Notes from the NBA Draft

As usual I camped out in front of my television last night to take in the annual NBA draft. This is like one of my all-time favourite sporting events and its not even an actual game. Its just so much fun to watch franchises pick up players in an attempt to rebuild or revive their chances at winning a title. Trades are made, some players are chosen based solely on upside and you wonder what drugs certain GMs are on or how many blind men are in their scouting department. Dick Vitale gets all excited (actually I have an idea in my head for a reality series with Dick Vitale and Chuck Swirsky, I'm telling you its the bomb son!) and Steven A Smith looking to all the world like Ludacris' long lost twin strategically potificates in the exact tones of certain black preachers like Al Sharpton. All in all a fun time is had by all.

Alas my Raptors didnt have a pick this year so I cannot complain about how they made the wrong choice again like I did when they took Bargnani last year (maybe thats why they never returned my phone call inquiring about a potential spot in the front office) but at the least I can still share my thoughts on last nights proceedings.

- The picture to the side is that of Joakim Noah, the number 9 pick to Chicago. All I have to say is why does the man look like he just escaped from a clown car? If he doesn't already have a nickname I'm pushing for Sideshow Noah. Man that suit alone should have dropped his stock out of the top 10. It'd be like and with the number 9 Chicago selects....., What the !!! Wait a second Whats that he's wearing? Seersucker? Oh hell no! No no no, time out, time out! Can we have a minute to rethink this pick.

- This draft has got to be one of the first I've ever seen where pretty much every pick in the top 11 or 12 went as predicted in most of the mock drafts. Pretty amazing actually.

- I think I'm going to like Greg Oden. He's hilarious without even trying plus the cat has his own blog.

- Portland traded Zach Randolph. So now you have a young big man core of Oden, Lamarcus Aldridge (last years number 2) and Channing Fyre. Great move except not one of these guys can put the ball in the basket. You just gave up your 20 point a night player who's going to put up the points. Maybe there will be long term gains but in the short run its going to be rough especially playing in the West. Still I guess the young guys will have to develop.

- New York picked up Zach Randolph and only gave up Stevie Franchise and Frye. Great move .......except Randolph and Eddy Curry have got to be the two laziest big men in the league. Offensively it'll be raining buckets from those two but your defense will be as porous as a strainer. Oh and you just traded the one cat in Channing Frye that was the key to any other trades you might have made. You think you're going to get Kobe by offering Renaldo Balkman? ummm no. Oh and you just added more money to your salaries as usual. Does New York have never emptying coffers or what?

- Oh and New York grabbing Randolph just puts a damper on all the happy New York trade rumours this season with Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis, Kevin Garnett and every other big priced, big name free agent or disgruntled wannabee traded star. That sucks the fun out of everything. Boooo!

- Corey Brewer went #7 and is listed at 6'7" 185 lbs. In comparison I'm 6' 1" 185 lbs. I am nowhere close to being built, actually I'm on the slim bordering skinny side so just how skinny is this Corey Brewer guy if he is 6 inches taller than me and the same weight? I've heard about starving students but the man must be all skin, sinew and elbows either that or he has hollow bones.

- Michael Jordan pulled off the steal of the draft by trading his number 8 pick for Jason Richardson. And we said this guy wasn't a real GM. Guess this means Golden State is officially in the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes now!

- The Celtics traded for Jesus Shuttlesworth my bad I mean Ray 'He got Game' Allen. So now they have Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. That's like the Nets with Vince and Richard Jefferson except Boston doesn't have a Jason Kidd to get them the ball. You think Al Jefferson's going to develop when he's fighting for the ball with both Pierce and Allen? Way to go Boston!

-Atlanta drafted another top 10 big man. Hmmm don't they do this every year. Man this is like Deja Vu. At some point they're going to have to trade that glut of forwards.

- Chicago picked up Sideshow Noah to go along with Ben Wallace (I sense a crazy hair competition in the making), PJ Brown and Tyrus Thomas. 4 big power forwards who cant shoot worth a damn. You'll out-rebound every other team in the league but on offense why is the other team even bothering to guard your 4 and 5? I've got a trade for you. Chicago's got big men who play defense and rebound but cant score, New York's got big men that can score but don't play defense. Work with me here people.

- Milwaukeee drafted Chinese big man Yi Jianying (pronounced EE te-anne li-anne). The man has basically said he didn't want to play in Milwaukee (who would) so this could turn into a Steve Francis rejecting the Vancouver Grizzlies thing. Plus isn't he a 4? If he stays does this mean you have given up on Charlie V? If so can we have him back cause I'm still mad that the Raptors traded him last year even though I'll admit it worked out.