Feel the Draft?

Wow, I hope all three of you who actually read this thing didn't wait by their computer screen in the hopes that I'd actually follow through on a promise.

Truth be told, I had every intention of blogging during the entire draft. However, it all started to unravel at about 6:00 when my girlfriend had to have these shoes at Arundel Mills. No problem, I thought. We'll be home around 7:30, just in time to hear David Stern say "The Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose."

7:00 comes and, low and behold, Shanta brings up the suggestion of watching the draft with my friends over her house since the 'rents were in Florida. Cool enough, I say, but we have to go back to my house and get the laptop. Oh, and we need pizza.

So, with my times all sorts of messed up, I call my friend at 7:15 when he says to me, "The Bulls picked Rose."

Shit.

I jet home, get the computer, go to Shanta's house, plug in the adapter and... this pops up.

No friggin' connection. Something about the power going out and her having to reset the router. It's 8:15 by this time, and the Clippers were all about Eric Gordon.

Oh well. Maybe I'll try again next year. However, what I can do is break down some of the picks. Okay, all of the picks.

1. Chicago Bulls- Derrick Rose

I think at the very least, he will be like Baron Davis with less range. At his best, he's Jason Kidd with a reliable jumper. Even without him I thought the Bulls would somehow manage to make it back to the playoffs, but with him they're a lock.

I guess no more Kirk Hinrich. Hey, John Paxson, hit Mark Cuban up. Let's see what we can work out.

2. Miami Heat- Michael Beasley

Heat president Pat Riley must have taken a page from Phil Jackson's book of mind games, either that or Heat personnel backed him into a corner and threatened to shave his head if he didn't pick Beasley.

There are a ton of people who think that Beasley is the best player in the draft. Personally, I think he's more of a sure thing than Rose. I see Beasley's future in the league being somewhere in the neighborhood of 22 and eight for his career, definitely a star. However, the NBA is a point guard's game, and when you have the chance to get a really, really good one--because God knows there's some awful ones out there--you do it.

I expect the Heat to be right in the thick of things for a playoff spot.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves- OJ Mayo

Everybody I talk to says I'm hating, that Mayo is much better than I make him out to be. They could be absolutely right. After all, that story about him texting USC coach Tim Floyd and saying, "Yo, I'm coming to your school" even though they weren't recruiting him rubbed me entirely the wrong way. Maybe I am giving him a hard time.

However, I'm sorry, but dude just reminds me way too much of Dajuan Wagner. He is taller, but at 6'3" and change, he's still on the short side of the average NBA two guard, and I just don't think he's that special of a talent to get away with it. I told my friend Hakeem that I don't ever see Mayo shooting over 44% from the field. I mean, he barely shot over that in college! EVERYBODY shoots a high percentage in college!

Anyway, when I went to bed and he hadn't been traded I thought to myself, "Minnesota really wants to keep him even with Randy Foye and Rashad McCants?" I guess they came to their senses when they traded him.

More on that in a minute.

4. Seattle Sonics- Russell Westbrook

Talk about a kid who really rose up the charts. Jerryd Bayless, as I mentioned in the blog before, is still more NBA ready, but Westbrook is a player with an unlimited ceiling. I remember Stuart "The Black Ron Burgundy" Scott saying that he didn't start for his high school team until his junior year and didn't start dunking until then either. Couldn't tell from some of the these highlights. Dude eerily reminds me of Gilbert Arenas but more athletic. Will he and K.Dur carry the Sonics to the playoffs next year? As Jeff Van Gundy says (paraphrasing), "Hell to the no" (super-paraphrasing). But, give them two years and they might be on to something.

5. Memphis Grizzlies- Kevin Love

I knew it. I just knew it. I knew there'd be no way that Kevin McHale would ever pass on a player who somewhat reminded him of him.

Seriously though, I think the trade works out really well for the T'Wolves. I'm not completely sold on Love and Al Jefferson playing together at the same time (players would attack the rim like it was having a "going out of business" sale). However, the Wolves do get Mike Miller out of the trade, and he will definitely open things up.

As for Love, I know I dogged him awhile back, but that was before watching him for an entire season. The Michael Bradley reference was undeserved, and although I don't think he'll ever be a superstar or play in an all-star game, I do think he'll be rock solid for several years.

As for Memphis? I don't know. People would consider Mayo a huge win as he'll undoubtedly spark some offense in Graceland, and at the very least they get him back to his natural position at two. They've got a lot of young talent now. However, anytime you get Cyber 'Toine in a trade... it's not a good look.

