I posted somewhat of a glory rant on the soon-to-be-drafted Dejuan Blair, simply because I am so excited for Pittsburgh to have an NBA connection. He really is the first guy in a LONG while (probably the first that will go so high in the draft) to have true Pittsburgh city roots, playing in the NBA. Well now, 5 days before the draft, it's time to see where Dejuan Blair could go in this little event.
Talk about Dejuan Blair's draft position can get heated, and easily. Experts, scouts, owners, fans all disagree about where this undersized, overheart-ed, big muscled kid with a freak wingspan should go. To his benefit, this draft is weak. Even as a Pitt fan, you must admit that he was very wise to enter the draft this year, especially now with all the talk 'bout his supposed "bad" knees. In terms of big men in the draft, we've got Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill that are definitely going ahead of Blair. However, given that Griffin is a sure #1 pick (what a waste, he's got a very small ceiling), that leaves an assortment of teams needing Big Men, with only Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet to supply the first two. So after that, the question is: who else needs a big man, and will they take Blair?
I don't think that any other big men are taken before Blair.
Looking only at skill and possible contribution, guys like James Johnson, Tyler Hansbrough, Gerald Henderson, and Earl Clark don't have as much going for them. For one, these guys don't really have a specialty in their games. All of these players were called on to do a little bit of everything on their college teams, and as a result, didn't develop post moves, rebounding skills, or a decent shot. Sure, these guys have the potential to do all these things, but when you're drafting high, you need an instant contributor. Guys that did it all in college don't translate as well in the NBA, simply because you need to master a specialty to play against the good guys. Furthermore, the fact that no one knows what specialty these guys will develop (if they even do), makes it very hard for teams to address their needs by drafting them.
That being said, we know Dejuan Blair is going to rebound. He has proven his ability to smell the ball playing against the toughest competitors. He is THE best rebounder in the draft, and the best offensive rebounder the college game has seen in years. Scouts, owners, and players can all attest that he has a gift in that respect, simply because when he wants the ball, he gets it. This type of hunger is extremely attractive for teams, because it translates. You can't really teach hunger, especially for such an un-flashy skill in rebounding. Players don't make highlights for rebounding, but they change games-NBA games. Speaking solely on skill and contribution, I don't see any scenario that Blair is passed by these other "big" men. I honestly think he'd go above Jordan Hill if he had a couple more inches, but that's crazy talk.
Let's look at teams that need rebounding. We've got New York, Toronto, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Phoenix, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland as possible candidates in their respective draft order. I think New York will take a point guard as their bigger need, so Toronto is the first real candidate for Blair. I do think that there could be a move for Chicago to trade up with New Jersey , giving them their two later picks for NJ's higher pick. That way, Chicago could take Dejuan and NJ could get a guy like Hansbrough and address another team need as well. I really do have a feeling this is what will happen. I think we're most likely going to see Dejuan either in Chicago, Milwaukee, or New Jersey.
All the Chad Ford bad knee buzz is frustrating. If you read Chad Ford, just know that he's a high school cheerleader when it comes to draft rumors. He'll promote anything he hears as "owners are worried about" or "scouts are saying." It's very obvious and silly once you realize what he does over and over with rumors. Speaking of Dejuan's knees, everyone already knew that he had knee surgery. THis was common knowledge, that really shouldn't be an issue unless he sat out some games, which he didn't. His knees didn't affect him in the two years that he was a starting center in the big east. Chad really needs to stop gossiping about them like they're some big hookup.
I'm looking at Chicago. And i'm looking for his second season to be great. He's shown his ability to improve in new environments after one go-around. I think a lot of teams are going to regret their Jordan Hills, their Hasheem Thabeets, and their, dare I say it, Blake Griffins.
NBA, meet the hardnosed hungry Dejuan Blair; or should I say, meet Pittsburgh.
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