2010 NBA Draft Results, Grades: Live Blogging and Grading the Picks
Welcome to Bleacher Report's live blog of the 2010 NBA draft! This is Bryan Toporek, live from Washington D.C., ready to spend the night live-blogging the draft and grading draft picks with you all.
2010 NBA Draft Results: First Round: No. 1: John Wall (Washington Wizards) Second Round: No. 31: Tibor Pleiss (Oklahoma City Thunder via Atlanta Hawks) 12:10 A.M.: Alright, folks, the draft's over, and I've got work in the morning. Thanks for spending your night here tonight, and I hope you enjoyed the coverage. Keep an eye out for my power ranking of all 30 teams' starting lineups tomorrow...Until then, have a great night, and prepare for the free agency madness in exactly one week's time! 12:04 A.M.: At first glance, my draft winners: Sacramento Kings (Cousins and Whiteside), Los Angeles Clippers (love Warren back with Griffin, Aminu and Bledsoe were good values), Los Angeles Lakers (love both Ebanks and Caracter with them), Milwaukee Bucks (stockpiled on bigs, drafted John Salmons replacement in Darington Hobson), Miami Heat (killed the second round). Never thought I'd include the Clips in a "draft winners" section. 12:02 A.M.: The Georgetown fan in me can't help but smile at the thought that Scottie Reynolds went undrafted. 11:53 P.M.: One pick to come... Blake Griffin is on the Clippers too. A+ for the Clippers for getting a first-round value at the tail end of the second. 11:32 P.M.: Ladies and gentlemen, we have the pick of the draft. With No. 52, the Boston Celtics select...Luke Harangody out of Notre Dame, also known as "exactly what a 6'10" chubby leprechaun would look like." 11:30 P.M.: The Thunder continue the big man parade, going with 6'11" Magnum Rolle out of Louisiana Tech. I'll be honest: I've never seen the guy play, but they get an A+ just because of his name. 11:19 P.M.: The Bucks just keep getting bigger. First Larry Sanders, then Jerome Jordan...now the Bucks get the largest man in the draft, the 302-pound Tiny Gallon. (Yeah, that's about as ironic a name as you can get.) Lawal's a solid Amar'e Stoudemire contingency plan, assuming the Suns don't offer Amar'e the max contract he thinks he deserves. (He doesn't.) Seeing as I thought Lawal was a late first-rounder, Suns get an A+ here. 11:15 P.M.: Mike D'Antoni doesn't believe a word he just said about Andy Rautins or Landry Fields. 11:13 P.M.: The Wolves draft Paulao Prestes out of Brazil with No. 45...and I won't lie, I've never seen a minute of his tape before tonight. 11:10 P.M.: The Bucks go big with the No. 44 pick, grabbing Jerome Jordan out of Tulsa. He's a 7'1", 245-pound center with a 7'5" wingspan and a 9'5" standing reach...in other words, he's freakin' huge. If the Bucks don't think Bogut's coming back 100 percent at the beginning of the season, Jordan could steal some minutes down low. Otherwise, he'll be a phenomenal backup for Bogut, allowing the Bucks to keep throwing out 7-footers. A- pick. 11:06 P.M.: Devin Ebanks is a sneaky good value for the Lakers. In essence, he's a lankier Ron Artest. He can't shoot the 3 well at all, but he excels on defense, and he rebounds well for his size. Bilas just said he's a motion-offense type player. Well...that triangle offense should suit Ebanks well, huh? Fantastic pick for the Lakers -- Ebanks had been mentioned in the lottery conversation in months past. A for me. 11:02 P.M.: Like it. The Heat go with De'Sean Butler with No. 42, torn ACL and all. It's a great value -- in fact, on that same note, Arinze Onuaku from Syracuse is one of my second round sleepers tonight for the same reason -- because without the torn ACL in March, Butler is an unquestioned first-round talent. Butler was the one knocking down game-winner after game-winner for WVU this year, putting his best Kobe Bryant face on. The Heat won't need him to contribute right away, so if Butler can return to form, he'll be a phenomenal asset off the bench for the Heat. A+ for this pick. 11:01 P.M.: The Heat pass up the in-state Alabi for Jarvis Varnado with the No. 41 pick, securing themselves a definite center in lieu of Jermain'e O'Neal. Varnado trailed only Whiteside in shot-blocking this season, and has serious potential for the Heat as a defensively-focused center. Great value in the second round. Imagine a team with Bosh, LeBron, Wade, and Varnado patrolling the middle! It's an A from me. 11:00 P.M.: Serious question: Have teams forgotten that Solomon Alabi is still on the board? 