NBA Draft

The annual NBA draft breakdown is here. We better celebrate because in another week, the NBA will be have all the headlines with a lockout. I'm happy to be back from vacation (more on that later) and ready to bring you some NBA draft analysis along with some crappy jokes. The NBA is one league I've stayed away from since the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs. I was hurt. The pain hasn't subsided much since the Mavs won the title and Tony Parker might be leaving. Every media outlet says this draft is weak. If that's the case, then no need to dive into all the information right? That's crap. It's called a lottery for a reason. Teams are gambling on these young men and whose to say they won't find a hidden gem in the pile of rust. All I want is some exciting trades, good picks and maybe a few surprises.

I know you may have never been to Omaha, Nebraska before or think it sounds boring. I have some news for you, Omaha is pretty sweet one time out of the year. My brother and dad came up from Texas and Oklahoma for the College World Series and it was awesome. T.D. Ameritrade Park opened without any problems and it is awesome. Rosenblatt was a dump compared to this new park. Sure, some of the traditions such as the outfield sections yelling 'Right Field Sucks' 'Left Field Sucks' or the ball girls getting booed for not catching foul balls off the netting behind home plate and you don't have to park in someone's lawn for $20 a game. However, the fans on Tuesday day game did start the sucks chants and a giant wave over the park. I enjoyed parking in a garage and spending less money to park there all day then someone's yard and the new fan fest has more room for games for the kids. My only problem was the General Admission gate was messed up. The tickets tell you to go to Gate 3 or 4 but when you get to those gates, you must walk up a giant ramp on the other side of the fence just for your entrance. It was lame. Other than that and getting a massive sun burn on my arms, I enjoyed my new CWS experience. In fact, my whole vacation was wonderful. I got to spend time with my family, ate plenty of food and watched sports. You can't beat that. We had one of the greatest waitresses ever on Monday night at the Omaha Old Market Old Chicago restaurant. She was beautiful, fun and had a personality. I know you are saying, 'Well she was a waitress so she was just nice to you for the tips.' That is not always the case when some servers really suck. I'd take a few more like her any day. Alright enough about my relaxing time away from work, let's spend some quality time on the NBA Draft.

1) Cleveland Cavs- Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke

This should have been the Clippers pick and I would have loved to see Irving to them instead of the Cavs. This draft is suppose to be a weak one and when the number 1 pick is a guy who played 11 games for his 1 season at Duke, it's weak sauce. He's not a super-duper-star and won't fill the void of Lebron James. There isn't one guy who could do that. At least not in this draft. I won't bore you with versatile, explosive or any of that other crap. In all, Irving needs to come in and be a good point guard and lead this team. It's going to take time, much like Wall in Washington. I have more faith in Wall than Irving. The NBA is a point guard league and the Cavs must feel this guy can lead them.

2) Minnesota Timberwolves- Derrick Williams, F Arizona

I'm much higher on Williams than I should be, probably. Williams was the man I felt Cleveland should have selected. If the Cavs take Williams 1st and Brandon Knight 4th, that's a homer run. Even so, Williams goes to the Wolves, who already have Beasley and Love, so the Forward spot is full as is the guard position. The problem is some guys aren't producing what they should be where they were drafted. Williams is a tweaner, not quite big enough for the Power Forward and to big for the Small Forward. Williams, Beasley and Wesley Johnson are a lot alike. One of them needs to pan out. I can see Williams being much better than either of them. Williams and Rubio who is finally coming to the NBA could make it interesting in Minnesota. Now, find a coach KAHN!

3) Utah Jazz- Enes Kanter, C Turkey

Kanter is a true Center in the draft. Kanter and Al Jefferson could be a great duo inside for the Jazz. I don't know a whole lot about the kid. He's big at 6'11" and can shoot the mid range jumper which is huge. Jefferson is a back to the basket player and Kanter can stretch the defense. I agree with this pick because of Jazz lack of big men. They need another guard and Jimmer could be the guy later in the draft. Kanter should start right away and that's big especially when you add a foreigner. They usually take a few years to come over.

