Good things come to those who wait; sometimes a reward comes months after an event. Thursday night’s NBA Draft will be one of these times, as two of the biggest sports stories in the state of Oregon this year – the breakout season of Oregon’s senior guard Aaron Brooks, and the Portland Trail Blazers winning the NBA Draft lottery against the odds – come to a conclusion.
Despite having just a 5.3% chance at winning the lottery, the ping pong balls dropped the right way for the Trail Blazers on May 23. Portland’s rebuilding process, which began with picking Brandon Roy (the eventual NBA Rookie of the Year) and LaMarcus Aldridge in last year’s draft, received a rocket boost with the lottery win. Now, facing the choice between two stellar college freshmen – 7-foot Ohio State center Greg Oden and 6-foot-10 Texas forward Kevin Durant – Oregon’s only major professional sports franchise is looking at a bright future that many fans could not picture just more than a year ago.
Both Oden and Durant have worked out for the Trail Blazers in the past few weeks, with Oden’s arrival in Portland drawing extra attention: he was swarmed as he arrived at the Portland Airport, and current Blazers, including Aldridge, Roy, and forward Zach Randolph watched giddily as the 19-year-old pounded through his workout at the team’s practice facility in Tualatin. Oden was even suggested as the pick by a group of 13 senators and 13 representatives from the Oregon Legislature.
Durant impressed in his workout and Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard insists he is still undecided on his choice, but signs are pointing to the Buckeye center.
Another player who impressed in his final college basketball season was Oregon senior guard Aaron Brooks, who improved his stock tremendously after nearly winning the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year award and leading the conference in scoring. He emerged as a team leader for the Ducks, famously floating in game-winning shots against UCLA at McArthur Court and at Arizona.
The 6-foot guard from Seattle has impressed in workouts, registering as one of the fastest players at the Orlando pre-draft camp and slotting into the mock draft of ESPN.com’s Chad Ford late in the second round as a pick of the Detroit Pistons. Oregon fans throughout the Northwest will likely be eager to see Brooks join former Ducks Freddy Jones, Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson in the NBA.
Other former Pacific-10 Conference players eligible for the draft and expecting to step up to the next level include Washington freshman center Spencer Hawes, USC guards Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, Pac-10 Player of the Year Arron Afflalo from UCLA, and Arizona forwards Ivan Radenovic and Marcus Williams and guard Mustafa Shakur. Hawes is the highest-ranked Pac-10 player on Ford’s draft board, sitting inside the top 10 as a possibility for the Chicago Bulls with the ninth pick. He has solidly been a potential lottery pick throughout this year’s mock draft season, and his stock rose after the lottery when teams in need of a low-post scoring presence – including the Bulls – knew their final picks.
After the first two picks (which will very likely be Oden and Durant) very little is solidly known. The Atlanta Hawks have the third pick, but what they will do with it is unknown – trade rumors have flown, and nobody can know for sure whether the Hawks will address their need at point guard or on the front line with the selection. Atlanta also has the 11th pick in the draft.
Trade talks have swirled within the last week, involving teams in the lottery who may trade their picks in deals to acquire superstars such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. Philadelphia, which has two other first-round picks in addition to the No. 12, has been rumored to want to package those to move up, and some Blazers fans still hold out hope that talented-but-troublesome forward Zach Randolph will move to Chicago in a deal that could include the Bulls’ No. 9 pick.
However it plays out, there will be plenty of action and excitement for commissioner David Stern to rule over as teams unveil their newest additions. And those in Oregon may see the Blazers’ addition as the final step back toward Portland’s return to the playoffs and the “Rip City” atmosphere that so famously enveloped the team and city so many times before.
Recent Ducks in the draft
Freddy Jones, guard, 14th pick in 2002 – Indiana Pacers; currently with Portland.
Luke Ridnour, guard, 14th pick in 2003 – Seattle SuperSonics.
Luke Jackson, forward, 10th pick in 2004 – Cleveland Cavaliers; currently with Toronto.
Non-Duck Pac-10 players in the 2007 draft
Arizona – Ivan Radenovic, forward; Marcus Williams, forward; Mustafa Shakur, guard.
Oregon – Aaron Brooks, guard.
UCLA – Arron Afflalo, guard.
USC – Nick Young, guard; Gabe Pruitt, guard.
Washington – Spencer Hawes, center.