Draft: position vs talent

[maes]

Good article, sums it up nicely.

http://www.realgm.com/src_twoplusthefou ... available/

Bottom line, draft a baller, not a body.

[Fresh8]

i see the real problem these days is that teams are deciding between talent and potential... not so much wat the article explains..

[air gordon]

good stuff. nice to see the bulls getting more props

[Andrew]

In a draft without impact players, you could probably forgive a team for not picking the most talented player available in favour of fulfilling a need; especially if they've already got an established star who plays the same position as the guy they passed over. But passing up those rare players - Jordan being the most obvious example, but Larry Bird going at six being another great one - is all but passing up the opportunity to be an NBA powerhouse for the next decade and let's face it, giving up a situation that would be very profitable.

The teams that really should be drafting out of need are the ones who already have a plan, teams that aren't in the lottery and could use some fresh talent at a certain position. Even then, the chances of snaring a good player with a low pick suggest teams shouldn't be so quick to pass up a talented player whom they don't necessarily need. The San Antonio Spurs are celebrating the third championship thanks in part to those kinds of picks.