Draft shows NBA changing

Many anxious eyes were on their TVs Wednesday night, and not just to see the fate of Hoosier hero Kirk Haston and his future destination. The NBA draft was happening, and in the days leading up to and after the draft, one thing is obvious -- the NBA sure is changing.\nFive different trades came down through the pipes, with several teams looking like a shadow of their former selves. The Grizzlies, Suns, Hawks and Bulls all pulled off dramatic trades and when the draft is taken into account, fans in several cities will need rosters to recognize their favorite squad when they take the court. \nEverything got underway when the night before the draft, the Grizzlies of unknown origin (in process of moving cities, maybe) sent their all-star forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Hawks for Brevin Knight, Lorenzen Wright and the number 3 pick in the draft. The Grizz was at it again shortly after the draft was completed, sending their point guard Mike Bibby to the Kings for run n' gunning guard Jason Williams, known for his flashy passes and a shot that even a junior high kid would be disgusted by. While the Grizz weren't any good to begin with, I'm not sure with all these trades and their draft picks, seven footer Pau Gasol from Spain and Duke forward Shane Battier, they will be any better. But, at least they are generating some buzz. \nThe next big move was made the night of the draft when the Bulls sent Elton Brand -- their only player who has cashed in on their potential -- to the Clippers for the rights to number 2 pick in the draft, high school forward Tyson Chandler. Add on high school center Eddy Curry, and the Bulls suddenly have a team suitable for college, with those two and Jamal Crawford, Marcus Fizer and Ron Artest, all players who would still be or just out of college. This works out well for the Bulls, since head coach Tim Floyd is known for his college coaching skills, not for any NBA coaching skills. \nNow, the Clippers become a team on the rise, adding Brand in to an already young and improving nucleus. So, while the Lakers might win a few titles, you get the feeling that if they ever don't win it, the title will probably be staying in Los Angeles anyway.\nThe last big trades came in the days following the draft, with the Phoenix Suns sending all world point guard Jason Kidd to the New Jersey Nets for shoot-first-ask-questions-later guard Stephon Marbury. The Suns followed it up with trading forward Clifford Robinson to the Detroit Pistons for a couple of bench players. Which raises the question, what are the Suns doing? \nKidd is the best point guard in the game right now and makes his teammates better. Marbury demands to be "the man" on his team, asking to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves when him and Kevin Garnett could be rivaling Shaq and Kobe, only to go to New Jersey and wallow around near the bottom of the standings. I see no benefit to this trade for the Suns, and for once, the Nets did something good. \nOne last thing, touching on some Hoosier pride here, the Charlotte Hornets astounded everyone by drafting Haston with the 16th pick in the draft last week, much higher than anyone anticipated. While I wanted Haston to stick around one more year, I wish him the best, hoping he erases the stigma of Hoosiers not making good professionals.