Who’s it gonna be Gav? I think signing up for the draft is the best gamble out there if you’re a good basketball player & still in high school. If you don’t make it, you go to a top notch school, only to graduate and get millions of dollars. If you make it, you get millions right off the bat!
1. Dwight Howard (Lots of eyes on this guy)
DOB: December 8, 1985
Averaged 25.0 points, 18.0 rebounds, 8.0 blocks and 3.5 assists
2. Shaun Livingston
DOB: September 11, 1985
Averaged 18.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
3. Andris Biedrins (AHN-dris BE-a-drinsh)
DOB: April 2, 1986
Averaging 18.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks
4. Josh Smith
DOB: December 5, 1985
Averaged 25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.0 blocks and 3.0 steals
still cant believe espn did that telfair documentary
Dude, that ESPN commentator took shots at the Korean guy who was drafted by the Trailblazers. haha
if I remember correctly he said: "he can do the splits and stand on his head & he's 7'2"..."
No mercy for the tall asian.
...yes, the Jim McIlvaine effect. After having half a decent season you sign his paddle-hands to a 7yr/$35mil contract. Kemp was still in the middle of his lame 10yr/$25mil contract.
...then you have weakass Calvin Booth who hit one game winning shot in the playoffs and gets $42mil.
i say we do a Hershel Walker trade and trade the whole team and the next 7 years worth of draft picks to get Shaq and T-mac and then sign a bunch of rookie free agents to cheap ass contract to serve as role players and maybe we'll find a luke walton in the mix that can pass the ball to shaq. Then we'll sign Nate Robinson from UW after he goes into the draft, goes undrafted b/c he's too short, and tears it up for the sonics...yeah, that's a plan
Ah the Jim McIlvaine effect. Sign a white stiff for double what your star PF makes. Watch him play an astounding 18 minutes a game and watch your star power forward leave the next year.
Given the pressure D system they had I can't believe the GM thought a plodding stiff could handle the constant traps and switches. Sulking Kemp cost me my fantasy basketball championship when he stopped playing at the end of the 96-97 season, the bum.
Draft Luke Jackson and sign Memhet Okur then you can have the all white starting team of
PG Luke Ridnour
SG Luke Jackson
SF Memhet Okur
PF Nick Collison
C Vladimir Stepania
You could call the team the Great White Hope!
Dude, the sonics need to start over basically. Just scrap the management because they seem to be getting too comfortable.
The team was so damn good---I think they were one key player away from a championship. THey had payton at the point, detlef to represent the white people & drop the jumpers, kemp for showtime in the Pfoward position. All they needed was a decent center or an awesome guard!
Too bad the players got greedy and left.
All I ask is that the Sonics don't draft another white guy or European guy. WE NEED THE BLACK ATHLETE!!!! I bet if Luke Jackson is available at 12, we're going to pick him up....sad! I don't care how much people say his stock is rising....we haven't drafted a black guy in the first round (that we kept) in a long time! Imagine if these bastaads kept Corey Maggette! Or we'll draft a tall white center that has paddle-hands like Jim McIlvaine! Our GM SUCKS!
I just watch too much basketball and sports talk shows.
If you really want good analysis, check out the Sports Guy Bill Simmons on ESPN page 2. He mixes humor and analysis but the guy is so right all the time and he loves the NBA. Plus he completely sounds like a guy you would want to hang with.
Dude, you should quit National and apply for ESPN. I know lot of guys who can spit out stats real well, but you got some analysis on the side, baby!
Ya, man. I agree, it's the teams that are to blame. If you're a high school kid playing ball on the streets and then after the sun goes down, you are forced to go back to your little, 2 bedroom apartment, hellya you're gonna take the dough and run if you're given the opportunity.
The teams see only black and white. Win & loss. Nothing else. At the end of the day, if I have a chance to go to Duke, earn a proper education for at least 2-3 yrs, I'd take it, but that's just me.
There is a 4th intangible, in my mind. Social skills. If you cannot socially adjust to the NBA atmosphere which caters to players from their early 20s to early 40s, then you've got a problem. That can be your Achilles heel, man. Look at Kobe—he goes to Colorado and bangs a chick in a matter of 1 night. That’s called socializing, man! [I had to take that shot! It was calling for me...]
I would rather not see high schoolers get drafted, but I blame GMs who keep on drafting them. Why not get paid if someone is willing to pay you.
You can teach a guy to shoot and defend, but you can't teach height and athleticism. Three factors that make the draft impossible is desire, intelligence, and maturity. Even 4 years of college may not give a player these three qualities.
Okafor should go first as he has the three intangibles and Detorit showed what you can do with a super athletic, slightly undersized center in the East. Okafor is better on offense than Ben Wallace to boot.
My thoughts of high school big men - who cares that they beat up on high schoolers. Howard, Smith, Swift, Wright, and Butler all look crazy, but they are men among boys in high school.
The mystery guy is Andris Biedrins. He dominated other high school all stars in a Vegas tournament. Averaged a triple-double making the American guys look silly.
Guards from high school usually have skills that translate well to the NBA; court vision, speed, and ball handling. Their skills need to be outstanding otherwise they won't be worth the pick. McGrady left the team that drafted him, Deshawn Stevenson still doesn't start, and Leon Smith went crazy.
But it is all hype, chances are you can flip a coin to see if any of these guys will be in the league in five years.
People like Chris Duhon get cheated out of the first round when a PG with his defense could be a solid bench player for 10 years.