For many, the dog days of June are all about cold drinks, beach umbrellas, and summer blockbuster movies. But for a select few NBA hopefuls, it is all about the NBA Draft that occurs this evening. So, in tribute to the summer blockbuster, let's take a look at this year's draft through the eyes of Roger Ebert, and his thumbs.
"The Matrix Reloaded" Group
The draftees in this category are as close to "can't miss" as you can get. We've been hearing the hype about them for as long as we can remember. The box office payoff for taking one of these players is sure to be quite a windfall.
First, there is the top story in all of basketball this year: LeBron James. Cleveland's prayers were answered when the ping-pong balls bounced their way in the lottery and awarded them the opportunity to take local prodigy LeBron. In a league where its top two scorers (Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant), runner-up MVP (Kevin Garnett), and Rookie of the Year (Amare Stoudamire) all made the jump directly from high school, any worries about James's lack of college experience should quickly dissipate. His 6-foot-8, 240-pound body is NBA-ready and will only continue to get stronger with more time in the weight room. The real concerns about the soon-to-be Cavalier phenomenon are how he handles the pressure, expectations, and overall hype. If he can deal with those successfully, then we could be in store for "LeBron Almighty."
Every leading man has a "Number Two," and LeBron's is Serbian teenager Darko Milicic. As a 7-footer with a nice shooting touch and obvious athletic ability, Darko has some scouts wondering whether he may become a better NBA player than LeBron. Unlike the stigma that clouds many European players, this one isn't afraid to get to work down in the paint. The Pistons lucked out with Memphis jumping up to number two in the lottery (Detroit received the pick thanks to a previous trade involving Otis Thorpe) and have already made their intentions clear that Darko is their guy. With his offensive-minded game, Milicic could be the jelly to Ben Wallace's peanut butter.
Whereas James has only schooled fellow high-school players and Milicic has only competed against the best Eastern Europe has to offer, Denver with the third pick will draft the only proven nugget of the top trio--Carmello Anthony. After leading upstart Syracuse to the NCAA Championship this spring, Anthony hopes to keep his Midas touch in the NBA this fall. As the prototypical small forward, Anthony should receive a lot of scoring opportunities for the offensively challenged Nuggets. With his impressive game and enchanting attitude, look for Anthony to be an early favorite for Rookie of the Year. For all three, an Ebert-sized thumb's up!
"A Mighty Wind" Group
This crop is designated for those players receiving less attention and hype than the big guns but who could end up being just as--if not more--productive and successful at the next level than LeBron, Darko, and Carmello(see Caron Butler and Stoudamire from last year).
My favorites from this category are swingman Dwayne Wade of Marquette and Nick Collison of Kansas. Wade proved he could do it all during the Golden Eagle's NCAA Tournament run this March. With his athleticism and ability to finish near the basket, Wade only needs to fine tune his typically streaky outside shooting to become an all-around force on the perimeter.
If a solid inside presence was my need, then I would look no further than Collison. With a great set of hands and a soft touch around the basket, Collison should be very effective on the low blocks. But as we saw in the NCAA title game, he needs to work on his mid-range game and free throw efficiency to take advantage of all his potential. Another thumb's up here.
"Dumb and Dumberer" Group
Those relegated to this category are summed up as "So much potential, but what a bust!" The classic members of this group are big men who make the scouts drool only to end up making fans and coaches collectively foam at the mouth for their less-than-stellar contributions. Some recent examples include stiffs like Chris Mihm, Desonga Diop, Frederic Weiss, and Nikoloz Tskitishvili. This year's candidate? Chris Kaman of Central Michigan. Sure, the 7-foot Kaman can be a serviceable center, but so was Chris Dudley. Thumb's down on this one.
Read More
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 8 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 16 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