10:58 P.M.: With No. 40, the Pacers get a guy "born ready" for the NBA in Lance Stephenson. Like the pick for a second-round value. Stephenson has potential lottery talent, but he's a got some attitude questions, having been kicked off the U-18 team for those very reasons. If Stephenson learns to fall into line behind Granger in Indiana, he could be the Stephen Jackson to Granger's Ron Artest...pre-brawl days, of course. Gets an A- because of the slight potential to blow up. 10:51 P.M.: The Knicks, always a draft-day surprise, go with Andy Rautins with the first of their two picks (No. 38), and Landry Fields out of Stanford with the No. 39. I'm giving New York a C for their overall portfolio with these two picks. 10:50 P.M.: That sound you hear is Knicks fans burning down Madison Square Garden. 10:47 P.M.: With No. 37, the Bucks draft Darington Hobson, and I think this could end up being one of the draft's biggest steals. Putting Hobson next to Brandon Jennings and Corey Maggette in the Bucks' lineup gives the Bucks a fantastic backup plan in case they can't re-sign John Salmons. (At this point...do they even want to?) 10:45 P.M.: The Pistons go with Terrico White with the No. 36 pick, and it's hard to argue here. The Pistons need some off-the-bench offense, and White can get the job done behind Rip Hamilton. I figured he'd be right on the first round border, so, for the Pistons to grab him at No. 36 is solid value. Giving the Pistons an A- for this pick. 10:41 P.M.: And the Wizards keep the international theme going! With the No. 35, the Wizards pick Nemanja Bjelica out of Serbia (for the Timberwolves). Gotta figure that the Wolves will try to stash Bjelica over in Europe for a year or two more. 10:36 P.M.: Portland keeps up the quest to find a replacement for Andre Miller by picking Armon Johnson from Nevada with the No. 34 pick. Johnson has great size, at 6'4", 195 pounds; the biggest problem is that he can't shoot threes, and neither can Andre Miller. The Blazers need a PG that can stretch the floor for Roy; Johnson will do the opposite. Still, they could do much worse for a backup PG that will put some much needed pressure on Jerryd Bayless. B+ for me. 10:33 P.M.: Yikes...there goes the idea that the Kings aren't tough down low. After adding Cousins with the No. 5 pick, the Kings just grabbed Hassan Whiteside with the No. 33. Whiteside, a freshman from Marshall, blocked the most shots per game out of all NCAA players this past season, and has a 7'7" wingspan (oh God, I'm turning into Jay Bilas) that keys his success. Whiteside needs to eat nothing but protein bars for the next few years, but the Kings could be absolutely menacing with Cousins and Whiteside in the frontcourt. Kings get an A for this pick at this point in the draft. 10:31 P.M.: The Heat go with Dexter Pittman with the No. 32 pick. Love it. Assuming the Heat aren't bringing back Jermaine O'Neal (and let's be honest, after his corpse drudged through the playoffs, there's no way they should), Pittman should be able to hold it down for D-Wade down low. I'll give it an A- for the Heat. 10:29 P.M.: With the first pick in the second round, the Nets pick Tibor Pleiss, the 7'1" center out of Germany, who's likely to stay in Europe for a year or two more. At first, this pick was due to go Atlanta as a result of the Jordan Crawford/Damion Jones trade, but Oklahoma City has reportedly bought the rights to the pick. 10:22 P.M.: First Round Recap No. 1: John Wall (Washington Wizards) No. 2: Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers) 10:20 P.M.: That wraps up the first round of the 2010 NBA draft...I'm getting a pizza out of the oven, and I'll be back for Round Two! 10:19 P.M.: I can't wrap my head around the Hayward pick one bit. The Wolves draft two solid wings, trade one away for a less solid wing, then draft Hayward just in case the other two don't work out? Meanwhile, bigs like Alabi and Whiteside are STILL ON THE BOARD. Meaning the Wolves aren't committed to Darko yet if they don't want to be. Apparently, they want to be. Hayward was No. 57 on Chad Ford's Big Board. Not saying Ford is the draft messiah or anything, but he's usually not that off in ranking. KAAAAAAAAHN strikes again with the biggest reach in the draft, and gets a D+ for his effort. 