A lot of movement out there (and not all about the draft) with 9 of the 30 first-round picks were involved in trades immediately. Some teams have put themselves in a better position for the biggest free agent summer in NBA history. But we’ve tried to focus on how teams DRAFTED, disregarding any efforts to free up cap room, trade for other players and so on. Here’s our 3MW Draft-Day Grades:

Atlanta D

Pick 27 – Jordan Crawford (SG)

Pick 53 – Pape Sy (SF).

Atlanta traded their 24^th pick to New Jersey for the Net’s 27^th. Crawford is a nice player, a good scoring combo-guard…but don’t Atlanta already have Jamal Crawford for that? The Hawks were exposed for their lack of bigs in the playoffs, yet with Hassan Whiteside, Dexter Pittman, Tiny Gallon and Daniel Orton still on the board…they took another combo guard?

Boston B-

Pick 19 – Avery Bradley (PG/SG)

Pick 52 – Luke Harangody (PF)

Bradley was quite coveted late in the draft. New York was one team who were working overtime to get a pick in the first round to nab him. We’re guessing you can say goodbye to the Nate Robinson experiment, and Bradley will get a lot of minutes backing up both Rondo & Allen. Harangody is a good pick this late, and will fit in with the Celts nicely.

Charlotte F

No picks, no trades, nothing. C’mon MJ, what’s doing?

Chicago D

Pick 17 – Kevin Seraphin (PF)

The Bulls are likely to trade Seraphin’s rights with Kirk Hinrich to the Wizards come July 8^th in a goal to give them more cap room to sign max free agents next week. Not a good draft result, but it’ll give them good capacity for a free agent. Either way, Seraphin’s not worth the 17^th pick.

Cleveland F

No picks, no trades, nothing. Wait to show Lebron how serious you are, Cleveland!

Dallas C+

Pick 25 – Dominique Jones (SG)

The Mavs traded away their second round pick to move into the first and get one of the most intriguing guard prospects in the draft. Good work to move into the first round, but not sure about the pick. They’re a little back-court heavy already, so we can probably expect a trade next week.

Denver F

No picks, no trades, nothing.

Detroit A

Pick 7 – Greg Monroe (PF/C)

Pick 36 – Terrico White (SG).

Monroe is the player the Pistons wanted. He’s very suited to Detroit and was the best big man in the draft after Cousins & Favors. But White is a STEAL! Possibly the steal of the draft.

Golden State B

Pick 6 – Ekpe Udoh (PF)

Udoh is a nice prospect and the Warriors finally had a draft where they didn’t draft a guard. GSW actually drafted for the position they need! So a good pick, but we still think Aminu or Monroe are better.

Houston B

Pick 14 – Patrick Patterson (PF)

Patterson is underrated, and could have gone higher. Is a great pick at 14, but the Rockets already have Luis Scola, so is Patterson at 6-9 going to play at centre? Or ride the pine? We will have to wait and see. Either way, they probably have taken the best player available.

Indiana C-

Pick 10 – Paul George (SF)

Pick 40 – Lance Stephenson (SG)

Pick 51 – Magnum Rolle (C)

Sorry Larry, we don’t understand. Unless you have some awesome trade in the works, you just drafted a great small forward, when you already HAVE a great small forward in Danny Granger. Lance Stephenson could prove a solid backup, and George IS a really fine player. But we just don’t see that you’ve drafted well. Sorry, Larry…we still love you, we just don’t understand you.

LA Clippers A

Pick 8 – Al-Farouq Aminu (PF)

Pick 18 – Eric Bledsoe (PG/SG)

Pick 54 – Willie Warren (PG/SG)

The Clips needed a power forward, and they needed some depth in the back-court. They got both. Aminu is a great pick and will be effective in the NBA on both ends of the court. In the backcourt, Bledsoe and Warren are similar players, both have a lot of potential, both have NBA-style games, and GMs around the league have had concerns about both of their attitudes. Admittedly, we were fans of both Bledsoe & Warren and we believe they could both turn into special players. A great draft for the Clippers.

LA Lakers B-

Pick 43 – Devin Ebanks (SF)

Pick 58 – Derrick Caracter (PF)

The Lakers had only two second round picks, and ended up with two young guys who could prove to be bargains. Ebanks early in draft talks was projected in the high-teens, whilst Caracter was a guy a lot of teams were talking about would be a good second-rounder. Lakers seem to have gotten good value for their picks here.

Memphis B+

Pick 12 – Xavier Henry (SG)

Pick 28 – Greivis Vasquez (PG)

Henry is a good addition and probably the best shooter across the board in this years draft. Henry gives the Memphis another quality offensive option and Vasquez is a tough guy who plays hard every step of the way. Vasquez could be great value at pick 28.

Miami C-

Pick 41 – Jarvis Varnado (PF)

Pick 42 – Da’Sean Butler (SF)

Only 2 picks, and more effort was going into creating cap-space on draft day than drafting picks. It’s showed, at 41 & 42, there were better options than Butler & Varnado.

