#1 CHICAGO – Derrick Rose, 6-3 196, Memphis
Throw him up there on the list… The list? Yeah, PG’s to go #1 since the NBA-ABA merger in ’76: John Lucas, Magic, AI and now Rose. Nice company… The Bulls get the local guy, and he’s immediately anointed The Savior… Provides athleticism, defense, good leadership, and best of all, a winning attitude from both HS and college… Unfortunately, he went ahead of Michael Beasley, who could have a HOF career, so basically Rose better do the same… Immediately made Kirk Hinrich expendable… As hyped as he was, his stock especially rose (no pun intended) in the last two weeks… This bloke is going to be good for Chicago.
#4 SEATTLE - Russell Westbrook, 6-4 192, UCLA
Stock didn’t just rise in the last few weeks it actually went through the roof… Some were scratching their heads at Seattle overlooking the talent available, but when you consider Seattle has Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour at the point, pairing Westbrook with Durant will get Oklahoma City, err, Seattle fans excited… Had dramatic freshman-to-sophomore improvement at UCLA… Can play either guard spot, and is, from all reports, an unselfish player.
# 9 CHARLOTTE – DJ Augustin, 6-0 172, Texas
Easily one of the more curious top-10 picks… Word on the street is that Raymond Felton is available and hence the Augustin pick… More of a true point than Felton, anyway… Put up 19 and six as a sophomore at Texas… CBS Sportsline threw out the Isiah Thomas-comparison; let’s hope they mean as a player instead of as a GM… Good shooter, is aggressive, and his (hopeful) duel with Felton will be a hot topic in training camp… Have fun playing for Larry Brown.
# 11 INDIANA (traded to POR) – Jerryd Bayless, 6-3 204, Arizona
Pacers fans went from elated (when he was picked) to heartbroken (when he was dealt) in the space of 60 minutes… Despite being just 6-3, he’s possessed with a scorers mentality… Has been compared to Golden State’s Monta Ellis… Scored more points than any other Arizona freshman ever… Athletic, quick, and as mentioned, more of a scorer than a distributor… Will fit in well in the Blazers youth movement… Pacers may regret trading him.
#26 SAN ANTONIO - George Hill, 6-2 181, Indiana Purdue
If Gregg Popovich says “We were thrilled he was still there” then you get the feeling they were happy to get him… Put up 21/5/4 on 54% FG and 45% 3-PT for national powerhouse Indiana Purdue… One of those stock-soared-after-pre-draft-camp guys… His name should perhaps be on a pensioners discount card instead of being read out by David Stern on draft night… As stated, the Spurs were very high on him - do they know something 25 other teams don’t?
#34 MINNESOTA (traded to MIAMI) - Mario Chalmers, 6-2 170, Kansas
Some had him going higher… Miami was very happy to get him; Pat Riley is a fan… Speaking of Riley, he listed three reasons why they traded for Chalmers: His defense, the fact he’s a combo guard, and he’s a low-mistake guy… Thankfully, Miami doesn’t have a logjam at the point (just Jason Williams and Chris Quinn) so Chalmers has a good opportunity… Yes, he’s the guy who hit the shot to force OT in the NCAA title game.
# 42 SACRAMENTO - Sean Singletery, 6-0 184, Virginia
Despite being three-time All ACC, he was under the radar of many a team… Actually came out for the ’07 draft, thought better of it, went back to school and – surprise! – didn’t hurt his chances… Sacramento might be a good situation for him, as Beno Udrih may opt out this week… From post-draft reports, was unhappy about his late pick and will try to pull an Arenas (translation: will use it as motivation).
#45 SAN ANTONIO (to PHOENIX) - Goren Dragic, 6-4 200, Slovenia
Phoenix actually traded up (from 48) to land Dragic… The Suns had him penciled in as the second-best PG in the draft behind Derrick Rose… Seriously, they did… Word is, the guy is a heck of an athlete and is very well-rounded… Good thing about his Spanish contract is that a buyout is possible… GM Steve Kerr stated on the team’s website that Dragic is a likely participant in training camp, and if he’s not available this season, he’ll “definitely” be there for the 2010 season.
#55 POR (to LAC) - Mike Taylor, 6-2 166, Iowa State
Taylor is the first player to be drafted from the developmental league ever… Did the JuCo thing before playing at Iowa State, where he was a stud on the court and a bonehead off it… Was kicked off the team… Averaged 14.5 points per for the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL… With the Clippers losing Sam Cassell last year and having just Dan Dickau at the point, Taylor has a (slim) chance of making the team.
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Living in Kansas, I was fortunate enough to watch Mario Chalmers the past three years. In those three years he quickly became my favorite player. He's a great defender (especially in the passing lanes), solid ball handler, he shoots the ball well and has a nice floater in the lane, and the guy has no fear. In every big situation, Mario took the shot. That's exactly the type of guy that overcomes being a second round pick to make it in the league.
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