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Kings Go Big on Draft Day, Sort of
By Greg Lee June 28, 2007 |
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The 2007 NBA Draft is over. The big day has come and gone. Kobe’s still a Laker. KG’s still a Timberwolf. Stoudamire is still Pheonix. The Celtics got their man. And the Warriors made an unexpected splash in the pool. Greg Oden went to the Portland Trailblazers with the first pick. Kevin Durant, who some say may be the best all-around talent in this year’s draft, also moved into the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific Division. Somewhere after the din of excitement died down and before the trade-winds picked up, Sacramento selected Spencer Hawes, the seven foot center from Washington with the tenth overall pick-their only pick in this year’s draft. Hawes is expected to be an offensive force in the middle with a shooter’s touch and the ability to spread the ball around. Coming out of Washington after his Freshman year, Hawes steps into a perfect scenario where he can learn from and back-up veteran Brad Miller. Assuming of course, Miller is still on the roster down the road. Elsewhere around the league, Seattle added Kevin Durant and shipped their leading scorer, Ray Allen, to Boston. For the seven-time All-Star, the Sonics received Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and the No.5 pick – with which Boston selected forward Jeff Green for Seattle. The Celtics also gave up a future second-round pick. Between the Trailblazers acquiring the rights to Oden and the Sonics one-day rebuilding effort, it looked like the Pacific Northwest had the news of the day all sewn up. But the Pacific Division wasn’t done. Last season’s upstart playoff, the Cinderealla-darlings in the Bay made their own big splash trading away fan-favorite, Jason Richardson in order to acquire the rights to North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, the eighth overall pick, from the Charlotte Bobcats. Wright, another Freshman entry into the draft, was a highly touted prospect and should be a nice fit for the Golden State. And while the Ws might miss Richardson on the court, moving him, General Manager Chris Mullen freed up almost $50 million dollars over the next four seasons in salary cap room. So, the big day came and went and the big winners came out of the Pacific Division. In the shadows of the Trailblazers, Supersonics, and the Warriors, the Kings are going to march out of June with a new head coach, a new “Center of the future” and no clear answers for tomorrow. |
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