June 27, 2002

LOOKING FOR DAN DICKAU

      So, I sat down to watch the draft, with my sheets outlining the draft order and the possible selections.  I already know that the Raptors are desperately seeking a point guard and the consensus among the experts was that Dan Dickau was the perfect fit.  The Raptors made it apparent that Dan Dickau would be their choice, but they were not certain that Dan Dickau would still be available at number 20.  After all, Dan Dickau was coming out of the same school as John Stockton--he had similar type skills—and the Utah Jazz select before the Raptors. 

       Now, Glen Grunwald had let it slip, a couple of days before the draft, that the Raptors could be looking to trade their pick.  It just didn’t look like Dan Dickau was going to be there for the Raptors when it came time for their turn.  Then Dan Dickau cancels his final workout with the team—never a good sign.  Being slightly conspiracy-minded I think that a team selecting before the Raptors has told Dan Dickau that if he is available at their turn they will take him. 

       Drat!

       The night of the draft a trade is announced—Philadelphia is trading its pick, 16, to Golden State, and Golden State is looking to pick Dan Dickau.  They’ve moved in front of Utah.  This move can’t possibly please Dan Dickau; he’d rather not play for a perennial loser.  He wants to play with John Stockton.  But at 16 Philadelphia chooses for Golden State and they choose Jiri Welsch, another guard.  They don’t want Dan Dickau.  At 17 the Wizards don’t want a point guard as much as they want the best player capable of playing with, and learning, from Michael.  They don’t want Dan Dickau; they want Juan Dixon.       

      Orlando!  Do they want a point guard to possibly back up Darrell Armstrong?  Nah, they need way too much help up front.  Sure enough, they take a big guy.  So here we are at Utah’s pick.  This is where Dan Dickau will go.  But wait, Utah doesn’t choose Dan Dickau; they choose… an athletic forward.  Unbelievable!  Dan Dickau has simply fallen into our laps.

      Sly Grunwald.  All that talk about not getting Dan Dickau, and now all he has to do is say Dan Dickau and Dan Dickau is a Raptor.  But, Dan Dickau isn’t spoken.  Grunwald doesn’t want Dan Dickau after all.  He wants a shooting guard.  But we need a point guard.  There are raves about Kareem Rush from the broadcast crew, a stop and pop shooter who can replace free agent, and elder statesman, Dell Curry.  But what’s going on?  What has happened to Dan Dickau?  What happened to the Raptors urgent need for a point guard? 

      The Blazers don’t take Dan Dickau; the Suns don’t need Dan Dickau.  The Pistons, the Nets…they don’t need point guards.  Ah, the Knicks…they need a point guard.  They need a lot, but they definitely need a point guard.  But they take Frank Williams.  Even the Knicks don’t want Dan Dickau.  San Antonio—no.  The Lakers—no.  Finally, and mercifully, the Kings take Dan Dickau with the final pick.  Dan Dickau nearly falls completely out of the first round.  

      Then comes the report on the radio.  The Raptors have acquired Lindsey Hunter for Tracy Murray.  There are draft picks involved.  Naturally… a switch of first round selections.  Now it made sense.  The Raptors chose Kareem Rush for the Lakers.  With the trade there was no longer any need for Dan Dickau.   Grunwald turned a late first round pick into an established player, and he kept a later first round pick as well.  The Raptors made a statement.  Chris Childs was no longer wanted, and the organization wanted a veteran backup at point guard to replace him.  Lindsey Hunter’s style is similar to Childs and he is four years younger.   And he’s signed for two years—he recently re-upped with the Lakers.  He would be a much better fit on the team than Dan Dickau.  Now the question became… who is Chris Jefferies? 

      Jefferies, a ball-handling guard/forward, will be hard pressed to find minutes with so many established players ahead of him, but he does present a much better upside than Tracy Murray.  There is, however, an opening for an experienced spot up shooter, an elder statesman that doesn’t need a ton of playing time to stay sharp.  Someone who is a calming influence, plays well in important games, and, with the mid-level exception, can fit nicely into the salary cap.   “Hey Dell, wanna come back?”

      So what happened to Dan Dickau?  Sacramento didn’t want Dan Dickau.  They traded him to Atlanta, one of the two teams (the Hornets had traded their pick) that did not hold a first round selection.  Did his last minute cancellation of a Raptor workout show something in the young man’s character?  Did he do it to other teams?  Was it a show of petulance that did not go unnoticed?  Or was his size and ability deemed second-rate—or second round.

     I sat down for the draft hoping for Dan Dickau.  Now, when it comes to Dan Dickau, I just don’t care.  He just doesn’t matter anymore.