In the midst of the NBA Conference Finals, the NBA Draft Lottery and Jay-Z were busy setting the stage for next year. Despite having a 1.7 percent chance of grabbing the first pick of the draft, the Bulls and GM John Paxson pulled it off.
Executive VP of business of operations, Steve Schanwald, was both energized and shocked as his fist pump and look of astonishment represented the Bulls franchise.
The Miami Heat, who had the best chance of landing the top pick, fell to second, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Seattle Supersonics, and Memphis Grizzlies, who rounded out the top 5. The rest of the lottery begins with the Knicks at #6 and concludes with the Warriors at #14.
Now that the draft order has been decided, it is finally time to debate what collegiate players will fill in those draft spots. Barring trades that are sure to fill draft day per usual, teams will have some serious scouting to do, with a draft full of freshman entrants and depth from pick one through 30.
With the lack of experienced players entering the draft, there is arguably no guaranteed future NBA star, but loads of potential. As a result, there should be much debate leading up to the draft from the #1 pick to the NBA Champions at #30. With that in mind, this is just one of the many ways in which the top ten picks of the 2008 NBA draft could sort out.
#1 Chicago Bulls: Michael Beasley 6-9 PF, Kansas State, Freshman
Of course the debate of who should be #1 will undoubtedly be the main subject of the Bulls front office and the NBA nation. Although I'm not a huge fan of either Beasley or Derrick Rose, Beasley does have Carmelo Anthony-level talent.
Despite his high rebounding average in college, Beasley doesn't seem to have the defensive ability to match his overwhelming offensive prowess. With the body of a power forward, Beasley plays like a small forward who has no problem getting off his shot.
His immaturity on and off the court is what really worries me about Beasley. He doesn't seem to have the leadership skills that past collegiate stars have shown in their successful leaps to the NBA.
Beasley will undoubtedly be a serious threat on the offensive end, but if you're an NBA team, you shouldn't count on him to be a defensive stalwart anytime soon.
With the Bulls set with Kirk Hinrich at the point and no real offensive threat inside the paint, Beasley is the ultimate choice for the Chicago front office and whatever coach they hire in the future.
#2 Miami Heat - Derrick Rose 6-4 PG, Memphis, Freshman
With the Heat needing a talented backcourt running mate for Dywane Wade, Rose is the clear choice. Even if the Heat landed the #1 spot, Rose would still be the ideal choice, with no established point guard on the Heat roster.
His quickness and athleticism will definitely give him the capability to help him compete with NBA players, but his point guard skills need some refining. Like most point guards coming out of college, his ability as a scorer far surpasses his passing ability.
He has the potential to be a very good all-around point guard, ala Devin Harris, and his strength will allow him the best chance to do so. T
he big weaknesses for Rose are his perimeter shooting and inab
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