Draft starts flurry of offseason changes

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the 2004 NBA Draft, where losers will look to become winners and winners will wait as college-seasoned veterans fall in their lap. \nTonight, many a hoops junky will sit in front of the television and watch for hours as their favorite team looks for the next star to save their franchise or provide the missing link in winning a title.\nLike most recent years, this year's Draft is drenched with high school prospects, bad teams and big trades.\nIn terms of high schoolers in the Draft, this could be the biggest year thus far. Though there isn't a LeBron or a KG, there are as many eight high school players that could go in the first round. Granted, drafting a high school player isn't based on "the now," rather it is based on "potential".\nThere is the possibility that a third high school player could be selected as the No. 1 pick, marking the second consecutive year a player has made the jump straight from prom. \nThe NBA will also be welcoming back Charlotte to the NBA as the Charlotte Bobcats begin play next season.\nDespite the Bobcats having a roster littered with league castoffs, the team wasn't prevented from throwing a wrench in the draft as they traded the No. 4 pick in the first round along with the No. 33 overall pick to the L.A. Clippers for the No. 2 overall pick and Predrag Drobnjak.\nThe importance of this trade isn't the player you are having trouble figuring out who he is or how to pronounce his name; it is the pick that matters.\nThis pick will allow the Bobcats to have their choice of the top two players, Emeka Okafor from Connecticut or high schooler Dwight Howard from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in Atlanta.\nMy first prediction for the Draft: Look for Charlotte to trade, trade and trade some more on this night as it looks to acquire players and picks for the future.\nDespite not having played a game in its existence, there is a team worse off than the Bobcats -- the Orlando Magic.\nThe season started well for Orlando with a win against the New York Knicks. The Magic proceeded to lose 19 straight games, something I haven't seen since my Little League baseball days.\nNeedless to say, the Magic can't go wrong with the No. 1 pick. Getting Okafor or Howard would help to cure a team that had no offense outside of T-Mac. \nDrafting help for McGrady could be irrelevant, as the Magic are planning on shipping him to Houston for Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley.\nSecond prediction: Teams will draft for trades. It always happens that teams draft for other teams, and they later trade the pick, or they will package them later in trades. \nA team I'm looking for to do some damage tonight are the Atlanta Hawks. \nThere is some relevance to this. The Hawks have more picks than any other team, a total of five, two in the first round and three in the second round.\nWith a roster returning just four players, here is a team looking to take advantage of the Draft.\nHere are some parting predictions and things to look for tonight:\nJosh Smith, the former IU recruit, could go as high as the lottery (the first 14 picks) or the middle of the draft. Don't be surprised if he ends up in Atlanta. The Hawks need fans, and getting one of their own would be a step toward bringing them back.\nPlan on lots of high school and foreign players being drafted, so if there are names that hurt to pronounce, don't be frightened because there is a likelihood you won't see them for a few years anyway.\nDwight Howard will end up in Orlando, Charlotte or Atlanta; anywhere else would be a surprise. Being a top-two pick is no surprise, and staying close to home is something Howard has made no secret about being a good thing.\nLastly, pay attention to the second round. It'll be late, and you won't recognize the players, but these are often the guys that play a key role for teams, despite not having a guaranteed contract.