5:08 PM: Adam here! This will be a foray into the unknown for me, live blogging. But Ric Bucher is on my TV, the draft ticker is in the lower left corner of ESPN's screen, and it's time to get wild. Eric and I felt that live blogging was the only way to adequately cover all the moving parts that we expect in this year's draft, so I will attempt to stay on top of all the night's developments in real time.
-Oh my gosh, we have a trade. Details to come, but first Stuart Scott needs to drop a few "booyahs" and other silly catch phrases...holla at a playa when you see him in the streets!!
5:19 PM: Okay, we've got a three-team trade between the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Charlotte Bobcats. I know what your thinking, "Aren't the Bobcats an arena league football team?" Here are the details:
Bucks Trade: John Salmons, Corey Maggette, and the 10th overall pick in this draft
Bucks Get: Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, and the 19th pick in the draft
Kings Trade: Udrih and the 7th overall pick
Kings Get: Salmons and the 10th overall pick
Bobcats Trade: Jackson, Livingston, and the 19th overall pick
Bobcats Get: Maggette and the 7th overall pick
The Bucks get the best player in this trade, Stephen Jackson, and get out from under long contracts to Salmons and Maggette. Milwaukee wants to compete right now, and this move will likely help them do that. Udrih is a solid backup point guard as well, and Livingston is good if you like horrific YouTube clips of knee injuries. Brandon Jennings, Jackson, and Andrew Bogut is a solid Big Three in the East.
The Kings get a decent veteran scorer in Salmons and move back just three spots in a draft where there is little difference after the first 3-4 picks.
After trading Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline last season, the Bobcats lose their best remaining player in Jackson. They are going for the fire-sale approach, and I can't blame them. They need to tear this operation down and start over. Shedding salary and getting the 7th pick is a good start to the rebuilding process.
5:27 PM: Stephen Jackson's reportedly upset at the prospect of moving to Milwaukee. Why? He's just moving from an Eastern time zone that's close to some big cities and has an average temperature of 42 degrees in January to a place where winter lasts seven months, below zero temps are common, and there's nothing to do. So, what's your beef Stephen?
5:47 PM: Sorry for the absence, had to rummage through my fridge for the ultimate prize: an Old Milwaukee Light, the official beer of making me dumber as I live blog.
-What in the hell was that sappy crap ESPN? An open letter from the fans about how the NFL lockout is going to effect them? We have a talent-deficient NBA draft to be discussing.
-Dick Vitale wants Shane Battier to go first in this draft, but since he can't, he'll settle for another Dukie, Kyrie Irving.
5:54: The New NBA collective bargaining agreement needs to include a mid-level exception for the veteran guy who never plays but embarrasses himself dancing at the championship parade.
6:01 PM: Taye Diggs narrating the draft intro, could he be any more dramatic? And what is this awful music? I know, I sound like an 80-year-old man. Enes Kanter looks like a tall geometry teacher.
6:03 PM: Where the hell is Mel Kiper. Is he hiding behind Jay Bilas? What? He's not here? So I'm going to have to listen to Bilas be all articulate and coherent all night? I don't like this at all! Give me a bad hair piece and some transition lenses, then maybe I call you a draft guru, Bilas.
6:08 PM: I’m really glad for the Cavs, able to net the 1st and 4th picks in the draft (albeit a weak one) the year after “The Decision” devastated the entire state of Ohio.
-Oh my gosh, we have a trade. Details to come, but first Stuart Scott needs to drop a few "booyahs" and other silly catch phrases...holla at a playa when you see him in the streets!!
5:19 PM: Okay, we've got a three-team trade between the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Charlotte Bobcats. I know what your thinking, "Aren't the Bobcats an arena league football team?" Here are the details:
Bucks Trade: John Salmons, Corey Maggette, and the 10th overall pick in this draft
Bucks Get: Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, and the 19th pick in the draft
Kings Trade: Udrih and the 7th overall pick
Kings Get: Salmons and the 10th overall pick
Bobcats Trade: Jackson, Livingston, and the 19th overall pick
Bobcats Get: Maggette and the 7th overall pick
The Bucks get the best player in this trade, Stephen Jackson, and get out from under long contracts to Salmons and Maggette. Milwaukee wants to compete right now, and this move will likely help them do that. Udrih is a solid backup point guard as well, and Livingston is good if you like horrific YouTube clips of knee injuries. Brandon Jennings, Jackson, and Andrew Bogut is a solid Big Three in the East.
The Kings get a decent veteran scorer in Salmons and move back just three spots in a draft where there is little difference after the first 3-4 picks.
