Live-blogging the NBA Draft

Welcome to PSB's "coverage" of the 2008 NBA Draft. Brian and I are here to give our instant reactions to this year's NBA draft. Here at PSB, you can count on us for immediate, poorly thought out analysis. So essentially, we're ESPN with a better aesthetic. Speaking of ESPN, 35 minutes ago, they reported that the Chicago Bulls will take Derrick Rose over Michael Beasley, apparently thinking that they're only allowed one player over 6'4" and 220 pounds. And as I type

CHICAGO BULLS (PICK 1): DERRICK ROSE, G, MEMPHIS

Brian's Reaction: Derrick Rose should have a great pro future, but it's absurd that the Bulls passed up on Michael Beasley. At worst, Beasley is the second coming of Derrick Coleman. Odds are he'll work a little harder than Coleman and actually condition himself. Of course, if the Bulls can get a good big man back for Kirk Hinrich, maybe it all works out.

Pat's Reaction: I agree, Brian, Derrick Rose will be an excellent player in the NBA, but it is not at all clear to me that he'll be any better than Beasley, and the one facet that's been missing from the Chicago Bulls in their rebuilding process over the last five years is a low post scorer. Beasley would have provided that. I'm not sure this won't be looked on as a huge mistake in 5 years. Miami is on the clock. Rumors are swirling that they might be dumb enough to pass over the only other sure thing in the draft. Will they screw it up too?

MIAMI HEAT (PICK 2): MICHAEL BEASLEY, F, KANSAS ST.

Pat's Reaction: No they will not. Riley gets this one right. Michael Beasley will be a star in the NBA. He will start somewhere around 20/10, with a chance to grow as he builds his strength and outside game. He has an unimaginably high ceiling (think a longer, stronger, slightly less quick Dominique Wilkins, except also a dominant rebounder).

ESPN...no one cares about the mothers of the draft picks...please stop wasting my time with them. Minnesota on the clock. They should take Mayo. Will they?

Brian's Reaction: Miami did the right thing (really the only thing) in selecting Beasley here. While it looks as though they'll hang onto the pick, the fact that Beasley was valued so far above O.J. Mayo makes this the right decision. The Heat will be a team to watch next year if Dwyane Wade can stay healthy. Wade, Marion, and Beasley should be an excellent trio.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (PICK 3): O.J. MAYO, G, USC

Pat's Reaction: O.J. Mayo could be an excellent NBA player, and a core of Mayo, Brewer, and Jefferson ain't too shabby if Jefferson continues to develop and Brewer can even come close to resembling the Scottie Pippen clone many experts thought he would be. Of course, Mayo could also go stircrazy a la Stephon Marbury in Minnesota and demand a way out of there. I've been to Minnesota. Couldn't blame him.

Brian's Reaction: Once again, there was no real suspense here. Minnesota had no real choice except for Mayo. He should be a good fit alongside Al Jefferson. There could be some controversy as to who is the point guard between Mayo and Randy Foye. Neither one is a natural point guard, but maybe the two combo guards will be a good...combo?

UPDATE from Pat: After I went to bed, ESPN reported that the Timberwolves and Grizzlies will pull off a huge blockbuster trade of mostly useless players, with the Timberwolves sending the rights to Mayo, along with Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner and PSB favorite Antoine Walker to Memphis in exchange for the rights to Love, Brian Cardinal, Jason "2-inch vertical" Collins and Mike Miller. This trade makes almost no sense, and almost no difference in terms of the standings next year, though it will provide the T-Wolves with some cap relief, and they get the best player not drafted in the deal (Miller). As for the Grizzlies, well, this would seem to cement Chris Wallace's reputation as the worst general manager in the league, largely because he's the latest general manager to acquire Antoine Walker. Also because he now has a team with 11 guards and no big men not named Darko. I'm sensing a looming acquisition of Zach Randolph for the Grizz...

SEATTLE/OKLAHOMA CITY SUPERSONICS (PICK 4): RUSSELL WESTBROOK, G, UCLA

Brian's Reaction: Seattle could have gone a lot of ways here, but Westbrook is a smart pick. He's a tenacious defender and should significantly improve Seattle's backcourt. He's not a natural point guard, but maybe the Sonics would be better off if he had to play the 2. Then they could move Durant to small forward or power forward WHERE HE BELONGS.

