The NBA Draft

There were just four college seniors drafted in the first round this year. Would be curious to know how many of them graduated.

#8 Rafael Araujo, Brigham Young
#10 Luke Jackson, Oregon
#20 Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
#25 Tony Allen, Oklahoma St.

There were also eight high school seniors, six foreign players, and eleven underclassmen in the first round. There were more seniors in the second round. Nonetheless, lesson learned...if you have to stay in school through your senior year, you're not that much of an NBA prospect. If a ball player uses his entire scholarship, let's hope he studied and graduated so he can find work.

Congrats to Luke! Unfortunately, maybe we've haven't read the last of the stories with sentences like this.

Despite coming from the small town of Creswell and playing high school basketball for a Class 3A school, Luke Jackson always believed he could play with the big boys of college basketball.

Gag...no offense to Luke or to Creswell, a very nice town. But the point is, if you have talent, colleges and the NBA will find you...and school size, country, whatever have nothing to do with talent. Creswell High School has about 400 students...certainly not tiny. In fact, it's the ideal size according to the small school initiative (most recent blog here). Any of you Oregon sports writers who have used a similar phrase, quit the lazy elitism.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers had four draft picks and completely avoided folks who've attended college. With the first pick (#13), they chose Sebastian Telfair, a 5-10 to 6-0 high school point guard from NYC who already has a six-year, $15 million Adidas endorsement contract (though not all the money is guaranteed).

Haven't read anybody that thought he'd go that high in the draft. Are the Blazers maybe grooming Damon's replacement? If so, yet another slashing guard who doesn't shoot very well? At least he creates for teammates pretty well, and he's really speedy. Let's hope he's mature enough to resist some of the bad influences Portland still has, something another Blazers youngster, Qyntel Woods, hasn't proven strong enough to do. With Stephon Marbury as Telfair's cousin, one has to worry some regards being a head case.

Next at #22 and #23 came two Russian teammates, Viktor Khryapa and Sergey Monya. Monya survived much deeper than expected and is highly thought of...but has contractual difficulties which may keep him in Russia for awhile. A 6-8 small forward if he keeps developing...hmmmm. Khryapa sounds like a two-guard role player, someone who can shoot and play some D. No one seems to think he's spectacular in any particular facet of his game, just solid.

Then at #46 is Ha Seung-Jin from South Korea. Having lived there, take my word for it...his last name is Ha...he would be Mr. Ha (though he might be a bit young to be Mr., even in formal S. Korea). If you knew him well, then you could use Seung-Jin. He's 7-3 or 7-4, 300-325, and only 18...his dad was a national team player. So, while he's not without skill, can you say project? Portland lacks a genuine center, though Detroit just proved one can win with a defensive-minded forward blocking and altering shots (Ben is more athletic than Theo Ratliff, though).

Portland is really gearing towards the following season when they're finally out of salary cap hell. This year if any of the draft picks comes through, it's a bonus. Telfair is an interesting gamble, but he's always going to be short in the NBA. If Portland can actually sign Monya, he could prove to be an interesting pick. Portland's already got too many forwards, but they'll be certainly culling the lot over the next two years.

At least the Trail Blazers are contributing to linguists finding jobs in town. Think of the marketing possibilities for a Korean in the NBA. And on his jams, folks could yell HA!

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[bmk]

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