2010 NBA Draft Live Coverage, Grades, Analysis, Trades, Picks & 1st Round Recap

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If you are anything like me, you’ve camped out a spot on the couch with a glass of lemonade, and are ready for the most wonderful time of the year.

No, not Christmas.

Even Santa knows it’s the NBA Draft.

An evening full of surprises, shocks, and stupidity (I’m looking at you, Knicks), the draft is the only thing that can overshadow the LeBron James saga.

While it’s no Isner-Mahut, the night should be full of excitement.

Will the Sixers skip on Evan Turner? Will Gordon Hayward stay at home in Indy?

And most importantly: How will it affect free agency?

There have already been some interesting trades today, and the Draft should just sweeten the deal.

July 1 could be altered more than Heidi Montag’s face with all the deals and picks tonight.

So break out your vuvuzela, get the chicken wings ready, and tell your mom/wife/nagging adult to leave you alone for a couple hours.

Join me, Ross Lipschultz, for the first round of the NBA Draft. I’ll be analyzing each pick, trade and rumor throughout, so stay tuned for some fun. 

Also, ugly suits will be factored in. Don’t you worry.

*Update* Follow Ross on Twitter at Rossel64 and check out more from him at LAsportsexaminer.com 

10:20 - Okay, folks, I'm out of here. Not as many trades as I expected, but this is all setting up for the free agent period. Stern handed it off to the Deputy Commissioner, so I'm handing it off to anyone who wants to blog the 2nd round.


10:18 - Pick #30: Wizards take Lazar Hayward. Grade: B. I personally love Hayward, but I think they should have gone with a big guy. Blatche can only do so much down low. Let's hope he can turn it around in the NBA.

10:13 - Pick #29: Magic take Daniel Orton. Grade: C. The only person who's weight is more out of control is Oprah. He has skills, but his lack of self-control could cause problems for the Magic. They did need more big men in Orlando, though.

10:11 - I love Vazquez's family. More jowls moving that a Leno family reunion.

10:09 - I don't own a farm.

10:07 - Pick #28: Grizzlies take Greivis Vasquez. Grade: A-. Finally, a legitimate three. They needed scoring from the small forward, and they got it, in case Gay leaves. Which is such a lock, I'm betting the farm on it.

10:02 - Trade Proposed: Nets send Jordan Crawford and the 31st pick to the Hawks for Damion James. Whatever, seems dumb for the Hawks. But so was Marvin Williams and they had no problems doing that.

10:00 - Pick #27: Nets take Jordan Crawford. Grade: C. Well Crawford's going to the Hawks, so this pick went from an A to a C. The Hawks don't need more swingmen, but James could be great for the Nets with his defense on the wing. But they should have just kept Crawford, because they need scorers more.

9:58 - I love Kevin Durant's acne. He's as cute as Hayward. Okay, maybe not that cute.

9:56 - Pick #26: Thunder take Quincy Pondexter. Grade: A. Great value near the end of the first round. Totally a need pick, because the Hornets can't play Stojakovic anymore out on the wing. He can score, but with a improved three-point shot, he will start soon.

9:55 - Trade Proposed (V 2.0) - The Hornets get the 26th pick, instead of the slot for Bledsoe.

9:50 - Pick #25: Grizzlies take Dominique Jones. Grade: F. The grade isn't for Jones, so don't be offended. This pick is just like the Wolves point guard run last year. They now have him to backup Henry, who will be backing up Mayo. Smooth.

9:47 - Trade Proposed: Wizards send 30th and 35th picks to the Wolves for Trevor Booker and the 56th pick. Uhhh, ok, let's just trade for the hell of it. I didn't like it for Minnesota, and I don't like it for the Wiz.

9:45 - Pick #24: Hawks take Damion James. Grade B-. He has the versatility to guard a lot of positions and has the athleticism to help any team. Too bad the Hawks have a gazillion wingmen.

9:41 - Pick #23: T'Wolves take Trevor Booker. Grade: D. He's the first senior? I guess experience is overrated. He's a bit small for a 4, but too slow for the 3. He's got some offense, but I don't think this is the guy to backup Love and Jefferson up north.

9:39 - I'd be crying if I was a Blazers fan. What else could Pritchard do? Go back in time and pick Michael Jordan instead of Sam Bowie?

9:37 - Pick #22: Blazers take Elliot Williams. Grade: B. The left wing player has a lot of skills on offense, but needs to increase his passing numbers to become a solid contributor. Pritchard was nice enough to make a good pick on his last day.

9:35 - Kevin Pritchard fired? Today? What a terrible choice, he's made a solid core.

9:32 - Pick #21: Thunder select Craig Brackins. Grade: A-. A big man who can shoot, face-up and play in the post. An offensive machine will help the Hornets, once he gets dealt. He may be a bit soft, but I like his energy.

