NBA Draft scores high, low points

Last Thursday, sports fans settled in for the 4 1/2-hour
marathon known as the 2003 NBA Draft.

Now that it’s over, the analysis must begin: Which team
had the best picks, which player had the biggest fall, and dare I
say the most important ““ who was the best dressed? So in an
attempt to bring forward the most pertinent information, here are
the first ever Daily Bruin NBA Draft Awards:

Best Team Picks: Detroit

For a team that had the best record in its conference last
season, as well as new head coach Larry Brown, anything from
Thursday’s draft would just be a bonus. But the Pistons knew
exactly what to go for. Some would say taking Serbia’s Darko
Milicic over Syracuse’s Carmello Anthony was a mistake, but
Milicic offers tremendous upside.

As the most versatile international player, Milicic is
aggressive at the post, tough, shoots from the perimeter, and still
can play in the paint as a formidable shot blocker. Though he
won’t offer the same point potential as Anthony, he will help
the defensive-minded Pistons.

Even with the No. 2 pick, Detroit also scored big with another
first rounder, Italy’s Carlos Delfino, a 6-foot, 7-inch
shooting guard. Delfino was a steal at No. 25, after a serious
ankle injury scared off most teams. Delfino could become an
immediate factor on the team with his shooting ability.

Finally, the Pistons ended the evening with another
international player, Andreas Gliniadakis from Greece. It never
hurts to have a 7-footer hanging around, especially someone who can
add five fouls against Shaq, Duncan and Yao.

Worst Team Picks: tie, Memphis and Los Angeles Clippers

Grizzlies: Jerry West, one of the most highly regarded general
managers, traded two first-round picks for what was really two
second-round marginal players. Boston College’s Troy
Bell (No. 16) and Duke’s Dahntay Jones (No. 20) have proven
themselves on the collegiate level, but trading away their picks to
Boston wasn’t West’s smartest move.

Clippers: With the probability of Michael Olowokandi’s
departure rising everyday, the team used its No. 6 on center Chris
Kaman. Then to try and replace Elton Brand, the team brought in
“Baby Shaq,” Greece’s Sofoklis Schortsanitis.
This inability to keep free agents has become too problematic for
the team and thus the future remains dark.

Best Family Member in the Audience: tie, Leroy Kaman and Mary
Anthony

Anthony (Carmelo’s mom): After her son was picked third by
the Denver Nuggets, Mrs. Anthony couldn’t produce anything
more than a “yes” under tearful sobs in an interview
with ESPN’s Stuart Scott. You know the people at ESPN were
drooling “¦ tears, excellent.

Kaman (Chris’s father): His name is Leroy Kaman,
isn’t that just funny enough?

Best Dressed: Wade family

Marquette’s Dwayne Wade showed off a classic style of the
navy suit, blue shirt and blue tie. But most impressive may have
been his high school bride Siovaughn and son Zaire. She came in a
tasteful black cocktail dress that was simple, yet elegant (no one
ever goes wrong with the black cocktail dress), while they dressed
their toddler son in a blue-on-blue suit, matching his father
perfectly.

Worst Dressed: LeBron James

Sorry buddy, but that all-white ensemble just looked a little
too much like Chris Rock at one the MTV awards he hosted a few
years back. Though not leather like Rock’s, the Italian wool
that matched his mother’s dress was not fitting of him.
Should have prepared a little more to find something that matched
better with the new crimson colors of Cleveland.

Honorable Mention: The new satin team hats.

After each pick, traditionally the player is given a hat with
the team logo on it. But this year, they chose to make satin hats
instead of the basic cap and it just looked silly. Example: Chris
Bosh’s purple hat from the Toronto Raptors. The new look made
him seem more ready for a date with Richard Simmons than Vince
Carter.

Best Line of the Night: tie, Jay Bilas and David Stern

Bilas: After the Seattle Supersonics took Oregon’s Luke
Ridnour, ESPN’s Jay Bilas described the former Duck,
“(Ridnour) can’t guard the chair I’m sitting on,
and he couldn’t bench 185 pounds one time.”
Classic.

Stern: It was just too much fun watching the NBA commissioner
struggle over some of the international names. Something to the
likes of “The New Jersey Nets pick, um “¦ Zar-Zarko
Chabarkapa.” Ok, let sound it out together Zar-ko
Cha-bark-a-pa.

Best Name: Ndidu Ebi

The high schooler’s first name is pronounced
“Doody.” Enough said.

Saddest and Last Player in the Green Room: Maciej Lampe

As a projected lottery pick, Polish forward Lampe suffered a
huge slide to the second round after late-breaking contract issues
with his European team Real Madrid. Finally, the Knicks took him as
the first pick in the second round, only ESPN captured numerous
shots of the distraught kid.

Bach is distraught after the Sacramento Kings had no draft
picks. E-mail her at [email protected].