4) Cleveland Cavs- Tristan Thompson, F Texas

I love it. Thompson is a kid who can come and play right away. The Cavs want to use their 2 top 4 picks for guys who can come in and play. The other big foreigner, Jonas, wouldn't be able to play this coming year. Now that may not matter because of the lockout but if the NBA gets a CBA done, they get 2 kids to play right away. Thompson is a bit small at the Power Forward spot at 6'8" and that's my only complaint. Thompson can learn and play right away and that gets my approval.

5) Toronto Raptors- Jonas Valanciunas C, Lithuania

The pregame with Jonas and Bargnani will be interesting to listen too. I realize Toronto is in Canada but that doesn't mean they need all foreign players. Holy crap, I'd hate to be their play by play guy or a local sports talk show host. I would have no idea how to pronounce half their names. I'm not going to feed you a line of crap and say I know anything about this kid. Good luck to him. You will forget about him in a year when he's not playing in the NBA.

6) Washington Wizards- Jan Vesely, F Czech Republic

The sad part of this draft is the Wizards couldn't find a decent shooting guard to help Wall. Vesely is a more explosive Dirk. Vesely is a big kid at 6'11", fast up and down the court and can shoot outside better than Blake, who he was compared too. I don't mind this pick if the kid comes over right away. The Wizards don't have enough talent to wait a year or 3 before getting help for their young star, John Wall. Vesely can come over and team up with Wall and JaVale McGee.

7) Sacramento Kings- Bismack Biyombo, F Congo

This kid will go to the Bobcats in a deal done before the draft started. An extremely young kid at 18 allegedly. Bismack is a freak athlete which doesn't always tell me he's going to make it in the league. He might be a good kid and all. I just don't know if he's going to be more than a work-in-progress. He's a 50-50 guy, total flop or good player. I'm going with flop. The best he can do is be the 2nd coming of Mutombo.

8) Detroit Pistons- Brandon Knight, PG Kentucky

I love this kid a lot. The Pistons got a great steal with Knight as I feel he can be better than Irving. The Pistons may be able to unload a guy like Stuckey or Bynum by picking Knight. They have way to many guards now. Hopefully if Detroit can move one of those guys, they can add Hamilton or Prince in the deal. They need a lot of help so Knight goes to a bad team. He should help them improve but management needs to help him out.

9) Charlotte Bobcats- Kemba Walker, G UCONN

Walker is a kid who lit it up in the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament which helped him get to number 9. I have some doubts on Walker. He's really small to be a shooting guard but doesn't know the point position. The best I could see for Walker is getting the toughness of Allen Iverson and get to the rim. He will take a beating and may not get back up after being knocked down. I hope I'm wrong since I like Walker. I just hope he can become a solid player.

10) Milwaukee Bucks- Jimmer Fredette, G BYU

The pick goes to the Kings in the deal earlier in the day. Sac gets a big time scorer in Fredette. He could end up being a Mark Price 2.o. He can't guard anyone but that's not why anyone would drafted him. Fredette should be a good scorer as he can hit shots off the pick and create his own shot. I don't see him as a starter for any team because of lack of defense. He will be a great spark off the bench. Is that good for number 10?

11) Golden State Warriors- Klay Thompson, G Washington State

Finally the first true shooting guard comes off the board. He is a pure shooter and bigger than Curry. The Warriors are packed with guards though so a trade could be in order sometime. Monte Ellis is the guy I keep hearing will be traded. They wouldn't get rid of Curry who is an explosive offensive player. Curry could slide to the point and Thompson the 2 if they trade Ellis. If they don't trade, then I'd say you start Thompson and have Curry come off the bench. Thompson is bigger and can play better defense. Golden State could even play all 3 and go small.

