I try to only post when I have a thought that I haven't read much about on the Bedge -- which means I almost never post since we have so many people people posting about most every angle of our team.  But, I don't think I've read much about this aspect of the drafting process (or I've missed it when it was discussed recently): how KP spins the draft/trade choices he makes and how we function as accomplices to his mythology by building him up as some sort of svengali.

My example is my recollections of last year's draft and the weeks leading up to that draft.  We were looking to upgrade the point guard spot.  I remember being (along with alot of other informed folks) being really high on Westbrook. He was supposed to be an unselfish, defensive-minded point with great athleticism.  We were looking at the 9-13 range and he was slotted to be right in there along with DJ Augustin.  Not alot of lobbying for Bayless.  A few were trying to throw stuff together to find a way to talk Chicago into trading Rose, but no Bayless (for the same reasons most of didn't want Mayo).

The week before the draft Westbrook shoots up the ladder and people are talking about him going in more of the 3-6 range.  KP picks Bayless and we all talk about how he was brilliant to get a top 5 talent somehow at 11 while getting rid of Jack.  Now, my point is not that Bayless is no good, nor that shipping Jack out was not a good move.  My point is that I don't think Bayless was KP's guy: it was Westbrook.  Westbrook made and still makes more sense than Bayless.  He would have been a better fit at the point.  

I've read posts asking if KP's made his first mistake yet, and if your view is KP as svengali, I would say yes.  I think KP can rightly claim (and we as fans can feel good about) getting a great value in snagging Bayless at 11/13, but I would have been more impressed with some sort of mis-information campaign or something to get us westbrook.  And it would've made more sense (to me) and not required the spin.  

I'm posting this just to get our recollection of last year's draft (and subsequent integration of picks) to inform what we're expecting from (and reading into) this year's draft.  And to also suggest that KP doesn't have 1 guy that he will mystically acquire to the astonishment of all, but rather, a whole slew of guys and moves to go to as the draft develops.  None of them are bad options, just some are better than others.  

What do you think of my idea that Westbrook was actually "the guy" - and KP spun (and we bought into the genius of) Bayless?  

And just because I don't do these very often, here's a poll: