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NBA Draft is the biggest gamble in sports
Published June 25, 2009
Tonight, at the NBA Draft, dreams will be made, bad suits will be worn and tears will drip down faces.
Of course, tonight will also be a dream crusher. At least 15 players will have their dreams torn up, thrown in a paper shredder and blended with the names of Michael Olowokandi, Bo Kimble and Stanley Roberts (all former Clippers).
More than any other sport, the NBA’s annual shot of new blood usually comes with its fair share of viruses. With the infusion of foreign players who often flop in the NBA (Pavel Podkolzin ring a bell for any Dallas Mavericks fans out there?), college freshmen that aren’t ready and the exclusion of high school superstars such as Dwight Howard and LeBron James, the NBA draft is the biggest gamble in sports.
So, it’s time for the Kerrville Daily Times to play the NBA lotto and mock this draft:
#1. The Clippers will take Oklahoma monster Blake Griffin. The 6-foot-10 forward took the Big XII by storm last season, but can he play defense in the NBA? Is he a center? At least last year’s undersized position player, Michael Beasly, could shoot 3-pointers. Griffin could be an undersized center in the NBA, but lucky for him the Clippers have center Chris Kaman, an American born player, who is so good that Germans recruited him for their Olympic team last summer.
#2: Memphis is the home of great Bar-B-Q, and will be the new home of UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. The 7-foot-3 center would be a great addition for a team with a point guard who made it big in college (see O.J. Mayo and USC scandal) and a power forward with a brother who plays with Kobe Bryant (see Marc Gasol, who had a solid rookie season in 08-09). The Grizzlies could easily be the best young team in the NBA next season, but the Bar-B-Q will still be king.
#3: The Oklahoma Thunder will be the team of the future. I was pulling for them to get the No.1 pick. A combination of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Griffin would have put them in the playoffs. While I can’t see this team drafting another point guard, such as Ricky Rubio (who enters this draft with more hype than a Will Smith summer blockbuster), I do see the Thunder drafting the scoring machine from Arizona State, James Harden.
#4: The Sacramento Kings need everything, so I say draft anything. Draft the rights to LeBron James’ four year old son — anything to refill the life and excitement that the Kings had when Vlade Divac was taking charges for them 10 years ago. With that said, I believe the Kings take the draft’s Spanish star, 18-year-old Ricky Rubio, who is crying right now after the USA beat Spain 2-0.... in soccer.
#5: The Minnesota Timberwolves made a huge trade the other day to get this pick, so it’s obvious that they see someone they want. It’s Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans. The one-time Philadelphia high school product could be the best player in the draft, and could be the Michael Jordan-type of player in the draft that people wish they didn’t pass on. If you follow my math, the Washington Wizards traded a future NBA hall of famer in Evans, who isn’t that good, yet.
#6: In the final pick I’ll project, the Timberwolves are here again. Do they keep this pick? I think it will depend on the Knicks, and how bad they want Davidson’s Stephen Curry. If the T-wolves do keep this pick, they’ll likely take a guard. Considering they just drafted Evans, and have young forwards Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, Syracuse point guard Johnny Flynn is my choice.
The biggest sleeper in this draft is Ty Lawson of North Carolina, who I believe hurt his NBA status by returning to Chapel Hill and driving drunk last year. Lawson is the fastest and most NBA-ready point guard in the draft.
The biggest bust? Well, that betting line is simply a “pick’em” situation.
Joe Harrington is a Daily Times Sports Writer who loves college basketball and sees the NBA as the basketball after-life.
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