After trading Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline last season, the Bobcats lose their best remaining player in Jackson. They are going for the fire-sale approach, and I can't blame them. They need to tear this operation down and start over. Shedding salary and getting the 7th pick is a good start to the rebuilding process.
5:27 PM: Stephen Jackson's reportedly upset at the prospect of moving to Milwaukee. Why? He's just moving from an Eastern time zone that's close to some big cities and has an average temperature of 42 degrees in January to a place where winter lasts seven months, below zero temps are common, and there's nothing to do. So, what's your beef Stephen?
5:47 PM: Sorry for the absence, had to rummage through my fridge for the ultimate prize: an Old Milwaukee Light, the official beer of making me dumber as I live blog.
-What in the hell was that sappy crap ESPN? An open letter from the fans about how the NFL lockout is going to effect them? We have a talent-deficient NBA draft to be discussing.
-Dick Vitale wants Shane Battier to go first in this draft, but since he can't, he'll settle for another Dukie, Kyrie Irving.
5:54: The New NBA collective bargaining agreement needs to include a mid-level exception for the veteran guy who never plays but embarrasses himself dancing at the championship parade.
6:01 PM: Taye Diggs narrating the draft intro, could he be any more dramatic? And what is this awful music? I know, I sound like an 80-year-old man. Enes Kanter looks like a tall geometry teacher.
6:03 PM: Where the hell is Mel Kiper. Is he hiding behind Jay Bilas? What? He's not here? So I'm going to have to listen to Bilas be all articulate and coherent all night? I don't like this at all! Give me a bad hair piece and some transition lenses, then maybe I call you a draft guru, Bilas.
6:08 PM: I’m really glad for the Cavs, able to net the 1st and 4th picks in the draft (albeit a weak one) the year after “The Decision” devastated the entire state of Ohio.
An interesting, amusing, and not very surprising side note: the Cavs original pick is the 4th selection. The only reason Cleveland has the top pick is because the Clippers sent their first round pick and Baron Davis to Cleveland in return for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon near last season’s trade deadline. The Clippers finished the season with the 6th-worst record in the league, meaning there was just a 2.8% chance that the pick they traded would end up being the number one overall choice.
Only the Clippers could trade away the best player in the deal, Davis, and their first pick, and subsequently, against all probability, have that pick turn into the first overall selection. How this happened can only be chalked up to pure Clippers karma. They are destined to suck forever. By the way, when is Blake Griffin gonna be a Laker?
6:13 PM: Small ESPN feature of Jimmer Fredette, dressed like a golfer trying to pull off late 20's jazz look, finishing with an abysmal drum solo. Let's hope his NBA career is a little better than this inauspicious start.
6:17 PM: The irrational fan in me just wants the Lakers to make a trade. I don't care who it is, just give me something to overreact too.
6:20 PM: Jimmer thinks he can go third. I'll let you come up with your own jokes on that one.
Kurt Rambis to be fired after the draft... So David Kahn is just keeping him around to make fun of until tonight is over? That's why the Wolves are the best in the biz.
Rachel Nichols' awful red hair blends into the Knicks logo background; she's almost invisible.
Why is every prospect playing the drums after they introduce themselves?
6:28: 2 minutes from launch, I will give 5 points to any analyst that compares a white player to a black player or vice-versa. I bet I won't be handing out many points.
David Stern Clearly hates New Jersey. Oh wait, that's not Stern. That's his robot doppelganger.
1st Pick, Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Point Guard, Duke
Irving left Duke after playing just 11 games, but I guess the Cavs' last top overall pick didn't even go to college. Irving is not the athlete that Derrick Rose, John Wall, or Russell Westbrook are, but he's a smarter player coming in. A really good shooter with good athleticism and very good quickness, Irving sees the floor well, and I think he's a very good but not great player in the NBA. Think three or four All-Star appearances but not an all-time great. A fine start and good foundation for a Cleveland team that needs tons of help.
2nd Pick, Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams, Forward, Arizona
Well, now the Wolves have three undersized power forwards. Either Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, or Williams has to be moved. I would bet that Williams gets traded at some point soon, just my guess. Williams is a really talented player, and I see him as a power forward as long as he plays alongside a long center. He's a good scorer, a good athlete for the four position with lots of ways to score. He can post, slash, and shoot from outside. He'll score in this league, and can be an All-Star. Let's just wait and see what happens in terms of trades...
6:52 PM After these top two picks things get really unpredictable.
3rd Pick, Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter, Forward/Center from Turkey
The main reason I believe in Kanter is because John Calipari recruited him hard. Everyone that gets recruited by Calipari can play in the NBA. Kanter is 6'11" and 260 pounds, has inside-outside skill, and is a strong player,s ready to contribute right now on the NBA level. Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap, Derrick Favors, and Kanter create a bit of a cluster in the post.
