NBA Draft 2014: Listen With a Grain of Salt
With all the predictions and rumors floating around, I feel like it is a little like NBA Christmas. Teams are looking to draft or make room for their next stud and those who fail, they go out on Boxing Day and pillage the leftovers.
I have heard in excess of twenty hours of draft previews over the last week and I with every sure statement I hear, I return to 2003. There were two huge blunders made that year which reminds me to never dig too deep into the hype.
Blunder 1
The first blunder was made by fellow Newfoundlander Carl English and his handlers. I actually feel most of the blame should have fallen on the handlers who had no idea what they were doing. Carl was a great prospect out of Hawaii and we were very excited. Then I remember Stu Jackson recommending he return to college and use up his last year of eligibility. Of course, with all the sounds of how good he was going to be, how could he listen to the man who passed on Steve Nash? So instead he threw a party at the Indian Motorcycle Club in downtown Toronto. Thanks to my buddy Jon Chang, I got an invite and it started as a blast. "He might go at 15 to Orlando" I heard. "Atlanta wants him at 21!" they said. "The Raptors pick at 45 and 52 so he might even play here if he is somehow still around!"
But oh how he was still around. You have never felt awkward like that second round felt. Each pick made everyone's collar a little tighter. Not fun at all! As Carl got up and addressed the media on his way out, everyone tried to leave without making eye contact. No fun sir!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=struRTJwT5k
Blunder #2
I remember listening to the talking heads discuss the 2003 draft. There was little doubt Lebron would be the first pick but some speculated if European Superstar Darko Milicic wouldn't be the better choice. Some of the experts even had him taken first overall, but they are no longer working. Look at how ESPN had it going:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/d03/story?id=1572643Wade to the Bulls at 7?
Yeah, only the people who are right will remember their picks tomorrow this time.
So enjoy the draft and enjoy the rumor buzz, but understand it is the blind leading the blind. The only prediction that is harder to make is the NCAA tournament, and we have seen how I did there.
