1st pick poll

The question was "If you had first pick in a draft where every NBA player was available, who are you taking as the first pick to start the new team?".

I doubt that everyone who voted gave a lot of deep thought as to who they felt would be the best choice. Obviously if everyone did give the question the proper thought, then Kobe wouldn't have gotten 22 votes. Just joking. Sort of.

Tim Duncan with 30% of the vote. And I think he is the right guy for it. The most dominent team in the past decade is the Spurs, and that domination started when Tim Duncan was drafted. No doubt about it, the Spurs have great depth and balance along with all-star players in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli as well as one of the top coaches in the league. But let's be honest, Tony Parker is not the best PG in the league. Top 5 maybe. And Ginobli is a very good player who can be great once in a while. And there are other deep teams in the league (Bulls, Mavs, Jazz) as well. So what makes the Spurs so special is with out a doubt Tim Duncan, who is the heart and Soul of that franchise. While highlight reels can help give players the undeserving title of "best in the game today", Tim Duncan owns that title. The depth of his team combined with an unselfish attitude affects Duncans numbers, he won't lead the league in scoring. But he is the best player today and the best power forward ever. Sorry Utah fans, but Karl Malone does not hold a candle to the overall game that Duncan brings. The only thing that would be a concern of mine in drafting Duncan is the age factor, he is not going down the hill yet but it won't be that much longer till that happens. But with his attitude, the positive effects on teammates would help there individual growth which benefits the team even when he is gone.

Oh man, I just don't understand some of you people. You get blinded by flash. Is Kobe Bryant one of the best SCORIERS in the league? Sure. But you all realize there is more to basketball then just shooting 35 shots a game, right? The guy was not even the best player on the Lakers championship teams. Bottom line is that Kobe is the anti-Duncan. He proved it this off-season with his unprofessional attitude. He does sell tickets as he has been made the #1 guy by the NBA marketing machine, but unless he is teamed with a Kevin Garnett type of player, he will never see another championship ring again. Now why would anyone want to draft that? 25% of you though need to take those glasses off.

Lebron got third with 17%. Not my personal choice, but unlike Kobe, I won't disagree with those of you who made this choice. Lebron has the all-round game that most other NBA players could only dream about. And how great would it be to get a top notch scorier, passer, defender, rebounder and attitude all in one player. Most of the top players only have 2 or 3 of those attributes. My concern with him is the lack of a killer instinct. When the spotlight is on, can he deliver. I know it was his first finals, but he failed misrably against the Spurs. I think it's a very valid concern to have. To be fair though, Lebron did bring it against the Pistons.

Steve Nash with only 12% percent. Steve Nash, like Tim Duncan, is the type of heart that could drive a franchise for years. My concerns though with Nash are as follow: If you draft Nash, they you will have to go with a fast tempo offense. That is what he is all about. With Duncan, he can go both ways with a half court offense and uptempo offense. Also with the style of ball Nash plays, he will break down quicker then Duncan.

As for the rest of the bunch, we got Jason Kidd with 3%. Age and injuries and not a great scorier works against him. D-Wade with 3% and I am really suprised with this pick. Did you all forget how he took over game 3 against Dallas and put Miami in the driver seat? The dude is just as much of a scoring machine as Kobe, plus with the right attitude. If the injuries are what held you back from this vote, fair enough. MVP Dirk with 2%. He was the MVP, you all knew that right? But I agree, I wouldn't pick him ether. At least not over these other players. Bosh with 4%. Maybe in 5 or 6 years after we see what Bosh can do in the playoffs. But as of today, no way. Oden with the big zero. Even before the injury, I guess you gotta prove yourself before getting any type of confidence in your abilties.

So Duncan is the winner, and I agree with that 100%.