If I Was a Denver Nuggets Fan, I'd Be Pissed: How Expansion Ruined the NBA

This draft would have shaped the NBA in such a dramatic way that an argument could be made that the Bulls would have won eight or nine titles during the past decade.

The Bulls could have drafted Glen Rice and Tim Hardaway instead of Stacey King and B.J. Armstrong.

It's legitimate to say they wouldn't have drafted Rice because of Jordan and Pippen, but Hardaway would have been there and he would have been a tremendous upgrade.

The Denver Nuggets would have drafted Nick Anderson instead of Todd Lichti. That was a team that averaged 120 points per game. They would have averaged 130 with Nick.

The 1990 draft would have changed the face of two teams in particular:

The Portland Trail Blazers would have drafted Jayson Williams instead of Alaa Abdelnaby. The Blazers were already a great team. But just imagine what they would have been at the time with one of the greatest rebounders of that era.

How ironic is this? The Utah Jazz probably would have drafted Toni Kukoc. Would the Bulls have won their final three titles if they didn't have Kukoc? Would the Jazz have won a title with him?

It's quite likely.

The Dallas Mavericks would have drafted Dikembe Mutombo instead of Doug Smith. Yes, Dikembe was huge in their defeat of the Sonics in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, but you will see how irrelevant that notion will be.

The Nuggets would also have a shot at Steve Smith over Mark Macon. Yes, Steve Smith was better than Mark Macon.

This is where Dikembe becomes a non-factor. The Nuggets would have drafted Alonzo Mourning instead of LaPhonso Ellis. So we would have seen Alonzo on the floor of Key Arena instead of Dikembe in 1994.

The New York Knicks would have drafted Doug Christie instead of Hubert Davis. Does that make the Knicks a better team in the playoffs on the defensive end against Jordan? Of course.

The only major shift we would see during this draft would have been Eddie Jones going to the Sonics instead of Carlos Rogers. Having Eddie in the back court with Gary Payton may have propelled them to a title.

The 1993 draft would not have seen much of an impact.

What would Portland be like if they drafted Kevin Garnett instead of Shawn Respert? That's what would have happened if the expansion teams wouldn't have been around in 1995.

The Sonics would have been able to go after Michael Finley insteAd of Sherrell Ford, further bolstering their ability to gain a title during that time.

This is the possibility that I relish the most. Imagine Kobe Bryant with the Knicks. We all know he refused to play in Charlotte, but would he have invoked the same refusal if the Knicks were players in obtaining him?

Do the Lakers go after Shaq? Do the Bulls win those titles? I hate expansion teams.

Oh, and the Nuggets would have drafted Jermaine O'Neal instead of Efthimi Rentzias.

So the Nuggets would have had a lineup of Jermaine O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Smith, Nick Anderson, and Mark Jackson running the point.

Yeah, I think they would have been contenders.

This is the point at which the Sacramento Kings dynasty begins. The Lakers are already without Kobe, as he is with the Knicks.

The Kings would have drafted Tracy McGrady instead of Tariq Abdul-Wahad. This draft, coupled with who they will draft in 1998, will make them virtual locks in many finals.

The Kings would have drafted Vince Carter instead of Jason Williams.

The Nuggets were screwed once again, as they would have drafted Mike Bibby instead of Raef LaFrentz.

The expansion of seven extra teams into the NBA—leading to an extra 84 players being in the NBA that shouldn't be—has watered down the product to such a level that players like Luke Walton receive valuable minutes during big playoff moments.

Where would Luke Walton be on a 1987 Lakers team? He'd be keeping a seat warm for Kurt Rambis. The same goes for many players on every team in the NBA.