10:17 P.M.: With the No. 30 pick, the Wizards pick Lazar Hayward of Marquette (for the Timberwolves). It's official. All hell has broken loose this draft. 10:14 P.M.: And a begrudging word of congratulations to Kentucky, who set the first-round record by having five players drafted in 2010. Granted, they had a team for hire under Calipari, and their team collectively had one of the worst GPA's you can have without becoming ineligible...but hey, congratulations, Wildcats! (I warned you it was begrudging congratulations.) 10:11 P.M.: Now THAT's a pick. With the No. 29, the Magic take Daniel Orton out of Kentucky, suddenly making Marcin Gortat one of the best expendable big men in the league. Orton gets to learn from Dwight Howard, the best big man in the game. The Magic have Patrick Ewing as an assistant coach. If Orton is going to succeed in the NBA, he is in the best possible place for a big man he could be possibly land. Assuming this move means that the Magic will look to trade Gortat this summer (perhaps in a package with Vince "Mr. Glass" Carter?), the Magic get an A here. 10:07 P.M.: And with the 28th pick in the draft, the Grizzlies pick Greivis Vazquez, making ESPN's Jon Barry look like a genius. Uhhh...where does he get minutes? Behind O.J. Mayo, Xavier Henry, and Mike Conley Jr...there's not too much room for late-round rookies. He's got solid size, and he led Maryland to some huge upsets in his time with the Terps, but I don't see him as a worthwhile first round pick. He won't be anything more than a bench player in Memphis. Grizzlies get a B- from me for Vazquez. 10:05 P.M.: From ESPN's Marc Stein: " Dominique Jones from University of South Florida was drafted by Memphis FOR Dallas. Mavericks purchased pick, sources say." 10:02 P.M.: What will I watch more times tomorrow? A YouTube clip of the Memphis fan who said "I don't know who Dominique Jones is," or the Ron Artest "Champions" music video? 9:59 P.M.: Another trade...with the No. 27, the Nets pick Jordan Crawford. Except the Nets will be trading Crawford and the No. 31 to Atlanta for the rights to the No. 24 (Damion Jones). I like the play to get Jones for New Jersey - he's the type of a bruiser power forward they need to pair alongside Brook Lopez. He's got the toughness Yi Jianlian never had. Hawks fans should be thrilled with this deal. They get Crawford, who they really could (should) have picked at No. 24, and pick up the first second round pick in the draft for their trouble. The Hawks get an A+ for their trade savvy, while the Nets get a B+. 9:56 P.M.: With No. 26, the Thunder pick Quincy Pondexter (for the Hornets). The Hornets just got a steal. 9:53 P.M.: So, we finally learn the details of the Thunder trades. They traded the No. 21 (Craig Brackins) and the No. 26 to the Hornets for the No. 11 (Cole Aldrich) and Morris Peterson in one deal; then traded the No. 18 (Eric Bledsoe) to the Clippers for a future first rounder. And Presti sits back and laughs, getting ready for the league to dub him King GM. 9:50 P.M.: Favorite draft night audience member: The Memphis fan who just mouthed "I don't know who that is" when they announced the Grizzlies' pick of Dominique Jones. 9:49 P.M.: Hmm. With No. 25, the Grizzlies pick Dominique Jones out of South Florida. The Grizz do need bench scorers...Jones won't be a starter in the Grizzlies' lineup, but he could be the microwave off the bench that transforms them from middling 40-win team into legitimate playoff contender. (Playoff teams need something off the bench.) 9:46 P.M.: Crap. Looks like I spoke too soon. Ric Bucher just reported that there's a proposed trade between Minnesota and Washington: Minny gets the No. 30 and 35 picks, while the Wizards get the rights to the No. 23 (Trevor Booker) and the No. 56. 9:44 P.M.: Well, I know one unhappy B/R front page editor tonight. With the No. 24, the Hawks picked Damion Jones out of Texas. Jones is a solid player...the only problem is, the Hawks have the more athletic version of him in Josh Smith, and they just signed Smith to a 5-year deal two summers ago. With Solomon Alabi, Daniel Orton, and Hassan Whiteside still on the board, this pick seems strange. The Hawks could have drafted a legitimate center, moved Al Horford over to power forward, and put Josh Smith as a hyper-athletic 3. Not seeing where Jones gets minutes early in the Hawks' line-up. This pick is in the B-/C+ range to me. (If college professors can give those B.S. split grades, so can I.) 9:40 P.M.: Speaking