Pat's Reaction: As a Knicks fan, I'm disappointed; this was the guy I was hoping would end up in New York. He's a fantastic on-ball defender - a trait that most teams will desperately need with the influx of young dynamic point guards in the NBA (Paul, Williams, Parker, etc.). Memphis on the clock. They need size. But Brook Lopez will be a bust. WHAT WILL THEY DO?!?!

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (PICK 5): KEVIN LOVE, F, UCLA

Brian's Reaction: Memphis needs help from almost every position, so it's hard to fault them for this pick. Love's pro potential is hard to rate, but his shooting and passing ability, plus the way he slimmed down, suggest that he'll at least be an above average big man in the NBA, with the potential to be much better.

Pat's Reaction: Well, at least they didn't pick the slow, plodding, unathletic 7' who used his size and basketball savvy to almost but not quite dominate vastly inferior competition in the Pac 10, the softest conference in college basketball, something he would never have been able to do in the NBA. After all, Kevin Love is 6'9".

Knicks on the clock. No truth to the rumor that Frederic Weis has redeclared himself for the NBA Draft.

NEW YORK KNICKS (PICK 6): DANILO GALLINARI, F, ITALY

Pat's Reaction: The Knick fans booed mightily. I don't have a strong opinion on the pick either way, since I've never seen him play. He looks pretty damn tall. Fran Fraschilla just said that he has a rare toughness for a European player. That's what everyone said about Darko. I just threw up all over my keyboard. Is it too late to unfire Jeff Van Gundy?

Note: When asked what the Knicks should do, Mark Jackson replied, "Take the best available player." Thanks Mark. Can't see why you didn't get a head coaching job.

There's nothing better than the foreign players sitting down for an interview with Stephen A. Smith. It's more unintelligible than Telemundo. I think Gallinari learned 4 English sentences for his interview, and would have responded that way no matter what Stephen asked him.
"Hungry, Danilo?"
"I am-a hungry for-a winning, I love-a to-a compete-a and-a play-a basketball-a."
"Cheez Doodle?"

Brian's Reaction: Cue the boos. No surprise here that the Knicks fans hate the pick. He's played well in Europe and should be a nice player, but let's hope he's not too sensitive. Let's just hope he's better at basketball than he is at fashion. The Rooster shoe he unveiled is one of the most hideous things I've ever seen.

UPDATE: Over/Under on the amount of time before New Yorkers start referring to Danilo "The Rooster" Gallinari as "The Cock." 10 minutes? Has it already happened?

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (PICK 7): ERIC GORDON, G, INDIANA

Pat's Reaction: Rumor is this was the guy the Clippers wanted the whole time, so they must be delighted he fell to them. Unfortunately, best case scenario, he's a poor man's Jason Terry. He completely collapsed in the 2nd half of the college season last year. Doesn't bode well for the NBA.

Brian's Reaction: Good move for the Clippers here. Gordon is the best available talent and could be a dynamite scorer. His struggles in college are a concern, but it was a very strange season to be an Indiana player and that couldn't have helped. If all goes well, he's a better version of Ben Gordon.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (PICK 8): JOE ALEXANDER, F, WEST VIRGINIA

Brian's Reaction: Alexander looks like a great prospect, so in that regard this was a smart pick. But the Bucks just traded for a small forward. At least Alexander gives them a player who could actually work on defense.

Pat's Reaction: I've made no secret of the fact that Joe Alexander is one of my favorite players in this draft, despite not being sure what race he is. That having been said...

Didn't the Bucks just trade for Richard Jefferson? Don't they play the same position? Don't they think this might become a problem? Neither of them can guard 4s or 5s or 2s. That spells trouble. A lineup of Williams, Redd, Alexander, Jefferson, and Villanueva would be the worst rebounding and defensive five on a basketball court since the Pepsi Celebrity Challenge.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (PICK 9): D.J. AUGUSTIN, G, TEXAS

Pat's Reaction: This is the first real stunner of the draft. It's also something of an indictment of Ray Felton, who briefly looked like he might be the next big thing in his 2nd year, but last year regressed severely. Maybe Augustin will light a little fire underneath Felton. Then the Bobcats could play 2 guards who are shorter than me at the same time.

