🚫🐐No Jordan, No Ceiling: How the NBA Rewrote Itself in 1991–92

We’re nearing a decade into this alternate NBA universe, and the balance of power has clearly shifted. The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks now sit tied with three championships apiece, after the Celtics captured their third title last season.

In the real NBA, this era belonged to the Lakers (3 titles), the Pistons (2), and a rising Michael Jordan, just beginning his dynasty. But in this Jordan-less timeline, the landscape has been completely rewritten.

Tim Hardaway earned his first ring with the Celtics last year, while Charles Barkley and John Stockton already have three together in Dallas. These were all players who never captured a championship in real life, largely due to the roadblock that was Jordan.

Without him, they've combined for four championships, and in this reality — there’s no ceiling.

So the question becomes: who keeps adding to their legacy? Will it be Hardaway’s Celtics? Stockton and Barkley’s Mavericks? Or are we about to witness the rise of a new contender?

Before diving into how the 1991–92 season unfolded, let’s rewind and look at the latest rookie class and where they landed.

The #1 pick, Larry Johnson, was selected by the Chicago Bulls. After making their first Conference Finals as a 5-seed in 1990, they missed the playoffs last year — their reward? The top pick in the draft

Due to a real-life trade, the Golden State Warriors ended up with both the third and fourth picks in the draft. They acquired Billy Owens via trade and used the #4 pick to select Dikembe Mutombo.

The result? A massive leap forward. Owens and Mutombo gave the Warriors an instant jolt of talent and identity — enough to propel them to the playoffs for the first time since 1986.

At #5, the Charlotte Hornets selected Steve Smith, who immediately stepped into a struggling starting lineup, giving the franchise a much-needed backcourt leader. Doug Smith, taken by the Indiana Pacers, also found himself in the starting five, trying to help Indiana climb out of the lottery cellar.

Thanks to clever maneuvering, the Warriors wound up with three lottery picks. Along with Owens and Mutombo, they grabbed Brian Williams (later known as Bison Dele) with the 10th overall pick. All three rookies made the starting lineup, giving Golden State one of the most impressive young cores in the league.

Elsewhere, Stanley Roberts landed in New York, filling the void left by Roy Tarpley and giving the Knicks a strong interior presence moving forward.

As always, there were other rookies who may not have shifted the standings just yet — but don’t be surprised if we’re hearing from them soon.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Bullets (56–26) are back on top — something they hadn’t done since 1986. Back then, it was 1984 draft pick Alvin Robertson leading the charge. Now, it’s All-Star Pervis Ellison at the center of it all, coming off a career year.

Ellison was joined by Horace Grant and Michael Adams, both of whom had standout seasons of their own to help Washington claim the top seed in the East.

At #2 in the East, the Chicago Bulls (54–28) have quickly become a new powerhouse. Drafting Larry Johnson with the first overall pick was a game-changer. He joins Scottie Pippen and Chris Mullin to form one of the most dangerous trios in the league — young, athletic, and already winning.

The defending champion Boston Celtics (51–31) claim the third seed. They still boast All-Stars Larry Bird and Tim Hardaway, but there was a key change this offseason: Blair Rasmussen left for Atlanta, forcing Kevin McHale back into the starting lineup. It’s a reunion of sorts — the core that dominated the late ’80s is still very much alive, though older.

Speaking of Atlanta (46–36), they slide to the #4 seed after finishing second last year. Losing both Doc Rivers and Spud Webb took a toll. While Derrick Coleman and Brad Daugherty continue to grow, the backcourt losses made a clear impact on their overall play.

Seeds 5 through 8 bring in some fresh blood:

The Indiana Pacers return after a two-year absence.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers drop in the standings after better showings last year.
And the Detroit Pistons are back in the mix after a three-year playoff drought.

Compared to real life, there are two notable absences: the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks, both playoff teams in the actual 1992 NBA postseason.

But in our universe? They fall short. The Heat are missing Glen Rice and Steve Smith, both drafted elsewhere in this altered timeline. And as for the Knicks — they never landed Mark Jackson. In this world, Jackson was drafted by the Clippers, not New York.

The two teams that take their place in this alternate world are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Bullets.

The Sixers are led by All-Star Kevin Willis, while the Bullets return to the playoffs behind strong contributions from Horace Grant and Pervis Ellison — the latter earning All-Star honors in this timeline after a career year.

Out West...

The Dallas Mavericks (59–23) remain on top of the Western Conference — not just this season, but for the sixth straight year. With three titles already, they’re hungry for a fourth, especially after last year’s surprising exit to the upstart Timberwolves.

