Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Tuesday 05/22 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Draft Lottery Eclipses Playoffs

LOTTERY RESULTS IN! Blazers win big (or do they -- seems like the Oden-vs-Durant debate isn't nearly as open-and-closed as mainstream commentators might suggest). Sonics win bigger (can't lose in the No. 2 spot this year). Hawks save themselves from having to give their pick to the Suns, but end up 3rd in a 2-horse race, with the only option screwing up yet another pick. Grizzlies and Celtics are the biggest losers, falling out of the Top 3 altogether. MORE IN THE A.M. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON IT ALL NIGHT.

NBA Draft Lottery: What does it say that tonight's NBA Draft Lottery is the biggest event of the NBA season, let alone the postseason?

It says that the NBA Playoffs this year have been pretty lame.

It says that the two talents at the top of the draft are potentially franchise-changers of the LeBron-Duncan variety – and that this draft is as deeply stocked with talent as any in NBA history. (Thank you, artificial restraint on talent!)

It says that David Stern's new age-limit has worked a little TOO well. Sure, there's increased hype for Oden and Durant (who would have gone 1-2 in LAST year's draft, BTW), but the unintended consequence of the age-limit is that there's SO much hype that the Lottery eclipses the playoffs.

As I've been saying for a while now, this Lottery is the most dramatic since the LeBron Lottery of 2003 – and perhaps the most impactful Lottery since the Duncan Lottery of 1997. In fact, I'd even say MORE impactful.

That's because there are TWO super-impact players: Ostensibly, center Greg Oden almost certainly will go first, just about no matter who gets the pick. Why? Just look at the Spurs.

But not since Michael Jordan has a player NOT taken first overall been as intriguing as Kevin Durant, who will be the No. 2 player taken... OK, if he doesn't bump Oden out of the No. 1 slot. (The Bucks, for example, have a 15.6 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick, and they would certainly take Durant, pairing him with C Andrew Bogut and SG Michael Redd.)

Durant will be the spectacular pro everyone says he will be, if – IF – he is in a position to be the No. 1 player on his team. The player I compare him to most -- as a versatile, outside-in, near-7-foot position-redefining freak -- is Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk wasn't The Man on the Mavs in his rookie season, but eventually, they built the team around him. If Durant isn't The Man on his new team immediately, you can be sure that whoever is (Paul Pierce? Ray Allen? Michael Redd? Joe Johnson?) will either eventually cede stardom -- or be moved out.

The bottom line: Not one but TWO teams will be radically transformed – on- and off-court – with the big "reveal" tomorrow night. You'll never see a GM who wins the No. 2 pick be as happy in your life.

Meanwhile, the next-biggest drama will be whether the Hawks get into the first three picks. Because if they don't, the Suns will get their pick, which could be as high as No. 4 (and no lower than 7). That would be the best example yet of "rich getting richer." And don't expect PHX to screw it up, like the Pistons did in 2003.

Finally, the third-biggest storyline is, appropriately, "Who's No. 3?" There's no shame in being the 3rd overall pick in a 2-superduperstar draft. Will it be Yi, the next Yao? Obviously, I am personally intrigued to speculate where Florida's Big Three (Horford, Brewer, Noah) might end up. I have seen both Brewer and Horford as high as No. 3, depending on team need at the slot. Oh, and here's some "What's so bad about the 3rd pick?" goodness, along with Horford love.

Here's how excited I am about tonight's Draft Lottery: I'm going to come out of live-blogging hibernation to live-blog the thing myself on Deadspin, right around 8:30 p.m. ET. Full coverage here tomorrow a.m. Feel free to drop by here tonight to weigh in early.

Pistons edge Cavs as LeBron chokes: Maybe that's too harsh. Maybe I should credit the Detroit D for holding LeBron to a playoff-low 10 points (5/15 FG). LeBron did add 10 rebounds and 9 assists, but why was he passing up the potential game-saving shot with 6 seconds to go? Because he knew he wasn't "on" for the night? Or because he didn't want to take the shot? (BTW: What good is LeBron's bulk if he can't muscle past wispy Tayshaun Prince?)

