Dear (fill in with the name of any NBA lottery pick),
You may not remember me, but we went to kindergarten together and you said you'd be my friend forever. Well, I have this idea for a new business, but I need some start-up capital...
And why you ask? Because another NBA draft has come and gone and the worlds' population of millionaires just got a little bigger. Teams have filled needs, some drafting for the future, others looking for instant impact. Here's a recap of the top ten picks in case you've been asleep for the past two days.
1. Kenyan Martin - New Jersey Nets
2. Stromile Swift - Vancouver Grizzlies
3. Darius Miles - L.A. Clippers
4. Marcus Fizer - Chicago Bulls
5. Mike Miller - Orlando Magic
6. DerMarr Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
7. Chris Mihm - Chicago Bulls (traded rights to Cavaliers for Jamal Crawford)
8. Jamal Crawford - Cleveland Cavaliers (traded rights and cash to Bulls for Chris Mihm)
9. Joel Przybilla - Houston Rockets
10. Keyon Dooling - Orlando Magic (traded to Clippers w/Maggette and Strong for future picks)
All in all, not the most exciting of drafts. Many of the names called were unknown to those who don't watch college ball. However, in a few years this could be looked upon as a very influential draft. While no one player is going to dominate and most will probably need a few years to develop, there's the potential for a lot of these guys to make a name for themselves. We'll just have to wait and see.
Perennial draft day losers, the L.A. Clippers showed some signs of intelligence this year and made the steal of the day with their #3 pick, Darius Miles. Fresh out of high school, he is said to be the most talented of this year's draftees. At only 18, he has years to get better and only has an upside. One has to wonder, though, if that organization is the best place for him to do it. It hasn't exactly been the league's most stable team. What effect might that have on a youngster who is used to winning? Plus they're without a coach. But you got to give them credit for wanting to improve. Trading for Corey Maggette, Derek Strong and Keyon Dooling was a strong move that should at least put some asses in the seats next season. Add Lamar Odom into the mix and those Clippers fans just may be able to remove the paper bags from their heads and assume their real identies. Maybe.
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