The 2010 NBA Draft Live!

At last year’s NBA Draft, I made some good predictions (Stephen Curry would fit right in with Nellie-Ball, EVERYONE would be kicking themselves for passing on DeJuan Blair, and that Darren Collison would kill off the bench for the Hornets) and some bad ones (I said Tyreke Evans was a gamble, thought Earl Clark would get immediate minutes, and I just KNEW Brandon Jennings wasn’t ready). This year, I’m gonna shoot for ALL good predictions… and fall horribly, horribly short of those expectations. Shall we?

7:00: Coming to you live from the Official Basement of The Blackboard, it’s the 2010 NBA Draft! After the first 5 picks, this thing is gonna turn into a crapshoot of the highest order. Let’s get the party started!

7:10: I’m excited for this four-man team of Jay Bilas, Jeff Van Gundy, Jon Barry, and Stuart Scott’s cadaver. Draft starts in 20 minutes.

7:12: I just want to plead, silently, to the one true God, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let Greg Monroe fall to my Detroit Pistons. Please.

7:14: First prediction: Al-Farouq Aminu? Bust. SUCH a big bust. Especially if the Clippers get their cursed hands on him.

7:17: Just got news Kevin Pitchard, Portland trail Blazers GM, will be dismissed after today. Why Paul Allen wants to let go of the architect of the Post-Jail-Blazers-Era? I have no idea.

7:24: Is it just me, or did Rachel Nichols’ hair get less… red? I don’t know. Weird observation on my part. Draft approx. 5 minutes away.

7:27: I like whoever-this-guy is explaining the financials of the NBA. Do I already know this stuff? Pretty much. Is it still good to hear? Yup.

7:29: No one has James Harden’s cojones to wear a bow tie?

7:32: Hiya D-Stern! MSG erupts in boos at the mention of the Lakers’ recent championship. Then again, MSG boos everything. Washington’s on the clock.

7:34: Kwame Brown highlights (oxymoron, yes?) capped off with him in a Pistons uni. Excuse me as I insert bamboo under my fingernails.

7:36: With the First Pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select John Wall, University of Kentucky.

7:37: Everyone’s happy, but no one is surprised. Waiting for something unexpected to happen.

7:38: At 6-4, Wall weighs less than Sherrod Collins, who’s 6-0. The things you learn from Chad Ford…

7:42: With the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers

Looks like an alien, sounds like an muppet, plays like a swiss-army knife. (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

select Evan Turner, from Ohio State University.

7:43: Again, no surprise. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits in with Iguadola and Jrue Holliday in the Philly backcourt. It’ll also be interesting to see if Doug Collins doesn’t irrevocably screw with his development.

7:45: I like Evan Turner, but he sounds like an underwater muppet. Just sayin’.

7:46: New Jersey on the clock. Here’s where things get very, very interesting… Russian Mark Cuban, surprise me, baby!

7:48: With the third pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech.

7:49: Not a HUGE surprise, they could have gone with Wesley Johnson, but good pick overall. He’ll kill with his athleticism alongside Brook Lopez and Free Agent Signing X. Avery Johnson will find away to use him. Unless, of course, the Nets trade his ass.

7:51: The Wolves are on the clock. It’s KAHHHHHNNNN TIIIMMEEEE!!!

7:53:With the fourth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Wesley Johnson, Syracuse.

He's an awesome talent... but my GOD those pants! (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

7:54: Well, I guess you couldn’t really screw that pick up TOO badly. Kahn couldn’t draft a point, and he couldn’t draft a big. Soo… Johnson was all that was left.

7:55: Jay Bilas tries to make a funny. Not right now, Jay.

7:57: …Are Wesley’s pants… Plaid? Is he wearing  a yellow sweater-vest and a red tie? OHHH HAPPY DAY!!!

7:58: John Wall’s Reebook commercial isn’t half bad. I thought Nike, being the evil awesome bastards that they are, would snap up a #1 pick, though.

8:00: With the fifth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky.

8:00:45: YYYYYYYYEEEEEAAAAHAAaAHHHHH!!!!!!! WE’RE NOT STUCK WITH THE PROBLEM CHILD OH THANK YOU GOD.

8:01: There is no denying Cousins’ talent, mind you. But he’s a headcase. And the LAST things my Pistons need right now is a headcase. He and Tyreke Evans will be a force on the pick-and-roll, though.

8:02: “Must Improve: Maturity.” Yup, that’s it in a nutshell.

8:04: My heart’s killing me right now… if the Warriors pass on Monroe, and we get Monroe, I might pass out in my obvious excitement…

8:05: DeMarcus Cousins is “A kid who just likes to have fun…” Yup. I don’t want that guy. That first road trip in South Beach… watch out.