Vick Doggy Dogg: I'll let the lead of the latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution story say it all. "Three envelopes addressed to "M. Vick" were among evidence seized by police under the authority of a search warrant executed on the Virginia property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, according to documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Also seized in the search, authorized in late April in relation to organized dogfighting, was a black 3-ring binder containing "contracts" or copies of contracts."

Yankees beat Red Sox: Reading too much into this win as symbolism of a season not yet dead as critics claimed is as ridiculous as reading too much into the Yankees' slow start as symbolism of a season as dead as critics claimed.

(Related: Despite Jason Giambi's problems with his big biceps mouth, rumor has it (via the NY Post) that the Angels might want to trade for Giambi. Or is that just wishful thinking by Yankees partisans?

MLB Stud, Team: Indians, who improved to 17-4 at home with a win over the Mariners that was the make-up game for the "snow-out" game in April.

MLB Stud, Player: Carlos Quentin, who hit 2 HR and drove in the go-ahead run in the D'backs' 6-5 win over Colorado. This is the Quentin that everyone thought would show up this season. Early-season injuries had slowed his impact.

MLB Dud: The White Sox players who are apparently using radio-show appearances to rip each other. How team-friendly! Ozzie just wants the players to battle it out, UFC-style, in the locker room. How team-friendlier!

Chris Henry, All-Pro Dumbass: Maybe it'll turn out that his failed drug screening was a false positive. But, given his history, does he really deserve the benefit of the doubt?

Super Bowl 2011 host city: Indianapolis, Dallas and Glendale, AZ are in the mix, all making presentations to NFL owners today. (15 minute presentations... how is this not on TV? It's MADE for TV.) Dallas will have that new stadium, but apparently the transportation logistics aren't ideal. Indianapolis is a dome, but – y'know – it's Indianapolis. Glendale is great, but is already hosting the Super Bowl in 2008. These are the top three choices?

Know the Name: Larry Zierlein. He's the Steelers assistant who accidentally (I presume) forwarded an email with porn attached to team employees and their secretaries. What a test case for the Commish's new "Get Tough" crackdown. (Steelers personnel guy Doug Whaley was the one who originally forwarded Zierlein the email, giving new meaning to the title "Director of Personnel." Whaley should be punished, too.)

New Rockets coach Rick Adelman: Ahh, there's nothing that says "spring renewal" like the NBA's uninspiring recycling program for coaches.

Pats re-sign Junior Seau: Not bad for a guy who retired a year ago.

Lisa Leslie to miss WNBA season on maternity leave: That also makes her eligible to lose her scholarship at Clemson.

Boxing: Was George Foreman drugged before the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle?" That's what he claims in a new memoir, which smacks of sketchiness in an attempt to sell more books. Sure, it's a sensational claim – it's only the most high-profile moment in boxing history (up there with Louis beating Schmeling and Tyson biting Holyfield) – but I really want to know: WHAT ABOUT THE GRILLS?!

CFB: It's official. Arkansas stud QB Mitch Mustain will transfer to QB factory USC, with three years of eligibility left (after sitting out next season). He'll join high school teammate WR Damian Williams, who had already transferred to the Trojans.

New Varsity Dad post up this morning. Definitely moving quickly toward a full-blown launch of this new blog. (Here's the direct link to the story I posted about today. If you are a parent, it might make you choke up. Sort of like how you might have choked up during The Sopranos' scene between Tony and AJ by the pool.)

-- D.S.

72 comments:

Anonymous said...

And so the destruction of USC as a powerhouse is assured.

Why did LeBron pass up the shot? Maybe because 3 guys were crashing in on him, he had a rough angle to the hoop, and a 3 point specialist who had been hot of late was ridiculously wide open.
You pass and expect your teammate to make that 3.
If Marshall makes that 3, today we're lauding LeBron for having the vision and basketball IQ to pass to an open teammate instead of attempting a difficult shot.

