Hakeem Olajuwon: A dominating center at both ends of the floor. Sam Bowie: A talented post plagued by injuries. Michael Jordan: An exciting guard with great moves but a questionable long range shooting ability coming out of college.
Brittney Griner: A dominating center at both ends of the floor. Elena Delle Donne: A talented post player plagued by a re-occurring illness. Skylar Diggins: A guard with a great handle who can penetrate the lane but is shooting a dismal 35% from 3-pt range.
Houston Rockets: A team looking to add a big to combine with their all star in the post. Portland Trailblazers: A team stocked with young and talented guards. Chicago Bulls: A team with 111 loses in the last two seasons looking to take the best player available with the third pick.
Phoenix Mercury: A team with an all-star power forward in need of a dominating center. Chicago Sky: A team with a young talented point guard and a dynamic shooting guard. Tulsa Shock: A team with 12 wins over the last two seasons looking for the best player available.
The 1984 NBA draft is the one that forever changed the direction of not only a few franchises but the entire league. Looking at the comparisons, the 2013 WNBA draft may very well be the draft that has that same impact on a league that been labeled everything but mainstream.
It's no secret that the Phoenix Mercury have a decision to make, the correct answer is where it becomes tricky. Why? Simply put, there is no wrong answer.
Some fans and media believe that Deleware's Elena Delle Donne is the best fit for the Mercury based on her versatility with her ability to post up as well as hit outside shots at a high percentage.
Others believe that popular Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins and her ability at point guard as well as her versatility to slide over and play shooting guard makes her a great fit for a team lacking any true back-up guards.
Then there is everyone else who think it is a foregone conclusion that the Mercury will be selecting 6'8" center Brittney Griner from Baylor. Griner recently broke the NCAA Division I record for blocked shots (both men's and women's) and would be a scary addition to a team with four all-stars, a three time sixth woman of the year and a member of the all rookie team from last season.
Of course Mercury coach and GM Corey Gaines has been tight lipped publicly about which way he may be leaning, stating only on draft day “This is a nice, great spot to be in."
A lot can happen between now and April but it's hard to imagine someone coming along and bumping any of the top three prospects out of contention, it's even harder to imagine Delle Donne or Diggins knocking Griner out of that top spot. 6'8" just doesn't come along very often, Delle Donne would need to show an ability to stay healthy and quick guards with a mediocre long range shooting ability like Diggins are a dime a dozen. Of course, that's what Houston and Portland thought too as they watched Michael Jordan carry the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships.
Expect weekly updates on each of the top three prospects between now and draft day. The WNBA draft will be televised on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET.
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