2010 NBA Draft Eve

I lied about doing all 30 teams. It was fun, but ultimately pointless since I don't speak to the teams/players and I after the top 30-or-so American players and a few more down the list, I don't know enough about these guys to make proper evaluations. So I'm gonna run through each team that could potentially make a move or two that I'd love to see happen.

Atlanta - CHRIS PAUL. Trade Al Horford, Marvin Williams and your next 10 first rounders. Now is your chance to make up for that debacle of a decision!
Chicago - I've convinced myself that LeBron would be a mistake in tandem with Derrick Rose. It wouldn't. But I still want him to go somewhere to play point guard. Chris Bosh, on the other hand, would be ideal. Add in Joe Johnson or Rudy Gay, and you have a dynasty-in-the-making.
Detroit - DeMarcus Cousins and the Detroit Pistons deserve each other. I'll be pissed if Cousins' potential goes down the drain thanks to a poor fit for him (like Golden State, for instance).
Indiana - Kevin Love. Seriously, wouldn't this be awesome? And a pretty good fit at that. Larry Bird likes this idea.
Miami - I hope Wade and Amar'e could work out. I don't think it will, but who knows. They'll need more than that, though. Solomon Alabi could be there at 18 and would help with Amar'e's defensive deficiencies.
Milwaukee - Xavier Henry and Patrick Patterson would both be great fits. I say, go after both.
New Jersey - LeBron James and Carlos Boozer. The pairing that wasn't meant to be in Cleveland is meant to be in New Jersey. That's just how I feel. Deal with it.
New York - James Dolan was once called the Donald Sterling of the east. So as much as I'd love to see the Knicks become relevant again, I dunno if I'd wish mediocrity on anyone signing there. However there's one exception: Chris Paul. If Steve Nash was Mike 'Antoni's dream come true, Paul is his messiah. Too bad it could never happen.
Phoenix - DIRK NOWITZKI. I'm rooting harder for this to happen than maybe any one single move this offseason (outside of John Wall, of course). Dirk and Nash (and Grant Hill) deserve a ring and this would get 'em all closer.
Utah - Cole Aldrich.
Washington - John Wall. Obviously. But you know what I'd really love? If we could somehow use Andray Blatche to draft Greg Monroe, too. Finding a way to nab Dominique Jones as well would be sublime.

P.S. America: FUCK YEA

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert, and nobody else who belongs in an NBA rotation. What they do have is a bunch of players in their last year of their deals. Bill Simmons is wetting himself as we speak over the chance to write about Murphy's expiring deal. Mike Dunleavy Jr, too. I'm shaking with anticipation.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 10 (10) - By the sounds of it, this pick will be moved for a point guard, whether it's Devin Harris, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, or someone else. If the pick does stay here I'm taking Patrick Patterson. I've been on his bandwagon since he came out of high school, and I think he's criminally underrated now. If not Patterson, then Avery Bradley, who impressed me early in the season (then fell off when Texas did). He'll be a decent fit at PG, or at least be a great combo-guard off the bench.
-Round 2 Pick 10 (40) - This really could be anyone, as I said this team has holes everywhere. Possibly Jerome Jordan, to provide some depth at center.
-Round 2 Pick 27 (57) - Best available.

Free Agency
No money, but who would want to sign here?

2010-2011 Season Outlook
I don't see this team getting much better, unless they make some major trades with all their expiring deals. I feel bad for Danny Granger, he deserves better.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - New York Knicks

We run into the first team who doesn't have their first rounder. Hope it was worth it, James Dolan

Draft
-Round 2 Pick 8 (38) - If Lance Stephenson is here I'm taking him. Relatively easy pick.
-Round 2 Pick 9 (39) - Charles Garcia, another high risk/high reward prospect, would be served well playing in Mike 'Antoni's offense. Could be a home run.

