Friday, June 26, 2009

24 comments A Boy Named Bill and His Draft Diary

Bill Simmons puts his draft diaries in roman numerals as if they are all events, so this year's diary instead of being Draft Diary 13, is Draft Diary XIII. It adds so much ego and self importance to the whole thing I believe. It's pretty typical for Bill. He also doesn't cover the second round of the draft, which should not shock anyone who reads Bill's columns on a regular basis. The second round is full of players that you actually have to follow college basketball or read more than just your typical ESPN article to know anything about. (Bill Simmons can turn me into a college basketball snob where I talk like I am a genius. I realize I am not, but he does it to me) I am sure it will be 2 more years before he is touting one of these players after they have broken out as a great player.

Now onto Bill Simmons' Draft Diary. Are you ready to read about him making fun of coaches and General Managers while talking about the "faces" that they make? You better be because that's all the Draft Diary is.

In a paraphrase from one of my favorite movie quotes: "We've been reading the same Draft Diary with the same jokes for the past 13 years...and in no way is that pathetic."

The Virgin Megastore on Hollywood Boulevard had a "Going Out Of Business!" sale

(Cue long story where Bill describes what he thinks rather than just says it...this always annoys me. I can't decide if he is just killing space or is just developmentally retarded.)

Here's the point: The 2009 NBA draft is the equivalent of that 10 minutes when I nearly talked myself into three Blu-Rays I didn't even want. I have seen "The Shining" 10 million katrillion times. I don't need to own it on Blu-Ray. But when it's sitting on the same shelf with "Along Came Polly" and "Ocean's 12"? It starts looking good by default. That's the problem with this year's draft class -- too many "Terminator 3" Blu-Rays, only everyone else is so bad, you start talking yourself into them.

Players in this draft only look good relative to the other crappier players around them. I just summed it up in one sentence.

It's like the graduate school I went to. The girls on campus where all ugly but after a while they looked better compared to the even uglier girls on campus or at the local Wal-Mart.

Trust me: It's the worst draft class since the infamous Kenyon Martin Draft in 2000.

Why wouldn't we trust him? He admittedly paid no attention to overseas basketball, has only a limited and rudimentary knowledge of college basketball players because it bored him this year and he couldn't name where 5 of the guys who got drafted in the 2nd round came from. He is an "expert" so of course we trust him.

Bill is just saying exactly what other people have told him. Either that or he really thinks we should trust him based on his own limited knowledge, which is just crazy.

If I had to bet my life on any 2009 prospect becoming a top-three player on a championship team, I'd bet on Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry.

I'll take that. Of course a couple of days ago he called it a "four person draft." I don't know what has changed. Asking Bill Simmons to stay consistent is like asking MTV to play any type of music...it would nice for them to do in theory but it's just not happening.

Orlando trades for Vince Carter (one of the biggest "It will end up being either a huge hit or a giant miss" deals in recent memory)

I hate this trade for Orlando. Vince Carter is a proven turd. Look what he did in New Jersey. He joined the team and then they start selling everyone off two years later. It's going to be mid-December before he and Rashard Lewis are fighting over who can stand at the 3 point line for the entire 3rd quarter and bomb three point shots. I can't wait to see Otis Smith's face when he sees Vince's 500th straight fall away jump shot.

Have I mentioned I hate Vince Carter? I even called one of my UNC fan friends yesterday and told him what I feel about the trade and could feel him holding back thinking, "I haven't talked to him in a while, I don't feel like starting a debate." I usually try not to start debates with UNC fans, but I feel so strongly against this trade, not based on what they gave up, but I can't get why any team would volunatarily want Vince Carter.

2. The other ESPN guys gently tempered Scott's enthusiasm for Cleveland's Shaq trade without one bluntly saying, "Stu, I have some bad news for you -- it's not 2001, it's 2009." This is why they keep me off studio shows.

