Live-Blogging the 2010 NBA Draft

Hello everybody, and welcome to my running diary of ESPN's coverage of the 2010 NBA Draft. It's one of my favorite sports nights of the year, so with no further ado, let's get this party started! (I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors that may occur, as I will be moving at a fast pace. Also, all times are in Pacific Standard Time):





4:16: Mark Jones interviews Gordon Hayward. Hayward comes across as a wonderful, classy guy, but I fear that he is just going to be another Adam Morrison-Tyler Hansbrough type in the NBA. Should have stayed at Butler.





4:17: DeMarcus Cousins handling himself well in interview. The former Kentucky Wildcat has been known for his immaturity, but I would love to have him on my team. Too talented to pass up. As a diehard Warriors fan, I desperately hope that Cousins falls to number 6.





4:22: The ESPN graphic of notable free agents features the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudamire, and........David Lee? Lee is indeed a terrific player, but he shouldn't be mentioned quite in the same breath as LBJ and D-Wade.





4:23: My last column on LeBron was based in anger, so let me make this clear: I love LBJ, but he just needs to adopt a bigger clutch gene in big games. But there is no denying that he is the most important free agent we've seen in a long, long time.





4:25: Kudos to ESPN for bringing aboard a "capologist", former Blazers executive Tom Penn, to make sense of this salary cap confusion.





4:27: Proposed trade sends Kirk Hinrich to the Wizards. This move is meant to clear cap space for the Bulls in hopes of signing LeBron, but they are going to miss Kirk Hinrich, a solid, reliable player in this league.





4:32: Here comes the commish. I love David Stern, but I get a kick out of the rowdy New York crowd always booing him. The boos are a reminder that the draft is here. It's music to my ears.





4:34: John Wall is a lock to be the top pick, and rightfully so. Wall is going to be a star. However, I actually think Evan Turner is going to be an even better pro.





4:35: Flashback of the last time the Wizards had the top pick. Kwame Brown? I think I saw him working at Wal-Mart earlier today. Somewhere, Michael Jordan is cringing. Not his finest hour.





4:36: If they can survive a year without any roster dysfunction, the Wizards have a chance to be a playoff team next season.





4:37: Jay Bilas, best draft guru in all of sports by far. Take that Mel Kiper, Jr.!





4:38: Congrats to John Wall! No surprise there.





4:40: With John Wall and Stephen Strasburg, exciting times in the world of D.C. sports.





4:43: Next up: Philly. If the Sixers don't take Evan Turner, it will make the Kwame Brown decision look like a stroke of genius.





4:44: The Sixers make the right call and take Turner. Playing alongside Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner is going to be a superb fit in Doug Collins' system.





4:45: Now things get really interesting. The Nets, now under the leadership of new coach Avery Johnson and new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, are on the clock. My best available, in order of preference: DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Derrick Favors, Wes Johnson. I would be thrilled if any one of those guys lands with theood pic Warriors.





4:46: Last year at this time, I chose DeJuan Blair and Ty Lawson as my sleepers. Here's hoping I get it right again this year. My draft sleepers this year? Maryland's Greivis Vasquez and North Carolina's Ed Davis.





4:48: The Nets select Derrick Favors from Georgia Tech. Great player, good pick, but will Favors be able to coexist with Brook Lopez in New Jersey's system?





4:51: So far, no sightings of any crazy draft night suits. All of the players so far have been dressed in relatively conservative fashion.





4:53: Nets fan at Madison Square Garden spotted with a vuvuzela. Oh God.





4:54: The T'Wolves select Wesley Johnson from Syracuse. Terrific pick. Minnesota GM David Kahn has a ghastly reputation, but he deserves credit for making the right call.





4:56: Johnson sporting the first flashy suit of the night. Very stylish. Love it.





4:57: Now the question is, will Ricky Rubio ever come and play with Minnesota?





5:00: With the fifth pick, the Kings select DeMarcus Cousins. Kudos to Sacramento for taking a risk on Cousins, despite his maturity problems. Cousins will have a tremendous NBA career.





5:02: Ok, Golden State, we must take Greg Monroe!!! Please Larry Riley, don't mess this one up.





5:04: I'm very nervous.





5:06: The Warriors select Ekpe Udoh from Baylor. Uhhhh, this is cool, I guess. I really wanted Monroe though.





5:07: However, the fact that he led the Big 12 in blocked shots is an extremely encouraging sign. The W's are in desperate need of a solid defensive presence, so I like this pick after all.