Free Agency
Well, I'd like to sign LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Dirk Nowitzki... anyone who can play, I want. This is the summer this franchise has been planning for, seemingly since the dawn of time. Better make the most of it.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
Magic 8-ball sez: Ask again later (in a couple weeks).

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Los Angeles Clippers

There's very little point in playing GM for the Clips, they defy basketball logic at every turn. Applying said logic will only result in headache. But here goes anyway.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 8 (8) - This is actually a pretty easy pick at this point: Paul George. Who? Watch this video! From everything I've read he's got the potential to be somewhere between Tracy McGrady and Rudy Gay. The Clippers are built to run and need a 3. Seems perfect to me.
-Round 2 Pick 24 (54) - They could use depth at PG and C, and that can be found here. Sherron Collins or Jerome Randle could work at point guard or Jerome Jordan at center.

Free Agency
They have the cap space to work with, but does anyone really want to go to the Clippers? And I doubt Donald Sterling is gonna shell out too much money for someone who won't help fill seats, which means over-paying for Joe Johnson or Rudy Gay probably won't be allowed. Tracy McGrady might be a possibility for me, he could help with the development of my new draft pick Paul George.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
My initial reaction is, it's the Clippers. But fans have Blake Griffin to look forward to, and if he lives up to potential, and Chris Kaman somehow doesn't get hurt, look out.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Detroit Pistons

I subscribe to the theory that the great teams take on the persona of their city, and while Joe Dumars did a great job of building a blue-collar, defensive-minded championship team around Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups, he all but sealed his fate when he gave nearly $100 million to Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. He has this season to right the ship and while it's a largely uphill climb, anything is possible.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 7 (7) - By my picks, DeMarcus Cousins is here; if that's the case you thank your lucky stars he fell. Otherwise I'm looking at Ekpe Udoh, or maybe even Cole Aldrich.
-Round 2 Pick 6 (36) - Trevor Booker. Maybe Gani Lawal. Maybe reach for Derrick Caracter (who has apparently impressed some people in workouts) or Samardo Samuels. See where I'm going here?

Free Agency
Nothing to be done. I like the teams with no cap space, nothing to write about. They could trade Richard Hamilton (very undesirable) or Tayshaun Prince (who isn't available for some reason).

2010-2011 Season Outlook
Maybe this is the year Rodney Stuckey finds some consistency in his game. Maybe Hamilton and Prince will find the fountain of youth, and maybe Gordon will learn how to defend and Villanueva will learn to be tough. Maybe I'll take Dumars' job.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Golden State Warriors

I'd be doing all I can to trade Monta Ellis, but that's just me. He's got a ton of talent, I'm just not really sure who would want him, unless he's fine coming off the bench (which he's not). There's no cap space to work with and no desirable contracts to trade with. At least they have a good draft pick.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 6 (6) - People seem to be saying whichever one of DeMarcus Cousins or Greg Moroe falls is the pick. This team may be bad, but it has an identity: RUN RUN RUN. Neither Cousins nor Monroe really fits here. Al-Farouq Aminu does, however. He's the selection.
-Round 2 Pick 4 (34) - I don't know what to do with this roster. I guess take Trevor Booker or Jarvis Varnado and run. No pun intended. Or possibly take a look at Lance Stephenson. He'd provide toughness and the size to actually defend at the 2.

Free Agency
No money. No hope.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
Not great, but who knows. Stephen Curry is the real deal, and if you give him Aminu along with healthy Kelenna Azubuiki and Andris Biedrins to run with, he could do some damage. And as far away from conducive-to-winning as I feel having Monta Ellis in your starting lineup is, he's still very talented. So they'll be exciting to watch, definitely.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Sacramento Kings

The Kings have pretty much a blank slate to work with, outside of reigning Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and newly acquired Samuel Dalembert. Which is a good thing when your glass is half full.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 5 (5) - It's pretty safe to say that Wall, Turner, Favors and Johnson will all be gone at this point, so my choice basically comes down to either Greg Monroe or DeMarcus Cousins. People will argue that Cousins has too much upside to pass on, or that Cousins has too many red flags to gamble on; I just think Monroe is a better player.
-Round 2 Pick 3 (33) - I'm just taking the best player available here. Wouldn't it be interesting to take Lance Stephenson? Unthinkable, sure, but definitely interesting. More likely go with someone like Stanley Robinson if he's available, Devin Ebanks, or maybe the best fit, Darrington Hobson.

