Dave G's Dugout

A Question of Character

You would think that Michael Beasley murdered a church full of honor students. You would think he kidnapped the Lindburgh baby or drove OJ's white Bronco down the LA Freeway. With the media questioning his character and proclaiming him the bad boy of the 2008 NBA Draft, you would think Michael Beasley was the Antichrist. He's not. 

Leave it to the media to find a line to blur between being a thug and being a 19 year-old kid. Beasley is hardly the first and every bit the latter. His "criminal acts" are limited to a few slashed tires and a dead  rat in a teacher's desk - when he was 12 years old! The other acts in question, his high school antics, are limited to wearing pajamas in class and forging a graffiti contest with a friend, during which he wrote his name on the principal's car. I'm not condoning these actions; they were stupid, childish acts. But that's the whole point, isn't it? These were the acts of a child, a high school kid who did some things he thought were funny. They weren't, and in the end they cost him his reputation and the honor of being the first pick in the NBA Draft. But these acts, and this kid, are hardly evil, despite how the media has portrayed him. "Stink" Brown, who has coached Beasley since the player was eleven, said, "Look, people don't talk about him stealing or robbing or cursing out or harming anybody. He listens. Whatever coach says to him, he will do. On the court, he's all business. Off the court, he's still young and will learn what he can and can't do in order to be a man." Isn't that all we can ask of him? 

Beasley seems like a goofy, immature kid whose sense of humor may not come with an off switch and whose social life may be a bit active for the taste of NBA executives. But these issues have less to do with character than they do with personality. Beasley has the personality of a fun-loving, 19-year old. But ask any of his coaches, or the players who fought alongside him, and they'll tell you his character is unimpeachable. Bill Barton, his high school coach, said, ""He's a great kid who's respectful to everybody, polite to staff members and kids of the community alike. Yes, he showed age-appropriate behavior at times, but I had him when he was 17 and he was a heck of a lot more mature than I was at 17. He has lived away from home for so long that he's more mature than most kids his age. I'm not sure I ever got mad at him the entire year except once or twice when he didn't get a rebound. If I live to 110, I'll never say a bad word about this kid." This is the guy whose character cost him the top overall selection? 

In sports, the word "character" goes a long way. We think about bad character and we think, undoubtedly, of Ron Artest, who charged into the stands to attack a fan. We think about Pacman  Jones, whose actions left a Vegas bouncer paralyzed. We think, now, of Shawn Chacon, who grabbed his GM, Ed Wade, by the neck and threw him to the ground. Michael Beasley wrote his name on a car. Seriously. He doesn't belong on this list. To group him into the "character issues" crowd with the likes of Ron Artest and Co. is to do nothing more than irresponsibly slander a kid before he even enters the world of professional sports. 

These characterizations already cost Beasley a spot on the Bulls roster and will likely cost him millions of dollars in endorsements (Nike tends not to endorse guys labeled as criminals). More importantly, though, they have cost him his reputation. Before David Stern even called Beasley's name, the world knew him as a thug. Yet if his teammates and coaches were given the airtime of those who labeled him, Beasley may have been given a fair shake - and the kid they call B-Easy might be entering the league favored by fans instead of feared. Most fans don't know the details of Beasley's past. They don't know that he has been well-liked everywhere he has played, and that he is generally considered hard-working and well-mannered. Fans only latch onto the "character issues" phrase that has been so carelessly tossed around and come to identify Beasley with the other athletes who fit into that group. 

Michael Beasley is the surest thing basketball has seen in a while. He is a prolific scorer and rebounder who looks to be a major offensive presence in the league for years to come. For basketball fans, Beasley will be a part of our lives for the immediate future whether we like him or not. And even though we have been predisposed by the media not to like him, let us as fans do what the media has not had the decency to do: Let's give Michael Beasley a chance.

Dave G's Draft Diary 2008

For all the draft board changes, the flips and flops, and the shuffling of player rankings across the country, this draft – at least at the top – is shaping up exactly as we expected. The top recruits heading into this past college basketball season were Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, OJ Mayo, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Love. Tonight, all five should go in the top ten. Despite the scandals that affected Gordon (his coach) and  Mayo (his posse), the character issues that plagued Beasley, and the conditioning concerns surrounding Love, these guys will highlight tonight’s 2008 NBA Draft – just as we thought they would a year ago. Sure, this season has seen others charge up the draft board – Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez, and Jerryd Bayless would certainly agree – but the blue chips remain largely on top and ready to claim their spots on NBA rosters. 

Tonight, I’ll be offering a running commentary of the draft, with the occasional help of my friend Jason. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not ripping off Bill Simmons, but I won’t be reading his draft diary until this one is complete. Any similarities are coincidences.

First a few stray comments:

-Brook Lopez looks oddly like Ivan Drago. I half-expect him to lean down over David Stern and say, “I must break you.”

-Kevin Love looks a lot skinnier than he did all year. Do you think he tightened his chin strap?

-I expect the first three picks to be Rose-Beasley-Mayo. Anything else would be uncivilized. If Chicago somehow goes with Beasley, there will be pandemonium in Chicago and throughout the b-ball world.

What the hell were the Nets thinking trading RJ for Yi? This doesn’t make sense to me. Nets execs think Yi reminds them of Dirk Nowitzski. Yeah, and I’m Spud Webb. This will free up cap space for the Nets to go after LeBron, but for the next two years, they just gave up their best and most consistent scorer. I don’t get this trade.