of KAAAAAHN, the T'Wolves are on the clock at No. 23, and go with Trevor Booker out of Clemson. If you're asking, "Who?", you're not alone. So is all of Minnesota. As Stuart Scott could not stop repeating, Booker is the FIRST SENIOR drafted. FIRST SENIOR FIRST SENIOR. Cool. He's a 6'8" power forward out of Clemson (apparently the cousin of Jordan Hill, the Knicks' No. 8 pick last year?) who could be a bit undersized for the PF, especially with Al Jefferson and Kevin Love already on the squad. The Wolves should have gambled on a center like Hassan Whiteside, unless they wanted to commit themselves to the Darko Milicic experiment for the next few years. KAAAAAAAAAAAHN's back in full force. And gets my first C- of the night. 9:36 P.M.: Pritchard goes with Elliott Williams for the Blazers at No. 22. At first glance, this one's a bit of a headscratcher. (Maybe it's a final "Eff you for firing me on draft day!") I'd get the pick more if the Blazers didn't already have Brandon Roy at SG. Do the Blazers want to move Williams over to the point and have a Williams-Roy backcourt once Andre Miller's deal expires? Williams averaged nearly four assists a game for Memphis, so it's not entirely unreasonable... Not thrilled with this pick for Portland, but then again, they just hosed KAAAAAAHN. C for the pick, A- for the night so far. If they're planning on moving Williams to the point, it's a B. 9:34 P.M: Portland GM Kevin Pritchard was fired today by Paul Allen, yet he's conducting the draft for the Trail Blazers. What a trooper. I'm praying my Sixers have Pritchard on speeddial. I'd take him over Ed Stefanski in a split second. 9:31 P.M.: With the No. 21 pick, the Thunder draft Craig Brackins from Iowa State. Problem is...I don't know which team he's actually going to. Thunder? Hornets? Clippers? Brackins is a solid pick at No. 21...a big body that also can shoot. I'll give a grade whenever it becomes clear which team he'll actually be playing for this year. 9:30 P.M.: OK, so Bucher says the Thunder send the No. 18 (Eric Bledsoe) to the Clippers for a future No. 1 pick...but what happens with the Cole Aldrich trade?? 9:27 P.M.: The Spurs go with James Anderson with the No. 20 pick in the draft, potentially as the eventual successor to Manu Ginobili? I'll admit, I'm a bit surprised by the pick. I thought they'd go for a big man here, seeing as 'Dyess doesn't have much left in the tank (is he even returning to the Spurs?) and they'll need a Tim Duncan replacement sooner or later, but Anderson tore up the Big 12 as a shooter for Oklahoma State. Let's call it a B for now, as the Spurs will need young playmakers and Anderson's the best one left in the draft. 9:24 P.M.: According to Chad Ford's Twitter, the Thunder will be trading the No. 18 and No. 21 picks with the Clippers, not the Hornets. (Not sure what that means for Cole Aldrich staying/going with N.O.) I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on the Thunder trade as more info rolls in. 9:20 P.M.: Na na na na...na na na na...hey hey hey, goodbye Nate Robinson! With No. 19, the Celtics pick Avery Bradley, a combo-guard who potentially had lottery material. As Rajon Rondo's backup, he will be instant energy off the bench. He's basically Robinson, but six inches taller. I thought the Celtics might have gone with a big man, because of the injury to Perkins, K.G.'s aging knees, and 'Sheed's impending retirement...but there's no way they believed Bradley would fall to No. 19. Love the pick for the Celtics: A from me. 9:18 P.M.: With the No. 18 pick in the draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder pick Eric Bledsoe (for New Orleans). While the Hornets won't have Aldrich as a backup for Okafor in case they trade their starting center, they'll now have a logjam at PG with Chris Paul, Darren Collison, and Eric Bledsoe. I'm guessing one of those three players won't be a Hornet in October. I like the pick for the Hornets, though. Collison and Paul are both highly coveted...giving yourself a third PG as a backup in case you trade one of those two is the smart play. A for me. 9:16 P.M.: According to ESPN's Ric Bucher (and first forwarded to my attention by B/R writer Sean Highkin), the T'Wolves will be trading Ryan Gomes and the rights to Luke Babbitt in exchange for Martell Webster. KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN strikes again. 9:16 P.M.: KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!!!! 