Free Agency
Nobody's coming to Sacramento. Then again, would it hurt to make offers to Rudy Gay, or David Lee, or throw a curve and go after Chris Bosh?

2010-2011 Season Outlook
If you like watching young talent grow, you could be in for a fun season. Otherwise...

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Minnesota Timberwolves

I'm not sure where Al Jefferson went this year. Maybe he went to Spain to watch his theoretical teammate Ricky Rubio, I dunno. What I do know is that this team is really bad, even with the few talented players they have. So what to do?

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 4 (4) - DeMarcus Cousins is out, unless I want another hefty big man who doesn't dare challenge the laws of gravity. The ideal pick is Wes Johnson, so if he's here, he's the guy.
-Round 1 Pick 16 (16) - I'm looking for a shot-blocker here, so Larry Sanders or Hassan Whiteside would be fine for me.
-Round 1 Pick 23 (23) - I need some scoring, so possibly Dominique Jones, Jordan Crawford, Elliot Williams. Or Stanley Robinson, who would provide great value here, as he's one of the most undervalued players in this draft.
-Round 2 Pick 15 (45) - Unless someone takes a DeJuan Blair-esque fall, it's time to take someone to stash overseas. I don't know anything about the foreigners, however.
-Round 2 Pick 26 (56) - Take a flyer on an underwhelming college player or stash another foreigner. Decisions, decisions.

Free Agency
Good luck trying to convince anyone to come to Minnesota. One caveat being the near-necessity of trading either Al Jefferson or Kevin Love, which could make things very interesting either during the draft (he'd be an interesting fit in New Jersey) or after.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
This team will have a lot more talent than it seems. I just don't see it coming together.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - New Jersey Nets

Outside of (maybe overly) optimistic Bullets fans such as myself, Nets supporters arguably have the most to be excited about, at least right now. One of the best young big men in the league in Brook Lopez, the reigning Rookie of the Month in Terrence Williams, a good trade chip in Devin Harris, tons of cap space for free agents and a brand new owner with extraordinarily deep pockets and a desire to globalize the New Jersey Nets brand. And the 3rd pick in the draft.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 3 (3) - A Lopez/Cousins frontcourt is too unathletic for my liking. For my money I'm prioritizing Derrick Favors (great compliment to Lopez), then Wes Johnson (who can shoot), then Evan Turner (who can't). I don't think Turner and Williams fit well, but I do like Williams and Johnson, especially with LeBron (who should be looked at as a point guard). There's one stipulation: the Pacers are looking for a point guard, and I read a while back that they like Devin Harris. It's also being reported that they're looking to move their first pick (10th overall) for a point guard, and I'm sure they'd take Harris over Ty Lawson of Darren Collison. In that case, take Johnson here and Patrick Patterson at 10.
-Round 1 Pick 27 (27) - I'm targeting depth at guard. Dominique Jones is one of my favorites, but they could use a shooter, so Jordan Crawford is choice #1 here, or maybe Elliot Williams.
-Round 1 Pick 1 (31) - Best player available. So maybe Stanley Robinson? He'd be a steal here.

Free Agency
Obviously LeBron is priority number one. It'd be interesting if they took Favors and then had Chris Bosh interested in signing. Or if they took Turner and Patterson and then Wade and Boozer came along. But they can't worry about that, obviously. They do need shooters, so go after Mike Miller or Kyle Korver.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
If they have a roster of LeBron James, Terrence Williams, Wes Johnson, Patrick Patterson, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Mike Miller, Jordan Crawford, Courtney Lee, Stanley Robinson and whoever else... that ain't bad.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Philadelphia 76ers

The rest of these will be quick. Philly has put themselves in awful position to do anything for a while, and they're doomed to mediocrity, assuming they play their cards right.

