From Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News (via TrueHoop):
“The consensus in the Indiana Pacers’ draft war room in late June 2002 was to take Tayshaun Prince, the long-armed Kentucky star who was expected to be available when the Pacers were making the 14th pick.
The team’s scouts were in agreement that Prince, a 6-9 shot-blocking talent with an emerging long-distance game, would be the perfect addition to a team that needed to make defensive strides, coming off its 42-40 season and first-round ouster by the Nets in the playoffs.
Prince was the unanimous choice — until the team’s top basketball executive, Donnie Walsh, announced that he was allowing his head coach, Isiah Thomas, to take control of the draft. Weeks earlier, Thomas had settled on Oregon guard Fred Jones after watching him in the pre-draft camp in Chicago. When it came time to make the pick, Walsh stunned his subordinates when he said, ‘I’ll let the coach make the decision.’
Wrong move, as it turned out.”
In Walsh’s defense, eight more teams made the same mistake before the Pistons snatched Prince with the 23rd pick, but this has to make The Block sting that much more.
(Thanks to DBB reader Q-Dog for the tip and the headline)
Yes, but Fred Jones won the Slam Dunk contest. I guess Isiah was drafting for leaping ability.
Yo…yours truly is the “People’s Book It” player over on The Basketball Jones. http://www.thebasketballjones.net/
Of course, I went with the Pistons to cover against PHX tonight!
QD: there is no good reason to ever draft a player out of the University of Oregon…in ANY sport! Lions fans can attest to this!
Q Dog: Steve “Snapper” Jones does not agree with you. And Steve “Snapper” Jones knows all.
that ain’t going to be much of a streak, q-dog. unless your faith alone suddenly pulls the starters’ collective head from their collective arse.
LB: Steve “Snapper” Jones can stick to what he knows, which right now is Seattle hoops! I do miss him on national TV and Blazer broadcasts though.
JD: I think they will, I think they will, I think they will!
congrats, qdog, on your prognostication abilities.