Oden, Durant and a whole lot more - NBA Draft madness is upon us

FAN NEWS (Greg Varkonyi, Sportingo) - ne of the most intriguing drafts is about to unfold tomorrow. Sure, picks 1and 2 are set. After that, it's dizzy time for hoops aficionados.

Portland Trailblazers will almost certainly select Greg Oden as the No 1 pick of the NBA draft. tomorrow (Thursday). There is seemingly no need for a fortune teller to predict the second pick either, as the Seattle Supersonics will be left with Kevin Durant.

It is a foregone conclusion, no matter how Portland are trying to play a little cloak and dagger. They know that a player like Oden comes along once every generation. The last time a draft was so hyped about a center was when Shaquile O’Neil from LSU was the consensus No 1. Funnily enough, a rather talented Alonzo Mourning allowed them to give that 1% chance that Shaq might not go first.

This year Durant is filling in for that role. Make no mistake, Durant is a heck of a basketball player. He has the drive and the skill to be a truly great one, and he definitely has the potential to be a Hall of Famer. Alas, as stated before, a big man like Oden is so hard to find, it would be professional suicide for any General Manager to pass on him.

You may ask, with the first two picks being set, how can this draft be so enticing, so entertaining? It’s what happens after those picks that is going to make your head spin over and over again.

Straight up at the No 3 selection is Atlanta’s decision. With this draft being rightfully dubbed as a very deep one (it has the potential to rival the depth of the 1996 and 2003 drafts), Atlanta hold the key to the draft. You see, with Oden and Durant out of the way, this is still a very good class. The only problem is, there are plenty of potential stars and solid role-players here. It just is not apparent who’s who.

The draft depth is also uneven. There’s an acknowledged lack of depth at the point guard spot, where the top players certainly have potential, but they all lack experience and thus are tough to gauge. Both forward positions seem to be represented very strongly. All of this does not bode too well for Atlanta, a team in need of a point guard and a center.

Do Atlanta trade the third pick, or do they pick up another talented young forward? I don’t think they would do the latter unless they believe there is a surefire all-star to be had. Their roster comprises mainly of similar players, and they have invested enough into them not to clutter the position even further.

Even after Atlanta’s pick, the question is: To trade, or not to trade? Memphis certainly needs young talent, but with an unhappy Pau Gasol in the lineup they might have a bold move prepared. The Boston Celtics, picking fifth, will certainly entertain offers as they absolutely do not need another young talent on their teen-infested roster.

Aand if that is not enough, consider all the rumours about trades involving superstars. The trio of Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant headline a list of players who are on the block one way or another.

As far as the teams are concerned there are quite a few of them who would love to move up in the draft via trade, and some that are, as of yet, without a first round pick, but are rumored to be attempting to get in there. With such a huge projected depth, teams are even valuing second round picks quite high. An Aaron Afflalo or a Nick Fazekas can be had with an early second round pick.

It will most definitely be interesting to see some of the late first round selections, as many of the teams picking late have some glaring needs to address and possibly they will not have the cap space to attract desired free agents. The draft will be their best option. The New Jersey Nets will have to be hunting for a true low post presence, whilst the New York Knicks will need to add a deep shooting threat. Players that fit these bills will certainly be around late in the first round, it is all a question of how they evaluate the talent that is available.

So no matter what your fancy is, be it the awkward hilariousness of seeing a lanky giant in a suit, seeing blockbuster trades unravel and die out before your very eyes, or hearing some surprise name being called way earlier than expected, this draft is almost guaranteed t have them all. I ask only one thing: Please only compare this class to the great classes of 1996 and 2003 four or five years in the future, when we will already have a picture of what each player is truly capable of.

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