The NBA finals are raging on. The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs are playing such pride and grit I don't remember seeing since the nineties, which makes the games both emotional and enjoyable for us, mere mortals. But nothing is set in stone yet, and journalists who claim it is are liars. It doesn't look good for LeBron and his minions, but they still have every chance to dig themselves out of the difficult situation they created for themselves, so in the meantime, let's talk about another fascinating subject: The NBA Draft.
The draft is my favorite off-season moment in every sport, because it's where teams shape their identity. It's where this edition of the Spurs sure did. It's where they drafted Tim Duncan the last time they sucked (1997). It's where they stole Manu Ginobili in front of everybody's nose in 1999, drafting in at the very end of the second round. In 2001, they Jedi mind-tricked everybody into thinking Tony Parker was a risky bet and snatched it at 28th. Last, but not least, they took the ballsy decision to trade George Hill for recently drafted Kawhi Leonard in 2011 and ask LeBron how it went for San Antonio. See what I mean? You can understand where a team is going from the way they're drafting.
