2009 NBA Draft Diary By Me

I posted this over at HOOPH.


This is a diary of the 2009 NBA draft.

The tandem of Mark Jackson & Jeff Van Gundy is doing the TV job, both great basketball minds and funny as hell. Mark & Jeff pairing (see? just the names, has the making of a great tandem) is really one of the best combos in NBA Basketball. But their tandem could be possibly cut short ‘coz both are high on the list of prospective coaches.

As with previous years of holding this, David Stern will handle the first round then deputy commissioner Adam Silver takes over the second round. I will not go beyond first round though because I don’t know much about the new breed except for few names who are being mentioned quite often like the Rubios and the Griffins of the world.

I’ll go over the lottery picks (first 15) then we’ll go to Chad Ford’s draft review to learn more.

Opening up the salvo is of course David Stern greeted & welcomed by Madison Square Garden’s rowdy fans. Is it me or really, David Stern has the most sarcastic smile in the world. BTW, Stern mentions the world champions Los Angeles Lakers and the crowd booed. Haters!

Los Angeles Clippers, the worst franchise in the NBA ever, will pick first and there is no secret, Clips shall choose Blake Griffin. Wow, 2 winning seasons in 30 years, there is no reason why the Clippers are in the NBA still. BTW2, read the open letter of Bill Simmons, addressed to Mr. Blake Griffin.

It’s 5 minutes every after pick in the first round. Which means, I’ll be sitting my ass in for the next 75 minutes just to cover the lottery picks. Being a basketball fan is full time job!!!

PICK 1

Walah! Clippers select Blake Griffin of Oklahoma U. With NBA ready game & NBA ready body, this guy should be ready to kick some butt. The experts are picking other players for ROY, but hey, I am going with this fully packed power forward. He’ll get the numbers… he’ll get the minutes… he’ll possibly get quality teammates (Kaman, Davis, Randolph)… he’ll be the Rookie of the Year.

BTW3, Blake Griffin’s mom is white, his dad is black, thus he’s got this Jason Kidd look. Like, he’s in the middle, the black and the white. (BTW4, RIP Michael Jackson, much respect to his songwriting, his music & talent. Despite the bizarre MJ act, artistically, he’s great. We can’t take that away from him.)

Later, Clippers part time coach, part time GM Mike Dunleavy was interviewed. And, he lied when he said he’ll not trade one of his players, one of his biggies. That’s unreal. He needs to package Camby. It doesn’t help that Dunleavy has oiled hair, the mafia look, the Al Capone look… it doesn’t help in convincing us that he’s telling the truth.

PICK 2

Side note primer, would you believe this? As bad as Memphis Grizzlies are, they already have 4 winning seasons in their young history (The Pau Gasol Years). Compare that to the Clippers’ two winning seasons. WOW!

Memphis Grizzlies selected Hasheem Thabbet from Connecticut, and out of Tanzania, a 7-3 center. Ladies and gentlemen, the next Dikmebe Mutombo arrives. He’s interviewed and he sounded like Dike too! He might as well learn and practice the finger wag.

Based from NBA TV crew’s words, I think his game would complement Mark Gasol’s. That is, if they can ever understand each other. One speaks Spanish, one Tanzaniaish (I invented that language).

PICK 3

James Harden from Arizona picked by OKC, a guard. Ricky Rubio show on screen clapping. Is this Ricky’s first of what could be more slips? If Harden plays for OKC, I think Durant will finally settle on playing small forward. The interview… James Hareden was interviewed and how the hell can he be full bearded and mustached for such a young age.

PICK 4

Sacto is next. Pointguard Tyreke Evans from University of Memphis is the choice. And they flashed Rubio again clapping… and fake smiling… and slipping. I must admit, I don’t know much of these guys, therefore I don’t have Evans background. From the TV crew’s, he seems solid. But to me, I think Sacramento’s history of play, up tempo and with flair, a flashy Ricky Rubio would get them more season ticket holders.

PICK 5

Could it be Ricky Rubio’s time… Minnesota traded away Foye & Miller so they have opening in the guards position (and they will get bunch of them)… BTW5, they own the picks 5 & 6.

Olah amigos, El Pistolero Maravicho Photocopiya, Ricky Rubio picked by ‘Sota. Just in, team owner Taylor went to a nearby ATM and withdraws 10,000,000 US dollars, he’ll need the money to buy Rubio’s contract out from his Spanish team, La Liga Spanyol Merengue.

Kevin Love and Al Jefferson plus Rubio, hmmmm, that’s pretty good set. Nice job Kevin McHale! Ah wait, he’s no longer part of the Timberwolves. BTW6, Minnesota Timberwolves are still coach-less. I think they should draft a coach first.

The Interview… Ricky Rubio was interviewed and he has this freak high note voice. He could dub some of the Pixar films and he’ll get away with it fine. Asked, to whom he can compare his game, he says… I AM RICKY RUBIO! Yes, you are Ricky Rubio, a potential bust.

PICK 6

Minny again on the clock…

Some primer, after years at the helm, McHale is no longer with the Minnesota Timberwolves… 5-year playoff drought & still without a coach. These picks 5 and 6 plus later picks should help their cause.

