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Welcome to one of the newest additions to the Hulkamaniacs website, the Editorial Rant, written by Luke (website co-editor).
Welcome to the first editorial rant. I'll be looking at a range of issues as the season progresses, so stay tuned to this page.
What better place to start this week, than the recent 2005 NBA Draft, held at Madison Square Garden in New York. For whatever reason, I love a good draft. Whether it's the NBA draft on ESPN, or even the odd AFL draft - I always get drawn in and find myself hanging off every selection. There was big news inparticular for Australia, with our very own born and bred (via Croatia) Andrew Bogut going at the number #1 selection to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks apparently had a mere 6% chance of securing the top pick in the draft this year, and as you now know - they got it.
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It's amazing how the bounce of a ping-pong ball in the draft lottery can go a long way in determining the direction of an NBA franchise. For instance, had the Bobcats got that #1 pick, they'd be potentially looking at a future front line of Bogut and Okafor. Not bad huh?
Speaking of the Bobcats, I'd be stoked being a Bobcats fan right now. I loved their selections of Raymond Felton and Sean May. Both national champions with North Carolina, and quality guys from all accounts. They will add immeasurably to the Bobcats fortunes, and playing in their home state should only help them, one would think.
Bogut would have to be pleased too, going to Milwaukee. They already have an established superstar, in Michael Redd (assuming the Bucks are able to hold onto him during free agency). They also have the returning T.J. Ford - their highly coveted draft selection from last year. If Ford can get back and play some solid minutes, I can see the Bucks improving considerably in '05/06. They will need some help though - even though Bogut arrives to the Bucks as a ready-made NBA player.
My worry is, who else is there to support the likes of Redd and Bogut? I like Desmond Mason, but there's little else on the roster to suggest a play-off birth is likely next season. And Whilst on Bogut, how about these comments by Bill Simmons from ESPN's "Page 2":
"The Bucks, who are planning to take Andrew Bogut at No. 1. No, not in a supplemental draft - the actual draft. I thought he was going to be the next Bill Wennington until last week, when I found out he was only 20 years old. Now I'd like to upgrade that prediction to the poor man's Mike Gminski. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - G-Mo had a few good years, and sported the best, red, mid-'80s beard except for possibly Chuck Norris. Plus, the clips of Bogut trying to guard Amare Stoudemire could fill an NBA DVD some day".
And what about these comments from the same guy:
"Do you think a group of fans have ever been less excited by a No. 1 pick than Bucks fans? In any sport?" "Bogut (desperately needing to grow a wispy mustache) goes first and hugs a bunch of happy Australians. Couldn't they have given us a "Most Successful Australians" montage here? They could have shown the Crocodile Dundee, Men At Work, Nicole Kidman, the Bee Gees … I mean, this is a guy who could go down some day as the greatest Australian-Croatian center of all-time. We can't celebrate this?"
The Bee Gee's?? Australian? Barely. But at least we can safely say he'll never be president of the 'Andrew Bogut fan club'.
With the Bucks selection of Bogut at #1, you can safely say there will be a massive spike in Milwaukee merchandise sales in Australia.
Personally, I think Bogut was the stand-out selection in this years draft - skilled centres don't come along very often, yet as we saw in the draft - point guards were a "dime-a-dozen". Other selections could excite in the future, too. Chris Paul, they say, could be a superstar - whilst Marvin Williams has the most "upside". From the highlights shown on ESPN, the Celtics could have landed a real sleeper in selecting high schooler Gerald Green at pick #18. Simply put - This. Guy. Is. Amazing. The Celtics could really have something there.
Overall, Australian networks could learn a lot from ESPN's telecast of the NBA draft. To this day I believe the NBL needs to have a really close look at restructuring their drafting and free agency system. It's shocking at the moment - with most players essentially free agents at the completion of each NBL season.
Finally, and in the true spirit of jumping on the bandwagon, go Bucks!
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