Because one of the ESPN guys would have to tell Bill, "I have some bad news for you--it's not 1993, it's 2009, those jokes are old." Or does he not get to be on studio shows because he would absolutely suck as an analyst? He would spend 30 minutes describing something that can be summed up in one sentence. Or is that Boston doesn't pick until No. 58 so he really serves no purpose?

4:46: Jackson tells us the Grizzlies "are a team, to me, that needs talent." I agree. I was just going to say that. By the way, I'm excited for "Thabeet over Rubio" to become the new "Darko over Carmelo." Somebody should start a "Free Thabeet" blog right now. Beat the crowd.

I agree. I just don't like Thabeet. He got used by DeJuan Blair when they played, he is actually pretty soft for a shot blocker, he is too skinny to hold his position on offense or defense. All he has going for him is that he is tall and we all know how that turns out for players who have the tall gene and not much else offensively in the NBA. He will have a 10 year career blocking shots and averaging 6ppg. Have I mentioned UConn had to surround him with players like Jeff Adrian and Stanley Robinson who were tough and could rebound because he has trouble rebounding when there is against a more powerful opponent? I forgot that? Well I just added it. On a bright note he has one offensive move and it's a lay-up.

4:51: OK, who would be the funniest celebrity to try to say the name "Hasheem Thabeet?" Tom Brokaw? Bob Cousy?

Them foreigners sure do talk funny.

I like Harden as a glue-character guy and he definitely has a good porn name. But considering the Zombies have to worry about Durant fleeing in a couple of years, wasn't it in their best interests to find him an unselfish guard who's immensely fun to play with and was put on the earth to get Durant easy baskets? Big mistake.

Ouch. Bill's lack of college basketball knowledge comes back to bit him in the ass here. James Harden is a great passer and a wonderful teammate. That is actually a weakness that he has, scouts think he is too unselfish and should look for his own shot more. He averaged 4 assists this year and the number would have been higher if Herb Sendek ran an offense that was even halfway amenable to getting good recruits who could make shots. Let's just say if Kevin Durant is Michael Jordan, James Harden is a wonderful Scottie Pippen. The Thunder drafted a shooting guard who is unselfish and immensely fun to play with and will get Durant easy baskets. Harden is no Ricky Rubio, but if you draft Rubio then that pushed Westbrook to the 2 spot, which is not going to work out well. Harden is going to fit in well here.

Really, Bill should just stick to making smart ass jokes and not analyzing anything...ever.

5:03: Phew. Sota took him. The best part: Stern going into "I'm gonna be extra gregarious right now because they'll be replaying this in Europe!" mode as he announced the pick.

This is what Bill is good at. David Stern did have that look. More smart ass talking, less analysis and he will be fine.

I did know Rubio was the choice from David Stern's face.

And why aren't the ESPN guys wondering about a trade here or, at the very least, murdering this pick? THEY JUST TOOK TWO STRAIGHT POINT GUARDS!!!!!!!!!!

The Casey brought this up in the comments. ESPN should have and could have murdered this pick. Why are are the analysts afraid to analyze and make waves while the dumbass columnists who can't analyze are the ones who make waves? Shouldn't this be reversed? Explain this to me in 30 words or less.

I can't get over the Timberwolves doing this. I actually have something posted for Saturday in a little more depth about this but it makes no sense.

(Important Note: There is no bigger Curry fan than I am. He's going to be a star.

Bill is on the Stephon Curry bandwagon and referred to him as his favorite college basketball player over the past 2 years. I thought that was Russell Westbrook or Kevin Love? I think it just rotates whoever is popular at the time. Think really hard and try to see how many times Bill Simmons mentioned Stephon Curry over the past couple of years...I am not coming up with much and I even googled it and came up with less. Yet another case of Bill saying he loved a player with very little proof or after that player broke out.

Curry may be a star but I am telling you he is going to have trouble creating his own shot and he is a tweener. I have to tell you this, he will be good, but let's not act like their aren't red flags in regard to his game.

