I know that there is this sport that’s supposed be really
popular. In this sport, these players kick around a ball and can’t touch with
their hands. Apparently, there is this world tournament for this sport going on
right now in Brazil, and Team USA is doing well.
But,
who am I kidding? I don’t really watch the World Cup. Until football season
begins, the only thing I care about is the NBA draft. The rest of America can
jump on the soccer train every four years, but this draft is what I’ve been
looking forward to all week. This draft, in particular, made me one happy
sports, err, Jazz fan.
Granted,
many of us thought the Jazz would trade up for Jabari Parker. They were
thinking about trading some key players, including Derrick Favors and Alec
Burks, just for an opportunity to draft him. Some insiders say that the Jazz
were torn between Jabari and Andrew Wiggins, but I don’t buy that. Jabari
Parker’s NBA readiness coupled with his religion almost guaranteed to put more
butts in the Energy Solutions Arena than any other player in this draft.
However,
it would have been unrealistic to expect Cleveland to pass up on an opportunity
to select a player like Wiggins or Parker. Relying on LeBron James to return to
the Cavs this fall is too much of a long shot. They needed a star player to
compliment Kyrie Irving. With Andrew Wiggins, they got exactly what they
needed. With Andrew Wiggins gone, the obvious choice for Milwaukee was Jabari
Parker, the dream player for the Jazz. As expected, Milwaukee chose Parker.
Then,
something unexpected happened. Dante Exum was considered to be the third best
player in the draft. When the Sixers passed up on him for an apparent injury
plagued Joel Embiid, the Orlando Magic were up. They have a decent PG, but with
a player of Dante Exum’s talent and potential still on the board, it was
surprising to see them pass up on him. They chose Aaron Gordon, who I thought was
going to Utah, with the fourth pick.
This
left the 18 year old kid from Australia for Utah. Exum will be a great addition
to the Jazz. Trey Burke is a solid PG, but Exum’s skill set will help him
transition easily to SG or SF. I’m excited. When Rodney Hood was still
available at 23, the Jazz would have been foolish to pass up on him. They
selected the shooting guard from Duke with the second first round pick.
The
best part of it all? They didn’t have to give up Favors, Burks, or anybody else
in the process. They may not be quite championship material yet, but they are
headed in the right direction. Dennis Lindsey and the rest of Jazz management
really nailed it out of the park in this draft.
But,
enough about my team. How did your team do?
From
what I saw, Philly made some interesting choices. Embiid won’t be able to play
until at least the middle of the season, and Dario Saric has already made
commitments to play ball in Europe. There is a good chance that neither of
their lottery picks will get much playing time next year. Either they have a
lot of faith in the growth of Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams, or they
are planning on tanking again next year. I’m thinking they are hoping for the
first scenario.
I was
surprised to see Julius Randle and Doug McDermott slip as far as they did, but
LA and Chicago are getting some good players headed their way. The Heat made an
obvious attempt to keep LeBron by trading for Shabazz Napier. And, I’m not quite
sure what Boston’s plans are with Marcus Smart. Do they plan on having him play
shooting guard? Are they going to trade him? Are they trading Rajon Rando? It
was a very interesting choice, especially with names like Randle, Stauskas, and
Levine still up for grabs.
It was
great night for the NBA. Adam Silver made a very classy move, honoring Isaiah Austin,
the Baylor star that gave up his dreams after developing Marfan Syndrome, by
giving him an “NBA Draft Selection.” Once Austin gets his degree, Silver will
have a job lined up for him with the NBA.
Only
time will tell how this draft stacks up against the classic drafts of the past.
The players haven’t played yet, so it would be unfair to compare them to the
class of 1984 or 1996. But, man, was it a good one! We are all excited to see
this group develop.
As for
that soccer tournament, I guess I can watch that now. 
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