The Rest, Only Noise

June 16, 1985, draft day.

This year, the Knicks have a lot of draft picks.

Not to mention the No. 1 pick, there are also first-round picks from the Lakers and second-round picks from the Celtics and Mavericks, plus their own second-round picks, two first-rounders, three second-round picks, in one session. There's definitely a lot to be done in a very talented draft (10 All-Stars).

In the Knicks draft war room sat Debusschere, Louie, executive Wu De, and Madison Square Garden President Jack Kruger.

Louie has been in New York for almost a year, and this is the first time he has seen the president.

Kruger made a joke before the draft: "If you don't pick Patrick, I'll take out a machine gun and shoot everyone in the room."

The staff of the league was talking about some things, and suddenly, the phone rang.

Debusschere then asked: "I'm Dave Debusschere, what do you need?"

"Oh, is it? Please wait."

Debusschere clutched the phone and said to Louie: "Call from San Antonio, they want to trade Roy Sparrow with a second-round pick."

Louie laughed: "I don't think a second-round pick is worth our starting guard, and you have to pay more."

Louis' momentum today was obviously different from usual, and Debusschere himself became nervous.

Although Wu De and Kruger were the highest-ranking people in name, they didn't understand the operation of professional basketball. They laughed when they saw Louis frivolously asking the other side to increase the price.

"They are willing to give us an additional subsidy of $50,000." Debusschere gestured to Louis with his eyes, the price is not low.

Sparrow is not a hot commodity, and it would be good if he could return for a draft pick.

Now that the other party wants to send more money, there should be no reason to disagree.

"If I remember correctly, San Antonio's second-round pick was fifth?"

"Yes."

"I think I can agree." Louie joked, "There are not many fools willing to send draft picks for Sparrow."

And just like that, a deal was struck between the Knicks and the Spurs before the draft.

The Knicks traded Roy Sparrow for the Spurs' 1985 second-round pick and $50,000 in cash.

"I guess the phone will ring constantly today." Debusschere had a hunch.

The Knicks store is about to open, and in theory, they don't have anything for sale except in Stockton.

Dale Ellis can be regarded as half a non-sale product. If the other party's bid is attractive enough, it is not impossible to sell it.

Next, on TV, David Stern walks to the front desk.

Debusschere called people on the front lines, and while they all knew who to pick, they still needed to reconfirm.

After all, there is a lesson from the NFL Buccaneers—in 1982, the Buccaneers were hesitating between guard Sean Farrell and defensive end Booker Reese. Pat Malusilio, the team's equipment manager at the draft, was told that the pick must be between the two, but when the team finally decided to pick Reese and called Malusilio, the call The loud background noise made him hear only Sean Farrell's name. So Malusilio handed in a card with Farrell's name on it. However, the pirates were not finished when they picked Pharrell by mistake. They liked Reese so much that they traded their first-round pick for the following year to ensure they could pick him in the second round of the draft. As a result, the much-anticipated Reese played only two seasons with the Buccaneers, made two interceptions and disappeared, and the 1983 draft was the greatest draft in NFL history.

What if the Knicks got the No. 1 pick but didn't choose Ewing because of a mistake?

Then Kruger might have been so angry that he shot everyone.

The front confirmed that it was correct, and the staff informed Stern of their choice, so the words that never change sounded: "In the 1985 NBA draft, the New York Knicks used the first pick to select ... Patrick Ewing , from Georgetown University!"

The draft was originally held in New York, and the Knicks were expected to choose Ewing, and the audience burst into cheers.

Ewing, 22, was wearing an off-white suit and red tie.

He is probably the oldest looking No. 1 pick before Ayton, Oden, and James.

However, someone who looks old or mature has the advantage of being able to withstand the changes of the years.

Especially those 20-year-old women with mature faces, don't look at them compared to their peers like old mothers, after a decade or two, their peers will all become yellow-faced women, and she is still standing at the "peak", If you don't believe me, you can go and see Yu Feihong.

The ten seconds before Ewing stepped onto the stage and shook hands with Stern.

The commentator praised Ewing: "The top five players in the history of the draft can bring qualitative changes to any team in the quagmire. The most unmissable core players in history, New York's spring has really come!"

Wu De had heard of Ewing's name, and at this time he heard the narrator's hype, and couldn't help asking Louis: "Is it really that good?"

"I'll be satisfied if Patrick has these guys half-hearted." Louie gave a negative answer.

"If Patrick is not so good, why do all the professionals respect him so much?" President Krueger asked inexplicably.

"Simply because he's a lottery ticket half-scratched."

Louie said: "If the correct number is 123456, then his performance in college has already shown us '123'. However, it is the last three numbers that really decide whether he is that good. One wrong number, he will Not so good."

"You don't seem to be optimistic about him?" Wu De asked.

"To tell you the truth, we discussed the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick, but I was worried about being shot by the president, so I decided to choose him after a fierce psychological struggle." Even Louis couldn't afford to miss Ewing The subsequent public opinion effect.