8:06: The Warriors are on the clock. Please, Nellie, screw this pick up. Please. Just be yourself…

8:07: With the sixth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select Ekpe Udoh, Baylor.

8:07: Breathe. breathe. Breathe. breathe. breathe. breathe. breatherbreathebreathebreathebreathe IWANTMONROENOWPLEASE

8:08: I’m really sorry, Epke. You sound real good, and you play the part well, but Don Nelson is going to kill your career. Just ask your new teammates, Anthony Randolph and Brendan Wright.

8:09: Pistons on the clock. Joe D., If you screw this up… I won’t be responsible for what happens after that. Don’t you dare offer Tay and whoever we get to the Kings for The Headcase.

Don't you trade for Cousins... Don't you DARE. (Photo Courtesy of SciFiScoop.com)

8:11: With seventh pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select Greg Monroe, Georgetown.

8:12: Finally. I can exhale. The guy I wanted all along, the smooth-passing big man with the back-to-the-basket game. Oh thank God. Oh thank God.

8:14: I honestly don’t care how the rest of the draft falls out. Actually, now I can just relax and take it easy… whew. Exhale.

8:15: The Los Angeles Clippers are on the clock. A.K.A- the funniest 5 minutes in sports.

8:17: With the eight pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest.

8:18: This might be the perfect merger of team and player. The Clippers don’t really want to win, and neither does Aminu. They’re both MUCH more concerned with making money,

8:19: Rocking the Kid Cudi shades to the biggest day of your life? Not the BEST look, Aminu.

8:21: Can we just call him Al? Do we have to call him Al-Farouq? And he thinks the Clippers have “smart people who know the game of basketball”. That cracking sound you heard was the Unintentional Comedy Scale Breaking.

8:22: The Jazz are on the clock. Best White Guy Avaliable, fluff the suit, you’re on.

Is he the best avaliable white guy? Yes. Is he also a pretty good player? Yes. (Photo Courtesy of DraftExpress.com)

8:24: With the ninth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select Gordon Hayward, Butler.

8:25: Did I SAY the best white guy would get picked here? Was I WRONG? Nope. But I respect Hayward’s game. He’s got good basketball sense, nice range, and he drives nice for… a white guy.

8:27: Is it stereotypical if the white guy has the blandest suit of any of the picks so far? No? Ok, cool. Wouldn’t want to be stereotypical.

8:29: Hayward’s twin sister looks HIT. Sorry, buddy. Get her a makeover with that signing bonus check. (Yes, I would still make this joke if she was hit and black, don’t worry. But I can’t say a dude’s mom looks hit. That’s just wrong.)

8:30: The Indiana Pacers are on the clock, and they have to be PISSED they didn’t get the white guy.

8:31: With the tenth pick in the 2010 NBA, the Indiana Pacers select Paul George of Fresno State.

8:32: His name is bland, his game is bland, and he just got drafted by the blandest team in the league. Didn’t this not work when the Pacers traded for Kareem Rush? He just SCREAMS bust to me.

8:33: New Orleans is on the clock. Who could THEY draft? They need bigs, but they’d have to choose between the immature Ed Davis and the low-ceiling Aldrich… we’ll see after the “turrible” Taco Bell commerical.

8:36: With the eleventh pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Hornets select Cole Aldrich, Kansas.

8:37: Well, I called it. Aldrich will improve their frontline, but he may never be better than he is right now offensively. At least he’s a plus defender.

8:39: And Ed Davis has to be couting all the money he’s losing right now.

8:40: HOLD THE PHONES!! Twitter is telling me the Hornets are going to trade this pick to Oklahoma City as part of as-yet unfinished deal.

8:41: Ok, the deal is Aldrich and Mo Pete (a Mo Pete Sighting!) for OKC’s #18 and #21 picks. that’s not a bad deal. doesn’t change how well Aldrich will play, but OKC DID need a bit more of a defensive interior prescence. Grizzlies on the clock.

8:42: With the twelfth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Xavier Henry, Kansas.

8:43: That’s a good pick by Memphis. He’ll probably replace the soon-to-be-departed Rudy Gay for Memphis. He’s even a lefty like Gay. He’s got a chance to be a good NBA player.

8:45: I wonder now who’s overpaying for Rudy Gay now? New York seems like a prime candidate…

8:46: Is he… crying? Awww… Xavier Henry’s crying! He misses his brother!

8:48: Toronto’s on the clock. Ed Davis time?

8:49: With the thirteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select Ed Davis, North Carolina.

8:50: Yup, it IS Ed Davis time. So far we have the Rudy Gay Replacement Plan and the Chris Bosh Replacement Plan. Meanwhile, Ed Davis sounds like he’s excited to not play D in Toronto’s system.

