1999 Eastern Conference Champions or Baron Davis

dave2138

Rotation player
The 1998/1999 season Knicks finished in 8th place, 1 game ahead of the 9th place Charlotte Hornets. For me that was probably my favorite New York sports team playoff run ever in any sport. However, if you could go back which would have been better for the franchise. Had they lost 1 more game that season then the Hornets would have got the 8th seed and the knicks would have finished in 9th. The Knicks would have won the lottery the next year like the Hornets did and got the 3rd pick. I'm almost certain they would have picked Baron Davis with PG the only logical position they could have improved at that time. Or maybe they trade with Vancouver to move up 1 spot to take Steve Francis.

I wonder how our future would have changed. Baron Davis/Steve Francis = no eventual trade for Marbury. Also maybe if that team missed the playoffs they would have realized the team needed to think about rebuilding. Maybe they let Ewing's contract run out instead of trading him for Glen Rice. Maybe they don't resign Allan Houston if they did not know if he could be clutch in the playoffs.

I'm not sure how much debate can come out of this...but I just would like to know if anyone else would trade one of their greatest Knick postseason memories if it meant possibly a completely different decade to follow.
 

RunningJumper

Super Moderator
Well, the Knicks' ball might not have landed at number 1. One little thing as different as that could have changed things.

Also, that Playoff run really made the team get to their potential.

They should have never traded Ewing. Disrespectful and was still a leader and presence.
 

dave2138

Rotation player
Well the ping pong balls wouldn't have changed regardless. The 13th worst team in the NBA got the #3 pick that year. Knicks were 14th worst.

I can't see them giving Allan Houston a max contract 1 year later if the team didn't make that playoff run in 99. He became a star that year because he carried a team to the finals.

So for me..almost certain things that would have happened. Baron Davis + No Stephon Marbury + likely no Houston Max Contract, had the Knicks lost 1 more regular season game that season.

Again really not sure how much can debate this. Just think it makes an interesting conversation whenever people talk about "What Ifs"...this is something I don't think I've ever heard before.

Another interesting one I found is that the Pacers would have got Chris Webber had they lost the tiebreaker to Orlando for the 8th seed in 1993. Pacers-Magic were both tied for 8th place, and were 2-2 against each other during the season. Tie breaker went by most points head to head, which Indiana won by like 4 points. So Indiana got the 8th seed only to lose in the 1st round. Orlando missed the playoffs, but won the lottery and got the Chris Webber pick. Imagine the other way around if Indiana drafted Chris Webber how different their history would have been.
 
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