While it does not receive nearly as much hype as the National Football League’s draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) will once again be holding its annual draft at Madison Square Garden on June 24th.
The NBA draft is a time for general managers (GM) to evaluate their respective teams, identify any gaping holes in their roster and fill those holes with young talent. With many GMs hoping to draft the next LeBron James it should come as no surprise that many teams will attempt to jostle for a position by initiating trades that will allow them to draft higher than the spot that they received during the NBA draft lottery.
This year’s draft class features a mix of high scoring guards and versatile forwards and is widely considered by most analysts to be a strong draft class.
The prized players of the 2010 draft class is freshman point guard John Wall, who single-handedly led the University of Kentucky to the East finals. Wall possesses incredible quickness, which he combines with his outstanding size and aggressive play at both ends of the court. Wall is the consensus number one overall pick and should provide an immediate boost to the team that drafts him.
After Wall, there is much debate over whether Ohio State’s Evan Turner will be selected at number two or whether it will be Georgia Tech’s forward Derrick Favors.
Turner almost averaged a double double in his junior season as he averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game. An incredible mid-range shooter, Turner is a player that elevates the play of his teammates. However, he needs to improve on his perimeter game and his ball handling as he turns over the ball quite frequently.
Favors is an incredibly athletic forward who is known for his rebounding and defensive play. While his defensive play is outstanding, Favors will need to improve his offense before he can be considered an elite player.
Another intriguing player that will most likely be drafted in the top five is Kentucky’s center DeMarcus Cousins. At six-foot-eleven, Cousins is a true center that has a knack for scoring and rebounding. However, Cousins has some off the court issues as well as attitude problems that may affect his draft stock.
While many people believe that many of “immediate impact” players are off the board by the fifth pick, one has to look no further than New Mexico’s small forward Danny Granger, who was drafted 17th overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2005. Over the past three seasons, Granger has been one of the most dynamic scorers in the league and is heralded as the future of the Indiana Pacers organization who was also a “steal” at number 17.
One of the potential steals of the 2010 NBA draft is Clemson forward Trevor Booker who averaged 15 points a game in his senior year. While Booker is an aggressive scorer he will make his NBA mark on defense as he is a savvy defender who can create turnovers as well as dominate the defensive boards.
While many teams are content with their position in the draft, it will not come as a surprise for certain teams to trade some of their higher paid players in an attempt to stockpile young talent.
One of the teams that could decide to make some moves during the draft is the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite having the second overall selection in this year’s draft, the 76ers could decide to unload forward Elton Brand or center Samuel Dalembert in an attempt to sneak back into the first round.
Whether or not these young players live up to the hype that surrounds them out of college, it is always interesting to see the direction that GMs decide to take in regards to the future of their teams.
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