4th Pick, Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson, Forward, Texas
Did Van Gundy just call Anderson Varejao "talented?" Anyway, I digress. Our first real surprise of the draft, a lot of people thought this would be another Euro pick. Thompson has a huge wingspan, is a big-time athlete, but I don't think he's a future star for one second. He'll get plenty of time to play on the Cavs talent depleted roster, but I don't love this pick. It seems like they drafted another JJ Hickson.
Could the post-pick interviews be any more awkward? "Hey, you can't shoot a jumper. Has that changed?" Then flash to a shot of the player's mom beaming.
5th Pick, Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas, Center from Lithuania
And the Raptors select...another Euro big man to put alongside the disappointing Andrea Bargnani. Jonas has a buyout issue, so he probably won't be in the NBA next year. Plan on a Rubio-like entrance 2-3 years from now. Valanciunas is just 19 and has a wide skill set, but how many times have we heard that about Euro big men before? I don't like this pick at all, another soft big man that can't help right away. Jonas direct quote, "I have not so strong body." Great sign.
6th Pick, Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, Forward, Czech Republic
Didn't he just get picked? Oh, it's another Euro big man. Vesely is an elite athlete and will fit well with John Wall and JaVale McGee. Just 21, Vesely has been a pro overseas for a long time. Solid pick, Vesely will play right away and has very high potential. He's been dubbed the European Blake Griffin, but he can't speak English.
7th Pick, Charlotte Bobcats (via Kings): Bismack Biyombo, Forward/Center, Congo
Were any of these players born in America? I don't mind this pick, but Brandon Knight is still on the board, and the Cats could use a point guard. Biyombo is a freak athlete who's incredibly strong and attacks the boards. He has no offensive game, but comparisons to Ben Wallace are valid. Just 18 years old, he has enormous potential and can play eight years before just entering his prime.
-All these international players being taken shows you that teams don't believe the college crop of players is very good at all. They'd rather wait on guys with big potential than get average talents who might contribute sooner.
-Jimmer, Jimmer, Jimmer c'mon pick him
8th Pick, Detroit Pistons: Brandon Knight, Guard, Kentucky
Love the pick. The Pistons need help everywhere, and this is a steal. He could have gone 3rd but slid to 8th. Knight is a good shooter with solid court vision, but like Irving is not the insane athlete we've seen in past years. He's just a good overall player and has an excellent jump shot.
-The Old Milwaukee is kicking into high gear. In a beer draft, I'd take it in the mid-first round: immediate contributor, not a huge upside, but you know what you're getting.
9th Pick, Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker, Guard, UConn
Some guys just know how to score, and Kemba does. He's a good athlete, pretty strong, quick, and has a good shot though it needs more work. He's a leader, and I think he can play point guard in this league if he learns how to pass first and look at scoring second. Biyombo and Walker are a nice new foundation for the Cats.
10th Pick, Sacramento Kings (Via Milwaukee): Tim Tebow, Wholesome White Guy
Just Kidding, the Kings took Jimmer Fredette, but the Tebow comparison is irresistible. Jimmer is a better athlete than people think. He's not JJ Reddick; he's more than a pure shooter that's strong, a good athlete, and has as much range as any player alive. A lot of people say he's a horrible defender, but when asked to score 45 points a game at BYU, I think his coaches told him not to worry about defense. In the NBA he won't play that many minutes and won't be asked to carry such a heavy offensive burden. I think he will be a Jason Terry-type player, a guy that can play 20-25 minutes per game and just score.
7:35 PM WHERE ARE THE AWESOME IRRATIONAL TRADES????
11th Pick, Golden State Warriors: Clay Thompson, Guard/Forward, Washington State
This guy can stroke it and really fill it up offensively. At 6'7", he gives the Warriors size at the guard spot, which may signal the exit of Monta Ellis. Thompson has a well-rounded game and I think he'll be a consistent NBA starter but never an All-Star. Also, new coach Mark Jackson can say "mama there goes that man" every time Thompson scores.
12th Pick, Utah Jazz: Alec Burks, Guard, Colorado
Supposedly a good scorer, but I'm not sure how he translates to the NBA. I mean, everybody said this is the worst draft in years, so how good can the 12th guy off the board be? I'm getting bitter about a lack of trades. Burks is a natural born scorer to pair with Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter, not to mention Al Jefferson. Lots of young assets pile up in Salt Lake.
