The Draft is Here!

Finally the NBA Draft is about to start. There has been so much hype and discussion that I feel like I've been waiting forever for it happen.

Notable Pre-Draft Trades

RJ to the Bucks for Bobby Simmons and The Chairman

Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for TJ Ford, Nesterovic, and the 17th pick


In honor of one of the best days of the NBA season I will do another running diary. I expect to at least get through the lottery, maybe the entire 1st round. I will be doing a cliche counter at least including the cliches - upside and any variations (i.e - tremendous upside potential), long or length, ball-friendly (lol), blow-by ability, high motor etc.

4:o3 PM - The draft starts in about 30 minutes. The main analysts are Stuart Scott, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Jay Bilas. Should be entertaining. And of course Dick Vitale will be commenting from time to time. Did Bilas just call it a "diaper draft"? May the cliches begin

4:05 PM - Andy Katz reports the Bulls will take Derrick Rose - no big surpise there.

4:10 PM - All the analysts say Miami has to take Beasley (Bilas - His arms extend beyond normal limits) instead of Mayo or trade the pick

4:12 PM - Dick Vitale is unusually calm (for him) when talking about Beasley. He is worried about the temptation of South Beach but agrees he is a good fit in Miami. I hope he gets more excited when the draft starts.

4:14 PM - Journey to the Center of the Earth looks incredibly cheesy. A cell phone getting service? C'mon now. Looks like they are ruining a great book.

4:17 PM - Stephen A. Smith interviews Beasley and manages not to yell or get hype. What the hell is going on?

4:2o PM - Knick fans are booing Gallinari just when Stuart Scott is talking about him. I really hope the Knicks draft him, it could get very ugly.

4:24 PM - Colleen Dominguez reports that it looks unlikely the Sonics will trade the #4 pick

4:31 PM - David Stern is talking and the draft is finally starting. I really don't care what he has to say. Just start the damn draft! Bulls on the clock (5 mins max)

4:34 PM - All the analysts say the Bulls have to fit the team around Rose, not the other way around. The Bulls have a logjam at guard although none of them are all-star quality except Rose in the future

4:36 PM - Still don't understand the Del Negro hiring, probably never will

4:38 PM - Bulls take Rose as expected. Beasley has a fake smile on his face. Rose is nicknamed "Pooh". I'll avoid any corny joke. Heat on the clock. According to Bilas Rose "can dunk with his elbows" - sounds retarded but I know what he meant....I think

4:42 PM - Heat select Michael Beasley. Looks like they're not idiots after all. Mayo looks a little perplexed. I wonder if the Heat are still working on a trade to move Beasley.

4:45 PM - All the analysts are praising Michael Beastly. Somehow they are avoiding a lot of cliches but Bilas busted out his beyond normal limits line again

4:47 PM - Bulls GM Paxson is saying Rose is going to have to earn what he gets. He better start over Hinrich.

4:49 PM - T'Wolves select OJ Mayo. Not really surprising. He doesn't look that happy. I wouldn't be. Sonics on the clock. Mayo is wearing some wild outfit. Ugly shoes and it looks like a striped polo under his suit jacket and vest lol.

4:53 PM - Riley supposedly loves Beasley now. Don't know if he's just trying to increase his trade value or if they really were just BS'ing

4:55 PM - Sonics select Westbrook. 1st real surprise of the draft. This is higher than most people expected him to go. The Sonics were unsuccessful in trading down but I guess they just really wanted Westbrook

4:57 PM - Durant appears happy about the Westbrook pick

5:01 PM - Grizzlies want some Love in their club and select Kevin Love. I'm not that high on this pick but it wasn't unexpected. Bilas has a man-crush on him apparently.

5:03 PM - explosion ability? is that somehow different from explosiveness? they are attaching ability to anything and everything. That's going to be added to the cliche counter

5:07 PM - Let the booing commence. Knicks select Gallinari. He is booed instantly. My boy Gary wonders "if that translates into Italian". One of these days I gotta make it to the draft. Gallinari is supposedly solid but Knicks fans are just going to boo because of the Frederic Weis disaster (yes that Frederic Weis)

5:10 PM - SAS interviews Gallinari and he is still getting booed. And SAS keeps mentioning it. This is hilarious. ESPN SN fan grade of F for the pick.

5:12 PM - Clippers select Gordon over Bayless. Doesn't make much sense considering they need a PG and Gordon lacks handle. And who knows how good Livingston is going to be when he finally comes back.

5:14 PM - The analysts think this is a good pick even though the Clips need a PG and they can play Maggette/Mobley at the 2. Gordon looks like he has cut down on the cheeseburgers.