7:05 – Chicago tells ESPN’s Andy Katz that Derrick Rose will be a Chicago Bull. No real surprise here, though I’m sure the Heat aren’t too happy about it. They’re now going to field a ton of offers because it looks like they don’t love Beasley. I think they’ll take him unless they’re bowled over by a trade offer. 

7:11 – I love Dick Vitale, especially when there are no Duke players in the draft. That’s right: Greg Paulus didn’t quite make it this year.

7:13 – OJ Mayo is wearing glasses, I guess to seem less likely to commit a rules violation. I wonder if they cost $30,000. Anyway, I like OJ. I think he’s going to be a phenomenal talent in the league for a long time to come and he seems like the most marketable of the top guys in the draft. Plus, his name doubles as a delicious snack.

7:15 – RIP Len Bias: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=bias&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab7pos1

7:16 – Derrick Rose is phenomenally giggly. What’s up with this? You’re the top player in the NBA draft., Derrick. Stop giggling. Also, Rose is often compared to Chris Paul and Deron Williams, which may be true – but he’s not nearly as well-spoken as either of those guys. He likes to eat candy, his nickname is Pooh, and he keeps giggling like a girl. What’s up with this?

7:17 – Beasley seems like a cool guy. 

7:23 – I’m reading the Len Bias piece and it really bothers me. Every time I really think about it, it bothers me. This guy went to Maryland, was probably the best athlete in school history, and would have been Jordan’s natural rival in the NBA. But he was also just a kid who died of drugs in a dorm I’ve visited many times 

7:24 – On a brighter note, the Knicks apparently think the guy they want will fall to #6. Danilo Galinari? Russell Westbrook? Probably not Jerryd Bayless. Stephon Marbury?

7:31 – David Stern steps to the podeum. I actually saw him Tuesday in the city as I stood outside the NBA building with my friend Scott. Stern rushed out of the building to a waiting car. He looked just like he looks on TV, like the most powerful man in sports.

7:38 - With the first pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose!!!!! Michael Beasley politely claps. Rose looks thrilled. He’s hugging people and offers the Commish the two-handed shake. He’ll have to give up #23, but somehow I don’t think he’ll mind. ESPN’s been showing the same 3 clips of Rose all week. I’m actually convinced he only played in three possessions all year.

7:40 – I wonder if Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy are both absolutely furious they’re not coaching the Bulls this year. Rose looks strangely subdued. Wow, he sounds and looks just like his mom. And they both seem incredibly calm for having just become multimillionaires.

7:43 – The Miami Heat select…Michael Beasley! Wow, I was nervous there. But they did the right thing. OJ Mayo looks disappointed, Beasley looks relieved. If they keep Marion and Beasley and field a middle three of Wade-Marion-Beasley, the Heat are back in the playoffs in 2008-9. People always talk about Beasley and Rose as sure things, but didn’t they say the same about Derrick Coleman, Chris Webber, and Michael Olowokandi? You never know… I predict OJ for the next pick, but I think there’s a slim chance of Kevin Love. Uh oh, Beasley just described himself as a “fun-loving guy off the court.” Pat Riley just slapped himself.

7:48 – Minnesota takes…OJ Mayo. No shock here. Kevin McHale just got a new face for a franchise that lost KG. Do you think Mayo’s glasses have lenses in them? I actually think Mayo will be ridiculously good going forward in the NBA. Plus, he has a beard now.

7:52 – Pat Riley doesn’t sound too high on Beasley. He just pawned the decision off on his assistants. He also said, “We love Michael” but then focused on his talent rather than he character. He said he hopes he matures real quickly, so surely there are some concerns in the Heat tent.

7:54 – Sonics wanted to drop back, but were unsuccessful. Here comes David Stern. Sonics take…Russell Westbrook. WOW! WOW! WOW! This kid rose like a meteor this year. Wow. From a second-round choice to the fourth pick, he’ll join Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. I wonder if there’ll be a trade here with the Knicks or Clippers so the Sonics can get Brook Lopez or Kevin Love and a little something else. We’ll see…They just cut Westbrook’s time to give more airtime to Kevin Durant, who seems pleased to have RW on his team.

Commercial Break. I’m thinking Grizzlies take Lopez or Love when we come back.

8:01 – Memphis picks Kevin Love! UCLA back to back. Am I crazy or will Rudy Gay-Kevin Love-Mike Conley be a pretty decent core for that team? More importantly, THE KNICKS ARE ON THE CLOCK!!!

8:06 – My dad says the Knicks will go with a guard. I’d like to see Jerryd Bayless. 30 seconds left. I am psyched. The Knicks select: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The crowd doesn’t like this and I’m not sure I do either. But apparently he’s incredible, so we shall see. I wanted Bayless. I hope we don’t regret this pick. Galinari is trying to kiss ass by saying “New York is the best city in the world.” He’s saying the same five phrases over and over. I wonder if he has an Italian-to-Draft-Day dictionary. Let’s hope he pans out. And let’s watch the Clippers take Eric Gordon here. That’s my prediction. 

8:12 – Gordon to Clippers. Big shock. Here he comes, rocking the white tux. Knicks just passed up Eric Gordon and Jerryd Bayless. Stu Scott is talking about the record being set for freshman picks – dude, that’s what happens when you change the rules to make high school picks go to college. Boo yah! By the way, what happened to all these expected trades? I’m thinking we’ll see Joe Alexander come next, joining Russell Westbrook in the WHAT!?!? column. I think Gordon will be really solid as a pro, but he’s an undersized 2. Don’t let his rocky finish to the season taint your vision of him – that Indiana situation would have doomed anyone’s game. Gordon sounds a lot smarter than I heard he was.

