Redrafting the Jazz: 1979

I have been cursed by a witch to repeatedly travel back through time to relive every NBA draft. Fortunately, her spell sends me directly to the Utah Jazz war room on draft night and all the executives magically know I’m from the future and will do whatever I say. Unfortunately, the curse prevents me from seeing how my advice altered the future. And at long last, my journey has come to its end.

June 25, 1979 – Plaza Hotel, New York City

Previous season:

The Utah Jazz were officially born on June 8, 1979, when Sam Battistone Jr. completed the relocation of the New Orleans Jazz to Salt Lake City. Although he kept the same name and uniforms, and he left the roster mostly intact, he did seek a fresh start in management. Replacing Elgin Baylor at head coach was Tom Nissalke, who had won Coach of the Year with the Houston Rockets in 1977. Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Frank Layden also sought out Utah’s coaching role, but Battistone made him the general manger to replace Tom Willingham.

The New Orleans Jazz had struggled from Day One, and nothing had improved by their fifth and final season in Louisiana. With All-Star Pete Maravich limited to just 49 games, the Jazz limped to a 26-56 record, which earned them the right to the coin flip with the Chicago Bulls for the No. 1 pick in the 1979 Draft. For the first — and so far only — time in franchise history, the Jazz won the top pick. Unfortunately, it belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to a major mistake the Jazz made back in 1976. New Orleans decided to sign All-Star Gail Goodrich to a large contract, even though he was already past his prime. And back then, the NBA really hated the idea of free agency, so they had a punitive rule in place that forced teams to deliver some form of compensation to the free agent’s old team. New Orleans’ unprotected 1979 first-round pick was included in the compensation package to the Lakers, who then used it to draft Magic Johnson, forever altering the landscape of the NBA.

The draft:

Although the Jazz lost out on the top pick, they did own the 20th thanks to a trade that sent Truck Robinson to Phoenix. So with the first draft pick in Utah Jazz history, Frank Layden selected Larry Knight, a forward from Loyola Chicago.

In the second round, Utah used the 23rd pick on a guard from Georgia Tech named Tico Brown.

And the draft lasted eight more rounds after this, but none of those picks were consequential.

Analysis:

The new Utah Jazz front office had no time to prepare for this draft and it showed. Frank Layden apparently did no scouting on Larry Knight and drafted him simply because he averaged 13 rebounds per game in college. But Layden failed to take into account the mediocre level of competition Knight faced at his small school or how his slight 6-foot-8 frame would translate to the professional game. Tom Nissalke hated Knight’s game right away and cut him before the season began.

Tico Brown also failed to make the Jazz roster, and both Brown and Knight never saw action on an NBA court. All in all, this was absolute worst outcome in this draft for the Utah Jazz. Not only did they miss out on Magic Johnson, but their top two picks never even became NBA players. The best my interference could do would be to give the Jazz Bill Laimbeer, who was a four-time All-Star with Detroit.

My advice:

1. Use the 20th pick on Bill Laimbeer.

2. Who cares?

I know full well that Bill Laimbeer is a poor consolation prize for Magic Johnson. But it was the best I could do. And I honestly don’t care anymore. It was a fun ride while it lasted, now I close my eyes and allow the witch’s curse to return me to the present, where I am but a lowly fan, praying for the Jazz to hit it big in the draft.