I think Joe, more than any other GM in the NBA is picking based on comfort with a player, instead of talent.

He wants guys he can relate to, and whom he thinks has the right "DNA"

There is no better example than the 2005 draft. Between Travis Diener, David Lee, Linas Kleiza, and Jason Maxiell; Joe picked Max.

Talent wise, David Lee was probably the best pick; need wise, Kleiza, with his outside shooting, would have fit Flip's offense a lot better than Delfino. And Diener, while talently challenged, would have filled our need for a backup PG.

There was no need for JMax, an undersized power forward, on a team with Sheed, Ben, Dice, and Darko. But, he was a Joe player. The same with Affalo. No need for him on the team, but he is a Joe player.

Joe isn't picking players because they are black, he's picking guys he can relate to, and whom he thinks has the same drive as him; which is turning out to be guys from the same background.

Have to believe though, that if JMax wasn't in the draft, Joe would have drafted David Lee.

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