Note: Jay Bilas doesn't know anything about the NBA. Why is he on this panel?
Additional Note: Stephen A. Smith doesn't know anything. Why is he...anything?

Brian's Reaction: So...after all that talk of the Bobcats needing a center, they pass up Brook Lopez and add a point guard? What happened to Raymond Felton?

Augustin could be a nice player, but his size is a major issue. He had a great college season but his most noticeable struggle was in the NCAA Tournament taking on Derrick Rose. Guess what? Most of the point guards in the NBA have Derrick Rose's size. At least Charlotte now holds the 20th pick and can add a big man later.

NEW JERSEY NETS (PICK 10): BROOK LOPEZ, C, STANFORD

Pat's Reaction: I guess this is a steal for the Nets, since some people had him going as high as 3, though I think he's essentially Aaron Gray. How many times does a team have to take an unathletic 7 footer not quite good enough to dominate at the college level before they learn their lesson?

Brian's Reaction: I'm not expecting Lopez to be a great pro, but at #10 it's not a bad pick. The Nets needed a big man and Lopez is big, if nothing else. He won't be a great scorer like he was in college since he'll his size is nothing special at the NBA level, but he should be a solid NBA center for a number of years.

INDIANA PACERS (PICK 11): JERRYD BAYLESS, G, ARIZONA

Pat's Reaction: I like this pick for Indiana, except again, just like in Milwaukee, the Pacers just traded for a point guard (T.J. Ford), and yet don't seem to care. In other news, Jay Bilas just described him as a young Chauncey Billups. We all remember that Chauncey Billups sucked in the pros for like 5 years, right?

Brian's Reaction: Interesting pick here by the Pacers, who just traded for a point guard. However, they did need a backup and Bayless is a steal at this point. Plus Ford has an injury history, so they have some security now. Look for them to take a big man with Toronto's pick.

SACRAMENTO KINGS (PICK 12): JASON THOMPSON, F, RIDER

Pat's Reaction: This is a terrible pick. I understand that he flew up the draft board and everything, and had great numbers in college, but he's never competed against anybody talented in his whole career. That's about to change. Oh wait, he has to actually get on the court to compete against them.

P.S. Draft Express says in his best case scenario, he'll end up like Mark Blount. I'm thinking more like Antoine Carr. Neither one is good.

Brian's Reaction: Thompson put up great numbers at Rider, but...he put up great numbers at RIDER. He has yet to prove he can play against tough competition. At least they had the sense not to take Roy Hibbert, who is virtually guaranteed to be a bust. They won't have that problem with Thompson. It's hard to be a bust when no one's heard of you.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (PICK 13): BRANDON RUSH, G, KANSAS

Brian's Reaction: By all accounts, the Blazers have been trying to trade this pick, so taking Rush makes a lot of sense. Rush has a lot of trade value and if the Blazers opt to keep him, this is one of the few guys who should be able to step in and contribute right away. Smart pick here.

Pat's Reaction: I love this pick for the Blazers, who are rapidly assembling my favorite roster in the league. He's an awesome complementary piece. He can hit the three, play excellent defense, and he rebounds extremely well for his size. Pair him with Brandon Roy and you have one of the very best defensive backcourts in the league, and you create matchup problems all over the court.

Jay Bilas says he must improve his assertiveness, but he's sharing the court with Oden, Aldridge, Roy, etc. That team is loaded, and will be a threat in the West next year.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (PICK 14): ANTHONY RANDOLPH, F, LSU

Brian's Reaction: Randolph should be a great fit for Golden State, but he's awfully similar to Brandan Wright. It's hard to know if he'll even get much playing time. This pick is all about upside. Randolph has the tools to be a great pro down the road, but it's probably going to be a while before we see that, if it ever happens.