6. New York Knicks-Danilo Gallinari

The poor kid. That's really all I could think of when I watched him go on stage and try his best to maintain composure in his interview with Stephen A. Smith.

The announcers said all the right things--"They'll love you if you play hard"--but, honestly the jury is still out on this kid, and it could be for awhile. The day after my future brother-in-law Rav and I were watching this round-table discussion on foreign players on CN8 or something, and he said to me, "Look at all the players that have been successful from overseas. They play team ball and know how to help a team out."

Good point. There have been some really good international players in the league (my favorite team has one, a really good one). Just look at the Spurs; their entire team is a melting pot of international success.

But, we forget the ones who just plain stink. Nikoloz Tskitishvili (true story, I actually didn't cut and paste his name I just remember how to spell it because of all the hype), Darko Milicic (may still be a little early to judge him), Peja Drobnak, Frederic Weis, PAVEL (don't get me started!).

As for Gallinari... I've made the mistake of judging highlight films as an end all. From the looks of it, in my opinion, he'll be a solid pro. However, ahead of some of the other lottery guys? Questionable.

Mike D'Antoni better know something we don't, and I'm not talking about Italian.

7. Los Angeles Clippers- Eric Gordon

Big fan of his game... for the first half of his only collegiate season. True, there were some issues at Indiana, and he was hurt for a good portion of the year, so I think he gets a pass.

In my opinion, I think he has the ability, even as a shorter guard, to be a star. I definitely like him better than Mayo. The only thing that kind of worried me was how he just disappeared sometimes in big games. He doesn't move neccesarily well without the ball, but that's something that most big-time scorers struggle with. The Clippers have enough talent at the guard position to bring him along slowly, but my guess is that by the end of the season he'll be starting.

Don't sleep on the Clippers. With Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Al Thornton, and maybe, just maybe Shaun Livingston... they could surprise some teams out west. They're only two years removed from that playoff season.

8. Milwaukee Bucks- Joe Alexander

Even though I liked his game in college, I initially thought he was stupid for coming out this year, especially with a much weaker class projected for next year. When the first projections came out after the season, he was buried at the end of the first round. But, it just goes to show you what hard work gets you.

My friend Hakeem scoffed when I said this, but he reminds me of a shorter, more athletic and more aggressive Keith Van Horn. Dude can definitely play, but I think it will take him at least a year to blow up.

I like the Jefferson move for them. I can see the Bucks, as long as they keep Michael Redd, moving up into playoff contention.

9. Charlotte Bobcats-DJ Augustin

It was around this point that I went to get pizza, and I just remember getting back and finding out that Bayless was still on the board. Shocking. Almost as shocking as this pick.

Michael Jordan, thus far, has been a terrrrrrrrrible front office exec. Kwame? Rookie mistake. Adam Morrison? Hey, it happens. Picking Augustin when you have a point guard who for all intents and purposes is only a little bit better? Uh-oh.

What were the Bobcats thinking? They have an up and coming point guard in Raymond Felton. I'm not the biggest Brook Lopez fan, but it seems like that was their biggest need, a big guy who could help slide Okafor over to his natural position. It's not a knock on Augustin, who is a really good player, but seriously... when is MJ going to get it right?

On the plus side, the Bobcats are now two deep with quality at every position... except center.

10. New Jersey Nets-Brook Lopez

I think Robin Lopez said it best when he said, "The Nets got a steal at #10". Great value pick. Suddenly, the Nets are starting to get a formidable front line. Nenad Kristic, Sean Williams, Josh Boone, and now Lopez. The Nets cleaned up in this draft, not only by getting Lopez but also by getting CDR in the second round and trading for Yi. I'm not sold on Ryan Anderson from Cal, but hey... they did the damn thing.

At his worst, Lopez will be a decent starting center for years to come.

11. Indiana Pacers- Jerryd Bayless 6-3 204 SG Ariz. Fr.

All I remember thinking when they made this pick was, "Friggin' finally!"

I know the draft has Rose, Beasley, Mayo and whatnot, but frankly Bayless is my favorite of all of them. He plays so smooth and yet with such competitiveness that you can't help but not love his game. He played well in a tough situation at Arizona, worked out extremely well, and yet somehow fell to pick eleven after being projected in the top five in every mock draft all season long.

At the time I thought it was a weird pick, especially when the Pacers had just acquired T.J. Ford, but then the Blazers pulled off a stunner.