Milwaukee C+

Pick 15 – Larry Sanders ( C)

Pick 37 – Darrington Hobson (SG)

Pick 44 – Jerome Jordan ( C)

Pick 47 – Tiny Gallon (PF)

Sanders, Jordan & Gallon will give the Bucks some youth in the paint to replace the departed Gadzuric. Hobson is a little unknown out of New Mexico, but comfortably played the 1, 2 & 3 in college. Some good selections for the Bucks.

Minnesota B+

Pick 4 – Wesley Johnson (SF)

Pick 30 – Lazar Haywood (SF)

Pick 39 – Nemanja Bjelica (SF)

Pick 45 – Paulo Prestes ( C)

Wes Johnson is pretty self-explanatory, he is a great, great talent. Haywood was a great scorer, rebounder & defender in college, has great upside in the NBA and kinda flew under the radar leading up to the draft. Coach Rambis & David Kahn did a lot of overseas scouting, hoping to draft a good talent that they could put on lay-away, as their roster is already brimming with young talent. Prestes & Bjelica won’t hit the NBA hardwood anytime soon. Also picked up Martell Webster & dropped Ryan Gomes. Questionable to trade the rights to Babbitt, but otherwise a good day for Sota.

New Jersey A

Pick 3 – Derrick Favors (PF)

Pick 24 – Damion James (PF)

Great work! All that talk about Favors, Cousins, Wes Johnson…who’s it going to be?!? It always should have been Favors, who is the best physical talent in the draft. The Nets then traded picks (27 for 24) to secure getting Damion James, the underrated power forward from Texas. Can’t tell you how excited we are for New Jersey to get these two power forwards. And in the process, they dropped the troublesome Chris Douglas-Roberts.

New Orleans C+

Pick 21 – Craig Brackens (PF)

Pick 26 – Quincy Pondexter (SG)

New Orleans needed more help than one player, so traded pick 11 to OKC for 21 & 26. Brackens and Pondexter could end up being good players in the NBA, but both are far from a certainty too.

New York C+

Pick 38 – Andy Rautins (PG/SG)

Pick 39 – Landry Fields (SF)

Rautins shot 40% from three in college, has endless range, is a solid on the ball defender and played on the Canadian National team. Fields had 4 solid years at Stanford, averaging 22ppg in the Pac-10 last season. It’s hard to call the Knicks, because they have so much up in the air this summer. They worked to try and get into the first round, but couldn’t. So with their 38^th & 39^th picks, they took two mature players who had good college careers.

OKC A-

Pick 11 – Cole Aldrich ( C)

Pick 31 – Tibor Pleiss ( C)

Pick 48 – Latavious Williams (SF/PF)

Pick 57 – Ryan Reid (PF)

Williams is the first D-Leaguer to be drafted into the NBA, and could prove a great role-player in the future. Draft-day trade, sending picks 21 & 26 to New Orleans for the rights to Cole Aldrich at 11. That’s brilliant for the Thunder. Aldrich is going to fit in nicely with this Thunder team and give them a little more muscle & defensive support in the middle. Pleiss likely won’t come to the NBA for another year or maybe two, Reid may not do much, but the strings pulled on draft day to get Aldrich is great work by the team at OKC.

Orlando C

Pick 29 – Daniel Orton (PF/C)

Pick 59 – Stanley Robinson (SF)

Another team who did the best with what they had. One thing Otis Smith has done, he’s drafted two good PEOPLE. Orton is very raw & unproven and Robinson didn’t impress in workouts. But both are good guys who could develop into handy role-players for an already stacked Magic team.

Philadelphia B

Pick 2 – Evan Turner (SG/SF)

With only the second pick, John Wall a certainty to go number 1, and the incredibly versatile & talented Turner available at 2… Philly weren’t going to pass on Turner, and weren’t going to screw up their only pick. Not much else to say, solid pick, no screw-ups.

Phoenix B-

Pick 46 – Gani Lawal (PF)

Pick 60 – Dwayne Collins (PF/C)

With only two picks in the draft (and in the latter part of the second round, no less) it’s acceptable that you may end up with not much to brag about. But with the 46^th & 60^th picks in the draft, the Suns have done ok. They got two young, athletic, hard-working bigs. Lawal could easily have gone in the late first round, so could end up being a bargain at 46.

Portland A

Pick 16 – Luke Babbitt (SF/PF)

Pick 22 – Elliot Williams (PG/SG)

Pick 34 – Armon Johnson (PG)

The Blazers sent Martell Webster to the T-Wolves in a draft-day trade. Webster is a nice player, but wasn’t developing to the level that the Blazers really expected. Luke Babbitt came in return, and he is a STEAL at pick 16. Babbitt will help bolster an injury prone (Oden & Pryzbilla) and aging (Juwan Howard & Marcus Camby) frontline. Williams at 22 was the guy they wanted and Armon Johnson could have gone as high as the high teens. The Blazers just got a lot younger, more versatile, and got great value in every one of their picks. Possibly the best work on draft night in the NBA was done by Portland.

Sacramento B+

Pick 5 – Demarcus Cousins ( C)

Pick 33 – Hassan Whiteside ( C)

The King may have selected to the two best centres in the draft. We’ll have to wait and see. Cousins will definitely be a force in the NBA, and Whiteside led the NCAA in blocked shots last season. Add these two young bigs to Sam Dalembert and Jason Thompson and you’ve got a good frontline. Cousins & Whiteside….we could be saying that a lot in the future.

