El Fin...for now

9:25

The old computer is dying, round one is ending, I’m a little drunk, and thus the end to the first annual live draft diary.
This has been a pretty entertaining first round for a pretty sub-par draft class talent wise.
I’ll be back this weekend with commentary on the whole draft and several draft-day trades.
Thanks for keeping up, I hope it was as good for you as it was for me.
Holler at Christian Eyenga?

Beaubois, yesss

9:12
I called the Mullens for Beaubois swap. Same with the Ellington pick. Everyone I’m sitting with will be a witness.

I like Beaubois right now. Sweet name, he seems to have some legit bounce to his game, and he seems like he’ll be a Barbosa type. Ready for Beaubois.

8:51 Mark

8:45
Everyone says Omri Casspi is really tough. But no one says why or how. Is he tough just bc he’s from Israel? They showed him yelling a lot. Hopefully Ric Bucher explains this to me later.

8:50
BJ Mullens has “Good Size” “Good Hands” and “Athleticism.”
Remember, these are professional graphics people.

8:40 Victor Claver looks like the stick bug from a Bug’s Life

Yep.

8:30 Mark

8: 30
Teague to ATL
Maynor to Utah
Love both these picks. Teague has ‘Sizzle’ which is my favorite term for any player.
Maynor will be phenomenal in Utah. Perfect fit.
I was on the phone with my buddy Zach, a diehard Jazz fan and he said the best thing I’ve heard all night:
“I hope Mark Jackson does commentary during this draft like he does during actual games: Eric Maynor like ‘get out of my way, I’m going to Utah.”
Genius.

3 PG's at 8:18

8:18
Ty Lawson – MIN
Huh? 3 pgs clearly means a trade, but who do they trade with? Im baffled. Chad Ford on ESPN says Rubio is gonna be traded, that would be a huge mistake
Okay Bucher just calmed me down. This pick is going to Denver, which is a pick I like for the Nugs.

Haha nicely done Roy.

Jrue Holiday

Damnit, I missed

I wanna see these Jrue Holiday highlights. Because I don't think they exist.

8:13 Mark

8:02
Day to the Pistons
This draft has gotten weirdly predictable. Also, Austin Daye will suck. He was predicted in a super future mock draft as the #1 pick in 2007 or 2006 by NBADraft.net. He produced as much as the 5th or 6th best guy on the Jayhawks. Pick 15 is too high.
Bring IN DICKIE V!
8:08
James Johnson to CHI
I like JJ, but far too much like Ty Thomas or Luol Deng. I think they are a lot better served taking DeJuan Blair.
Calling this Phili Pick : Eric Maynor

7:57 Mark

7:50
Tyler Hansbrough to IND
YES! Love me some Psycho T. Disapointed he can’t reach his dream destination of Utah, but give it time. “Competitive!” “Helped man on plane who had seizure!”
I hope the next pick they say “Earl Clark: feels underwhelmed when he watches 6 feet Under.”

I still think the Pacers didn’t really do anything. They needed an explosive athlete or difference maker at the 4 (granted the only one in this draft is Griffin, but still). So now they have the college all stars in Hansbrough, Hibbert, Brandon Rush, TJ Ford. The Bobcats tried this, didn’t work.

7:54
Love the potential Amare deal for GS. Also it’s about damn time the Suns just blow it all up. Why stay in basketball purgatory? Either be a contender or be young with a direction.

Also, Earl is not here.

HAHA Jennings is here?! What? Was he smoking a bowl? “hey guys, sorry I’m late.”

