Thursday, June 26, 2008

Live 2008 NBA Draft Blog




Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Let's get this started. Interesting draft. Overrated big men like DeAndre Jordan, Javale McGee and Anthony Randolph are actually falling. Scouts are actually learning something, who would've thought.

Another deal went down before the draft, Richard Jefferson was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 20/23 year old Yi Jianlian and the player formerly known as Bobby Simmons. He got paid and disappeared. Solid deal for Milwaukee, Jefferson can really do damage if he wants to. They definitely get a better team and Redd will get easier looks. He isn't a lead your team type of guy. I really have no opinion of the deal for the Nets. Until they start playing Sean Williams, I won't know what to think.

7:29PM (EST) - Apparently Rose is going first. Good choice for Chicago.

7:38 And the Chicago Bulls officially select Derrick Rose with the 1st pick in the draft. Can't really argue with this pick, they need a PG and he's about as can't miss as it gets for guards this year. He can finish at the rim which has become increasingly important in today's NBA, look at Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade. He can pass, but I don't think he'll ever be a 10 assist guy. I see a possible 20/7/5 type player.

Chicago might actually get good. They've been that young team that's supposed to have gotten over the hump by now. Now they have a PG that's worth a darn.

Oh nice, irrelevant footage of Rose and dumb questions. Good thing they kept Stuart Scott away from these guys. Derrick Rose sucks as a public speaker too.

7:45 Good to see Pat Riley isn't completely out of his mind. Beasley and Marion can work together, but will they stay together? I'm interested. The East is getting better, and I love it. Dumars, do something!

P.S. I love the mama interviews. They so proud!

7:49 O.J. Time. I really like his game. His defense has potential, and he has that great scoring mentality. He just needs to learn to pick his shots.

Nothing crazy yet...

7:51 It's about to get weird now. Seattle could change this draft around. I heard they are going to swap picks with the Clippers for 7. Hmmm...

7:55 Russell Westbrook? Hmmm. Interesting pick, he can definitely play defense. Can he really run a team as a PG?

Tip: Never watch the draft with a couple of chicks. Their analysis of the prospects is a little different than mine....

7:57 My sources tell me that Chris Wallace is going to trade this pick to the Lakers for Ronny Turiaf, a 2nd round pick, and a bag of Baked Lays. Disappointing as I'm sure he could get some Sun Chips in there somewhere...

8:02 Another UCLA player off the board, this time to the Grizzlies. He's skilled, but can he stop the faster breed of PF? I think he'll be one of those really solid starters that every team wants, but not a star. Kevin Love has that country strength.

8:04 The Garden is going to flip if they don't take Jerryd Bayless here. He's someone they know, he's talented, and he's not European. Good luck hearing Gallinari's name called over all the boos. He's really talented though, I think he'll be the best foreign guy since Manu. I'm betting the Knicks got Bayless, they need a guard. Bye Starbury.

8:07 And the Garden erupts in........

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO's. Welcome to New York Danilo. He can really do somethings in New York. He's been one of my favorite international players for a while.

8:10 I just realized the Grizzlies starting fowards are now named Gay and Love. I'm just saying...

8:15 Eric Gordon just got drafted by the Clippers at 7, but the important thing is that he "often visits the Bahama's to visit his family." Thanks ESPN, I really wondered about that.

8:18 I love how Marc Jackson says the Knicks would be better off drafting/building for now, not the future. Thanks for confirming why you aren't a coach in the league now. That strategy has worked out great for them the last 2 years, huh?

8:20 2008's workout wonder gets picked #8 by the Bucks. This is interesting, they just traded for a SF. Something is going on here, I just don't know what.

Thanks ESPN for letting us know he is the first player born in Thailand to be drafted in the NBA. ESPN consistently proves itself as your source for irrelevant statistics.

8:22 If Joe Alexander's nickname is really "Vanilla Sky", that would make my day. I like that. I like that a lot. Too bad he plays in Milwaukee, no one is going to see him sky anytime soon.

8:25 Either there is a trade going on, or Raymond Felton pissed someone off. Then again, no one ever accused Michael Jordan of drafting well. Lopez is a steal at 10 for the Nets, a highway robbery.

8:28 A friend of mine seems to think DJ is going to the Blazers. That would make some sense. Something has to be going on.

A lot of guards so far, maybe I was wrong. Are the big men underrated?

8:29 I never was a big fan of Jerryd Bayless, but why in the world is he slipping? Indiana is gonna take him in a heartbeat...if he lasts.

8:31 Okay, maybe Indiana doesn't take him. I forgot about TJ for for a minute. Too many nicknames.

I'm liking Lopez to the Nets, Brook that is. He's a good big man that can do some damage in the league, especially at #10. Typical NJ big man if you think about it because he isn't a great rebounder either. No one else rebounds on that team so maybe he'll luck into 9-10 a game?

