The importance of the draft

[evildallas]

From Tom Ziller's Fanhouse article in response to Malcolm Gladwell's position that the draft is harmful

Let's take a look at this season's All NBA teams.

FIRST TEAM
LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade

SECOND TEAM
Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Brandon Roy, Chris Paul

THIRD TEAM
Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker

These are, according to the voters, the 15 best players in the NBA in 2008-09, with some flubbing necessary for positional purposes. (Read: Shaq doesn't belong there.) Notice anything odd about the list?

The entire first team is made up of players who have only ever played for one team, the team which drafted them or acquired them on their draft day. The entire second team fits the same bill. Two third-team players have only played for one team. Of the other three, only Shaq and Billups have ever changed teams in free agency (Pau has been traded once). The one time Shaq changed teams in free agency, he signed with a large-market team (Lakers) with a winning (53-29) record. Billups has signed with teams as a free agent twice. In both cases, the team was coming off a 50-win season.

link here

It's a quick read that reaffirms that under NBA rules elite players rarely if ever change teams. It also serves as a reminder how badly Billy Knight screwed over Hawks fans.

[tbhawksfan]

Don't see the enough evidence of "how badly BK screwed over the Hawks". Are you basing that on the fact that he drafted MW over Paul?

Drafting is a hit or miss, everyone knows that. Bk put a pretty good team together. Could have done better or worse. I really don't see how BK's drafting was much different from anyone else's.

You could bring up the Roy, Shelden draft, but I still say that drafting is hit or miss in any sport.

The type of players you listed are the exception, you can find many players drafted in the top 5 or 10 that under-achieved. You can also find players like Wade who slipped by all the brilliant GM's.

I'm not a BK supporter, never was, never will be. Just don't like to see people whine over the same lame argument. BK doesn't have anything to do with the Hawks anymore. You copuld also make the argument that without the super-lame Woodson, BK's picks would look better.

[HoopsGuru25]

BK's drafting really not worse than anyone else? Knight directly passed on two consecutive rookie of the years with picks in the top 5. Anyone else who did that was also probably a bad drafter just as BK was.

If you don't think Knight screwed the Hawks over then you were probably a BK supporter or you are just content with mediocrity.

[killbuckner]

tb- the best way to build a contender is to be in the lottery long enough to stockpile several high picks and draft guys who turn into stars. BK repeatedly whiffed in the draft. He simply didn't recognize the talent that Chris Paul and Brandon Roy had (or just had a puppy dog crush on Marvin and Shelden) and it crippled the team for a decade.

[Hawk4Playoffs]

tb- the best way to build a contender is to be in the lottery long enough to stockpile several high picks and draft guys who turn into stars. BK repeatedly whiffed in the draft. He simply didn't recognize the talent that Chris Paul and Brandon Roy had (or just had a puppy dog crush on Marvin and Shelden) and it crippled the team for a decade.

The truth is if it had crippled our team, we would be in the draft again... we would not have won 47 games... When CP3 was in the draft, people were saying he is too small to play PG in the NBA... People said Deron Williams was out of shape and not athletic enough to play in the NBA. It seemed that Marvin was the best pick in the draft for us... The truth is we all wanted the first pick to get a big man, Andrew Bogut.... now that would have really sucked. I don't know why we picked Sheldon Williams, but I know why we didn't pick Brandon Roy... he was a 6'6 SG... we had JJ, Chillz, Marvin... there was no need for the Hawks to draft a SG... It would have made no sense. Hindsight is 20/20...

When BK drafts talent over what we need, we end up with Marvin... when we draft what we need over talent, we end up with Sheldon.

[HoopsGuru25]

I don't know why we picked Sheldon Williams, but I know why we didn't pick Brandon Roy... he was a 6'6 SG... we had JJ, Chillz, Marvin... there was no need for the Hawks to draft a SG... It would have made no sense. Hindsight is 20/20...

This would have made sense if BK didn't draft Marvin when we had Smith,Childress,Diaw,and Harrington on the roster the year before...or if Shelden wasn't the same height(maybe shorter?)than Josh or Marvin.

All that is irrelevant anyway...Shelden was too big of a reach at 5 to even discuss need. Any logical fan could tell you at the time that the Hawks should have taken the BPA(although it was debated whether this was Roy or Foye)or trade down. The only reason Shelden had any supporters is because people blindly trusted BK when the rumors of the promise were leaked. He was not a realistic option on this board before that.

[raleigh]

There were rumors that the Hawks were scared a bit by concerns about Roy's health.

[evildallas]

tb- the best way to build a contender is to be in the lottery long enough to stockpile several high picks and draft guys who turn into stars. BK repeatedly whiffed in the draft. He simply didn't recognize the talent that Chris Paul and Brandon Roy had (or just had a puppy dog crush on Marvin and Shelden) and it crippled the team for a decade.

Exactly what I was referring to. By crippling the Hawks, I mean from competing for a title. The top stars are had on draft day and then kept as cornerstones of a franchise. 2 of the All-NBA Second Team were direct passes by Billy Knight. Either one actually being picked by Atlanta makes the team's fortunes better for a decade. If you dispute Roy's ability to play with Joe, you would have to at least acknowledge that it would give us fire power to participate in one of the rare big player trades. As it stands, we're not quite an elite team nor do we have the resources to acquire a difference making player and it is harder to hit a home run around 20th in the draft.

I hope Sund figures out a way to get us over the top, but the sad truth is that you spend 4 years drafting in the upper half of the lottery you should have more to show for it.