San Antonio B-

Pick 20 – James Anderson (SG)

Pick 49 – Ryan Richards (PF)

At 6-6, a solid defender, and averaged over 20 points a game in college, there are a number of teams after pick 20 that are probably a little pissed that they didn’t get a chance to draft Anderson. Richards will likely stay in Spain for atleast another year, a good pick for a team that doesn’t necessarily need another player on the roster just yet. Spurs have picked well for their team needs right now, but could’ve used a centre too.

Toronto B

Pick 13 – Ed Davis (PF)

Only the one pick in the draft, and Toronto selected one of the best bigs available. Word was that Davis wasn’t going to get past Utah at number 9, he’s got all the tools to be a very good NBA power forward. Only question would be, why did you draft a power forward when you are trying to keep Chris Bosh? Unless you’re NOT trying to keep Bosh?

Utah C+

Pick 9 – Gordon Hayward (SF)

Pick 55 – Jeremy Evans (PF)

Utah picked a white guy (insert sarcastic comment about Utah loving white people here). Gordon Hayward is sure to be a good player, sure to be a good team-mate, sure to be coachable, but is he sure to be worthy of the number 9 spot? No. And why, when you had decent SG-SF-PF combinations in the playoffs, would you draft a SF? CJ Miles started at SF for the Jazz, and averaged 15.5ppg in the playoffs against the Lakers. We would have thought a centre would have been a better option. Evans is rather unproven, but a good shot-blocker.

Washington A

Pick 1 – John Wall (PG)

Pick 23 – Trevor Booker (PF)

Pick 56 – Hamady Ndiaye ( C)

Wizards picked John Wall with the number 1 pick…hard to go wrong there. But then they traded picks with Minnesota to move up to 23 and take Booker, whom they coveted. Smart draft-day trading to get the guy you want. Ndiaye out of Rutgers may handle himself well in the NBA, but is definitely a 56^th pick.

 

