Links: Feeling a Draft
“You’re lucky I don’t…”
Well, it’s been about 18 hours since the NBA Draft Lottery, and to be honest with you, I still feel really good about it. Woke up this morning with a little pep in my step, even. And the Braves drilled the Mets last night. Just a good evening all the way around.
I had a fantasy last night as I was walking home from work that the Hawks were going to get the top pick, and I’d spend the next hour on my cell phone fielding calls from excited friends and well-wishers. But that didn’t happen. I did end up on the phone half the night, but the conversations were mostly like, OK, so what do we do now?
Before we get into the Draft itself, I suppose we should stop and consider Memphis, Boston and Milwaukee. The three worst teams in the NBA, yet none of them will get to Draft among the first three picks.
And you know what? Good. Milwaukee had the first pick two years ago and got them some Bogut. Boston is one of the winningest franchises in professional sports history, so they deserve a few decades of losing. And Memphis needs another year of being horrible so they can draft first in ‘08 and take Derrick Rose.
Memphis logo Jerry West was ticked after the Draft last night, saying…
“It’s about as disappointing as you could ever hope for. It’s like pitching pennies. It’s grossly unfair to the team, but I’ve said it before, I don’t think the lottery is fair. I never liked it. I don’t think it’s a good system at all, period.
“There have been a lot of picks in the lottery that have (failed). There are two in the lottery this year that are not going to fail. There are two superstars in the draft. I think for the teams fortunate enough to get them, the fortunes of their franchises have changed forever.
“This is not sour grapes, it is not. I didn’t expect we would get No. 1 or No. 2. I just don’t like it at all. No other sport does it this way.”
Hey Jerry, if the grapes look sour and the grapes taste sour, well then…
If I was a Memphis fan or a Boston fan, I’d probably be upset. (Although if I was a Boston fan I’d look up at all those championship banners and remember that my team has been unbelievably lucky for a very long time.) But it is what it is.
Everyone knew how the lottery worked going into it. The Celts and Grizz rather obviously tried to skew the lottery by losing as many games as they could. They messed with the bull, they got the horns. it doesn’t always work that way (remember Cleveland’s tankalicious pursuit of LeBron a few years ago), but that’s how it shook out yesterday.
As a Hawks fan, I’m both elated and terrified. Yes, I would have loved to have had the first pick overall, and the second pick would have been great as well, but considering that going in we had a very real chance of finishing the night without a pick at all, ending up with the 3 and the 11 is more than fine.
(And there’s something poetic about the fact that both times Dominique has represented the Hawks at the Draft Lottery, they’ve actually jumped ahead of their slot but both times ended up picking third. Pretty representative of Nique’s entire career. I also thought it was hilarious that Nique and his nemesis, Lenny Wilkens, ended up on that stage together for the entire night. For you whippersnappers out there, recall that during Nique’s best season, when the Hawks had the best record in the Eastern Conference, Lenny traded Nique for Danny Manning. To say that Nique has had beef with Lenny ever since then would be an understatement.)
Anyway, what happens now?
Let’s start with Portland. Oden would seem to be the move, since he’s a once-in-a-lifetime center. But they got the top center in last year’s Draft (LaMarcus Aldridge) and they have a pretty good power forward in Zach Randolph. Aldridge can’t play the 3 and neither can Zach. Do you move one of them and take Oden? Draft Durant and put him at the three? Draft Oden and tell Aldridge he has to be a back-up? Interesting situation they’re in.
And as for Seattle, Durant is basically a better Rashard Lewis, right? Do you let Lewis leave this summer in free agency and then wait a few years for Durant to adjust to the NBA, hoping he can do it fast enough for Ray Allen to still have something left?
As for Atlanta, well…
A few hours after the Draft I found myself thinking that surely Billy Knight would make two solid selections with the 3 and 11 picks. Then I immediately caught myself and thought, What am I thinking?
Being able to trust your team’s general manager is a very underrated luxury, maybe the best luxury for a fan to have in all of sports. I know because the Braves have John Schuerholz, and I have a complete and abiding faith in Schuerholz. He’s earned my faith. Conversely, Billy Knight has done nothing at all to make me believe in him. I don’t trust BK to make one good Draft pick, much less two good picks. I have no idea what he’ll do with these picks. I’ve heard he likes Julian Wright and Corey Brewer, and I like both of those guys. But third overall? And Mike Conley is good, but is he a third pick when you have a chance of still getting him (or Acie Law) at 11?