-Jimmer would have done better in Milwaukee, low expectations, high amount of boredom, no matter what he does the people would have loved it. Disgruntled Stephen Jackson or wholesome Jimmer? I'm conflicted.
7:46 PM: Mark Jackson just made the least convincing playoff guarantee of all time. "Hand down, man down."
13th pick, Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris, Forward, Kansas
An NBA ready player who can play in the post and shoot from the outside, but he's going to the Suns so who the hell cares? This team is going nowhere fast.
Why does ESPN keep telling me two heights for each player, how tall they are with and without shoes? I'm just confused. Was Manute Bol 7'6" with or without shoes? I'll never know.
Reaching the end of the lottery, I am bored. Sorry folks, but I don't know much about the rest of the players that will be coming off the board. When I have thoughts I will weigh in but will no longer do pick-by-pick analysis. UNLESS I GET A DAMN TRADE.
Marcus Morris now to the Rockets: very cute that the brothers went back-to-back, both good players, but Houston wants to trade everyone they have, so let's just wait and see.
-Bigger story, Ron Artest is changing his name to Metta World Peace. I wonder if that ups his trade value?
-Is it the beer, or is Ric Bucher a good-looking guy? I'll tell ya one thing, he's been hittin' that tanning bed.
-Oh yeah, the Pacers select Kawhi Leonard, continuing their tradition of stockpiling good college players to create a reasonably formidable team that goes out in the first round of the playoffs (see Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George).
- Fans must be getting drunk, inexplicably booing Stern after cheering him to start the night.
-76ers select Nikola Vucevic from USC. Even Bilas is struggling to come up with something to say about this guy.
-Take it easy Knicks fans, your picking 17th in a bad draft, and you select: Iman Shumpert, Guard, Georgia Teach. Knicks fans who are on TV act happy, but we hear overwhelming boos from the unseen crowd. If Stern had said, "We've found a time machine, and the Knicks select 20-year-old Michael Jordan," Knicks fans would still find a way to boo.
-Washington Wizards select Chris Singleton, forward, Florida State. With Wall, Singleton, McGee, and fellow top pick Vesely, the Wizards might be the most athletic team in the league. Get ready to run.
-Bobacts get their third pick in the first 20, too bad it's a horrible draft. Tobias Harris, Forward, Tennessee, a solid athlete but not much more. Biyombo, Walker, and Harris, quite not Wade, Bosh, and James, but it's an athletic young group with promise.
T-WOLVES ON THE CLOCK. Do Something dumb please!!!!
Trade update- Completely disappointing, but a trade none the less. Spurs reserve guard George Hill for Pacers draftee Kawhi Leonard. I don't get this deal at all. The Spurs aren't in total rebuild mode nor are they competing for a title, so why swap a good, young player in Hill for a guy who has never played an NBA game? Head scratcher.
T'Wolves select Donatas Motiejunas, otherwise known as a guy you will never hear from again. A 7-footer that shoots threes from Europe, what a rarity. Maybe he was drafted to make Darko feel better about himself.
8:38 PM: Jay Bilas Just called Nolan Smith, who was just drafted by the Blazers, a "solid citizen." Well, I'm sold.
-Every time a team is good but doesn't have a star, the analysts compare them to the 2004 Pistons.
-Kenneth Faried to the Nuggets. Everyone in his entourage has braids, and Bilas says "energy guy," uh-oh. Does "energy guy" in the NBA mean "no talent" like it does in the NFL?
8:45 PM: Stu Scott says, "Brick City, stand up," twice in the course of one minute after Faried gets picked.
-Johnny Flynn just got traded for a pile of indistinguishable European players. Boy, how the mighty have fallen. Flynn was in contention for Rookie of the Year just two seasons ago.
8:58 PM: Nenad Kristic is now playing in Russia? What, playing in the best league in the world for the Boston Celtics just wasn't appealing anymore?
MarShon Brooks, Guard, Providence goes to Boston. He can score like a mofo, and if Ray Allen or Paul Pierce die of old age, he can slide right in and fill a rotation spot. Brooks just traded for somebody, I forgot who.
Old Milwaukee Update: 5 cans down, but this draft is starting to feel like a mid-February Bobcats-Nets game. I have no motivation to get drunker at this point, but if the Lakers trade Lamar Odom, I will finish the case. That's a promise.
Not Fair Alert: The champion Mavs select Jordan Hamilton, Guard, Texas. This guy has lottery talent and should have gone higher. Bob Knight, czar of all things basketball and scary, called Hamilton the best offensive player in the country.
-If David Kahn Doesn't run across the stage naked with a horrible trade proposal written in permanent marker on his ass, I'm turning the TV off.
