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January 11, 2011The 5-Hole: Blue Jackets News and Notes – 1/11/11
January 11, 2011
Its dark days as a Cavaliers fan. The team has lost Anderson Varejao for the year and have been in a two month free-fall. Losers of 19 of 20, the Wine and Gold have gone extra-young, giving big minutes to like likes of Manny Harris and Christian Eyenga. Samardo Samuels, an undrafted rookie from Louisville, has seen himself go from after-thought to rotation member as well. All of this points to mucho ping pong balls in next year’s NBA Draft Lottery.
This harkins me back to 1986, undoubtedly the greatest draft day in Cavs history. On draft day, the Cavaliers scored a coup, trading with the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to the Number One pick. They sent over starting PF Roy Hinson, a nice player, but no All-Star. With the pick, they had the opportunity to draft College Basketball’s most electrifying player, Len Bias, but instead, went the safe route, taking Brad Daugherty, a Center from North Carolina.
Little did they know how right of a decision that would be.
Their own slot was the eighth pick. They got their big man, now they were looking for their scoring guard. The Cavaliers got their man when they snagged Ron Harper from Miami (OH). Watch the video of the actual selection, and you can here the New York crowd snicker at the selection. If they only knew…
Love the profile of him by Bob Neal who called him “arguably the best player in this draft in terms of being an athlete….. Some even say he could be the second coming of Michael Jordan.”
Back in 1986, there were only 24 picks in the first round. The first pick in the second round, #25, was owned by the Dallas Mavericks. The Cavs pulled of a second trade, receiving the pick that would end up being one of the greatest moves in franchise history. With the 25th pick, the Cavaliers selected a little Point Guard from Georgia Tech with heart, guts, and a amazing shooting touch.
That man was Mark Price.
So in the first 25 picks, the Cavaliers, a doormat team for almost a decade, drafted three future All-Stars who would start from day one. On top of that, they were bringing 1985 draft pick John “Hot Rod” Williams into the fold, who was cleared of all wrong doing in a point shaving scandal at Tulane. Throw in SG Johnny Newman, their own second round pick (#29), and the Cavs had five guys who were in the rotation right away.
Meanwhile, all five played in the NBA at least eight years (Newman, believe it or not, had the longest career – 16 years). Daugherty’s career was only cut short due to his chronic back issues, but made five all-star teams. Harper never reached his full “poor man’s Jordan” potential thanks to a knee injury while playing for the Clippers, though he won five NBA titles with the Bulls and the Lakers as a key defensive stopper.
Price made four All-Star teams, and was first team All-NBA in 1993. He is still known as one of the greatest shooters of all-time from both the free throw (90% for his career) and three-point line (40%). Price was arguably the heart and soul of the Lenny Wilkens era teams of my youth. Hot Rod played 13 years, nine with the Cavaliers, and was one of the best sixth men in the game during his prime. He was the perfect backup Power Forward/Center to spell Daugherty and Larry Nance. He had a nice mid-range jump shot, was a very solid defender and shot blocker, and could rebound with the best of ’em.
I know the game has changed, but the Cavaliers of 2011 must build the way the 1986 team was structured – through the draft. They will be one of the favorites to win the lottery and must hit with whomever they take.
Lets hope they have that 1986 luck on their side.
25 Comments
Ahh the good ole days.
Awesome TD, this just made my day at work a little better!
How is it that in the 80s, you could trade a decent player for a #1 pick? Imagine if someone did that today.
Love your reflection pieces TD. Am a bit younger than you, but old enough to fondly recall the (late) ’80s as you do. Family and memories are woven into that decade and – at least for guys like us – anchored around Cleveland sports, for better or worse.
Great stuff, TD.
Oh, and that Len Bias story is ridiculously sad. To the point where I’m surprised it didn’t happen to a Cleveland team in some shape or form.
No doubt Scott. It’d be fitting to draft an unbelievable talent then have him die later that night.
Does the name Don Rogers ring a bell?
“Does the name Don Rogers ring a bell?”
Of course, but I guess I was separating them due to the fact that he played. Two years may as well be none, so I get what you’re saying.
1986 was a rough year, eh?
Don Rogers does NOT ring a bell.
Does Ernie Davis ring a bell?
TD – Not to nitpick, but Ron Harper went to “Miami University.” The “University of Miami” is in Coral Gables, Florida, and the “University of Miami-Ohio” doesn’t exist. Just for future reference if you must include “Ohio” with the college it should be written as Miami (OH) University. As an alum it drives me nuts when people mix the two schools. Miami(OH) was a University when Florida still belonged to Spain.
/off soapbox.
Don Rogers..?. you mean Roger Dorn?
and the school in Oxford is ‘Miami University’
I would take the early 90s cavs teams over the lebron era anyday.
IS THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PICTURE!?!?!?1/1/!?!?1
@11: I will show my anger, too. We must not tolerate the confusion with that junk in FL. As a Miami(OH) alum and an FIU alum, I hate that other “school” twice.
@11 – FIXED!
What does it mean that the greatest Cavs draft of all time came from what is widely acknowledged as the worst NBA draft class in league history?
You mean J CREW U.?
/Ohio Bobcated
Best part was the interview when he garbled all his words – I defy anyone to write exactly what he said – classic Ron – missed those days.
I can’t believe you didn’t include Warren Martin, Ben Davis, Gilbert Wilburn and Ralph Dalton in the Cavs ’86 draft class!
The draft was seven rounds back then, can you imagine if they still had that many rounds? I don’t think teams could find enough players.
And not to nitpick, but the Mavericks actually drafted Price and then traded him to Cleveland.
Ahh, the good old days of Cavaliers basketball. One of my earliest sports memories is going down to Richfield to watch the Cavs play and getting Hot Rod’s autograph. And asking him the stupid little kid question that I’m sure he got asked all the time “Why do they call you Hot Rod?”
@NYcav – Ron Harper suffered with a terrible stutter and speech impediment when he was young. He worked very hard to try and overcome it in college. I remember reading that it made him very shy as a kid and reticent to speak to the media when he became a star at Miami University.
I met him once at Beechwood Mall when I was in high school. He couldn’t have been cooler.
This was probably the last time a Cleveland team actually used the draft to build a team. Ok maybe that’s a slight exageration but you get my drift. Thank goodness Len Bias wasn’t drafted can you imagine if he had? Anyways I forgot what a stud Harper was in college, how athletic a player.
I’m a Miami Alum and Harper still visits all the time. I met him once at the Sam’s Club in Oakwood Village one summer when I was home and pushing carts for a summer job. I’m glad I had my Miami University hoodie in my car, he was really cool about it.
Dammit i was to young to even watch the CAVS game during the late 80’s and 90’s hopefully the 2011 draft will give some good luck 🙂
I still think if Cleveland drafts Len Bias, he’d be alive today. He’d have been happy to in NBA but as exuberant as he was to go to Boston and play with Bird and the Celtics