Here's Thursday's Dear Gary ...
Dear Gary: Do you agree with Mike Freeman that this year's draft class is weak? I've heard so much about how this is such a strong class, maybe not deep, but still very strong at the top. But Freeman made it sound like not even Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose are going to do much of anything in the NBA, saying Beasley would be a "solid" player as the top pick.
-- Soham
No, I don't agree with that assessment at all.
I like Mike.
He's fantastic.
But the Class of 2007 high school seniors were always believed to be strong as a whole, and considering 12 of them are in the draft -- everybody from O.J. Mayo to Anthony Randolph -- I find it hard to believe that some of them won't be perennial all-stars, Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley being the two most obvious.
As for Beasley specifically, well, I think the term "solid" is vast understatement.
(Sorry, Mike)
I mean, there aren't many college basketball players in history who have done what he did in the Big 12, and I can't imagine the Kansas State phenom will go from averaging 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in his first year of college to being just "solid" in the NBA. In fact, I think Beasley will be great, and I'm willing to bet at least four players in this draft -- Rose, Beasley and two others -- will develop into all-star-caliber performers at the NBA level within four years. So put me down as somebody who believes in this draft based on the amount of young talent involved, and I'm looking forward to tonight as much as I've looked forward to any draft in recent history.
(Speaking of, I'll be providing live pick-by-pick analysis of the first round here at CBSSports.com. I invite you to join me.)