-"Rangy, face-up big man without a wide frame." C'mon Bilas, even you don't know what that means. It just doesn't have the same charm as Kiper telling me about somebody's awesome cone drill time.
-Two important developments: The Timberwolves continue to stockpile people I've never heard of, and Bilas is getting angry because his basket of obscure descriptive words for untalented players is running low. He just called somebody a "stretch 4." Was that meant to be sexual?
-Stern finally reached the end of his rope. After being booed inexplicably for his 30th straight trip to the podium, he sarcastically quipped, "Thank you for that." I think Stern might have the power to whack people, so I'd be careful. Plus the draft is in Newark; someone's bound to get shot.
-End of the first round and I am pissed. I'm going to start making up trades: Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol for Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, and the T-Wolves' next three first round picks.
-Minnesota just made their 53rd trade of the night, this time giving their 28th pick, Norris Cole, who's actually a really talented player, to (sigh) the Miami Heat. This might actually really help the Heat out. Crap.
-"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." That was just quoting the 18 fans left at the draft.
-Fans now cheer the NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver. Apparently even though he works for Stern, the fact that he has a different face excites the fans.
-Minnesota gets their 75th European player who is over 7' and can shoot from 35 feet.
-Kyle Singler to the Pistons. I might be nuts, or it might be the fact that I'm nude, but I think Singler will be successful in the NBA. 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in a starter/6th man role is reasonable.
-Shelvin Mack, John Wall, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, Javale McGee: I like the way this is shaping up for Washington. Of course I picked them to finish fifth in the East last year and they won two road games all season...
-The Kings take UCLA's Tyler Honneycutt, a card-carrying member of the "I came out too early and now will be bounced from the league in two years" team.
-TRADE: Mavs trade Jordan Hamilton and get Portland's Rudy Fernandez, the Blazers get Raymond Felton and trade Andre Miller to the Nuggets. Some obscure picks were involved too. If you're really interested in all the details, wait for a year until all these buyouts and trade exceptions get solved, and oh yeah, the CBA. Then we can figure out these trades...
But for now, the Blazers get an athletic young point guard in Felton, the Mavs get a talented and proven swing man scorer as depth in Fernandez, and the Nuggets get the rotting corps of Andre Miller and a pick, or something. Jordan Hamilton ends up on the Nuggets, so it's not a complete loss for them. They had to pick between Ty Lawson and Felton anyway.
-Fredette and Tyreke Evans, plus the always chipper DeMarcus Cousins? I'm smelling title in Sac-Town...that or a move to Anaheim.
-Bilas just called Chandler Parsons a "skill player." I would have preferred to get a completely unskilled player.
-Somebody from the Tokyo Apache just got drafted, and he's a black kid from America. What? My limited stereotype-driven brain can't handle this.
-John Leuer from Wisconsin to the Bucks? Yup, love it, not for any basketball reasons, just state pride.
-Darius Morris to the Lakers, a very good passer that can't shoot. No problem, Kobe likes to shoot just a little bit.
Bold Prediction: Of all ten or so Euro Prospects drafted tonight, only one (Kanter) ever makes an All-Star game. Maybe Vesely.
10:09 PM Announcement: I'm waiting for the Lakers' next pick then going to bed completely devastated that rampant trade speculation was once again (shocker) unfounded. Some deals may just be in the works right now though. We will know more tomorrow.
JHORTS just got drafted. Yes! I think he'll find a niche in the league as a Banger and solid defender.
And the Lakers Pick...Andrew Goudelock. Who the hell is that?! Damnit! I'm going to bed.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
--from @AdamHocking
6:17 PM: The irrational fan in me just wants the Lakers to make a trade. I don't care who it is, just give me something to overreact too.
6:20 PM: Jimmer thinks he can go third. I'll let you come up with your own jokes on that one.
Kurt Rambis to be fired after the draft... So David Kahn is just keeping him around to make fun of until tonight is over? That's why the Wolves are the best in the biz.
Rachel Nichols' awful red hair blends into the Knicks logo background; she's almost invisible.
Why is every prospect playing the drums after they introduce themselves?
6:28: 2 minutes from launch, I will give 5 points to any analyst that compares a white player to a black player or vice-versa. I bet I won't be handing out many points.
David Stern Clearly hates New Jersey. Oh wait, that's not Stern. That's his robot doppelganger.
1st Pick, Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Point Guard, Duke
Irving left Duke after playing just 11 games, but I guess the Cavs' last top overall pick didn't even go to college. Irving is not the athlete that Derrick Rose, John Wall, or Russell Westbrook are, but he's a smarter player coming in. A really good shooter with good athleticism and very good quickness, Irving sees the floor well, and I think he's a very good but not great player in the NBA. Think three or four All-Star appearances but not an all-time great. A fine start and good foundation for a Cleveland team that needs tons of help.