9:13 P.M.: Shows what I know. The Bulls have gone officially all-in on the LeBron race, picking the first international player of the year in Kevin Seraphim. He's a bruiser of a PF from France, but here's guessing the Bulls will "suggest" that he stays over in Europe for another year to free up even more cap space. It's the smart move if you're confident you're getting a huge free agent...otherwise, it's a huge reach. The pick gets a C from me, simply because I can't endorse a team sacrificing itself on the chance it gets LeBron. 9:09 P.M.: Jeff Van Gundy's eyes look substantially less droopy, and he's substantially less enjoyable tonight than usual. Coincidence? Go back to Droopy Dog, JVG! 9:07 P.M.: If the Bulls don't go with James Anderson here, I officially retire from predictions. Miss Cleo, keep your crystal ball. 9:05 P.M.: With the 16th pick, the Wolves pick Luke Babbitt, and Kahn continues to redeem himself. See? I didn't even put his name in ALL CAPS. The Wolves entered the draft needing wing scorers. They draft Wesley Johnson at No. 4 and Babbitt at No. 16. Mission accomplished. The T'Wolves just hit a two-in-one: a "best available pick" fitting with their most urgent need. T'Wolves get an A from me here. God, please pick Scottie Reynolds with the No. 23 or something. Redeem yourself, Kahn! 9:03 P.M.: KAAAAAAHN is back on the clock. Given how wacky the picks have gotten since No. 9, I'm expecting him to pick Avery Bradley without blinking. 8:59 P.M.: The Bucks fire out a surprise with the No. 15 pick, going with Larry Sanders out of VCU. Sanders was top-20 in some mock drafts in the early going, but seemed to fall out of favor as the draft process progressed. As a guy who hasn't been attending the workouts, I don't understand the hesitations. Sanders is a mean rebounder and shotblocker, which should give Andrew Bogut some much needed toughness and help down low. Still, the Bucks have needs all over the court, and Sanders is a reach here. C+ for me from now, with the caveat that he could develop into a B+/B player. 8:56 P.M.: I'm also glad Stern could get through that final lottery announcement without having flashbacks to puberty. Good sign. 8:55 P.M.: No more commercial break predictions for me. The Rockets go with Patrick Patterson from Kentucky as the last lottery pick, and it's a good fit. Luis Scola is a restricted free agent, and at 30 years old, this could be his one real shot at getting a large NBA contract. Patterson's a solid contingency plan. Patterson will provide some much needed toughness to the Rockets, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Yao Ming in the coming year. Those who bet the over 2.5 Kentucky players selected in the lottery are happy. I'll give this pick a solid A-. Patterson should fit well with the Rockets. 8:54 P.M.: ESPN's impressed that there's been no senior taken so far? There won't be a single senior in the top 20. 8:53 P.M.: Considering how well my last commercial break draft pick prediction went...let's go for another here! I'm saying the Rockets go with Luke Babbitt as the last lottery pick. 8:51 P.M.: Ed Davis' favorite player is Chris Bosh? That's ironic, considering he's about to replace him in the "big man who doesn't want to play in Toronto a day longer than he has to" role. 8:49 P.M.: With the 13th *voice crack* pick in the NBA draft...the Toronto Raptors get the new steal in the draft, Ed Davis, from UNC. No, Davis didn't dominate the ACC like people thought he would last year. But if you're going to get a Chris Bosh replacement, you could do a heck of a lot worse at the bottom of the lottery. The Raptors get an A for this pick from me. They're wise to plan that Bosh is leaving (he's a goner), and Davis is a heck of a contingency plan. The NBA: Where burning your roster purely for financial decisions happens. 8:47 P.M.: No surprises here...Rasheed Wallace reportedly set to retire, ESPN reports. 8:45 P.M.: Over/under on how many consecutive times Jay Bilas talks about a player's wingspan: 10 draft picks. I'm taking the over. 8:43 P.M.: Memphis picks Xavier Henry with the No. 12 pick. As you can guess from my pre-game comments, I'm a huge fan of this pick. Mike Conley Jr., on the other hand, probably isn't. This trade likely means that the Grizzlies will move O.J. Mayo over as the PG to allow him to be the primary ball-handler, and he'll have Henry at SG to spot up on the wing.