5:16 PM - Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is getting booed as he is being interviewed. I think it's safe to say the Knick fans don't like the pick

5:18 PM - Bucks select Joe Alexander. I know they were high on him but it seems unnecessary because they just traded for Jefferson today. Bilas really loves him. Mentioned his athleticism like 80 times in 3 seconds. Supposedly it's "freakish". Buck fans prepare to get freaked

5:24 PM - Jackson thinks the Bobcats are solid across the board. I have to disagree. They really need a 5. Bobcats select DJ Augustin! MJ screws up again. They needed a big man and they draft a PG who's going to be a back-up to Felton (unless they go super small or trade Wallace)

5:26 PM - Brook Lopez looks like he is about to cry. Man up homie

5:29 PM - All the analysts say the Nets MUST draft Lopez because they need a big man badly...and they do. Solid pick.

5:32 - Jackson is hilarious. He says that Vince Carter was the Nets' best post player last year and he's a perimeter player. lol

5:33 - The Lopez twins' voices crack me up. They sound so funny IMO. They are so goofy

5:35 - Pacers select Bayless. Not sure if they are going to start Bayless and Ford or Bayless and Tinsley or bring him off the bench. Bayless doesn't look happy. I wouldn't be either. He was rumored to go 4 to Seattle and now goes 11 to the Indy.

5:39 PM - Euro 2008 plug. Germany vs Spain for the final. Should be a great game

5:41 PM - The Kings select Jason Thompson?! He's not even at the draft. Bilas says he is just "solid, not spectacular". Called him solid about 50 times. I don't remember Thompson being rated this high. King fans give the pick a strong F. Mark Jackson says "it's very surprising they draft a big man out of Rider?!". My boy Sol -"SAC must know something we don't, like they are going to be folding in a few years"

5:47 PM - Blazers select Brandon Rush. Very solid pick for them. Perfect role player who can shoot and defend multiple swing positions. The Blazers are on their way back to getting beat by the Lakers in the playoffs like the good ol' times.

5:49 PM - Stuart Scott simply asks Katz "Why Thompson?" I'm wondering the same thing

5:51 PM - The W's select Anthony Randolph. He has TUP. He seems like a good fit because of the Warriors up-tempo style. Bilas says he is "painfully skinny" and "makes Brandan Wright look like Mr. America". The lottery is finished

5:54 PM - Randolph is very defiant and defensive about being painfully skinny. He is not lacking for confidence.

5:57 PM - The Suns select Robin Lopez. A little surprising but they do need a defensive big man. His hat does not fit at all on his sideshow Bob haircut.

5:59 PM - The Lopez twins' mother acts just as goofy as them.

6:03 PM - Sixers select Marreese Speights. Seems like a solid pick for them. They need a talented big man. No qualms from the analysts about the pick.

6:07 PM - Since the lottery is finished the draft is starting to get less interesting

6:08 PM - Raptors select Roy Hibbert for the Pacers. They need a center but I'm not sure Hibbert "The Big Stiff" is the answer.

6:13 PM - Wizards select JaVale McGee. Don't know much about him. Bilas says "his arms go forever"

6:15 PM - Breaking news. Blazers trade Rush (their new pick) and Jack to Indiana for Bayless and Ike Diogu. I really like the trade for the Blazers. Rush gets to play with his brother Kareem in Indy. Don't know if that's good or bad

6:20 PM - Jackson tells Arthur to get a new piece of gum and enjoy being the last person at the draft not to be drafted yet

6:21 PM - Cavs select JJ Hickson. He is strong, powerful, and explosive according to Bilas. I've seen him play I think and don't remember anything special but we are getting late into the 1st round.

6:25 PM - Bobcats select Alexis Ajinca. They needed a big man and they went international (France). He is lacking strength but is very long (7'8 wingspan). Fran Fraschilla - "He was unstoppable in those 1-on-0 workouts" haha. Is he another Yi?

6:29 PM - More news on the Pacers-Blazers trade. Josh McRoberts is also going to Indy. Bayless looks a lot happier to be going to the Blazers instead of the Pacers.

6:33 PM - Nets select Ryan Anderson. He was pretty solid in the Pac-10 (20 and 10). He's tall and can shoot. I think it's a good pick

6:38 PM - Magic select Courtney Lee. They could use another guard but this seems a little high. He is a "strong player with a strong build". JVG just bangs on his brother (coach of the Magic) talking about how he's at the buffet line.

6:42 PM - The Jazz need backcourt help according to the analysts. I agree

6:43 PM - But the Jazz apparently don't...they select Kosta Koufos. Bilas loves the pick even though Koufos has a lot of different things to improve on (according to him)

6:48 PM - Sonics select Serge Ibaka. The Sonics are back to drafting international big men. This is one of the those "stash away" pick.