2nd Pick, Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams, Forward, Arizona
Well, now the Wolves have three undersized power forwards. Either Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, or Williams has to be moved. I would bet that Williams gets traded at some point soon, just my guess. Williams is a really talented player, and I see him as a power forward as long as he plays alongside a long center. He's a good scorer, a good athlete for the four position with lots of ways to score. He can post, slash, and shoot from outside. He'll score in this league, and can be an All-Star. Let's just wait and see what happens in terms of trades...
6:52 PM After these top two picks things get really unpredictable.
3rd Pick, Utah Jazz: Enes Kanter, Forward/Center from Turkey
The main reason I believe in Kanter is because John Calipari recruited him hard. Everyone that gets recruited by Calipari can play in the NBA. Kanter is 6'11" and 260 pounds, has inside-outside skill, and is a strong player,s ready to contribute right now on the NBA level. Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap, Derrick Favors, and Kanter create a bit of a cluster in the post.
4th Pick, Cleveland Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson, Forward, Texas
Did Van Gundy just call Anderson Varejao "talented?" Anyway, I digress. Our first real surprise of the draft, a lot of people thought this would be another Euro pick. Thompson has a huge wingspan, is a big-time athlete, but I don't think he's a future star for one second. He'll get plenty of time to play on the Cavs talent depleted roster, but I don't love this pick. It seems like they drafted another JJ Hickson.
Could the post-pick interviews be any more awkward? "Hey, you can't shoot a jumper. Has that changed?" Then flash to a shot of the player's mom beaming.
5th Pick, Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas, Center from Lithuania
And the Raptors select...another Euro big man to put alongside the disappointing Andrea Bargnani. Jonas has a buyout issue, so he probably won't be in the NBA next year. Plan on a Rubio-like entrance 2-3 years from now. Valanciunas is just 19 and has a wide skill set, but how many times have we heard that about Euro big men before? I don't like this pick at all, another soft big man that can't help right away. Jonas direct quote, "I have not so strong body." Great sign.
6th Pick, Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, Forward, Czech Republic
Didn't he just get picked? Oh, it's another Euro big man. Vesely is an elite athlete and will fit well with John Wall and JaVale McGee. Just 21, Vesely has been a pro overseas for a long time. Solid pick, Vesely will play right away and has very high potential. He's been dubbed the European Blake Griffin, but he can't speak English.
7th Pick, Charlotte Bobcats (via Kings): Bismack Biyombo, Forward/Center, Congo
Were any of these players born in America? I don't mind this pick, but Brandon Knight is still on the board, and the Cats could use a point guard. Biyombo is a freak athlete who's incredibly strong and attacks the boards. He has no offensive game, but comparisons to Ben Wallace are valid. Just 18 years old, he has enormous potential and can play eight years before just entering his prime.
-All these international players being taken shows you that teams don't believe the college crop of players is very good at all. They'd rather wait on guys with big potential than get average talents who might contribute sooner.
-Jimmer, Jimmer, Jimmer c'mon pick him
8th Pick, Detroit Pistons: Brandon Knight, Guard, Kentucky
Love the pick. The Pistons need help everywhere, and this is a steal. He could have gone 3rd but slid to 8th. Knight is a good shooter with solid court vision, but like Irving is not the insane athlete we've seen in past years. He's just a good overall player and has an excellent jump shot.
-The Old Milwaukee is kicking into high gear. In a beer draft, I'd take it in the mid-first round: immediate contributor, not a huge upside, but you know what you're getting.
9th Pick, Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker, Guard, UConn
Some guys just know how to score, and Kemba does. He's a good athlete, pretty strong, quick, and has a good shot though it needs more work. He's a leader, and I think he can play point guard in this league if he learns how to pass first and look at scoring second. Biyombo and Walker are a nice new foundation for the Cats.
10th Pick, Sacramento Kings (Via Milwaukee): Tim Tebow, Wholesome White Guy
Just Kidding, the Kings took Jimmer Fredette, but the Tebow comparison is irresistible. Jimmer is a better athlete than people think. He's not JJ Reddick; he's more than a pure shooter that's strong, a good athlete, and has as much range as any player alive. A lot of people say he's a horrible defender, but when asked to score 45 points a game at BYU, I think his coaches told him not to worry about defense. In the NBA he won't play that many minutes and won't be asked to carry such a heavy offensive burden. I think he will be a Jason Terry-type player, a guy that can play 20-25 minutes per game and just score.