5:28: DeMar DeRozan goes ninth to Toronto. That pick left me cold.

If there is a player with a vat of untapped talent, it is DeMar DeRozan. The kid looked confused at USC, but wouldn't you be confused if you couldn't remember in the middle of the game if your "advisor" was supposed to take a 10% or 15% cut of the money Tim Floyd gave you for coming to USC?

I usually don't like it when teams draft guys who don't seem to want to reach their peak in talent but I like it in this case. Toronto had to swing for the fence and they did.

the Nets make amends with their 470 fans by grabbing quirky Louisville swingman Terrence Williams (in my opinion, the last 2009 prospect with a chance to be a top-four guy on a title team).

A top-four guy on a title team? I will take that. Actually, I am getting a little nervous about trumping up this draft so much. It's not a bad draft but I do think there are a lot of good role players here and not franchise changing players. I think there is going to be fewer busts than we have seen in the past because really there is a lower ceiling. That's my official take so I will still defend this draft.

5:45: Charlotte takes Gerald Henderson, a mild shocker since he went to Duke and the Bobcats are run by UNC guys. (I'm not saying this was up there with the Gaza Strip getting settled, but still, mildly shocking.) He hugs his dad, former Boston 1984 Finals hero Gerald Henderson. (Remember, Lakers fans? "Henderson steals the ball!!!!!!!!!!")

I think it is time to revist my mock lottery draft from a month ago to see how I did. I got 4 picks right in the right spot. I am actually fairly impressed considering I put it up May 22nd.

Bill is a big Duke hater but it's pretty obvious he hasn't paid much attention to them (wow, Bill hating a team blindly without really thinking, that must be a shock) because everyone who has seen one Duke game knows who Henderson's dad is because the announcers bring it up every game.

Uninformed Duke haters just annoy me. Also, this is not a shocker at all because nearly every mock draft over the past week has had Henderson going here to Charlotte.

I liked the Hansbrough pick. Good seventh man. Like a much better Luke Walton. As Jackson says, he'll "make every Pacers practice better." Is that what you want from the 13th pick? Of course not. But this isn't a normal draft. I keep telling you.)

This was a stretch for Hansbrough. There are guys who can easily start for teams selected after this, just because Bill did not pay attention to the college basketball season doesn't mean there were no good players. That's the way it is with Bill though, it's not important unless he is involved or he paid attention.

I think the Pacers could have done better in this spot. I am a fan of Hansbrough for a playoff team but not with the 13th pick and the Pacers needing to choose players who have a higher ceiling in this spot.

6:13: Jrue Holiday goes to the Sixers and, more importantly, wins the Rashard Lewis "Last Guy In The Green Room" Award. In 27 minutes per game as a freshman, Holiday averaged 8.5 points and more turnovers (3.8) than assists (3.7). On the bright side, he made 30.7 percent of his 3s. Wait, that's not good. That's your 17th pick.

This was a great pick for the 76ers. He is 19 years old and looked lost at UCLA. This is a guy who could end up winning the Rashard Lewis award for "Last Guy in the Green Room Who Is Listed As the 5th Pick of the Draft in the 2014 Review Of The 2009 NBA Draft."

Keep making fun of Jrue Holiday. He may be in the NBDL in 2 years or he could very well be developing very nicely. We'll see, but I know which way I am leaning.

6:19: Minnesota's choice of Ty Lawson (one of my two remaining favorites) just gave me the same look I had when I found out earlier today that Jackson had died.

No dammit, he is my favorite! I have been on his bandwagon for weeks now and I have proof, which Bill doesn't have except for this one sentence. When Ty Lawson is making an All-Star game or two I am going to feel very vindicated. It's tough to get much more excited about ASG appearances since he is in the Western Conference with Rubio (maybe), Paul, Williams, and Parker, but Lawson is a great fit in Denver. If he busts, I will look like an ass, but I don't care. He was the best player on the best team in college basketball, he should have gone higher.

