- Anthony Davis and his fantastic unibrow will be the top pick. No surprise there. The question we have to ask after tonight is whether or not he can live up to the hype. Some people have said he will be on par with some of the all-time greats, like Bill Russell and Kareem-Abdul Jabar. I think that is asking a lot. If he can be closer to Marcus Camby with a better all around game, he'll make the Hornets a contender in the West.
- All the drama begins after Davis is drafted. Michael Jordan, the best NBA player and the worst NBA owner/executive, holds all the cards. The real question is whether or not he will use his Get Out of Jail Free card and trade out. ESPN is reporting that the Bobcats have at least 5 offers for the #2 pick. The thought is that teams covet Florida 2-guard Brad Beal, who is being compared to a young Ray Allen. Being a Wizards fan (its a tough thing to be...), I am hoping Beal is still there at pick #3 because he fits in with our starting rotation. If the Bobcats decide to trade out, it could be the start of a flurry of lottery teams trading back in a draft that is deep, but lacking superstar potential.
- Some players I love in this draft? Brad Beal is at the top of the list, of course, because I think he is the best shooter in the draft and I want the Wizards to get him. I think the only other player with true superstar ability and a drive to succeed is Dion Waiters of my Syracuse Orange. The comparisons to Dwanye Wade are high praise, indeed, and somewhat accurate. He is able to get to the basket at will, is a pretty good size for a combo guard, and provides instant spark to any offense. He was Cuse's best player this season, on a team that went to the Elite 8. Sure, I am biased towards him, but I think he can meet everyone's expectations if he lands on the right team.
After those guys, I love the depth at the Center position. There are some true 5's in this draft, with Andre Drummond, Myers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, Fab Melo and Festus Ezeli all probably 1st Round picks. Drummond is the biggest question mark, as he never seemed to dominate (or care) at UConn. He could be the next Dwight Howard. He could also be the next Kwame Brown.
Zeller is the most polished of the group, having played the most in college at a consistently high level. Leonard is a huge specimen with a soft shooting touch that still needs to develop a mid-range game that many great centers have. Ezeli's a strong, tough player who will get you plenty of rebounds but needs polish on the offense side of the floor. He also has a freakish 7'6 wingspan, and would fit in wonderfully on a team that needs a chippy, roleplaying 5 over a go to scorer. Think the Miami Heat. Finally, there is Fab... Oh Fab. We have a serious love/hate relationship. I loved you when you decided to play at Cuse this year, and I hate that you got suspended and cost us a real shot at a national title. I would really love it if he ended up on the Celtics, just so Bill Simmons would have to write about him every week. He is a great defender, can rebound, and has an evolving offensive game. He just needs to care enough to become great. He didn't care at Cuse, he might in the NBA.
- There are three guys I don't like in this draft. It isn't their fault, because they are all solid college players. I just don't think they translate into stars in the NBA. The first is Kansas' Thomas Robinson. By all accounts, he is the best person in the draft hands down. But he is an undersized power forward that was great in the NCAAs. That screams Sean May to me. However, I have more faith in Robinson than I did May, plus Thomas has a better mid-range game. I don't see him being a star, and do you really want to draft a role-player at the #2 pick? He can be a wonderful support guy, but he isn't a franchise-changer like Davis.
Next is Jared Sullinger. He was the national player of the year two seasons ago. He was fantastic, and he decided to stay in school instead of declare. It cost him about 20 spots in the draft because he wasn't as good last season, and team physicals have shown he will have back issues. He is a high risk player, and that should drop him into the late 1st round. That being said, he has as much polish on the low post as anyone in the draft, and could contribute to a team if he stays healthy.
Finally, there is Austin Rivers of Duke. I don't like it when a high school kid goes to one of the most storied programs in NCAA history and pretends to be bigger than the school. Somehow, Rivers managed to do this. Maybe it is because he has been around the NBA his whole life. You would think that being a coach's son might make him a bit more humble. Instead, he is distastefully cocky, didn't do enough to impress me in some of the biggest games of the season, and doesn't have the humility that will help him push through adversity. I think he will be a bane to any locker room he is in, which will poison his potential.
Tonight will be a great night for 60 young men, who get to realize their dream of becoming NBA players. While not all will succeed, we should see some guys from this draft still thriving in 10 years. I am looking forward to watching their journey start tonight at 7:30. Enjoy the Draft.
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