8:51: Houston’s on the clock. I’m interested to see what they do here, because Daryl Morey is one of the more respected and knowledgeable GM’s in the league.

8:52: Swear to God, If this damn hamster Kia commercial comes on again… it’s just an affront to all things old-school. Can’t stand it. I hate it so much, I’m going to subject you to it.

8:54: The ESPY commercial, on the other hand, isn’t an affront. It’s just bad.

8:55: With the fourteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets select Patrick Patterson, Kentucky.

8:56: Smart, smart, SMART pick. Patterson essentially replace Carl Landry, who the Rockets traded away at midseason for Kevin Martin. Patterson defends well, has nice range, works hard, finishes well… why is Houston so GOOD at drafting?

8:58: Milwaukee’s on the clock. And right now, the CRAPshoot is in full effect right now.

9:00: With the fifteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select Larry Sanders, Virgina Commonwealth. And we get the first “Player is not here” from David Stern.

9:02: Eh, I’m ambivalent about Sanders. meh. In more exciting news, Twitter is telling me the Spurs have a guy in mind at #20, and if they don’t get him, they’ll trade down. Thank you, the future of news media.

9:04: T-Wolves on the clock. Again.

9:06: With the sixteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Luke Babbitt, University of Nevada.

9:07: Honestly? I was surprised when Indy didn’t grab this guy. He’s the quintessential high-riser, flying up all the draft boards since workouts and interviews started. I would be MUCH MUCH higher on him if he didn’t remind me of Adam Morrison, right down to the bad skin.

9:08: HOLD THE PHONES: Twitter is telling me that Babbitt will be traded to the Trail Blazers for Martell Webster. He still reminds me FAR too much of Adam Morrison to like the pick. The Bulls are on the clock.

9:09: Analysts saying that the Bulls need another shooter to surround LeBron with. LeBron hasn’t signed anywhere yet, people.

With the 19th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select... Cap Space!! (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

9:10: With the seventeenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Kevin Seraphin for the Washington Wizards (Kirk Hinrich trade) from France.

9:11: Didn’t expect Washington would take the first foreign guy. Apparently this guy is young, tall, talented, and a defensive talent waiting to blossom. Eh, Washington could have done worse. Oklahoma City on the clock.

9:14: OKC apparently traded #21 and #26 to New Orleans, so they ARE drafting for themselves right here.

9:15: With the eighteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select Eric Bledsoe, Kentucky.

9:16: Hmmmm…. that’s interesting. Russell Westbrook developed nicely for OKC at the point this year, but in my mind, Bledsoe is the best PG in this draft. So who goes where? Bledsoe and Harden off the bench is young and dangerous, I won’t lie.

And he was going to be SUCH a good point guard, too. Oh well. Kiss his ACL's goodbye. (Photo Courtesy of Flangrantfouls.com)

9:18: The Boston Celtics are on the clock. Right now, they need a backup for Rondo, So I’d expect Avery Bradley right here. Oh yeah, and Sheed retired.

9:19: Twitter is telling me that Eric Bledsoe is on the move to the Clippers for a future first round-pick. Oh, that’s too bad, I really liked the idea of Bledsoe becoming a good player… too bad. Now he gets to learn how to waste 20 second of a possession from Baron Davis and how to facepalm effectively when Aminu doesn’t feel like playing D.

9:20: With the nineteenth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select Avery Bradley, University of Texas.

9:22: Yup, I called it. Bradley is awesome defensively on and off the ball, can (but often doesn’t) finish, and needs to work on his point guard skills. Good pick. Now San Antonio picks. I wonder if they’ll get who they targetted…

9:24: With the twentieth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select James Anderson, Oklahoma State University.

9:27: Unsurprisingly, San Antonio take the best avaliable player. Anderson is a lights-out shooter in addition to being a plus on-the-ball defender. He’ll get plenty of open looks from people doubling off on Ginobilli. Great pick for the Spurs.

9:29: Oklahoma City for New Orleans on the clock.

9:30: With the twenty-first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Hornets get Craig Brackens, Iowa State.

9:31: Ok, New Orleans still after frontcourt depth. Brackens was overshadowed by the suckitude of his team, but he plays well with his back to the basket and rebounds well. Maybe he’ll be better than Aldrich, maybe he won’t. He stretches the floor better than Aldrich, at the very least.

9:33: Portland on the clock. Interesting to see who Pritchard will take on his way out the door.

9:35: With the twenty-second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers select Elliot Williams, Memphis.

9:36: Eh, not the worst pick by the Trail Blazers. Williams can guard both guard positions, but doesn’t pass all that well, and can’t shoot all that well. So… your mileage may vary. I remember seeing him as a PG prospect, but if he can’t pass all that great, he won’t function well in Portland offense.

