RealGM Analysis
Stay tuned throughout the night as Andrew Perna and Jason M. Williams comment live from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
6:04PM
Andrew Kicks Things Off
Welcome to Draft Night 2008 in New York City. Jason and I are set up among the media at the WaMu Theater anxiously awaiting tonight's festivities.
Personally, this year will be much more enjoyable with the Pacers having a first round selection (they did not in 2007). I'm also happy about the 'seemingly' official deal between Indiana and Toronto, which will give the Pacers the right to use the 17th pick as well.
6:10PM
Jason On The New Jersey/Milwaukee Swap
The Nets send Richard Jefferson to the Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons
This basically means that the Nets have officially placed all of their eggs in one basket, and are 100% committed to entering LeBron Mode. Yi is a solid player, but what does he provide the Nets that they don't already have in Nenad Krstic?
Plus, they already have plenty of talented bigs in Sean Williams and Josh Boone. Why add Bobby Simmons, an injury-reserved fixture, when he is set to make nearly 10 million over the next two seasons? This move sheds RJ's 15 million off the books in 2010 and sets the Nets up favorably to attract LeBron James to New Jersey/Brooklyn.
6:27PM
Andrew On The Rumored Pick Swap
ESPN is reporting that the trade between the Clippers and Sonics involving a swap of picks is off
That's how things roll in the NBA on Draft Night. If we reported on every rumor, we'd die of exhaustion and you wouldn't have enough time to read the endless content. The Nets/Bucks deal is official, and it appears as though Jermaine O'Neal is headed to Toronto but that's it in terms of trades right now.
6:30PM
Andrew On The Spurs
ESPN is reporting that the Spurs are making the 26th pick available to all teams
I'm kind of surprised by this because I felt San Antonio needed to use the pick to get a little younger heading into next season. As always, there is no guarantee they'll end up dealing the selection.
6:34PM
If you are looking for some reading material prior to the start of the Draft, look no further than RealGM.
13 Questions And RealGM's 2008 Big Board, by Christopher Reina
A Calm Uneasiness To Media Day, by Jason M. Williams
The Desire To Change, by Andrew Perna
6:57PM
We have grabbed ourselves a very quick meal on the NBA's dime. Good food, but there isn't nearly enough time to enjoy it.
7:01PM
The court is starting to fill in as ESPN's coverage kicks off. The fans give O.J. Mayo and Eric Gordon warm receptions, but opt to boo Danilo Gallinari. It's probably nothing personal, and has everything to do with their desire for the Knicks to take anyone but him.
7:03PM
A huge "Jeff Van Gundy!" chant starts up at the WaMu as he speaks on air for the first time. The love is well desired, he did a tremendous job coaching the Knicks and has quickly become one of the most loved announcers. We wonder if his stomach is full after he chowed down on a few slices a pizza with Mark Jackson prior to going on air.
7:18PM
Jason On Joe Alexander
Andrew and I are discussing where Joe Alexander will end up. After talking with him yesterday at Media Day, it appeared he was headed to Milwaukee. But now that Richard Jefferson is slated to start at the three with Desmond Mason off the bench, what purpose would picking Joe Alexander serve? We now predict that he may slip past the projected 8th spot where he's been pegged for quite some time.
7:30PM
The following exchange just took place:
AP - "So, who do you want your Knicks to take with the sixth pick?"
JW - "At this point, it feels like a crap shoot for the Knicks at six. Everyone is hoping Donnie Walsh can make a deal to pull into the top 3 to get a big name fast. However, that seems highly unlikely with a roster full of unfavorable players with unfavorable contracts. The Knicks roster is loaded with small forwards and combo guards, two things aplenty at the top of this Draft. I'd almost be happier trading the pick back to pick up Robin Lopez, a big man who can defend and rebound in the paint to station next to the defensively inept Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph."
AP - "What's your take on Danilo Gallinari as an option for New York?"
JW - "If we are able to swing a deal and land another top-10 pick, I'd definitely like to take a flyer on Danilo Gallinari, knowing full well that we'd have another Lottery pick to bank on in case the Italian Stallion is a Bargnani-type flop."
AP - "Don't the Knicks need a true point guard though?"
JW - "As far as point guards go, most of the 'points' available are combo guards like Marbury, Crawford, and Robinson. Why add another one? Also, I would love to grab Augustin, but not with the 6th overall pick. A safer bet would be trading down and scooping up Mario Chalmers in the mid-to-late first round."