Draft
Round 1 Pick 2 - Evan Turner, Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Wes Johnson. I know the assumption has always been Turner, I know new head coach Doug Collins reportedly likes Favors, I know Cousins has the most enigmatic future of the bunch, and I know Johnson is probably the most overlooked. I'm doing whatever I can to package the pick with Elton Brand so I can move down and take any of the mentioned four, or more likely one of any number of the lesser prospects.

Free Agency
Nothing. Sorry, Philly fans. By the way, do they exist, outside of Philly and since Allen Iverson, I mean.

2010-2011 Season Outlook
Pretty bad. At least they'll be in the running for Harrison Barnes next year.

2010 NBA Draft & Offseason Preview - Washington Bullets

With the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Washington {Bullets} select... JOHN WALL, guard, University of Kentucky.

In 1968 the team drafted Wes Unseld - who coincidentally wore Wall's #11. He would go on to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first season. And with the above words, the start of the franchise's most prosperous offseason in over 40 years officially begins. The team also has two more draft picks in the top 35 and a ton of cap space to work with. So without further ado, here is the first team I'll be playing GM for.

Draft
-Round 1 Pick 1 (1) - John Wall. A city rejoices in dance.
-Round 1 Pick 30 (30) - I'm looking for either a combo guard or a big body down low (Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee make up the softest frontcourt in the NBA). There are a number of middling big-men available, and none of them really warrant being selected this high as every single one has too many red flags to count. The guy I'm praying for is Dominique Jones, a 6'4" guard out of South Florida who can play and guard both positions at a very high level, but he shouldn't last this long. I also wouldn't mind taking a flyer on Lance Stephenson, who showed up to the combine in great shape and could EASILY be a great value (if he falls).
-Round 2 Pick 5 (35) - Best player available. The team needs to be upgraded virtually everywhere. Maybe one of those middling big-men. Or if a guard wasn't selected at 30, look at a guy like Willie Warren.

Free Agency
Honestly? I'd say do nothing. Nobody willing to come to DC this year will be worth the money, so I see no reason to waste any. John Wall should be enough to sell tickets so there's no need to overspend on Rudy Gay or David Lee, and anyone expecting an immediate winner is a fool. I have a feeling Larry Hughes will be back, and I won't mind, even if he shouldn't see the court for more than 5 minutes every few games. Maybe even go ahead and exercise Josh Howard's team option and either keep him for the year or use his contract as trade bate if the right deal comes along. And both Kevin Durant (a DC native) and Carmelo Anthony (Baltimore) could both theoretically hit the market next year. Hmmm...

2010-2011 Season Outlook
Exciting to say the least. John Wall and Gilbert Arenas in the same backcourt is a dream come true. Who cares if it doesn't work? I don't. Wall is a lock to tear the league to shreds, and it only gets better for Gil. Sure, Blatche is a child, and McGee has the toughness of one, and none of the top free agents want to play here. JOHN WALL IS GOING TO BE A {BULLET} AND GILBERT ARENAS IS HEALTHY (*knock on wood*).

2010 NBA Mock Draft - May 19, 2010

Later I'll play GM but for now I'm mostly gonna do predictions, unless noted otherwise. I'm also not including Donatas Motiejunas because a while back I read that he will likely remove his name from the draft.

1. Washington - John Wall - I've been BEAMING ever since the announcement. I don't care about anything right now except that Wall is going to be a BULLET. He and Gil can co-exist offensively, and I'm not really expecting a contender as long as Blatche is here. And, in all honesty, as long as Arenas' contract is on the books (don't tell anyone, though). BUT JOHN WALL IS A WASHINGTON BULLET! *knock on wood*

2. Philadelphia - Evan Turner - They really should trade out of this slot. Turner and Andre Iguodala are virtually the same player, and I'm not a huge fan. They need outside shooting or a versatile 4...I think Pat Patterson would be a good fit. But what do I know. By the way, look at how Jrue Holiday did his best to stifle his elation when he found out his team wasn't getting Wall. Lolz.

