One of the most underrated aspects of becoming a good basketball player is the skill of ball handling. Many people do not understand the importance of taking care of the basketball. You do not have to be a guard to be a good ball handler. You also do not have to be John Stockton, Magic Johnson, or DeRon Williams to be a good ball handler.

It was an exciting draft this year, with multiple trades and a new record for the most freshmen ever being drafted. The first three players drafted were all freshmen.

The Bulls used the number-one pick to nab Derrick Rose. I do think Chicago will benefit from this selection—but they weren't the team that got the most out of this draft.

Dallas Mavericks (D)
Team Needs:  Defensive Center; Backup Point Guard; Youth

Picks:  51st Pick SG Shan Foster (6-5 205lbs); Dallas’ first round pick, which would have been pick #21, was dealt to the New Jersey Nets as part of the Jason Kidd deal.

Foster is a catch and shoot specialist. Very athletic, but not a lot of well-rounded skills. 

Atlanta Hawks (A-)
Team Needs:  Center

Picks:  The Atlanta Hawks didn’t have a single draft pick this year, but don’t feel too bad for them. They owed Phoenix a first round pick either last year or this year. Had last year’s pick been lower than third overall, Phoenix would have taken the rights. As it turned out, the Hawks dropped to third overall in the 2007 NBA Draft lottery and selected Forward Al Horford, which meant Phoenix received Atlanta’s pick this season (15th overall). This was all part of the Joe Johnson trade. 

1. Chicago Bulls selects PG Derrick Rose (6-3 195lbs)
No surprise here. Many thought Beasley should have been taken since Chicago needs an interior scorer. However, Beasley’s more of an inside/outside scorer, much like Carmelo Anthony. What the Bulls really needed was someone who could create shots for others. Rose does just that, and is big, strong and athletic enough to fit the Bulls’ style. The big question now is what will Chicago do with all those guards?

Draft coverage coming to you from Stuart Scott is usually enough to make any man go bonkers. While Stu knows his sports, and especially the NBA, he can make a guy go crazy with his flamboyant/loud analysis.  The more I think about it, the more excited I am getting for the NBA draft. I think the NBA draft is the best of all professional sports drafts. It seems like we are much more familiar with the guys coming into the NBA than we are the other major sports, so let’s get this draft started.

Finally the day has arrived. Will Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat skip Michael Beasley at the top 2 spots?

It’s already old news that the Indiana Pacers will send star Forward Jermaine O’Neal and Maceo Baston to the Toronto Raptors for Point Guard T.J. Ford, the 17th and the 41st overall picks but several other trade rumors have also surfaced of late.

With the NBA draft being held this Thursday night in New York City, a lot of questions remain. The obvious question is, who are the Chicago Bulls going to choose with the #1 pick? It’s really between two guys, and it’s been between these two guys since they declared for the draft. The hometown favorite, Derrick Rose, or the safer chose of Michael Beasley?