Does Joe see the Nets trading away their lottery ball?

 

 June 22, 2001
Draft Dodging - Part II
 Joe already covered the rest of the NBA in Part I of Draft Dodging. But what does he think will happen right here at home?

It's less than, what, five days from draft day? Time to put the pedal to the metal and make some sense out of the latest NBA draft murmurs. The Nets are staring down the most confounding draft ever. What will they do? you ask Joe. Since I don't have a crystal ball (ok, not a real one anyway), nor a very large telescope to see into Rod Thorn's head, I haven't a clue. I do know that Cap'n Jay is convinced we'll take Loren Woods, whose stock has plummeted in the past two weeks and no longer shows as a Top 10 pick. Sorry Jay, no Loren Woods in the Nets' future, at least as far as I can tell.

We all know the Nets' needs: they need shooters; they need size; they need a center; and, they need to get tougher and more athletic. Since there is no way the Nets can accomplish this in one draft, let alone in one off-season, what players are out there that can help out? What should be done with the #7 pick?

Here's my radical thought: trade the damned thing.

You've already had advanced warning to my thinking in the latest diatribe, State of the Union. Well, let's face it: the Nets' history of picking in the first round is rather uninspiring, at best. And most of the true talent in this draft needs far more seasoning than the Nets can stand. I know, the counter argument is - imagine if the Nets had the foresight to pick Kobe Bryant instead of Kerry Kittles? You're right, I can't argue that, and Eddie Curry or Kwame Brown may turn out to be the next Malone or Garnett. But the team needs to get better, faster, or there won't be anyone interested in trekking to Newark to see the team play. Make a deal for the pick, bring in one or two veterans that can help the team immediately, or trade down for another pick and a body. Find a way to make a deal that's beneficial to the Nets. Turn over the roster if necessary. Whatever. Hell, I don't even know who exactly to suggest. But I'll bet Rod Thorn does.

I wish I had confidence that anyone the Nets would draft at number 7 would pan out. But I don't, and that's my own problem. But it doesn't have to be the Nets' problem. Ok, I know you're not going to be satisfied unless I project a number 7 pick for the Nets. And I would guess the chances are pretty good that the Nets will keep the pick. So, then, who does Joe favor with that pick? I'm going to make the assumption that certain players won't slip to number 7, including Eddie Griffin, Eddie Curry, and Tyson Chandler, all of whom are expected to be gone when the Nets pick. So, I would favor the Nets pick size first of all, even if that means a high schooler if available (but not Sagana Diop, should he fall - reminds me too much of Yinka Dare. And we all know how that went). But that doesn't seem likely, and most draft boards have Thorn taking Jason Richardson there. I would be ok with that as well.

But my guess at Rod Thorn's pick? Shane Battier. Just a hunch, but...if he falls this far, he's Thorn's pick. Thorn loves the throwbacks, the guys who look polished (see Martin, Kenyon). But frankly, it'll be a toss-up here between polish (Battier) and potential (Diop? Richardson?). And anyway, I expect that there will be lots of wheeling and dealing going on right up to the 7:30 start time on June 27, and beyond. So it's too close to call with 100% accuracy.

The Revised (and Final) Outlook
 Updated for the latest heresay/rumors/articles:

1. Washington Wizards - Rodney White, F. He's on Jordan's radar. Q: Where the hell did he come from in the last month?
2. Los Angeles Clippers - Eddie Curry, C. Great pick.
3. Atlanta Hawks - Kwame Brown, F. Pretty soon Hawks will have "Under 21" lineup.
4. Chicago Bulls - Eddie Griffin, F. Fat Man catches a serious break on this one.
5. Golden State Warriors - Tyson Chandler, C. Need: height. Chandler's the answer...
6. Vancouver (?) Grizzlies - Pau Gasol, F. The tall, freakish quasi-point guard (and Kukoc imitator) from Spain fits well in ....Memphis?
7. New Jersey Nets - Shane Battier, F. Another in a long line of "what could have been?" picks?
8. Cleveland Cavaliers - Jason Richardson, G. They got needs, and Richardson's the best on the board.
9. Detroit Pistons - Zack Randolph, F. Pistons excited to take him, another Michigan State alum.
10. Boston Celtics - Sagana Diop, C. Celts can't pass up his...potential? and pick up a point guard at #11.

Other potential Top 10 picks include: Joe Johnson, F (next Scottie Pippen?); Troy Murphy, F (next Larry Bird or Jack Haley?);Jamaal Tinsley, G (best PG in draft);Omar Cook, G (raw but full of potential); and Vladimir Radmanovic, F (the next ???). Or just about 5 or 10 others, depending on what the hell happens. Strange things tend to occur when there is no consensus as to guaranteed talent.

So that wraps it up - the only thing you can count on come Wednesday is that nothing will go according to plan. Here's hoping the Nets find success with their pick (and frankly, hope they trade it down or away, in my opinion). Think Martin; not Dare, Hopson, or even Coleman or Anderson.

Thorn, give us hope for 2001 - 2002.

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