The National Basketball Association's draft is one of the strangest nights in sports. Every major sport has a draft, but none quite compare with the basketball version.
Sure, the NFL draft is more fun and has Mel Kiper Jr. Major League Baseball's draft goes until literally every prospect has been taken. Heck, former White Sox GM Ron Schueler once drafted his own daughter in round 43.
The NBA may only have two rounds, and it certainly doesn't have Mel Kiper. However, it does have quite a few things that the other drafts don't.
Example one: guys with names like Yaroslav Korolev (drafted 12 to the Clippers).
Example two: tragic stories of college players who left early and go undrafted.
And, of course, example three: a random seven-footer destined for mediocrity drafted first overall (although the NFL has a similar custom with quarterbacks).
The top pick this year went to the Milwaukee Bucks who selected Andrew Bogut, you guessed it, a seven-foot center from Australia. Although Bogut was the best player in college basketball last year and plays more like Tim Duncan than Kwame Brown, most Milwaukee fans see a seven-foot white guy and immediately decide that their franchise is doomed.
Buck loyalists were almost to a man hoping for Marvin Williams, a six-foot, nine-inch small forward from North Carolina. He may not have started for his college team last year, but as a true athlete with height and a nice shot, he will have a long future in the league.
Williams, who Atlanta chose with the No. 2 pick, has been compared to everyone from James Worthy to Tracy McGrady. When all is said and done, he may well end up developing into a great player in this league, but in the NBA, a good center is worth more than a great small forward.
Three point guards round out the top five picks.
Deron Williams went to Utah at No. 3. As the point guard for Illinois last year, Williams proved himself to be a great passer and a tough defender. His quickness is a little lacking and he would be better if he lost about 20 pounds. The point guard is easily the second most desired position in the NBA and a passer like Williams is incredibly hard to find these days.
Chris Paul and Raymond Felton went fourth and fifth to New Orleans and Charlotte, respectively. Paul is a great athlete with huge potential but had a somewhat disappointing season last year. He was the consensus preseason player of the year, and though he didn't have a bad season, he didn't quite live up to the early hype.
Raymond Felton was a surprising selection. A lightning quick guard with little else, he was expected to go in the 10-20 range.
An interesting feature of the NBA draft is the huge number of players who either left college early or skipped college altogether to enter the draft. For many, like Bogut and Williams, this is a good solid decision.
Most commentators, however, speak of what a terrible decision it is for players drafted in the second round or players left undrafted. Despite their doubts, skipping out on college usually proves a sound financial decision.
Take a look at Matt Walsh, who left Florida after his junior year and was undrafted. If he were to stay at Florida, his standing may have improved, leaving him as a first or second round pick. Having left early, though, his options have been completely opened up.
He may still sign with an NBA team, making the league minimum of $385,277, much more than the tuition he was earning at Florida. Even if he goes unsigned, he still can play in the NBA developmental league or in Europe, where he would easily earn hundreds of thousands of dollars.
College, of course, has a certain prestige and value to it, but that value can easily be made up after a player's prime is over, and he's made millions of dollars with which he can pay tuition. Walsh and others made a very solid decision in leaving college early to play professional basketball.