They picked Jonny Flynn from Syracuse who seems to be an explosive player. His claim to fame, he played in a 6 overtime game & played 67 minutes. Wow, that’s 2 games in one-night. Even baseball players on steroids can’t do that, even football on boobs-enhancer-steroids can’t do that, even Snoop Dogg on a good night can’t top that, even Wilt wasn’t able to do that in his prime. (Wilt has other unbreakable record though, google “wilt chamberlain 20000.”)

PICK 7

Golden State Warriors picked Stephen Curry, son of a decent NBA player, Dell Curry. The whole MSG is crying coz they love Curry to land to Knicks. A combo-guard-shooter, he’ll certainly fit with Monta Ellis’ game. That’s if, a big if, Monta decides not to injure himself again on some non-basketball activity. The interview… man, or should I say boy, Stephen Curry’s facial hair is thinner than thin. Same of what I have when I was 15. Somebody should make him shave the beard.

PICK 8

Speaking of hair, the New York Knicks miss Curry just by a hair. Curry gone by the 7th, and they are picking 8th. NYK selected Joran Hill from Arizona. The boo birds came singing. This MSK-Knicks crowd, I can’t remember a draft night when they appreciated a Knicks’ pick.

From pre-draft shows I watched, this 6-10 power forward plays Cris Bosh type of game. Oh, so the NYK need not clear up cap space to get Bosh in 2010, they got Bosh-like player in 09.

PICK 9

DeMar DeRozan from USC picked by Toronto Raptors. I know zero about this guy so I’ll say this… I think Colangelo is done with Spaniards, Italians, etc. And since I got nothing on DeRozan, I’ll say few more things…

1. I hate the trend of players spelling their names with mash-up of caps letters & small letters! I’ll blame LeBron for this. Yes LeBron. Not Lebron, Not LEBRON, but LeBron! But DeMar DeRozan just put it to the next level. You need to press the SHIFT-KEY 4 times just to type his name. That’s a lot of work for us Demar, I mean, DeMar.
2. I am tired of these broadcasters saying like “this player is athletic!” All they say is that! This guy is athletic! Of course they are, they are athletes for crissakes.
3. Also, I’ve had enough of TV guys saying that Player A has a 7-1 wingspan, that PLAYER B has 7-4 wingspan! My question is, are they really measuring this stat? I think NO. That wingspan description is just a filler if they have nothing to say about a player. See, them saying, “This PLAYER A is super athletic and can jump out of the building & he has a wingspan of 7-2,” that’s not doing the draft scouting job, right?

PICK 10

Brandon Jennings picked by Milwaukee Bucks. He played in Europe after highschool to hone his skills there… cashed in some Euros… and perhaps produced some African-American-Italian players ready for the NBA Draft 2030.

Oh by the way, with no assurance of being picked early in the draft, Jennings stayed in his hotel suite and played Nintendo Wii. Later, he came for a photoshoot with the cap, with Stern, what a (no)character guy. Congratulation to the Bucks for getting a superb headcase in the making.

PICK 11

New Jersey Nets, fresh from disposing VINSANITY, they need to get some scoring punch, a wing player punch.

NJ Nets selected Terrence Williams a senior from Louisville. He can score and is versatile but dig this, he CAN defend. That’s basically like poorman’s version of Vince, a cheaper Vince, a younger Vince. Diff is, Williams plays defense.

PICK 12

Charlotte Bobcats is next. GM Jordan is in Chicago though playing Golf this late. But to show his professionalism to us all and to show his commitment to Bobcats, he stopped playing in the 10th Hole. He called the CB draft room and the instruction is to draft Jeff Jordan, I mean Gerald Henderson.

Guard Gerald Henderson is from Duke. Oh-oh, from Duke guys, brace for a disappointing career. Try googling “duke nba busts” and you’ll get amazing results.

Like Stephen Curry, Gerald Henderson is a second generation NBA player, his dad played too in the NBA.

PICK 13

Indiana Pacers selected Tyler Hansbrough. Experts are high on this guy but the TV crews said Indiana needs a PG. And then, surprise, Larry Legend picked a forward, a white forward, a hard-working white forward. Basically, Bird picked a Larry Bird player without the shooting, without the great basketball IQ that Bird had, and without the ‘tache.

PICK 14

Phoenix Suns went on Mass Destruction mode of its core team. They are officially rebuilding. Bucher reported a possible Amare Stoudemire to GSW trade. And of course, news is, SHAQ will team-up with LeBron to fulfill a Lakers - Cavs finals next year.

Phoenix Suns select Earl Clark, a 6-10 forward. Well, no pressure for him! He is just the Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille replacement up front for the Phoenix Suns. No pressure!

Doogie Howser M.D., AKA, Steve Kerr admitted that they are on rebuilding and listening to offers. Bye Amare!

PICK15

Detroit selected skinny 6-11 Austin Daye from Gonzaga. The 3rd father-son in the draft. Funny note by Jeff Van Gundy, a thin-wire Austin Daye for the Detroit Pistons will make Tayshaun Prince like The Hulk compared to Daye.

The lottery picks are over. Expect numerous trades later in the draft including the much loved, trading players for cash.