1. Washington – John Wall. Evan Turner’s agent David Falk cancelled interviews & workouts with Washington, convinced that the Wizards are taking Wall. Wall is a superstar…even as a number 1 pick, he’s STILL underrated.
2. Philadelphia – Evan Turner. Pending a draft day trade, this is a certainty. 
3. New Jersey – Derrick Favors. We still think they’ll take Favours.  They traded away Chris Douglas-Roberts yesterday, and you could jump to the conclusion that they going to replace their departed swingman with Johnson, but we think the talk of Wes Johnson being drafted here is being drummed up by NJ trying to force the T-Wolves to trade up.
4. Minnesota – Wesley Johnson.  Makes the most sense here.  Johnson is a quality player & person.
5. Sacramento – Demarcus Cousins.  Worth the gamble, regardless of the attitude.  Imagine a Beno, Tyreke, Casspi, Cousins & Dalembert lineup?  Sac have pointed to Cousins as a definite for them.
6. Golden State – Ekpe Udoh. Udoh is a lean 235 at 6-10, but is strong and has amazing shot-blocking ability. Will be able to step in and defend NBA power-forwards & most centres straight away. Let’s be honest, this organisation picks great players they don’t need. 3MW would say Monroe or Aldrich is the best pick here, but who knows…. but Larry Riley could trade the pick to New York for Sergio Rodriquez and start 5 point guards. Word has been, though, that Don Nelson & Larry Riley are both bang-up for a rebounding, scoring power-forward.
7. Detroit – Greg Monroe. The Pistons would be ecstatic if Monroe was here.
8. LA Clippers – Al-Farouq Aminu.  20 & 10 guy in the ACC would help the Clips.  Is alot tougher than he’s been given credit.
9. Utah – Luke Babbitt. Babbitt is a solid combo-forward, but unlike a few other combo forwards in this draft, he really does have the athleticism to defend NBA 3’s and strength to play with the 4s.
10. Indiana – Ed Davis. This 6-9 PF in a few years time could be a steal! The knocks on his game are he’s not strong enough, and needs a bit of range…..that’s all. Everything else is there, just no real wow-factor like some of the guys above, but looks great in workouts.
11. New Orleans – Paul George. Paul George is a 6-8 SF who could slot in nicely with a team that already has a few scoring options. George’s strengths are defence, running the floor, and he was in the league leaders in assists for all SFs in college. Nice player, not a tonne of offence in college, but looking awesome in workouts and with some work could be very effective.
12. Memphis – Patrick Patterson. We love this guy, and think he’s worth a top-10, but for Memphis, he’d slot in really nicely if he’s here at 12.
13. Toronto – Avery Bradley. Bradley could go a lot higher, but being only 6-2, NBA execs will look past him and get embarressed because of it. If Bradley is still available, the 6-2 PG/SG would be a great addition. He’s getting a lot of props from G.Ms around the league. New York are reportedly working to get a first round pick so they can try and draft Bradley.
14. Houston – Cole Aldrich. He’s big, solid, plays with his back to the basket, and is a hard-worker. Averaged 3 blocks a game in college, not bad for a guy only 6-9 to 6-10 with not the physical gifts of a Cousins, Whiteside or Aminu. Aldrich could still be snapped up higher, but with no FAHO, will likely fall… would be a good selection at 14 if he’s still here.
15. Milwaukee – Gordon Hayward. Most coveted player in the draft overall, just not worth much higher a pick than here. Would be VERY Milwaukee.
16. Minnesota – Xavier Henry. The T-Wolves have all the young talent you could want and will get a solid pick at number 4 above. At this stage, we think they’ll either trade/sell the pick to a team without a first rounder like New York or Oklahoma City. If they keep it, Henry is a solid pick here.
17. Chicago – Armon Johnson. Johnson could become a very good back-up PG. Has all the tools, the size, and does everything well….just not great…yet. He’s a pretty fearless little dude, so could thrive with the challenges in the NBA. Was one of the best shooters at the recent combine aswell.
18. OKC (Mia trade) – Damion James. He was a team-mate of Kevin Durant’s at Texas, and KD has openly said he wants James. Regardless, (6ft7) averaged 11.2 boards a game…read that again…what a monster!!! Moves like a guard and is really fit, playing over 30 minutes a game in college.
19. Boston – James Anderson. He’s a gun-slinging lock-down defender at 6-6. Scored a tonne of points in college, but didn’t shoot the ball real well in the combine. Although he did have one of the quickest releases out there. Could very well be a shooter who’s a game shooter, not a practice shooter.  
20. San Antonio – Gani Lawal. He pulled out of the draft last year to spend another year at Georgia Tech to work on his game. He’s a 6-9 PF who can score & rebound, and is very much a Coach Popp kind of player. If we are being completely honest with ourselves though, he ikely won’t go this high, as no wow-factor.
21. OKC – Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside could go a lot higher, but why not take a shot-blocking monster at 21?
22. Portland – Elliot Williams. 6-4 shooting guard out of Memphis who’s a great on the ball defender and rebounds well for a guard too. Portland are a huge fan.
23. Minnesota – Nemanja Bjelica. 6-10 SF from Serbia has great versatility, passing, size, and experience in a professional league in Serbia. But crosses against him are defence, quickness, strength, etc. It’s terrible to say, he’s a typical young Euro kid that needs time to develop. Coach Rambis has been to Serbia in the last few days though, and is a fan. That is, if Minnesota keep this pick.
24. Atlanta – Eric Bledsoe. Worth a gamble at 24. This guy could be one of the top 5 players from this draft in years to come. Word is though that the Hawks are looking to sell this pick because whomever they draft has guaranteed money…which means the Hawks have guaranteed luxury tax, which they don’t want/can’t afford when they are focusing all their $$$ to try and keep Joe Johnson.
25. Memphis – Kevin Seraphin. The 6-9 PF/C from France has all the tools for the NBA, but just injured knee very similar to the injury Lakers centre Andrew Bynum is nursing. Could put him into the mid-late second round now, but word is he may even pull out of the draft altogether. Would be a good selection to put on lay-by and have come to the USW in another few years.
26. OKC – Larry Sanders. Would fill out a great front-line ni OKC.
27. New Jersey – Devin Ebanks. Could go mid-teens, but if still here, would be a solid pick.
28. Memphis - Greivis Vasquez. The Grizz have LOVED him in workouts.
29. Orlando – Quincy Pondexter. Pondexter (6-7 SF) is another guy who does a lot of good things, is a sound player and person, but is already 22 years old, so scouts won’t get the whole ‘potential’, ‘upside’ and FAHO. So he’ll drop, maybe even to the second round, but a polished guy who averaged 19 points & 7 boards in college is worth a pick here for sure.
30. Washington – Domonique Jones. The dude has NBA scoring ability. He’s a SG who seems to me like Chris Douglas-Roberts two years ago, had that NBA ability, but with the systems they run in college, you don’t always get to see it. He still may not go first round.

 

Just outside our first round

Jordan Crawford. Remember the stories about the kid who dunked on Lebron and the tapes were confiscated, etc….well, that’s this 6-4 SG out of Xavier. Crawford showed that he can shoot the rock aswell, lighting it up at the recent shooting drills combine. He was the 6th best shooter on the day, including tops in three point shooting, hitting 20 of 25 from NBA three range.

Craig Brakens 6-10, plays PF and also moves to the 3 spot. Is big, long, but not strong. Doesn’t play either forward spot overly well, but could blossom. Hasn’t looked great so far and teams think he’s more a mid-second rounder.

Terrico White. Has torn it up in workouts, looking like the most athletic guy out there (one of the fastest in ¾ court sprints, and hit a maximum 11”9 in his vertical touch…which was good for 12th out of the 30 draftees that did the test. Not bad for a guy 6-5. YEP. 6-5, and he gets up to 11”9 on the run. Crazy. Scouts keep commenting on his natural feel for the game. White could be something special.

Stanley Robinson. The 6-8 combo forward from UCONN isn’t getting heaps of love, and whilst we liked him as a late-first-rounder the love affair is wavering after some so-so showings at the combine. He’s a strong, mature, fit (played 35 mins a game in college) defensive-minded guy who would still be a decent early second-round pick. A guy who can compete & defend against good competition in college for 35 mins a game is worth taking a chance on.

