Player I most want to see do well: Greivis Vasquez. It's the last benefit Memphis gets out of the Gasol-for-Brown debacle, and they use it on a guy who could teach Chris Wallace something about having heart (and 6@11$). This guy was thrilled. I hope he does well.
Team that won the draft: Detroit. I love the Greg Monroe pick (and was hoping he'd slip to us).
Biggest bone-head move: Paul Allen, Blazers, for firing Pritchard *BEFORE* the draft.
Funniest moment: The Clippers draft Al-Farouq Aminu, and the announcers immediately point out that he comes from a line of Nigerian kings. Given the Clippers great success with their *LAST* Nigerian player (Michael Olowakandi), this is just begging for abuse. Skander and I will now have plenty more Clippers/Nigerian/baboon jokes. (It dates back to when I said Hakeem Olajuwon should play for the 1996 Nigerian basketball team instead of the U.S. Olympic team, and settle for the Silver. Skander asked who would be Olajuwon's teammates, "eleven baboons?" Since that time, we've looked to add other Nigerian players to Hakeem's team...Olowakandi, Soyoye (from Mizzou), and every time, we've been worried that if we add one of these guys, our team will end up short at baboon. Can't take a risk like that just to get an Olowakandi....)
Worst draft: Portland. They get Babbitt and Ryan Gomes, but give up their starting small forward, Martell Webster. Then they add some 2-guards who won't see the light of day behind Brandon Roy. Awful.
Utah's picks: Gordon Hayward at 9: Wanted Monroe, but this isn't awful. Might make a replacement for Kyle Korver.
Jeremy Evans at 25: Very indifferent. Not awful, but not inspiring, either.
Over-all: a solid C+.