Pat's Reaction: Intriguingly, the Warriors decide to pick a carbon copy of the player they took last year (Brandan Wright). I've read some rumors that the Warriors are looking at sending Wright to the Cavs for Varejao and the 19th pick. That would at least open the "thin, talented, underachieving lottery pick who never plays" spot for Randolph.

PHOENIX SUNS (PICK 15): ROBIN LOPEZ, C/F, STANFORD

Pat's Reaction: Not a bad pick for Phoenix. Robin adds some much needed intensity on the defensive end, which they'll need to cover for the incredibly inept defender that Amare Stoudemire has decided to become. He'll be a pest for Phoenix. Grab some offensive rebounds, block some shots, dive for the ball. Thumbs up.

Stephen A. Smith is asking one of three questions to every single guy he interviews. Why not just get a robot? You could cross promote the Wall-E movie (ESPN is owned by Disney, remember?) with an animated version of the little guy asking Brook Lopez what he'll bring to the New Jersey Nets.

Brian's Reaction: Bizarre pick here for the Suns. Apparently after years of successfully playing exciting, fast-paced basketball, the Suns strategy is to load up on slow big men. Lopez should help the Suns defensively, but his offensive potential is fairly limited. At best, the Suns add the next Andersen Varejao. At least that's what they say. Does anyone else think that that comparison is entirely derived from the similar hairstyles?

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (PICK 16): MARREESE SPEIGHTS, F, FLORIDA

Pat's Reaction: First of all, Marreese? What the hell kind of name is Marreese? That was very hard to type. I had to double check a couple times.

Jay Bilas (I just keep going back to him) says, favorably of Speights, that while he didn't dominate anyone in the SEC, he didn't get dominated by anyone in the SEC either. Well bully for Marreese! I suppose he fills a need for the Sixers. Also, his greatest weakness is that he apparently doesn't push himself hard. ESPN called that "conditioning." I call that "laziness."

Brian's Reaction: And the Sixers add a player so good that...he wasn't invited to attend the draft. It's a decent pick as he should give the Sixers some much-needed low-post scoring. At least they avoided Roy Hibbert.

TORONTO RAPTORS (PICK 17): ROY HIBBERT, C, GEORGETOWN - PICK RUMORED TO BE TRADED TO INDIANA

Brian's Reaction: Speak of the devil, there goes Hibbert. The Pacers desperately needed size with Jermaine O'Neal gone and Hibbert should add that, but to me Hibbert just looks like a black Rasho Nesterovic. He can't run and he's never been a good rebounder. All he's got going for him is size. That size should allow him to stick around the league for a while, but it's hard to see him ever being a star. Why not gamble on Kosta Koufos here?

Pat's Reaction: Roy Hibbert will be an unmitigated disaster in the NBA. He was not at the draft to shake hands with Stern. He was invited, but he only arrived in Grand Central at 4:00PM, and with his footspeed, he only made it as far as 36th street by the time the draft started. Word is he gave up somewhere around 35th and 6th and stopped for a cheeseburger.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (PICK 18): JAVALE MCGEE, F, NEVADA

Brian's Reaction: Apparently McGee's mother played in the WNBA. I would've known that but Candace Parker told me not to watch the WNBA. (Seriously, worst marketing campaign ever.) He's a good shot-blocker who can shoot and could help make up for Antawn Jamison's production, should Jamison leave in the off-season.

Pat's Reaction: I don't know anything about this guy, except that the capitalization of the letters in his name seems random (JaVale McGee) and that Jay Bilas says he has potential, which means he'll play in the D-League this year and I'll never hear from him again.

Breaking News: Portland trades Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush to Indiana for Ike Diogu and Jerryd Bayless

Pat's Reaction: This is a great trade for both teams, but especially for Portland. Diogu is a talented post player, and Bayless is another outstanding player to pair with Roy in the backcourt. It's a somewhat more traditional pairing than with Rush, too, though Bayless is a scorer. If Roy's playmaking abilities continue to Flourish, this will be a great trade for Portland. Rush definitely fits the Pacers' style of play.

