The NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL established their respected drafts, so that the inferior teams have the best chance to select the top prospects, therefore improving the chance that they become a better team. Some teams just seem to be amongst the top every season, regardless of who they draft or how they finish the season.

With the exceptions of the 2005 NBA Draft when the Bulls had no picks and the recently passed 2009 draft when the Bulls first choice was 16th overall, Chicago have had a selection in the top ten in every draft starting from 1999. Since that year, the Bulls have had 15 first round selections over the stretch of eleven drafts, but these picks have not translated into wins. Take a look at the Bulls roster and you don’t see a team that have had 15 first round picks since ‘99. So I wonder, Where have they gone?

With Ben Gordon leaving for Detroit and the addition of rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson, the Bulls have 6 of their 15 first round picks on their roster, assuming the rookies sign. The other four first-rounders are Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas, but there are little signs of the Bulls other picks. So again, where have they gone?

Warning: You may want to take notes.

The Bulls drafted power forward Elton Brand 1st overall in 1999, but traded him after two seasons. Brand averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in those two years, so the Bulls should have something to show for it, right? Well, Brand was traded to the Clippers for Brian Skinner and the draft rights of Tyson Chandler. The Bulls then traded Brian Skinner to the Raptors for Charles Oakley and a 2nd round pick that was used to draft Chris Duhon who signed with the Knicks before the start of last season. The Bulls traded Tyson Chandler to the Hornets for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith. They immediately traded J.R. Smith to the Nuggets for Howard Eisley and two 2nd round picks which were used to draft James OnCurry and Aaron Gray. Both James OnCurry and P.J. Brown spent only one season with the Bulls. Chicago traded Elton Brand away and they only have reserve center Aaron Gray to show for it.

In the same ‘99 draft, the Bulls drafted Ron Artest 16th overall, but he’s no longer on the roster either. The Bulls traded Artest to the Pacers for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a 2nd round pick that was used to draft Lonny Baxter who’s out of the NBA. Richardson was waived, Best later signed with the Miami Heat and Rose was traded to the Raptors for Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, and Chris Jeffries. Chris Jeffries was waived, Antonio Davis was a part of the Eddy Curry sign and trade and Jerome Williams was a part of the Jamal Crawford sign and trade that landed both players with the Knicks.

In the 2000 draft, the Bulls chose Marcus Fizer 4th overall, Chris Mihm 7th, and Dalibor Bagaric 24th. Mihm’s draft rights were traded on draft day for the rights of Jamal Crawford, Bagaric’s contract was bought out, and Fizer was selected by the Bobcats in their expansion draft. Crawford, along with Jerome Williams, was traded to the Knicks for Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington, Frank Williams, and Cezary Trybanski. Williams and Trybanski were waived and Harrington later signed with the Bobcats after his time with the Bulls. Mutombo was traded to the Rockets for Adrian Griffin, Eric Piatkowski, and Mike Wilks; none of which are still on the roster.

This brings us to the ‘01 draft and the Bulls selection of Eddy Curry 4th overall. Curry was dealt in a sign and trade, along with Antonio Davis, to the Knicks for Michael Sweetney (released), Tim Thomas (waived), Jermaine Jackson (released) and a 1st round draft pick that was used to draft LaMarcus Aldridge 2nd overall in 2006. Aldridge’s draft rights were traded to Portland for the draft rights of Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa whose contract was later bought out due to lack of playing time.

The Bulls may have made the right move by drafting Jay Williams 2nd overall in 2002, but Williams’ motorcycle accident ended his career and set the Bulls back. In 2006, the Bulls used the second first round pick and drafted Rodney Carney before trading his rights to Philadelphia for the rights of Thabo Sefolosha. Sefolosha was later traded to the Thunder for a first round pick. That pick was used in the 2009 draft to select Taj Gibson 26th overall.

Recapping, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson, James Johnson, and Aaron Gray as a result of their first round picks and trades that relate to them since 1999. Maybe this have been their plan all along and the potential Carlos Boozer deal will complete the Bulls’ eleven year plan to return to the NBA Finals, or they have just been guessing as they go along.