3. New Jersey - Derrick Favors - What a mindfuck. I was sure the frozen envelope would come up Nets, Wall and LeBron would join Phil Jackson, they'd move to Brooklyn and the 2012 doomsday prophecies would come true. I was also sure my Bullets would be in a position to take Favors, the second best prospect in this draft, and instead take DeMarcus Cousins or Al-Farouq Aminu. I'm so confused right now.

4. Minnesota - Wes Johnson - I guess I can't bank on trades, but the T'wolves have two great power forwards and no center, and unless one of them gets traded they're going to give up a lot of points and be more vulnerable to penetration than an inmate at Oz. And actually, I like Johnson more than Evan Turner, as long as he's not the team's best player.

5. Sacramento - DeMarcus Cousins - I like Greg Monroe a lot more, but not many others seem to. Cousins COULD be good...so many red flags, though.

6. Golden State - Al-Farouq Aminu - Who runs this team? Impossible to guess, so Aminu is the pick since he's the best prospect who fits the run-and-gun style.

7. Detroit - Ekpe Udoh - Continuation of many clueless predictions. I'll say Udoh because they need a legit-sized big who can block shots and run the floor, meaning Udoh and not Cole Aldrich.

8. LA Clippers - Gordan Hayward - The Clippers have talent at every position except the 3. And while they could use backcourt depth, it doesn't really exist here. Could've gone Xavier Henry, but he's slipping while Hayward is climbing. Oops...

9. Utah - Cole Aldrich - Greg Ostertag 2.0. Need I say more?

10. Indiana - Greg Monroe - You KNOW Larry Bird would be PISSED if this scenario happens, with both of the top white prospects going right in front of him. But I gotta believe Monroe - who I feel is the 3rd best player in this draft - is too good to pass on here.

11. New Orleans - Hassan Whiteside - I haven't seen this scenario anywhere, and I don't get why. I can't imagine if Whiteside was available that the Hornets' higher-ups wouldn't salivate at the chance to pair him with Chris Paul in the pick-and-roll; like Tyson Chandler but more athletic. Ooh-wee.

12. Memphis - Stanley Robinson - Just a hunch, but I think he'll sneak back into the lottery. With Rudy Gay likely out the door, the need for a SF is big.

13. Toronto - Ed Davis - Can't keep denying him forever, I guess. Toronto needs a replacement for Chris Bosh. But I can tell you right now, when I play GM and if Xavier Henry is here, I'm taking him and hoping that it tempts Bosh to re-sign.

14. Houston - Daniel Orton - I know little about Orton, but he just seems to fit in Houston. What more can I really go by?

15. Milwaukee - Patrick Patterson - Seems like the perfect fit, they need a 4 and Patterson seems like he'd compliment both Bogut up front and Jennings on the break and in pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop situations. Xavier Henry is option #2, Redd will undoubtedly exercise his $18.3 million option, but who knows how good he'll be for the only year he's still a Buck.

16. Minnesota - Xavier Henry - I feel like he'd be too good to pass up on here, right? I mean, who else could they take here that fills a need and isn't too much of a reach? Solomon Alabi? No.

17. Chicago - James Anderson - The Bulls might be the one team that wishes they could draft AFTER free agency starts. Picture this scenario: Sign Chris Bosh, sign-and-trade involving Kirk Hinrich and Joe Johnson, THEN draft combo-guard-X to be another Hinrich, Ben Gordon, or both. If that's the (at least close to) case, Avery Bradley, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren and maybe even Dominique Jones come in to play.

18. Miami - Eric Bledsoe - I love the idea of pairing Bledsoe with Dwyane Wade. No question the Heat need a point guard, tho not necessarily one who creates like a Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, etc. Just someone who can defend, knock down shots, and take pressure of Wade. Bledsoe fits the bill, somewhat.

