NBA Draft Drama: Oden and Durant, Kobe and Garnett

With central characters on the verge of drastic changes, the NBA feels like a soap opera these days.

But is the drama good for the league?

For starters, there's the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant question. The Trailblazers already have a versatile forward in Zach Randolph, and they lack a defensive presence in the middle...so conventional wisdom has them going with Oden.

But the Blazers love winners—and the killer instinct Durant showed at Texas could make him the sort of savior the franchise hasn't had since the days of Bill Walton.

Although Oden's Ohio State Buckeyes did reach the NCAA title game, the big man had help from two other potential first-round picks. It was hardly a do-it-yourself job—not like Durant's run with the Longhorns.
   
If you ask me, Durant is the number-one pick—regardless of his bench press performance.

Hell, guys like Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kevin Garnett weren't weightlifting specimens when they entered the league...and it didn't matter.

Durant has heart, probably more than Oden; he plays like he has something to prove, and given another year very well may have led Texas to an NCAA title.

In any event, the repercussions of the Oden-Durant debate will be felt for years. Here's hoping the loser doesn't have to suffer with Sam Bowie and Chris Washburn.    

Of course, the youngsters don't have a monopoly on the juicy storylines. Kobe Bryant has gone public with his trade demands, and the Lakers may be ready to move him—but to whom, and for whom?

There's the possibility of a three-way deal involving the Timberwolves and the Suns, but I think it'd be a mistake for Phoenix to get involved.    

Amare Stoudemire is vital to the Suns' dynamic system. Phoenix has spent years tweaking its chemistry, and to tamper with it now is asking for trouble.

A better trade would send Kobe and Garnett to the 76ers, where a Dr. J/Moses Malone-type revival might help Philly fans finally get the chips off their shoulders. 

Frankly, Kobe and Garnett seem to deserve each other: They're both supremely talented me-firsters who whine about management decisions without doing much to address the flaws in their own games.

In any event, all this quakin' is making for a more interesting NBA—but it's hard not to feel like unity and loyalty are being sacrificed to big names and big bucks.

But hey, this is America, after all.

At least sport imitates life.