THE NBA Draft Recap

Well...Here we go......I have mannyyyy points here....I'll go team-by-team....

• My Hawks- Ummm...did nothing...I hate life....
• Boston- I loved the JR Giddens pick at 30....very ballsy by Danny Ainge...guy has top 20 talent but has had off the court stuff....I really think he can contribute and will beat out Tony Allen for the backup minutes right away....They also have another potential steal in Bill Walker at 47 who will boom or bust most likely with a decent boom possibility if his knee holds up....
• Charlotte- I can't get behind the DJ Augustin pick at 9....I wouldn't have been as outraged had Brook Lopez not been on the board here....I don't necessarily think Felton is the answer, but I don't really think Augustin is either and Okafor remains companion-less up front...They also picked Alexis Ajinca (he of 5 ppg in Europe) at #20 and that's a project at the very least....love the Kyle Weaver pick in Round 2...seems like a Larry Brown guy...
• Chicago- Derrick Rose pick...I don't love it...I don't even like it...but I like the player....maybe they'll flip Hinrich or Gordon for a big man....I know nothing about Omer Asik....lol
• Cleveland- JJ Hickson is a guy I really like but he's nowhere near ready....I guess Cleveland thinks they have the ability to bring him along slowly...but Lebron needs help...like now?
• Dallas- Bleh...2nd round only...Shan Foster is a nice college player...won't pretend to know much else
• Denver- Gave away #20 to Charlotte for cash....I guess they think they're set...laughter....
• Detroit- 3 2nd rounders...very unlikely to do alot....
• Golden State- Anthony Randolph at #14...I don't like it in any way.... he's the same athletic long forward type as Wright last year...and he's even farther behind skill-wise....Eventually he'd fit their system, but by the time he's ready (if ever) Nellie will be gone anyway....hated this pick
• Houston- After a night of dealing....they ended up with Donte Greene and Joey Dorsey....I like the Greene gamble a little bit, but I would've gone Darrell Arthur in that spot....Joey Dorsey seems like a shorter, but more athletic Luis Scola to me...except less skilled....so I don't really know what they want him to do for them
• Indiana- In the span of a day or so, Indiana pretty much flipped its roster....getting rid of Jermaine O'neal and Ike Diogu and getting back TJ Ford, Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and 2 1st round picks in Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert....I'm on record to an unabashed Roy Hibbert detractor...I don't think he's an NBA center....but I do like Brandon Rush quite a bit, have been a supporter of TJ Ford's, and McRoberts I still think has a chance to contribute....That said, acquiring Jarrett Jack is moot unless they deal Tinsley...and the Diogu loss could hurt them if he blossoms like he could...overall, I'm less than enthralled, but at least they unloaded JO's mega deal
• LA Clippers- Eric Gordon at 7....I don't see him as an NBA star...more of a gunner/tweener 6th man type...but I could be very wrong as NBA GMs disagree....I would've definitely gone with Jerryd Bayless there if i was Elgin Baylor....DeAndre Jordan is a good gamble at #35 as some say he is the most physically gifted athlete in the whole draft when you factor his size...and he can learn behind Kaman
• LA Lakers- No first rounder (see Pau Gasol deal) and Joe Crawford in the 2nd...thanks for playing...
• Memphis- Well these guys were really busy.....They basically got rid of Mike Miller, Jason Collins, and Brian Cardinal and got back Marko Jaric (and his ridiculous deal) and Antoine Walker...but they got a guy in OJ Mayo that they clearly valued well above that of anybody else (since they dealt Miller)....I don't really understand the glut of guards they have now...but maybe they believe in Marc Gasol?
• Miami- Well at first I didn't like the Beasley pick....then I realized there was really nothing short of trading out of that pick that they could do (other than maybe Brook Lopez, but na)...and the fact that they got a possible 1st-round talent in Chalmers at PG saved their draft to me....
• Milwaukee- I really liked the deal to get Richard Jefferson..and then they went and ruined it by drafting back-to-back SFs on a SF-laden team...I think they're trying to be the Hawks...did they hire Billy Knight? I like Alexander too....but where does he play now?
• Minnesota- They got my favorite player in Love (not the best player, but my favorite) and got the perimeter shooter they needed in Mike Miller...I actually like what McHale did overall...but they still have too much of their time riding on Foye and Telfair....and I don't know how Love and Jefferson will mesh together
• New Jersey- They might have had my favorite draft itself....though I hated the Richard Jefferson move (unless they are utterly convinced Lebron is coming in 2010)....Brook Lopez is a steal at 10, Ryan Anderson is a steal at 21, and CDR is a steal anywhere in the 2nd round...that's all there is to it...value at all 3 picks
• New Orleans- Sold their only pick...end of discussion
• New York- They went with Gallinari at #6....I didn't hate the pick for the simple reason of they didn't like the guards available and the only one worthy of that pick (Bayless) can't run that system....or at least that's what I gather....He's a versatile, long Euro with a reported mean streak..I can get down with that
• Orlando- Only one pick...they went with Courtney Lee at 22...Lee is a scorer out of W. Kentucky that immediately might upgrade them at the 2 (by far their weakest spot) and he's also a more than adequate defender...I liked it
• Philly- My first thought was "why not darrell arthur?" but Speights is bigger and Arthur may be too much like Thaddeus Young...they could use the muscle....
• Phoenix- Robin Lopez is a defender/role player for sure....but that's what they need to spell Shaq...so he fits a need....I would've probably gone Darrell Arthur here too....
• Portland- This team literally scares the heck out of me now....Jerryd Bayless coming in alongside Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, and Lamarcus Aldridge....scary...At first I didn't like them trading Darrell Arthur to get Nicolas Batum, but now that I think about it....where was Arthur going to play? I'd take the flier on Batum possibly become their future starter at the 3...
• Sacto- Boy Jason Thompson at 12 seems like a reach...I haven't seen enough to really know but all indications are he's not NBA-athletic...They might save some face with Sean Singletary in the 2nd round as I think he has a shot to contribute (since they are point guard-less)
• San Antonio- Really George Hill (yes, youve never heard of him) over Mario Chalmers? Yes, yes, yes....RC Buford is to be trusted blindfolded...that's as good as he's been...
• Seattle- I'm a big Westbrook fan because of the defensive end...but I'd be wary of him being your team leader and point guard....haven't seen the skillset to this point....DJ White could be a solid contributor down the line...
• Toronto- I can't really comment on the 2nd round choice of Nathan Jawal...being honest
• Utah- Grabs Kosta Koufos late in the first....I'm not a big fan of his game...but he fits well with the Utah big man mold a la Okur....Could be good value
• Washington- Javale McGee seems like a reach to me....another long, athletic, under-developed big man....shocking

Other notes:

• Steals of the draft: Jerryd Bayless to Portland, Darrell Arthur to Memphis, Mario Chalmers to Miami, CDR to New Jersey
  
• Utter Reaches: Jason Thompson, Anthony Randolph, Javale McGee, Alexis Ajinca

To conclude, if I can recommend one Sports Guy column all year....it's the NBA Draft Diary...it's all sorts of laughter...and even an informed opinion or two...just a recommendation....he'll probably take shots at Chad Ford too....and that's always fun