Like I said yesterday...this is "Rivalry Week" on ESPN for baseball? What rivalries are going on besides NY/Bos?

Anonymous said...

Is Brewer a PG?
If so, he is not going ahead of Conley.

Dan Shanoff said...

Fair point about LeBron, but the fact is: Because Marshall MISSED the shot, we get to rip him today. You debate your sports with the results you have, not the results you want. Ack, I hated Don Rumsfeld. But boy was he good with a quip.

Re: Brewer vs. Conley. Conley won't go ahead of Brewer if the team need is greater for a versatile SG/SF than a PG. See: Portland, Milwaukee, Boston, Phoenix, Charlotte, New Orleans. Trust me, I'm as surprised as you to see Brewer shoot up to that 3-spot, but if you are rated as the best at your position (besides Oden or Durant), you will be in the mix at the No. 3 spot. That's why Brewer's name is in the mix. I'm not saying he SHOULD go No. 3, but only that I have SEEN him as high as No. 3.

CMFost said...

for all the people who are all over Lebron today you are hypocrits. If that three falls everyone says what a smart play by Lebron to pass up the contested shot for the wide and I mean wide open shooter they why a good player and team player should. Lebron almost had a triple double and his team lost by 3 on the road. One pass that turned into a miss shot should not damn him. Barkley, Magic and everyone else need to shut the hell up

Mikepcfl said...

The truth about the Foreman grills: I heard George didnt come up with the idea himself! I thought he was a brilliant inventor, now I'm disillusioned.

CMFost said...

If the Celtics get the #3 pick which we all know will probably happen, they will either trade or take Horford to pair him with Jefferson to give the Celtics a solid front court.

Anonymous said...

Dan-

Good to see you in the comments again, but the bottom line is that LeBron was doubled half the time and tripled the other half. At one point this week, Flip Saunders actually used the phrase "the LeBron rules" as in "the Jordan rules" because that's what they did; they sent everyone at him. Look at the play-by-play and you'll see that the Cavs were winning when LeBron was yet to score, and were perhaps at their best at halftime when he had only 4 points.

Jordan finds Paxon... Jordan finds Kerr... Jordan kicks to Wennington.

Sound familiar? As LeBron said, it isn't about making the shot, it is about your team winning the game.

He wasn't shooting a game winner anyway, it would have been for the tie and Marshall was going for the win.

You know, as in "on the road go for the win." And I'm assuming that phrase clearly applies when you would be out of timeouts heading into OT.

Matt said...

here is what LBJ was thinking. Wide open player for the game winner on the road on game one.

DM hits it and everyone says how great a play is was and how great lebrons vision is.

Geoff said...

I am glad he passed it. I would rather see Donyell Marshall taking a 3 than Lebron getting near the rim with a chance to get a layup or a foul, or worse, both.

Bad sign for the Cavs. That was probably as bad as Detroit is going to play in this series. The team wasn't into it, the crowd wasn't into it, and they still won.

Kurt said...

Using a heartfelt story to promote your struggling blog and then comparing it to a TV show? Now that's low.

NA said...

The story of the day would have been how Lebron won the game without scoring, about how he can create when the Pistons. Why, he would have had a triple double if either Donnell Marshall made that shot, or Ilgawskis made the wide open jumper that Lebron created on the shot prior.

The Pistons are going to double and triple team Lebron. Until someone else on the Cavs steps uip and hits a clutch wide open shot. Why would they do anything different.

Don't blame Lebron because his team can't hit clutch wide open jumpers.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know Brewer's position. If he's an SG/SF, then sure. I've just been seeing a lot of places with Conley as the top PG, so I didn't see Brewer going over him if PG was the need.

Clinton (Indianapolis) said...

To borrow a phrase from Curt Schilling, "Why Not Indianapolis?"

If SB XLV went to Dallas, I'm not sure I'd be willing to tolerate the impending unbridled egomania that is Jerry Jones.

The logistics of the SB in Indianapolis would not be a problem, as Naptown demonstrates year in and year out with events that draw far more people than the Super Bowl(Indy 500, USGP, Brickyard 400).

