Draft Liveblog

This is something to try. The NBA draft! who, oh who will go first? No surprises, I assume - Greg Oden?

Doing this, trying this trick - is a way to procrastinate from Piper's passing on the Eight Facts meme - that's what I should be doing... Here comes Stern - Greg Oden, as expected since last year somewhere... Next - let's go way out on a limb and guess - Kevin Durant!

The real fun, though, are the Celtics rumors. After all, when you get down to it, that's what I care about. What can Danny Ainge to do keep the C's mediocre for another 10 years?

Update: here's Oden talking to Stuart Scott. He's smarter and funnier than Scott. He has everything you could ask, I think - he has it all, even the personality, the drive - he looks to me to be a real deal immediately....

Ah: this will occur - Ray Allen for Wally, Serbiak [sic] and Jeff Green - sweet Jesus! Ainge didn't screw it up! That's almost pure profit! - And there goes Kevin Durant - who could be pretty damned good himself.

Update: So Seattle goes young - Durant replaces Lewis (free agent); trades Allen for the others - that's something. Now - Durant - he's dull and direct, letting his game talk, I guess it is. Now it's Portland - Q: did they ever really think about taking Durant? A: What chance that anyone is going to answer that question? We move on to Atlanta - Horford?

Update: Horford it is. That's a good sign, sort of. Rumors before the draft about the Hawks' divisions - management and ownership, suing each other, fighting, some of them thinking about taking Yi Jianling - Harford is the basketball choice. This is good. This could also be a prelude to a trade for Amare Stoudamire - that rumor was floating around... Let's see if there''s a trade coming up. Right now, though - Memphis - takes Michael Conley. And so -

The C's are on the clock: and what will they do? if they take Green and trade for Allen - that's a good deal. That leaves them with Jefferson, Rondo, Gomes - with Pierce and Allen, who is Wally S with a lot more game. They were a hard team to figure out last year - they were incredibly awful, but they finally developed their young players, and they did show signs. So - what now? All right - enough of this crap - Celtics! Celtics!

Update: Deal! Wally and West - Jeff Green: for Allen. Meanwhile - we go through the NBA comedy, since the trade was not made by 2 PM - so he puts on the Celtics hat, and waits for Stern to make an announcement... So - well, the truth is, this is as far as I need to go with this.

Update: So 6 - Yi Jianlian to Milwaukee. Not bad, I suppose. Controversy! Yi's people don't want to play there - so this could be a trade coming. Del Harris pushing him on his son? does this mean there's a trade coming with the Mavs? Anyway - here comes Minnesota - Kevin Garnett wants out - they suck - so here's their pick.... Corey Brewer - Florida.

But what I care about - the C's. So far - the ESPN people are mocking poor Danny and company - Dick Vitale says, "outfoxed". Well? I have to find out what the locals think - hard to say. What do I think? Good lord, I don't know. The Right Now factor - I suppose, there's no doubt: Allen is another 25 PPG guy - he and Pierce can fill it up - they'd have to wait for Green... long term? It is fun - the national people don't have the prejudices the locals have - the locals are all wringing their hands over Paul Pierce whining about getting a veteran....

Love the comments on the Bobcats - Jordan losing, feeling sorry for himself - here he goes: Brandan Wright - another Tar Heel - that's all they ever seem to pick...) (And Chicago rubbing the Knicks' fans into it - taking Noah - a third Gator (sensible - back to back champs?) - he looks to me like the real deal - he will play hard, play smart, and fit in well on the Bulls - a tough, smart team...

Update: So - finally - the C's, Ray Allen, etc. What I think: 1) that Allen will fill it up, along with Pierce - an immediate improvement... 2) Long term? Allen is getting along in years - so is Pierce - they cost a ton... 3) back to the commentators: the locals are definitely a bit intimidated by the fear of continued development - and Pierce bullying them. The national guys can look at the C's, not care about winning this year, think about what will happen to them in 2-3-4 years. And think Green or Yi or Brewer or Noah or Wright or whoever will help them more in 3 years than Allen. Well? They might be right - Allen is expensive and old... but I also think, the future is going to come from Gerald Green and Al Jefferson - they have stockpiled kids - they have to bring in some vets and move forward. The question, really, is this - can they get 2-3 years out of Pierce and Allen? If they do - and if the kids develop - which is reasonable to hope for - they might actually turn into a reasonable team. Though to really win - they need more: they need Green or Jefferson to utrn into stars - that's a stretch.

And? Sacramento takes Spencer Hawes - a big SOB.... Paxton talks about Noah - "an energetic athletic 7 footer." Stephen A. Smith doesn't like the pick - they have too many high energy guys. Um... They need someone in the low post but - sheesh! No kidding: who doesn't want low post power? If it was that easy... energy works better. Atlanta meanwhile takes AC Law... a point guard! whoo hoo! I don't care.

So that's all! "Live blogging" will end, unless something really exciting comes along... Maybe I'll finish the 8 facts meme - let's hope.