5:08: I apologize to Ekpe Udoh for my initial skepticism, because I really am happy that he is coming to the Warriors. Hopefully Udoh will provide a defensive spark to the offensively minded W's. Welcome to the Bay Area, Ekpe!





5:11: Last Warriors note: I love our new retro logo.





5:13: The Pistons select Greg Monroe from Georgetown. If you've been reading, you know that I love Monroe, best passer in the draft.





5:16: The Clippers are on the clock. Here's hoping they select somebody this year who will actually play next season (Sorry, Blake).





5:18: The Clips take Al-Farouq Aminu out of Wake Forest. Aminu, I think, has a chance to have a more fulfilling career than Blake Griffin when all is said and done. Also, awesome glasses!!!





5:21: Aminu in his interview: "Uhhhhhh, they have some really smart dudes runnin' the team." Ummm, is he talking about the Clippers???



5:24: The Jazz have the number 9 pick thanks to a trade with the Knicks, and they select Butler's Gordon Hayward. Yikes. Look, Hayward had a tremendous college career, and he is indeed a very talented player, but the Jazz are likely to regret this pick.



5:25: Jay Bilas seems high on Hayward though, and I have tremendous respect for Bilas, so here's hoping Hayward proves me wrong.



5:27: I'm telling you, all these teams that are passing on Greivis Vasquez and Ed Davis are missing out on two truly special players.



5:30: The Pacers take Paul George of Fresno State. Don't know too much about him. Eager to hear Bilas' take.



5:32: Based on Bilas' description, I like George for the Pacers. Indiana needs a player with George's wingspan and length to play alongside Danny Granger. But 3 turnovers a game at Fresno State? That has to change if George is to thrive in the NBA.



5:34: Amidst all the Chris Paul rumors, the New Orleans Hornets are on the clock. If I'm the Hornets, I'm taking Patrick Patterson.



5:35: Back to CP3 for a second. The Hornets absolutely must retain Paul if they have any hope of winning in the forseeable future. Paul will go down as one of the greatest point guards ever. He's too good a player to let go.



5:37: Welcome to New Orleans, Cole Aldrich. As Fran Frischilla says, this is a low-risk pick. Aldrich will do nothing extraordinary in the pros, and he certainly won't duplicate the dominance he displayed at Kansas. But in new coach Monty Williams' system, Aldrich will be a productive asset.



5:40: Hold on a moment! First trade alert of the night! If the Hornets send Aldrich to the Thunder, that's a mistake. It is a terrific trade for the Thunder, though. Aldrich would be another excellent young player alongside Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, to name a few.



5:43: Jeff Van Gundy: "Aldrich should be traded if he compares Sharron Collins to Chris Paul." Haha gotta love the great Van Gundy.



5:44: Grizzlies take Kansas' Xavier Henry. Jon Barry: "Guess Rudy Gay is not going back." Or, the Grizzlies could be using Henry as a trade piece. We shall see.



5:46: If you are not moved by the family of Xavier Henry, then you are cold and emotionless.



5:49: The Raptors would be wise to choose a big man, because Chris Bosh already has one foot out the door.



5:50: The New York fans chant, "USA! USA!" as the Raptors pick approaches. I've said it before, I'll say it again: I love the rowdy draft crowd.



5:51: Fantastic pick by Toronto. Ed Davis is going to surprise people in the NBA. He will be great for the Raptors.



5:52: Completely unrelated sidenote: Those rappin' hamster videos are the most annoying thing this side of vuvuzelas.



5:55: Yao Ming back in basketball shape. GREAT news for the Rockets.



5:56: Patrick Patterson becomes the third Kentucky player selected, and we are only at pick 14.



5:57: By adding another terrific defensive player in Patterson, G.M. Daryl Morey has crafted one of the best defensive teams in the league. Most teams would be thrilled to have players with half-as-much defensive prowess as Patterson and Shane Battier.



5:58: Patrick Patterson rooting for Spain in the World Cup?! How can we let a Benedict Arnold like that into the league?!



5:59: Sorry, I will never let Rush Limbaugh touch my computer again.



6:01: Bucks take Larry Sanders, who is not present at Madison Square Garden. I always have high hopes for players that come out of VCU, an exciting and underrated college program. Last year, Eric Maynor was selected by the Jazz, and he had an excellent rookie season with Utah. Here's hoping Larry Sanders thrives playing alongside Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee.



6:05: With their second pick, Minnesota takes Nevada's Luke Babbitt. Solid pick. Man, there is a surprising amount of competent picks tonight. I'm waiting for a Darko Milicic-like disaster to spice things up a bit.



6:07: Right now, the only truly regrettable pick has been the Jazz taking Gordon Hayward. Other than that, I don't have many complaints.



