💪 Beasts of the East: Ewing Arrives, 86 still belongs to...🏀

 

Year One brought big changes—especially in the draft, and even a few in the playoffs—but the ending was familiar: the Lakers beat the Celtics in six.

So what does Season Two bring? Once again, we move forward in a league without Michael Jordan.

It starts with the 1985 NBA Draft. And believe it or not... the Knicks still land the No. 1 pick!

If you remember, 1985 was the first year of the NBA Draft Lottery—meaning the worst team wasn’t guaranteed the top pick. In real life, the worst team was the Golden State Warriors (22–60). In our universe, that dishonor goes to the Chicago Bulls (15–67).

Just like in reality, the team with the third-worst record won the lottery. Since we’re following the real lottery results each year, we stick with that outcome.

In 1985, the Knicks (24–58) were third-worst and won the No. 1 pick. In our world, they finished 31–51—still third-worst. So yes, Patrick Ewing is still headed to New York.

In fact, the top three picks stay exactly the same as real life.

But from here, things take a sharp turn. At No. 4, Xavier McDaniel ends up in Phoenix instead of Seattle. Chris Mullin? He’s now a Chicago Bull. In real life, Golden State took him—but with the Bulls holding the worst record in our universe, they get his rights.

In this version of history, Karl Malone never lands in Utah. Instead, the Spurs secure the Mailman—shifting the balance of power in the West. The Jazz, who already missed out on John Stockton the year before, now face an uphill climb. Will they ever recover?

Meanwhile, the Pistons still manage to land Joe Dumars. Could the Bad Boys still rise to rule the late ’80s? Only time will tell.

As for the 1985–86 season, the Washington Bullets (54–28) shock the East by finishing atop the standings—powered by All-Star guard Alvin Robertson, a player they only landed because Michael Jordan wasn’t in the ’84 draft.

As for the rest of the East, it was top-heavy in the Atlantic Division. The best four teams all came from there, but because division winners were seeded 1 and 2 back then, the Bucks (40–42) grabbed the #2 seed despite a losing record.

The Boston Celtics (51–31) settle for the 3 seed, even as Larry Bird is once again named league MVP. After falling short in last year’s Finals, they’ll be gunning for a return trip.

The New Jersey Nets (49–33) round out the top seeds in the East. They’re also benefiting from a Jordan-less league—landing Vern Fleming in the ’84 draft because of it, and he’s become their fourth-best player.

The Sixers, Pistons, Pacers, and Cavs round out the lower seeds. That means two playoff teams from reality are now missing: the Bulls (no Jordan, no playoffs) and the Hawks. They’re replaced by the Pacers and Cavs. Cleveland takes the Bulls’ old spot at #8, while the Hawks—a 4 seed in real life—just miss the cut by two games.

With Willis drafted by Philly, the Hawks still haven’t found a big man to anchor their frontcourt. That opening allows Indiana—now with #2 overall pick Wayman Tisdale—to sneak into the 7th seed. In real life, the Pacers missed the playoffs by four games.

In the West, it’s the Houston Rockets (57–25) who finish with the best record—the Twin Towers have officially arrived. Hakeem Olajuwon, yet another standout from the 1984 draft, is already making a major impact in Year 2.

The defending champion Lakers (48–34) win the Pacific Division and claim the No. 2 seed. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks (50–32) go from just missing the playoffs to posting the second-best record in the West. Their reward? The No. 3 seed.

Charles Barkley is much improved and now ranks among the league’s top players. As for John Stockton, his time will come—Derek Harper is still holding down the point in Dallas.

The Portland Trail Blazers finish fourth, just ahead of the Spurs, who now feature Karl Malone thanks to the draft shakeup. Only one game separates these two teams, setting up what should be an exciting first-round matchup.

The Warriors, Clippers, and Suns round out the Western playoff picture. Nearly half the field is different from the real 1986 postseason. The Nuggets, Jazz, and Kings made the real playoffs but miss out in this world.

The Jazz, without both Stockton and Malone, face an uncertain future. As for the Kings, once again, the 1984 draft changes everything.

It’s the Clippers who end up with Otis Thorpe, and just like in real life, he makes a big Year 2 impact—but this time in Los Angeles, not Sacramento.

Along with the Clippers, the Suns and Warriors are the other major playoff shakeups compared to reality. The Suns benefit from the addition of Xavier McDaniel, as covered earlier. And the Warriors? Not only did they make the playoffs last year in this timeline—they actually won a series.

Sleepy Floyd and Joe Barry Carroll both post impressive numbers, earning them strong ratings in our world. Each is rated above 50, which in this sim is well above average.

In the East, the playoffs open with the top-seeded Bullets facing the No. 8 Cavs. Alvin Robertson and company make it look easy, taking the series 3–1. They’re looking every bit like a No. 1 seed.