8:35
Okay, ignore my last post. Bayless to Indiana happened. Great talent at #11, but what is his role on the team going to be? I don't even pretend to know. At least Tinsley will be gone. He is a massive underachiever.

8:42 Uh........................What?

8:44 It's not that I never heard of Jason Thompson, but you usually don't see the guy protected as the 1st round steal go in the lotto. They must really like him. How does he vibe with Hawes.

8:48 Brandon Rush is the Tayshaun Prince of this draft. He won't be a star player, just really solid. Good defender, good shooter, good teammate. Lets just hope he doesn't end up like his brothers...

Not to steal your material Fiyastater.com, but man he does look like Moesha's daddy.

8:53 I'm trying to figure out how Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright could possibly co-exist on the court at the same time with Don Nelson as the coach. I just can't figure it out. Nellie hates big men. Randolph is a twig too, he barely weighs more than me. Maybe he can play SF, I've only caught him once on ESPN U 2 days ago.

Oh no, here comes Vitale.

8:56 Vitale is always babbling on about nothing. Man, shut up. Got to love him overrating every American player. Is anyone surprised that he's riding Kevin Love?

8:59 Robin Lopez went to the Suns. He's solid, pretty good defender. They really needed size and he should be a nice energy guy who can contribute immediately. I really hope he's not the Jarron to Brook's Jason. The Collins' brothers were enough.

9:02 Stephen A is magnificent. He usually always admits he knows little about prospects, so they just having him reporting rumors and interviewing players. That's why he's good. Solid journalist, but he networks like no other. Their is a preponderance of evidence to support my claims. He's MAG-NIF-A-CENT.

9:09 Don't really get the hype around Speights, and by hype I mean the guy at RealGM. Haven't seen much of him, but you gotta wonder about a guy who doesn't always bring it who doesn't have extreme talent to fall back on.

Roy Hibbert makes back up to the 17th pick, after destroying his stock this year. He's a talented big man, he just doesn't seem to play big against the teams he needs to. I remember the Davidson game. He was a scrub. Gives the Pacers a better center than Jeff Foster or Troy Murphy.

9:18 Blazers make another great move to get Jerryd Bayless. Man, Kevin Pritchard is a genius. The Blazers are going to be serious with Bayless. Him being a non-passing combo is kind of offset by the fact that Roy can push the ball too. Pacers get another PG and Brandon Rush. Rush is a nice "character" guy that they are trying to fill their team with, but did they really need another PG with Ford? Well, Tinsley leaving is still a great sign.

Oh yeah, the Wizards took another "soft" big man. They really need someone more rugged. McGee can block shots, but what else can he really do? They really need a big man to step up.

9:21 Cavs take JJ Hickson. Whatever. Pistons need to hurry, trade up, and get Darrell Arthur. NOW. DO IT DUMARS! DO IT!

9:27 A skinny 7 foot jump shooter. I don't trust this guy. I'm pretty sure he averaged 5 points in France.

9:30Once again, I really like Bayless to Portland. Situations really effect how a player develops, I think Portland is the right situation.

9:36 Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur. Dumars. Darrell Arthur.

10:15 Okay. Ryan Anderson. Solid player with solid talent. My roommate likes him, and he can shoot the ball. Very well. Courtney Lee at 22 is a solid pick for Orlando. Good to see those junior/senior players getting some love. They really needed a SG and Lee was solid at Western Kentucky. Koufos at 23 is an interesting pick when you have Memhut Okur. Serge Ibaka is a monster athlete, but his basketball experience is very limited. He has a pretty good ceiling, but doesn't this sound a lot like Saer Sene?

Houston taking Batum at #25 is a solid pick. He has potential to be a good defender and can finish around the rim. Funny they question his ability to lead, kind of like T-Mac. Spurs reach and take George Hill. I'm one of the few people that has actually heard of him and seen him play, and he killed Oakland in the Semi's. I never thought he was a first round talent though.

10:16 My roommate is arguing religion with me, ruining my blog. Thanks....

10:18 Seriously, he ruing my blog. Some people don't believe what you believe. DEAL WITH IT!

Anyway, The Hornets snag up Darrell Arthur as a mega steal at the end of the draft. I love that pick. Maybe there is some health concerns that I don't know about, but this pick looks solid. New Orleans is gonna be good for a long time. Grizzlies draft Donte Greene with the 28th spot. Solid, he would have been a much higher pick had he came back. The kid has game, he just needs to learn how to play better. I would've loved to see in him Detroit

10:19 Dumars on the clock. Late round magic again?

10:20 I'm guessing Walker and Chalmer close out this 1st round. Let's see...

10:23 DJ White? Ugh. Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and now DJ White? He may be a solid player, but he doesn't really solve many issues. Taking a chance on DeAndre Jordan might have been something I liked, the Pistons really have no true Center. Disappointing pick.