6:10: Chicago on the clock. There is no doubt that aside from Cleveland, Chicago would be the best situation for LeBron. With Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and a couple of marquee free agents, the Bulls would be a legitimate title contender next season.



6:11: Still, I think LeBron should stay in Cleveland.



6:12: Bulls select Kevin Seraphin from France, first foreign player to be drafted tonight. According to Fraschilla's diagnosis, Seraphin reminds me of teammate Joakim Noah. I love Noah, but two Noah's on the same team??

6:13: The Thunder need a big guy. They already have so many talented, athletic guards.

6:15: Oh no, Sam Presti, why would you choose a guard? No disrespect to the very talented Eric Bledsoe, but OKC already has Durant, Green, Westbrook, and Harden! Foolish pick.

6:17: Potential trade would send Luke Babbitt and Ryan Gomes to Portland for Martell Webster. Big win for Minnesota.

6:19: It will be fascinating to see if Doc Rivers and Phil Jackson decide to stay in Boston and L.A. My money says both men leave.

6:22: So point guards really do exist, after all. Welcome to Boston, Avery Bradley.

6:25: James Anderson a smart pick by the Spurs. He'll be a solid backup, and a future heir, to Tony Parker for Gregg Popovich's team.

6:27: So my outrage over the Bledsoe pick for OKC may have been unwarranted. Bledsoe may be traded to the Clippers.

6:29: Craig Brackens is the big guy that New Orleans needs. Good pick.

6:32: Now that Portland is on the clock, let me just say that the Blazers were mindblowingly stupid in firing the terrific G.M. Kevin Pritchard.

6:35: If I'm Pritchard, I'm purposefully making a horrible pick just to stick it to the Blazers, as this is Pritchard's final night.

6:37: The Blazers should be ashamed of themselves for firing Pritchard.

6:41: Trevor Booker becomes the first senior selected tonight. G.M. David Kahn is surprisingly sane tonight.

6:42: Greivis Vasquez is still available. He is going to be a terrific pro, I'm telling you!

6:44: The Hawks take Damian James from Texas. Ferocious rebounder; should be nice fit alongside Al Horford and Zaza Pechulia in the paint for Atlanta.

6:46: Booker traded to Washington for draft picks.

6:50: Funniest shot of the night: Grizzlies fan mouthing, "I don't know who that is", in response to Memphis' selection of Dominic Jones. Priceless.

6:55: Second funniest shot of the night: Kevin Durant responding with a blank stare when the Thunder draft Washington's Quincy Pondexter.

6:58: The Nets are on the clock. Something tells me Mikhail Prokhorov is celebrating with gorgeous women and lots of money. Man I love that guy.

7:00: Looks like you should disregard my comment about Damian James fitting in nicely with Horford and Pechulia in Atlanta. Proposed trade would send James to New Jersey in exchange for Jordan Crawford. Don't really like that trade for either team.

7:06: Greivis Vasquez!!! Yes! Kudos to the Grizz. They will not regret it.

7:12: How about we just make the Kentucky Wildcats a new NBA team. Wow.

7:17: With the last pick of the first round, the Wizards select Lazar Hayward. Even more amusing, I love David Stern's bemused reaction to the raucous crowd. I love the NBA Draft.

Ok ladies and gentleman, that's all I have for this evening. If any major developments occur in the second round, I'll be sure to share my thoughts in the morning. But right now, I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the infamous Adam Silver serve as emcee to the second round. Good night everybody!

Isner-Mahut: Epic Classic at Wimbledon

As I write this, the longest match in tennis history is still going on, as the fifth set alone approaches its seventh hour. John Isner, the freakishly tall and lanky American, and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, are locked in a 50-50 fifth-set tie. Let me repeat that: 50-50. FIFTY-FIFTY!!!!! And we thought the 16-14 fifth set between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick in last year's Wimbledon final was long.

This instant classic at Wimbledon is a reminder of why tennis is such a beautiful, thrilling sport. No sport provides a tougher test of mental and physical fortitude. Isner and Mahut have been engaged in a game of anything you can do I can do better for nearly seven hours now, and neither has taken an extended break of any kind. No bathroom breaks, no breaks to heal any injuries with a trainer, nothing. Isner and Mahut have to be experiencing unprecedented exhaustion, yet they continue to persevere. This, ladies and gentlemen, is awesome drama.

In all likelihood, we will never see anything like this ever again, in any sport. Call me crazy, but I don't think we'll be seeing any 55-inning games in baseball any time soon. So while sports fans are often accused of being prisoners of the moment, it is impossible to exaggerate the historical significance of this Wimbledon battle. Now if you would excuse me, I need to go regain my breath.