9:30 - Trade Proposed: Thunder send Eric Bledsoe to the Clippers for a future 1st rounder. Now I'm confused, we thought that pick was going to New Orleans in the Aldrich deal, but now it's up in the air. But Bledsoe can back up Baron Davis well.

9:28 - Pick #20: Spurs take James Anderson. Grade B+. Terrific shooter, possibly best in the class. He can spread it off the bench, and his athleticism will help the Spurs desperately. I thought the Spurs would big here, but I guess not.

9:23 - Pick #19: Celtics take Avery Bradley. Grade: A-. A great backup for Rondo, he can have an immediate impact. Boston can't rely on the bench too often, so to add talent quickly is key.

9:19 - Trade Proposed: Wolves send Ryan Gomes and Luke Babbitt to Blazers for Martell Webster. Now I love that pick for the Wolves because they get Webster. He's a great shooter to spread the floor and play alongside Flynn. I don't understand this for Portland.

9:17 - Pick #18: Thunder takes Eric Bledsoe. Grade: C-. This pick likely goes to the Hornets, and I understand their desire for a guard. But a small one that isn't proven as a point guard? No me gusta.

9:15 -  Kevin Durant killed a zebra for his clothes. Hideous.

9:12 - Pick #17: Bulls take Kevin Seraphin. Grade: B. Stern gave it away with his murmur at the mic. I like the pick though. They need some offense down low, and international bigs are great at it. He needs some polish, so he will stay overseas.

9:09 - Babbitt called himself the best shooter in the draft? And then doesn't defend his statement? I'm lowering his grade for lack of sack.

9:06 - Pick #16: T'Wolves take Luke Babbitt. Grade: C. Completely unimpressed. He led the WAC in scoring, but there's a reason it's the WAC. He might be a solid role player, but his defense and size will leave him staring at the more athletic wings' behinds.

9:02 - Pick #15: Bucks take Larry Sanders. Grade: C+. Sure, he's a nice guy, but Milwaukee needs more scoring. Jennings and Bogut can only do so much, and they need someone with a polished offensive game. I do like his size, though.

9:00 - Barry brings up a good point about the dearth of point guards. To be fair, it's nice to see these lottery teams not reach, because there's no reason to pick someone they aren't confident in.

8:59 - Kudos to Patterson to doing all the drills. Most these lottery picks are spoiled worse than Smarty Jones, so it's nice to see some work ethic.

8:56 - Pick #14: Rockets take Patrick Patterson. Grade: A-. He's incredibly skilled, and the Rockets needed some help on the wing. Could have went big, but his versatility to play the 3 and 4 and defensive skills are critical.

8:52 - Classy suit, Mr. Davis. Best one so far. But your dad's short-shorts bring down the families' style points. 

8:50 - Pick #13: Raptors take Ed Davis. Grade: B. He needs an offensive game, but he has no ceiling. Lanky on defense is key, but has big shoes to fill in Toronto. Side note: I loved the USA chants when the Raptors picked.

8:46 - Next pick is interesting. My brother and I think that the height of the pick will determine Bosh's likelihood of returning to Canada. In my opinion, betting on the Lions to win the Super Bowl is a safer bet than Bosh back to Toronto.

8:44 - Pick #12: Grizzlies take Xavier Henry. Grade: C+. Two straight Kansas players, but this spells the end for Rudy Gay. I don't think he can play the 3, and with Mayo, he's a backup.

8:41 - Trade Proposed: Hornets send Mo Peterson and Cole Aldrich to the Thunder for 18th and 21st picks. Brilliant trade on both ends. Yes, I thought he was a good fit in NOLA, but OKC needs size badly. And the Hornets need more talent.

8:40 - I hate the hats. What is going on, NBA stylists? Nothing original, just the name of the team? Also, a lot of players wearing purple. Northwestern love all over.

8:38 - Pick #11: Hornets take Cole Aldrich. Grade: B+. He's a hard worker, and the Hornets didn't show much effort last season. Yes, CP3 was out, I got that. The big fella will develop into a solid player on both ends. A safe pick.

8:34 - George seems ready for the pros. He used more clichés than a Kobe post game news conference.

8:31 - Pick #10: Pacers take Paul George. Grade: B-. Best thing from the armpit of the universe. He's been shooting up draft boards, but I'm not as confident. I think the Pacers could have used a point guard or center more.

8:29 - Kevin Durant just eyeballed Hayward's sister butt. Hey now!

8:27 - Was that Hayward's Bar Mitzvah photo? I'd love to pick him up in the chair and do the Hora, he's just so cuuuuuute!