7:45 mark

7:20
J Hill to NYC
Like this one for the Knicks. He’ll be good uptempo, too bad he’s catching passes from Chris Duhon
7:33
Jennings to MIL
So whats with BJennings flat top? Shouldn’t he be more stylish? This is the biggest mystery of the whole draft.
Also Jay Bilas credibility is TANKING. Jennings is better than Rubio? Andy Katz should murder him on air and take the title of “Mostly College Hoops analyst who dabbles in the NBA in June.”
7:38
Terrence Williams to the Nets – predictable. Who cares about the Nets anyway?
ESPN has apparently incorporated 5 or so templates of word art to flash on the screen during every picks highlights. “Good defender,” “ Versatility.” How about we cell shade the players and add “Pow” and “Bam!.” Real original ESPN.
7:45
These last several picks have been insanely predictable if you follow the draft at all. Hill, DeRozen, Jennings, Williams, Henderson; every team was really obvious about who they liked, I feel like Sam Presti or Kelvin Pritchard should have swindled one of these teams somehow.

7:17 Mark

6:52
Presti doesn’t role the dice and keeps Russel Westbrook happy. Smart move. I can’t believe Rubio is on the board still.
Mark Jackson’s assessment of the kings; need a point guard. Brilliant.
James Harden looks like Tone Loc.
6:57
YES!!!!!!! The Kings took Tyreke Evans. YES!!!!!!! As a Timberwolves fan, I am excited to see Rubio in Minnesota next year. We didn’t trade up for Rubio and it didn’t matter. Kahn has already outdone McHale. Pair Slick Rick with a good 2 guard and the Wolves starting lineup is promising, if nothing else, sexy. Let’s see who the T’Wolves actually take. Youngest starting lineup in the NBA next year?
7:03
RUBIO to MN
The Timberwolves select… Ricky Rubio from Mazalonanana Spain, and SJFDJ Barcelona. Well wherever he’s from, he shows glimpses of Pistol Pete and is only 18, the sky is the ceiling for Rubio and perhaps the Timberwolves.
They are comparing Rubio to Wayne Gretzky. I am still lukewarm to cross racial comparisons, but cross sport? Canada and Spain?
Rubio interview: Did he say draft or rough? Plays like Steve Nash but he is “too high for him.” Is high the metric system translation for tall?
God, Jay Bilas must not like this guy. Had him 5th on his best available and said, “he has a CHANCE to be a GOOD player. Give me a break. He held his own in the gold medal game against the US with A BROKEN HAND!!
7:10
Jonny Flynn to MN
Jonny Flynn? Two point guards, two straight picks? Are these guys going to compete against each other or push each other? This pick is risky because I can’t see both players starting on the Timberwolves roster that lacks a pure shooting guard. Maybe trade bait? We’ll see.
7:16
Stephen Curry goes to GS
Monta Ellis is PISSED. He’s gonna go get in a motorcycle wreck just to show em

6:52 Mark

Ive been blogging for the last half hour and now due to extenuating circumstances I have to hand over the reigns to another writer. See you at 8, youre in good hands:

6:42
I’m shocked Brandon Jennings doesn’t go number 1. If only Elgin Baylor were still around…
Stu Scott mentions that Mike Dunleavy is the only GM/Coach in the league. He fails to mention that his team hates him and one of his GM highlights includes drafting Yaroslav Koralev over Danny Granger.
6:45
Lionel Hollins has done a great job as a coach?
Congrats Memphis, you just got a poor man’s Mutumbo instead of the next Pete Maravich. The ridiculous thing about this is that Marc Gasol is half decent, and they probably will play them together, which is a terrible mistake. If they can move Gasol, then maybe it’s a little redemptive. But it’s the Grizzlies.
6:49
Yes!! Thabeet interview!!
Soccer? Yes you use your hands in basketball.
‘You don’t have to kick the ball anymore.’ Interview skills in full force.
6:51
Thank God they have the Van Gundy/Mark Jackson combo. Perfect choice. Except Bilas. Bilas ranking Evans ahead of Rubio is dumb.
6:52
Presti doesn’t role the dice and keeps Russel Westbrook happy. Smart move. I can’t believe Rubio is on the board still.
Mark Jackson’s assement of the kings; need a point guard. Brilliant.
James Harden looks like Tone Loc.