I realize that it would be a Super Bowl in another cold-weather city, but why the hell not? It would give the rest of the country a chance to see Indianapolis in a new light.

Adam Giblin said...

Dan,

Larry Harris all but said yesterday that the Bucks would take Oden, so your bold assertion that they'd take Durant seems a little off. You just can't take a 180-pound project when Oden's on the board, even if his upside IS bigger.

Here's the link about the Bucks:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070522/GPG02/705220502/1226/GPGsports

Anonymous said...

Here's the thing about LeBron...Detroit played badly? Partly. Cleveland has been showing defensive teeth all playoffs. Will Billups and Prince be so bad next time? Unlikely. But I doubt LeBron will be as bad as he was again.

The Mark Show said...

How do you not mention Clinton Portis and his comments concerning Michael Vick and the dog fighting?? It's hilarious how stupid some athletes are.

CMFost said...

Clinton a clear and simple reason why Indy should not get the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl should never be played in a cold weather city. Part of the Super Bowl is everything that happens in the city as part of the Super Bowl and cold weather cities suck for that part of the experience

ToddTheJackass said...

Wow Dan, decent analysis on Carlos Quentin.

MLB Studs and Duds:

Studs:
1. Carlos Quentin - 2-3, 2HR, 5RBI
2. Noah Lowry - W, 7.0IP, 0ER, 6H, 3Ks
3. Gerald Laird - 2-3, GS, 5RBI
4. Nick Swisher - 3-5, 5RBI
5. Prince Fielder - 2-5, 2HR, 2RBI

Duds:
1. Julio DePaula - 1.0IP, 6ER, 6H, 3BB
2. Bronson Arroyo - 2.0IP, 6ER, 6H, 3BB
3. Jon Rauch - L, BS, 1.0IP, 3ER
4. Carlos Silva - L, 4.1IP, 7ER, 9H, BB
5. Tim Wakefield - L, 5.0IP, 6ER, 9H, 5BB

Honorary Situational Team Dud: Red Sox hitters w/ runners in scoring position.

Sheldiz said...

It still annoys me that not every stadium in the NFL can host the Super Bowl. I know the possibility of inclement weather is a factor... but when was the last time an NFL game was cancelled due to inclement weather in any of the cities currently not allowed to host a Super Bowl? (not rhetorical, i'd actually like to know.)

Dave Kern said...

Mark,
How stupid some people are. People are stupid. It really doesn't have anything to do with him being an athlete.

As far as the Super Bowl:

Dallas: Supposed big new stadium, however shitty, unfun, anti-pedestrian city

Indy: New Stadium, Freezing in Feb.

Glendale: New Stadium, Have the game this year, AND Glendale is in the middle of nowhere.

See a trend here? I have no idea why the NFL thinks that new stadiums market their game better than putting the game in great locations (New Orleans, Miami, San Diego), but seeing how the television broadcast is the only way the avg fan (and that's who I am) sees and thinks about the Super Bowl, I couldn't care less where they play the game.

CMFost said...

I like one of Bill Simmons Ideas for the Super Bowl, build a Staduim in Vegas and have it there every other year and then rotate the others year between Miami, San Deigo and New Orleans

pv845 said...

I heard the envelope was actually for Marcus and not Michael. Just kidding. How far has Michael fallen that we can say, "Michael, why can't you behave more like your brother?"
Lebron choked. Not on the end of game pass (though he should have taken it), but instead on the just poor shooting night.

Geoff said...

The only people that really care about where the Super Bowl is being played are the sports writers who whine and cry if it is somewhere cold. I am sure the players don't much care, the coaches probably prefer a cold weather city because there are less distractions and the fans of the team don't care cause they are happy their team is in a Super Bowl to begin with.

Mega said...