8:16 – Donnie Walsh says he got his man. I truly hope so.  By the way, Stuart Scott said Galinari could eventually remind New York fans of Derek Jeter. Really? Really, Stu? Really?

8:18 – Bucks take Joe Alexander. By the way, he comes from Maryland. He played in West Virginia. Gary Williams can’t recruit. I expect Brook Lopez next. Dude, Joe Alexander is intense. It looks as if he’s about to rip Stephen A’s head off and dunk it. By the way, isn’t getting Richard Jefferson and Joe Alexander in the same day kind of redundant? Seriously? 

8:23 – I’m not particularly upset about the Galinari pick. I just can’t get excited about a guy I’ve never seen play.

8:24 – Bobcats (the incredible trio of Michael Jordan, Larry Brown, and Adam Morrison) select…DJ Augustin!!! WOW! Huge shock here! DJ shut shat himself. Brook Lopez just died a little bit inside. Man, I’ll bet the Nets regret trading for Yi now that Brook Lopez is on the board. So, will Augustin or Felton start for Charlotte at the end of this season? 

8:28 – How come none of these guys seem ecstatic? I would be thrilled. They barely seem pumped. I like DJ a lot but I’ve always been a little hesitant about his size in the NBA game. The Nets will probably take Lopez here. But who knows. I just had a thought. Imagine if Robin goes above Brook? Hmm..

8:29: Nets select Brook Lopez. Welcome to the Garden State, Brook! This kid was a great player for Stanford this past year..can’t believe he lasted to 10. DJ Augustin in front of him..WOW. NJ fans are going to like this guy. He seems tough and plays hard as hell, yet retains a pleasant demeanor. Kind of like New Jersey. I grew up there, by the way.

8:35: Pacers get Bayless. My least favorite team gets the player I wanted the Knicks to get. Awesome. My friend Jason pointed out that when you hear the draft ding, you also hear the sound of a Windows error. He’s a dork. I really, really, hope the Knicks don’t go for Jamaal Tinsley. I really, really hope this doesn’t happen. I don’t think Donnie Walsh would do it, but if Isiah was here he would have already given him a 4-year, $400million contract. Jerryd Bayless rocks the white suit. I couldn’t pull that off.

8:42: Sacramento on the clock. I’m thinking Arthur, Chalmers, or maybe even Robin Lopez. And it is…Jason Thompson? What? What? What? Who? Huh? Okie dokie. The Kings suck. This guy grew eleven inches between his freshman and senior years?! Wow, that’s crazy! If I grew eleven inches, I’d be a half a foot shorter than he is now. This next pick has to be Brandon Rush, who is one of my favorite players in this draft. I really wanted to get him as a Knick, but I think he’ll go to Portland here. If not, he won’t last beyond Phoenix.

8:47: Blazers take Rush! Yippee! Man, I wish I was a Blazers fan. They’ve become one of my favorite teams to follow, with Oden, Aldridge, Roy, and now Rush – not to mention the immortal Steve Blake.

The Warriors could go for a big man here but they might need a backup for Baron Davis in case he leaves. Still, I think they could take a big man and Darrell Arthur might be their man. Anthony Randolph has plenty of upside but he’s 6-11 and weighs under 200 lbs. I like Athur here. Let’s see:

8:51: Warriors take Randolph, who subsequently breaks in half. So the lottery is set: Rose, Beasley, Mayo, Westbrook, Love, Galinari, Gordon, Alexander, Augustin, Lopez, Bayless, Thompson, Rush, and Randolph. If you’re going to take Thompson at 12, how do you not trade down to do it? This makes no sense. Randolph seems very confident, which I like. 

8:56: Suns pick Robin Lopez, who is probably shocked and thrilled to go here. Man, imagine being their parents and having both kids drafted into the NBA. Incredible. The Lopez parents are like the Mannings of the NBA. Robin wins the award for biggest hair since Joakim Noah. I actually like Robin Lopez better than Brook Lopez. By drafting Brook, you want to get an offensive big man. By drafting Robin, you’re expecting a defensive specialist. Robin has less measure up to and thus more to gain. Wow, apparently Robin’s dream was to play for the Suns. Finally, someone who sounds thrilled to be here! He sounds thrilled. That’s how it should be. I’m thinking the Sixers will take Speights next, but Arthur is still on the board. Decisions, Decisions. They desperately need a banger inside (that’s what she said!) and either of those guys could get it done for them.

9:03: It’s Speights, who is not present. Raptors should take Arthur or Dante Greene here.  I think I like Arthur for them, especially since Jermaine O’Neal is fragile. Donte Greene is a tougher Andrea Bargnagni with a lot of Rashard Lewis in him, but the Raptors may go for the surer thing in Arthur.

9:07: Raptors select Roy Hibbert. WOW. Holy cow – OH WAIT, he’s going to Indiana. So Indiana gets Jerryd Bayless, Roy Hibbert, and TJ Ford, a great couple of days for Larry Bird’s boys. By the way, the Jazz will be furious. I will be utterly shocked if the Wizards don’t take Darrell Arthur here. He is the best player for them and is still on the board. He’s a dream for them and they’ll snatch him up. He’ll join me in DC soon. 