What would I do if I was the Hawks GM? Immediately get on the phone to Seattle. I’d offer them the 3 and the 11 and Seattle native Marvin Williams for the 2 slot. The Hawks were the youngest team in the NBA last season and the last thing we need are two more teenagers. Offer up that bounty to Seattle and see if they’ll bite. They could add three really good players. And after all, Lenny’s in charge — who knows what will happen?
98 Responses to “Links: Feeling a Draft”
May.23 at 2:07 pm
SwingMan says:
As a Suns fan Lang, I hope you end up taking Yi Jianlian with that #3 and end up choking on it….. Don’t EVER tell me about anymore Atlanta Hawks woes again.
May.23 at 2:11 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
@Swingman: Don’t worry, you still get our first rounder next year. And the Hawks still got plenty of woes.
May.23 at 2:15 pm
SwingMan says:
Yeah, the Suns will get the pick next year, but how the hell good is a mid-first rounder in a shallow 2008 draft actually going to be????? Phoenix gets screwed bad twice in one week. Yes, the Hawks are bad (at the moment), but at least they aren’t snakebit…..
May.23 at 2:22 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
If the Sonics can keep Rashard I could see them making that trade. If Rashard leaves they pretty much have to take Durant. They might be able to get some good value for Rashard in a sign and trade. If he leaves via free agency and they get Durant, they really won’t be that much different than this year.
May.23 at 2:22 pm
BigWalt206 says:
Oh god thats a scary proposition, I like it, but I would much rather have a can’t miss superstar. I’m hoping for a Rashard sign and trade to Jersey for JKidd after Vince leaves…perhaps throwing in Luke or Earl would help get the job done? But thats just crazy talk, right now I can’t believe how lucky we are to have that second pick.
The best thing about this is that Seattle (and Washington in general) is sooo fair-weather that this should actually get the arena deal done…eventually.
…and you gotta love BRoy’s face afters he realizes what just happened to his career…nice!
May.23 at 2:27 pm
Myung says:
Bitterness, thy name is Suns fan. Just look at the bright side. You guys still get our pick next year (which hopefully will be a mid to late first rounder…um…maybe mid is more realistic), AND you guys got Boris Diaw Version 2.0. We had Boris Diaw Version 1.0, which was filled with more errors and bugs than Windows Millenium. How much more bitter would you be if you inherited the same Boris Diaw that we traded you guys? Hey, Lang…any word on the Hawks uniforms and/or logo? I’ve got a friend who works with New Era, and rumor has it that changes are on the horizon? Since you’ve got way more contacts than me, I thought maybe you’d heard something. Usually they reveal new team logos and colors on Lottery night, but it looked like the same ‘ol same ‘ol to me. One last thing: I REALLY hope we trade our 3rd pick. I’d love to get Law at 11 and trade pick 3. Heck, since the Suns wanted our pick so much, how about you guys trade us Barbosa for pick 3 and any of our other PG’s (heck, take all of them). =)
May.23 at 2:28 pm
Allenp says:
Why can’t durant and Lewis play together? I know they would be small, but can you imagine the mismatches they would create at their size with their shooting abilities? If Lewis does leave, the Trailblazers should offer him a max deal. And Aldridge is better suited to playing the four in the league than he is as a five. He can make jumpers so he and Oden will be fine together.
May.23 at 2:32 pm
SwingMan says:
Myung, how much flowers and Pixie dust would you have after being kicked in the balls TWICE in one week????? Plus, have you seen Diaw lately? If you have, tell us where to send the search party. Dude came into camp wearing croissants in place of a heart….. Nope, because of this turn of events, I believe Marion is as good as gone.
May.23 at 2:34 pm
Detroit11 says:
I understand your thinking Lang, but that trade still would not fix the Hawks PG issues. Now, if you was to make the same offer to Seattle but had them include Earl Watson, then your talking.
May.23 at 2:42 pm
Darksaber says:
Lang, you read Bill Simmons, ya know “sports guy”, every once in a while don’t ya? You might want to call emergency services so they can check on him, since Boston didn’t get the any of the top 3 picks and all. He’s been ranting for months about how the only good thing to come out of the C’s season, was their record and the chance to grab one of the future superduper guys (Durant/Oden). Better hope Portland pulls a Sam Bowie in ‘07 Bill.
May.23 at 2:46 pm
Derms says:
I hope the Hawks trade the pick too. I am a fan and I just want some excitement and Durant and Joe would be exciting. Although they need s center and a point guard not a 3. I want them to get a legit pg, like Bibby maybe the Maloofs want to deal. Excited either way, and quite lucky to get both picks.