The Bucks, despite being a low-rated 2 seed, also pull off a sweep—this time against their division rivals, the Pacers. Indiana simply wasn’t ready for the playoff stage, while the Bucks proved to be the more battle-tested group.

The 3 vs. 6 matchup pits the Celtics against the Pistons—a rematch of last year’s Conference Semis. Just like last year, the Celtics once again get the best of Isiah, taking the series 3–1.

The 4–5 series was another rematch from a year ago—Nets vs. Sixers. Vern Fleming and New Jersey pushed through then, and they do it again, taking the series in five. Dr. J, without Charles Barkley by his side in this timeline, just doesn’t have the same firepower.

Out West, the Rockets cruise past the Suns in four. Phoenix has no answer for the Twin Towers—Hakeem Olajuwon dominates James Edwards and the Suns’ frontcourt from start to finish.

The 2–7 matchup brings a battle of L.A., with the defending champion Lakers facing the Clippers. Magic Johnson and the Lakers quickly remind everyone who runs the city, taking the series 3–1.

The 3–6 series features the Mavericks vs. the Warriors. One team pulled an upset last year, while the other is making its playoff debut in our timeline. Charles Barkley had an MVP-type season, and he carried that energy into the playoffs.

However, the Warriors didn’t make it easy. This series went the distance, with Dallas ultimately winning at home in Game 5. Barkley earns his first career series win—but not without a fight.

Finally, we get the showdown: Blazers vs. Spurs. San Antonio made it to the Conference Finals last year as a 6 seed. This time, they have Karl Malone thanks to the draft—but they’re without George Gervin, a key player from last season’s run.

The Blazers were coming off an upset loss last year at the hands of the Warriors, and Clyde Drexler wasn’t about to let history repeat itself. It took all five games, but Portland got it done at home to move on.

In the East, the Bullets put away the Nets in five. Through two rounds, they’ve lost just two games—and now, they’re heading to their first Conference Finals in our timeline.

As for the other series, the Bucks once again fall in the second round. But this time, it’s hard to even call it an upset—the Celtics were clearly the second-best team in the East and have the league MVP in Larry Bird.

Out West, the Rockets finally face a real test at center in Sam Bowie. But even he can’t stop the Twin Towers. Houston drops one game but otherwise rolls through the Blazers in five. The Rockets are out to prove they’ve arrived—and they’re not slowing down.

The other matchup delivers a classic: Showtime Lakers vs. the rising Dallas Mavericks, led by young star Charles Barkley. The defending champs, full of playoff pedigree, show their experience—but Barkley matches them, forcing a Game 7 in Dallas.

In that final game, Barkley puts on a show with 38 points and 16 rebounds, making his MVP case one last time. But it’s Rolando Blackman who ices it for the Mavericks, sealing a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Before we move on, let’s take a moment to compare how this alternate timeline stacks up with the real 1986 playoffs.

In the East, the real-life second round featured the Celtics, Hawks, Bucks, and Sixers. In our world, only two of those teams—the Celtics and Bucks—made it this far. The Hawks and Sixers are out, while the Bullets and Nets take their place.

Out West, the real-life bracket had the Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, and Nuggets. Here, we get three out of four. The Nuggets are the odd team out, finishing 9th in our world and missing the playoffs entirely.

In real life, the Celtics and Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Milwaukee redeemed its 1985 upset loss and made it further. But in our timeline, the Bucks fall short again, losing to Boston in the second round. It’s the Washington Bullets, not the Bucks, who take that Conference Finals spot.

As for the West, Houston reaches the Conference Finals just like in reality. But instead of the Lakers, they face the Mavericks, who stunned the defending champs in Game 7. In real life, it was the Lakers who played the Rockets at this stage.

The Bullets, led by Alvin Robertson, put up a strong fight against Boston but ultimately fall in seven. Including 1984, this now marks three straight trips to the Finals for the Celtics in our timeline.

Charles Barkley’s magic also runs out, but not without resistance. Like Robertson, he and the Mavericks push the top-seeded Rockets to the limit. The Twin Towers survive in Game 7, and the Rockets head to their first NBA Finals of this alternate universe.

So in Year 2, we once again align with real life: the Houston Rockets vs. the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. As most fans know, the 1986 Celtics are widely considered one of the greatest teams of all time.

The Twin Towers put up a fight, but in reality, Boston had Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and even an aging Bill Walton to throw at them—and they won. In our world, despite not having home court, the Celtics close it out at home in Game 5.

After just two seasons, we’re already seeing a massive shift in the league. And yet, despite all the chaos, the Finals matchup—and the outcome—still mirror reality.

But with so much changing underneath, how long can that continue?

Stay tuned for Season 3.
As always, we begin where it all starts—the 1986 NBA Draft.