I call the Blazers in Live '09 this year!

Adding Bayless and Greg Oden to a team that stayed in the playoff hunt virtually all year? I have to admit, I'm scared for the Mavericks.

12. Sacramento Kings-Jason Thompson

Um... what?

No, seriously. I think that's all I have to say...

Okay, fine, fine. He must have worked out well for the Kings. I've never seen the man play so I can only really go off highlights. In their defense, he looks like a fluid 6'11" and eventually could end up being a real steal. But, you know it's bad when he's not in attendance... because he didn't think there was any way in hell he'd be a lottery pick.

13. Portland Trailblazers- Brandon Rush

I always thought that switching hats on draft day has been a fitting symbolic tradition. I wonder if Rush really went up to Bayless and was like, "Yo, I'ma need your hat."

Basketball purists like Rush, but I really don't think his game translates well to the NBA. He actually reminds me a lot of his brother Kareem, whom he'd be playing with in Indiana and probably trying to steal time from. There isn't anything about his game that really knocks you out.

Maybe I'll be wrong, but I don't see him in the NBA for longer than his three-year contract.

14. Golden State Warriors- Anthony Randolph

This could be one of those risks that ends up paying huge dividends in the long run. I'm not saying Nellie made the pick or is responsible for the pick, but he tends to be good at finding diamonds in the rough. Randolph could eventually end up being a star. 6'10" players with perimeter skills don't come around very often. Remember his name and in a couple of years he might make quite a splash. Hell, Nelly might even mess around and give him minutes this year.

OTHER NOTABLE PICKS

15. Phoenix Suns- Robin Lopez

Brook's brother may end up being a better player. Oh, I can't wait to hear the comments on this one.

18. Washington Wizards- JaVale McGee

Something tells me this was the Wizard's back-up plan when the Pacers picked Hibbert at 17. That being said, I think McGee is a better pick because he has tremendous upside. I could actually see him contributing with the Wizards sometime in the near future.

23. Utah Jazz- Kosta Koufos.

Koufos could end up being remembered as being one of the biggest steals of the first round. He's a center with a high basketball IQ going to a team with arguably the highest basketball IQ in the league. At the very least he's a switch from the face-up game of Okur.

27. Portland Trailblazers- Darrell Arthur.

I felt for Arthur. Those medical red flags sure can mess up a night. Arthur could end up being a steal for the Grizzlies, but with Hakim Warrick already there I doubt he'll blow up in a Grizzly uni.

28. Houston Rockets- Donte Greene.

I don't think any one player lost any more from leaving school early than Greene. He would probably be a lottery pick with one more year, but hey, what's better, pine time making six figures or shine time making lint? The choices we make...

30. Boston Celtics- JR Giddens 6-5.

I thought it was a reach initially to give an underachieving college player a guaranteed contract, but in all honesty he can play. I think it's a win-win pick for the Celts. If he's good, he'll be just another prime example of value at the end of round one. If he's not, only die-hard Celtic fans and draft nerds will remember.

34. Minnesota Timberwolves- Mario Chalmers.

The T'Wolves made the pick and then shipped it to the Heat. Chalmers would have been a first rounder next year, but it turned out pretty well for the Heat, who may have found a solid point guard to go with Beasley.

35. Los Angeles Clippers- DeAndre Jordan.

Donte Greene, you're off the hook: Jordan lost the most by leaving early. He went from being a projected top five pick--at one point top three-- to falling all the way to the second round. Unless your name is Zach Randolph, you cannot come off the bench as a freshman, leave early and be a first round pick.

Jordan has a long way to go before being able to do anything at the NBA level. However, it's a great risk for the Clippers.

40. New Jersey Nets- Chris Douglas-Roberts.

When's the last time a consensus 1st team All-American slipped all the way to the middle of round two? So unfair. True, his game is unorthodox, but last time I checked so was Paul Pierce's. I'm not saying he'll be a star in the league, but he will be a pretty good player when all's said and done. He actually reminds me a little bit of Jalen Rose, not as good court vision though.

42. Sacramento Kings- Sean Singletary.

Tyus Edney with a jump shot. I think he may end up starting for them at point by the All-Star break. Good pick.

43. Sacramento Kings- Patrick Ewing Jr..

I so wanted to bet someone some amount of money that Ewing would definitely be picked. Nepotism runs deep. Seriously though, despite my friend Hakeem's boastings that he shut Ewing down, I think he'll be a good energy guy, a rich man's Byron Mouton.