It's funny because I actually thought he would end up going to Denver last year before he pulled out of the draft because he got a DUI...it's like it was fate he end up in Denver with George Karl.

7:17: The Lakers sell the 29th pick to the Knicks for cash considerations and pick Toney Douglas.

This is what I am talking about with the Lakers standing pat this year. They could have used Toney Douglas. He can score in bunches off the bench and can actually defend other players as well. The Lakers can only blame themselves when they hand Ariza and Odom huge contracts and they start regressing. I hate it when teams stand pat.

Weird night. Too much death. Too many bad picks. Too much weirdness. Too much unpredictablity and incompetence. Too many lousy picks. Too much David Kahn. I'm rattled.

I don't get how there were too many bad picks. He only did the first round and he has said repeatedly this was a weak draft, so which teams made bad picks if there were few good players to be taken after the lottery picks? Seriously, he should cover the second round as well. I liked a lot of those picks. I don't like Chase Budinger, but I like him as a 2nd round pick. I did like the Danny Green to the Cavs and of course Blair to San Antonio.

What frustrates me about Bill Simmons is that he will admit he pays no attention to these college players or overseas players but he feels the need to comment and try to analyze what he thinks about the picks, but he is only commenting based on what others have told him. He says it is a bad draft and then knocks teams for making bad picks. What are they going to do? Not draft a player? It makes my day so much better and worse when I can cover a Bill Simmons article.

24 comments:

The Casey said...

You know, I think I would really prefer TNT do the draft than ESPN. Kenny & Charles would have killed some of these picks, and they needed to be killed.

Also, it seemed to me like when Stern came out to announce that Curry was going one pick before the Knicks, he was trying not to laugh at Knicks fans. As soon as he walked out from backstage I knew the pick was going to be Currry just from the smirk on his face.

Bengoodfella said...

I would love to see Chris Webber, EJ, Kenny Smith, and Charles do the draft. There are a couple of picks that needed to be discussed a lot and the #6 pick by the Timberwolves one of those and the ESPN crew dropped the ball.

I think David Stern secretly or not so secretly loves to watch the Knicks fans go absolutely bananas on the air and that is why they keep the draft in New York as well. New York has the best fans anywhere and will cheer the loudest. Of course Boston is a close second but no where else would the draft be successful other than those two places.

I am kidding of course.

Anonymous said...

He's so pathetic.
If I had to bet my life on any 2009 prospect becoming a top-three player on a championship team, I'd bet on Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry.

Yea. Way to go out on a limb. If I had to stake my life on who the best pitcher will be out of this year's MLB draft, I'd go with Stephen Strasburg. I'm so smart. No one else would take a chance like that.

Anonymous said...

Orlando trades for Vince Carter (one of the biggest "It will end up being either a huge hit or a giant miss" deals in recent memory)

Just like drafting Matthew Stafford will be either great or terrible for the Lions.
Are you sure this isn't a Peter King column?

Bengoodfella said...

I am pretty sure it is not a Peter King column. Though that would be great if they ever joined forces to put out a column full of 80's jokes and obvious statements.

I missed the part about him staking his life to three of the top prospects in the draft. I should have mocked him for that one. I think the Vince Carter trade will end up being bad. What do I really know? Of course Bill's comment is a pretty obvious comment as it is anyway.

Anonymous said...

whew! Thank goodness Simmons has a guy with a blog around to advise him on the best way to write his internationally popular column. Who knows where he'd be without your sage advice?

This is like me giving Jerry Rice advice on how to be a wide receiver because I play in a backyard game every thanksgiving.

Unknown said...

Are you sure what the word "international" means there Anon #2?

And just because something is popular doesn't mean it's any good Sparky, cases in point, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Peter King, The Hills, Tuesday Morning Quarterback, Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips, and your beloved Billy Simmons.

ivn said...

so is that last anonymous commenter Billy, House, J-Bug, Hench, Bill's dad, or Adam Carolla?