HUGE TRADE

Blazers get Bayless and Diogu for Rush and Jack. Wow, the Blazers got an elite point guard to join Oden/Aldridge/Roy. Unreal. Huge move for them! Rush will be strong in Indiana, where he’ll join his brother Kareem. By the way, Wizards took Javale McGee, a skinny kid with a ton of upside. Eventually, he could be better than Arthur, but it’s gotta be frustrating for Arthur to sit there. Maybe he’ll join LeBron here.

9:20: Cavs take JJ Hickson, a great pick for them out of NC State. Big body to play inside in the 4-spot, but as Jay Bilas is saying, he’ll have to work on an outside shot. I think this is a very good pick for them. I have to believe the Bobcats will take Arthur, who I’m sure they’re thrilled is there now. They passed up Brook Lopez to take a PG at 9, probably never thinking they could get Arthur here. I will be appalled if they don’t take him.

9:25: Ah, I forgot about Koufos. This could be him.

9:26: Commish: Jordan/Brown/Morrison take Alexis Ajinca, big man from France. Ok, yeah I guess I could see this. Still, it’s a surprise for a team that always selects the best college players. Arthur is probably one pick away from crying at this point, the one man left in the green room now. I’m thinking Kosta Koufos or Arthur here.

Alert: Josh McRoberts was traded. Holy shit! He is actually one-half of my least favorite sports duo of all-time, the other half being Greg Paulus.

How is Jerryd Bayless not absolutely psyched to be rescued from Indiana, much less going to a juggernaut like Portland? I like him a lot less than I did a few minutes ago.

The Nets are on the board here, and I have to think they’ll take Arthur since they took Lopez earlier. Lopez rules out Koufos here, at least according to me and my friend Jason. Jason brings up a good point about Bayless, by the way. He says he’s down because he could have gone as high as second in the draft. He’s fallen to 11 and was traded for Brandon Rush, who went 13^th. So yeah, I could see why he’s not more excited. Still, I’d rather go late to Portland than early to Indy.

I’m going out on a limb here and saying I want CDR here. The Nets have Brook Lopez, Yi, and Josh Boone. Come get CDR!

9:33: Ryan Anderson, from the University of California, and Darrell Arthur just shot himself.

I’m going to say the Magic will take Arthur to strengthen their frontline, CDR to step in at the 2, or Chalmers to replace Jameer Nelson at point guard. I’m going with Chris Douglas-Roberts here. He’s the best possible pick for the Magic: a guy who can step in right away and make an immediate impact at shooting guard.

Ooh, Jeff Van Gundy agrees with me all around. I love JVG!

Here comes the Commish! The excitement is building.

Magic pick Courtney Lee. Great choice! How did I not mention him?!?! He’s going to be a very good player in the NBA and should be able to contribute this year at the 2-spot. He’s a great talent from Western Kentucky. He showed us in the tournament that he was a star and his late-game heroics in the first round showed us that he is an unselfish star. I might have preferred CDR here but I can’t argue against Courtney Lee. He’s a guy, by the way.

I have to predict Koufos here for the Jazz, who desperately need a big man.

9:43: Koufos!

I’m predicting Arthur finally to the Sonics.

They take: Serge Ibaka. Good guy. Good pick. I’ve read a few things over the past few weeks, but again, I can’t get excited about guys I’ve never seen play.

Here’s Darrell for an interview with Doris Roberts. He seems disheartened obviously, but is handling it well. I’ve said a few times on this blog that Kansas is my second team in college bball and I’m sorry to see Arthur stuck in the green room.

I’m thinking Chalmers here for the Rockets. Rafer Alston is a fine point guard but not a great one. He’ll need help and Chalmers could do the trick. They could also go for a center here because it seems like Yao is becoming more and more injury-prone as he gets older.

9:55: Rockets select Nicolas Batum, a swingman who I thought would be going to the Spurs two picks after this. He has been highly touted and looks to be a good presence here. Shane Battier can’t be too happy to see this pick.

Bucher reports that Darrell Arthur has an undisclosed kidney issue that teams are very hesitant to embrace. Wow.

I think the Spurs should go with CDR here.

They instead pick George Hill, who I have never heard of…

DARRELL ARTHUR FINALLY GOES TO NEW ORLEANS AT 27!!!! He gets a standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd. Portland actually has the pick though through a trade, so Arthur is the newest member of the Portland Trailblazers. Portland got Jerryd Bayless AND Darrell Arthur in the draft. Unbelievable. They continue their draft day dominance. David Stern is actually applauding. Phenomenal.

Memphis here has the ability to draft favorite son Chris Douglas-Roberts, who helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA final today. He’s one of my favorite guys in this draft (if you couldn’t tell), but I’m not sure he fits as well here as he does on some other teams. He could be a good backup here and, if they trade Miller, a starter. Here we go:

10:15: Grizzlies select Donte Greene. He’s a great talent, a 6’9” inside/outside player with an unpolished game who has the ability to develop into a phenomenal player. He has a way to go, but he can get there.

Detroit is on the clock now and CDR is from Michigan…I actually also like Joey Dorsey for them, the reincarnation of Ben Wallace. He’d be a great fit for this team. And I think CDR would be a better choice for Boston, who has the 30^th pick. Boston needs a future SG to back up Allen now and replace him later. CDR, if he’s around, would be a great choice.