6:52 PM - Stan Van Gundy says he wanted to eat so he doesn't even know who they picked lol.

6:54 PM - 25th pick. Bout to dip to go hoop. Hopefully the Rockets mess up this pick hahaha. Rockets select Nicolas Batum. He gets compared to Rudy Gay. They show a nice move where he dunks on someone.

10:00 PM - Had to dip but there was a big trade. Minnesota trades OJ Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, and Greg Buckner to Memphis for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, and Brian Cardinal's terrible contract. Also, the cliche counter was a failure as the usual cliches were missing. Bilas had come classic lines but he even admitted that he went through the entire draft w/o saying long or upside.

For a quick wrap-up I just have to say I hope the Lakers win a few titles before the Blazers' youngcore (Roy, Oden, Aldridge, Bayless) enter their primes. But seriously I grade them as the winner of today. They're adding two lottery picks (yes Oden counts) to their already young and promising core. My boy says "pritchard [their GM] is a serial rapist"

quick thoughts after the game 1's

Lakers 128 Nuggets 114

Lakers win easily even though Kobe doesn't play particularly well. Denver played zero defense and I don't see any indication that they'll start.

Celtics 104 Hawks 81

No surprises here. The Hawks are simply outmatched and outclassed.

Sixers 90 Pistons 86

The Pistons had control of the game but then they got complacent and arrogant and gave the Sixers' confidence. Could be a longer series than I thought

Magic 114 Raptors 100

The Raptors looked asleep in the 1st quarter but they eventually made it a game in the 4th. Dwight Howard looks ready to dominate and make me look like an idiot.

I didn't see the Saturday games (was in Napa, story not really appropriate for a family friendly blog) but I saw highlights and read recaps.

Spurs 117 Suns 115 2 OT

It doesn't really surprise me that the Spurs out-executed the Suns in the clutch. Shaq has to stay out of foul trouble so he can guard Duncan. Looks like the series might live up to the hype.

Cavs 93 Wizards 86

Close game and LeBron takes over at the end. Very similar to their series two years ago. Looks to be another series filled with very close games.

Jazz 93 Rockets 82

Not a good start for the Rockets. Without Yao, they can't expect to win with T-Mac going 7 for 21. This could be a shorter series than I thought.


Hornets 104 Mavs 92

Chris Paul just went crazy in the 2nd half and the Mavs are going to have do something to slow him down or they have no chance. Talent >>>>> experience

entire playoffs predictions

Who will be holding the trophy like the man above? Detailed analysis will come before these series start. I just want to get my predictions on record.

Conference Semis

EAST

1. Celtics vs 4. Cavs

I expect a highly entertaining series but the Celts are too dominant. Celtics in 6

2. Pistons vs 6. Raptors

The Raptors ain't ready for the big boys. Pistons win easily. Pistons in 5

WEST

1. Lakers vs 4. Jazz

Should be a high scoring well played series. The Lakers are better so they win lol. Lakers in 7

6. Suns vs 7. Mavs

Another great match-up. No way the Mavs can handle Shaq and STAT. Suns in 6

Conference Finals

1. Celtics vs 2. Pistons
The Eastern showdown everyone has been waiting for. This is a tough call for me but Celtics in 6

1. Lakers vs 6. Suns
Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! MOST HYPED CONFERENCE FINALS EVER! Kobe vs Shaq! lol Lakers in 7

Finals
1. Celtics vs 1. Lakers
The two most storied NBA franchises face off in the finals for the first time in over 20 years. Does KG finally win a ring? Does Kobe win a ring without Shaq? As much as it pains me to say Celtics in 6

The Playoffs are Here!

I'll save the best for last so I'll start with the East

1. Boston Celtics (66-16, +10.3) vs 8. Atlanta Hawks (37-45, -1.8)
season series: 3-0 Boston

I know the 1-8 upsets are possible (as evidenced by the Warriors last year) but the Hawks absolutely have no chance. The Celtics won the season series 3-0 with all victories coming by double digits. The Celtics play the best defense in the league and while the Hawks have been better offensively since the trade for Bibby, they are still not an elite offensive team. The Celtics have the two best players in the series in KG and Paul "The Truth" Pierce but there is an outside chance Joe Johnson, Bibby, Josh Smith and of course Josh Childress could steal a game but I don't think so. Celtics in 4


4. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37, -0.4) vs 5. Washington Wizards (43-39, -0.3)
season series: tied 2-2

