Michael Jordan: The New Dr. J?

October 25, 1984

Michael Jordan: The New Dr. J?

For Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, the advance praise has been enormous.

"You don't see a player like him come into the league very often," said Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West. "He'll have a big impact, because he's going to win some close games. He's going to build the confidence of the other players, because he's going to be so spectacular."



"Chicago has improved itself tremendously just by adding Jordan," said Kansas City GM Joe Axelson. "He's already a superstar.

"We were playing Chicago in an exhibition game in St. Louis. The crowd was about 5,500, and they were kind of sitting on their hands until Jordan came into the game. When he got on the floor, it was like somebody turned the lights on. The whole time Jordan was in there, there was a hum in the building."

Indiana personnel executive Ray Compton bestowed a succinct superlative on Jordan.

Said Compton: "He's the new Dr. J."

Clearly, Jordan is the most dynamic rookie to enter the NBA since Boston's Larry Bird and L.A.'s Magic Johnson debuted together five years ago.

Bird, the forward of boundless ability, and Johnson, the unique 6-9 guard, did more than become immediate stars. They also helped bring about the current Boston-Philadelphia-L.A. axis of power.

Jordan does not figure to immediately alter that elite. But he could do something almost as difficult. He could enliven the Bulls.

"At the end of last season," said Chicago general manager Rod Thorn, "we were in Deadsville."

But Deadsville was picking only third in the 1984 draft. Future analysts, examining the Jordan Era, may be shocked that two teams passed over the wizard from North Carolina.

The answer, like so many others in pro basketball, lies in size. The Houston Rockets, with the first pick this summer, took Akeem Olajuwon, the center at the University of Houston.

There have been few serious doubters - yet - of Houston's partially parochial strategy. If Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson show that two all-America 7 footers can't work in the same lineup, then at least the Rockets can use one of them for tremendous trade leverage.

Portland ("The team that never gets booed at home," says Golden State coach John Bach) is the club most liable to criticism over Jordan. The Trail Blazers, drafting second, wanted a center and chose Kentucky's Sam Bowie. Playing center is one of the few things Jordan does not do; he is a 6-5 guard who will also serve at forward.

"I have a lot of respect for the Portland organization, and I understand their thinking," Thorn said. "They feel Jim Paxson will be a terrific guard for quite a few years, and they felt they needed a center.

"But I'm happy they didn't choose Jordan."

Dallas GM Norm Sonju said, "Portland is rolling the dice with Bowie."

The 23 teams begin playing tomorrow night, with the first of the 171 days and 943 games of the regular season. After all that, it will be time to see how the Boston Celtics defend their championship in the 16-team playoffs.

"There's a lot of teams out there that scare you," Boston coach K. C. Jones said. "If we aren't prepared, we're going to be in trouble - and that's just for the regular season."

Here is a division-by-division look at what Jones means:

Atlantic. Basketball's strongest division is stronger. Several NBA general managers have said that Washington is the most improved team in the league.

The Bullets finished last a year ago, made the playoffs, then, in a three way trade, added forward Cliff Robinson and guard Gus Williams. Robinson can join Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland to give coach Gene Shue more proof that you don't need a 7-footer to have an excellent front line.

Some GMs named the 76ers as one of the NBA's most improved teams.

"Philadelphia was very, very good to begin with," Detroit GM Jack McCloskey said. "Now they've added Charles Barkley and Leon Wood. Both have a chance to be outstanding players."