exhibition game. “I think Michael probably just wants to be left alone now. He is tired of being under the microscope and just needs a little time off to be with his family.”
“No one was ever better than him,” added Bird, who is currently in charge of the Boston Celtics.
Riley the latest to depart Knicks
Legendary Head Coach Pat Riley has agreed a deal to become the new head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, departing the New York Knicks to do so. Riley, a five time NBA Champion, has won titles with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Knicks and will now hope to repeat those successes with the exciting roster that is being built in Portland. The Trail Blazers own three of the most exciting prospects in the league in Latrell Sprewell, Alonzo Mourning and Chris Webber and pairing them with one of the most respected coaches in the league seems like a decent recipe for success.
For the New York Knicks, it’s the latest blow to a new front office that has overseen perhaps the most devastatingly disastrous start to a new ownership era ever seen in professional sports. After making the decision to trade Tim Hardaway to Denver in order to cut salary costs, the Knicks have now lost both superstar Michael Jordan and Riley, leaving them a shadow of the team they looked like less than 3 months ago.
1994-95 NBA Season - Betting Odds
NBA Champion:
Tampa Bay Bandits +450
Houston Rockets +500
Charlotte Hornets +500
Sacramento Kings +600
Philadelphia 76ers +600
New York Knicks +1000
Dallas Mavericks +1000
Portland Trail Blazers +1000
Cleveland Cavaliers +1200
Miami Heat +1500
Denver Nuggets +1500
Los Angeles Clippers +1500
Indiana Pacers +2000
Los Angeles Lakers +2500
Atlanta Hawks +2500
Phoenix Suns +2500
Boston Celtics +3000
Chicago Bulls +3000
Milwaukee Bucks +3500
Washington Bullets +5000
Golden State Warriors +6000
Seattle SuperSonics +10000
Minnesota Polars +10000
Detroit Pistons +10000
New Jersey Nets +20000
Utah Jazz +25000
Toronto Huskies +50000
MVP:
David Robinson +300
Charles Barkley +350
Shaquille O'Neal +500
Hakeem Olajuwon +750
Mitch Richmond +1000
Tim Hardaway +1500
Patrick Ewing +1500
John Stockton +2000
Glen Rice +2000
Larry Johnson +2000
Rex Chapman +2500
Scottie Pippen +2500
Brad Daugherty +2500
Terry Cummings +3000
Dikembe Mutombo +5000