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The Worth of a Draft Pick

 The NBA draft is always a thrilling event where organizations get the opportunity to breed new talent which could help them immediately contend for a championship. Tonight will be a life changing event for all players who are fortunate to get drafted and take their talents to the next level. 

 All the players who will be drafted tonight have been studied by organizations and under a microscope for years. at the end of the day though, the draft is basically luck. You can do all the scouting you want on a player from how his jump shot is, to his behavior off the court. Many teams in the past have felt they were getting the perfect kid, only to be disappointed. One good example not to long ago is Greg Oden who was the number one draft selection . For months, the Portland Trailblazers went back and forth between Oden and a guy named Kevin Durant. Even the occasional basketball fan has a pretty good idea who has had the better career. Oden is still in his early 20's and can barely walk, while Durant is arguably the best player in basketball. 

So tonight in the lead up to the draft, owners and GM's are desperately trying to put their organization in the best position to improve their team requiring very difficult decisions. One of the hardest decisions to make for an organization is determining how much a draft pick is worth. One story that has been highly talked about as the draft approaches is the Charlotte Bobcats #2 draft pick. Five teams known to be trying to obtain this pick and are willing to give up star power in order to get it. But you have to ask is it really worth it? The fact is, the players a team is agreeing to trade are established stars who obviously have a great deal of talent if they are being coveted by other teams. Regardless of who the #2 draft pick is, they will have no NBA experience and could easily be the next Greg Oden. 

I personally believe that draft picks are overrated. This is not only in basketball, but in every sport. I remember when the New England Patriots traded away a 4th round draft pick for Randy Moss who happens to be one of the best receivers ever. Do you really think that the 4th round draft pick has any chance to be the next Randy. I seriously doubt is considering John Bowie (the 4th round draft pick) is on the practice squad for the Bengals after having been in three other organizations previously. 

My point is that tonight nothing is a guarantee. When teams are trying to acquire the best rookies who they feel is a future all star, they should proceed with caution. Before you trade away the veterans on your team who have accomplished so much, remember that they have made their mark on the game while the player you draft may completely fizzle out. 

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Good luck to all NBA teams

Aaron Granoff