12) Utah Jazz- Alec Burks, G Colorado

The Jazz were hoping for Jimmer to be here so they could add yet another white guy. They have Gordon Hayward for that spot. Burks is another true shooting guard. Burks could easily be the first guy off the bench of the Jazz next season. C.J. Miles should start and then Burks subs for him. He's lengthy which will help his defensive potential and he needs to develop his jumper. I like both picks for the Jazz. They add size and potential.

13) Phoenix Suns- Markieff Morris, F Kansas

One of the brothers comes off the board to the Suns. Morris is a power forward who can play all over the court. He can play pick n' roll which helps Steve Nash, that is if he stays in Phoenix. There were a ton of rumors Nash was on his way out in several scenarios. So far, he sticks around and they add size inside. I liked the pick a lot. Suns needed a guy just like this. He's not as explosive as Amare but he's got better knees.

14) Houston Rockets- Marcus Morris, F Kansas

The twins go back to back. As Stern said, "Yes they do." The Rockets are going to have plenty of questions with Yao and this pick. Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola and now Morris. Houston has more filler and glue guys than any other team in the league. If they had a true superstar, this would be a good thing. They don't and I don't see them getting one. I don't see them jumping into the playoffs this coming year.

15) Indiana Pacers- Kawhi Leonard, F San Diego State

I was shocked it wasn't a white guy. Hey, I'm not racist, it's just what Indiana does. With Jimmer gone, the Pacers take a 6'7" Forward who should work hard on the defensive end with his long arms. Leonard could play well with Danny Granger, as he's a scorer. The real problem for Indiana is the fact they have a bunch of players right around the 6'5" to 6'8" range. That is a lot of tweeners and not a lot of specific position players. I like Paul George, Hansbrough and Granger. Now they add another guy similar to them in Leonard. They do different things though so that's a plus. I just don't know if they can mix well. After I wrote all that, later on in the night, Leonard is heading to the Spurs for my 2nd favorite player George Hill. I hate the trade as I like Hill. Unless it was a trade for a big man who can guard and rebound, it was a bad deal.

16) Philadelphia 76ers- Nikola Vucevic, F USC

He's a big kid and size is something the Sixers needed desperately. Elton Brand played better this year and Doug Collins got the whole team to play solid defense. Nikola can come in and help the back to the basket offense. If he can come in and help defend the post, this team will continue to rise.

17) New York Knicks- Iman Shumpert, G Georgia Tech

I have no idea who this kid is either. The crowd booed him but Knick fans are morons. They boo everyone. Shumpert can help the perimeter defense and that's a good thing. He may not be able to shoot which fills a void for New York. They have to many chuckers. I don't know much about Shumpert. If he can compete on the defensive end and add toughness, that's perfect. Now, they have to add size.

18) Washington Wizards- Chris Singleton, F Florida State

Here is a kid who can play for the Wiz right away. I don't care if he can't score because this was all about defense. Singleton is a solid defender and can guard almost every position. He doesn't need to fill it up, just hustle and get slop shots. He's a good kid and I liked the pick. I would love to see both of these picks come in right away for the Wizards. I like Wall and would love to see them get a little better. My buddy needs a reason to stick with the NBA since he's a Wiz fan.

19) Charlotte Bobcats- Tobias Harris, F Tennessee

This pick goes to the Bucks in the 3 team trade from earlier. From a roster standpoint, he fits the role they need. I don't know much about him so I can't dive in. I will say I had hopes Bogut would be on his way to San Antonio.

20) Minnesota Timberwolves- Donatas Motiejuna, F Lithuania

Another player we won't see right away. The T'Wolves need talent and this isn't a guy with talent. Then again, I don't see much talent in this draft. This pick and Johnny Flynn were traded to the Rockets for Brad Miller, a future 1st rounder and the number 23 pick in this year's draft. Yes the Rockets needed another forward.