10:21: The Detroit Pistons select…DJ White. Yeah, I get this. He’s a big forward out of Indiana who played second-banana to Gordon. White’s knee problems have taken a big toll on him but at 6’9”, 251, he can be a big-banging guy for the Pistons.

Stu Scott mentions Isiah Thomas and the crowd at MSG erupts in Boo’s. Good. I hate Isiah. Have I mentioned that?

I cannot see any situation in which Boston will not pick Chris Douglas-Roberts here. I really can’t.

Holy cow, I didn’t realize that Portland had two early picks in the second round. Jesus. Portland is going to be ridiculous. And they have the #55 pick too. Wow. Unreal.

David Stern sure is taking his time here….What could he be doing back there? Jello shots?

10:30: With the final pick in the first round, the Boston Celtics select J.R. Giddens, from New Mexico. He’s supposed to be good, but he’s not CDR, which means I am unfairly against him.

Well the first round is over, with a lot of top players going a lot later than I thought. Jerryd Bayless, Brook Lopez, Darrell Arthur, Donte Green, and now Chris Douglas-Roberts fell farther than I thought they would.

Larry Brown was shown on the big screen at the Garden and the fans started chanting “Jeff Van Gundy!” I couldn’t agree more.

That’s it for tonight. Tomorrow I hope to grade each team on their performance today.

Goodnight folks!

Light the Victory Cigars

Kevin Garnett just hugged Bill Russell and said "I got my own." Ray Allen hit 7 threes with his child in the hospital. Paul Pierce won the Finals MVP after a long and winding career in Boston. It doesn't get much better than this. 

More to come tomorrow...

Boston Celtics: 2008 NBA Champions

NBA Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 11-15)

#11. Indiana Pacers

Dave: DJ Augustin. The Pacers need to end the Jamaal Tinsley saga now and they'll take the best point guard available. If Augustin is on the board here, I expect him to go to Indy. Jason and others have thi s pick reversed with the Knicks' #6 selection, but I don't think Augustin is a top ten talent, whereas Russell Westbrook has climbed high in the last few months. Augustin was the best college point guard this past year who wasn't named Derrick Rose, but the NBA game is different and DJ might just be too small for it. Still, he's a good pick for Indy at #11, a competent albeit small guard whose character and attitude will be a huge improvement over Tinsley. 

Jason: Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is a hot name in this draft since the NCAA tournament and has been wowing scouts and youtubers alike with his outstanding athleticism.  While he is far from a finished product, Indiana would love to find their long term replacement for Jamaal Tinsley to run the point.  Westbrook is one of the wild cards of this draft, and while he could go anywhere outside of the top 5 to a team that falls in love with his potential, I see this as a good spot for him.

#12. Sacramento Kings

Dave: DeAndre Jordan. Jordan (no relation to His Airness) is a big man out of Texas A&M whose lackluster season won't derail his lottery hopes. If he waited a year to turn in a more consistent season, he might have been a top 5 pick, but even with a subpar freshman campaign, he's still good enough to go this high. Consistency has been an issue for this kid, but if he plays hard and continues to develop, he can turn into a dominant center in the NBA, leaving everyone to wonder why he was drafted out of the top ten. He'll develop behind an aging Brad Miller in Sacramento and join the starting line-up in the next couple years. 

Jason: Anthony Randolph. The Sacramento Kings are a team in transition.  Just 5 years ago they were  one of the top teams in the NBA.  Now they are a team short on talent about to jettison their most talented player in Ron Artest.  While fast rising Joe Alexander would be a good choice to fill the void at the 3 left by Artest, Francisco Garcia was a pleasant suprise last year and deserves more playing time.  Randolph is a fast rising prospect whose excellent athleticism and versatility for a big man have drawn comparisons to Chris Bosh.  Randolph is another player who has the potential of going as high as #6 to the Knicks, but falls in the laps of the Kings here who are sorely lacking in athletic big men.

#13: Portland Trailblazers

Dave: Joe Alexander. Perhaps no player in the NCAA improved his draft stock in the tournament more than Alexander. By dispatching Arizona and Duke, Alexander proved to be one of the country's best swingmen - a long, 6'8" competitor who can post up or shoot. If Portland keeps this pick, Alexander will slip nicely into its lineup between LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. I don't expect a huge impact from him right away, but then this entire team is still developing. This squad is built around youth and with Greg Oden taking the court this year, I expect them to make a run at the playoffs in a crowded Western conference and only improve going forward. 

Jason: Joe Alexander. The Trail Blazers were the darlings of the NBA early in the season.  Their youth and exuberance led them to great early success before falling off.  In 2008, this team will finally be able to see last year's #1 overall selection, Greg Oden hit the floor.  One of this team's biggest needs is a point guard (Steve Blake just won't be able to cut it game in and game out), but there aren't any point guards available that would be good values at this point.  In that case, Joe Alexander is their pick.  Alexander has been a darling in scouting circles since declaring.  He is an excellent athlete who is a versatile scorer both inside and out.  While he is still developing as a basketball player and is the oldest player off the board at this point, the Blazers would love to add another young scorer who can play both inside and out.