Willie Warren. There is no question Warren has an NBA game, but attitude concerns are there. He’ll likely tear it up in the NBA and make us all look stupid.

Jerome Randle. Randle is small at 5-10 and was turnover prone at California. But shot the three at 40%, free throws at 93%, was fit enough to play over 35 mins a game in college and finished at the basket as well as any other PG. Will get passed on because of his height though.

Solomon Alabi. Was predicted originally to be around the high teens, but teams are looking at that 7-1 kid that only pulls down 6.0 rebounds a game in college…if you’re 7-1, and only getting 6 boards a game in college then you’re a lazy-ass. But in saying that, the Celtics recently put Alabi through his paces and in his mental aptitude test he recorded the highest score ever for the Celts. Other teams have also interviewed & worked out Alabi and really like him, so could be a first rounder.

Daniel Orton. 6-10 & 255 with great potential. He wasn’t very polished in workouts so far, looking a little out of his depth. And at the end of the day, only played 13 mins a game off the bench in college. Teams like Orton, but know he needs a few years to work on his game. Could in time be a solid backup big

It’s been a colorful history between these legendary clubs.  Some highlights throughout the years:

1. 1962: The second NBA Finals with the Lakers against the Celtics (after 1959). Elgin Baylor scored a Finals record 61 points in a game 5 Laker victory. In Game 7, the clock was winding down with the score tied at 100, when Frank Selvy, who once scored 100 points in a college game, missed an eight-footer for the Lakers. The Celtics won in overtime, with Bill Russell tying his own Finals record with 40 rebounds.
2. 1966: Another Celtics-Lakers classic. In Game 7, Red Auerbach, Boston’s coach, lit up his traditional victory cigar midway through the 4th quarter, only to see his team’s big lead melt away. They held on, however, and won 95–93 to preserve the Celtics’ eighth straight championship and ninth in ten seasons.
3. 1969: For the third time in the decade, a Lakers-Celtics final went to seven games. Chamberlain, Baylor, and West, three of the game’s best players, were now all playing for the Lakers.  Nevertheless, the aging Celtics, led by player-coach Bill Russell, held their ground.  In Game 4, with the Celtics trailing 2–1 in the series and 88–87 in the game, Sam Jones hit an incredible buzzer-beater with three seconds left to even the series and preserve the Celtics’ championship winning streak.  In game 7, Don Nelson threw up a recovered loose ball with only 2 seconds left on the 24 second shot clock. Nelson’s shot hit the heel of the rim, bounced high in the air and came down through the hoop as Boston ended up winning 108–106.
4. 1984: The long-awaited rematch of the Lakers and Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1980 with the legendary Johnson-Bird pair entering the league. The Lakers won Game 1, and almost Game 2, but a crucial steal in Game 2 by Gerald Henderson led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series. The Lakers won Game 3. The Celtics won Game 4. Now tied 2–2, the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for Game 7.  Celtics took out the trophy.
5. 1985: The Lakers and Celtics met again, and the Celtics opened the series with a crushing 148-112 win over Los Angeles. Known as the “Memorial Day Massacre”, Boston’s 148 points still stands as the highest total by a team in the Finals. However, the Lakers came back to win the series in six games, finally beating Boston in the NBA Finals. L.A.’s Finals victory marked the only time Boston lost a championship on their home floor.
6. 2008: The Boston Celtics ended their 22-year title drought with a six-game victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. 2010: Lakers currently lead 2-1… bring on game 4!

Check out the 1984 Finals:

