published: Sunday, July 01, 2012

NBA Draft rather daft

The buildup to Thursday night's NBA Draft had me eagerly anticipating the evening.

Teams around the league were rumored to be jockeying for position.

Talks of moving down to get multiple picks, or moving up to get that one guy, swirled around and gave visions of wheeling and dealing galore.

So there I sat, camped out on my couch, awaiting a wild night of all sorts of trades, shifts and shakes.

After the ho-hum of Kentucky's Anthony Davis going first to the New Orleans Hornets, the rest of the draft came and went, well, rather ho-hum.

I believe I actually said out loud, as the first round was coming to an end, "What was that?"

I mean, the Houston Rockets, in the days leading up to the draft, had made a series of moves - trading players and draft picks to secure higher draft picks - that made it look like they were going to make a run at trading with Orlando for Dwight Howard.

The moves also were made to clear enough cap space to perhaps try to sign New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams.

Every time NBA Commissioner David Stern stepped up to the podium - where he seemed to relish taking in the resounding chorus of boos - I was expecting him to start with, "A trade has been announced," to be followed by some intriguing deals.

But it never happened.

Oh, a few teams, the Heat included, made a pick and later swapped it to another team for a later, or future, draft pick.

But nothing that ever really shook things up.

ESPN columnist, and my often go-to guy for all things NBA, has long lamented the ability of the general managers around the league.

And on this night he seemed quite right.

Former Portland assistant vice president of basketball operations and current ESPN analyst concurred with that sentiment the following day in saying that "teams don't get better by staying the same and just adding a 20-year old rookie."

But that's essentially what most of the league did.

With an ultra-harsh, progressive luxury tax penalty coming into place next season, perhaps most teams were skittish about doing too much, too soon.

Then again, how often have NBA GMs been accused of having too much foresight?

Though, we shall see how that works out in what should be the next round of rumored wheeling and dealing.

For, as of midnight Saturday night, the free agency signing period began.

Now is the time for the real fun - I just won't be perched on my couch for it.

Dan Hoehne is the Sports Editor of the News-Sun. He can be reached at daniel.hoehne@newssun.com.