No. 2: Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers)
No. 3: Derrick Favors (New Jersey Nets)
No. 4: Wesley Johnson (Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 5: DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings)
No. 6: Ekpe Udoh (Golden State Warriors)
No. 7: Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons)
No. 8: Al-Farouq Aminu (Los Angeles Clippers)
No. 9: Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz)
No. 10: Paul George (Indiana Pacers)
No. 11: Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder via New Orleans Hornets)
No. 12: Xavier Henry (Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 13: Ed Davis (Toronto Raptors)
No. 14: Patrick Patterson (Houston Rockets)
No. 15: Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 16: Luke Babbitt (Portland Trailblazers via Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 17: Kevin Seraphim (Chicago Bulls)
No. 18: Eric Bledsoe (Los Angeles Clippers via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 19: Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics)
No. 20: James Anderson (San Antonio Spurs)
No. 21: Craig Brackins (New Orleans Hornets via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 22: Elliott Williams (Portland Trailblazers)
No. 23: Trevor Booker (Washington Wizards via Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 24: Damion Jones (New Jersey Nets via Atlanta Hawks)
No. 25: Dominique Jones (Dallas Mavericks via Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 26: Quincy Pondexter (New Orleans Hornets via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 27: Jordan Crawford (Atlanta Hawks via New Jersey Nets)
No. 28: Greivis Vazquez (Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 29: Daniel Orton (Orlando Magic)
No. 30: Lazar Hayward (Minnesota Timberwolves via Washington Wizards)
No. 32: Dexter Pittman (Miami Heat)
No. 33: Hassan Whiteside (Sacramento Kings)
No. 34: Armon Johnson (Portland Trailblazers)
No. 35: Nemanja Bjelica (Minnesota Timberwolves via Washington Wizards)
No. 36: Terrico White (Detroit Pistons)
No. 37: Darington Hobson (Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 38: Andy Rautins (New York Knicks)
No. 39: Landry Fields (New York Knicks)
No. 40: Lance Stephenson (Indiana Pacers)
No. 41: Jarvis Varnado (Miami Heat)
No. 42: Da'Sean Butler (Miami Heat)
No. 43: Devin Ebanks (L.A. Lakers)
No. 44: Jerome Jordan (Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 45: Paulao Prestes (Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 46: Gani Lawal (Phoenix Suns)
No. 47: Keith "Tiny" Gallon (Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 48: Latavious Williams (Miami Heat)
No. 49: Ryan Richards (San Antonio Spurs)
No. 50: Solomon Alabi (Toronto Raptors via Dallas Mavericks)
No. 51: Magnum Rolle (Indiana Pacers via OKC Thunder)
No. 52: Luke Harangody (Boston Celtics!!!!)
No. 53: Pape Sy (Atlanta Hawks)
No. 54: Willie Warren (L.A. Clippers)
No. 55: Jeremy Evans (Utah Jazz)
No. 56: Hamady N'Diaye (Washington Wizards via Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 57: Ryan Reid (OKC Thunder via Indiana Pacers)
No. 58: Derrick Caracter (L.A. Lakers)
No. 59: Stanley Robinson (Orlando Magic)
No. 60: Dwyane Collins (Phoenix Suns)
Draft losers: Going by the reaction of their respective fans' tonight: Warriors, T'Wolves, Knicks...am I forgetting anyone who screwed up too egregiously?
