Sunday, June 27, 2004

Post-NBA Draft Jitters

A few words on the NBA draft:

1. Orlando is stupid. Okafor can come to play. His game only got better by the year at UConn and he is going to work the glass and the D, what else could you ask for from a big man? Charlotte couldn't be happier though.

2. The Celtics finally drafted some size and were hoping and praying that Sergei Monya would fall to 24. They got size in the form of a high schooler. I'm not pleased that he is "raw" or has "upside". But size is good. I know nothing about this kid other than the fact that he can dominate a team of 6'4" and under white kids. Yeesh. As for drafting more small guards, I hope Ainge has a plan to trade something. And will he give up on Marcus Banks too soon? That said, I like both West and Allen, but not for the Celtics. They don't have much need for players like this. Maybe they can trade them for Shaq. And as a final Celtics draft note, thank you Seattle for taking this years big-white stiff Robert Swift. I guess he wasn't going to fall to the Celtics anyway, but still. The idea of Swift in Boston was not an appealling one. They should just go sign Ostertag if they want to realize the upside of Swift. None of my wish list players landed in the Celtics hands. Also, I'm not sure if this draft really helps them avoid the lottery next year.

3. The Bulls. They did right. Jamal Crawford, the door is that way. Ben Gordon, welcome to what will hopefully be one of the best backcourts in the NBA for the next decade. Just don't go riding any motorcycles. And I love the Deng pick. I think people were a little harsh on him the way Tayshaun was ripped coming out of college, but I think Deng could play. He was pretty dominant during just one year at Duke.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Expansion Draft Fears Realized

A'yup. Brandon got his walking papers. It wasn't unexpected, but I am dissapointed. This kid would not be a star, but I think he brought a lot to the table. It's a shame he got lost. I thought maybe Charlotte would want Chucky and his veteran leadership, but they clearly were not trying to take on salary. They took a ton of restricted free agents that they now do not have to sign. Smart move. Maybe Ainge could learn something from Bickerstaff et al.

NBA trades

Tmac in Houston? I'm not so sure if that's the move Van Gundy wants. Tmac is not a playmaker, he is a ball hog. Sure he can drop 40 and look flashy doing it, but where are the wins? Remember when he said it sure felt nice to be in the second round against the Pistons and then lost three straight games? I don't like this move at all. Except from the standpoint that it gets rid of Stevie Franchise and Cat Mobley who turnover and dominate the ball too much to let Yao run wild. I was thinking Houston could parlay their backcourt for a solid PG and maybe a higher draft pick to help get them a respectable 4. We'll see. And from Orlando's perspective, this makes no sense. Getting SF and Cat does make them a lock to make the playoffs in the east (especially when combined with Okafor) but it doesn't seem like the right direction for them. Though, with all their recent ineptitude, the playoffs will be the right direction. The whole trade could be made moot if Charlotte takes Juwan Howard or Kelvin Cato in the expansion draft tonight, but that is highly unlikely.

At the very least, this will make the next month of NBA news very, very exciting. Oh, the expansion draft drops tonight at 7pm on NBATV (I know you don't have it). They've also been showing old drafts, today their going from 1981 to 1986. And yes, I thought about calling in sick today. And yes, that is wrong.

Monday, June 21, 2004

Celtics Expansion Draft

Chad Ford from ESPN.com reports that Brandon Hunter has been left unprotected for tomorrows expansion draft. I'm not sure if I see the logic in letting a young, inexpensive bruiser depart for nothing in return. Hunter showed a knack for rebounding during the season and toughness as he refused to back down to J. O'Neal in the playoffs. He just took O'Neal down for trying chippy shit under the glass, as he should have. This kid doesn't have much offense, but someone that can work the glass like him should be kept and polished. It's tough to find heart, hussle, and energy guys and they're important. Just ask the Detroit Pistons about that.

Friday, June 18, 2004

Throwing the baby out with the bath water

Apparently a number of players have withdrawn their names from the NBA draft. Looks like Ainge's strategy of stockpiling late first round picks is blowing up in his face. At least Krispy Kreme Krause waited until after he had the rings to screw everything up. But I'll try to be optimistic about this.