7:35 PM WHERE ARE THE AWESOME IRRATIONAL TRADES????
11th Pick, Golden State Warriors: Clay Thompson, Guard/Forward, Washington State
This guy can stroke it and really fill it up offensively. At 6'7", he gives the Warriors size at the guard spot, which may signal the exit of Monta Ellis. Thompson has a well-rounded game and I think he'll be a consistent NBA starter but never an All-Star. Also, new coach Mark Jackson can say "mama there goes that man" every time Thompson scores.
12th Pick, Utah Jazz: Alec Burks, Guard, Colorado
Supposedly a good scorer, but I'm not sure how he translates to the NBA. I mean, everybody said this is the worst draft in years, so how good can the 12th guy off the board be? I'm getting bitter about a lack of trades. Burks is a natural born scorer to pair with Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter, not to mention Al Jefferson. Lots of young assets pile up in Salt Lake.
-Jimmer would have done better in Milwaukee, low expectations, high amount of boredom, no matter what he does the people would have loved it. Disgruntled Stephen Jackson or wholesome Jimmer? I'm conflicted.
7:46 PM: Mark Jackson just made the least convincing playoff guarantee of all time. "Hand down, man down."
13th pick, Phoenix Suns: Markieff Morris, Forward, Kansas
An NBA ready player who can play in the post and shoot from the outside, but he's going to the Suns so who the hell cares? This team is going nowhere fast.
Why does ESPN keep telling me two heights for each player, how tall they are with and without shoes? I'm just confused. Was Manute Bol 7'6" with or without shoes? I'll never know.
Reaching the end of the lottery, I am bored. Sorry folks, but I don't know much about the rest of the players that will be coming off the board. When I have thoughts I will weigh in but will no longer do pick-by-pick analysis. UNLESS I GET A DAMN TRADE.
Marcus Morris now to the Rockets: very cute that the brothers went back-to-back, both good players, but Houston wants to trade everyone they have, so let's just wait and see.
-Bigger story, Ron Artest is changing his name to Metta World Peace. I wonder if that ups his trade value?
-Is it the beer, or is Ric Bucher a good-looking guy? I'll tell ya one thing, he's been hittin' that tanning bed.
-Oh yeah, the Pacers select Kawhi Leonard, continuing their tradition of stockpiling good college players to create a reasonably formidable team that goes out in the first round of the playoffs (see Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George).
- Fans must be getting drunk, inexplicably booing Stern after cheering him to start the night.
-76ers select Nikola Vucevic from USC. Even Bilas is struggling to come up with something to say about this guy.
-Take it easy Knicks fans, your picking 17th in a bad draft, and you select: Iman Shumpert, Guard, Georgia Teach. Knicks fans who are on TV act happy, but we hear overwhelming boos from the unseen crowd. If Stern had said, "We've found a time machine, and the Knicks select 20-year-old Michael Jordan," Knicks fans would still find a way to boo.
-Washington Wizards select Chris Singleton, forward, Florida State. With Wall, Singleton, McGee, and fellow top pick Vesely, the Wizards might be the most athletic team in the league. Get ready to run.
-Bobacts get their third pick in the first 20, too bad it's a horrible draft. Tobias Harris, Forward, Tennessee, a solid athlete but not much more. Biyombo, Walker, and Harris, quite not Wade, Bosh, and James, but it's an athletic young group with promise.
T-WOLVES ON THE CLOCK. Do Something dumb please!!!!
Trade update- Completely disappointing, but a trade none the less. Spurs reserve guard George Hill for Pacers draftee Kawhi Leonard. I don't get this deal at all. The Spurs aren't in total rebuild mode nor are they competing for a title, so why swap a good, young player in Hill for a guy who has never played an NBA game? Head scratcher.
T'Wolves select Donatas Motiejunas, otherwise known as a guy you will never hear from again. A 7-footer that shoots threes from Europe, what a rarity. Maybe he was drafted to make Darko feel better about himself.
8:38 PM: Jay Bilas Just called Nolan Smith, who was just drafted by the Blazers, a "solid citizen." Well, I'm sold.
-Every time a team is good but doesn't have a star, the analysts compare them to the 2004 Pistons.
-Kenneth Faried to the Nuggets. Everyone in his entourage has braids, and Bilas says "energy guy," uh-oh. Does "energy guy" in the NBA mean "no talent" like it does in the NFL?
8:45 PM: Stu Scott says, "Brick City, stand up," twice in the course of one minute after Faried gets picked.
-Johnny Flynn just got traded for a pile of indistinguishable European players. Boy, how the mighty have fallen. Flynn was in contention for Rookie of the Year just two seasons ago.