Official BTT 2009 NBA Mock Draft

1. LA Clippers – Blake Griffin, PF-Oklahoma

The saddest thing about the Clippers getting to take Griffin is that he makes the Clips young nucleus so much more tantalizing, all the while all of their careers will slowly murdered by Mike Dunleavy and owner Don Sterling. If the Clips could get rid of Dunleavy, trade Randolph to Memphis (I assume Chris Wallace is interested, you know, because he’s an idiot) and try and move Barron Davis and or Marcus Camby around, they would have a really exciting, likeable core of Kaman, Thornton, Griffin and Gordon, which is also sounds like a Dr. Seuss rhyme. Additionally, Thornton looks like Voodoo Tatum from Friday Night Lights, Eric Gordon looks like a stuffed animal, Griffin is the only ginger/black guy in the NBA, and Kaman is the ugliest abomination in the history of existence. What’s not to like about that group from multiple angles? Throw in a bench of DeAndre Jordan, who could eventually take over for Kaman, not only because he’s younger, more athletic and cheaper, but because his last name is two syllables and ends with and ‘N.’ However I’ve had this feeling before. Like when Odom, Miles, and Brand were supposed to run the Clips. It didn’t work out because it just doesn’t in Clipperland. Sadly I see round deux on the horizon.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet, C-UConn

FOLD ALREADY. YOU ARE A FAKE BASKETBALL TEAM.

I hate the Grizzlies. I hate how they don’t spend money, love getting hosed, and don’t have any fans, all the while holding on to some really cool young players, who could be playing elsewhere, making by NBA fandom exponentially better.

The Grizzlies are gonna screw this up clearly. They for some reason are not going take Rubio, who even if he doesn’t want to play in Memphis holds more trade value than Thabeet. The Kings have to be stoked too, because it appears the Thunder are leaning James Harden (their passing on Rubio is excusable, as Westbrook is a great young point guard and you don’t want to mess with his head) so they can just sit at 4 and take Rubio, when he clearly shouldn’t be available. What Memphis should have done is they didn’t want Rubio was try and get the Kings to swap the 2 for 4, acquire Spencer Hawes or Francisco Garcia in the process, and then take Thabeet or Jordan Hill, who would be perfect for the Grizz. Alas, Chris Wallace has some form Munchhausen syndrome where he continues to poison his team for no rational reason.

(Also, I’m way too excited for Thabeet’s draft day interactions. I’ll delve more into this during the drunk diary)

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – James Harden, SG-Arizona St.

Sam Presti will again make a phenomenal selection. Harden will be a high character, potentially phenomenal second banana to Durant. Presti is so good I could see him tricking the Clippers into trading Blake Griffin for Nenad Krstic. I would put at least a dollar on it.

4. Sacramento Kings – Ricky Rubio, PG - Spain

I touched on it earlier, but Sacramento has to be really excited about this. There have been some rumors that the Kings would pass on Rubio if he was here, but there’s no way that happens. He’s too enticing. Plus, that would be the first thing to talk Kings fans off of the ledge for roughly three years. Anytime your best player has the ugliest shot since Shawn Marion was in the NBA, you know your fan base is suicidal.

(wait…Shawn Marion is still playing? You’re kidding? For who? The Raptors? Really?)

Update!!

5. Minnesota Timberwolves via Washington (probably) – Tyreke Evans, PG/SG – Memphis

According to Chad Ford, the Wolves are sending Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards for garbage players and the 5th pick. I'm a little perplexed, because I feel like Minnesota could havepulled the same deal with out losing Foye. If they keep Foye, and take Evans and Curry, then they have a pretty potential laden back-court. I hope this GM is better than McHale, because I think it might just be too much for fans of Minnesota basketball. On the other end, well done Wiz. Foye makes that bench a lot better, especially if they can trade Nick Young for some front-court beef.