Shanoff- the Sox players are NOT ripping on each other. I repeat, they are NOT ripping on each other. This is nothing more than spin by the Chicago media. Go read http://www.cubune.com for more information.
Sorry to bold that but it had to be done to get his attention. Its pure crap. Mark and AJ both said it best yesterday- it was the journalists mixing up their quotes, leaving out sentences, and taking everything totally out of context. There is no ripping going on here, and if there is they aren't letting the media know about it.

How sweet (and funny, and ironic) would it be if the Bulls landing the #1 pick (and Oden) by some miracle?!

ToddTheJackass said...

Wouldn't the Bulls go after Durant instead? They have Ben Wallace for what, 4 more years?

Anonymous said...

lebron made the right play, remember jordan to paxson.

The Mark Show said...

You're right, people in general, not just athletes.

Unfortunately the Super Bowl is more about the money than the game at this point and more money can be made in the warm weather cities.

verbal97 said...

Remember when men were men and championship games in football were played in cold weather?

What's wrong with having the game in a big northern city that people would WANT to go to. They had the game in Detroit and now Indianapolis has got a shot. The NFL clearly only cares about the corporate types who attend the games because these are cold cities with domed stadiums.

For instance why not have the game in the NYC area? There's lots to do for fans and sports writers in the lead up. The reason is simply because Giants Stadium is not domed. And the same goes for Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Natsfan74 said...

If the draft lottery is so huge, why would you live blog it somewhere else? Aren't you trying to get people to read your blog?

Oh yeah -- you don't really read your own blog either. And the rest of us are here to talk to eachother.

verbal97 said...

good point natsfan. Dan's a name whore and likes to be associated with the self-fellating asses at Deadspin.

Geoff said...

How does the league make more money in a warm weather city? Ticket prices are the same no matter where it is made I thought.

pootietang said...

i guess none of you lebron defenders watched magic, kenny and charles discuss the play after the game last night. i have my own opinion, but will defer to magic, he of the 5 rings. to paraphrase, he basically said...you are the leader, the best player in the building. you take that shot(not to mention the fact that he had a clear shot and was not doubled - he had beaten prince), and you take over the 4th quarter. there is a time and place to get your teammates involved and then you need to decide to take over the game at some point...both kenny and charles agreed with him and said that if he does not take over, cleveland will go home.

Cody said...

Why Dallas (actually Arlington) will get the superbowl. The new stadium will hold 100,000 people. That's an extra 25,000 to 30,000 more seats at what? $600-700 a pop?

Arlington is not as shity and unfun as another poster made it out to be, but, your right, it is not pedestrian friendly. Texas is big, lots of room to work with, so everything is spread out, which makes it impossible to walk anywhere.

CorrND said...

The "artificial restraint on talent" only created a BAD draft year last year, not a good year this year. Think about it: the Oden's and Durant's were told they couldn't enter last year's draft, which created a void in that draft.

This year, Oden and Durant get to enter, but there's a whole new set of players that have to go to college for a year. It's a wash.

It's simply an anomaly that there is a ton of talent in this draft, not because of the new rule.

ToddTheJackass said...

I know the story is a day old, but I thought the Granderson interview with Oden was pretty awesome. I loved the bit where Oden said he wanted to be a dentist but his hands would be too big and scare kids. That cracked me up.

As far as hosting the Super Bowl in a cold city, I think NYC/Meadowlands is really the only place that'd work well. Foxborough wouldn't be great, and I think the weather in Foxborough would be worse than in NJ. Plus, it's not like the Pats need another home game, right? :o)

Melbye said...

Just to touch on the Super Bowl bids, both Indianapolis and Dallas will have new stadiums that season. Glendale will have 4 under it's belt and have its bugs all worked out. Also, the Glendale er Cardinal er University of Phoenix Stadium is fairly easy to navigate and they did a great job with the BCS National Championship game this past year. Plus, I could make like an extra $5-10k renting my house for that week, so bring it on.

Michael Vick is a moron and Clinton Portis is just behind him.

And you want drama? Make the NBA teams have the lottery and then the draft w/in 24 hours...or even immediately following. You win the lottery and you're on the clock. Talk about pressure!

Melbye said...