8:58 PM: Nenad Kristic is now playing in Russia? What, playing in the best league in the world for the Boston Celtics just wasn't appealing anymore?
MarShon Brooks, Guard, Providence goes to Boston. He can score like a mofo, and if Ray Allen or Paul Pierce die of old age, he can slide right in and fill a rotation spot. Brooks just traded for somebody, I forgot who.
Old Milwaukee Update: 5 cans down, but this draft is starting to feel like a mid-February Bobcats-Nets game. I have no motivation to get drunker at this point, but if the Lakers trade Lamar Odom, I will finish the case. That's a promise.
Not Fair Alert: The champion Mavs select Jordan Hamilton, Guard, Texas. This guy has lottery talent and should have gone higher. Bob Knight, czar of all things basketball and scary, called Hamilton the best offensive player in the country.
-If David Kahn Doesn't run across the stage naked with a horrible trade proposal written in permanent marker on his ass, I'm turning the TV off.
-"Rangy, face-up big man without a wide frame." C'mon Bilas, even you don't know what that means. It just doesn't have the same charm as Kiper telling me about somebody's awesome cone drill time.
-Two important developments: The Timberwolves continue to stockpile people I've never heard of, and Bilas is getting angry because his basket of obscure descriptive words for untalented players is running low. He just called somebody a "stretch 4." Was that meant to be sexual?
-Stern finally reached the end of his rope. After being booed inexplicably for his 30th straight trip to the podium, he sarcastically quipped, "Thank you for that." I think Stern might have the power to whack people, so I'd be careful. Plus the draft is in Newark; someone's bound to get shot.
-End of the first round and I am pissed. I'm going to start making up trades: Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol for Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, and the T-Wolves' next three first round picks.
-Minnesota just made their 53rd trade of the night, this time giving their 28th pick, Norris Cole, who's actually a really talented player, to (sigh) the Miami Heat. This might actually really help the Heat out. Crap.
-"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." That was just quoting the 18 fans left at the draft.
-Fans now cheer the NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver. Apparently even though he works for Stern, the fact that he has a different face excites the fans.
-Minnesota gets their 75th European player who is over 7' and can shoot from 35 feet.
-Kyle Singler to the Pistons. I might be nuts, or it might be the fact that I'm nude, but I think Singler will be successful in the NBA. 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in a starter/6th man role is reasonable.
-Shelvin Mack, John Wall, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, Javale McGee: I like the way this is shaping up for Washington. Of course I picked them to finish fifth in the East last year and they won two road games all season...
-The Kings take UCLA's Tyler Honneycutt, a card-carrying member of the "I came out too early and now will be bounced from the league in two years" team.
-TRADE: Mavs trade Jordan Hamilton and get Portland's Rudy Fernandez, the Blazers get Raymond Felton and trade Andre Miller to the Nuggets. Some obscure picks were involved too. If you're really interested in all the details, wait for a year until all these buyouts and trade exceptions get solved, and oh yeah, the CBA. Then we can figure out these trades...
But for now, the Blazers get an athletic young point guard in Felton, the Mavs get a talented and proven swing man scorer as depth in Fernandez, and the Nuggets get the rotting corps of Andre Miller and a pick, or something. Jordan Hamilton ends up on the Nuggets, so it's not a complete loss for them. They had to pick between Ty Lawson and Felton anyway.
-Fredette and Tyreke Evans, plus the always chipper DeMarcus Cousins? I'm smelling title in Sac-Town...that or a move to Anaheim.
-Bilas just called Chandler Parsons a "skill player." I would have preferred to get a completely unskilled player.
-Somebody from the Tokyo Apache just got drafted, and he's a black kid from America. What? My limited stereotype-driven brain can't handle this.
-John Leuer from Wisconsin to the Bucks? Yup, love it, not for any basketball reasons, just state pride.
-Darius Morris to the Lakers, a very good passer that can't shoot. No problem, Kobe likes to shoot just a little bit.
Bold Prediction: Of all ten or so Euro Prospects drafted tonight, only one (Kanter) ever makes an All-Star game. Maybe Vesely.
10:09 PM Announcement: I'm waiting for the Lakers' next pick then going to bed completely devastated that rampant trade speculation was once again (shocker) unfounded. Some deals may just be in the works right now though. We will know more tomorrow.
JHORTS just got drafted. Yes! I think he'll find a niche in the league as a Banger and solid defender.
And the Lakers Pick...Andrew Goudelock. Who the hell is that?! Damnit! I'm going to bed.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
--from @AdamHocking
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