Even if he is right, he cannot wait for the day to prove himself.

The first question Ewing was asked by reporters at the scene was: "Do you know the city of New York?"

"Not really, but I've been there, I've played there."

"There are rumors that you have a bad relationship with Knicks head coach Little Lu, is that true?"

Ewing sneered subconsciously, "We have had some disagreements, and it's all about basketball. It won't have an impact."

No wonder...

"You have a conflict with Patrick?" Debusschere felt his heart beating faster.

Louis smiled: "It's not too late to know now."

With the second overall pick, the Pacers selected Wayman Tisdale.

A man with many accolades but doubtful career prospects.

He's Barkley's style of player, but doesn't have the physicality of Barkley's, and, moreover, plays very softly, which is usually a synonym for soft, and has a reputation for being nice/not playing hard.

With the third pick in the first round, the Clippers chose Benoit Benjamin, who is known as a double wall with Ewing.

In terms of talent, he should be the No. 2 pick.

However, even a team as stupid as the Pacers knew that drafting him was too risky. Although he's seven feet long, has excellent running and jumping skills, and has the potential to be a great insider, he's too lazy, too lazy, too lazy, too lazy, and they'd rather pick a short brushed insider.

The NCAA is notorious for his level of laziness. Just from the college highlights that the TV station arranged for him, it can be seen that his gait is a little lazy.

A slacker who lacks forward momentum, plus a foothold like the Clippers, is the perfect road to suicide.

Then came the first big trade in this year's draft.

The Portland Trail Blazers traded All-Star guards Jim Patterson, Calvin Knight and a 1987 first-round pick in exchange for the Seattle SuperSonics' first-round pick, the "X-Men". "Xavier McDanielSF/SG.

The commentator was puzzled. Why did the Blazers send All-Star guard Jim Paxson and choose a small forward?

They already have Jordan and Drexler in the same position. Are they going to play mahjong together?

Louie saw something special about this draft.

The Blazers are starting to stock up on wings, because the Lakers and Celtics have the best wing reserves in the division, and to fight them, they must have enough people on the wings. Also, will they let Jordan come as a point guard, or put Drexler directly at point forward?

This draft has changed since the Blazers trade.

Reed Auerbach, in Boston, remembered Louis' advice after returning from the Olympic selection team - Karl Malone.

The contempt for Malone by teams with front-end draft picks is incomprehensible. He played amazingly at the University of Louisville, scoring and rebounding. In this draft class full of talents, he should be the top six choice.

Ralph Sampson's performance in the Finals, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's slaughter of the Blazers in the Western Conference finals, made teams' desire for supercenters to an incredible degree. So, in addition to the cool Trail Blazers, five centers were selected in the first seven picks in 1985.

Malone's name was still there, waiting to be called, and Auerbach saw an opportunity.

The Celtics first sought a trade with the Suns, who had the tenth overall pick, and they nearly got it. But inside Boston, it's no secret that they want Malone.

When Utah realized what was going on, it also got into action.

The Jazz were full of praise for Malone, but they didn't feel like they could draft him. They only had the 13th pick in the first round, and by the time they were drafted, Malone had already been picked. But suddenly, they discovered that Malone was not untouchable.

There is a reason for Malone's sudden drop in the draft market. In addition to the fact that even if the front-line team can't get Ewing, they still choose center like a madman. There are two points. Malone screwed up his workout, and Suns chief scout Al Bianchi dined with Malone after the team's workout and found that the man, despite his muscular build, was too quiet. Like a good guy - can a good guy play basketball well?

At least we know that a good person will never put a minor into a pregnancy and not admit it.

Then, Malone's college coach also betrayed him, blackmailing Malone into charcoal when he was questioned by NBA executives.

This is the reason why the draft prospects of the second-biggest forward in history have plummeted, and it is also the reason for the repeated shocks in the trading market at this time.

Auerbach is conservative after all, and the Suns' tenth pick is not enough to get Malone.

The Jazz frantically traded the 13th pick in the first round + the 1986 first round with the Dallas Mavericks, who had the eighth pick in the first round. They got the Mavericks' No. 8 pick and happily drafted Malone, thus ending the Celtics' plan.

Additionally, Chris Mullin went to the Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

Malone was selected with the eighth pick ~www.readwn.com~ to Louie's surprise. If Malone falls a little further, he'll try to go after him with a trade, but right now, have to look back.

Then, the Knicks' phone rang again.

This time, it was the Bulls' draft war room who called.

"It's Jerry Krause, the new general manager of the Bulls," Debusschere said.

"What does he want to do?"

"He wants to trade John Stockton with the 11th pick in the first round," Debusschere said.

"Didn't you say John was our priceless treasure?"

"I said..."

"Then he still wants it?"

There was no pressure for Debusschere to talk to Louis, but with Wu De and Kruger here today, he was about to suffocate.

"Why don't you come and tell him?"