I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable NBA fan. Then a friend asked me to name at least ten players who might go in the first round of the NBA draft. Simple stuff I thought and began to throw some names at him.The first player that came to mind was Emeka Okafor, the big man from UConn and possible first overall pick. Of course the little man from St. Joe’s, point guard Jameer Nelson. Prep star and future KG wanna be Dwight Howard. Sticking with preps to pros, I handed him Shaun Livingston the 6’7 PG who dissed Duke (insert snicker here) and is hopping his pogo stick frame right into the big leagues. Speaking of Duke, Luol Deng is no longer a Blue Devil but a possible…Bobcat? Another member of the NCAA champion Huskies, Ben Gordon, should go pretty high. Josh Childress, the young man with the stylish `fro could be picking his hair in Philly. That’s seven big names for you right there.
Oh you wanted ten names? That’s easy let me just think a bit more. Um…hmmm…isn’t there a big dude from Russia? I know his name starts with a P and has an entire Kremlin full of consonants in it. Only actual names you say? I got three more for you just calm down. Luke Jackson! The curly haired hobbit from Oregon should go somewhere in the first round, which is sure to please Larry Bird. I’m only kidding LB. Two more and that will be ten, right? Yes I went to college smart ass…but Sebastian Telfair didn’t! The little dude with blazing speed and sweet handle will join his cuz Stephen Marbury in the pros, no doubt.
I know I have one name left in me. There has got to be a sweet shooting, no defense European I’m forgetting about. No name is coming to mind. My god I know nothing about basketball! Wait the dude from Nevada who helped upset Michigan State in the NCAA tourney last year. Dirk Ryder! No wait, it’s Kirk Snyder the do everything guard who carried an over looked Nevada squad to the Sweet Sixteen. Whew…that is ten guys who should be drafted in the first round of this years NBA draft. Excuse me while I take a few aspirin to ease the giant throbbing in my head.
It amazed me how much effort it took just to come up with ten first round NBA prospects. Several years ago I could rattle off an instant mock draft filled with former college stars and maybe one or two prep players following the paths of KG and Kobe. There were a few European surprises, but for the most part the draft was a coronation of polished All-Americans who made their names at countless universities. Today the NBA draft is becoming much more like those held for MLB and the NHL. High School players and oversees hopefuls dominate the draft landscape. When David Stern steps to the podium on draft night and calls a name, most fans now have to jump online and see what their team’s new rookie brings to the table.
Stern, with that permanent grin of his shining brightly, reads from his index card. "With the twenty-seventh pick in the 2004 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Pavel Krakovitozia, small forward from some semi-pro league in Bulgaria." Any random, but very spoiled, Laker fan can crank up his computer and do a quick search for his new boy Pavel. The scouting report reads Krako has tons of upside. He has unlimited shooting range, but often falls in love with the outside shot. Quick and athletic, but doesn’t like to work on the defensive end. Can pass, but is often not willing. He is a boom or bust project. How can said Laker fan possibly get excited about this?
Now I hate to bash on the prep stars making the jump from high school and the foreigners jumping in the league from oversees. It is not about them as individuals what so ever. No matter what age or nationality a player entering the league may be, I am going to give them all the props they deserve if they can hang with the best ballers in the world. When Dirk Nowitzki was drafted by the Bucks back in 1998, I was screaming No-who-zki at my television. Now I can’t get enough of Dirk Diggler draining shots from anywhere on the court.
It’s just for me, and many others, the draft used to be a special occasion. Fans from all over could watch each pick and form their own opinions on the selection. That’s because we all saw these players perform on the college hardwood. We knew who was a clutch shooter and who should be riding the pine in the fourth quarter. Of course our opinions weren’t always right, but they were our own. The only knowledge we have now is a tiny blurb put together by some scout on ESPN.com because most of the nation isn’t glued to their television sets for high school ball or the European league. I hate to be an NBA basher and whine about how good the game was back in the day, but regarding the NBA draft I yearn for the days of the past.