19. Boston - Damion James - I couldn't decide, and I feel like James is likely the best player left.

20. San Antonio - Luke Babbitt - I know next to nothing about this kid. I know the Spurs are old and thus are in need of new blood. Good enough for me.

21. Oklahoma City - Solomon Alabi - OKC needs a high-energy 7-footer who can rebound and especially protect the paint. Combine Alabi's ability to fill all those requirements with the fact that he's a high-character guy and it seems like a match to me.

22. Portland - Kevin Seraphin - Portland needs to add muscle inside. Greg Oden is one of the biggest examples of front-office buffoonery of all time, LaMarcus Aldridge is embarrassingly soft, and Marcus Camby is old. Seraphin is a project, but he has major upside. Good fit in Portland.

23. Minnesota - Donatas Motiejunas - I know I said I wasn't including him, but who else is gonna go here? Expect one of these picks to be traded.

24. Atlanta - Paul George - Could be a steal here, and a perfect fit to fill Joe Johnson's shoes. Or he'll be terrible. Sucks to be Atlanta these days.

25. Memphis - Elliot Williams - Not many options here. Williams is from Memphis, went to Memphis, and could be a good spark off the bench. Free-falling Avery Bradley might be the better fit here, but he doesn't have those Memphis ties. So suck it.

26. Thunder - Quincy Pondexter - Again, so unpredictable, but they could use some depth at the 3 and Pondexter will be a solid contributor at the least.

27. New Jersey - Avery Bradley - Way too good to pass on here. A big part of why he fell here is because it's late and I kinda forgot about him. Sue me.

28. Memphis - Larry Sanders - Another guy who's too good of a prospect to pass on. They need shot blocking; you know, just in case Hasheem Thabeet doesn't pan out for whatever reason.

29. Orlando - Willie Warren - This kid is one of my personal favorites and might wind up as one of the steals of this draft. Orlando desperately needs players who can actually create for themselves, let alone others, and Warren can certainly create for himself and has shown flashes of being a respectable distributor as well.

30. Washington - Dominique Jones - Jones is another of my personal favorites. He doesn't have quite the upside that Warren has, but he stood out on a miserable team where he was constantly the opposing defense's primary concern. He showed the ability to play some point guard as well, and more importantly, the ability to guard both backcourt positions. I wouldn't be surprised to see this name a lot earlier and I'd be thrilled if he came to DC.

As I said, later on I'll play GM for all these teams, but I wanted to make something clear before I end this:

Evan Turner is NOT Brandon Roy, so stop making this reckless comparison. For one, I'm not convinced he can handle the ball adequately yet. For another, HE CAN'T SHOOT. Like I pointed out earlier, he's a lot closer to Andre Iguodala than Roy. He's barely a top 5 prospect in my book, if that, and that's only because he's clearly a good basketball player. MY top 5 reads: John Wall, Derrick Favors, Greg Monroe, Wes Johnson, DeMarcus Cousins/Evan Turner. If you have a problem, turn off your station.

I WILL give myself a backdoor here, something I rarely do. I hate Ohio State. I also, for whatever reason, hate looking at Evan Turner. The site of him makes my blood boil. I do NOT mean to say that he'll be a bust. And after Wall, Turner's production certainly supports his slot at number two. I just don't like him.

Additionally, to the people who want to argue that Wall isn't the best player in this draft, I have one thing to say: you are an idiot. As a freshman, John Wall stood out as easily the best player on far and away the most talented team in the country, from day one. Sure, he struggled at times - what player, let alone freshman, doesn't? But in those games, he never failed to come up big in the closing minutes. Derrick Rose is the easiest name to compare Wall to for obvious reasons, and he wasn't as dominant early in the season like Wall. Simply put, unless the usual roadblocks get in his way (injury, system, or w/e), one thing is certain: John Wall will be a superstar. End of story.