McDowell, Kobe, Jimenez, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Congratulations to your 2010 U.S. Open Champion, Graeme McDowell. The Irishman became the first European in 40 years to win the U.S. Open. And as he himself referenced, Ireland celebrated by collectively downing pint after pint.

---On a day in which virtually nobody played well, McDowell exhibited remarkable poise and composure, remaining unflappable even in the face of his own struggles. The same cannot be said of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson.

---After playing stellar golf on the back nine on Saturday to put himself in contention, Tiger was a disaster at Pebble Beach on Sunday. If Tiger doesn't win or come damn close to winning the British Open next month, the doubts will only grow louder as to whether Tiger has what it takes to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record. Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, faltered in yet another U.S. Open final round, and he is still searching for his first U.S. Open championship. And then there was Dustin Johnson. Oh Dustin.

---I don't want to beat up on Dustin too much, because he really did play outstanding golf in the first three rounds. But his collapse on Sunday was historically, epically awful. Somewhere, Jean Van De Velde was squirming.

---Back to Tiger for a moment, though. One positive aspect of Tiger's performance is that he seems to have adopted a more cordial, gracious attitude toward the fans, and that is a beautiful thing to see.

---On to basketball now, where the Los Angeles Lakers are your 2010 NBA Champions after beating the Boston Celtics in a thrilling, 7-game series. Loyal readers know that I hate the Lakers. But let me put my personal biases aside for a moment, and try to properly assess the historical significance of the Lakers' win.

---With his fifth championship, Kobe Bryant is undeniably one of the five greatest players in NBA history. With this championship, Kobe has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Shaquille O'Neal on the all-time Lakers list. However, he still does not possess the title of Greatest Laker Ever. Nobody will ever surpass the great Magic Johnson in that regard.

---I will be vacationing in Los Angeles next week, and while I love visiting L.A., the site of the Lakers championship banners is going to sickening. Ugh.

---Shameless personal plug: The NBA Draft is on Thursday night, and TJB's Sports Universe is the place to be. I will be live-blogging the draft, so please stop by to see what I have to say!

---On to baseball now, where the year of the pitcher continues. Amidst the sea of superb pitchers, one stands out: Ubaldo Jiminez. Jimenez is off to a historically great start, and the NL Cy Young race is essentially over already.

---We keep waiting for them to pick up the pace, but as of now, the Philadelphia Phillies are a mediocre baseball team. With the Braves showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and the Mets playing solid baseball, Philly could be in major trouble, especially if Roy Halladay continues to lose.

---Shameless personal plug alert number 2: Wimbledon starts today, and I am so stoked. Tune in to this blog over the course of the next two weeks for coverage of one of sports' most elegant events.

---And finally, I will end with a comment on the Tim Donaghy of the World Cup, Koman Coulibaly. It's one thing for a ref to make an egregious call. Bad calls happen. But when that ref refuses to offer even the slightest semblance of an explanation as to why he made that call, a call that altered the outcome of an important World Cup game, then that is a major problem. Team U.S.A. got screwed.

Pierce, Strasburg, Woods, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---After Boston's thrilling Game 5 win in the NBA Finals, these 2010 Finals have officially become one of the most exciting Finals in NBA history.

---The C's now have two shots in L.A. to clinch the title, and if Paul Pierce played like he did in Game 5, I love Boston's chances. After a sluggish start to the series, Pierce finally delivered a magnificent performance last night, capped off by his jaw-dropping, off-balance pass to Rajon Rondo late in the fourth quarter. Somewhere, Larry Bird was smiling.

---Major credit is also due for Glen Davis and Nate Robinson, the self-proclaimed Shrek and Donkey. The Davis-Robinson duo was essentially responsible for the win in Game 4, and they have provided a nice spark off the bench for Doc Rivers throughout the entire series. I am especially fond of Robinson. It's a full-blown man-crush at this point.

---As for the Lakers, well, Kobe Bryant was stranded on an island in Game 5, with no help whatsoever. Kobe kept draining impossible shot after impossible shot in the second half, but he eventually ran out of gas, as his teammates were nothing more than loitering bystanders. For that reason, the Lakers in Game 5 reminded me of the 2007 Cavs, the Finals team that had LeBron playing with a group of guys from the Washington Generals.

---If the Lakers are to bounce back and win the championship, Bynum, Gasol, Fisher, and Odom need to deliver in a big way in Games 6 and 7.