@corrnd: Last year's draft suffered because those high school kids couldn't enter...well now we'll be infused with college freshmen going each year, it was only a one year void. Not like that is going to happen every other year now...

Natsfan74 said...

There was talk of NYC (Meadowlands) getting a SB, but the NFL nixed it because of their requirements for warm weather/ domes. Either way, the ticket will sell out (at over $600 each), but this game is for the sponsors and fans -- who would prefer to be warm and not bundle up completely for the game.

But Dan making fun of Indy being in the top 3 is ridiculous. They are about to open a new dome stadium, the city is known for events -- Indy 500 and the most Final 4s of any city (including Florida's first title, so Dan should love Indy). Other than being in the middle of the midwest, there's nothing to dislike about Indy -- friendly people, good roads, easy to get to, plenty of hotels/ space, yada yada yada...

Natsfan74 said...

To Dan, there is no greater injustice in all of sports than the age restriction on athletes. He will use any angle possible to bring it up -- but when presented with facts he never comes back to refute, instead he finds a new way to portray the injustice.

This draft, and all ensuing drafts, will have the advantage of fans knowing about 90% of the players drafted (minus those foreign exceptions) and having seen them play in the NCAA tourney or regular season against the best players in the nation. It is better than making draft projections based on raw skills, without seeing that skill against any competition better than other high school talent.

The only possible risk to the age requirement is if a player has a career ending injury as a freshman in college (or as a junior in football). But if that's the case, it's still better for the league to not have a team paying that guy for years to come.

CorrND said...

Anybody that poo-poo's Indy's Super Bowl bid doesn't know what downtown Indy is like. It's not a huge downtown, but a large part of what's there was literally built to host conventions and large events. For 2-3 blocks around the convention center/RCA Dome (and soon Lucas Oil Stadium) there is nothing but large hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and a mall. By 2011, there will be 6000 hotel rooms connected by covered walkway to the convention center and The Luke and 25,000 rooms are within about 20 minutes of downtown. From a convenience factor, Indy blows Dallas and Glendale out of the water.

The only thing Indy really has going against it is weather, and will probably be enough to undo its bid.

CorrND said...

Will (Minny via AZ) -- isn't that exactly what I said? The age limit rule created a draft talent void last year and wash every year after that.

Anyway, my main point is that this year's talent crop is luck not the result of the rule change.

Melbye said...

Cornnd:
You say that this year's draft strength is NOT because of the rule last year? You contradict yourself. Either there is a surplus of talent this year because of the rule-- not allowing the even distribution of talent over last year and this or last year was a down year and this year is an up year? Not both. That doesn't make any sense? It is not luck that two of the biggest franchise builders are in the same draft...a year after they could have been eligable, but not for a rule that you say had no impact on them not coming out last year?

Anonymous said...

natsfan-

Wow. I have to disagree with you. 90% of the players are not known by the average fan. Of the 60 guys due to be drafted on nbadraft.net right now:

9 are internationals
12 are from mid-majors*

* = I will give you that most people know Jamaal Tatum from SoIll and Nick Fazekas from Nevada but they get balanced out by guys from major conferences that nobody knows like Herbert Hill of Providence and Jermareo Davidson from Bama.

Natsfan74 said...

well, I would argue that what Indy has working against it is that it is Indy. I am a big fan of Indy as a city, but I'm probably in the 1% minority in this country. I know people who wouldn't consider any city in the Midwest (with the exception of Chicago) as being worth travelling to.

The age rule in the NBA draft did make a shortage last year and a slight windfall this year, but it will even out next year. But even with that, it is still a very lucky year that there are 2 franchise players available, regardless of the age restrictions (if they both went into the draft last year, it would have been the same anomoly).

But, this draft is also helped by the age limit in other ways. Mike Connelly Jr. had no intention of going into the draft last year. Having a year of college ball with stars like Oden and Cook gave him the opportunity to showcase his talent and be a lottery pick this year. Without Oden on his team this year, he's a good PG on a non- Final 4 team without the national recognition to be a lottery pick.

Big D said...

