Daniel Eade: With the 2011 NBA draft winding down, after a night that featured Melbourne-born Kyrie Irving selected with the No.1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers, I was shocked to hear deputy commissioner Alan Silver announce that with the 58th pick in the draft the Los Angeles Lakers had chosen Ater Majok. Majok, a Sudanese refugee who moved to Sydney with his family, played college basketball at the University of Connecticut and last season suited up in the NBL with the Perth Wildcats and Gold Coast Blaze. (My tweet of the breaking news got this reply from Ed Wyatt - "Good lord! I thought this was a joke Tweet. RT @DanielEade: LA @Lakers select Ater Majok with the 58th pick in the draft.") So Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and now Ater Majok! We can't get carried away, chances are that Majok will never suit up for the Lakers, he's a project, a cheap lottery ticket that may get you a sixth division prize. But Ed, does Majok even have enough talent to succeed in the NBA after not even dominating the NBL?

Ed Wyatt: I don't want to be too negative, especially because Majok's story is such a great one. He has obviously overcome plenty of hurdles to get to this position. But from what I've seen, he's got a long way to go. The term "raw" is probably too generous. His size and athletic ability are outstanding, but I worry about his discipline and work ethic. He spent one year at the University of Connecticut, one of the USA's best collegiate programs. But there were problems with his eligibility and when he chose to leave, it was never quite clear why he made that decision. His time in the NBL was certainly nothing out of the ordinary and if my memory serve me right, he had some disciplinary issues with Perth coach Rob Beveridge. I'm not sure whether this is good for Australian basketball or not. Yes, it shows the rest of the world that we can play the game. On the other hand, is Majok the best representative of the Aussie system and the NBL? I'm not convinced. Still, it's a great day for Majok and his family and friends. Your thoughts, Daniel?

DE: Impossible to take anything away from Majok in regards to him being drafted by the Lakers. There would be a million people envious of him right now. I wish him all the best in his endeavours to crack the NBA. It may have been better for him to go undrafted and then find a team where he could fight to earn a spot with, instead he's with the Lakers who aren't going to afford time to such a raw player, who is still developing, while being on the roster. He'll be kept overseas with the hope that he turns into a force that the Lakers, or another team via trade, would feel comfortable with giving minutes to. In the NBL, Majok's strength was that he was able to, not only block shots, but intimidate so many shooters when they made moves to the basket. I don't see that skill transcending into the NBA game where he would be surrounded by an army of athletic freaks. And for someone who isn't a dominant scorer or great rebounder, I don't know what he can bring that you can't find elsewhere. There is now a golden opportunity for an NBL team to try and pinch his services for next season, and promote him as the Lakers' own Ater Majok, although I expect him to go to Europe and chase the dollars. I don't know if this will improve his future chances of playing for the Australia Boomers, or does this now increase his chances for a birth in the Olympics alongside, possibly, Kyrie Irving?

EW: It would certainly be a new-look Boomers squad if it featured Majok and Kyrie Irving. The Irving situation is fascinating, since he was born in Melbourne and supposedly has dual citizenship. While we honestly don't know whether he really is considering playing for Australia, the prospect of an Irving/Bogut/Mills combination is mouth-watering. I've actually been quite perplexed by the anti-Kyrie rhetoric coming from a number of basketball people. Obviously, if he isn't committed than we don't want him. But if he's willing to put in the hard work and really wants to be part of the Boomers' program, than why not? If he's a dual citizen, then he has the same right to play as someone who's lived in Australia all his life. The last time I checked, Australia has not won a medal in Men's Olympic basketball. If that is a goal - and I think that the AOC and BA would say it is - then why not investigate the possibility of Irving playing for the Boomers?

DE: I think, if Irving is smart, he won't commit to Australia until he gets a fair indication from Team USA if he is a chance to make the team. The Boomers will be his fall back plan. I'm not against Irving playing for Australia. I know many people have complained because he hasn't done anything to help, promote or come through the ranks of Australian basketball, but if it helps in the country's elusive chase for that first medal in men's basketball than I'm sure Basketball Australia will make room for him. It would in turn have a domino effect and possibly knock Adam Gibson or Damian Martin out of the Boomers team. I don't like Irving referred to as an Australian though, yet. I think those who are calling him an Aussie are just trying to piggy back on his success and it smells of desperation. But if he puts his hand up early and says that he wants to play for Australia, and the paper-work gets processed quickly, then I'd accept him as I'm sure most would. And Irving would start before Patty Mills. Would that upset people?

EW: Daniel, you raise some great points. I think there's a huge difference between those who want Basketball Australia to explore potential options with Irving and the parochial, hysterical media labelling him "our Kyrie" or "Melbourne's own Kyrie." I also like your point about Irving and Mills essentially playing the same position. They are both point guards and neither is really suited to playing as a shooting guard. That said, it would be hard to keep either of them off the court, so perhaps Brett Brown could look at a three-guard scenario that would feature Irving, Mills and somebody like Joe Ingles. The bottom line is, that's a nice problem to have and one I'm sure Brown could deal with.

DE: Thanks Ed, we'll wrap it up there before we solve all the world's problems.