This is easily the most interesting Eastern Conference 1st round series. The Cavs have knocked out the Wizards in the first round the past two years. Two years ago in 6 games when the Wizards were healthy but couldn't guard LeBron and last year in 4 games when Arenas and Caron were hurt. The Wizards have been integrating Hibachi back into the lineup pretty well and the Cavs have been middling since the trade for Big Ben, Wally, and Delonte West. This is a very tough call. On paper the Wizards look better but I still don't trust their defense (19th in OPP FG%) and LeBron is simply a step (maybe even two) above Gilbert, Caron, or Jamison. I also don't think it was wise for Deshawn Stevenson to call LeBron overrated or for Gilbert to call out the entire Cavs team. Homecourt advantage is crucial and LeBron averages at least 30, 8, and 8 in this series. Cavs in 7.


2. Detroit Pistons (59-23, +7.4) vs 7. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42, +0.4)
season series: tied 2-2

This series is not interesting at all to me. Philly is a nice little story as most people expected them to be in the lottery this year but they're still not very good. If I can cross up Dalembert (true story) imagine what Billups and Co. are going to do hahaha. But seriously the Pistons are clearly the better team in every conceivable way. The Zoo Crew (their young players they bring off the bench) has been killin' recently so their starters are going to be rested too. Philly will be competitive in some of the games and I think they might be able to steal one. Pistons in 5

3. Orlando Magic (52-30, +5.5) vs 6. Toronto Raptors (41-41, +2.9)
season series: Orlando 2-1

This series has the potential to be very entertaining. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh are some of the best big men the East has to offer. Both teams can score a lot of points by going inside to their big men and also outside to their shooters. Although Toronto hasn't played great down the stretch I believe momentum going into the playoffs is overrated. Toronto clearly has the better point guards - Ford and Calderon vs Nelson, Arroyo, and Dooling. That along with Howard's inability to create his own shot consistently will be the downfall of the Magic. The Magic are not a great home team so I expect Toronto have some success in Orlando. Raptors in 6

THE WEST

The Western teams are more evenly matched and will require some deeper analysis - brace yourself haha

1. Los Angeles Lakers (57-25, +7.3) vs 8. Denver Nuggets (50-32, +3.7)
season series: Los Angeles 3-0

Even if I wasn't a Laker fan this would be the easiest Western series to pick. The Lakers are clearly the better team. Although the Nuggets average more PPG, the Lakers are arguably the better offensive team because they have a higher FG%, higher 3FG%, and higher efficiency. The defense is not even up for discussion. Lakers are 20th in PPG allowed and Denver is 29th. Lakers are 6th in FG defense and Denver is 14th. Although Denver probably has the 2nd and 3rd best players in the series (AI and Melo after Kobe of course), the Lakers are more diverse offensively, better defensively, and have the best player on the planet. Denver doesn't seem disciplined or mature enough to overcome those things. Because Denver is great at home and AI has a lot of heart (even though he hates practice) - Lakers in 5

4. Utah Jazz (54-28, +6.9) vs 5. Houston Rockets (55-27, +4.7)
season series: Utah 2-1

This is a rematch of last year's 1st round series. Just like last year Utah is the 4 and Houston is the 5 but with homecourt advantage. But Houston is missing Yao even though they have had a record streak this year. Utah is better than what it was last year with the addition of Ashton Kutcher, uhh I mean Kyle Korver. Houston w/o Yao is better defensively (because Yao is slower than molasses on D) but significantly worse offensively. Players like Scola and Landry have been stepping up but Houston is still 21st in PPG and 20th in FG%. I don't think they have enough offense to match Utah (5th in PPG and 2nd in FG%). Utah has been terrible on the road this year (17-24) so that gives Houston a solid chance but I don't think they have enough weapons to keep up. Boozer, Deron, Okur, AK-47, etc. will be too much for T-mac to overcome without Yao. T-mac gets screwed once again. Jazz in 6

2. New Orleans Hornets (56-26, +5.3) vs 7. Dallas Mavericks (51-31, +4.5)
season series: tied 2-2

Usually the 2-7 matchup is a mismatch (see Detroit-Philly above). This however is a different story. The teams split their four meetings and are pretty similar in W-L record and point differential. Also they are similar in PPG and FG%. Dallas has the slightly better FG% defense and New Orleans shoots the three better. Because the teams are so evenly matched on paper a lot is going to be decided by matchups and intangibles. Kidd can't guard Chris Paul but in their game tonight, the Mavs found a way to get the ball out of his hands. The Hornets essentially have no playoff experience outside of Peja and they are a young team compared to the Mavs. The Mavs have seemed to regain their swagger with their trade for Jason Kidd. CP3 (legitimate MVP candidate) and David West (all-star) are sure to get theirs but I'm not sure who else is going to step up for the Hornets (Peja is not really known to be clutch). The Mavs' offensive versatility, veteran leadership, and regained "huevos grandes" lead them to victory. Mavs in 7

