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
2 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Michael McGowan about 1 year ago
Dude... Mayo will probably be 3, 4, 5...
Right now you have Rose and Beasley Mixed up too. But you have 1A and 1B with Bease and Rose.
Then you have 2 with OJ...
And whomever takes Lopez is screwed.. He is going to be too big of a project..
Mayo is not Chauncy, He will be mini Lebron...
Scorer, Shooter, Hard worker, Works out more than anyone else... Finds the open guy, Not great on D but can play it when he wants to.
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Chris Rodriguez about 1 year ago
As of now, Beasley is #1 because I didn't account for trades in this draft. With Hinrich there and no post-scorer for the Bulls in town, Beasley has to be the pick. Lopez is the pick because right now Jefferson has no help at all in the post and he is their future. Plus Randy Foye is a PG/SG in his own right and he's their proclaime future leader. I agree Lopez isn't anythign special, but he could be solid next to a future All-Star in Jefferson. Remember there's no such thing as too big of a project. (Watch DeAndre Jordan this year, possibly a top 5 selection, more likely top 10) Mayo also most likely won't be 4 or 5 if the Wolves don't take him at 3. Memphis is clearly out, b/c they drafted Conley, still have Mike Miller and have no inside game to speak of (Darko Milicic, Memphis wishes). At 4 I went Bayless because he has the speed to compliment green and durant and Mayo needs the ball in his hands more. Durant is the future of Seattle and he's the #1 scoring option. Mayo just doesn't fit the bill to me. Calling Mayo a mini Lebron is way to much of an overevaluation. Mayo hasn't even come close to Lebron. Plus he's a much better jump shooter than Lebron was coming into the league. Lebron is a manchild in every way shape and form. Mayo doesn't have the strength, size, nor ball skills Lebron has. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a good player. But being that Lebron pretty much breaks down the defense unlike many others ever in the league and on any night can go 28, 8, and 8, I don't think Mayo can ever come that close. Chauncey is a better choice, because Mayo likes the ball in his hands at the end of the game, he has above average shooting ability, especially around the perimeter, with most likely a future at the point. Maybe I'll be completely wrong on the comparison, but as of now, everyone in this draft pales in comparison to Lebron now and who he was coming into the league. I know this was long, but get back to me on what you think.
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