May.23 at 2:49 pm
Myung says:
Swingman, last time I saw Boris, he was getting off the ben…sorry, couldn’t resist. But really, I can’t say I can empathize with you guys (you, Aaron, other Suns fans) because you know, we’d have to know what it’s like to be an NBA Title contender to know that feeling. If I were a Suns fan, I admit I’d be pissed at the stupid rule (and honestly, at the players who broke said stupid rule) and I’d be pissed about not getting the Hawks pick next month, but just remember what it’s like for Lang, CoCo, me, and the 7 other Hawks fans in the world. I’d rather have a broken toilet in a mansion than a brand new TV in a trailer home (apologies to trailer home residents). Being bitter is natural after these last 2 weeks, but why are you guys so mad at the Hawks? As snakebitten as our team is, would it be too much to ask to let us have this very rare moment in the sun?
May.23 at 2:49 pm
Darksaber says:
May i add that my interest in this years playoffs PLUMMETED as soon as the teams in the conference finals were clear, like drop of that new platform thingy on the grand canyon kind of plummeting? Promising start with G-State emasculating the Nowitzkis, then the champs (yeah, i know) are too creaky to take on a faulty bulls lineup, hell even Mambiatch losing the whole “there is a Kobe in T.E.A.M” pretense and launching missiles against the suns was kinda interesting, then the main event. The matchup which made Stevey look like De la Hoya was supposed to look, now that was drama. Now? It’s freaking 2005 allover again. And this time i dislike the Spurs with a new passion. What an awesome development. 77 - 75 scores? really?
May.23 at 2:50 pm
joe says:
Its weird that as soon as that envelope opened (I knew it’d be ATL at 3) I immediately thought of Lang.
I feel like I should invite you to my wedding or something.
May.23 at 2:51 pm
Darksaber says:
Myung, you comparisons as usual, are top notch. Been too long since i read from the master of quips.
May.23 at 2:55 pm
Myung says:
Good point, Joe. But I think for every Linkstigator who thought of Lang last night, there are 100 people who thought of the expression on Bill Simmons’ face when we saw the Celtics logo at #5. Dude’s been talking about Durant since November.
May.23 at 2:55 pm
sixthman6 says:
Lang, what are the chances of Seattle and Portland swapping picks? Seattle desperately needs a center more than anything right now, Portland can still get Durant and another player from Seattle, maybe unload Miles or Lafrentz..
May.23 at 2:57 pm
SwingMan says:
Myung, my anger at the Hawks comes from them tanking their asses off down the stretch….. That pick would’ve meant Noah in a Suns uni and the core of a title contender intact. Now, there’s no pick and we’ll end up getting rid of core salary (Marion) in an attempt to get paint help….. And, your Hawks are now getting rewarded for tanking. Great - just awesome…..
May.23 at 2:58 pm
Myung says:
Thanks, Darksaber. When it’s playoff time, that’s usually when I go into “shut up, Hawks fan, you have nothing to offer” mode. =)
May.23 at 2:58 pm
Cheryl says:
What about that same trade to Philly for Andre Miller and their #12 and 21? Then pick Acie or Conley (whoever’s there at 21) and you have a PG and back-up.
May.23 at 2:59 pm
Myung says:
Swingman, I wrote antoher Suns fan about “tanking” at the tail end of Lang’s Live notes last night (no need to re-post them here). It just makes no sense to me that you guys are singling out the Hawks as tankers. First of all, I don’t believe they tanked, but secondly, if they were being rewarded for tanking, wouldn’t the other 3 teams who tanked “harder” have been rewarded just as richly? And let’s be honest, if the Suns were the recipient of the 4th pick, you’d be thankful for the Hawks so-called “tanking.” So you’re mad that we get to keep our 3rd pick (because we “tanked”), but you’d be more than happy to take our 4th pick (because you deserve it somehow). Huh?
May.23 at 3:04 pm
Darksaber says:
Sports guy is probably booked for the next space mission to that bizarro earth they found a few weeks ago. This celtics situation just ended his raison d’ètre.
May.23 at 3:04 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I can’t even care enough about TSG to be glad he’s suffering.
And yeah, Jerry West complaining about tough luck in the Draft. Considering his Lakers drafted James Worthy onto a team that already had Magic and Kareem, and then essentially traded Kobe straight up for Vlade Divac, fairness seems like a dubious thing to question.
May.23 at 3:06 pm
what says:
The Hawks didn’t tank. Joe Johnson was playing 40 minutes a night before he got injured. Josh Smith was playing out of his mind after the All-Star break. If the Hawks wanted to tank they would have limited his minutes. Nowhere near the tank jobs by Boston and to a lesser extent Memphis.