Coming in at #2, the Sacramento Kings (52–30) are the winners of the Pacific Division for the first time in franchise history. They leap from 10th to 2nd, thanks largely to the arrival of Mitch Richmond and Spud Webb, and the continued development of Shawn Kemp and Danny Manning.

The Portland Trail Blazers (51–31) lock down the third seed. Clyde Drexler remains a perennial All-Star, and he continues to get solid support from Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter.

Rounding out the top four is the Utah Jazz (48–34). They move up from 7th to 4th after a strong campaign that built on last year’s first-round upset of the Blazers.

David Robinson repeats as the league MVP, becoming just the third player in this timeline to win the award twice — joining Larry Bird and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Seeds 5 through 8 in the West

The final four playoff spots go to the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets.

The major shakeup? The Warriors, who return to the playoffs for the first time in six years. Thanks to rookie standouts Billy Owens and Dikembe Mutombo, Golden State takes a major leap forward.

Compared to the real-life 1992 postseason, this timeline features three different teams. In reality, the Lakers, Clippers, and Sonics made the playoffs — but not here.

The Lakers miss the playoffs for the third straight year, as their aging roster can’t keep pace with up-and-coming teams like the Kings, who drafted Shawn Kemp.
The Sonics, without Kemp or Gary Payton (both drafted by other teams in this world), remain stuck in the lottery.
The Clippers, who were the 8-seed last season, are now squeezed out entirely. The rise of the Warriors and Kings leaves no room for error — or for mediocrity.

In Their Place?

The Kings are a model of smart drafting.
The Rockets stay healthy, unlike in real life.
And the Mavericks? They’re still the former 3x champions, still loaded, and still the team to beat.

Let’s Get Right Into It.

The 1992 Playoffs are set — and the race for a new or repeat champion begins now.

The #1 seed Washington Bullets matched up against the #8 Detroit Pistons, who were back in the playoffs after a three-year absence. The Bullets, meanwhile, have been a postseason fixture — but haven’t advanced past the first round since 1988.

The Pistons still feature some of their core from that last playoff appearance, including Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, both of whom have been with the team since the beginning of this alternate NBA timeline. They've had playoff success before, but now found themselves as underdogs.

Surprisingly, the 8-seed Pistons pushed the top-seeded Bullets to a decisive Game 5 in D.C., leaning on their veteran leadership. But in the end, Pervis Ellison and company fed off the home crowd energy and finally got over the hump, advancing to the second round for the first time in four years.

In the #2 vs. #7 matchup, the Chicago Bulls dropped Game 3 in Philly, but that was the lone blemish. Behind the trio of Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, and Larry Johnson, the Bulls responded in Game 4 to close out the series 3–1.

Then came the 3–6 battle between the defending champion Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team with recent playoff pedigree. In fact, the Cavs’ most memorable postseason run came in 1989, when they reached the Conference Finals — eliminating the Celtics along the way.

But that was a very different Celtics team. Larry Bird was out, and they limped into the playoffs as the 6 seed. That tough year, however, turned into a blessing in disguise — they drafted Tim Hardaway.

Now, with Bird healthy and Hardaway blossoming, the Celtics are defending champions and favorites once again. The Cavs, who made the second round last year, fall short here. After stealing one game, they couldn’t do more. Celtics win the series 3–1.

Finally, we had the 4–5 matchup in the East, between two franchises with very different legacies. The #4 seed Atlanta Hawks have been one of the East’s most consistent playoff teams, even reaching the Conference Finals just last season. The #5 Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, were making just their third playoff appearance in our alternate timeline.

Despite the experience gap, the Pacers came to play. They battled the Hawks in every game and forced a decisive Game 5. But when the series returned to Atlanta, the Hawks’ All-Star trio — Dominique Wilkins, Derrick Coleman, and Brad Daugherty — proved to be too much. Atlanta pulled away with a dominant performance to advance.

Out West, the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks took on the #8 Denver Nuggets, a team making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time. However, the Nuggets had one frustrating trend: 0–5 in playoff series in our timeline heading into this one.

The series started as expected — the Mavericks took care of business at home, going up 2–0. But in Games 3 and 4, the Nuggets responded with grit and urgency, fueled by the hunger for that elusive first series win. They held serve on their home floor to force a Game 5 in Dallas.

However, the Mavericks — still burning from last year’s shocking first-round exit — weren’t going to be caught off guard. Charles Barkley and John Stockton delivered in the clutch, leading Dallas to a Game 5 victory and keeping their quest for a fourth title alive.

The 2–7 matchup featured the #2 seeded Sacramento Kings vs the #7 Golden State Warriors — both teams returning to the playoffs after time away. The Kings were 10th last season, while the Warriors owned the worst record in the league just a year ago.