10:28 DraftExpress is reporting Darrell Arthur has been sent to the Houston Rockets while the Blazers grabbed Nicolas Batum. Solid for both teams. Blazers get another athletic SF and the Rockets get some more height on their team. Could be a great addition for Houston, since DX is reporting Arthur slipped because of some erroneous physicals. Something weird. He's a top-15 talent, and a major steal this late.

10:30 DeAndre Jordan shouldn't have came out, and now his stock is tanking. TANKING.

10:35 Tough break for Jordan, Douglas-Roberts, and Chalmers here all falling into the 2nd round. As Dickie V said (as hard as it is to agree with him), they now have ample motivation and a chance to become great players in this league.

Word is DJ White is going to be moved for Seattle's 2 second rounders, #32 and 46 I believe. I like that.

10:40 I'm hearing Lee to the Bobcats for Raymond Felton. Makes a little more sense for Charlotee...I think.

I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about these 2nds, so random antidotes here and there are all I'm gonna contribute.

10:43 Who the hell is Walter Sharpe?!?!?! REALLY?

11:01 Still don't know who Sharpe is. That Knicks/Bobcats deal doesn't look too likely now, just another rumor I suppose.

Random Observation from a friend:
whats up with team's drafting twin players?
I AM HIBACHI: last spencer hawes for brad miller
I AM HIBACHI: this year anthony randolph for brandan wright
I AM HIBACHI: kosta koufos for mehmet okur


Good point. I like Jordan to the Clippers. Low risk pick for a 2nd rounder. If he turns out well, they look like geniuses.

11:08 Douglas-Roberts is finally off the board at #40 to the New Jersey Nets. Wow. I can't figure out why he slipped this far, I can't see the logic in taking a lot of the last 15 players over him. He's the player I think has the highest chance to be that 2nd round steal. He has a situation where he's going to get PT, he's a strong talent, and has the motivation to go with that Detroit upbringing. I'm loving this pick for the Nets.

This is my time to bow out though. Bayless to the Blazers I really like. Lopez and CD-R to the Nets make them come out like champs. I don't think anyone in the top 3 lost. I don't think Russ Westbrook will be a top 5-7 player in the draft despite being the 4th pick. DJ Augustin could go either way, I don't know what to think. I'm hyped for the Summer Camps now. I'll definitely be tuned in.

Thanks for all 4 people who read this. Certainly was an...experience.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Draft Time

Ah, one of my favorite times of the year. College basketball meets pro ball for one night, and we get to make educated (for some) guesses about the future of a bunch of 19-24 year old tall guys who excel at either putting a ball into a 10 foot hoop, or stopping people from doing so. Such a beautiful exhibition of athleticism and finesse is the game of basketball, how can you not love it?

I'm guessing the draft order goes Rose, Beasley, Mayo, then all hell breaks loose. I was going to do a mock draft, but then again I'd just be making random guesses based on Nbadraft.net and Draft Express. A few trades will probably go down, much like last year. Earlier today the Pacers agreed to trade Jermaine O'Neal for T.J. Ford and the 17th pick. Solid trade for both sides really. One team is scared that their player might get seriously injured again, another is scared that their player won't get healthy again. The Raptors can really be a force is O'Neal returns to some semblance of his former self. With Bosh on the team, he no longer has that pressure to be "The Man". Kevin Garnett proved that can certainly help a player become more successful.

I'll have my eye on the Pistons. I'm glad to hear every Pistons starter in trade rumors, it shows Dumars is serious about breaking up part of this team. You can only succeed at failing for so long. Getting rid of a player like Rasheed Wallace could help, I really get tired of hearing what kind of player he can be. How about we realize the player he's been for the last 3 years? Chauncey Billups isn't even called Mr. Big Shot anymore because he hasn't done anything in the playoffs for the last 3 years. The Boston series might have been the best he's had in the Conference Finals since '04. I remember last year, he got dominated by Cleveland. Come on.

Hopefully I can do a nice little live draft blog tomorrow. I really have no reason to, I have about 1 reader and a few people that just realize I have a blog because it's linked to my Facebook. Regardless, it should be fun.
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Yes, I am still geek'd about Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and the rest of the Celtics getting that ring. I've been a fan of Garnett for as long as I can remember, and I was starting to give up hope on him. Minnesota got terrible, their games weren't on TV anymore, and he was heading down the road to being more like Charles Barkley than again being compared with Tim Duncan. A great team and one year later, he legitimately has a case as one of the top 20 players in NBA history. Not only that, but he squashed the criticisms about him not coming up big when it mattered and him not being a winner. Winning is as much a result of a player's talents as the talent of the players around him and how compatible their games are. KG is certified. ANYTHING IS POSSIBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And of course, "SHOUT OUT TO MY MAMA BEATNUT!"

*Check my post from August 2nd, 2007. I called Rondo having a breakout season, and look what he did this year and in Game 6. Now just ignore the rest of that post once you read past Amir, who didn't really breakout but actually got meaningful PT.