May.23 at 3:07 pm
SwingMan says:
Myung, I’m well aware that the Bucks, Celtics and Grizzlies, along with Indiana and Minnesota, tanked as well. BUT, unlike the Hawks, they DIDN’T get rewarded and a Suns pick wasn’t hanging in the balance….. And don’t play the BS semantics game here. Everyone in the whole damn world knows that Atlanta tanked to keep their pick from falling into the Suns hands.
May.23 at 3:08 pm
Jack says:
I think there’s gonna be a few trades like. A lot of people are saying that Atlanta could trade down the draft, to like, 5 or 6, and get Conley then. Whoever gets Durant or Oden shouldn’t trade though. If I’m Seattle and Portland get Oden, I’d lose Lewis and try and build something to help out Ray and Kevin. They have a lot of weaknesses though. Where does everyone think Durant will play though? He said he thinks he’ll be a 3/4. I dunno but I think he’ll not be a 4 much until he puts on some weight.
May.23 at 3:16 pm
Myung says:
You’re right, Swingman. Absolutely. What else is there for me to say?
May.23 at 3:20 pm
Cheryl says:
Corey Brewer and Al Horford are a bit more ready than Durant and Oden. Both of those guys will get “unrattled” by vets. Seattle’s immediate future is a few more lotteries. Portland on the other hand, whether Greg is back-up or starter, is contending for the 8th spot next year.
May.23 at 3:43 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Swingman - I think that the Griz, Celtics and Bucks proved that tanking your season doesn’t guarantee anything. Your argument makes no sense.
May.23 at 3:53 pm
SwingMan says:
Reeves, did you even read my posts? What I’m angry at is that the Hawks got rewarded for tanking - and it screwed the Suns in the process….. Tanking, IMO, is a direct slap in the face to all the other teams that try to win.
May.23 at 3:57 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
@Myung: Thought they were going to debut the new Hawks logo last night but they didn’t. I’ve actually got the new Hawks draft cap (with the new logo) sitting on my desk, but I’m not supposed to have it and I’m not supposed to talk about it. If you bump into me the new few weeks you might see it. No more yellow.
@swingman: Take it from me, the Hawks didn’t tank, they just weren’t very good. I was begging for the Hawks to tank and they wouldn’t do it.
May.23 at 3:58 pm
Bigi says:
Milan leeds 1-0…C’mon Liverpool,we can beat this team!!!
May.23 at 3:58 pm
Omar says:
I’ma keep it 100. Portland is more corny than Mazola. That’s word to everything. Seattle is so lame that i’d rather watch the Utah Jazz play the Charlotte Bobcats 5 games in a row than watch one quarter of Seattle basketball. The first two picks shoulda gone to Chicago and Philly. Bring some beasts back to the east. Like Jay once said - “Too much west coast d*ck lickin’!”
May.23 at 4:03 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
I think the Hawks need to trade for Mike Bibby and Matt Barnes, filling the need of a PG and continuing the domination of the 6′7″ swingman market.
May.23 at 4:19 pm
Myung says:
Good thought, Simmy, but I’m thinking the most important trade we could make is: Mike Woodson and our #3 pick for Jerry Sloan. Straight up. Re: the new logo, good lookin’ out, Lang. I’m excited. I’d love for us to have a BLACK uniform. Maybe it’ll happen?
May.23 at 4:28 pm
Paul says:
Hey SwingMan, thanks for speaking up for us. Phxsuns.net Represent! This has been like the worst two weeks EVER for Suns fans. If I ever see David Stern in public, I will punch him. Seriously.
May.23 at 4:30 pm
ForzaMilan says:
They’re being democratic, but no way do Portland pick Durant over Oden. Too many stupid decisions in the past, too much precedent. Anyway, anyone notice Milan ~ Spurs? Edit: Pippo ~ Horry? 2-0, 85 minutes in!
May.23 at 4:35 pm
Myung says:
David Stern frowns upon all this palaver.
May.23 at 4:41 pm
Bigi says:
Milan is the Champ…2-1…Freddie Mercury is turnin’ in his grave.
May.23 at 4:49 pm
dpak says:
They should take Yi JianLian or Joakim Noah.
May.23 at 4:54 pm
ForzaMilan says:
The Celtics’ situation is horrible by the way. Pierce is great, and they seem to be oozing potential, but…not enough. not enough of everything. I think they ought to blow this up, at least partially, one more time just to cleanse a little of the bad energy that has built up in and around the current squad. May I suggest making a run for a few guys of obvious talent but are considered injury risks, or have built a bad rep and therefore are good bargains? Grant Hill, Lamar Odom? Kirilenko, Tinsley? Ilgauskas, Kenyon Martin? They could shine in Boston. Forza, Forza. Happy, happy day.
