ESPN starts its extensive NBA Draft coverage Thursday at 7 p.m. from Madison Square Garden in New York. Host Stuart Scott will be joined by college basketball analyst and draft expert Jay Bilas and analysts Jon Barry and Jeff Van Gundy.
Bilas was preparing for coverage when we had a chance to talk about Washington and its first overall pick.
Bilas on whom the Wizards should choose » The only choice is Kentucky point guard John Wall. He is the best player in the draft. He is smart, talented and I think, most importantly, he is very coachable, willing to learn and has an amazing upside. He will help the Wizards from day one, and if I had to compare him to another player in the NBA, it would be Boston’s Rajon Rondo. But I think Wall can be better because he is faster, is more athletic and in time will develop into a solid shooter. He is a kid you can build a franchise around.
Bilas on his role as an NBA Draft analyst » I don’t mind being accountable when I talk about how a player will work in a system. General managers will be judged by their draft choices, so I don’t mind taking my experience watching these college players either as an analyst for ESPN or as a coach at the Nike Camp, where I get to see and help these players on a personal basis, and then projecting them as a pro. It is all about evaluating and getting the right player for your team. So I enjoy working the NBA Draft and looking at these college players and talking about their NBA potential.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
