Here we go

Well, the countdown is on. The draft is approaching. The questions loom larger.

We now know that Portland will go with conventional wisdom and draft Greg Oden. And, really, it’s hard to argue with it. I mean, the college basketball fan in me was leaning towards Kevin Durant but, as everyone has been saying, you just can’t pass up a 7-footer with the kind of talent Oden has. It would have been nice to have some suspense going in, but there are still obviously plenty of questions left to be answered.

For instance, what will the Hawks do with that No. 3 pick? Will there be any blockbuster deals involving certain disgruntled superstars? Which poor soul will slide down the draft and sit alone in the Green Room, flashing awkward and pained smiles at the camera while the guys who were sitting just next to him are off making down payments on new homes?

But the most important question for Sixers fans right now is what Billy King will do with his three first-round picks. Consensus among many fans seems to be that the Sixers should try to package two of their picks to move up, which makes the most sense – if that’s possible. If not, it looks like they’ll likely end up with a player like Florida State’s Al Thornton at No. 12. It really all depends what happens in front of them, but King shouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger if he can. And I don’t think he will be, considering it will be tough to sign three first-rounders anyway.
While I’m not going to pretend to know what will happen tonight, I will tell you that it would be a little disappointing, at least to me, if they don’t make a deal and end up with someone like Thornton. He was a very good college player, but I can’t help but think that, if that happens, they didn’t make the most of the Iverson trade and turn the extra picks into a real difference-maker. As you may have gathered from my previous posts, I’m a fan of both Acie Law and Spencer Hawes, judging solely on what I saw of them in college. Jeff Green was another fantastic college player, and would be a good fit in Philly. We’ll see. All we can do now is wait.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll be allowed to keep a live blog from the Garden, but I’ll try to make a post before the draft starts, after I get there. And I’ll be sure to give a complete update on everything I see at MSG – the scene, the stars, and, of course, the suits – either late night or tomorrow. Enjoy the show!

--Dave Zeitlin