Joakim Noah - Kirby - Noah was talked about as a possible #1 pick after his stellar sophomore season. However, he returned to Florida with his buddies for another shot at the title. As a result he entered a deeper draft and opened himself up to much more analysis. Yet he was at one point considered a franchise player of sorts. And he's a little quirky, just like Kirby. Furthermore, Noah is often praised for his hustle, energy, and intangibles while Kirby excels simply by walking, running and jumping. Finally if any member of the 2007 draft class is going to inhale an enemy it is Noah.
Al Thornton - Mega Man - I've read all the questions. Why did it take him so long to dominate at FSU? At 23 has he already reached his ceiling? Will his basketball IQ improve at all? Will his dribbling, mid range jumper, court vision, and overall fundamentals ever improve? I'm not saying Thornton will be as good as Durant. But I like his game. With all the negatives people lose sight of the fact that Thornton dropped 45 in a game last year. Furthermore, he is an athletic freak in a good way, i.e. not the Kedrick Brown mold. That is why I thought of Mega Man. It's not the best Nintendo franchise. Yet Mega Man was still a pretty sweet character in his own right. If I could play Mega Man right now I would be fired up, just as some team will be next October when Thornton shows up for training camp.
Acie Law - Scorpion from Contra - At gunpoint I can't differentiate between Scorpion and Mad Dog from Contra. While we all can agree that they are a couple of bad asses, I felt that the latter had a separate, insane connotation. And I would never accuse Law of being insane. Regardless, I actually saw a fair number of Texas A&M games this year. Each time Law impressed me with his toughness and presence. I have high hopes for him in the Association.