Bengoodfella said...

Oh, don't be angry with me Anon #2, I am not telling him how to write his internationally and critically acclaimed column. I am much more gentle to him than others. I am pointing out some things of interest I notice in his columns.

For example, he wants us to believe him when he says this the weakest draft since 2000, yet he admittedly paid no attention to college basketball or overseas basketball this year. How are we to believe him as an expert if he really doesn't pay attention? His point about Harden proves that. Harden is an incredibly unselfish shooting guard and he often handled the ball for Arizona State this year and facilitated the offense. He's no Ricky Rubio, no one can be that good, but he is going to be a good passing shooting guard. Little stuff like that is all I write about. He did pick the consensus top 3 players in this draft as players he would bet his life would be a part of a top 3 championship team. That seems pretty obvious.

I could give you a couple other examples but I don't think you care. You have Bill Simmons as Jerry Rice in your example so you clearly think highly of him. Nothing wrong with that.

I do have to pile on Martin's point that just because something is popular does not mean it is very good. A good portion of the reading public doesn't care to think for themselves and prefer to have columnists like Bill Simmons make blanket statements and form their opinions for them.

Bengoodfella said...

It very well could be someone from the David Eckstein page we sponsored. I am not sure. I enjoy people who hate me. I am Gregg Doyel-ish in that fashion.

If you made me bet, I would say House.

Fred Trigger said...

at least he didnt say you dont bring anything to the blog. That comment sent me on a drinking binge and I couldnt stop crying for days. (joking)

Didnt even think of it being someone mad about us sponsoring Eckstein. Because we dont even hate on him that much, so that couldnt make anyone mad, right?

ivn said...

the best line from the whole column, re: David Kahn

"So stupid. I’m never trusting a guy who worked as a TV consultant, a sports writer and a stadium campaign organizer to run an NBA team again."

is it self-deprecation or sheer ignorance coming from a sportswriter who has worked on TV?

Bengoodfella said...

Fred, I am sorry that comment hurt you so bad. I am sure he didn't mean for it to. I got asked one time why I don't rip on commenters who rip on me. It depends on my mood really but if someone wants to rip on me or say I suck or I don't know what I am talking about, it doesn't bother me. Sure I could tell Anon #2 he is a moron and that Bill Simmons sucks and he sucks too for liking all the crap Bill puts out. I think it is assumed we have differences of opinion. I appreciate criticism though and I am not going to act like one of the sportswriters that I mock would act if they were criticized. I am a big boy and can stand that. That being said, one day I am sure I will probably go off on someone if the haters pick up to more than one a month.

I think we may get some anti-anti-Eckstein crowd at some point. I welcome different view points, so bring it on.

Ivn, if you absolutely made me guess I would say Bill is just being ignorant about his past. I say this simply because he put Kahn's resume up and added something fake to it, so I don't think Bill would get the irony that he is in a similar boat. Plus, Bill would be bitter towards him because he took "his" job with the T-Wolves. I doubt Bill knows that he was a bar tender, blogger, online columnist, television personality, and late night joke writer and that is a fairly comparable bizarre resume.

That's my final answer. I don't know how self aware Bill is.

Chris W said...

I love the concept that anyone who is "more popular than you" is therefore beyond reproach, here manifest in Anonymous's post.

That mindset reminds me of this hilarious sketch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8wLg5Asgo

Bengoodfella said...

Chris, I am a little offended that you called Bill Simmons more popular than me. I think the people would enjoy my run on sentences and beating a topic into the ground on a daily basis if they just got a chance to know me.

Otherwise, yes that is a great sketch and just because something is popular doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to make fun of it. More money does mean he is better than me I guess. I think Bil Simmons actually believe he is beyond reproach because he won't allow comments on his columns...of course it could be due to the massive amount of angry shit people would write, which should tell him something...

Jeremy Conlin said...

Wow, even I can't get behind Anon #2.

I would, however, like to add a counter-argument to where you question Bill's credibility as an expert on college basketball.

Simmons, admittedly, doesn't watch as much college basketball as he does the NBA. This season, he was also working on his book, so he watched even less. These are the facts. I am not disputing those. But if we were to look at a generic NBA GM, how much college ball are these guys really watching? For the most part, GM's travel with their teams, have meetings with owners about financial things, talk to other GM's around the league about trades and such, plan for free agency, and everything else that NBA GMs do. Now, I'm not suggesting that they watch as little college ball as Bill does, but I think it's a little naive to think that these guys are watching college games every night and taking notes. For the most part, they're getting information from scouts and from pre-draft workouts. I don't see much difference between that and Simmons getting his information from guys like Chad Ford, or any other website. In fact, I'd be shocked if Bill didn't have semi-inside information from teams that he has connections with (like Houston or Boston). He takes in multiple opinions, combines it with however much college basketball he actually watched this year (and it's not like he didn't watch a second of college basketball this season), and comes up with his own opinion. I don't see anything wrong with that.

I'd also like to defend his point on James Harden. Yes, Harden is an unselfish player and an accomplished passer. Ricky Rubio, on the other hand, is on the floor to do exactly one thing: Find open shots for Kevin Durant. He's far and away the most creative passer to enter the league, probably since Jason Kidd. I'm guessing, five years from now, if you polled every NBA player and asked them if they'd rather play with Rubio or Harden, I'd bet Rubio wins in a landslide. I think that has to factor into any discussion about the pick. If you're worried about Durant splitting town, the smarter pick is Rubio, simply because he's Ricky Rubio and James Harden isn't. There were exactly two players in this year's draft that could have played in this year's Finals. James Harden isn't one of them.

Also, let me put it this way. Kevin Durant isn't a ball-dominant player. He doesn't need to have the ball in his hands all the time to be successful. Ray Allen is like that. So is Carmelo Anthony. So is Michael Redd. Kobe Bryant is ball-dominant. So is Dwyane Wade. And LeBron. Kevin Durant's Team doesn't have a ball-dominant player. They don't have one guy that can consistently create shots for others. Now, if that's the piece that you're missing from your offense, doesn't it make sense to take the best creator in the draft, not an okay creator that happens to fit your system a tiny bit better? What am I missing here? I would have picked Rubio.

Bengoodfella said...

Jeremy, you know I wouldn't care if you did agree with Anon #2. As long as the comments are semi-thoughtful and not ignorant we accept people of all opinions here...except UNC fans, I have to draw the line somewhere.

I am kidding.

I like to punch at Simmons a little when he talks about college basketball because I know he doesn't watch much of it, so I take any opportunity I can. A normal NBA GM may watch a prospect play once or twice that is true and I did think that maybe he got some information from Morey from Houston and he said the draft was not deep, but then again I thought he may just say that because at the time he did not have any draft picks. I can accept that Bill was working on his book and that GM's use their scouts for the draft. I still don't think Bill should ask us to trust him.

As far as Rubio and Harden go, I think the OK City should have/would have taken Rubio but they were probably afraid he would refuse to sign with them and go back to Spain like he is doing now. Your reasoning is fairly solid but I heard somewhere they did not want to move Westbrook to SG because they did not think he would play well there...which of course is stupid. I think in a perfect world they would have taken Rubio but the overseas factor and the fact they seem to want to keep Westbrook at PG made them go with Harden.

I don't think Harden is a bad backup, he certainly is not a creator like Rubio. All that stuff you mentioned about Harden and how unselfish he is, I don't think Bill even knows about that. That's why I say he doesn't know much about college basketball. So I can accept your point but don't think Bill knew what kind of passer Harden is. He played well in a Princeton style offense, which isn't always easy.