Brian's Reaction: Good move for Portland. Rush is great, but he was going to be stuck behind Brandon Roy and would have had a hard time finding playing time. Instead of Rush, Portland fills a need by acquiring Bayless, one of the top point guards in the draft. Meanwhile, Rush is a better fit than Bayless in Indiana. Their starting shooting guard last year was...Brandon's brother Kareem. Now we get two brothers fighting for playing time. I smell a reality show!

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (PICK 19): J.J. HICKSON, F, N.C. STATE

Pat's Reaction: I've never heard of this guy. Apparently he's strong. Perhaps a poor man's Ben Wallace, or a replacement for Drew Gooden. Either way, not enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland past his contract.

Bobcats on the clock. Arthur would be a great pick for them.

Brian's Reaction: Kind of surprising to see the Cavs take Hickson here. Kosta Koufos was still on the board and supposedly the Cavs were enamored of him. Darrell Arthur would have also been a sensible pick. This seems a bit high for Hickson, but he should be able to help the Cavs on defensive and with rebounding. Still, this feels like a reach.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (PICK 20): ALEXIS AJINCA, C, FRANCE

Brian's Reaction: A lot of scouts fell in love with Ajinca in pre-draft workouts, which is great and all but he's never actually had any success in 5-on-5 basketball. He has been unproductive in Euroleague basketball. Again, this pick is about potential. He's a ridiculous athletic specimen with a 7-8 wingspan, but odds are he won't bring much to the table this year. Reminds me of Seattle's picks in 2005 and 2006 (Saer Sene and Johan Petro). How'd that work out?

Pat's Reaction: Apparently Frederic Weis was unavailable.

NEW JERSEY NETS (PICK 21): RYAN ANDERSON, F, CALIFORNIA

Pat's Reaction: I haven't seen much of Ryan Anderson, but he looks a helluva lot like an Austin Croshere style player. What say you, loyal reader? Is Austin Croshere worth the 21st pick in the NBA Draft?

Brian's Reaction: Wouldn't this have been a good spot for a Donte Greene? The Nets just traded away their starting small forward and they took a center with their first pick. Anderson is a good shooter for a big man and is an intriguing prospect, but where do they play him? They already had Sean Williams, Josh Boone, and Nenad Krstic (if he re-signs), and just added Yi and Brook Lopez.

ORLANDO MAGIC (PICK 22): COURTNEY LEE, G, WESTERN KENTUCKY

Brian's Reaction: The Magic add another player who can shoot but can't defend. Lee, like the rest of the Magic not named "Dwight Howard," will knock down some open threes, but how many shooters does Orlando really need? Why not add a big man here who can spell Howard?

Pat's Reaction: This pick makes sense. Lee's a good shooter and can slash to the basket, and Orlando needs a player like that, since Hedo Turkoglu has the foot speed of a dead wooly mammoth, and no one can seriously believe he'll repeat his fluky performance of last year. I'm only slightly disappointed that Lee didn't end up in NJ, where he could pair with Devin Harris and be an NBA backcourt with WNBA first names.

UTAH JAZZ (PICK 23): KOSTA KOUFOS, C, OHIO STATE

Pat's Reaction: Boy this guy is never gonna play behind Boozer, Okur and Milisap, especially not for Sloan. Bilas says he needs to improve his defense, strength and rebounding, and ESPN's onscreen display says that his weakness is passing. So aside from shooting, can this guy do anything? Brian?

Brian's Reaction: Finally, someone goes for Koufos. Only thing is he's the wrong big man for the Jazz. He's a gifted offensive player who can score inside and out, but he's a poor defender and is not known for his shot-blocking. Basically he's Mehmet Okur. Not sure how he helps Utah.

SEATTLE/OKLAHOMA CITY SUPERSONICS (PICK 24): SERGE IBAKA, F, CONGO

Pat's Reaction: I hate these picks. Hate hate hate hate hate hate them. Why would you pick a guy who won't even join your roster for 5 years? What's the point? How is this different from drafting a 9th grader? Ridiculous. This is not latent Frederic Weis bitterness bubbling to the surface. Not entirely. We'll never hear of Serge Ibaka again.

