Grading the NBA Draft Suits

No matter how much talent is in the NBA Draft, one thing you can always count on is that you'll see some interesting suits. Some nice, some...not so nice.

Whether it's Jalen Rose's red suit or Karl Malone's short tie, the NBA Draft is a must-watch because you can't afford to miss a terrible fashion statement that big.

Let's see how the suits stacked up this year and grade how well the players dressed for the most important day of their lives.

No. 1: Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers

I'm not quite sure what Blake Griffin was thinking.

He is going to be considered the savior of the Clippers, the man who would set the wheels in motion for the franchise to turn things around.

So why was he decked out in purple, the color of the "other" team in Los Angeles?

Yeah, you looked sharp, buddy, but you might as well announce to the world, "As soon as my contract expires, I'm heading somewhere else."

Grade: C-

No. 2: Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies

Hasheem Thabeet must have just watched Transformers because his suit looked metallic, like he was going for the robot look.

Thabeet looked a little bit like the Tin Man except the Tin Man had a better offensive game.

Grade: B-

No. 3: James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder

Thank you, James Harden. The NBA Draft would not be complete without somebody trying to make a fashion statement, and you decided to go with the ever-popular bow tie.

Here's the deal—the bow tie only works for tuxedos. Any other time, you look like a clown. 10 bucks says that thing spins around if you push a button.

Grade: F+

No. 4: Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans went for a more traditional approach this year. The black suit with pinstripes is a classic that will never go out of style, like the Jheri Curl.

Okay, maybe not the Jheri Curl, but he still looked good.

Grade: B+

No. 5: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

I'm sure that Ricky Rubio's suit was expensive. It probably cost more than I could make in six months or so.

Still, even with all that, it still looks like Rubio wore something out of his dad's closet. He looked like a kid playing dress-up.

Grade: C

No. 6: Jonny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves

Jonny Flynn went with the alma mater colors. It was very smooth with the pastel orange in honor of Syracuse.

Flynn was the first player drafted to go with the gray suit. You have to imagine he was feeling a little gray when the T-Wolves drafted a PG right before him, but it turns out they were a little PG hungry and took Flynn right after anyway.

Grade: A

No. 7: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry goes right along with Ricky Rubio as players who looked like they came to the draft straight from a middle school dance.

Don't let his looks fool you. Rumor has it that Curry hit two threes while this picture was being taken.

Grade: C+

No. 8: Jordan Hill, New York Knicks

Jordan Hill went with the pinstripes, but he made sure to add a watch to his wardrobe because he heard that Knicks fans are going to turn on him in a New York minute, and he wanted to know when that minute was up.

The look on his face is like, "I know, I can't believe they drafted me either."

Grade: B-

No. 9: DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors

DeSuit that DeMar is wearing looks a little wrinkly. You have to remember, he's just 19 years old. It's not a stretch to think that he left it laying on DeFloor all night.

It's okay, because once he goes to Toronto, the dressiest he'll have to get is when he dons his Canadian tuxedo.

Grade: C-

No. 10: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

You have to imagine that David Stern was none too pleased that Jennings found a loophole in his one year of college rule by heading overseas, so Jennings had to do a little sucking up by wearing the same color tie as the Commish.

Points off on his suit for having a different-colored handkerchief, though. I thought that some time overseas might have taught him a little more style.

Grade: C

No. 11: Terrence Williams, New Jersey Nets

Williams rocked a strangely shiny gray suit with an all-black shirt and tie underneath.

Perhaps the player who comes with the biggest questions about his character should have gone with something a little lighter. The all-black looks a little ominous.

Grade: C+

No. 12: Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats

Henderson had a nice gray suit, but there was what looked like a stain on his shoulders.

He did play at Duke, so it's possible that somebody splashed holy water on him, and it's starting to burn through his skin.

Grade: D

No. 13: Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana Pacers

The biggest shock isn't that Hansbrough ended up going this low, it was that he felt confident enough to show up to the draft.

His suit was very nice, and I'm glad that the world got to appreciate it before Psycho-T tore it to pieces in celebration later on in the night.

Grade: A-

No. 15: Austin Daye, Detroit Pistons

I feel bad for Daye's tailor. I can't imagine trying to fit a suit to someone this tall and this skinny.

Just look at Stern's face. He's thinking right now, "You know, I could probably take this guy if I wanted to."

Grade: C+

No. 17: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers

I hope Holiday didn't spend too much on that suit, because he won't be getting lottery-pick money.

Grade: B

No. 21: Darren Collison, New Orleans Hornets

Collison ended up being the last player chosen to come all the way to the draft. You know what that means—that suit is dealing with some major sweat issues.

That's too bad; it looks like a really sharp suit.

Grade: A (Hey, I have to give the kid some sort of consolation for waiting so long to hear his name.)