[Star]Babcock drops another draft shocker (貶)
Babcock drops another draft shocker
Fans up in arms over Villanueva
DAVE FESCHUK (這傢伙從來不會說好話)
BASKETBALL COLUMNIST
They were watching the big screen with jumbo expectations last night at the
Air Canada Centre, watching as the Raptors shocked the basketball world by
selecting Charlie Villanueva with the seventh overall pick.
And instead of embracing the newest Raptor, the gathering of season-ticket
holders and assorted faithful applauded his critics.
As the ESPN analysts vociferously panned the Raptors' choice — "Absolutely
shocked!" hollered the usually rah-rah Dick Vitale — the crowd cheered in
agreement. When Villanueva took the podium in New York's Madison Square
Garden for his first interview as a Raptor, Toronto's fans, saddened via
satellite, filled their arena with boos.
"There's gotta be a trade," said one distraught fan. "Gotta be," said
another.
But there was no trade brewing behind the scenes, no secret swap to explain
the unexpected. A year after defying expectations and selecting the
disastrous Rafael Araujo in the No. 8 slot, Raptors general manager Rob
Babcock had dropped another out-of-nowhere name.
You've heard of out-of-the-box thinking, but this — going with a frequently
maligned 20-year-old few experts figured worthy of the top 10 —
was out-on-a-limb thinking. And, if it doesn't pan out the way the Raptors
are hoping, it could be, for Babcock, out-of-a-job thinking.
Taking Villanueva was unconventional if you're being generous, inexcusable
if you're not. Not only does he play the same position as the club's best
young player, Chris Bosh, Villanueva has also compiled a checkered record of
blase performances during his two-year stint at the University of Connecticut.
"The average fan isn't studying the draft and all the players like we do,"
said Babcock.
To be fair, it was a night of surprises. Some of the players mentioned as
Toronto's most probable selections — New Mexico's Danny Granger, who was
taken by the Indiana Pacers at No. 17, and Houston high schooler
Gerald Green, who went to the youth-stacked Celtics at 18 — fell out of the
top 10, meaning the Raptors weren't the only ones who, for whatever reason,
shied away from those names.
Doubtless, Babcock did his best to redeem himself with the 16th overall
selection of Joey Graham, the 6-foot-7 Oklahoma State small forward.
Graham, who was projected by some to go even higher, is a hard-bodied athlete
whose defensive bent and 89 per cent free-throw percentage suggest he
doesn't mind hard work. But if the 23-year-old's got a weakness it's his
rebounding (he averaged just 6.1 per game last year).
The Raptors, of course, were the worst rebounding team in the NBA last year.
And Villanueva, some in the organization were whispering yesterday, was the
best rebounder available.
Maybe, but his average of 8.3 boards per game last season won't exactly get
the season-ticket hotline ringing off the hook.
But stats don't tell the whole story. He's been criticized by his college
coach, Jim Calhoun, for a lacklustre work ethic and a lack self-confidence.
Last night the Raptors handed out a packet of Villanueva-related information
to the media, included in which was an ESPN scouting report: "The words
`potential cancer' get mentioned too frequently when scouts talk about him,"
was the summation.
The phrase that came to mind when Villanueva's big-screen image was being
booed at the ACC last night was "potential career killer."
Babcock, when his visage appeared on the screen, was jeered by his club's
most loyal fans.
That's perhaps because it's undeniable more highly regarded big men, not to
mention flat-out better players, were available at No. 7. Channing Frye, the
Arizona centre, went eighth. Andrew Bynum, the high school phenom, went 10th.
Fran Vazquez, the physical Spaniard, went 11th. Sean May, the soft-handed MVP
of the Final Four, went No. 13.
Even Villanueva said he was "shocked somewhat" to be selected so high. "The
future for (Villanueva) is what he eventually believes it is going to be,"
Calhoun said in December. "But he's got to believe."
If Villanueva believes in himself, he'll be one of the few.
Getting the fans to believe in Babcock, after yet another draft-night leap of
faith, is another matter entirely.
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