First, my apologies for a wholly inexcuseable month-long absence from the comments section. Life beckoned, and I got distracted.

As for actual sports happenings... I'm holding my breath for the lottery tonight, and I certainly don't think I'm the biggest NBA fan anymore. I agree completely with you there Dan, it says a lot about a sport when the order of the upcoming "amateur" draft completely overshadows the penultimate round of the playoffs. (Aside: Horford goes highest from UF, no doubt about it. Noah slips out of the lottery, and maybe out of the first round.)

Also, over at SI.com, Jon Heyman put up his annual "Here's what should happen because I say so and I'm the greatest writer in history" list of trades in baseball. Funny... Giambi's name didn't fall into it. I might be mistaken, but isn't Heyman about the biggest NY suck-up in the media? You'd think he, above anyone else, would want Giambi moved.


I really wish I had cable TV and could watch, well, anything that isn't Dancing with the Stars or Two and a Half Men.

ToddTheJackass said...

So here are all the percentages of teams to get the #1 pick:

Memphis Grizzlies (25%)
Boston Celtics (19.9%)
Milwaukee Bucks (15.6%)
Atlanta Hawks (11.9%)
Seattle SuperSonics (8.8%) Portland Trail Blazers (5.3%) Minnesota Timberwolves (5.3%) Charlotte Bobcats (1.9%)
Knicks/Bulls (1.9%)
Sacramento Kings (1.8%)
Indiana Pacers (0.8%)
Philadelphia 76ers (0.7%)
New Orleans Hornets (0.6%)
Los Angeles Clippers (0.5%)

My question is which teams would take Durant OVER Oden?

The only two I come up with are the Bulls (via Knicks), and Milwaukee. Everyone else would take Oden.

Does that sound right?

Brian in Oxford said...

If a Florida player falls in the NBA draft like Brady Quinn did....

I saw Oden's interview with LZ this morning. Way more personality that I ever imagined....kinda looks like Robert Parish.

Are we afraid that some big corporate sponsor is going to pull out from the NFL because they were forced to attend a super bowl in Minnesota? Really? No more Coors Light or Pepsi?

pv845 said...

Looks like Robert Parish... maybe he is Robert Parish trying to get back in the league?

ToddTheJackass said...

Oden was in World War II after all...

CorrND said...

Will (Minny via AZ) -- there's no contradiction. All the rule change did for the draft was create a void last year. This year we have added the players that were pushed from last year's draft but we have also subtracted players that could have been drafted this year (under the old rule). That's a net gain of zero.

The fact that the players pushed from last year's draft happen to be incredible talents is irrelevant, but it's clouding people's ability to look at this logically.

Sean said...

The cold weather Super Bowl location shouldn't be an excuse. Anybody remember the substantial rain in the most recent Super Bowl? If that's the concern (which is ridiculous), it should be held indoors and in warm weather every single year. But, that's not what football is about. If it can be held in a warm weather but rain prone city, it should also be held at a cold weather city. What's the difference?!?!

Jen said...

Football is a cold weather sport and it shouldn't matter where the SB is played. Oh wait, God forbid there be snow for the Halftime Show!!!

Cavs shoulda/coulda/woulda won. So Lebron got shut down...I don't recall the final score being a blowout either.

As hard as Hernandez tried to blow the Indians' lead, Borowski saved the day.

CorrND said...

Here's a way to think of this. Look at the number of high school and college class years that were eligible in the years before the new rule, during the transition year, and the years after:

2005 draft (and before)

High School Class of 2005
College Class of 2005 (seniors)
College Class of 2006 (juniors)
College Class of 2007 (sophomores)
College Class of 2008 (freshman)

2006 draft

College Class of 2006 (seniors)
College Class of 2007 (juniors)
College Class of 2008 (sophomores)
College Class of 2009 (freshman)

2007 Draft (and beyond)

High School Class of 2006
College Class of 2007 (seniors)
College Class of 2008 (juniors)
College Class of 2009 (sophomores)
College Class of 2010 (freshman)

All that happened in 2006 was that the High School Class of 2006 was pushed to the 2007 draft. But the High School Class of 2007 was also pushed to 2008, so it's the same number of eligible class years in 2007 and 2005 (and by extension, the same number of players).

