We are two days away from the NBA Draft, which will be GM John Hammond's' second with the club. There can be absolutely no doubt that Hammond is the polar opposite of the guy he replaced, Larry Harris. Don't get me wrong - Harris knows his basketball and did his best to turn the Bucks into a playoff team. In that respect, Hammond and Harris are alike. But the big difference is how they go about doing their jobs.
Harris was a media guy's dream. He was always available for interviews. He always had something interesting to say. And he had a knack for dropping hints to the media as to what he was doing with the basketball team. I'll never forget that Friday in July a couple of years ago when Tom Enlund reported that the Bucks were working on a big trade, and less than twenty-four hours later the Bucks shipped T.J. Ford to Toronto for Charlie Villanueva.
Hammond, like Harris, gets the media game. He used to be part of Detroit's pregame show when he worked for the Pistons. He also makes himself available to talk almost anytime you want to sit down with him. But, other than that, Hammond is a closed book. And you have to like that. Hammond won't give you much in an interview. You can try to get him to say something juicy, and he just won't do it.
Hammond also will never tell you about any move he might be on the verge of making. Let's face it. On draft day one year ago, Hammond sent Yi Jianlian, and Bobby Simmons to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. No one saw that move coming. The only person that wasn't surprised by the move was Hammond. Fans were blindsided. We in the media were stunned. We were all used to this organization telegraphing the moves they were about to make. The fact that no one had a clue that Hammond was even working on this deal signaled that a new era was on tap for the team that Senator herb Kohl purchased almost twenty-five years ago.
Why am I writing all of this? It's really simple. The draft is two days away, and I honestly don't think anyone has a handle on what Hammond and the Bucks are going to do with their first round pick - the tenth selection overall.
Take a look at the mock drafts that are out there. There isn't a consensus as to who the Bucks are going to take. You see DeJuan Blair's name mentioned. You see Jonny Flynn's name connected to the Bucks. Jrue Holiday has been thrown out there as well (though I think he'll wind up going higher). Other names I've seen for the Bucks include Arizona's Jordan Hill and Stephen Curry of Davidson (though, like Holiday, I don't see him being available at number ten).
I won't sit here and tell you that the Bucks will definitely do this or that. I don't think anyone knows for sure what they will do, except for Hammond and his assistants. Sure, there may be a writer here or a radio guy there will will claim that they know what Hammond is thinking right now, but I wouldn't bet the house on what those guys say.
Since I can't tell you what the Bucks are thinking, the only thing I can do is tell you what I'd like them to do.
And that would be to draft Syracuse's Jonny Flynn.
In the end, I think Blair, Flynn, and Hill will get heavy consideration from Hammond (remember, I said think, not know). And, I'll be honest, all three would fill a need for the Bucks, who face the possibility of losing both Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva to free agency this summer. But if it were me, and they don't pay me to make the pick, I'd take Flynn.
Don't get me wrong, I like Blair. I know he has worked hard to shed some weight as we get closer to the draft. But he's 6-6. That's relatively small for a power forward. I know people will say that Charles Barkley was similar to Blair in size, but the league was a lot different when Barkley broke in with Philly. I look at Blair and see a good college player, but a guy who is a tweener in the NBA. And, his weight will always be a concern. I'm not saying Blair is Tractor Traylor, but can the organization really afford to find out?
Hill has a lot of upside, and he would provide the toughness that coach Scott Skiles demands, but I just think Flynn is the guy they should go with.
My gut tells me they will lose one of the two young guys to free agency. With the way the economy is right now, and the fact that the league is considering lowering the luxury tax threshold, I don't see Sessions and Villanueva getting the kind of money that was out there just a few years ago. Of the two, I think Sessions is more likely to get what he's looking for because young point guards who can dish and score just don't grow on trees.
The Bucks will then be looking for someone to groom behind Luke Ridnour. I think Flynn is that guy. Unlike some of the other point guards that have come into the league recently (Mike Conley Jr. comes to mind), Flynn wouldn't be trusted to run the franchise right away. In my mind, that can only work to his advantage. Ridnour isn't spectacular, but he is solid (especially when he is healthy). He'd be a good teacher for Flynn.
And anyone who watched Flynn against Marquette this past March knows he's for real. He took over that game, plain and simple. He was the reason the Orange beat MU, scoring 20 of his 24 after halftime.