3. San Antonio Spurs (56-26, +4.8) vs 6. Phoenix Suns (55-27, +5.0)
season series: Suns 3-1

Saving the best for last. Talk about a ridiculous 3-6 matchup. The teams combined for 111 wins and although San Antonio has the better seed, Phoenix has the better differential. If Ali-Foreman was dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle I'm going to call this the Slugfest in the Southwest. Hopefully Horry doesn't go all Ronnie Lott again and ruin the integrity of the series. Thankfully, Tim Donaghy won't be on the sidelines for this one. I don't want to see players ejected and/or suspended but it would be cool for Steve Nash to be bloodied again. Ok enough with the side stories based off last year. There are two big changes. The Suns traded Marion and Banks for the Big Catcus aka The Real Superman aka Diesel aka the Big Aristotle aka Shaquille O'neal. Many people (including myself) ripped the trade when it happened but Shaq has seemed to find the Fountain of Youth (or Balco) in the desert. The Suns look a lot more prepared to do damage in the postseason than ever before. The other big change is that the Spurs simply haven't been as dominant as last year (highest pt differential in the league). Their veteran role players like Finley, Horry, and Barry have lost a step and are banged up. Duncan is still Duncan but he has fallen off some this year. Shaq has always bothered Duncan in the past and the Suns are 2-0 against the Spurs with Shaq. I do worry about how the Suns are going to matchup with both Parker and Manu w/o Marion but then again the Spurs can't match up with both Shaq and Amare. I can't see Phoenix winning game 7 in San Antonio so Suns in 6

If you don't agree with my predictions, remember I'm a doctor (at least a future one) so listen to what I say haha

Dr. Hoops

Quick Predictions for Tonight's Important Games

Dallas over New Orleans
Denver over Memphis
Utah over San Antonio
Houston over LA CLippers
Phoenix over Portland

LakeShow!

The Lakers already have clinched the Pacific Division and with tonight's victory over the Queens they have clinched #1 in the West and homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs with a 57-25 record. It's their first division title in the Post-Shaq era and their first #1 seed since the 1999-2000 season. Their 1st round opponent and possible second round opponents have yet to be determined. Needless to say things are looking good for the Lakers but the West is going to be very very tough.

Can't wait for the playoffs

With every NBA team only having 1 or 2 games left the playoff picture is starting to become clear (at least in the East).

All the matchups are set in the East

1) Boston vs 8) Atlanta
4) Cleveland vs 5)Washington
2) Detroit vs 7) Philadelphia
3) Orlando vs 6) Toronto

The West has cleared up some but figuring out all the potential playoff pairings will still give you headaches.

The Lakers have clinched a top two seed and will clinch the top seed with a victory against the Kings Tuesday or a loss by the Hornets in one of their final two games (Clippers, @ Mavs)

The Hornets are in 2nd but can drop to 3rd if they lose their final two games and the Spurs beat the Jazz at home on Wednesday.

After that stuff gets really messy. If the Jazz beat the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday (which they haven't done in about a million years) there is a possibility of a 4 team tie between the Jazz, Spurs, Rockets, and Suns all at 55-27. This would happen if the Rockets and Suns won on Wednesday. Based on complicated tiebreakers the Jazz would be 3rd, Suns 4th, Rockets 5th, and Spurs 6th.

Given the opponents of the Rockets (Clippers) and Suns (Blazers) and the recent struggles of the Spurs this crazy scenario doesn't seem too far fetched. I say it happens.

For the 7 and 8 spots it's simple. If Dallas wins against New Orleans or Denver loses against Memphis then Dallas is 7th. If Dallas loses and Denver wins then Denver is 7th.

My predicted matchups

1) Lakers vs 8) Mavericks
4) Suns vs 5) Rockets
2) Hornets vs 7) Nuggets
3) Jazz vs 6) Spurs

playoff predictions to come when the matchups are set in both conferences

Dr. Hoops

Quick Condolences...

for the Warriors who will end the season with 48 or 49 wins yet miss the playoffs. The highest win total in over 30 years not to make it. They can't blame anyone but themselves though. If they would have played some defense tonight or last Thursday against the Nuggets they might have made the playoffs. I'm upset I won't be able to go to a Laker playoff game up here in the bay. Oh well, bring on the Mavs or Nuggets.

Dr. Hoops