my draft thoughts

[Ellie Cutler <ellie@oreilly.com>]

First, the NBA is going to need to institute a minor league, period. A 
player's worth dropping the more years of college he plays means more HS 
kids and freshmen in the draft.  It's ridiculous to ask teams to waste one 
of only 12 roster spots on a developmental project for 3+ years. Teams 
could keep the players' rights, and give them the organizational 
tutelage/seasoning they need. Imagine Bill Russell working with Diop, for 
example. This also opens up more jobs for ex-players to stay in the 
organization as coaches and the like. Second, they need to get a mentoring 
system in place for these kids. Going from high school to on the road with 
a professional sports team is just too big a social leap.  Not every team 
has an Antonio Davis (who took in Al Harrington) - it needs to be 
structured in.

That said, we better hope that Diop slides. I say no way will he last to 
#10, but if he does, that's a lock of a pick. If he's not there, I bet 
Radman is one pick, and a swing at the other (could be Battier if Kendrick 
Brown goes in the top 9, if not then Johnson). At #21 they will go for more 
scoring.

I think they'll stick with Palacio and Herren/Anderson/Antoine at the point 
for now, because if we get a top 12 pick next year (very likely), we could 
pick up one of  Frank Williams, Chris Duhon, Marcus Taylor, Dujuan Wagner, 
Troy Bell or the kid from Florida.

I loved the article about Papile - what a rogue (and a grub).  Also enjoyed 
Shira Springer's article (a first) on Wallace.  It gave me hope for my 
younger stepson who is 22 and crashing & burning at every job and still 
basically living at home. (for those who didn't read it, Wallace lived at 
home until he was 31 or so, never kept a job he didn't feel like, and put 
all his energy into his own thing -- scouting and starting a little hoops 
rag).  Anyhow, what impressed me about both these guys is that I think 
their egos don't get in the way of the team, unlike our dear, departed 
RP.  And they clearly were overridden on the Moiso pick (and we knew about 
McGrady).  I esp. like having Papile on board because of the number of 
young kids and foreign players, both of which are groups he has lots of 
connections with.

We're pretty much guaranteed a great night!

  --Ellie