During the time surrounding the NFL Draft, there is a level of optimism and anticipation that elevates the NFL’s draft over the drafts for other sports. Fans from all 32 teams have had time to digest what their team had done the previous season and find reasons to get excited for the upcoming year. We tune into the draft coverage awaiting to either agree or dispute whatever Mel Kiper say about our favorite players or teams. Sometimes, Kiper will convince us that our team’s later-round picks will become stars, increasing our optimism to the point that we’re ready to buy Super Bowl tickets and put in our leave slip for the end of January and first week in February. Most of the time, fans don’t even pay attention to who their team draft after the third-round, until they make a play in game that helps the team win. Well, training camp hasn’t started, but the Niners late-round picks have my attention already.

Rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree and running back Glen Coffee will receive the most attention heading into camp and deservingly so, but the later-round picks will serve in roles that may have bigger impacts during the season. Five of the Niners’ seven selections were drafted in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds and they might prove to be what the Niners need to make it back to the playoffs.

Arguably, the 49ers’ biggest strength is their group of linebackers led by Pro Bowler Patrick Willis and that group was upgraded this April. The 2008 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Pittsburgh’s Scott McKillop, was drafted 146th overall in the fifth round by the Niners. Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes are the returning starters, but you can expect to see McKillop in the rotation, especially when the Niners are looking to stuff the run.

With head coach Mike Singletary looking to turn the 49ers into a smashmouth running team, the Niners drafted a north-south runner, Glen Coffee, in the third-round and a tight end that can block like a lineman, Bear Pascoe, 184th overall in the sixth round. Pascoe, rookie from Fresno State, not only blocks, but was key in the Bulldogs passing attack leading to his back-to-back All-WAC honors. Pascoe will also free up fellow tight end Vernon Davis to get vertical and put pressure on opposing teams’ defenses when the Niners play in two tight end sets. Pascoe might prove to be the Niners best pick.

The Niners used both of their seventh round picks to select former LSU standouts safety Curtis Taylor, 219th overall, and defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, 244th overall. I can’t say for certain that either player will receive sufficient playing time, but if they do they can make an impact. Neither player will impress you with their combine workouts, but their game tape will. The one thing that both of these players possess is football intelligence, especially safety Curtis Taylor. Taylor doesn’t cause havoc, but is always in the right place to make the play, and then make it, which is important because safeties should never be caught out of position. Ricky Jean-Francois was inconsistent at LSU, but when he’s good, he’s great. Jean-Francois was the Defensive MVP of the 2008 BCS Championship Game and if he was a consistent player, then he would have gotten drafted on the first day.

Quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are in a battle for the starting spot and the loser will be rewarded with the second spot on the depth chart. Veteran Damon Huard will most likely be third, but this leaves no room for their 171st overall pick Nate Davis. No problem. Nate Davis is not ready to be a starter, but can eventually become a player like Jeff Garcia, only better. Davis needs roughly two seasons to sit, learn better mechanics, and to understand NFL style defenses. He may not play a game in the 49ers uniform, but if he plays at the right time, then he can be a starter for a many years.

With the exclusion of Michael Crabtree, none of the 49ers’ draft picks wowed the scouts with their workouts, even though Crabtree missed workouts due to a toe injury. The Niners were consistent with their picks drafting smart players that fit a role on the team. If they put in the necessary work to get better, then the 49ers are on their way to reclaim their spot on top of the NFL.

When you think of the Chicago Bulls, the first thing that normally comes to mind is Michael Jordan. Maybe, it’s because of the way he led the Bulls to six NBA championships in eight years during the ‘90s. Or, the way he hit clutch shot after clutch shot that left opponents devastated and Bulls’ fans wanting to be like Mike. Even though he influenced an entire generation to be like him, the public still gives some credit to Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Steve Kerr. Ask some people and they would tell you that Jordan couldn’t do it without Horace Grant. But, what the Bulls did that’s sometimes over-shadowed by their overall domination is the defense they played. The championship Bulls’ teams played fierce defense, which led to Jordan and Pippen’s multiple NBA All-Defensive honors.

