6:50 PM Seems everyone is waiting for this thing to get rolling, though it’s almost that time. Please check back as we will be yapping draft this evening.
Derrick Rose has been the Bulls’ pick for several days. No chance of a trade-out. Chicago has their man. The fun begins at #2 with Miami. Lots of talk centering around OJ Mayo and clandestine workouts, but when the dust settles we believe Michael Beasley will be the Heat selection.
7:50 PM If only the NFLDraft moved this briskly. No idea what the Sonics do here.
Hardly breaking news there, we know.
Draft stock: Joe Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and Courtney Lee seem to be climbing. DeAndre Jordan, the big man from Texas A&M is dropping like a rock.
We all know about the Toronto/Indy deal with teams swapping TJ Ford & the 17th pick for Jermaine O’Neal. Ditto the Richard Jefferson for Yi, Buck/Net deal. Now the Memphis Grizzlies are rumored to be shopping the 5th overall pick – perhaps as part of a package – to maneuver upwards in this draft.
The flurry of trades are almost a certainty to continue this evening. We are now under 3 minutes until the commissioner takes the podium.
7:45 PM Ok, so we are looking at the T-Wolves pick coming up. OJ Mayo anyone? Best player on the board according to many out there. Could even be dealt before the evening is over.
7:53 PM Not sure what the Sonics do here, but we will take at stab with Eric Gordon.
So much for that. The pick is Russ Westbrook out of UCLA. Once again, could be traded. To the Clips maybe?
8:00 PM That’s about as far as I go with the draft forecast. It could get really ugly if I continued down that road. Memphis just nabbed Kevin Love from UCLA.
Personally, I am not a fan of the player. A heady plodder who will need to rely on everything but his athletic ability. I’m not sure that will be enough to guarantee Love will be anything but a bit player throughout his career.
8:10 PM And what’s not to love about Knicks fans lamenting their pick of Gallinari? You knew it was coming. This selection has the fingerprints of D’Antoni all over it. Don’t know much about the kid, but I do trust Donnie Walsh. The same can not be said of former Knick brass.
8:15 PM Love the pick by LA. Eric Gordon is a go-getter. Attacks the rim, outstanding athleticism, and can score the ball. Does this mean anything for Corey Maggette or am I reading too much into the pick?
Mark Jackson making no bones about it, in not so many words, questioning the Knicks’ selection of Gallinari. “Better go with a guy who can step in and help right away.”
Joe Alexander wanted to go to Milwaukee. Sounds a lot like Yi last year, eh? Hah, ok. Maybe not.
I do like this pick a lot. Alexander has not been playing the game long. This is a kid who averaged less than a bucket per game three years ago for the Mountaineers. Last year, he was right at 17 points per contest. Decent enough rebounder and a seemingly quick study. Given his athletic ability, a risk definitely worth taking considering the upside.
8:28 PM As if it weren’t obvious enough: Larry Brown not the biggest Raymond Felton fan out there. DJ Augustin of Texas to the Bobcats.
8:35 PM With Jason Collins out of the fold, the Nets felt compelled to fill their vacant twin-from-Stanford slot. Seriously, good value for Jersey here.
And there goes Jerryd Bayless to the Pacers. Solid pick for a team that desperately needs explosion and point production from its backcourt.
Jason Thompson would be the first real surprise of the draft, going a lot earlier than many thought. The Kings taking the Rider big man a year after drafting Spencer Hawes in the top ten.
8:50 PM Blazers take Brandon Rush. Great shooter, good defender. Still nothing solid at the point.
The Warriors select Anthony Randolph. Saw several of his games in high school. Same with Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge. Randolph’s game compares favorably with the Portland power forward. And he will turn 19 yeard old in three weeks.
9 PM The second of the Stanford twins – Robin Lopez – goes to Phoenix. Amare’s days as a center are long gone. Or that seems to be the plan anyway.
Marreese Speights to Philly.
Roy Hibbert to Toronto. Talk about a guy whose draft stock took a hit by going back to school.
JeVale McGee heading to D.C. And we are cruising along here.
9:15 PM Not exactly a revelation here, but Kevin Pritchard, the Portland GM, is fast becoming known around NBA circles as a thief. Not sure how this Bayless/Diogu for Rush/Jack deal will work out, but count me in the Blazer corner for now.
JJ Hickson goes to Cleveland. Very good talent, but whispers abound about his attitude. Word is, the folks close to the team in Raleigh were not sad to see him leave.
9:30 PM Award for the rawest looking talent to this point goes to Alexis Ajinca, who just went to Charlotte. Mix in a ribeye, kiddo.
Ryan Anderson to the frontcourt-heavy Nets. This was the pick received in the Kidd deal. A self-made guy who has worked hard on his game since going to Cal. Good shooter, rebounder.
Courtney Lee is a Magic. Solid at this point of the draft. Hurt himself with a shaky NCAA tourney.
Kosta Koufos winds up in Utah. Fitting.
Seattle up next, once again, with another of their half dozen or so picks courtesy of Kurt Thomas. Another project big? Absolutely. Ibaka is the pick.
10 PM The Darrell Arthur slide continues with the Nicolas Batum selection by Houston. Reports of a kidney issue are out there.
Mitch Kupchak might just be moving on this selection. George Hill drafted by the Spurs. Word out there: Lakers LOVE him and the Spurs allegedly sent out a league-wide email shopping this pick.
Darrell Arthur drafted by the Hornets and traded to Portland. Outstanding value here. More frontcourt depth and arguably a lottery-level talent with the 27th pick.
Did Memphis sell the pick? Hard to know. Donte Green taken.
10:30 PM D.J. White and J. R. Giddens round out David Stern’s turn at the podium.
Blazers jumping into the trade waters again. This time, reportedly to send Arthur, whom they just traded the rights for, and a second rounder to Houston for Nicolas Batum.
And now, the second round. Thought I would write it off after 30 picks? “Hoped” is more like it, eh?
Nope, not so much. Still chugging along.
10:45 PM Detroit and Seattle just pulled a deal. DJ White for 32 & 46. White goes to the Pistons.
Nikola Pekovic and Walter Sharpe go off the board to Minnesota and Seattle to start the round.
The brutish Joey Dorsey goes before Douglas-Roberts. Free falling.
10:55 PM Mo Chalmers of Kansas goes to the Timberwolves and now DeAndre Jordan finally comes off the board, going to the Clippers.
Portland, Milwaukee, and Charlotte make picks. Asik to the Blazers. Kyle Weaver, the Washington State guard, to the Hornets. The Bucks took a sure-fire Scrabbler hall of famer. I won’t even attempt to spell it.
Sonny Weems is a Bull.
CDR to the Nets. For my money, great, great pick there.
11:15 PM Australian Nathan Jawai (Pacers) and Pat Ewing, Jr. (Kings) are gone now.
As if you couldn’t tell, I am kinda mailing it in right now. Not entirely, but…yeah, we have definitely fallen off.
11:30 PM Bill Walker and Richard Hendrix are gone now. Walker was once a super athletic prospect who played last year in the shadow of Michael Beasley at Kansas State. Three ACL injuries later, he is now the 47th selection of the 2008 draft.
Dallas stands pat and takes Shan Foster of Vandy. Just what the doctor ordered. Championship. Seriously, the pick and the draft aside, this team is in serious trouble.
Mike Taylor and Sasha Kaun are gone. The Lakers, Pistons, and Celtics shall end this misery for me.