Feeling the Draft

It’s Draft Day 2007 – known to future generations as the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant Draft.

The Cavaliers don’t have a pick in either round. Their first rounder goes to Phoenix via Boston from the ill-fated Jiri Welsch trade two years ago. Welsch played 16 forgettable games, averaging 2.9 points in those contests. This year’s second rounder brought a much more productive yield. Together with Tony Battie, Cleveland acquired Drew Gooden and a young Brazilian unknown named Anderson Varejao.

The Cavaliers would need to buy or trade their way into this year’s Draft, something GM Danny Ferry certainly hasn’t ruled out. Several teams have multiple first rounders – (including Phoenix) – and San Antonio notoriously trades out if nobody grabs their interest.

But do the Cavaliers – who reached the Finals for the first time in franchise history – want to get any younger? Aside from Zydrunas Ilgauskas, their core players are all in their early-20’s.

Last year’s second rounder, Daniel Gibson, exceeded all expectations. Their first round choice, Shannon Brown, got lost in a numbers game and battled nagging injuries throughout the season. Still, he showed glimpses of brilliance that will get him into the lineup more extensively in the upcoming season. Management might simply consider Brown this year’s Draft pick and sit back fielding phone calls on Thursday.

Despite their amazing run, the Cavaliers are still missing some pieces that can solidify their standing. They’d love to get their hands on a pure point guard or some muscle in the middle. Rumors are swirling around Charlotte’s No. 22, but on an already young team, it’s hard to imagine that Cleveland would prefer to add those pieces through the Draft.

Other teams in the East will get stronger through this year’s Draft. The club that worries me is Milwaukee, which has the sixth overall pick. The Bucks were a promising team last year, but a spate of injuries knocked them out of the Playoff picture and into the Lottery. Whoever they grab at six – (anyone from Joakim Noah to Corey Brewer to Jeff Green) – will join a club that will return a healthy Andrew Bogut, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva and Michael Redd.

The Sixers are another team to watch on Thursday night. They have three first round picks and a high pick (No. 38) in the second round. They could easily package some of these picks and move up. They will be fielding calls all night – (and might even get a couple from the 216 area code). Or they can stand pat and reap the returns from the Allen Iverson trade, selecting a foreign player or two and let them develop overseas for a while.

Aside from the Bucks, teams within the Division will be busy on Thursday. The Pistons have the No. 15 selection and are said to be sold on Eastern Washington guard, Rodney Stuckey. The Bulls will be picking at No. 9 and it appears they’re high on Washington big man, Spencer Hawes. They desperately need more offense in the post and Hawes would give them just that. The skilled seven-footer actually played some guard before reaching his current height.

It should be an interesting evening either way for the Wine and Gold. Whether acting as spectators or getting into the mix somewhere late in the first round – (or early in the second) – all eyes will be on the Board when David Stern makes his first trip to the podium at 7:30 p.m.