11:59 P.M.: Taking a minute to gather my thoughts (and uncross my eyes) about draft winners and losers...what say you?
11:57 P.M.: And the No. 60 pick, basketball's version of Mr. Irrelevant as Stuart Scott would say, to the Phoenix Suns is...Dwyane Collins of Miami, a 6'8" beefy forward who should provide some interior defense once Amar'e leaves.
Heck, if their No. 60 pick pans out at all, they'll do better than the pick would suggest.
11:50 P.M.: And Orlando follows right up with another steal, grabbing Stanley Robinson of UConn at No. 59. Robinson's an insanely athletic, bouncy forward who should fit in well with Orlando's gritty inside-outside attack. He's another guy who was once mentioned as a lottery pick, and yet, the Magic grab him at No. 59.
Isn't it amazing how the best franchises always seem to end up finding gems late?
11:48 P.M.: Lakers strike again. The Lakers grab Derrick Caracter with the No. 58 pick, going for another guy with great game and questionable character.
Then again, when you're going into the locker room of a back-to-back champion and have Kobe Bryan to keep you in check, you're going into an environment where you're less inclined to act out. Caracter's a first-round talents that fell to the second because of character/attitude questions, and the Lakers were brilliant to pounce on him.
Lakers could end up being one of the winners of this draft, when it's all said and done...and they had two second-round picks. The rich get richer.
11:45 P.M.: Jay Bilas said this next one best. With No. 57, the Pacers picked Ryan Reid...a guy Bilas "didn't have in [his] top 90. But good for him. Seriously. Good for him."
11:43 P.M.: The Timberwolves pick Hamady N'diaye from Rutgers with the No. 56 pick for the Wizards. I remember N'diaye from some Georgetown-Rutgers matchups that ended up being a lot closer than they should have been, and N'diaye was typically a force on the defensive end every time.
It's a good value at the end of the second round, as he can backup JaVale McGee for cheap.
11:40 P.M.: Darts at a dartboard. Utah goes with Jeremy Evans out of Western Kentucky with the No. 55. Ford didn't have him in his Top 100. Bit of a curious pick from Utah, but who the heck knows what they saw in a second-round prospect workout?
11:38 P.M.: No, but seriously. The Clippers are having a good draft. Soon, David Kahn and Chris Wallace will be competent GMs.
11:37 P.M.: Oh my God...are the Clippers having a...good draft? With No. 54, they pick Willie Warren from Oklahoma. Say what you will about Warren this year, but with Blake Griffin, Oklahoma was an Elite 8 team.
11:34 P.M.: Atlanta goes with Pape Sy from Senegal with the No. 53. At this point, you're throwing darts at a dartboard. Might as well go with a dart of a position you could stand to upgrade. (Sorry, Marvin Williams.) We'll call this pick a solid B.
I guess the C's figure Harangody dominated the Big East so well that he'll be able to translate his skills to the pros. Time will tell on that one. I'll give the C's a B- for this pick...if Shelden Williams didn't pan out in the pros, I don't see why Luke Harangody will.
11:27 P.M.: Finally. Finally, someone ends the Solomon Alabi slide as the Mavericks draft him with the No. 50 pick. Alabi's a 7-foot sophomore out of Florida State who could stand to gain some weight, but had been mentioned as a player who could be drafted in the 20s.
Gotta figure this spells the end of Brendan Haywood's tumultuous few months in Dallas. And for that, the Mavs get an A.
11:24 P.M. The Spurs strike draft gold yet again, drafting Ryan Richards of England with the No. 49 pick. Xavier Henry said Richards was an under-the-radar player that "could really play."
Knowing the Spurs, they'll allow Richards to develop in time. Considering how much he impressed NBA execs at the draft combine, it's not an exaggeration to say he could evolve into Tim Duncan's eventually successor. It's a steal for the Spurs, and they get an A.
11:22 P.M.: History has been made once more tonight: The Miami Heat draft the first D-League player in league history, Latavious Williams, from the D-League champion Tulsa 66ers.
