While the Daily News’ Frank Isola reports the Knicks are on the brink of dealing Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic, Newsday’s Alan Hahn — a predictor, if not a proponent of Stephen Curry coming to MSG, has alleged New York target Ricky Rubio slipping no further than no. 5 overall in tomorrow night’s NBA Draft.
Oklahoma City could go for Rubio at No. 3, but James Harden (above) is just a better fit. The Thunder is one of the few drum-tight organizations in the draft. Absolutely zero is being leaked from their braintrust, so everything is pure speculation, but one thing we have consistently heard over the past few weeks is the Thunder are not interested in sliding Russell Westbrook out of the point guard spot. That leaves Rubio on the board for Sacramento at No. 4, but wait…the latest word is the Kings will pass on Rubio and go for Tyreke Evans. That sets up Minnesota, who targeted Rubio with the trade-up and they could get him at No. 5.
That leaves the sixth pick as a curious one. If the T-Wolves get Rubio, why would they draft another guard with the sixth pick? But they have an eye on Harden or Evans as shooting guards if they are there. If not, total mystery
If I had a sports blog, I’d point towards this pre-draft discussion, headlined “Isiah’s A Genius” and sponsored by the Laugh Factory:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/insider/news/story?id=4270096
Through the use of cutting-edge “statistical” “analysis,” Alvin “Tommy”
Chang purports to “prove” that Isiah Thomas is the second-best drafting GM of the last 20 years. Many of the ESPN commenters debunk Chang’s kindergarten methodology through the arcane use of “reasoning,” while perspicacious commenter zbrown76 praises the whole abacus-fueled exercise as “comedy gold.”
Okay, so none of Zeke’s worst NYK personnel decisions — signing Vin Baker, signing Jerome James, signing Jared Jeffries (and then drafting his identical twin from the Nojumpshot family, Renaldo Balkman), trading for Stephon Marbury, and trading for Steve Francis (buh-bye, Trevor Ariza) — involved the draft. But simply for the fact that Isiah didn’t lottery-protect the ’06 and ’07 picks he handed the Bulls for Eddy Curry, shouldn’t he be scratched from the draft-guru derby?
Q: Why was a supposed draft genius wasting draft choices? A: Because he was kind of an idiot.