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Sports InsiderThe NBA Wants You!
July 2nd 2006 07:24
During the week the NBA Draft was conducted and the potential
destines of cellar dweller teams may have been changed. What exactly is the NBA Draft? Is it when NBA players get called up to military service and take up arms in Iraq? If only! That would make for great entertainment. Imagine Shaquille O’Neal storming Fallujah! What a sight to behold.
The NBA Draft is when teams get to pick up college kids who have declared their intention to play in the NBA, old fellas who have never played in the league or international cats who have long names that Americans would have trouble spelling, let alone pronouncing. The Draft is basically like the Sydney fish market where the best meat is up for offer and snapped up as soon as possible!
How the NBA Draft Works
The Draft is split into two rounds with the top 14 picks of the draft going to the
14 teams with the worst regular season record. Those bottom feeder teams go into a lottery where it is determined who would get the top pick and so on. The team with the feeblest record has the biggest chance for the top pick.
The first round sees the number one to 30th pick on board, while the second rounds ends up at the number 60. Yes, there are that few spots on board that there are a lot of players disappointed not to be picked on the night. The Draft is tailor made for triumph and anguish.
In some years the top picks are hard fought pitched battles where owners of lousy teams sweat it out because there is a franchise changing player up there to be picked – LeBron James was probably the last player of this calibre. So, in essence the highlight for a lot of NBA players is the night they got drafted, because the rest of their career maybe spent getting splinters on their asses from sitting on the bench.
The Draft is a lottery in every sense of the word – you can either pick up a stud or a bust and because it is such an inexact science star players can be found late in the second round, while duds can even be the top pick! I mean Michael Jordan wasn’t even the top pick in the year he was up to be picked, he was third.
Picks can be traded up or down for other draftees, or they can be traded for
other players already in the league. Draft night is full of political intrigue and lobbying. Who knows how many “favours” are being done behind the scenes!
Draft picks are usually picked on history and perceived playing potential in the NBA. So, what you see quite often is that a lot of college standouts being picked late or not at all, because the professional and college level of basketball is so different in standard. Surprisingly a lot of high school players have been picked high in the draft with LeBron James being one of them. However, the NBA has changed the rules of eligibility this year with players only able to declare for the NBA if they are at least 19 years old.
Here are the top 10 picks for this year’s draft and these names mean as little to me as to you. A few of the players I am familiar with because I have seen a few college games, but for the most part I wouldn’t have a clue as to who the players are.
1. Andrea Bargnani, Italy (Toronto Raptors)
2. LeMarcus Aldridge, Texas University (Chicago Bulls to Portland)
3. Adam Morrison, Gonzaga University (Charlotte Bobcats)
4. Tyrus Thomas, Louisiana State University (Portland Trailblazers to Chicago)
5. Shelden Williams, Duke University (Atlanta Hawks)
6. Brandon Roy, Washington University (Minnesota Timberwolves)
7. Randy Foye, Villanova University (Boston Celtics)
8. Rudy Gay, Connecticut University (Houston Rockets)
9. Patrick O’Bryant, Bradley University (Golden State Warriors)
10. Saer Sene, Senegal (Seattle Supersonics)
NBA Boss David Stern is the MC for the draft. He is a freestyler par excellence. (Image from Wikipedia)
The NBA Draft is when teams get to pick up college kids who have declared their intention to play in the NBA, old fellas who have never played in the league or international cats who have long names that Americans would have trouble spelling, let alone pronouncing. The Draft is basically like the Sydney fish market where the best meat is up for offer and snapped up as soon as possible!
How the NBA Draft Works
The Draft is split into two rounds with the top 14 picks of the draft going to the
Yao. Yo. Yao. Yo. Ming was the top pick in 2001. (Image from officialyaomingfanclub.com)
The first round sees the number one to 30th pick on board, while the second rounds ends up at the number 60. Yes, there are that few spots on board that there are a lot of players disappointed not to be picked on the night. The Draft is tailor made for triumph and anguish.
In some years the top picks are hard fought pitched battles where owners of lousy teams sweat it out because there is a franchise changing player up there to be picked – LeBron James was probably the last player of this calibre. So, in essence the highlight for a lot of NBA players is the night they got drafted, because the rest of their career maybe spent getting splinters on their asses from sitting on the bench.
The Draft is a lottery in every sense of the word – you can either pick up a stud or a bust and because it is such an inexact science star players can be found late in the second round, while duds can even be the top pick! I mean Michael Jordan wasn’t even the top pick in the year he was up to be picked, he was third.
Picks can be traded up or down for other draftees, or they can be traded for
LeBron James was a number 1 high school draft pick. Now let's see him in Baghdad! (Image from Wikipedia)
Draft picks are usually picked on history and perceived playing potential in the NBA. So, what you see quite often is that a lot of college standouts being picked late or not at all, because the professional and college level of basketball is so different in standard. Surprisingly a lot of high school players have been picked high in the draft with LeBron James being one of them. However, the NBA has changed the rules of eligibility this year with players only able to declare for the NBA if they are at least 19 years old.
Here are the top 10 picks for this year’s draft and these names mean as little to me as to you. A few of the players I am familiar with because I have seen a few college games, but for the most part I wouldn’t have a clue as to who the players are.
1. Andrea Bargnani, Italy (Toronto Raptors)
2. LeMarcus Aldridge, Texas University (Chicago Bulls to Portland)
3. Adam Morrison, Gonzaga University (Charlotte Bobcats)
4. Tyrus Thomas, Louisiana State University (Portland Trailblazers to Chicago)
5. Shelden Williams, Duke University (Atlanta Hawks)
6. Brandon Roy, Washington University (Minnesota Timberwolves)
7. Randy Foye, Villanova University (Boston Celtics)
8. Rudy Gay, Connecticut University (Houston Rockets)
9. Patrick O’Bryant, Bradley University (Golden State Warriors)
10. Saer Sene, Senegal (Seattle Supersonics)
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