May.23 at 4:55 pm
Darksaber says:
Bigi, Maldini just hoisted the cup. Efficient, efficient stuff by the Milanese. Reminds me of the spurs, never rattled, never shaken nor stirred. Just getting the job done. Congrats to my man Seedorf for being the first playa to win 4 champions league titles. Word
May.23 at 5:22 pm
ALX8725 says:
Paul Pierce should get the hell out of Boston… ASAP.
May.23 at 5:24 pm
Steve O says:
As a C’s fan I was bummed when I saw we pulled the 5th pick. I’m not sure who they should draft or what we should do with the current roster. All I know is P-Double isn’t getting any younger and we need a lot of things. @Lang- Decades of losing? god I hope not, remember we had to wait almost a century in baseball I think that more than makes up for our past basketball triumphs.
May.23 at 5:26 pm
Co Co says:
The new Hawks colors are red white and blue. Billy Knight said he didnt even watch the draft last night cuz he was out walking his dog. He’s such a smug a**! Before that he had the nerve to say that he wasn’t sure how the players were going to fall. Bull**** We basically have the first pick in the second draft. The Oden/ Durant draft is over, they are 1 and 2. He’s going to take a swingman or 2 and I’m going to take a shot immediately after.
May.23 at 5:36 pm
Tim Dogg says:
Everyone who is angry about teams tanking needs to realize that this is the whole reason the lottery was created — to keep teams from intentionally cashing in the season. If anything, I think that this lottery proves that the system works….
The tankers were not rewarded for their ethically dubious actions. My Blazers were rewarded for a successful Phase I makeover of a nearly-ruined franchise. Maybe there is such a thing as karma……
May.23 at 5:40 pm
Myung says:
Red, white, and blue. Drastic change. As a sneakerhead, I’m interested to see what special Jordan PE’s Joe will be wearing next season and what GR Jordan’s Josh Childress will be buying from stores. Poor dude can’t latch onto Jordan Brand to save his life.
May.23 at 5:48 pm
Ltrain says:
Oh yeah the celtics totally deserve this for being champions. We deserve our players dying. We deserve Pitino. We deserve M.L. We deserve the Joe Johnson debacle. We deserve the Duncan. Go f#@$ yourself Lang. I don’t know when this bitterness snuck into your writing but its been creeping in for a while. People’s teams got #$@ked? You say good. You write a whole column about people bitching too much. It used to be a pleasure to read your stuff. Now its cool about half the time. I’m happy for the hawks. They deserve it. But your Schadenfreude towards other teams needs to stop. I don’t know what sparked it. People feel nothing but bad for your team. You don’t think Memphis fans look at your playoff appearances and feel the same way you feel about our Championship banners. I still hope the Hawks draft well, but you definitely took some of my passion for the Hawks out of the equation with your negative attitude.
May.23 at 5:52 pm
Ltrain says:
Oh and don’t forget the Roy-Telfair trade, the Vin Baker trade and the fact that we don’t have a pro scout. So celtics fan somehow deserve to watch these morons run our team, these idiots who EXTEND DOC RIVERS! Because our parents got to watch championships? @#$k that.
May.23 at 5:57 pm
ben says:
sonics better get durant ray rashaed and durant would dominate
May.23 at 6:03 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
@Ltrain: I feel your frustration. But there’s a HUGE difference between playoff appearances and championships. The Hawks have made Playoff appearances, but understand that since I’ve been alive they’ve never even played in a Conference Finals. That’s a long, long, long, long time of following a team that just isn’t good enough to compete with the best teams. I know I said the Celts “deserve” a few decades of losing, but remember I also said, “If I was a Memphis fan or a Boston fan, I’d probably be upset. (Although if I was a Boston fan I’d look up at all those championship banners and remember that my team has been unbelievably lucky for a very long time.)” I understand your anger. I’d be angry, too. And if you’re only going to read half my columns, just make sure it’s the good columns.
May.23 at 6:05 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Sheesh. Lots of complaining in here. Didn’t Lang outlaw that? I kid. Anyway, I don’t think the five pick this year is THAT bad. Can Danny Ainge mess it up? Of course. But I still think future All-Stars will be around deep into this draft. This is why it’s for the best not to get a sense of entitlement before the lottery. One question, too: Why did the Blazers No. 1 jersey say “TRAIL BLAZERS” on the back. Didn’t it already say “BLAZERS” on the front? If they were getting the thing stitched up to begin with, it should have said “DURODEN.” Or “RIDER.”
