The NBA Draft

[erpowers]

What do DUers think about the NBA draft? How do you feel about all the first picks mainly picks 1-10? What do you think about the Mayo/Love trade? Who do you think got the better deal in that draft? What are your thoughts about Miami thinking about taking O.J. Mayo with the second pick? I think it would have been a bad idea to draft Mayo instead of Beasley. I am not sure how good Beasley will be in the NBA, but Beasley had a better college season. So, what do others think?

[Awsi Dooger]

1. As a Heat fan I wanted Beasley

I watched a high percentage of USC games last season and that team could defend. Tim Floyd is an excellent tournament coach. They had no answer for Kansas St. Beasley created problems they hadn't faced all year, with or without the ball, even though USC played a premier schedule including Kansas, Memphis and obviously UCLA twice.

Mayo will be unleashed in the pros and I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out better than Rose. For some reason I've never been captivated with Rose. He wanders for huge chunks of games without asserting himself. Then he'll take over for 5 minutes and you wonder what switch got turned on. That was most evident in the title game but my friend who follows college basketball incredibly closely was mentioning it all year.

[PRETZEL]

2. Without denegrating the motivations of these kids I have a problem

with the NBA draft (as well as most major sports drafts) in that college has taken a back seat. There was maybe 1 or 2 seniors who went in the first round. Most were freshmen or sophmores. I'm sorry but I just don't feel 18 - 20 year olds are mature enough to handle the fame and fortune that they have just gotten.

There has to be a better partnership between colleges and professional sports that will allow these kids to mature.

That said, as to the players involved and what teams did, I think Miami was basically just blowing smoke over Mayo. They were just trying to get other teams thinking as well as Beasley's agent into a better negotiating position. Miami was going to take Beasley. But from what I've seen of him he will turn into a good NBA player, possibly even a great player.

[Hokie]

3. OJ Mayo will be a bust

He played high school in my area. I think you saw how he folds under pressure in his obligatory year at USC. He will be another overpaid so-so NBA player.