47. Washington Wizards- Bill Walker.

I actually liked this pick better than their first round pick. Walker could seriously end up being a very good player in the league. And then, in true Wizards' fashion, they traded him to Boston... for cash. Jeez...

51. Dallas Mavericks- Shan Foster.

I waited all night for this pick, and I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed. Foster could end up being a good NBA player. Jay Bilas has doubts about his range, but, seriously... when a dude shoots nearly 50% from three, he shoots nearly 50% from three. No homo, I like his size, and I definitely think he will contribute. Hell, he's got to be better than Maurice Ager.

And if not... well, for one night, he definitely made me chuckle.

57. San Antonio Spurs- James Gist.

Still wish the Mavs picked him, but great pick for the Spurs. He's 100 times more athletic than anybody on that team. I can see him being a fan favorite in San Antonio, especially if he throws down like I've seen him throw down.

There you have it, my impressions of the NBA Draft. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself for the next three months.

Feel the Draft

11:51AM: Inspired by Bill Simmons' diary of Game Four during the NBA Finals, I have decided to follow suit (AKA stealing as a form of flattery) and document the NBA Draft from, well, 11:51 AM Eastern Standard Time until the draft goes off sometime before midnight. 12 hours!!!

Special thanks to Shanta Myricks, best girlfriend in the world, for letting me use her laptop. Due to the location of my home PC, it's been awhile since I've actually gotten the chance to watch TV while typing. I need to get me one of these; I heard you're not a journalist until you have one.

Oh, as for that playoff blogging... man, I really need to stop focusing so much on family, work, and poker. I didn't even get to give you my insight on the Mavericks losing; the Hornets nice run; Kobe's MVP; and, of course, the most-hyped NBA Finals since back in the 80's (maybe one of the better one's, too). All in all, Kobe Bryant is by far the best player in the NBA, and despite what people say his legacy was not tarnished in this series, but the Boston Celtics were simply the better team. Fan of the Celts or not, you've got to be happy for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen getting over the hump. For years all three of them have had that "Can't Win the Big One" label, and I think it's fitting that they bonded together to get that collective monkey off their back.

Don't worry, I will definitely get into my Mavericks' rant, probably sometime around 11:30 or 11:45 tonight, when they make the 51st pick. NBA Draft.net has them taking some foreign dude I've never heard of, as does ESPN.com's Chad Ford(different guy though). Honestly, if he's still around, I wouldn't mind them using the pick on James Gist. He's not on Chad Ford's list, but he's been on and off draft.net all year (trust me, I check quite often). We all know how athletic he is, but his jumper is very underrated. If he developed any sort of handle, he'd be capable of being an all-star caliber player one day. For now, I think he can at least contribute somewhere.

But, enough about Gist. Here's some of the headlines going into today's draft:

• Even before the lottery gods blessed the Chicago Bulls with the first pick in the draft, everybody in the world figured whoever got that first pick would either go with Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley. I honestly have to admit that when I first heard the Bulls had won the lottery, my first impressions was that Beasley was the obvious choice. After all, the problem with the Bulls the past couple of years hasn't been talent. They just have too many players who prefer to settle for jumpers and absolutely no post presence. Beasley gives them immediate help downlow, and at the absolute worst he's an upgrade over Drew Gooden.

However, Rose has the chance to be really special, and franchise-type point guards don't come around every year. I know the Bulls have Kirk Hinrich, a solid starting point guard, but Rose brings freakish athleticism, defensive prowess, and superior leadership skills, even though he's much younger than Hinrich. It would definitely make sense for the Bulls to take Rose and ship Captain Kirk elsewhere. Although he's coming off an awful season, he's still young enough where they can get pretty good value for him.

Anyway, all season long and all spring long it's been Rose-Beasley, Beasley-Rose. However, the rumblings are getting louder by the minute, and they seem to be saying no Beasley at number two--and if they do pick him, it's simply to trade him. A couple of days ago Chad Ford broke an article that said the Heat were talking seriously with the Grizzlies about trading for their number two along with Daequan Cook for Memphis' number five, Mike Miller and Kyle Lowry (a potential future all-star if you ask me). Talks broke down I believe because Heat GM Pat Riley wanted Mike Conley (the Grizzlies have the most under-the-radar point guard tandem in the NBA). I think for both teams the trade should have been a no-brainer, but whatever.