One more note, I could see the Wolves taking a point guard with one of these picks, like Curry, Evans, or Flynn, but I can also see one of the picks being DeMar DeRozen. He's loaded with potential and rounds out the Wolves starting five in a more conventional way.

According to Chad Ford and some various other, better, sports blogs, the Wizards have been offered Ray Allen from the Celtics, McGrady from the Rockets, Larry Hughes and Wilson Chandler from the Knicks, and Vince Carter from the Nets. If I’m the Wizards, I do, well…ANY OF THOSE THINGS.

The Wizards made the incredibly poor choice of not rebuilding around just Caron Butler, Andray Blatche and cap space, and instead extended Arenas for more money than anyone else would ever pay him. If they really thing they can make a deep run with Arenas, Butler, and Jamison, then you don’t take anyone who is available at five.

I would have to guess that the C’s pull the trigger here to move Allen for Tyreke Evans so they have some future in the back court. A semi-dumb move, but I get it, because in 2 years the big 3 are done and the C’s have Big Baby and a lock for a malcontent young point guard.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Stephen Curry, PG-Davidson

The Wolves are so bad that the only move they can’t make is to take another power forward. Stephen Curry would be a killer pick here. Foye can clearly move over to the 2 and then the backcourt is pretty formidable, not to mention sweet shooting. I also think Curry is the kind of guy to be excited to be in Minnesota if they start get better.

7. Golden State Warriors – Jordan Hill, PF – Arizona

The doomed ‘Monta Ellis is totally a point guard’ experiment will force the Warriors to take Jordan Hill and trade Brandon Wright. I like Jordan Hill, especially in an up-tempo offense, but imagine a Jrue Holiday, Ellis, Stephen ‘Wait, he’s really in a gang?’ Jackson, Anthony Randolph, and Andris Biedrins. I feel like the theme of the NBA now is ‘don’t do the cool or interesting or logical thing with your line-up.’

8. New York Knicks – Jonny Flynn, PG – Syracuse

I really want this, and think its completely plausible. I think Flynn will be good. I think he will be an all-star under D’Antoni. He fits New York, he went to ‘Cuse, and is a big time performer. I will be genuinely sad when they take Jrue Holiday or Brandon Jennings, who won’t be half as good in this system.

9. Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozan, SG-USC

The Raptors are boring. I don’t care about them. Bosh is disappointing and Andrea Bargnanni’s name is Andrea. Good luck DeMar.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jrue Holiday, PG-UCLA

I feel like Holiday will be hit or miss for the Bucks, have a decent 3^rd season, and leave Milwaukee. That’s a lock.

Also, the Bucks just traded Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for Fabby (hahaha) Oberto, Bruce Bowen, and Kurt Thomas. That makes the Spurs a little scary again, and the Bucks EVEN MORE BORING. Jesus Christ if I were in Milwaukee and had to watch a purple and forest green laiden Luke Ridnour throw slightly off-kilter bounce passes to a sleepy Andrew Bogut I would punch myself in the throat at half time just to mix things up.

11. New Jersey Nets – Terrence Williams, SF/SG – Louisville

I’m excited about Terrence Williams. He is legitimately interesting. He’s eccentric, he’s Ron Artest built, he could be awesome, or he could be terrible. I think if the Nets unload VC for the 5^th pick and take Jordan Hill, that would be a way awesome young line-up that looks like this:

PG – Devin Harris

SG – Chris Douglas-Roberts

SF – Terrence Williams

PF – Jordan Hill

C – Brook Lopez

Sweet right? This mock draft is sadly turning into just theoretically cool line-ups and being mad at certain teams.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Henderson, SG – Duke

This is a pretty vanilla selection that seems inevitable. Let’s just replace Raja Bell with younger Raja Bell. Yawn.

But on the bright side, Bob Cat or whatever his name is that owns the team is trying to sell it. Hopefully they move to Seattle so we can stop forgetting there is a pro team in Charlotte.