They didn't conjure up extra players for this year's draft; it just looks that way because it's loaded.

Pure. Luck.

Clinton (Indianapolis) said...

Never mind...looks like it's Dallas for SB XLV.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070522/SPORTS03/70522035

Erik Huntoon said...

Living in Indianapolis I think this city would be great at hosting the Superbowl. We have a pretty long history of hosting big sporting events. A number of Final Four's, 3 major races.. and lets be honest, the Indy 500 alone absolutely dwarfs the crowd influx of a superbowl. Also consider that the new stadium is downtown and convenient to everything unlike the grueling back and forth travel that was Miami 4 months ago...

CorrND said...

Not surprised. Stadium capacity, warmer weather, bigger city. Indy would have been very convenient, but we definitely don't have the "sexy" factor.

Hope everybody has a good time driving around Big D! In my limited travels there, I swear everything is a half-hour away even on clear roads.

Cody said...

I knew Dallas would get it. stadium capacity was the major factor. When you can have 25,000 more butts in seats at 600-700 a ticket (no telling what the price will be in 2011) it was a no brainer, as we all know, it's all about the money.

corrnd - you are correct. Actually the stadium will be in Arlington (about 22 miles) from Dallas and about a 30 min drive on a good traffic day.

Anonymous said...

Boston gets Oden, and they're going to be scary up front with Jefferson for the next 10 years.Ainge is always going to be unconventional because he's into the whole brain-typing thing.Then New York can get Kevin Durant,oh wait they traded that pick to Chicago,whoops.

Brian in Oxford said...

The NFL would try to put the winter olympics in Miami because "of the money". No snow? No mountains? Who cares, the advertisers don't want to freeze.

Anonymous said...

Dan,Paul Pierce won't be traded unless he asks for one.Danny Aigne wants to build around him before his(pierce) time runs out.Who knows.

Not A Gunslinger said...

Dan, you don't have a job. You need to stop offering to pay people $1000 to do stuff, you can't afford it.

Anonymous said...

To Boston Fans:


AAAAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH

Not A Gunslinger said...

Hawks will take either Corey Brewer or Julian Wright. They love stockpiling those 2/3s.

Kurt said...

Hey Ryan from Boston, MA, what was that about Boston getting Oden? =x

Anonymous said...

I admit..i literally started laughing when the Celtics got the #5.

Seattle's in good shape. It's all about what Portland does now.

Not A Gunslinger said...

Once Milwaukee went 6 everyone knew Memphis was 4 and Boston was 5, that's when I started laughing about the Massholes.

beRecruited said...

I like this mock up of the celtics winning the draft - sad, sad, sad day for boston...

Cody said...

ryan from boston

Looks like Dannys going to get to build around Pierce, because they wont get anyone else to build around.

Anonymous said...

Len Bias. Magic's stupid baby hook. Reggie Lewis. Rick Pitino and his 101 Celtics-for-a-week. The Timmy draft. Celtic dancers. Red R.I.P. Now this.

I think Bill Simmons immediately went into cardiac arrest and is already dead.

hopefulness-dead.

Anonymous said...

Re: George Foreman

Not that anyone will pay attention...

But Foreman might be making a very serious mistake with this story. He is a beloved-type of figure from boxing. Noone looks down on him for his loss to Ali. Everyone marvels at his growth and maturity that brought him back to the ring and to everyone's kitchens.
Now he's trying to throw dirt when he can gain nothing from it. Someone drugged him? Since he was fighting Ali, we must assume he means that Ali drugged him (or knew of it). Ali is an icon. Foreman is not. This will only hurt George.

Eric Chase said...

Does Atl have the cajones to take Conley 3, or do they wait for 11 and take acie law or jarvis crittenton.

Big D said...

Fifth? FIFTH?!?!


That's it, I quit.