2010 NBA Draft Sleepers

Today, as far as I am concerned, is the beginning of a new season in the NBA. New rookies will replace the old ones, free agency and trades will mix the teams up some more, and the NBA landscape will be a completely different one than it was a week ago. In fact, besides the actual start of the season, the draft is one of the most exciting times of the NBA year. Yes I sound like a basketball junkie, but the NBA Draft doesn't come without its fair share of idiocy. It happens every draft in every sport. There's always this overwhelming hype that surrounds the act of picking a new player for a squad. That said, I'm kind of tired of it. Every year, basketball pundits talk about the top 10 picks in the draft like they'll be the best in the NBA 4 years from now, when that's almost never the case. As a matter of fact, I've yet to see a draft (other than 2003) that had dope players from 1 through 5. This year, we're going to take a look at the talent outside of the lottery picks, because while this is a mediocre year, there are some gems hidden in the draft pool. Check this year's sleepers out...

Paul George

This kid is NICE. I tried to find an NBA comparison to put with Pauly, and all I could come up with is a slightly less athletic version of T-Mac (pre-Houston). George just looks like he belongs on a basketball court, swooping in and scoring on you effortlessly. In fact, I'd say that Paul George might very well be the best player out of this draft in 5 years. I'm dead serious. He's got inhuman length and is a solid defender, though he needs to add some muscle (what NBA prospect doesn't nowadays?). Other than that, and a tendency to goof around more than Max at a Powerline concert, Paul George has All-Star written on his forehead...

Craig Brackins

Ten years ago, Craig Brackins would've been a top-10 pick. I say that to show that the NBA, and basketball are cyclical. Ten years ago, the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett & Dirk Nowitzki were the 'in' thing: big men who could play the guards game, but still bang around in the post. Now that those guys are in the twilights (the end for Sheed) of their careers, it's the big men like Dwight Howard, A'mare Stoudemire & Al Jefferson in the limelight. The latter of these two groups are the bruisers, the big men whose livelihood is in the paint, and that's it. It's for that reason Craig Brackins is going to be a good look in the NBA. He has a touch from 15-20 feet out that I haven't seen from a young big man since Dirk stepped onto the court with the bucks. Add to that the perfect size for an NBA power forward and solid footwork, and you've got your starter for the next 8 years...

Jordan Crawford

Jordan Crawford, Jordan Crawford... OHHHHHHH!!! You mean the Jordan Crawford that dunked on LeBron James, Jordan Crawford?? Yes, that Jordan Crawford. In addition to having a lot of fame on the internets for a certain video that Nike didn't want to be released, Crawford was a scoring machine in his lone year at Xavier. He averaged 20 ppg during the season and almost 30 during the tournament. I'd liken him to another Crawford (Jamal), with a less developed handle. Nonetheless, Jordan is a natural scorer who can come on to any team and provide instant offense. I just like watching him shoot. The form and elevation on his jumper are some of the best I've seen in this draft class. Doesn't hurt to have a dunk on LeBron on your resume before the NBA, either (then again, how many people can even say they've done that?)...

Dear Washington Wizards

The end of an era...

via The New York Times:

The machine that swirls the Ping-Pong balls does not have a conscience or sympathy, just a rush of air and a low hum. Occasionally, however, a little karma seeps out when the motor starts for the N.B.A. draft lottery.

The Washington Wizards, who endured the most chaotic and controversy-filled season in their history, were rewarded for their suffering Tuesday night, when the balls delivered them the No. 1 pick in the draft — and the chance to draft the Kentucky point guard John Wall.

“Obviously, we needed something like this,” Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards’ team president, said. “It gives the franchise hope.”

Perhaps no team needed it more. Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards’ franchise player, served a 50-game suspension for felony gun possession after a locker-room confrontation with a teammate. They traded their two remaining stars, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, in mid-February, plunging them into a rebuilding effort after starting the season as a presumed playoff team.

It's been a long, long, looooooooooooong season for you guys. From thinking you were going to be a playoff team in the beginning of the year, to damn near having a 'shootout' (most people know the news blew it out of proportion), to unloading the three best (we later found out Andray Blatche was a player himself) players, to basically tanking for the rest of the season, you guys had one of the worst seasons in terms of publicity. Now, you guys lucked the hell out by nabbing the first pick in this year's draft, and by that virtue, the righ to the consensus #1 player, John Wall. I'm not going to lie, John Wall is impressive. He has superb athleticism, a natural feel for the game and an unmatched charisma on the court. Plus he has a really funny dance, which only comes around once in a blue moon. (where's Jamal Anderson with the Dirty Bird when you need him?. Even so, he might not be the right pick for you guys.

Check the dance and some highlights..


Everyone and their mom is saying that Wall is automatically the #1 pick. Somehow, I'm not convinced. Watching Evan Turner play the game is like watching Prince on a stage with a bunch of instruments: no matter how crazy he looks, he's always in control. Whereas John Wall tended to take plays off because he had a college all-star team with him, Turner really was the only player worth talking about on his Ohio State Buckeye team. Whereas John Wall is streaky and turnover prone (every good prospect is in college, really), Evan Turner was damn near perfect towards the end of games. Whereas we've seen just a year of John Wall at a higher level, we've seen Evan Turner grow every year into a DOMINANT player. The man was a triple-double machine, with amazing intangibles, a quiet lead-by-example style and the resolve of a brick wall (haha, nice little pun).



I guess the point I'm trying to make, Wizards, is that you shouldn't always believe the hype. Believe what you see. Believe the statistics, believe the intangibles, and your gut feelings. Who knows? In 10 years, we could be talking about just Wall, just Turner, or maybe even both. Drafting is such an inexact science, that I don't think I've seen anyone master. That said, it's just as easy to pick one over the other. But just think about your team. Do you really want another livewire, somewhat loose, inexperienced point guard, or a floor general. If there's one thing that you guys were missing, it was leadership. Evan Turner has a presence that belies his maturity. John Wall has a dance. I guess it's up to you guys. We sure as hell will be hearing about it a lot until June 24th...