Hey Guffers,

Been a few changes with some workouts and team chatter…

1. Washington John Wall. Still the right choice here we think.  And he’s already come out in the press talking about if he goes to Washington, Gilbert Arenas may have to do what’s best for the team and move to the SG spot.  The kid is already taking leadership of a team he hasn’t been drafted by….love it!!!
2. Philadelphia Evan Turner. A lot of talk around this pick…Favors?  Turner?  Even Wesley Johnson would be a good selection…but do you pass up on Turner?  Probably not in the end, unless you are trading picks or something.
3. New Jersey Derrick Favors. Teams are loving the guy.  Not as much potential or athleticism than Cousins, but a much better attitude.  He may not be a better pick than Wes Johnson either, but NJ will still take a big because taking a SG or SF sends the wrong message to Lebron, Joe Johnson, etc.  Favors is not a bad pick at all, he has all the physical gifts, huge wingspan, has a standing 9-1 reach. 9-1!!! But GMs are all caught up in his physical traits, which he lived off to beat guys in college.  Teams love Favors, but still don’t think he can contribute straight away, you may see him come off the bench as a rook.
4. Minnesota Wesley Johnson. Did you see the video of a workout of his the other day….wow.    
5. Sacramento DeMarcus Cousins. Sac have some good players, but with the 5^th pick at their disposal and coming off a 25-57 season, all bets are off and they are taking the best player available at this point in the draft. We think Evans & Casspi’s positions are safe, but if the Kings have to upset Spencer Hawes, Nocioni or Beno Udrih, then so be it.  Cousins is apparently difficult to coach and GMs haven’t gotten a great personal vibe from him.  But the guy’s got all the physical talent, a bit of a mean-streak and is determined. Hope it turns into hard work in the NBA. Not great fitness, but when he’s out there, he’ll get it done. Number 1 in the NCAA in rebounds per 48 minutes. He has all the tools, possibly the most NBA-ready centre in the draft.
6. Golden State Patrick Patterson. One word…UNDERRATED.  He’s a good pick-and-roll player, which with Baron Davis & Steve Blake out there is very valuable.  AND has a high basketball IQ.  The 6-9 SF/PF and has looked awesome in workouts.  Team love his NBA-ready body & his attitude. But (sorry GSW fans) this organisation sucks balls and Nelson can’t go past a nice guard.  I can see them taking Xavier Henry and they usually have draft some good players (e.g – Steph Curry), but never appropriate for what their team actually needs. 
7. Detroit Greg Monroe. Word is he’s currently fallen a bit out of favour due to his 11.2% body fat, whereas other guys are measuring in the 5s & 6s. Still, he’s a solid rebounder, defender and a great team-mate. Averaged 1.5blk & 1.2stl, very quick hands, hard worker, decent physical strength and size.  Just not enough FAHO (NB – FAHO is Freakish Athleticism Hard On, Gms and execs get that a lot this time of year).  But here we go…are you ready?  ……we’re saying it here.  If ANY team can or will take the Sixers Elton Brand in a trade for that number 2 pick with Philadelpia….it’s Detroit.  Brand isn’t over the hill yet.  He’s played injured for a season and a half, and could still add value (albeit not $51M of value over 3 years), but the Pistons like a bruising undersized PF/C (McDyess, Ben Wallace, Jason Maxiell) and Brand is VERY Detroit we think.  Sixers are really keen to move Brand and still think they’ll get a good player down the line (they’ve worked out Patrick Patterson, Cousins, Favors, Monroe), and if anyone can pull this, we think it’s the Pistons.  If not, we’re going with Monroe even though he’ll likely fall past here.  
8. LA Clippers      Paul George. Paul George is a 6-8 SF who could slot in nicely with a team that already has a lot of scoring options.  George’s strengths are defence, running the floor, and he was in the league leaders in assists for all SFs in college.  Nice player, not a tonne of offence in college, but looking awesome in workouts and with some work could be very effective. 
9. Utah Cole Aldrich. He’s big, solid, plays with his back to the basket, has great footwork in the post and whilst he can step out and hit a jumper, prefers to live in the paint. Think Kevin Love with better defence (averaged around 3 blocks a game in college). Boozer is going and Fesenko is ordinary.  Milsap is the PF of the future for the Jazz, so they desperately need a centre.  Aldrich could still be snapped up higher, but with no FAHO, will likely fall.  Even past here perhaps.  Would be a good selection at 9 and is a very Jerry Sloan kind of player. 
10. Indiana Luke Babbitt. The guy can shoot!!  And shoot!  And shoot!  And showed in the recent combine that he has some freakish strength & athleticism for a 6-9 PF.  Was the biggest surprise in the athletics combine results for sure.  Could be a more athletic, stronger Troy Murphy.  Word is that Larry Bird has a player-crush on Gordon Hayward, but at pick 10?!?!  We don’t see it. 
11. New Orleans Hassan Whiteside. They need some help in the paint, and Whiteside’s interior presence would be a good addition to this Hornets team.
12. Memphis Ekpe Udoh. Udoh is a lean 235 at 6-10, but is strong and has amazing shot-blocking ability.  Will be able to step in and defend NBA power-forwards & most centres straight away.  Huge FAHO right here.  Has been great in workouts and teams are loving his fire & competitive spirit, the guy plays hard every second he’s on the floor.  Talent-wise there are better guys here at pick 12, but you can’t teach energy & effort.   
13. Toronto Al-Farouq Aminu. The Raptors are sure to take a big.  Aminu is getting the ‘soft’ tag a bit…Gms think he could be soft, not a hard worker, etc… Still very early, but not wowing right now.  Aminu is a great defender, can guard 4 positions, blocks alot of shots for a guy who is 6-8. Great athletisicm, great on a fast break.
14. Houston Donatas Motiejunas. Potential is through the roof, will be as good as he wants to be, and pending workouts, could go as high as 3 or 4.  One of those wild-card players where you just don’t know how much effort he’s going to give.  Great talent though, 7-0 PF who can knock down outside shots, but also has a bit of mongrel and likes to beat guys in the paint.  Could go higher for sure.  Could also be a jerk?
