and here's the commissioner...

i got a good two hour warmup in while watching the 2011 nba draft last thursday.  i'm a timberwolves fan, and don't completely understand what in the hell they've been doing the past couple of years.  i guess the singular joy of having a terrible season is that you get a high draft pick, which got me thinking...  what if there was a jazz draft?

david stern and jimmer

drafting for need, on potential, or best player available - would it make sense to get two tenor players?  two drummers? sometimes having a heavy player on the gig, regardless of instrumentation, changes the whole vibe.  maybe you would take the best musician available.  however, if you have one good bassist on your roster, you probably don't need another (unless he is double booked, a distinct possibility with bassists i know).  should you draft an inexperienced player because they aren't jaded by the scene, influenced by other players, or victims of their own habits?  maybe you would prefer a veteran, somebody who has seen these tunes before? and the choice of literature that a band plays is similar to a style of play a team prefers.  how would a bebop cat fit into a free jazz ensemble, or could a 7 footer with a post up game survive in a run-and-gun offense?

international players vs. the american game - often times, the new face on the music scene is like the girl with the curl - more attractive than the usual suspects.  these are usually guys that nobody has ever heard of, but who can totally play. international jazz players come at this music from a different angle, with different influences.  is that better or worse? how is an american jazz musician different?

considering a player's pedigree - how important is the consideration that a player comes from a strong musical upbringing?  is it vital that they attended a strong music school?  a good friend once told me that you can't just show up at a venue, wave your music degree around, and expect to get a gig.  i did not attend a big time jazz program, and neither of my parents are musically inclined.  i know good musicians from a similar background and plenty with a decorated resume.  how important is that?

what would the analysts say?  usually these guys crunch numbers, an impossible thing to assign to jazz musicians.  how many turnaround licks do you know?  how many bridges did you catch?  how many rhythmic motivic ideas did you play that were picked up within the ensemble?  could you imagine charles barkley grading a draft - speculating on team chemistry and potential while talking over a highlight reel of solos?  and what if there was a trade?

the grandiose spectacle!  the suits.  the hats.  the posse (comprised of parents, siblings, agents, your boys from back in the day).  the ping pong ball hopper.  the press.  the awkward interviews.  the draft board.  the tweets.

***  you would make a truck load of guaranteed money.
***  your career is probably over by the time you're 40.