AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > June > 08
Friday, June 8, 2007
Like Gnarls Barkley said … Crazy!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wish Seattle would pass on Kevin Durant.
I dare them to make the blunder that would be send Hawks officials scrambling for their party hats.
Are you kidding me?
Dude is the consensus college player of the year and you’re going to pass on him for Yi Jianlian?
Not in this lifetime.
I don’t care what the predraft numbers said. Kevin Durant is No. 2 in this draft (nothing will change my mind about Greg Oden being the top dog. NOTHING).
Forget about Durant’s slender frame and the fact that his weight lifting numbers weren’t any better than Gabriel Alexander Smith’s (that’s my 8-year-old son who is bound for a football scholarship at Michigan in 2017). I can get over him not being He-Man right now so long as his jump shot still works.
Seriously, put down the crazy juice people and recognize what’s going on here. Yi’s buzz is reminiscent of the hype that followed Darko Milicic into the draft that year the Pistons snagged him ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade - yes, that *&$# really happened. Darko’s a nice player. But those other guys are stars. In fact, they are All-Stars. I said All-Stars man. Darko’s not even a starter yet (Tony Battie held down that job for Orlando this season).
This idea that an international teenager is any more ready for the NBA than a homegrown teenager simply hasn’t been backed up by past results. I think Yi has a chance to be pretty good. Durant has a chance to be great. Big difference. Huge.
And if anyone in Seattle is loony enough to gift-wrap Durant to Atlanta by taking Yi (or anyone else in this draft) at No. 2, it’s time for Hawks fans to party.
Sorry my five trade scenarios took so long to make it online. But now that they’re here, go ahead and tell me how crazy I am.
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