15. Milwaukee Ed Davis. This 6-9 PF in a few years time could be a steal!  The knocks on his game are he’s not strong enough, and needs a bit of range…..that’s all.  Everything else is there, just no real wow-factor like some of the guys above, but looks great in workouts and whilst the Bucks are liking a lot of the combo guards out there, we are hoping they pick smart and take a PF with some offensive ability (sorry, Bah Moute, we like you a lot, you just can’t score points to save yourself!).
16. Minnesota Xavier Henry. Henry is a nice player and good shooter.  He’s been reasonably inoffensive, does what is needed of him, plays good ball…seems very much Coach Rambis kinda player and would give Minnesota another decent offensive option.
17. Chicago.          Armon Johnson. Johnson could become a very good back-up PG.  Has all the tools, the size, and does everything well….just not great…yet.  He’s a pretty fearless little dude, so could thrive with the challenges in the NBA.  Was one of the best shooters at the recent combine aswell and for a Chicago team with no real backup PG (Lindsay Hunter is due to retire & Flip Murray isn’t a permanent solution), Johnson could help.
18. Miami Larry Sanders. We really like Damion James here, but think the Heat would be more inclined to take someone with a bit more height & length considering they had no-one over 7-0 on their roster last year and their biggest guy under contract so far is Michael Beasley, who’s a 6-9 SF.  We’re sure the Heat would LOVE to be just a few more picks up the board to have the option of an Ed Davis, Aminu or Udoh.  Hopefully one of those guys will fall because Sanders is more of a work in progress.
19. Boston Terrico White. Has torn it up in workouts, looking like the most athletic guy out there (one of the fastest in ¾ court sprints, and hit a maximum 11”9 in his vertical touch…which was good for 12^th out of the 30 draftees that did the test.  Not bad for a guy 6-5.  YEP.  6-5, and he gets up to 11”9 on the run.  Crazy.  Scouts keep commenting on his natural feel for the game.  White could be something special.
20. San Antonio James Anderson. He’s a gun-slinging lock-down defender at 6-6.  Didn’t shoot the ball real well in the combine, but had one of the quickest releases out there.  Could very well be a shooter who’s a game shooter, not a practice shooter.  We like Anderson in Boston, but think Terrico White is probably a better player and achieving better results in workouts to date.
21. OKC                 Damion James. The 6-7 combo forward outta Texas likely won’t go this high, but we are a fan.  Damion James at 6-7 averaged 11.2 boards a game…read that again…what a monster!!!  And is super-quick and pretty fit, playing over 30 minutes a game in college and whilst undersized, you can’t look past the effort it takes to pull down 11.2 boards when you are only 6-7 in shoes.
22. Portland Devin Ebanks. The 6-7 Ebanks has looked pretty good in workouts so far.  Doesn’t need plays drawn for him to score, gets a lot of offensive glass, takes good shots, good basketball mind and one rare quality….he gets fired up about defense!  May go higher for sure, but his lack of ‘superstardom’ will drop him to the 20s.
23. Minnesota Nemanja Bjelica. 6-10 SF from Serbia has great versatility, passing, size, and experience in a professional league in Serbia.  But crosses against him are defence, quickness, strength, etc.  It’s terrible to say, he’s a typical young Euro kid that needs time to develop.  Coach Rambis has been to Serbia in the last few days though, and is a fan.
24. Atlanta Gani Lawal. He pulled out of the draft last year to spend another year at Georgia Tech to work on his game.  He’s a 6-9 PF who can score & rebound, that would help this Atlanta team who desperately need more interior presence.  Word is though that the Hawks are looking to sell this pick because whomever they draft has guaranteed money…which means the Hawks have guaranteed luxury tax, which they don’t want/can’t afford when they are focusing all their $$$ to try and keep Joe Johnson.
25. Memphis Solomon Alabi. Was predicted to be around the low 20s, but teams are looking at that 7-1 kid that only pulls down 6.0 rebounds a game in college…if you’re 7-1, and only getting 6 boards a game in college then you’re a lazy-ass.  But in saying that, the Celtics recently put Alabi through his paces and in his mental aptitude test, he recorded the highest score ever for the Celts.  Other teams have also interviewed & worked out Alabi and really like him, so could be a first rounder.
26. OKC                 Daniel Orton. 6-10 & 255 with great potential make this guy a good pick for an OKC team that can give the kid a bit of time.  He wasn’t very polished in workouts so far, looking a little out of his depth, and at the end of the day, only played 13 mins a game off the bench in college.  Teams like him, but know he needs a few years to work on his game.  Could in time be a very solid backup big.
27. New Jersey Avery Bradley. Bradley could go a lot higher, but being only 6-2, NBA execs will look past him.  But if Bradley is still available, the 6-2 SG from Texas would be a nice addition off the bench.  Not a PG at all, as he goes for his own shot all the time, but would suit a role as firepower off the bench (ala Eddie House or Bobby Jackson).
28. Memphis Elliot Williams. 6-4 shooting guard out of Memphis who’s a great on the ball defender and rebounds well for a guard too.  Has great quickness off the dribble, and showed some wicked athleticism.  Bledsoe is also a possibility here, but Williams has a bit more size and length.
29. Orlando Quincy Pondexter. Pondexter (6-7 SF) is another guy who does a lot of good things, is a sound player and person, but is already 22 years old, so scouts won’t get the whole ‘potential’, ‘upside’ and FAHO.  So he’ll drop, maybe even to the second round, but a polished guy who averaged 19 points & 7 boards in college is worth a pick here for sure.
30. Washington Jordan Crawford.  Remember the stories about the kid who dunked on Lebron and the tapes were confiscated, etc….well, that’s this 6-4 SG out of Xavier.  Crawford showed that he can shoot the rock aswell, lighting it up at the recent shooting drills combine.  He was the 6^th best shooter on the day, including tops in three point shooting, hitting 20 of 25 from NBA three range.

