If you heard a loud ruckus Monday afternoon that sounded like the Brooklyn Bridge slumping under heavy weight, don't worry. It's just the rest of the ACC groaning after hearing that UNC would be getting all three of its players back from the diving board that is the NBA draft.
Rising senior Danny Green and juniors Wayne Ellington and Tywon Lawson will be back for one more spin on the merry-go-round. None of them were too pleased with the comments they were getting from the NBA teams.
Danny Green was too banged up to show his potential, and scouts want to see him take on a greater role for his team.
Ellington has been pretty mum, but it seemed from what few comments given to various newspapers that he had a better opinion of his workouts than the teams did.
Ty Lawson looked like a sure thing to leave. He said he wanted to go in the Top 20, but must not have gotten that assurance.
The weakest position on the Heels' roster has just been solidified. UNC was very close to not only starting a rookie PG, but playing Larry Drew huge minutes. Now they can bring him along more slowly. And the team doesn't have to rush Bobby Frasor back from knee surgery. I doubt we'll see Bobby on the court until the second semester.
Truthfully, I'm a little surprised Ty didn't go. Sure, you get a lot less money being drafted 30th instead of 20th, but you get to play for a quality team. So what if you come off the bench? You get to learn the position from a pro starter and have a strong chance of making the playoffs.
As for money, consider this. Michael Redd has scored a ton of points in his career, but a whole lot of people just don't know him because not only does he play in a smaller market (Milwaukee), but his team hasn't had any success in years.
Charlotte is a small market, too, but plenty of people knew who Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning were when the team was winning 50 games a year.
So, my point is this: getting your face on TV enhances your exposure, which in turn enhances your value to a team. David Beckham isn't the player he once was, but he created a real stir by coming here to play soccer.
Even if you're not star quality like that, exposure helps. Think Bruce Bowen would get so much attention (and still be playing at 37) if he weren't getting all the playoff coverage? Or Robert Horry getting the nickname Big Shot Rob?
It's good to be on a winning team -- and it can even pay off (literally) down the road.
That said, I'm a Heels fan, so Welcome Back, Boys!
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