| Italian Andrea Bargnani selected first overall in the NBA draft For the first time in the history of the overseas league, a basketball player from the Old World was selected as the first pick of the draft - 20-year-old powerful forward Andrea Bargnani, whom experts call the second Dirk Nowitzki. The German, who plays in the same position, was the undisputed leader of Dallas last season in the NBA finals. The Italian went to the Toronto Raptors, who received the first choice in the draft lottery.
However, if not for the new rules for registering draft candidates, established by a collective agreement between the players' union and the league, Bargnani probably would not have been rated so highly. If previously clubs could register their rights to young talents who had already reached 18 years of age, now the age limit has been raised by one year. This was done so that young Americans, after graduating from school, would strive to enter university. For players from Europe and other continents, the new rule applies in a simplified version: they must turn 19 years old not on the day of the draft procedure, but at least before the end of the calendar year. The length of guaranteed contracts for rookies has been reduced from three to two seasons.
In the lists of scouts closely tracking the high school careers of potential NBA candidates, center Greg Oden was preferred, and Bargnani did not even make it into the top 5. Almost all analysts of the young player market in America are confident that if it were not for the introduction of an age limit, Oden should be chosen first number. However, this guy will have to at least play for Ohio State University, after which he will have to decide for himself: to continue his studies or start playing in the NBA.
College basketball coaches have mixed feelings about the new draft rules. Most believe the league's contract values will outweigh the desire of talented players, many of them black athletes, to pursue college degrees. “These guys will play in the college league for one year and then go pro anyway,” says Arizona State University coach Lute Olsen. - Such a short study will not benefit either the basketball player himself or his team. We will have to part with such players, look for new recruits and change tactical schemes for them.” Let us add to the above that such bright stars as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James came to the NBA from their school days. The league and fans benefited from their early emergence as professionals.
Be that as it may, Bargnani wrote a new page in the history of the league and European basketball. Last season he played for Benetton (Treviso), in ULEB Euroleague matches, as a rule, he came on as a substitute, scoring an average of 11 points per game. In addition, Andrea was second on his team in rebounds and made good long-range shots, demonstrating his all-around abilities.
Overall, the overall draft picture was bleak for the NBA. This time the market for brilliant talents was practically empty. This is evidenced both by the numerous assignments of the right of selection by teams to each other, and by the exchanges of players that took place after the draft. For example, 22-year-old playmaker Randy Foy from Villanova University was selected by Boston with the seventh pick, then gave it to Portland, after which the player proceeded to Minnesota.
In general, the Portland breeders conceived the most complex and ingenious combination. In this multi-move game, their partners were six different clubs. To summarize the combination briefly, they are as follows: the Trail Blazers received forward LaMarcus Aldridge, drafted No. 2, from Chicago, the right to pick second next year from Memphis, and Spanish defenseman Sergio Rodriguez from Phoenix. for monetary compensation from Minnesota - playmaker Brandon Roy (sixth pick of the draft). Portland's deal with the Bulls predetermined the future fate of Russian Viktor Khryapa - the worst team in the NBA (21 wins in 82 regular season games) got rid of him. Now the player of our national team will sit on the bench in a new place - in Chicago.
The second highest-ranking European in the draft (13th number) was the black Swiss Thabo Sefolosha, who plays on the back line in one of the clubs in the second division of the Italian championship. Philadelphia immediately traded him to Chicago after selecting him. Ukraine traditionally supplies tall basketball players to the NBA - 210-centimeter native of Donetsk Alexey Pecherov, who plays for Racing (Paris), is now assigned to Washington. Russian Victor Keyru from Dynamo St. Petersburg was not included in the draft, and his teammate Vladimir Veremeenko, representing Belarus, after being selected in the second round with the 48th number, can join Pecherov in the capital club. What is striking is the lack of talent from Serbia and the inclusion of two Israelis in the draft at once - Lior Eliyahu (44th) and Yotam Halperin (53rd). Ilya TRISVIATSKY |
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