We have all heard the ole cliché "defense wins championships" and it’s true. The Lakers were a great scoring team, but they had to buckle down on defense to win the NBA Finals. The Celtics won the title the year before with defense and, so did the Spurs for their four titles, the Pistons in ’04 and the Lakers for their three-peat. For the Bulls to return to prominence, they have to get back to playing hard-nosed defense.

During the post-Jordan era, the Bulls have only had two great years out of the eleven seasons that has passed since Jordan laced them up for the Bulls. The 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons are the only years that the Bulls posted a winning record, both seasons pushing 50 wins. The Bulls went (47-35) in 2004-05 and (49-33) in 2006-07 and this was no accident.

In those two seasons the Bulls ranked at least 7th in points against and allowed less than 94 points per game. The Bulls was ranked 7th in the NBA and 4th in the East during ’04-’05 giving up just 93.4 points per game and ranked 6th in the NBA and 3rd in the East during ’06-’07 averaging only 93.8 points against per game.

Clearly, Chicago needs to get back to playing defense if they want to win and they have an opportunity to turn things around now. Fans have been bittersweet about the departure of Ben Gordon, but this can actually be a good thing for Chicago. Gordon was beloved for his great scoring that spark the team, but was a defensive liability. He failed to fight through screens and if he was having a tough shooting night, then he didn’t bother to play defense.

This is where the Bulls’ front office needs to take off their skirts and be aggressive. Gordon’s spot still need to be filled, but the team should go after veteran big-men like McDyess, if possible, or even Theo Ratliff who can still defend around the rim and rebound. They may not be long-term answers, but every young team need veterans that can set the tone and be leaders. We still have to see what rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson can bring, but the Bulls should attack free agency like they did the draft, looking to get tougher.

Once promising NASCAR star Jeremy Mayfield received an injunction that would allow him to race this weekend, but no sponsor wanted the driver in the car with their logo. That's understandable. Sponsors wouldn't want to give the impression that they support the use of methamphetamines. Some drivers filed affidavits saying that they wouldn't feel safe on the same track with Mayfield. That's also understandable. What I understand, but completely think is wrong is Jeff Burton's comment that Mayfield should be tested every 24 hours, then followed that up by saying he don't think that's harassment. If I was the reporter, I would have asked Burton how he'd feel if he had to be drug tested every 24 hours. That type of routine would cause psychological damage to a person. I understand Burton's fear because we see the news and hear about people dying in drug or alcohol related accidents. Just look at Donte Stallworth, he killed a man while driving drunk and high, but Burton still should not suggest a punishment that not even he could handle. I am against driving while impaired and believe that if Mayfield test positive for drugs again, or his old sample is re-tested and the positive test is confirmed, he should be suspended indefinitely and not allowed to race again because the sport is dangerous enough already. That's hard for me to say, but it's the disciplinary action they have to take. I believe in always giving someone another chance and I empathize with Mayfield because like too many people all over the world, he's in financial trouble. NASCAR may be a sport to us the fans, but it's Jeremy Mayfield's job. Though he possibly used methamphetamines, which would erase my empathy, but let's not jump to conclusions and cause Mayfield to lose his job, before he actually loses it.

When I took a look at the Niners’ roster I thought maybe nine wins, then I took a look at the Niners’ 2009 draft picks and I thought maybe twelve, but when I looked at the Niners’ schedule again, my optimism for the upcoming season dropped a little. The Niners could be the victims of untimely scheduling in ’09 more so, then any problem that has crippled the team over recent years; poor coaching, injuries, T.O., no money under the cap to sign talent.