As a Georgetown fan, I can't help but think back to last year, when Williams was flirting with the idea of coming to G'town before opting to play abroad for a year. (He earned the nickname "Latavious B.I.G." as a result.)
Seems like a solid second round value. Miami gets an A- here.
Again, like Jordan, he'll be solid off the bench once Bogut comes back, and can platoon with Sanders and Jordan for minutes if he's out recovering from his gruesome injury he suffered in the playoffs. The Bucks get an A for me just for Tiny's name.
11:16 P.M.: Like the Gani Lawal pick for Phoenix. They're a team that gets more out of their unheralded players (Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic) than anyone would have expected, and Lawal's an athletic forward who should be able to step in and contribute right away.
Wait, a 6'9" big man who can clean up on the boards and likely produce a 20-10 nightly? Don't you already have two of those in Kevin Love and Al Jefferson?
KAAAAAAAAHN. (Yup, that's a grade now.)
From the sound of it, New Yorkers are about to riot. The Knicks fan with the Knicks' colored fro and the blue/orange painted face looked incredulous.
Rautins is a heck of a shooter, but not much else. (Perhaps this continues the "let's put shooters around LeBron and see what happens" plan?) Fields...can't say I get this one at all. (Perhaps they were going with the "let's grab TWO guys 15 picks too early" plan?)
Hobson was a real force to handle for New Mexico, and the thought of Jennings and Hobson in a backcourt together should give other execs the willies.
Loving what the Bucks did here.
And thus, KAAAAHN gets a big old incomplete from me for this pick.
Great move for Oklahoma City, who need to keep adding big bodies. Pleiss could be another example of Serge Ibaka, who they drafted late in the first round and stashed in Europe for a few years. Brilliant work by Oklahoma City in the draft yet again...another A for them.
No. 3: Derrick Favors (New Jersey Nets)
No. 4: Wesley Johnson (Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 5: DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings)
No. 6: Ekpe Udoh (Golden State Warriors)
No. 7: Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons)
No. 8: Al-Farouq Aminu (Los Angeles Clippers)
No. 9: Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz)
No. 10: Paul George (Indiana Pacers)
No. 11: Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder via New Orleans Hornets)
No. 12: Xavier Henry (Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 13: Ed Davis (Toronto Raptors)
No. 14: Patrick Patterson (Houston Rockets)
No. 15: Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 16: Luke Babbitt (Portland Trailblazers via Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 17: Kevin Seraphim (Chicago Bulls)
No. 18: Eric Bledsoe (Los Angeles Clippers via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 19: Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics)
No. 20: James Anderson (San Antonio Spurs)
No. 21: Craig Brackins (New Orleans Hornets via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 22: Elliott Williams (Portland Trailblazers)
No. 23: Trevor Booker (Washington Wizards via Minnesota Timberwolves)
No. 24: Damion Jones (New Jersey Nets via Atlanta Hawks)
No. 25: Dominique Jones (Dallas Mavericks via Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 26: Quincy Pondexter (New Orleans Hornets via Oklahoma City Thunder)
No. 27: Jordan Crawford (Atlanta Hawks via New Jersey Nets)
No. 28: Greivis Vazquez (Memphis Grizzlies)
No. 29: Daniel Orton (Orlando Magic)
No. 30: Lazar Hayward (Minnesota Timberwolves via Washington Wizards)
Worry not, Memphis fans. You don't have to know who Dominique Jones is anymore.
They already found a gem in the late first round with Marcus Thornton last year, and Pondexter has the potential to be the perfect SG backup to Thornton. Pondexter isn't the strongest three-point shooter, unlike Thornton, but he excels in getting to the basket, which the Hornets lack beyond Chris Paul.
Fantastic value at No. 26 for the Hornets - it's an A for me.
It's a good pick for the Grizzlies, who don't have any gaping needs. It's a B+ from me.
Booker makes more sense if he's not playing on the Wolves.
Seeing as Steve Blake's out of there in free agency, it's a smart play to get a backup like Bledsoe for Baron Davis. Still an A of a pick.
8:48 P.M.: Ahh...Hornets made the move for cap space. Surprise, surprise.