21) Portland Trail Blazers- Nolan Smith, G Duke

This was the perfect player for Portland. They need another Point Guard who can help feed the ball to Aldridge, Roy and Wallace. The trade they made late in the year for Wallace was brilliant. Oden is the bust on the team who will never be a complete player or help the team which is unfortunate. This Blazer team is one move away from being a great team. They made the wrong choice in Oden but Smith was a great addition. The trade later on made sense for both teams. Andre Miller is an older veteran and the Blazers got a young PG who I like a lot. Felton is a solid starter and will fit in with the Blazers.

22) Denver Nuggets- Kenneth Faried F Morehead State

Faried comes from a great college name. I grew up in Moorhead, IA. Anyway, I haven't heard much about the kid. He's small at 6'7" to play the power forward position. He is going to be one of those guys who comes off the bench and provides a ton of heart and energy. Those two things can't be measured.

23) Houston Rockets- Nikola Mirotic, F Spain

If David Stern can't pronounce his name, he doesn't deserve to be picked. Never heard from him and he won't be coming over for 4 years. How does this help? Well since they traded the pick it doesn't matter. The T'Wolves are going to get the foreigner. The Rockets add Flynn which isn't all bad. Oh wait, yes it is because he hasn't been good either. The pick was moved again to Chicago

24) Oklahoma City Thunder- Reggie Jackson, G Boston College

The future of the NBA is probably this franchise. OKC is a great team and the trade for Perkins was perfect. I was hoping for a big for the Thunder. Jackson is a role player and that's all this team needs. He can come off the bench at times for Harden and Westbrook. OKC are close to the Finals so they aren't in major need at any position. At 24, Jackson is the perfect role, glue type player.

25) Boston Celtics- MarShon Brooks, G Providence

Brooks will be a bench player for Allen. He won't have the quick shooting touch as Allen but can improve. Celtics can't find new stars at the bottom of the 1st round. Again, you find role players and energy players. Brooks can fill it up and should improve on the defensive end. He should be a decent role guy for now. Brooks was traded later to the Nets. That's not a bad deal for the Nets. They need guys who can score and spot up and shoot. He can play well with Williams and Lopez.

26) Dallas Mavericks- Jordan Hamilton, F Texas

The (large gulp to swallow the puke) world champion Dallas Mavericks chose a homer Texan. He's a defender which is something Dallas has been improving on the past 2 years as a team. I like Hamilton and will be a good player. It's a shame they traded him about 2 minutes after being picked for a Rudy Fernandez. They don't need defense.

27) New Jersey Nets- JaJuan Johnson, F Purdue

JaJuan goes to the Celtics after they switch draft picks. He's a 6'10 back to the basket player which is good for the Celtics. They need a guy on the post after trading Perkins. He needs to get tougher to help their inside defense.

28) Chicago Bulls- Norris Cole, G Cleveland State

This pick went to Minnesota in a deal earlier in the night. Cole is a guy I hoped would fall to the Spurs after trading Hill. T'Wolves made a lot of deals during the draft and they eventually moved this kid to the Heat. I guess Minnesota wanted to make the most moves in NBA Draft history.

29) San Antonio Spurs- Cory Joseph, G Texas

Well the Spurs needed another guard after trading Hill and they add a role player and back up point guard. He's not well known and that's the norm for the Spurs. I can rejoice in the fact he isn't a foreigner who isn't going to play for 3 years. I still look for a big defender/rebounder some time during the draft. I doubt they move Parker now.

30) Chicago Bulls- Jimmy Butler, F Marquette

Yeah I have no idea who this kid is. The draft ends in a whimper.

The NBA Draft had several solid picks and questionable calls. I don't care for foreign players being drafted and then waiting 3 or 5 years to get over to the league, aka Rubio. I liked what several teams did especially the Jazz adding a guard and Center. I felt the Cavs really missed an opportunity to add Williams and Knight. However, they got guys coming right in and helping the teams. The real shame is in a week, 2 professional sports leagues will be in a lockout.

I hope you enjoyed the draft and this blog. You can email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com or you can follow me on Twitter @mccall316. Hit up BBSD everyday for new stories and interesting blogs.