As mentioned earlier, the Kings rebuilt smartly, forming a new backcourt and vastly improving their frontcourt. Spud Webb, acquired in the offseason, brought experience fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance with the Hawks.

Meanwhile, the Warriors shocked everyone this season behind a rookie trio — including Dikembe Mutombo, who was named an All-Star in his first year.

But talent and experience won out. The Kings, while still gelling, simply had too much firepower for the young Warriors. Sacramento closed it out in four games, winning the series 3–1 and securing their first playoff series win in franchise history.

The 3–6 series between the Blazers and Rockets was flat-out electric.

Hakeem Olajuwon finally had real help this year in All-Star Otis Thorpe, and Houston looked like a real threat. But the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Clyde Drexler, had the depth and chemistry to go toe-to-toe with anyone.

The series went the distance — and Game 5 in Portland delivered an all-time classic.

Drexler put on a show with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, outdueling Olajuwon. Still, with seconds remaining, Houston led by two and had the ball. It looked like they’d survive.

Then came disaster.

Vernon Maxwell attempted a risky inbound to Kenny Smith, but Terry Porter read it perfectly, jumped the lane, and stole the ball. He immediately fired it downcourt to Drexler, who was already streaking up the sideline. With the clock winding down, Drexler pulled up from 30 feet...

Buzzer. Bucket. Ballgame.

Blazers win by one, and advance in dramatic fashion.

One of the wildest finishes in our alternate universe yet.

So how do you follow that up? With another thrilling Game 5, of course.

The 4–5 matchup in the West featured the Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs. The Jazz stunned the league last year by upsetting the #2 seeded Blazers. David Robinson was league MVP then, and he is again now.

The Spurs, meanwhile, were coming off their own playoff breakthrough — upsetting the #4 seeded Rockets in 1991. That marked Karl Malone’s first playoff series win in his fifth attempt.

This time, the Jazz came out firing. Robinson and company held serve at home, taking a 2–0 series lead. The Spurs fought back with a Game 3 win, but there would be no epic Game 5 this time.

In Game 4, the MVP showed up big, and the Jazz sealed the series on the road — no drama necessary.

Across the league, the Celtics, Bulls, Jazz, and Blazers all advance to the second round — just like their real-life 1992 counterparts.

But those are the only parallels. The other four teams to advance in the real playoffs either didn’t make it in this universe… or fell in Round 1.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

The top-seeded Washington Bullets took on the #4 seed Atlanta Hawks, who just last season made the Eastern Conference Finals — their third appearance in five years. The Bullets, on the other hand, hadn’t made it past the first round since 1988.

Since that 1988 campaign, Atlanta has been a model of postseason consistency. They’ve reached three Conference Finals and even one NBA Finals. The only year they didn’t reach the final four, they lost a seven-game war to Boston.

This series was set up as a battle between a team trying to recapture past glory… and a team refusing to give up its throne.

The Hawks stole a game in D.C., then took care of business at home. Suddenly, they held a commanding 3–1 lead heading back to the nation's capital.

Pervis Ellison and Horace Grant made sure the Bullets wouldn't go quietly. They fought back with a Game 5 win, keeping their season alive.

But Game 6 in Atlanta? All Hawks.

Dominique Wilkins, Derrick Coleman, and Brad Daugherty were unstoppable. The Hawks closed the series, making it back-to-back Conference Finals appearances and putting the East on notice.

On the other side of the East bracket was a rematch of the 1990 Conference Finals — the defending champion Boston Celtics versus the Chicago Bulls hungry for their first NBA Finals appearance.

Boston had taken a hit in their frontcourt with Blair Rasmussen leaving for Atlanta, but Larry Bird and Tim Hardaway still led a veteran squad hungry to defend their crown.

The series was a back-and-forth battle, pushing all the way to a Game 7 in Chicago. At home, the Bulls’ “three-headed monster” — Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, and Larry Johnson — proved to be too much for the aging Celtics.

Western Conference Semifinals

Over in Dallas, the former 3-time champion Mavericks hosted the Utah Jazz — a classic matchup of the league’s best team versus the league’s reigning MVP, David Robinson.

Robinson and the Jazz fought hard, managing to steal a couple of games. But as we’ve seen time and again in this timeline, one superstar can’t overcome a well-rounded powerhouse, especially when that powerhouse is the Mavericks.

Heading back to Utah with a 3-2 series lead, Dallas looked poised to close it out. In Game 6, former MVP Charles Barkley and former Finals MVP John Stockton took control and sealed the road win, ending the Jazz’s run.

On the other side of the West bracket, two hungry teams battled for very different reasons:

The Portland Trail Blazers hadn’t reached the Conference Finals since 1989 and were desperate to get back.

The Sacramento Kings, however, were looking to make history — as they had never made it this far before.

