The reading level for this article is All Levels
There is much talk with the upcoming 2008 NBA draft over who is the best and has the most potential. Without a doubt, most teams are looking to increase their overall success by drafting players that have proven themselves in camps and their college careers. However, one thing that has failed to be covered in any of the pre-draft discussion is the marketability of each of the top 10 prospects. Marketability is a key factor in these draft prospects, as a player that grabs the public’s attention can be the difference between a sold out season and regular empty lower levels. Take for instance man-child Greg Oden of Portland and Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks. Although they were both great big men and overall picks, the sky is limitless for Oden, who is arguably the NBA’s next big man superstar. While it is hard to determine which of the prospects will be the next Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, or Kobe Bryant in terms of becoming the face of a certain team, I believe I have devised a rather simple approach to making an estimate.
Facebook and Youtube, yes the social networks that have captivated our lives for years now have often been ignored by the scouts. But with the new NBA draft age limit, I argue that Facebook should take on a new role in evaluating the player’s marketability. While attending college, the players strive to make a name for them both nationally and within the university. Their successes at doing so will ultimately mean two things: lots of publicity and lots of friends. Requesting a player to be your friend on Facebook requires both time and effort (though not a lot of it).
