It All Started in 96

This is the intro, the precursor, the stage setter and that smooth sip before the night actually starts. Over the course of the next year I will introduce many topics all of which will lead from the 2013 NBA Draft into the 2014 NBA Draft. Much of what I will discuss will be opinion supported with facts, however there will be no obvious favorites. As a fan of Basketball I have grown into a place that allows me to evaluate talent without falling in love with a particular player. This keeps me honest and gives me a chance to view a player with fresh eyes time and time again. I would feel cheated if I read a blog titled Draft Fanatic that spends more time discussing his love affair with a particular player. It's not like I am getting paid for this, I just love it and I hope you will enjoy what I am bringing to you.

So now that I have set the stage for you we can delve into the draft. I have been a fan of the NBA draft and the drama that surrounds it since I was 12 years old. The year was 1996 and it would be one for the ages. Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Derrick Fisher and Steve Nash. I can keep going but you get the point. The players would all go on to contribute to the game I love in various ways. A few would become GREAT, some good for the moment and others contributors but still important none the less. It wasn't just about the players hearing their names called or walking up on stage to shake the hand of David Stern. It was about the potential of these players to become big game players, legends and eventual Hall of Famers.

Every year since 1996 I have taken it upon myself to learn as much about the newest crop of potential NBA ball players. Even as a teen I would read the 5-Star High School magazine, Street&Smiths, SLAM and occaisonally Sports Illustrated to discover who the new hot name would be. Before the Internet made it possible to Google a name or look up a MaxPreps profile I was studying the future. Many would say this was probably borderline obssession, heck my wife would probably say that now... Year after year I needed to know who the "Nex Big Thing" was going to be 2-4 years down the line. Eventually I began to write out my own predictions. I carried a notebook with me for months writing down predictions and studying newspaper articles. Then eventually the day would come and I would watch the coverage for hours before, during and after.

That was over a decade ago, now the process has expanded. With the invention of Twitter and the expansion of Social Media I can track all of my favorite writers and talent evaluators. I can read more blogs, official scouting reports, articles and watch actual footage from the combine and private workouts. This makes my analysis more accurate than it was circa 2001 when the world was so in love with Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry...see how well that worked out. So as I begin this journey with you all via this Blog, just know while I have never had the pleasure of working for a ESPN or a prominent magazine like SLAM or DIME I have been honing this skill for years. Thank you and Enjoy.

The Draft Fanatic

                                                         1996 NBA Draft Top 20 Picks