The Blazers and Kings split the first four games, with Portland stealing an upset in Game 1, and Sacramento responding with a big road win in Game 4 to even the series.

With momentum on their side and a chance to take a crucial 3-2 lead back home, most expected the Kings to seize the moment. But Clyde Drexler and the Blazers showed why experience matters — locking down defensively, they claimed a pivotal Game 5 victory.

Now with the series on the line, the Blazers took full advantage of their energized home crowd and dominated Game 6 in a blowout, punching their ticket to the Conference Finals.

Of the four teams that advanced to the second round, two match their real-life counterparts — the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers — both moving on to the Conference Finals as they did in reality.

Eastern Conference Finals: Bulls vs. Hawks

Welcome to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the young Chicago Bulls are on the brink of their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. Their opponent? The seasoned Atlanta Hawks, making their fourth Conference Finals appearance and boasting an NBA Finals trip in their history.

The series began in Chicago — unfamiliar territory for this Bulls squad, who played their first Conference Finals games in 1990 in Boston. The Hawks struck first, pulling off an upset in Game 1. But the Bulls quickly answered in Game 2.

Traveling south, the Hawks took Game 3, but the Bulls wouldn’t be denied, rallying for a crucial Game 4 road win. The back-and-forth battle ended in Game 5, with Chicago gaining momentum and securing back-to-back victories.

Facing elimination in Game 6, the battle-tested Hawks fought with everything they had and forced a decisive Game 7. Both teams had already won on the road in this series, making the winner-take-all showdown wide open.

The game was a dogfight for three quarters, but in the fourth, the Bulls’ youth took over. Their legs were fresher, their crowd louder, and they surged ahead to win the series.

These Bulls continue to advance just like the real Bulls with Jordan. In 1992, both teams made the NBA Finals — our Bulls are there for the first time, while Jordan’s squad are the defending champions.

Western Conference Finals: Mavericks vs. Blazers

Out West, it was a familiar sight — the Dallas Mavericks making their seventh trip to the Western Conference Finals in our eight-year history. But standing in their way was a familiar opponent: the Portland Trail Blazers, making their fourth Conference Finals appearance.

The Blazers had gone to three straight Conference Finals from 1987 to 1989, losing each time to Barkley’s Mavericks. Surely now would be the year they finally got the job done, right?

After four games, the series was even at 2–2, with both squads protecting home court. The Mavericks dominated Games 1 and 2 in Dallas, but the Blazers responded in games 3 and 4, setting the stage for a pivotal Game 5 back in Texas.

Game 5 was no blowout — the Blazers hung tough deep into the fourth quarter. But when it mattered most, John Stockton took over, controlling the tempo and knocking down clutch shots to seal a narrow 4-point victory.

Back in Portland for Game 6, the Blazers flipped the script completely. They came out firing on all cylinders, with Drexler and Porter leading the charge. Drexler dropped 27 points, Porter added 25, and the Blazers blew out the Mavs by 18 to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

Game 7 in Dallas had everything on the line — redemption for Drexler or a fifth trip to the Finals for the Mavericks. The Blazers believed this was their moment. But Charles Barkley wasn’t having it.

The All-Star forward dominated the game, putting up 34 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, refusing to let his team fall. The Mavericks pulled away in the second half, shutting the door on the Blazers’ hopes of advancing.

The Finale: Bulls vs. Mavericks

Now we have arrived at the big show. The defending champion Dallas Mavericks are here for the fifth time, while the Chicago Bulls are making their NBA Finals debut. Could the Bulls take out another former champion on their way to glory?

Both teams had just survived grueling seven-game Conference Finals, winning critical Game 7s on their home floors. But now, for the first time this postseason, the Bulls were the underdog.

The series opened with both teams holding serve at home, knotting the series at 2–2. With the 2-3-2 format, that meant Games 3, 4, and 5 were all in Chicago — giving the Bulls a golden opportunity to seize control by winning three straight.

But Charles Barkley wasn’t having any of it.

In Game 5, with Chicago buzzing and momentum building, Barkley imposed his will, dropping another 30-point gem to put the Mavericks back in the driver’s seat, up 3–2.

Back in Dallas for Game 6, the Mavericks could smell another championship — and they came out like it. John Stockton controlled the game, Barkley dominated the paint, and Reggie Lewis exploded for 25 points, igniting the home crowd.

The message was clear: It wasn’t Chicago’s time. Not yet.

In the same year that Michael Jordan went back-to-back in real life, our alternate timeline belongs to Barkley, Stockton, and the Mavericks — who now win their fourth title in this universe. The question now becomes:

Can they continue this incredible run, and win a fifth?

Stay tuned for Season 9 — it’s going to be wild.