I'd Have to Say it was a Good Day

Kyle Davies didn't even have to use his AK.

Ice Cube, if you aren't too busy with your film career, could you drop a verse or two about the Braves clobbering the Mets and the Hawks delaying the export of their #1 pick to Phoenix, all while Bill Simmons presumably has an aneurysm because the Celtics didn't get a top two pick that they "deserved" when they only had a 40% chance of doing so?

I'm going to lash myself to the mast right now before the Sirens start calling in the next month: the Hawks need to take Mike Conley with the #3 pick. I realize that that might be a smidge high for him and he doesn't quite have Chris Paul's offensive game or Darren Williams's size and defensive ability, but he's ludicrously quick and a good passer. He'll be a perfect complement to Joe Johnson, who isn't superfast, but is a terrific shooter and will benefit from Conley breaking down defenses. I just don't want to risk trading down. If Knight really thinks that Acie Law or Jarvaris Crittenden are as good as Conley and wants to grab one of them with the #11 pick while spending the #3 on the best available player, then I might be willing to listen to that reasoning, but I highly suspect that Knight would be wrong in that assessment.

Billy Knight can do whatever he likes with the #11 pick. Ideally, Roy Hibbert or Spencer Hawes will be around and the Hawks can nab two starters in 11 picks, but if they aren't, I wouldn't be opposed to a "best available" pick at that stage. Maybe some team will be in love with a player who slid to that spot and Knight can swing the pick for a future first rounder so the Hawks aren't completely shut out of the 2008 Draft.

Knowing the Hawks, the way this will play out is as follows: the team takes Conley and he's good, but not great. After missing the playoffs in '07-'08, the Hawks win the lottery and Phoenix gets to grab Derrick Rose, who seemlessly replaces Steve Nash as the best point guard in the NBA. I know the Hawks haven't suffered quite like the 16-time world champion Celtics, but this seems like the Murphy's Law scenario for the local professional basketball collective.