He fits a need for this team. And I think he's more likely to succeed than either Blair or Hill. After Joe Alexander's rookie year, and with free agency threatening to take two of their contributors away, the Bucks don't need someone who is a gamble. They need someone they can count on.
For me, that guy is Jonny Flynn
Harris was a media guy's dream. He was always available for interviews. He always had something interesting to say. And he had a knack for dropping hints to the media as to what he was doing with the basketball team. I'll never forget that Friday in July a couple of years ago when Tom Enlund reported that the Bucks were working on a big trade, and less than twenty-four hours later the Bucks shipped T.J. Ford to Toronto for Charlie Villanueva.
Hammond, like Harris, gets the media game. He used to be part of Detroit's pregame show when he worked for the Pistons. He also makes himself available to talk almost anytime you want to sit down with him. But, other than that, Hammond is a closed book. And you have to like that. Hammond won't give you much in an interview. You can try to get him to say something juicy, and he just won't do it.
Hammond also will never tell you about any move he might be on the verge of making. Let's face it. On draft day one year ago, Hammond sent Yi Jianlian, and Bobby Simmons to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. No one saw that move coming. The only person that wasn't surprised by the move was Hammond. Fans were blindsided. We in the media were stunned. We were all used to this organization telegraphing the moves they were about to make. The fact that no one had a clue that Hammond was even working on this deal signaled that a new era was on tap for the team that Senator herb Kohl purchased almost twenty-five years ago.
Why am I writing all of this? It's really simple. The draft is two days away, and I honestly don't think anyone has a handle on what Hammond and the Bucks are going to do with their first round pick - the tenth selection overall.
Take a look at the mock drafts that are out there. There isn't a consensus as to who the Bucks are going to take. You see DeJuan Blair's name mentioned. You see Jonny Flynn's name connected to the Bucks. Jrue Holiday has been thrown out there as well (though I think he'll wind up going higher). Other names I've seen for the Bucks include Arizona's Jordan Hill and Stephen Curry of Davidson (though, like Holiday, I don't see him being available at number ten).
I won't sit here and tell you that the Bucks will definitely do this or that. I don't think anyone knows for sure what they will do, except for Hammond and his assistants. Sure, there may be a writer here or a radio guy there will will claim that they know what Hammond is thinking right now, but I wouldn't bet the house on what those guys say.
Since I can't tell you what the Bucks are thinking, the only thing I can do is tell you what I'd like them to do.
And that would be to draft Syracuse's Jonny Flynn.
In the end, I think Blair, Flynn, and Hill will get heavy consideration from Hammond (remember, I said think, not know). And, I'll be honest, all three would fill a need for the Bucks, who face the possibility of losing both Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva to free agency this summer. But if it were me, and they don't pay me to make the pick, I'd take Flynn.
Don't get me wrong, I like Blair. I know he has worked hard to shed some weight as we get closer to the draft. But he's 6-6. That's relatively small for a power forward. I know people will say that Charles Barkley was similar to Blair in size, but the league was a lot different when Barkley broke in with Philly. I look at Blair and see a good college player, but a guy who is a tweener in the NBA. And, his weight will always be a concern. I'm not saying Blair is Tractor Traylor, but can the organization really afford to find out?
Hill has a lot of upside, and he would provide the toughness that coach Scott Skiles demands, but I just think Flynn is the guy they should go with.
My gut tells me they will lose one of the two young guys to free agency. With the way the economy is right now, and the fact that the league is considering lowering the luxury tax threshold, I don't see Sessions and Villanueva getting the kind of money that was out there just a few years ago. Of the two, I think Sessions is more likely to get what he's looking for because young point guards who can dish and score just don't grow on trees.
The Bucks will then be looking for someone to groom behind Luke Ridnour. I think Flynn is that guy. Unlike some of the other point guards that have come into the league recently (Mike Conley Jr. comes to mind), Flynn wouldn't be trusted to run the franchise right away. In my mind, that can only work to his advantage. Ridnour isn't spectacular, but he is solid (especially when he is healthy). He'd be a good teacher for Flynn.
And anyone who watched Flynn against Marquette this past March knows he's for real. He took over that game, plain and simple. He was the reason the Orange beat MU, scoring 20 of his 24 after halftime.
He fits a need for this team. And I think he's more likely to succeed than either Blair or Hill. After Joe Alexander's rookie year, and with free agency threatening to take two of their contributors away, the Bucks don't need someone who is a gamble. They need someone they can count on.
For me, that guy is Jonny Flynn
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