---Here's hoping there won't be a Game 7, however. Go Celtics! Beat L.A.!

---On to Major League Baseball now, where Stephen Strasburg has revitalized the sports scene in the nation's' capital. Strasburg immediately became a rock star in D.C after his epic, 14-strikeout debut against the Pirates a week ago. And even though he struggled with his control in his second start against Cleveland, he still flashed some electric stuff, striking out eight more. Thus, I have bought the hype. Strasburg has the potential to be one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever seen.

---The key word there, though, is potential. He still has a long way to go.

---My beloved Giants are playing sensational baseball right now, and I'm loving every moment of it. However, I'm a little worried about the double-play tendencies of Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval. Lets go Pablo, no more DP's!

---The U.S. Open starts this week at Pebble Beach, a course that has worked wonders for Tiger Woods over the years. However, it is hard to imagine Tiger winning the Open this year. Tiger has just seemed out of it recently. I would be genuinely surprised if Mr. Woods captures another major this year, and I never thought I'd say that.

---I think this will be the major in which Anthony Kim officially establishes himself as one of the game's great players. My money is on Kim to win the U.S. Open.

---I'll end with an apology for not covering the World Cup on this edition of Random Observations. Sorry, I just cannot get into soccer. Even on the world's grandest stage, soccer remains about as interesting to me as a Larry the Cable Guy stand-up routine.

Random Observations: NBA Finals Edition

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Now that was a great NBA Finals game. After a humiliating defeat in the series opener, the Celtics rebounded with a huge win last night in Game 2, thanks in large part to the historic effort of Ray Allen. Jesus Shuttlesworth was draining threes with the ease and skill of Jay-Z rapping a verse from "99 Problems". In other words, it was an amazing performance.

---For me, Ray Allen most resembles Steve Kerr as an NBA player. Like Kerr, Allen is a superb clutch player who can always be counted on in pressure situations. Also like Kerr, Allen is a consummate professional, a true class act.

---Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson also deserve heaps of praise for their excellent play in Game 2. Rondo is a pure joy to watch, and as awesome as Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul are, a strong case can be made that Rondo is the best point guard in the league. And Lil' Nate Robinson continues to provide a much-needed spark off the bench. The Lakers had no answer for the energy and productivity of Robinson.

---However, while I am brimming with confidence and optimism as the series shifts to Beantown, I am concerned about the ineffectiveness of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. If Boston is to win the championship, KG and Pierce are going to have to deliver.

---The lackluster play of Garnett is especially striking. Even after Pau Gasol called out KG in a very public fashion, Garnett still seemed to be in a helpless daze in Game 2. Lets go KG, pick up the pace!

---As for the Lakers, well, the difference between Games 1 and 2 were startling. L.A. was unstoppable in Game 1, killing the Celtics with a barrage of second-chance points, a testament to the overwhelming size of Gasol and Andrew Bynum. It was a truly impressive performance, a performance that even had some veteran NBA observers thinking sweep. In Game 2, however, L.A. was out-hustled, out-played, out-everything by the Celtics.

---A fair share of the blame can be placed on the shoulders of the stagnant Lamar Odom, but I'd say the player who has been the most disappointing for the Lakers is Ron Artest. I've always been a fan of Artest's goofy personality, but sadly for the Lakers, Artest's wacky nature has translated into some extremely ugly decisions on the basketball court. Even amidst the L.A. dominance in Game 1, I was struck by the moment in which Artest clumsily botched an easy layup. I was even more shocked in Game 2 when Artest was wandering around helplessly. Wandering around helplessly? Isn't that Sasha Vujacic's job? Hey-ohhhhhh! Thank you, I'll be here all week.

---In the words of Mark Jackson, I say: C'mon Ron Artest, you're better than that!

---Kobe Bryant has played outstanding basketball in these Finals, but I'm sorry, I just can't stand the guy. Case in point: A joyless Bryant acting like he's at a funeral during the festive pregame ceremonies. Look, it is indeed imperative for all great players to have a killer instinct (Are you listening, Dwight Howard?). But it is extraordinarily frustrating to watch one of the greatest players of all-time play the game as if he's having no fun whatsoever. C'mon Kobe, flash a smile every once in a while. Show the world that you actually enjoy what you do for a living.

---I must say, as much as I hate the Lakers, I absolutely love Phil Jackson's hip, diverse collection of glasses. As a glasses aficionado myself, I can relate.

---Alright, here we go. The series shifts to Boston for the next three games, and I am giddy with excitement. The crowds are going to be electric, and hopefully, the Celtics will be victorious. Go Celtics! Beat L.A.!