#14: Golden State Warriors

Dave: Donte Greene. Greene is a huge talent out of Syracuse whose ceiling is virtually nonexistent. He can shoot, including from behind the arch and at 6'10", 225, he can play the four as well. Another year in  college would have helped both his draft position and his game and Jim Boeheim would undoubtedly have liked to have seen him play alongside a healthy Johnny Flynn. He'll have to settle for watching him join Baron Davis and Monta Ellis instead. The Warriors will benefit from Greene's size and versatility, as he will first bolster and could eventually lead the front court of Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington. Greene will help balance the Golden State lineup, which now relies heavily on guards for offensive production.

Jason: Kosta Koufos. The Warriors have turned into one of the most fun teams to watch in the NBA with their uptempo style of offense and their plethora of outstanding scoring guards.  If Baron Davis gets away this summer they may look to move this pick for point guard help but assuming they don't, they will look to bring in help in the form of a big man.  The top two big men on the board at this point on my board are Darrell Arhtur and Kosta Koufos.  While Arthur's athleticism would work well in Nelly's system, this team needs a big man who can fight for rebounds down low, be able to step out from time to time and hit the three, and have the ability to pass out of of double teams down low.  This team also traded away Jason Richardson last year for Brandan Wright who brings a similar game to Arthur.

#15: Phoenix Suns

Dave: Brandon Rush. Rush is strong and fast, a proven winner who will join a team that needs to win immediately. With an NBA-ready body and a developed game, Rush can make an immediate impact in the one-or-two year window the Suns have before Shaq, Grant Hill, and Steve Nash start collecting social security. Actually, Nash is Canadian so nevermind. Word is that the Suns' front office has fallen out of love with Raja Bell, so Rush might be Phoenix's SG of the future. Either way, he's a safe, smart pick here at 15 and will likely be a big factor for the Suns next season.

Jason: Darrell Arthur. The Shaq trade ended up not turning out as well as the Suns and Steve Kerr would have hoped and this team now finds itself with a new coach going into '08-09.  This was a team built this past year and the window has pretty much closed on this team's championship hopes.  This team really only has one young building block remaining in the form of Amare Stoudemire who has blossomed into a superstar.  It's only a matter of time before Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Shaq hand up their high-tops.  My choice here comes down to two former Jayhawks in Arthur and Brandon Rush.  While Rush will most likely have a better NBA career than he did a college career, Arthur has the higher upside and brings the greater versatility.  Arthur can play either the 3 or 4 and can help solidify the Suns frontcourt.

NBA Mock Draft 1.0 (Top ten)

Each week, my good friend Jason and I spend an absurd amount of time talking about the NBA draft - talking about the players, the teams, the stories, and perhaps most importantly, the future of the NBA. How high will these guys go? Who will get them? How will things pan out? From Kevin Love's waistline to Bill Walker's knee, we spend hours on end discussing this stuff. So, when I decided to do the first mock draft in the history of this blog, I wanted to bring Jason on board to join in the fun. We'll be mapping out the whole first round, but here are our projections for the top 10.

#1: Chicago Bulls

Dave: Derrick Rose. While Michael Beasley would make the most sense on the court, they'll go with hometown kid Rose. He'll step in as one of the best point guards in the east and will free up Gordon and Hinrich for more shots at the shooting guard position. His size at PG will help overcome their lack of it in the two spot.

Jason: Michael Beasley. There is a major clamoring for the Bulls to select uber-point guard Derrick Rose with this pick.  While Rose and Beasley are both elite prospects and the Bulls can't really go wrong either way, the Bulls have been looking for a scoring big man for years and are still looking.  First in 2006, they gave away Lamarcus Aldrigde for the "upside" of Ty Thomas.  In 2007 they selected Joakim Noah, certainly not known to possess much of an offensive game.  The Bulls finally get their man in Beasley, the most complete player in this and many recent  drafts.  Beasley will be able to score from all ends of the court, lead the Bulls in rebounds, and give them the much needed toughness they've missed inside for a long time. 

#2: Miami Heat

Dave: Michael Beasley. While Dwyane Wade will have Heat management give OJ Mayo a look here, they'll eventually go with Beasley. He will provide a dominant, long-term front court presence for Miami and Wade will rid him of any of the character issues people might be worried about.

Jason: Derrick Rose. There have been rumors that the Heat have been looking to move this pick if Rose isn't available.  Well, in my mock draft Rose is available.  Rose is far from a complete player (needs to work on his jump shot and free throw shooting), but he is an excellent point guard prospect.  He is a penetrator and distributor and is the type of player that will make those around him better.  Teaming with Dwyane Wade will give Miami one of the most formidable backcourts in the NBA.  The Heat still have a ways to go before they are competitive again but a 1,2,3 of Rose, Wade, and Marion will go a long way.

#3: Minnesota Timberwolves

Dave: OJ Mayo. If Miami takes Beasley, the Wolves will follow suit with Mayo. He's the best player on the board and has as much upside as anyone in this draft. He may be the best natural scorer to enter the NBA since the loaded 2003 class and has the personality and talent to immediate become the face of a franchise that lost its marketing ability when Kevin Garnett left for Boston. Wolves fans should beware that Kevin McHale might try to immediately trade him to Boston for Brian Scalabrine.

Jason: OJ Mayo. I can see the Timberwolves going one of two ways here being as they have two major needs.  First would be O.J. Mayo to fill their major need at the 2 (unless you consider Marco Jaric or Rashad McCants as starters), or they could go for the top center prospect in the draft Brook Lopez, allowing Al Jefferson to play his natural 4 position.  I think Mayo is the only player of the two to be a worthwhile selection at number 3.  Mayo is an excellent scorer who has the ability to become a lockdown defender.  A 1,2,3,4 of Foye, Mayo, Brewer, and Jefferson is a good building block for the future

#4: Seattle SuperSonics

Dave: Jerryd Bayless. In the Sonics' quest for young talent, they'll add Bayless to their roster of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Once this core gels together, this backcourt can compete for years to come.

