It’s NBA draft is time, and once again there will be somewhere in the vicinity of 30 young men who make at least a million dollars in their first year. Many of them are far from ready to play and contribute to The Association. Nothing new, it’s just how it is.
Being a senior going into the draft is almost like saying, “I was not good enough to go any earlier or I would have left early only to now realize it was a mistake as I wouldn’t have a degree.” Sad, but true.
Most of these players will never get near a degree that certifies that they were in school for more than just to play basketball. Take the money and run? Sure, why not.
Most of these kids need to run – run away from all the newfound friends and family advisors who will now come on the scene to help them spend that jack. The problem is it does not go as far as it used to in those first three years before they get a shot at making the big money.
Most of these kids, by the way, have not been around long enough to learn the fundamentals of the game. They never live up to the expectations management and fans put on them just because they got some “Steak n Shake” All-American who is now going to take his team to the promised land.
The Magic Johnsons of the world come along very rarely when it comes to walking into the league and winning a championship. It didn’t hurt that Magic had Kareem Adbul Jabbar on his team. Everyone else has to wait their turn.
This year’s draft is average at best with talent. Only Blake Griffin really stands head and shoulders above everyone. He will be taken by the L.A. clippers and it might be the last we ever hear from him when it comes to a winning team.
The draft will also feature a few European players who will good enough to help their team lose in the playoffs. Pao Gasol was fortunate that the Lakers created match up problems for a lot of teams. Throw in the fact that he plays for Kobe and the rest of the story is fairly simple.
These are not bad players, they have just come up in a era when the fundamentals don’t seem to have the same impact. Funny how that can be, considering all the unsanctioned practices coaches conduct these days. But then again, by the time a college coach gets some of these kids it may be too late to break some of the bad habits.
Phil Mickelson, second?
What else is new?
Once again Phil Mickelson played in a major golf tournament and once again he came up short. It is a common practice to see him in this spot. It’s also common for the media to root for him in a manner that is quite comical, considering he only plays to disappoint.
Excuses, excuses is what you will hear. How about this one: He is a heartbreaker because he has the talent.
While Mickelson went into this event with the fact that his wife is battling cancer, it was a commendable effort on his part.
He is a tremendous golfer who has a tough time winning when the world is looking. He is not a loser, just a guy who has been put in a precarious position: of having to beat Tiger Woods. Phil just has a hard time getting in that final group to play with Tiger on Sunday when it means something.