May.23 at 6:06 pm
Co Co says:
LTrain, all sports writers no matter what level you they are writing on are fans of someone. That’s just the way it is. You can’t help but let your bias come out from time to time. It’s easier to be objective about teams that you didn’t grow up rooting for, but we tend to look at our favorite teams thru rose colored glasses. I think had Danny Ainge not been so blatantly obvious with his underhandedness (sitting next to Durant’s mom) we wouldn’t be sitting here making fun of the Celtics.
May.23 at 6:07 pm
Tariq says:
Milan v Liverpool was so boring I almost starting readin Ryan’s Bron book. (kidding)
May.23 at 6:08 pm
whooo! says:
once in a lifetime center?
May.23 at 6:11 pm
Nadav Mor says:
At least Bill Simmons isnt crying about the Celtics…
May.23 at 6:13 pm
Ltrain says:
Touche to all those who responded. Good points all around. Just give me green or horford and Ill pretend like we got 3. God help Ainge if he takes Yi.
May.23 at 6:19 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
It’s weird how many of the Celtics draft woes have revolved around ACC players. Not getting Duncan. Bias dying. Picking Joe Forte ahead of…well, anyone else. In other words, don’t take Brandan Wright. Bad things, man.
May.23 at 6:21 pm
Co Co says:
Bad things for Brandan.
May.23 at 6:37 pm
seppo says:
The third pick isn´t much better than the fifth or the eighth, cause who knows how players like Brewer, Conley, Wright or Horford will turn out. No way the Blazers are keeping Randolph. He just doesn´t fit into their plans because he needs a lot of touches and doesn´t create for others. If I were Lang I would be depressed because the Hawks didn´t get number 2. 1 and 2, that´s all that matters this year, really. But like Billy Knight said: You shouldn´t worry about things that could have been.
May.23 at 6:38 pm
Ltrain says:
Chibbs (GT) for chauncey
May.23 at 6:42 pm
Ltrain says:
Call me crazy but I have a real, real hard time not seeing Horford be at least a good to very good NBA player.
May.23 at 6:54 pm
Candice says:
The NorthWest division should be exciting this season.
May.23 at 6:59 pm
Cheryl says:
Ltrain, DWade was picked #5 and he has a ring already. Keep your head up, dude.
May.23 at 7:16 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
There are parallels to that draft. LeBron = Oden. Durant = Melo. Yi = Darko. And I can totally see Brewer as Wade and Horford/Noah as Bosh. Maybe.
May.23 at 7:47 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I miss Chibbs. His career sure had a lot of lumps in the road.
May.23 at 7:52 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
No one ever said it would be a cheese plate.
May.23 at 7:59 pm
Donn says:
I was rooting so hard for the Bulls to get the top two spot just to see what Knick fans reaction was going to be. Seriously, that scenario could have given birth to an epic meltdown and Isaiah joining the witness protection program. Anyways, the West just got stronger and the East will continue to suck. Celtic fans reaction was priceless. Seriously, outside of the Warriors, the draft last nite was the most exciting part of the post season.
May.23 at 8:06 pm
jonny says:
Yi = darko and noah = bosh? Yi will not be that bad, and noah will not be that good. Don’t you at least need some offensive skill to be compared to bosh? That’s as far as I’m going to go with draft predictions. Everyone thinks they know who’s going to flop and who’s going to be the star.. unfortunately it’s not that simple, and only time will tell. anyone who thinks otherwise is just fooling themselves.
May.23 at 8:14 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Those were meant as loose comparisons as to how the guys are viewed as prospects.
May.23 at 8:45 pm
Nico says:
I don’t want portland to trade the #1 pick. There is only one player on the Seattle Roster that they want (Rashard Lewis) and they can obtain him without giving up the # pick, i.e. Zach Randolph. I say the blazers draft Oden, trade Zbo for a all-star gaurd/forward (like Lewis) and move Aldridge to the 4. Ah yes… I can see it now…
May.23 at 9:23 pm
El Boydelz says:
Love my Langz, but Seattle wouldn’t take that trade. In fact if you wanna talk crazy trades, Portland should offer up Zee-bo and L.A. for the second pick and whatever duds the Sonics want to part with for the second pick. Oden AND Durrant to the (j)Blazers . How cool would that be. Hawks should take Wright and whoevers best at the 11 and shop for a PG. aason Kidd would be awesome lobbing to the young legs, but I’m sure he’d have none of it. I don’t think Bibby is the answer, perhaps Brev Knight (okay he’s not the answer either)?!? I too miss Chibbs, I have a game from G. Tech on tape where he scores 30 I often watch. It’s like an And 1 vid at times.