9:38: My interest in this draft is slowly waning… the Pistons got who I wanted them to get, the Spurs got a good player, Timberwolves screwed up a pick (Babbit for Webster? NAWWWW….) and the draft has gone according to plan, for the most part.

9:40: With the twenty-third pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Trevor Booker, Clemson.

9:41: Who? Oh, Kahn thought he could get away with drafting another big man if the guy wasn’t technically “big”. Booker’s only 6-7. Sneaky, sneaky, Kahn.

9:43: Memphis on the clock. I’m flipping to the Tigers game.

9:44: FFFFUUUUUU the Tigers are only up 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh. Two guys on for the Mets. At least Coke, our second-most reliable bullpen guy, is in there to douse the flames.

9:45: Coke gets the weak grounder, but Santiago can’t do anything with it. Again, FFFFFFFUUUUUUU… and now David Wright is up there. Awesome. It’s at LEAST a tie game soon.

9:46: With the twenty-fourth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select Damion Jones.

Second-Best Moment of the night came when he struck out Wright. (Photo Courtesy of The Oakland Press)

9:47: Memphis on the clock. Again. And there’s some kind of trade proposal with Minnesota (Booker) and someone. Details soon. Back to Tigers!

9:48: COKE STRIKES OUT WRIGHT!!!!! Belt-high fastball, outside corner. Oh thank the Lord, 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th. Now, hopefully, Coke messes up the lefty phenom Ike Davis.

9:50: With the twenty-fifth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Dominique Jones, University of South Florida.

9:51: I’ve heard he might be the second-best pure scorer in the draft. According to Bilas, he’s a “strong, dominant scorer.” Can’t be terrible. Oh, and he has an AWESOME NBA name. Come on, you know a dude named Dominique Jones can ball.

9:53: OKC (for New Orleans) on the clock right now. I’ve hit the 2500-word wall, and am COMPLETELY running out of things to say. If you hadn’t noticed. Just saying, if the second half of this live-blog sucks, now you know why.

9:55: With the twenty-sixth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Hornets get Quincy Pondexter, University of Washington.

9:56: Quincy offers frontcourt depth, along with range and offensive rebounding ability. Like the last five picks, he’s not exciting, but he’s solid. Well, hopefully he’ll be solid.

9:57: New Jersey on the clock. Let’s see what The Billionare Russian has up his sleeves…

9:59: With the twenty-seventh pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select Jordan Crawford, Xavier.

10:01: Crawford’s a scorer, pure and simple. And he’s on his way to Atlanta for Damion Jones, Atlanta’s 24th pick. Scorer-for-scorer? Why not just draft the guy you want?

10:03: Oh yeah, and the Booker trade? He’s on his way to the Wizards for some second-round draft picks. Uninterested, I am.

10:05: Memphis on the clock. This is from the Pau Gasol trade… ahahahaaha the Pau Gasol trade… *sniff* good times.

10:06: With the twenty-eighth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Greivis Vasquez, Maryland.

10:07: I remember he scared me shitless in the NCAA tourney against MSU. They say he’s unathletic, but he always seems to find a way to get to the rim. He can score with and without the ball. And he’s 6-6, good height for a combo guard. Two knocks, though: His name is “Grievis”, which I’m pretty sure was the robot Jedi from Star Wars II, and he’s ugly as sin. Seriously, that is an ugly, ugly mofo.

10:10: The Orlando Magic are on the clock. What do they need? Rashard Lewis needs a pick-and roll partner… whatcha got, Stern?

10:12: With the twenty-ninth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic select Daniel Orton, Kentucky.

10:13: Well… I didn’t see THAT coming. Orton is PURE, raw potential. I guess playing behind Dwight Howard will help speed along his development, but Orlando needed something… else. That’s all.

10:15: Washington is on the clock with the final pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. Thank god. My left wrist is almost completely numb.

10:17: With the thirtieth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select Lazar Hayward, Marquette.

Have you seen this man before? 'Cuz I haven't. (Photo Courtesy of NBCSports.com)

10:18: I’ve never heard of this guy. Never heard of this guy. And I’ve spent the last three days researching the draft.

10:20: Quick Winners and Losers:

Winners: Detroit, New Jersey, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Houston.

Losers: Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland, Memphis.

For more in-depth analysis of tonight’s winners and losers, check out The Morning After. Got comments? Got questions? Got an opinion? Tell me about it in the comment box below. Until next time, C’est La Vie.

Lazarus Jackson is a writer and connoisseur of pro and college sports, especially Detroit-area pro teams. You can contact him at lazchancemsu@gmail.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/lazchance.