Might as well pick Beasley in draft worth dodging

Parrish: Take Rose

The network ESPN is tremendously excited about the NBA Draft. It's all atwitter. It usually is about things it promotes, er, broadcasts. If the draft weren't on its network, ESPN would say what I'm about to: This year's draft is one of the more aggressively uninteresting in some years.

It's uncertain how much of an impact Michael Beasley will have on the team that drafts him. (Getty Images)

When the big topic is which player the Chicago Bulls should select, Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley, it's snooze time.

Unless there's some sort of Shaq-like rap-off between the two, you don't gather around the tube in massive numbers for Rose or Beasley.

The first pick will likely be Rose, who -- as the best college basketball writer in the country, Gary Parrish, wrote in April -- got his rear end kicked by Memphis Tigers wide receiver Steven Black after Black discovered that Rose was with his girlfriend. If I'm picking first, I'm not drafting the guy who lost the fight, I'm drafting the guy who won it.

Michael Beasley is the Incredible Shrinking Man. He was once listed at 6-10 and now he's 6-8. By the end of next month, he'll be Verne Troyer.

Italian forward Danilo Gallinari might go as high as fifth. Great. Just what the NBA needs. Another European who can't play defense.

Didn't the Los Angeles Lakers already corner that market?

The reason this draft is so difficult to predict is because there is no player who knocks your high-tops off.

When you see and hear comments about a possible massive movement up and down the draft board, that's code for lack of certifiable talent.

It was just a year ago when we had a truly exciting draft which featured the great Greg Oden-Kevin Durant debate. Al Horford also emerged from the draft and was a significant factor in the Atlanta Hawks forcing the Boston Celtics to a seven-game first-round series.

Years from now, when we look back at that 2007 draft, it will be viewed as one of the more talent-laden of the decade while the 2008 version will be seen as one of the paltrier.

Poll Who should the Chicago Bulls draft with the No. 1 pick?   64% Derrick Rose     36% Michael Beasley   Total Votes: 21584

But if I were forced to pick one guy from this year's, it would be Beasley.

He's Charles Barkley (or somewhat close to him) minus the Krispy Kremes. Beasley won't be great, but he'll be solid.

I would take Beasley over Rose mostly because this notion we're in the era of the point guard is a fallacy. I've gone back and forth on this, but after watching the Celtics dominate the Lakers despite a mostly average Rajon Rondo and the Lakers win the West with Derek Fisher (who is 103 years old), it seems the urgent need for a point is not so urgent.

It's nice if you can have a Chris Paul, but more than anything you need a huge scorer in professional basketball. If I'm taking any Paul right now, it's Paul Pierce.

I'm not certain Beasley can have a huge impact, which is why I have my doubts about this entire draft. I felt strongly Durant would be an excellent player and he is. There's no Durant in this draft. Indeed, O.J. Mayo could end up being better than either Rose or Beasley.

And don't forget about Kevin Love.

Still, for now, I'll take Beasley. Not with a great deal of conviction, but I'll take him.