Billups

[Michael Gooen <callmebogie@xxxxxxxxx>]

Regarding Papile's responsibility for selecting Chauncey Billups, Ray
wrote:

<<[Billups] was the 3rd pick in the draft. It's not that hard to come up
with a decent player, if you have the 3rd choice, and compared to other
Number 3 Picks, Billups ain't so hot.>>

Sure, it would've been great to get a Carmelo Anthony, or a Pau Gasol, or
a Baron Davis, or a Shareef Abdur-Rahim, or a Maravich.  Or maybe that
Jordan guy.  But that's completely irrelevant.  The comparison isn't to
other #3 picks, it's to the other players who were available in the 1997
draft.  We all know who the best player in that draft was.  Clearly,
McGrady was #2, and in retrospect picking either Billups or Mercer over
him was a mistake -- though it's not as though the team that drafted
McGrady got much use out of him before he bolted for warmer climes.  

Who turned out to be the third best player in the '97 draft, Ray?  Would
you say Van Horn is better than Billups?  Bobby Jackson?  Mark Blount
(#55)?  Ben Pepper?

The Cs just picked the wrong year to suck if they weren't going to get the
#1 pick, that's all.  Well, that's not all.  Pitino gave up on Billups way
too fast (much in the way that some of our list members are giving up on
Banks too fast).  Point guards take time.  Even if you want to argue that
Chauncey still isn't really a point guard, I'd still swap him for Chucky
Atkins -- OR FOR KENNY ANDERSON -- any day.

Michael Gooen


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