13. Indiana Pacers – Brandon Jennings, PG – International…kinda

Brandon Jennings will suck. I almost stand by that. He doesn’t make good decisions, shoots too much for a point guard, and has a terrible attitude. How is he not Stephon Marbury’s love child from when he was in 6^th grade? Eventual head tattoo. Calling it.

This is it for today. Ill finish round one tomorrow. Gracias.

The Finals

The last few weeks have been really busy, and everything in the world of sports media that can be said about the finals has been, so I'm skipping it all together. Kobe wanted it (right Mike Breen?) and Ron Jeremy's Magic couldn't come through, which was funny because I thought using Jameer Nelson for 28 minutes a game after he hadn't played all season was a brilliant move...

So today Bring the Thunder will be back on the wagon with a first round NBA mock draft/draft preview that should be up today and tomorrow, followed by the NBA Draft drunk diary on thursday, and hopefully some snippets about the current state of Major League Besbol.

Some Quick Thoughts on Last Night's Game

- How can Dwight Howard have no post moves? He does a spastic dribble to the right with a runing hook, and thats only half a post move at best. The one time he tried to drop step a la Shaq on a much slower Pow! Gasol, he hesitated and didn't use his world class quickness or strength. I'm not axeing for a dream shake or anything, but if Dwight is gonna be the Christ child, then he should at least have a bevvy of post moves equal to Chris Kaman.

- Hows this for a cross racial sports comparison: Rashard Lewis plays a lot like Peja Stojakovic back in the 'Wait the Kings are good?' era. The quick, hand in his face release, the too tall but still effective dribbling, even the blank cool guy expression. Except Rashard Lewis is a slightly better athlete and has about a 30+ clutch rating compared to ol' Pedrag.

-TNT showed Kobe's dragon snarl like 8 times, and I loved it. Trevor Ariza looks like a little kid trying too hard to impress his Iraqi war vet dad when Kobe gives him that look.

-Also, Kobe is showing Mikeal Pietrus what 'Merrica has to offer. Its awesome.

I personally don't like the Mamba, he gives me the creeps, but I'm rooting for his greatness in this series.

Drunk Live Blog for the NBA Draft

While the post title is pretty self explanatory, I will be doing a live draft blog and at the same time getting hammered on Michelob Golden Light (the beer that meets at the exact point of my Taste vs Price Matrix). Hopefully it proves a worthwhile experiment.

The 1st Official Post at BTT - Carlos Boozer to the Nets

This first official post at the Bring the Thunder sports blog is essentially a microcosm of what this blog will entail. It's a fairly inconsequential idea for a trade between two of the more obscure NBA franchises. Without further a due:
The perfect Carlos Boozer Trade

Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer has hinted, according to Peter 'The Beard' Vescey, that he wants to play in New Jersey, possibly. This then provides one of the better scenarios that the Jazz could hope for.

The Nets receive Carlos Boozer and Kosta Koufos

The Jazz get Brook Lopez and Bobby Simmons expiring contract, and Eduardo Najera

This works for a few reasons. Boozer is better than Lopez right now, and I think the Nets wouldn't mind taking a shot with VC, Boozer, Harris nucleus while they still have to pay Carter. Also, if the entire experiment sucks, they can just let go or sign and trade Boozer, and progress with the youth movement, with Koufos serving as a B team Lopez. Also while Simmons contract has value as an expiring deal, in this dismal economy the Nets could actually pay $11 million to an all-star instead of the virtually non-existent Robert Simmons (Bobby sounded too youthful, like he could actually play in a basketball game).

The Jazz in turn get a building block that would likely thrive under sloan, enjoy Utah, and could grow with Deron Williams and CJ I would walk 500 Miles. Interesting side note, the Jazz would also get to keep a Stanford man on their roster with the contracts of Jarron Collins and Brevin Knight expiring, something they have had since 1993. And just to sweeten the deal, Edjuardo Najera makes his long awaited debut in Utah, the place he was born to set picks and snarl.

Hope that post was as good for you as it was for me.