Today is a little like Christmas Eve when I was a child. Tomorrow is an exciting day, I’m going to get some presents but I don’t know what they are. The best presents were the ones that came out of the blue and gave me the opportunity to do something I couldn’t do before. One year I got a used 12-speed bike so that I could ride the five miles into town. It’d be a little like the Blazers selecting a guard who could shoot AND defend, a whole new world of possibilities.

Some years you knew you were going to get a sweater and some socks. Servicable, useful things that you had to say thank you for and look like you appreciated, but really, you just couldn’t get excited about. In this draft I look at a veteran power-forward picked up in a trade or as a throw in as this type of present. Mark Madsen is exactly this type of player, he keeps the bench nice and cosy for most of the game, but comes in useful during inclement weather. To me, this is the entire second round also.

Some years you got a present and you’re immediate reaction is, “What the hell am I going to do with this?” and “Why do I need a scanning electron microscope?”. I mean, these presents could be pretty cool, but what could I use them for? Drafting at #3 I see selecting a point guard (Deron Williams or Chris Paul) as exactly the same situation. You end up with a whizz-bang gadget that unless you change things around a whole bunch, you just can’t use.

     What I want from draft day this year are less questions afterwards than before. I want a need addressed, even if it’s two years away. I want someone who can shoot and defend from further than twelve feet from the basket. I want a young, excited power forward with a passion for defense and rebounding to back-up Zach. I want less competition among the small-forwards, and more among the guards. I just don’t want another three months of waiting for the answers.

My perfect draft day? Trading Nick van Exel, Ruben Patterson and Chris Paul to Boston for Paul Pierce, Mark Blount and the #18 pick. That’s something I can use right away and be happy with for five years. I’d be happy with trading Ruben and the #3 pick for Charlotte’s two picks and turning them into Nash’s pick (I trust him more than myself on this) between Green and Webster, and Ike Diogu.

What I am not looking forward to is picking Marvin Williams or Chris Paul as the best player available and then waiting, and waiting for the roster to be balanced. There’s nothing wrong with getting a top of the line Oscillating Tachyon Converter, but what are we going to do with the damn thing?

-EnglandDan

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