Like I promised last week here is my take on the differences
between drafting in the NBA and the MLB and which franchises do it best:
Drafting in professional sports is one of the most difficult
things to do; or I should say one of the most difficult things to do
successfully. Every year professional sports around the country host a draft
consisting mainly of college athletes and in some leagues international
athletes and possibly high school kids. Each league has their own draft
intricacies and expectations of the players who are drafted. Today I am going
to dive a little deeper into the NBA and MLB drafts.
One of the biggest differences in the MLB draft compared to
other drafts is that it takes place during the season, while all other drafts
take place after the Championship game or series. Another huge difference is the
expectations of the players a franchise drafts. In the MLB most draft picks
will spend years in the minors and sometimes, in the end, they might not even
work out. There are obvious exceptions to these statements, for instance, Bryce
Harper was drafted 1st overall and has completely changed the
Nationals franchise. You also have guys like Albert Pujols who was drafted in
the 13th round and will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Unlike most
sports, the MLB draft can be a complete crap shoot from the beginning to the
end. Some of this has to do with the fact that teams can draft high school kids
in the draft. These kids dominate at their young age but may not end up
progressing as expected. This is one of
the reasons that drafting in the MLB is one of the most important aspects of a
franchise. You have to invest money into a farm system and scouts.
When you look at MLB franchises, some of the best at
drafting talent are the Braves, Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers. Now developing
the talent is another factor all together. For example, this year the Yankees are
right in the thick of the playoff race when they were supposed to be a few
years away from competing. Their success is due to how they drafted and then
developed those players. The White Sox are another franchise that is loaded
with young developing prospects, but they acquired those players from trades
and are setting up for the future that way. There is no “right” way to win a
World Series but in my opinion the Royals (who drafted Eric Hosmer, Mike
Moustakas, Alex Gordon, and Danny Duffy in the first three rounds of the MLB
draft) have a very good model to follow.
Switching gears to look at the NBA draft which takes place a
few weeks after the NBA Finals. The expectations of NBA draft prospects are if
you are a lottery pick, which means you are drafted in the first 14 picks, that
you are expected to be the face of a franchise and possibly turn said franchise
around. Players like LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan were all
taken within the top 3 picks of their respective drafts and they have
completely turned around franchises and cities. The 2017 NBA draft was loaded
with players who could alter a franchise and are expected to turn teams around.
Most of them should be sophomore’s in college and that is absolutely insane but
that’s how talented they are.
If you are drafted out of the lottery, but in the first
round, you should be a solid starter or solid role player off the bench. Some
players that come to mind who fit that script are Manu Ginobili, Sam Cassell,
Kyle Korver, and Michael Finley. All of these guys were drafted late in the
first round and even in the second round. They all had extremely valuable NBA
careers and even helped their franchises win NBA Championships. Thinking about
some of the best drafting franchises in the NBA the Spurs immediately come to
mind. After taking Tim Duncan first overall in 1997 they have not had a pick in
the top 20. Since ’97, the Spurs have made the playoffs every year, made the
Western Conference Finals 10 times, and won the NBA Finals 5 times, all without
having a pick in the top 20. That is astounding.
Two of their best players in the last fifteen years are Manu Ginobili and Tony
Parker. Ginobili was drafted in the 2nd round with the 57th
pick and Parker was taken in the first round with the 28th pick. I
believe the Spurs are one of the best franchises in all of sports when it comes
to drafting players and developing them. Every sport has different expectations for their draft and the players taken in that draft. One thing is universal, if you do a poor job of scouting and drafting your franchise could be in the cellar for a long time. If that happens, as a general manager you may be looking for a job sooner rather then later.
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