8:25 - Pick #9: Jazz take Gordon Hayward. Grade: D. I just laughed out loud. I haven't stopped cracking up. Do they just refuse to draft black players? He's skilled, but they needed a big guy to fill Boozer's spot. 

8:23 - Look, Blake Griffin is getting healthy! It's sad when the player you count on most hasn't played a single relevant minute. It's like counting on Sasha Vujacic not to shoot. Or miss.

8:21 - How many digs at the Clips will ESPN take? I've counted four in the last four minutes. "It can't go anywhere but up!" I'm calling an injury.

8:18 - Pick #8: Clippers take Al-Farouq Aminu. Grade: B. Wait, didn't they just trade Al Thornton? Must have just wanted a replacement. Doesn't spread the floor well, but he is a crazy good athlete and rebounder. Also, F- for those glasses.

8:16 - Flip Saunders just finished a graveyard shift at the morgue. No emotion.

8:14 - Whoa, whoa. Dumars never worked him out? Did he take Paul Mooney's role as Negrodamus from Chappelle's Show? You have to see the player work out, end o' story.

8:12 - Pick #7: Pistons take Greg Monroe. Grade: A+. Love it. So polished and under control. And unless Detroit loves Kwame, he will start immediately. His skill is through the roof, and being left handed will fool some post defenders.

8:09 - Love the Udoh interview. One sentence about playing defense. No one else will do that, and I like his dedication to D.

8:06 - Pick #6: Warriors take Ekpe Udoh. Grade: B+. Kind of a surprise here, but he's just what they need on defense. Sadly, the other four players on the floor will play defense zero times in a blue moon. This pick needs some more help, so look for the Warriors to shake it up.

8:05 - Sacramento needs a wing player. Donté Greene can't be allowed to start anywhere but the CBA.

8:02 - Bilas needs to stop about maturity. These guys all have those issues, and I don't think people need to come at Cousins specifically.

8:00 - Pick #5: Kings take DeMarcus Cousins. Grade: A. He doesn't get perfect because of his weight issues, but if he can be a rock down low, Tyreke has himself a running mate. Most efficient big man in the draft, and fits great in Nor Cal.

7:56 - Flynn and Johnson is dangerous and my brother just went crazy, because he's all about the 'Cuse. The West gets richer because this squad can be great. Give it some time, and add another scorer, and I smell playoffs like Jim Mora did.

7:54 - Pick #4: T'Wolves take Wesley Johnson. Grade: A-. Wow, the first time they didn't draft a guard in over a year. But the Wolves need a wing player, and he's the second best out there. Also, is he wearing sweat pants and peacoat? Kanye dressed him.

7:51 - What a terrible hat for the Nets. How unoriginal, it's like they ran out of fabric.

7:49 - Pick #3: Nets take Derrick Favors. Grade: B. Favors has a lot of upside, but I would have liked Cousins hear. He's young, but he won't be able to easily out-athlete people on offense like he did in college. Improve the offense, and we will talk.

7:48 - Shout out to Doug Collins. Those stats on first year improvement should continue this year. Holiday-Turner-Iguodala-Brand-Hawes is solid. For the Eastern Conference.

7:46 - Turner's voice sounds like he's using one of those FBI mufflers. 

7:43 - Pick #2: Sixers take Evan Turner. Grade: A+. Yeah, it's a better pick than Wall. Why? He fits in the lineup so well, pushes Thad Young to the bench, and has the Sixers on the up-and-up. I just heard someone in Philly weep.

7:41 - Best Wizards Wall can think of: Mercer? Mashburn? Yikes. The team has a worse history than the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

7:38 - Pick #1: Wizards take John Wall. Grade: A. It had to be done, because Wall can be one of the best point guards in the league. Now teach Arenas to do the Wall dance!

7:36 - Jon Barry is right, Arenas can't play defense on 2-guards. His defense is like France's. In any war.

7:34 - Wizards Draft Cam looks like a bunch of people watching their friends play Wii Tennis. Also, nice work ESPN bringing up Kwame Brown. Total scrub.

7:32 p.m. - Shocking. Knicks boo David Stern. Knicks 1, LeBron 0. Kudos on the jab at the fans at MSG. They need to be prepped for Rudy Gay and Joe Johnson.

7:29 p.m. - The Bobcats last eight first round picks were just on the screen. So...much...garbage. Alexis Ajinca? Sean May? All bustier than Pam Anderson.

7:26 p.m. - Tom Penn? Was Chad Ford too busy at the Scrabble Championship?

7:25 p.m. – How many mentions will LeBron get during this night? 100? 1,000? I’m going with more times than the Knicks boo. So infinity.

7:17 p.m. – Gordon Hayward and DeMarcus Cousins are polar opposites. Hayward could be in a Little Rascals remake, and Cousins should be a CEO in that fresh get-up.



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