May.23 at 10:44 pm
David Hall says:
Lang–
so glad to see your thoughts. I can’t wait to see just how wrong the draft goes for the Hawks. I attended a win over the Celtics late this season and was appalled at: a)the number of fans who showed for the Hawks b)performance of all players involved and c)the fact I couldn’t find you in the stands–living in New York makes that difficult, I suppose. I might actually watch the Hawks night in/night out if they would get a better GM. Billy Knight makes me sick; Schuerholtz is the bomb. Hope all’s well with NYC. Go Braves. By the way, the Davies victory on Tuesday was all that and more in person. Can’t remember the last 3 run HR I saw by a pitcher for the Braves.
May.23 at 10:48 pm
Simon Fuller says:
Anyone ever thought that the Hawks might want to chill on the new uniforms every three years (an underrated aspect of what a joke frnachise they’ve become)? I’ve been watching the NBA for about 15 years and the Hawks have had four completely different uniforms in that time (now five). I remember getting a Hawks jersey because I liked Dominique and then being heart broken because they changed their uniforms the next season. And Myung, I can also remember the last time the Hawks wore black uniforms and they were up there with the Rockets old threads and possibly the old Jazz numbers for the worst uniforms in NBA history. I still don’t get the Simmons hate…I’m sure he can’t sleep at night knowing that Ryan Jones doesn’t care about him.
May.23 at 11:36 pm
Myung says:
If you’re referring to the black ones worn by Laettner, Deke, and Mookie mid 90’s, I agree fully; they were among the nastiest uniforms ever (the ones that “blended” the shorts and tops). Ugh. I was actually thinking of the short lived black alternates (right when the NBA started the 3rd jersey trend in the early 90’s). Dominique wore it in his last (sigh) season as a Hawk. I think that particular black alternate lasted maybe 2 seasons, but they were pretty fresh. Mookie and Steve Smith made them look good. Jon Koncak? Hmm. Not so much. On the topic of worst uniforms of all time, I put my vote in for the mid 90’s (think Sura and Kemp) Cavs uniforms in for the SLAM 100 survey. Could you imagine LBJ rockin that uniform 5 years from now for a Hardwood Classics night? Yikes.
May.24 at 12:19 am
luckyluciano says:
Everyone should stop hating on Boston. Its as if all of u think it comes down to luck or karma, but its not, its a team with determination and dedication to the sport that wins champion rings. Boston have never won a great draft pick in ages but they’re still competitive and that can only be attributed to the hard working Celtics staff.. thats why the Celtics have been so successful, not lucky. so feel sorry for
boston u giant slappers.
May.24 at 1:06 am
tike says:
im not really like the oregon squads getting 1 and 2…i really dnt want to see Durant in a supersonics jersey nor a hawks one…lang face it the hawks stink!
May.24 at 1:18 am
Simon Fuller says:
Ahh, ok, I’m with you now Myung. Agreed, I really liked that design, I thought the reds, whites and blacks were all pretty sweet. And while I agree that Boston has had it’s share of bad luck over the past 20 years, they have also got lucky. They were very lucky to get their two most recognisable stars in the past 15 years on draft day: Antoine (a draft day deal for Samaki Walker and Eric Montross) and Pierce (inexplicably fell to #10, when everyone knew he would be great).
May.24 at 1:30 am
j. ellen says:
Ugh. I want to throw my voice in there as a Suns’ fan. I’m dissapointed for sure we didn’t get the pick but why be mad at the Hawks for getting lucky? Hello, the Suns are one of the best teams in the league, if we would have gotten that pick it would have been almost disgusting…not that I would have minded. Wouldn’t have minded at all. So it’s disappointing for sure, but Suns’ fans are still probably the luckiest fans in the NBA, when all is said and done. Any Suns’ fan not able to understand all we have to be grateful for should check themselves, cuz you’re gettin’ truly greedy. Seriously, it’s not like the *Spurs* got the pick. Don’t hate the Hawks.
May.24 at 1:45 am
The Real Mongoose says:
if portland offered zach randolph for the 3 pick, would the hawks take it? Conley and oden could end up together
May.24 at 3:26 am
James says:
So if Billy Knight likes Wright and Brewer, thats YET ANOTHER small forward? How many can the Hawks stockpile?
May.24 at 5:21 am
Hersey says:
There was no lottery when the Lakers got Worthy after a championship and that trade with Cleveland was made two seasons prior. That hasn’t nothing to do with fairness, it’s fantastic luck. I listened to an interview with West during the season where he said he didn’t trust the lottery and he felt it was unfair. That Memphis team is in trouble and they really could have used a star. As far as the Suns not getting the ATL pick this year, it kinda sux but it’s not crushing. It would have helped figure out the salary situation with cheapo Sarver fully taking over but hey it’ll be a bonus next year. I really hope Knight takes two more small forwards to help them improve in the bEastern Conference.