According to ESPN, the Niners’ schedule is ranked as the 26th toughest based on the opponents records from 2008. The rankings are misleading due to the fact that the Niners have to play the Rams twice, Seahawks twice, and the ‘I still can’t believe they’re still allowed to call themselves a professional team’ Detroit Lions once. The opponents for those five games records are 12-68 combined. The Niners still have to play the Cardinals twice, have roads games at Minnesota, Houston, Indianapolis, Green Bay and Philadelphia, and tough home games against Atlanta, Tennessee, Chicago and Jacksonville. Now does that sound like the 26th toughest schedule? Nah.

Though my optimism has taken a hit, I am still very confident that the Niners can make the playoffs. I expect great rookie play from every pick except for Nate Davis, who I think can be a Jeff Garcia type QB, but has to sit for a couple years, Michael Crabtree, who may be slowed down by the toe and seventh-round pick Curtis Taylor, safety from LSU who just may not see much playing time. Frank Gore and fullback Moran Norris are healthy, which is important because now Michael Robinson can share time with Gore along with rookie Glen Coffee, keeping Gore fresh throughout the season.

Regardless of who’s the quarterback, head coach Mike Singletary will make sure the right player is on the field at the right time and if that player isn’t focused, Singletary won’t hesitate to take him out. The 2009 season is going to be tough for the Niners, but if they play hard and stay focused, they have a coach that’s tough enough to take them where they want to be, and that's playing for a Super Bowl in February.

Just when the NBA thought they caught up to the champion Los Angeles Lakers, the team makes a move that propels them back on top. Free agent forward Ron Artest says that he plans to sign with the Lakers. The Orlando Magic, who lost the Lakers in the finals, traded for Vince Carter who is one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. The Cavaliers, who lost to the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, traded for future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal who brings four championship rings to a hungry Cavaliers squad. The San Antonio Spurs started the wave of blockbuster deals by trading for Richard Jefferson and got younger by sending away the veterans Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Orberto.

On the morning of July 2, 2009, the Magic, Cavaliers, and Spurs had closed the gap that was between themselves and the Lakers. While people were heading home from work, the Celtics were added to the list because they reportedly were close to terms with free agent forward Rasheed Wallace, but the Lakers gave themselves some breathing room around dinner time with the news that Artest plans to sign with the team.

Even though the Lakers won the championship this past season, Artest adds toughness that the Lakers have been lacking. The team feeds off the toughness that Kobe brings on the court game in and game out, but another tough presences in the locker room helps the team. Artest is following the recent trend of veteran players taking less money and playing smaller roles on teams to win a championship. He is losing about $12 million dollars over the next three seasons compared to the amount that he could have possibly received from another team.

The move means the absolute departure of Trevor Ariza from the team, who was instrumental throughout the Lakers championship run. The two sides could not agree to terms, but the Lakers are a better team with Artest. Who knows? Head coach Phil Jackson may orchestrate his fourth three-peat as a head coach.

Ben Gordon was the Bulls leading scorer for the past four seasons and now he is going to sign with the Pistons. In the epic seven game series with the Celtics during the first round of the '09 playoffs, Gordon's play was the reason that the Bulls made it to a game 7, no offense to Derrick Rose and John Salmons. Now the 20 plus ppg boost off the bench is gone and how do the Bulls plan of fixing the problem. They had a good draft selecting forwards Taj Gibson and James Johnson in the first round, but they are tough physical players, not scorers. Luol Deng will be returning from an injury, but the Bulls still lack scoring. This is where Iverson comes into play. Yes, Iverson needs four stiffs to play along him for success and that's why I believed he should take Gordon's role of being the spark off the bench. Now I know he a part of the blame for the collapse of the Pistons, but if Paxson and Del Negro can sell him that he can do what Gordon accomplished and score 20 pointsa night off the bench, then the becomes immediate contenders in the East. If Iverson is sold on the idea, the only problem, though minor, would be who starts at the two. One can assume that Noah will start at center, Rose starts at point guard, and that Tyrus Thomas starts at power forward. Now do the Bulls insert Hinrich at the two with Salmons at the three, Hinrich at the two with Deng at the three, or start Deng at the three and Salmons at the two. Either way, the Bulls would be championship contenders with Allen Iverson on the roster.