So in summation, you are right that Rubio would probably have been a smarter choice but Harden was not a bad back up and I don't think Bill may have known that much about Harden, he just knew they did not take Rubio.

Unknown said...

While a GM might only see a couple games of guys they are interested in, you can bet that they then watch hours of game tape on these guys after they know where they are going to draft, or the season ends. They have workouts for these guys as well, access that Bill doesn't have, and time that he doesn't have to spend watching game tape. Sure he can tap some knowledge of others, but he never credits others, but makes it seem as if he has come to these conclusions on his own.

Bengoodfella said...

You are right about that as well Martin. It just seems like Bill wants us to think he came up with these observations on his own when I know he has been talking to others. Oh well...

AJ said...

How come no one has pointed out the fact that Rubio may not sign with Minny, and that is why they picked another PG right behind him? Or that Rubio wouldn't have signed with Oaklahoma either.

This kid shouldn't be allowed in the draft, and should be banned for a few years just like MLB has. If you enter the draft, get picked, then refuse to play for the team that drafted you, then you are not allowed to re-enter the draft for 3 years. Its not like we are talking about money here, since there is a set amount of money you are allowed to pay rookies.

Bengoodfella said...

I knew that was part of the reason Minnesota took Flynn behind him but I just found it to be flawed reasoning. They should have either gotten assurances that Rubio would sign or just drafted Flynn. By hedging their bets and drafting a PG right behind him they have blown an opportunity early in the draft. I would have had no problem if they had drafted a PG with the #18 or #28 pick but I just did not think it made sense to waste a pick right after the #5 pick.

If I am not wrong, I think the Wolves hold his rights for a while, so I don't think he can re-enter the draft. I don't think he can...they should have his rights.

AJ said...

Well Rule Book should be in here soon to let us know the rules on drafted players.

I still dont like them allowing players to hold team hostage.

Jeremy Conlin said...

Minnesota owns his rights for as long as they want to keep them. I know that much. What I don't know is how his salary structure will work if he chooses not to play in the NBA this coming season. As the Collective Bargaining Agreement is currently set up, there is a base rookie salary that descends from the first pick, but then in each successive year, the player's salary jumps (for example, Kevin Love, last year's #5 pick, is on the books for $3.4 Million in 2010, $3.6 Million in 2011, $4.6 Million in 2012, and $6.1 Million in 2013). My gut says that Rubio's first year in the league will start at the base-rookie salary for this year's #5 pick (should be in the $3.3 Million range this year), but I think I remember reading something that inferred that his salary depends on when he SIGNS, not when he is drafted. So, let's say he doesn't sign, and opts to return to Europe, and then signs at the beginning of next season (2010-2011). That would mean that his salary for the 2010-2011 season would be equal to the #5 pick in the 2010 draft (assuming that I read that article correctly). Hopefully I explained that well enough that you aren't all completely confused right now.

Bengoodfella said...

Count me among the non-confused at this point. I was pretty sure the Wolves had Rubio's rights for eternity (or close to that span of time) if Rubio ever wanted to play in the NBA.

It would make sense to me that he would get 2010 #5 pick money if he signed next year.

Well, the one good thing about drafting Flynn for Minnesota is that they are not held hostage now. It may end up being a wasted draft pick but they don't need a point guard, though a shooting guard is another story, with Flynn on the roster. If I am 'Sota I am getting Rubio's intentions sooner rather than later and offering him up to some teams and if I don't like the packages just keep him. I would think at some point a team would have to crack and offer the Wolves something or Rubio will want to play in the NBA.

That may not be the most popular choice but I also am not sure what kind of market is out there for Rubio and also I am not entirely sure where Rubio will feel comfortable playing NBA basketball.

Either way the Wolves have his rights and they need to figure this out so the fan base does not completely give up on them. I still am not 100% sure what the long term plan was here because if I drafted Rubio I sure as hell would make sure he wanted to play for the team I am the GM for.