Say the Heat do decide they want to keep whomever they draft. If that's the case, it's sounding more and more like O.J. Mayo will be that pick. Dwyane "I'm hurt but I can shoot cute T-Mobile commercials and play on Team USA (sorry it's nothing personal but my girl thinks you're hot and I wish I knew your address so I can key all 39 of your whips)" Wade is high on Mayo. Personally, if you didn't want Beasley, I'd pick Jerryd Bayless before I took Mayo. I don't know why everybody thinks that Mayo can project as a point guard in the pros. Mark my words: Mayo will be, maybe, a better version of Dajuan Wagner.

• Last night the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors executed a major trade that could potentially impact the top of the Eastern Conference. The Pacers sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto in exchange for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the No. 17 pick the draft. I know it's a trade involving two guys who are serious health risks, but could you imagine a healthy O'Neal with Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon? I think the move instantly puts them at least in the top four in the conference. Debate.

12:48 pm: Unfortunately, I've got to take a break from blogging for a little bit. I can't concentrate while Diego is demanding that I say, "Caliente!" You would understand if you had a two year old.

By the way, I'm very interested in the Washington Wizards pick today. Not mentioning names, but a girl that I work with also happens to work with the Wizards. She didn't tell me who they were picking, but when I said Roy Hibbert, she definitely hesitated before saying, "I can't tell you." However, she did kind of put a scare into me when she said, "Who knows? Maybe we'll draft someone from Europe and stash them?"

Having played so much poker lately, the former feels like a sign of weakness. The latter seems like a bluff, but nonetheless a believable one.

12:54 pm:Lunchtime.

1:09 pm: Still haven't had that lunch, but I stumbled across this Bill Simmons' list of bad lottery picks. Funny, reminds me of one of mine.

Bill Simmons is not a writer; he's a biter...

Just kidding, Bill. I love your work, and I'd be honored if for some reason you were actually reading this.

1:23 pm: Just in case you're reading this, babe, you don't have to worry about us watching too much sports. LPGA Tournament and Wimbledon are on. We're about to watch Ni-Hao Kahlan.

And, this is why I hate the summer sports season.

3:44 pm: As I watch highlights of the 2007 WSOP (World Series of Poker for those of you who do not read the other blog), I'm also checking out some of the local headlines, mainly about Donte Greene and where people project him to be drafted. To me, and many other experts agree, Greene probably would have been better served with another year of college. Scouts unanimously agree that he has no in between game to speak of, and as athletically gifted as he is Greene rarely attacks the rim with ferocity. He's a project, but that being said there are much worse projects out there.

Another interesting note is that there's a movie called Gunnin' For That #1 Spot, featuring some of the top prospects from this year's draft when they were high school seniors. It's only showing in Owings Mills but it might be worth watching.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

You heard it here 202nd time: the New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks have decided to shake things up. It looks like Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, according to NBA front-office sources.

Looks like Yi finally gets to go to that big Asian market. Or, at least closer to it, I guess.

As for RJ... that might be a good fit for him, as long as Mo Williams remembers to pass the ball.

4:25 pm: MORE BREAKING NEWS!!! The Los Angeles Clippers are trading up to #4, and it's all but confirmed that they will take former UCLA guard Russell Westbrook and the Seattle Supersonics will take Brook Lopez.

I think Westbrook, at his very worst, would be a better-shooting Rajon Rondo (my friend Hakeem and I agree). While I like Jerryd Bayless better as a player, I definitely think he has more upside. Especially with Shaun Livingston and his shaky future, I like the move toward a point guard.

Seattle? Wow, they must be enamored with their point guard situation! Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour, go get 'em. I personally do not understand this trade. Let's look at some of their past choices at center: Robert Swift, Mouhamed Sene, Johan Petro. While I'm assuming that Lopez is better than all three of them, scouts have seriously questioned his ceiling, meaning he's as good as they're gonna get. Lopez is not going to lighten Kevin Durant's scoring load, nor will he be able to create easier shots for him like, say, JERRYD BAYLESS WOULD!

By the way, I'm watching Rome is Burning on ESPN. You'd figure that the worldwide leader in sports, who is televising the draft, would actually feature a draft hopeful as a guest. Nope, not ESPN. Aaron Rodgers... good luck, buddy.

I think I'm about to go to Arundel Mills with my family, so the blogging for right now is probably going to be iced until about 6:30. See you then.

4:58 pm: I don't know if I'm reading too much into this, but Jerryd Bayless is on Rome is Burning as a correspondant for the draft. He wore a New York Knicks jersey the entire time.