Jason: Jerryd Bayless. The Sonics still have a lot of needs, but after last year's selections of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green they are set at the 2 and 3 but have questions everywhere else.  To make this offense work, this team needs an explosive guard to push the ball up the floor with the ability to attack the rim at will.  Bayless fits the bill.  While at this point it remains to be seen if Bayless can ever be a true point guard, he has the explosive athleticism and offensive skills to give the Sonics an uptempo, high velocity offense.

# 5: Memphis Grizzlies

Dave: Kevin Love. Brook Lopez is a great option here and might be the best one. But Kevin Love will step in as the face of this franchise and is a captain-type to build a team around. His basketball IQ is higher than anyone in this draft and his stock will only continue to rise until draftday. He has reshaped his body, lost weight, and is further from the knee problems and conditioning issues that scouts initially cited as reasons not to draft him.

Jason: Kevin Love. Memphis has many needs at this point in the draft.  They are loaded with young but unproven point guards, and while Rudy Gay was more than a nice suprise they need to address their dearth of big men.  I am between Kevin Love and Brook Lopez at this pick.  While neither of these players scream "upside", this team needs a proven commodity more than it needs a high ceiling player.  My choice here is the fast-rising Kevin Love who has allegedly shed a lot of his excess weight and is showing much better athleticism.  Love is an excellent big body at the 4 position who can bang down low while also being able to step out and hit a 3 from time to time.  He will also enter the league as one of the best passing big men, a skill that should not be overlooked in a rebuilding team.

#6: New York Knicks

Dave: Russell Westbrook. His workouts have been phenomenal and he's the best point guard in the draft from here down. I am very worried as a Knicks fan about his lack of experience. Unlike DJ Augustin, we really haven't heard anything about this guy until he stepped in for Darren Collison midway through this season. But he's a fast, 6'3" point guard who can run Mike D'Antoni's offense in the way that Derrick Rose could in a perfect world.

Jason: DJ Augustin. I may be crucified for this selection but this is the best case scenario for the Knicks with the talent available.  The Knicks have needed a pure point guard for years and Russel Westbrook and Augustin are considered the top two prospects at this juncture.  While Westbrook is considered to be a high upside point guard prospect with great athleticism and defensive prowess, Augustin is the best fit for Mike D'Antoni's offense.  While the biggest knock on Augustin is his small stature, he is an excellent distributor with high basketball IQ and legitimate NBA 3-point range, musts in D'Antoni's offense.  Augustin is also a known commodity who carried a Texas team with little other talent in a competitive Big 12

#7: LA Clippers

Dave: Eric Gordon. If Gordon could run the point, the Knicks would have taken him. But he's primarily a shooter and his bulky physique make up for his 6'3.5" height in the SG position. He's used to attention and will thrive in LA and should anchor this backcourt for the foreseeable future.

Jason: Eric Gordon. The Clippers find themselves at a crossroads this year.  It is unknown at this point whether or not Elton Brand will stick around and it is also unkown whether or not Shaun Livingston will return from his devastating knee injury.  The Clippers made a good selection in taking  an NBA-ready scoroer in Al Thonrton last year, and should select another NBA ready scorer this year in Eric Gordon.  Gordon  has top 3-5 level talent but fought through injuries and had to deal with the Indiana scanal, both marring his production this year.   When healthy, the freshman still  averaged more than 20 a game.  While not the ideal height for a 2-guard, Gordon has extremely deep shooting range which can help clear space for Chris Kaman and Elton Brand if he returns.

#8: Milwaulkee Bucks

Dave: Anthony Randolph. One of the best talents in this draft. He could go 5,6, or 7th but since the Clippers already have Chris Kaman and Elton Brand and the Knicks desperately need a point guard, I think he'll fall to #8.

Jason: Danilo Gallinari. It seems the Bucks are always here in the lottery, and with a roster fairly devoid of talent it's plain to see why.  At this point in the draft the Bucks are faced with a difficult choice.  The top three players available on most boards would be Lopez, Gallinari, and Randolph, but Randolph brings to the table similar characteristics as last year's choice, Chairman Yi, and Lopez doesn't bring much more to the table than Andrew Bogut.  For that reason I choose Gallinari, who is a versatile scorer and can bring more versatility to an offense than Lopez or Randolph can at this point.

#9: Charlotte Bobcats

Dave: Brook Lopez. It's either Lopez or Kevin Love here and I think Love will end up in the higher spot. Lopez is a great offensive center, a dominant seven-footer and a guy who will respond well to a tough coach like Larry Brown. He'll allow Emeka Okafor to shift to his natural position at 4 and will thus enhance the young team at two positions.

Jason: Brook Lopez. The Bobcats seem to fall in love with players from NCAA championship teams every year, but I don't see any Kansas players being selected here.  The Bobcats have functional starters at the 1,2 and 3 spots in Felton, Richardson, and and Gerald Wallace, but they have Emeka Okafor playing out of position at the 5.  Brook Lopez is a back to the basket big man with a scorers mentality, and while we won't be able to carry an offense by himself, he is NBA ready with good scoring ability and will allow Okafor to move back to his natural 4 position.