Brian's Reaction: Seattle has the most picks of any team in the draft and they weren't going to be able to sign all of them this year. Because of this, Ibaka is a smart pick. He'll stay in Europe for now, where he can get some much-needed experience. He's got serious upside and could help Seattle down the road.

HOUSTON ROCKETS (PICK 25): NICOLAS BATUM, G, FRANCE

Brian's Reaction: Like Ibaka, Batum is drafted pretty much entirely on potential. He probably won't join the Rockets this year but we could hear from him in a few years. He's widely considered one of the top European prospects, but considering how Europeans have fared in the draft this year, that may not be saying much.

Pat's Reaction: A lot of people have fallen in love with this guy. I don't know why. He's wearing a pink tie. That's not exactly a good sign. That's right, I don't know anything about most of these guys being picked now, so I'm making my decisions based on completely arbitrary criteria. You don't like it? Suck on it.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (PICK 26): GEORGE HILL, G, IUPUI

Pat's Reaction: Spurs need to get younger and more athletic, but in the front court, not at the PG position. This pick makes no sense to me. They drafted an inferior version of Tony Parker.

Brian's Reaction: Surprising pick here as the Spurs take little-known George Hill. Usually the Spurs opt for international players in the late first round, so for them to take Hill likely means that they think he'll produce this year as Tony Parker's backup.

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (PICK 27): DARRELL ARTHUR, F, KANSAS - PICK TO BE TRADED TO PORTLAND

Pat's Reaction: Darrell Arthur is extremely talented, and will be a nice fit in Portland backing up Aldridge, Oden, and Frye. We'll see what happens with this kidney thing that apparently caused him to drop, but overall, another good pick for Portland.

Brian's Reaction: Finally. Kevin Pritchard has done it again, perhaps getting the steal of the draft in Arthur. After all those shots of Arthur looking miserable as he awaited his turn on the podium (thanks ESPN), it's just a relief that he's finally off the board.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (PICK 28): DONTE' GREENE, F, SYRACUSE

Brian's Reaction: A little surprising to see Greene go this late. He's very raw, but his potential should have gotten him drafted at worst in the early twenties. Good pick for Memphis here. They're in no rush and can afford to give him the minutes he'll need to develop. Another potential steal.

Pat's Reaction: This could be an excellent pick for the Grizzlies. Greene is extremely talented and could pair well in a few years with Rudy Gay. Or he could not, and ride the pine behind Hakim Warrick. Either way, it's the 28th pick. The last four 28th picks were Tiago Splitter, Maurice Ager, Ian Mahinmi, and Beno Udrih. Let's just say the bar's not set very high.

Incidentally, three of those last four 28th picks went to the Spurs. I know that they're supposed to be a brilliant franchise and everything, but their recent late round failures have made them very very old. They might want to look into that sometime.

DETROIT PISTONS (PICK 29): D.J. WHITE, F, INDIANA

Pat's Reaction: I really like D.J. White. He strikes me as a Malik Rose type - high energy off the bench, good rebounder, tough nosed defender, if a little undersized. ESPN lists him at 6'9". There's no way he's 6'9". 6'7" at best. But I still like him.

Brian's Reaction: If there was any doubt that the Pistons needed to do something about their aging big men, this is the proof. Despite having Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson (who was supposed to have an impact last year. Go figure) the Pistons go for a big man here. White doesn't project as much more than a backup, but he's NBA-ready and should be able to contribute off the bench as a rookie.

BOSTON CELTICS (PICK 30): J.R. GIDDENS, G, NEW MEXICO

Brian's Reaction: The Celtics needed a backup shooting guard, so why not take Chris Douglas-Roberts here? Giddens has some potential, but Douglas-Roberts seems like an all-around better player. Who knows, maybe Giddens will surprise us.

Pat's Reaction: Giddens was once one of the most talented players at Kansas, which would normally put you at least towards the back end of the lottery. After some problems, he transferred to New Mexico, where he carried a painfully untalented team and made them competitive. Giddens isn't a bad pick for Boston, as it's somewhat clear that Ray Allen doesn't have that much left (flukish and wonderful performance in the NBA finals not withstanding).

And with that, I bid you adieu. Enjoy the second round, kiddoes.