May.24 at 6:22 am
Scott says:
“Noone ever said it would be a cheese plate” is going to be my phrase of the week now!
May.24 at 8:33 am
K22C says:
I actually like Acie Law with the 11th pick and I think that if BK was to trade with the sonics he could trade marvin and the 3rd pick for the 2nd pick, and they could still get Law
May.24 at 8:34 am
Ryan Jones says:
As long as you bought it, Tariq. And boring or not, at least the right team lost.
May.24 at 10:42 am
K22C says:
Conley is not the best point guard in the draft this year. His team made the finals. Conley also had a lot of players around him. Acie Law is the best PG in the draft this year and will be the better player in the NBA.
May.24 at 10:44 am
K22C says:
-@Lang- There are no LINKS in LINKS.
May.24 at 1:28 pm
k.o. says:
Hey Lang, whats the deal with your SI article this week???
May.24 at 1:33 pm
Redrum says:
If anyone changes the lottery format I am going to strap on my self 30kgs of TNT and blow up in the London Tube… seriously… whoever though of this weighting thing is a genius… The tanking teams (especially the Cs…) did not get a top 3 pick.. AMAZING!!! I was watching Ainge’s interview on espn.com and was laughing my arse off!! And if they pick the Chinese guy… seriously… call 911, I am dying!
May.24 at 1:59 pm
jonny says:
Redrum: A chinese guy playing basketball and picked in the lottery? These GMs and scouts are IDIOTS. You would think they would learn from the last time they did that. An NBA team should hire you as a scout because you’re a GENIUS. Personally I would love to hear more of your player predictions, as I’m sure they’ll be spot on.
May.24 at 4:08 pm
Joe says:
Lang,
Shouldn’t you make the picture with Wilkins and Wilkens (sounds like a law firm)a caption this contest?
Joe
May.24 at 8:37 pm
Wil says:
ODEN ODEN! If Portland takes anyone but ODEN they should booed off the planet. Durant is nice, but ODEN is a true center. Someone that will solidify the center position for the next decade. With ODEN the Blazers are a playoff team and will be playing for a championship in 3 to 5 years!! ODEN ODEN!
May.24 at 9:55 pm
whooo! says:
the draft can provide you with the franchise player, but management also has to work to surround him w/ talent. utah has okur, ak47, boozer, and millsap. williams was the only lottery pick that actually matters on that team. teams turn it around w/ free agents & trades, while superstars like iverson and garnett can end up stranded alone.
May.24 at 11:15 pm
Young Chris #3 says:
Kenny Anderson’s career seemed like it was back on track after the Celtics got to the Eastern Conference Finals in ‘02. Then he got traded for Vin Baker (That really irked me!) and he fell off hard.
May.25 at 4:31 pm
galo says:
the Sixers got 14th if i’m not mistaken. Not so far away from where it was supposed to be. But still, we have 3 or 4 picks (2 or 3 first rounders, if i’m not mistaken, and 1 second rounder). Couldnt they just trade them for smth better than 14th? we need a power foward worth something,
May.26 at 3:28 am
Russ Bengtson says:
Who had less success after the Manning trade, Dominique or Lenny? They both sort of went downhill in a hurry, huh?
May.26 at 2:46 pm
bobbo says:
I saw Durant smile just a little during the Team USA interviews. I thought I saw the future of the NBA in those pearly whites. That kid has a personality. He has smarts…3.5 cum at UT. And oh yeah, he can play just a little at the position that produces the league’s superstars. Any team that considered trading him, particularly a team who has had trouble getting an arena deal, would be crazy, crazy. As for Atlanta, good luck. The third pick is going to be very hard. Hawks dont need no PF. They are desperate for a PG. Myself, I would either take Conley and say a prayer or take Julian Wright or Corey Brewer. Yi? He wouldn’t play for the Hawks. Wright and Brewer can do a lot of things very very well.
May.27 at 11:04 pm
Ceballos says:
Hawks fans 4 life and that is why I like reading your articles because u r a true Hawks fan and like myself have endured this losing franchise 4 2 long. If Billy Knight can somehow figure it out this time we can make a run at the playoffs next season. I think we already sent a couple of people packin this offseason so we should see how our roster shapes up soon. I’m hoping 4 a trade w/Portland 4 Jarrett Jack and L. Aldridge or just see if we could get S. Telfair thru free agency and w/our 2 picks take 2 Gators.