#10: New Jersey Nets

Dave: Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari is an explosive forward, with a good shot and a high basketball IQ to boot. This pick will land him near New York, which is where he reportedly wants to be, and he could add some depth behind Richard Jefferson. The Nets desperately need a center here, as it will be tough to contend with Josh Boone as their starting big man, but I think they'll go for the best player here and take a center later with the 21st pick.

Jason: DeAndre Jordan. The Nets are a team that, with the trade of Jason Kidd are now lacking an identity.  You never know what you're going to get out of Vince Carter, nor do you know how long he can keep going.  They have some good young pieces in the underrated Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson, and last year's human highlight reel Sean Williams, but they're not going anywhere for a while.  That is why they make an upside pick here of DeAndre Jordan. Once considered a top 5 if not higher selection, Jordan has fallen out of favor with a number of scouts due to a lackluster year in college.  But Jordan still has the talent to one day develop into a top Center, and the Nets would love to have somebody other than Josh Boone be their center of the future.  Don't forget, a young center named Andrew Bynum was selected in this spot only three years ago.

(More to come...)

It Should Have Been Junior

I will always picture Ken Griffey Jr as "The Kid", the nineteen year-old phenom wearing Willie Mays' number, blowing bubbles in the outfield in Seattle and slugging home runs with the most perfect swing the game had ever seen. Before Balco, before the strike, before my Yankees won four World Series and damn near took the fun out of winning - before all that, when baseball was pure, there was Junior. He was  baseball's answer to Michael Jordan: the game's perfect specimin. Junior was a five tool player who hit baseballs like they were golf balls, won a gold glove every year of the nineties, and was a legitimate, scandal-free role model in the era of Barry Bonds and Albert Belle. By the turn of the century, Griffey had piled up 432 home runs, and at age 30, he was prepared to make a run at Hank. For a decade, Griffey might have been the best the game had ever seen. And then, suddenly, he wasn't.

Griffey getting hurt in 2000 was like Mantle getting his foot caught in a Yankee Stadium storm drain in 1951 and blowing out his knee. Both began chains of injuries that prevented perhaps the two greatest talents in history from living up to their potential. In a game in which a player's greatness is measured by numbers, Mantle's 536 home runs short-change him in history's eye. I'm not saying Mantle was better than Mays - he probably wasn't - but a healthy Mantle would likely have eclipsed Mays' 660 career homers and been in the running for the "best of all time" title. Griffey hit 432 home runs in one decade and then hit 168 over the next eight seasons, finally reaching the 600 milestone this week. He hasn't played a full season in this century. People talk about him in the past tense, like they talked about Jordan when he played with the Wizards. There's a definite before-and-after effect with Junior, "The Kid" of 1989-2000 and the hobbled veteran of the present. The most upsetting thing about Griffey, though, isn't the lost possibilities of his own legacy. It's what he could have meant to the game. Injuries robbed him of the role of savior and robbed baseball - and its fans - of being saved. 

Every scandal in baseball history has had a hero to help the sport rise above it. The Black Sox scandal of  1919 was eclipsed by the emergence of Babe Ruth as the game's first superstar. Jackie himself helped the game overcome the initial shock of integration. After the strike in 1994, Cal Ripken's class and iron will brought baseball out of the shadows and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa cemented its revival in 1998. But then it was McGwire and Sosa who helped bring the game down. The steroid scandal has shaken baseball and with its biggest stars - Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, McGwire and Sosa - as the offenders, baseball lacks a good guy to help it rise from the wreckage. Griffey should have been that man. If Griffey, never so much as suspected of steroid use, had stayed healthy, he could have beaten Bonds to Aaron's record and been chasing 800 by now. Hank Aaron called Griffey last week to help him relax as he chased 600. Imagine if Griffey had been chasing the record! Hank Aaron might have celebrated the chase instead of displaying the same tongue-in-cheek disapproval he showed toward Bonds last year. A Griffey-Bonds rivalry would have been sports' ultimate showdown of good vs. evil. Junior could have been the game's all-time home run leader as well as the game's savior and resident good guy. He could have been Ruth and Ripken all rolled into one. The toughest part of it all is that he was that guy. Right man. Right place. Right time. He was that man. And then, of course, he wasn't. 

Ken Griffey, Jr. is no longer "The Kid". He's a 38-year old man with his best playing days a decade behind him. Injuries robbed him of an immortal legacy and robbed us of the greatest race in the history of  sports, perhaps the most clear cut good/evil rivalry any of us have ever seen. In the end, Griffey will probably retire short of 700 home runs. He'll likely eclipse Sosa (609 and counting) and possibly edge Mays (660), but it is all but certain that he will never challenge Bonds for the all-time record. And it's a shame. In fact, it's the most disappointing thing I have ever seen in sports. I'll always remember Griffey as the best pure baseball player I have ever seen. That perfect swing - the sweet, smooth, uppercut - is etched in my mind as the example of what baseball should be, and he - the smiling picture of youth - is the best definition of "baseball player" that I have ever witnessed. In the end, Griffey's legacy will be just that: what we remember of his youth and what we imagine he could have been. His injuries robbed him. His injuries robbed us. Barry Bonds' name stands above Hank Aaron's, but Griffey's should have stood atop them all. In the dark years of the steroid scandal, it should have been Griffey to help baseball rise from the wreckage. It should have been Junior, for his sake and ours. 

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