Briggs: you and everyone make some good points.
But here is where I disagree somewhat with your points Briggs:
True it is good to build through the draft to win, but in order to win championships you need stars... Orlando went to the finals by building through the draft with Shaq, penny, scott, etc, they lost to another team that built through the draft in Houston that drafted Hakeem, Horry, casell.... The bulls built through the draft and won and so did the spurs, the knicks got Ewing and went to the finals... but look at what they had in common:
Stars: Shaq, Ewing, Hakeem, Duncan, penny were all Studs who were ready to contribute right away. This draft didn't have it, and not every draft has these types of players, so why not go after a stud like Deyse. and don't worry about the knee, Deyse is only 27 and his knee is fine.
Building a championship requires drafting right, making smart trades and signing key Free agents. When you have the chance at a Shaq, Deyse, etc. You take it.
Now I know the signing of Anderson, eisley and spoon were Jokes but Ander and eisley can contribute although overpaid. But looking at the knicks they got a good pick in williams, if they sign Doleac they will have a smart hardworking serviceable center and 3 scorers in Deyse, Houston and Spree, not many teams have that.
Lets focus on the good things. Believe me we are not the only team to make bad moves lets hope that Layden is making moves to correct some of his gaffs..

Computer access:) If we don't fall in the top 3 we should trade down to get Mullens and Holliday. No one player who will be at8 is BETTER than what we can get as a combination. I would also be willing to trade down a bit to get Mullens and a 2010 pick[because we have none and the draft could be the ebst in years] and buy into this draft for a PG like Holiday Maynor or even Curry[some teams will inevitably want out of this draft]--because just like the big men last year-- PGs guys are going to slip. Mullens is an excellent big for this system. Sometimes you go to the wrong school--you come out to early and you just don't get to show what you can do--how hard you are going to work etc... but we desperately need an athletic big man. Here is an article on what Mullens has been doing and it shows what type of commitment he has. All he has to do is work hard /stay healthy and he will be very good at 7-1 260. After all of these years can we make one savvy move? All of this recent stuff about Curry denying the Knicks made a promise is pure BS--they did and it's at minimum a rush to judgment that we have been terribly guilty at. We need things an athletic big man can do to win games.

Mullens hard at it prepping for NBA
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:04 AM
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Las Vegas advertises itself as a sin city where, whatever happens there, stays there.

Some athletes going to Joe Abunassar's Impact Basketball training center there for the first time imagine indulging themselves in the city's attractions, Abunassar said. Then he laughed.

"No one does anything here," he said, beyond eating, sleeping and training.

After three weeks in town preparing for the NBA draft, B.J. Mullens can vouch for that.

"There's no fun going on here," the recently departed Ohio State freshman said during his lunch break one day last week. "The only thing we see is the gym and the apartment. We're working out six hours a day, every day."

And on the seventh day?

"Sunday's optional," Mullens said. "But we're coming in anytime we get a chance."

Mullens, 20, said his only extracurricular activity is the video gaming system he took with him. Otherwise, he is working harder than ever.

"It's now or never," he said. "You can't hold nothing back. You've got to give it your all."

Ohio State was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round March 20. Less than a week later, the 7-foot Mullens announced that he was leaving school to enter the June 25 draft, in which he long has been projected as a first-round pick.

Contrary to what he and coach Thad Matta said publicly before and during the season, Mullens said last week that he never considered staying at Ohio State longer than the year he was required to.

"It's always been my goal to go to the NBA," he said. "I told coach Matta when I came in that if I had had a chance to go out of high school and not attend college, I would have. He said, 'That's fine.' It was a goal to go to college, but it's my dream to play NBA basketball."

Mullens' well-documented financial hardship was not a factor in his decision, he said, nor did his underwhelming performance as a freshman at Ohio State make him doubt whether he is ready to make the jump. "I'm positive I'm ready," he said.

Facilities such as Abunassar's (pronounced ah-BOO-nah-sar) exist in part to make sure that unseasoned prodigies such as Mullens are ready when NBA teams begin working them out in June. Established stars such as Chauncey Billups and Kevin Garnett also use it in the offseason to stay in shape and keep their competitive edge. They pay a reported $25,000 a year to avail themselves of the services offered by Abunassar's staff of trainers, masseurs, nutritionists and coaches.

Mullens said he has lost 10 pounds, to 255, but gained strength since he has been in Las Vegas, following a six-meals-a-day diet designed for him by a nutritionist.

On the court, Mullens works for 90 minutes every morning on basketball-specific skills and trains for another 90 minutes to improve his speed, quickness, agility, explosiveness and balance. After lunch, he puts in 90 minutes on a specific technique each day -- posting up, setting screens or popping open for shots, for example -- before finishing his day with an hour or so of more training drills.

Mullens said he couldn't have received such individual attention had he stayed another year at Ohio State.

He was marked down during his one college season for not being more aggressive and physical in the post. Abunassar, a former college assistant coach, said raising Mullens' level of aggressiveness is a work in progress but making him a more physical player is not necessarily the best use of his talent.

"B.J.'s game is never going to be to run you over and be an animal. He's got a bit of finesse," Abunassar said. "Making him into a tough, fierce player might not be putting his best foot forward. We want to exploit his length and skill set.

"We're pushing him every day in drills to use his body better, to use his length. We don't want B.J. banging. We want him to use his quickness and his speed and his flexibility to get around (opponents). He's very skilled and very fast. He's got all the makings of a guy who's going to play in the NBA for a long time."

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/storie s/2009/04/28/mbk_mullens_28.ART_ART_04-28-09_C1_DO DMHFE.html?sid=101

The only thing this proves is that you haven't had a life since at least 2002