Who else is enjoying the start of the off-season?

Monday, June 29, 2009

Written by: Jed

Unless you’re a fan of watching baseball, the world of North American sports took the annual nose-dive in excitement after the Penguins and Lakers got their rings. But as Kobe and Sidney put away their sneakers and skates for the summer; the people upstairs; in suits; with Blackberries in hand are just beginning their season – yes, the off-season. (I’m confused too.) But I can’t be the only one out there who enjoys the off-season gamesmanship between general managers, as much as witnessing  David Stern’s dream finals matchup slip away. Every team has a perfect record during this time of the year. Every team, with ideally the same shot at winning it all. It’s particularly an exciting time for fans of “rebuilding” teams. And it all begins with the draft.

It kicked off this past Tuesday, with the NBA. Blake Griffin came in the clear number 1 – and the Clippers, for once, didn’t mess it up. That’s what many are saying, and it’s what I believed until a couple of nights ago. Two words, Hasheem Thabeet. And two bigger numbers, 7-3. It’s hard to say no to a versatile four man – particularly given the athleticism and skill of a Blake Griffin. But I think it’s even harder to say no to a quick and athletic 7-3 big man. Despite lacking a potent offensive game, he does what every big man should: block shots, and get rebounds – the offense will hopefully come in time (I’m still waiting on Dwight Howard). The league is filled with plenty of freakishly athletic forwards and guards – but a solid center, who actually blocks shots, and grabs rebounds like a center, has become a rarity. But this aside, it was the Clippers’ pick, and I’m sure Thabeet is better off for it. The other big name in the draft, was New York favourite, Stephen Curry. He was a big-game college player, but given his size, and his athletic shortcomings, I’m doubting at least immediate results in his rookie year – though I got a chuckle from the New York reaction. There weren’t many big surprises. Tyler Hansbrough went at thirteen, does that count? I’m not sure what the Pacers were thinking – maybe they were looking for a Jeff Foster replacement? The Raptors surprisingly drafted North American, with DeMar DeRozan; dubbed a raw athlete with limitless potential. I found it hilarious how every media outlet seemed to have focused on Colangelo’s previous luck with the number nine pick (Amare). Some even playing up the fact that DeRozan has a more polished game than STAT coming out of the draft, as if it really means anything – other than giving Raptors fans ridiculous expectations of the kid. Even going as far as proclaiming a Vince Carter 2.0. Perhaps the most realistic comparison I’ve heard was Richard Jefferson (as much as I don’t enjoy watching him play). People shouldn’t forget that Vince Carter developed, because he played. He was on a bad team, and someone needed to eat up minutes and take the shots. Developing alongside a Chris Bosh may be beneficial in the long-run, but may hamper his ability to make an immediate impact. Of course a lot of this cynicism is a direct result of the bust that is Joey Graham. DeMar’s 10 second highlight reel of dunks, was reminiscent to that of Graham’s coming out of the 2005 draft. Overall it was an entertaining draft, despite Mark Jackson’s presence (would Stephen A. been less annoying?). Though the little wheeling and dealing was a disappointment.

The NHL draft followed nights after, and much like its NBA counterpart – featured few (if any) surprises. The top picks (particularly first three) went as expected. There were murmurs coming in that Tavares wouldn’t be picked by the Islanders, but that appears to have been more a scheme to artificially create some anticipation. However, unlike the NBA – this night featured at least some trade activity. I’m not sure how the Pronger trade stands up to the Shaq move, but the night was filled with a flurry of draft pick shuffling. Teams were trading their draft picks to either move slightly up or down the rankings. It was quite peculiar, I understand the need to grab the player you want – but a lot of teams appeared to have moved up two or three slots, to pick a player off the board. Nevertheless it was good to see teams making moves, even if, just for making moves’ sake. The Maple Leafs went with Nazem Kadri. Unlike the NBA, I pay very little attention to prospects coming out of the NHL draft. I know nothing of Nazem Kadri, except for the fact that he was picked 7th. Yet, I thought it was the right pick. All because of Brian Burke. TSN brilliantly had him mic’d through the entire night, and ended up capturing a great exchange between him and Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray. The Sens were apparently keen on picking Kadri at the eight slot, Brian Burke knew it, and as such sought the possibility of a deal to be made to secure the pick. Murray wasn’t willing to, so Burke simply said – “we’re picking him.” And they did. I’m sure the Leafs had valid reasons for picking him, but blatantly screwing over the Ottawa Senators was a nice touch.

After sitting through both drafts, I can say that either format is far from ideal. Both featured the first round’s 30 picks, but the NHL found a way to stretch it into a tortuous three and a half hours (it was surprising to discover that the NBA draft was only half an hour shorter). The NHL could definitely benefit from following a format more akin to the NBA’s. First and foremost, have the commissioner announce draft picks. Or at least, have an Oscar-speech type time-limit. It was nice to see the first few teams acknowledge the Montreal crowd, their fans at home, and pay congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in both English and French, but it immediately grew more and more annoying. David Stern may not be the most likable guy, but at least I know he isn’t out there doing a reading of the Bible. My second suggestion – a time limit to get onto the stage. Perhaps it’s a sign of the cultural difference between an NBA and NHL prospect, but hockey players seem to run with a huge entourage – I would have thought otherwise. Or maybe it’s how prospects are seated – with the NBA going the table route, instead of trying to fill every seat of an arena with prospects and their posse? Regardless of the reason, I still don’t understand the logic in deciding to have a short conversation with every well wisher in the building. It was incredibly frustrating to watch each NHL prospect hug, hand-shake, and talk with a row full of people before even actually heading toward the stage. I understand that all of these people have all contributed to your making the NHL, but you can thank them afterwards. NBA prospects seem to just give their mom a hug, and directly head for the podium. They know that they have the rest of the night to celebrate.

But that’s not to say that the NBA’s format is perfect. I enjoyed how the NHL draft had the higher-ups of each team, not only in the building – but all seated together on the main floor. It was nice to see deals being made and witness a GM’s reaction from another team’s pick. It added another level of interest to the night’s proceedings.  Furthermore, the NHL does a neat thing in taking the draft to a new venue each year. I’d miss the heckling New York crowd, but it would be nice to see the NBA draft happen in another city for a change. And if it for some reason happened in Toronto, I’d be there to continue the tradition of booing everything possible. It just helps strengthen a city’s attachment to a league and sport by bringing a spectacle like the draft, local.

And one thing both drafts could benefit from – how about cutting it down to two hours? There really isn’t much reason for a draft to need three. My graduation ceremony featured a number of speeches, a class of hundreds, each walking up to get their degree, and it took no more than two hours. Why a draft of 30 names needs more, is lost on me.

But despite its shortcomings, I keep coming back. The draft is full of hope and promise. Every team, with a potential of striking gold – whether at the number 1, or late into the second round; Manu Ginobili anyone? It marks the time of the year where GMs step out of the shadow and into the spotlight. It also gives the fans an idea of what to expect the following season. And if I’m reading into Bryan Colangelo’s reluctance to make a big draft night push correctly – it’ll be more of the same. And as for Brian Burke, there’s little need for guessing what’s on his mind – size and toughness.

July 1st kicks off free agency for both leagues. While I’m sure there’ll be full-day coverage of NHL transactions, it’ll be a bit tougher to keep updated with the NBA. One of the pitfalls with living in hockey country.

Here’s to hoping for a summer full of trade activity – we’ll need to get excited about something while baseball season is going on…