Just outside our first round

Craig Brakens 6-10, plays PF and also moves to the 3 spot.  Is big, long, but not strong.  Doesn’t play either forward spot overly well, but could blossom.  Hasn’t looked great so far and teams think he’s more a mid-second rounder.

Kevin Seraphin.                      The 6-9 PF/C from France has all the tools for the NBA, but just injured knee very similar to the injury Lakers centre Andrew Bynum is nursing.  Could put him into the mid-late second round now.

Stanley Robinson. The 6-8 combo forward from UCONN isn’t getting heaps of love, and whilst we liked him as a late-first-rounder the love affair is wavering after some so-so showings at the combine.  He’s a strong, long, fit (played 35 mins a game in college) defensive-minded guy who would still be a decent early second-round pick.  A guy who can compete & defend against good competition in college for 35 mins a game is worth taking a chance on.

Domonique Jones. The dude has NBA scoring ability.  He’s a SG who seems to me like Chris Douglas-Roberts two years ago, had that NBA ability, but with the systems they run in college, you don’t always get to see it.  He’s probably not a first-rounder, but could sneak in late first.

Willie Warren. There is no question Warren has an NBA game, but attitude concerns are there.

Eric Bledsoe. Could be much better than anticipated, but teams are looking at his height and only a year in college…thinking he may not really be ready for the NBA just yet.

1. There is FAR TOO MUCH Lebron talk out there.  We know it’s exciting, and is the most amazing group of free agents in NBA history, but we’re already sick of hearing about it, we’ve all been talking about it for 2 years now!  Some reporter from New York has even been on a stakeout outside Lebron’s mother’s house in Akron, Ohio.  It’s all getting a bit much…
2. If an NBA team makes a play for the Magic’s Brandon Bass…that could be a great move this off-season.  Bass is due $16M over 4 years and if you actually give the guy minutes, he could be a very good player (perhaps the next Paul Milsap style of PF), and end up being a bargain at $4M a year.
3. Hedo Jerkoglu has openly told the Turkish press that he wants out of Toronto.  We’re sure Toronto are ok with this too… but after a season of sulking, b*tching in the media about not getting enough touches, and an overall poor performance on the court all season…who will take him?  Probably Isiah Thomas…even though he doesn’t have an NBA job, Thomas loves a player with a bad attitude who is burned-out… he’ll make the calls to the Raptors, you’ll see.
4. Hedo, you are a douche…
5. Sacha Vujacic… you also, are a douche…
6. Antoine Walker…you are the biggest douche of all.
7. Patrick Ewing is keeping his fingers crossed for a phone call from an NBA team looking for a head coach.  We’d love to see Pat on the sidelines in a head coaching role!
8. Matt Barnes is going to test free agency…good for him.  Lots of teams need someone who can piss Kobe off.
9. Doug Collins (the new 76ers coach) is apparently a big fan of Derrick Favors and considering passing on Evan Turner to take Favors with the no.2 pick.
10. Sad to see the Suns out after such a great run to the Western Conference Finals… could it have been Amare’s last game in a Suns uni?
11. As much as we talk about him, we STILL think Steve Nash is underrated.
12. It’s a Celtics-Lakers final!  Could there be anything better than a matchup from two teams with such rich history?  And clearly the two best teams right now, too…going to be an awesome series regardless of the outcome (and this is coming from a Lakers Fan…and Celtics Hater).
13. We think that loss against the C’s in the 2008 finals will haunt the Lakers more than they let on, and it’s such a factor that it COULD end up being the difference in the series…we’re just sayin’.
14. It was very cool that NBA players & coaches on both teams could put aside all competitiveness & egos…and all be a little in awe of Kobe’s 37 point outing against the Suns in game 6.  Even Alvin Gentry said with a smile after the game, ‘was that Michael or Kobe, I couldn’t tell!’
15. Not everyone is a Kobe fan.  But let’s be realistic for a second…against Phoenix he averaged 33.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the series while making 52.1 percent of his shots.  And that was against Grant Hill & Jared Dudley, who are stellar defenders.  If you compare that to MJ’s 1996 playoffs, where he was ALSO 32 years old, MJ averaged 30.7ppg, 4.9rebs, 4.1ass & shot 46%.  Quite comparable numbers…mind you, Kobe hasn’t changed the game like Mike, pioneered the marketing of NBA players, created the most successful basketball brand/shoe line in history, won 6 championships with lesser supporting talent, won two Olympic gold medals and is the all time scoring (per game) champion….but Kobe’s numbers at this stage of his career are definitely up there with the greats.
16. While we are on the subject, here are the 3MW NBA Guff top 10 of all time:
    1. Michael Jordan
    2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    3. Wilt Chamberlain
    4. Bill Russell
    5. Magic Johnson
    6. Kobe Bryant
    7. Larry Bird
    8. John Havlicek
    9. Oscar Robertson
    10. John Stockton/David Robinson/Hakeem Olajuwon (yeah it’s a cop-out, but we couldn’t decide).

We welcome your retort!