AP - "You want Jamaal Tinsley? Walsh is pretty familiar with him."
JW - "If Indiana takes Jared Jeffries, Jerome James or Eddy Curry, then yes definitely."
AP - "Alright, we'll bargain. You want Troy Murphy?"
JW - "Haha, if you take two of the aforementioned three, then sure. Let's see what happens, here comes David Stern."
7:33PM
Stern has introduced himself to fans that don't really seem to care from him very much. All the New York fans seem to care about right now is somehow getting their hands on O.J. Mayo.
7:38PM
And we are underway, The Chicago Bulls have selected Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick. No real surprise there, to be honest. Once again, all the crowd cares about is Mayo...and their Knicks.
Andrew On Rose
He'll bring some toughness to the Bulls, but I still can't believe that Chicago somehow landed this pick. It's certainly a sign of things to come though, that a point guard was taken with the top selection. The NBA has truly become a guard's league.
7:43PM
Andrew is upset that the Miami Heat have taken Michael Beasley with the No. 2 pick. He was hoping to see the draft turned on it's head by Pat Riley by selecting a certain USC guard over the Kansas State forward.
7:47PM
Jason On The Third Pick
This has to be O.J. Mayo, plain and simple. I think Kevin Love might go well with Al Jefferson, but how do you pass up on a talent with star power like Mayo?
7:48PM
The Minnesota Timberwolves make O.J. Mayo the No. 3 pick, much to the chagrin of the New York crowd.
Jason On Mayo
The interesting thing to watch will be whether or not Mayo remains a member of the Timberwolves until opening tipoff of the upcoming season. If so, that could spell trouble for Rashad McCants, who would no longer be needed in the rotation.
Andrew On Mayo
This guy is just smooth. Everything about him, from his attire to his game. Minnesota fans are going to fall in love with this kid.
7:54PM
We have the first "surprise" of the draft as The Sonics use the No. 4 pick on Russell Westbrook.
Andrew On Westbrook
Wow, I am surprised. I really thought Jerryd Bayless would have been a nice pick for them. All and all I;m happy though, the pure points are slowing sliding closer and closer to my Pacers at 11.
Jason On Westbrook
Westbrook will be joining Kevin Durant, who was just a few feet behind us not that long ago, and Jeff Green. Throw in some Chris Wilcox and the comedy provided by Robert Swift, and this team looks pretty exciting. One question, who is first to go - Earl Watson or Luke Ridnour?
8:01PM
The Memphis Grizzles select Kevin Love with the No. 5 pick, making him the second-straight Bruin to be taken off the board. Andrew slides a bucket over in front of Jason as the Knicks prepare to pick. He appears close to vomiting and is shaking back-and-forth whispering 'Just Not Gallinari, Just Not Gallinari'.
8:03PM
Jason On Love
Okay, so Memphis will now sport a front line rotation of Kevin Love, Darko Milicic and Brian Cardinal. That's awesome. Somewhere Larry Bird is jealous.
8:04PM
The WaMu is starting to buzz with the Knicks on the clock. The question remains, is it possible to please a couple thousand New Yorkers?
8:07PM
With the No. 6 pick the New York Knicks select Danilo Gallinari. The Knicks love to make their fans extremely upset. This kid is doomed. He'll have to be a All-Rookie Team member in order to make them change their feelings. They wanted Bayless badly, and if Jason is going to contribute more Andrew is going to have to give him mouth-to-mouth.
AP - "That ain't happening."
8:08PM
The first "Fire Donnie!" chants are heard in New York. He hears those words before the Knicks even play a game under his guidance after not hearing such a chant even once in Indiana (Aside from when he took Reggie Miller over Steve Alford).
8:12PM
Jason Has Spoken...
For the first time in life, I miss Isiah Thomas. There is no way Isiah would have selected Gallinari with Jerryd Bayless still on the board. The fans seem defeated and emotionally deflated. Who can blame them? They now have Quentin Richardson, Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries, Wilson Chandler,and Danilo Gallinari on the depth chart at small forward...makes sense.
8:13PM
The Los Angeles Clippers take Eric Gordon with the No. 7 pick. This is a great pick for the Clips, for once. He'll handle the ball in the event Shaun Livingston isn't ready, and will score as well.
8:15PM
With Jason already deflated, this could become a very boring blog if Andrew is disappointed by Indiana's pick. Experts from Chris Reina (RealGM) to Jonathan Givony (DraftExpress) are projecting Kosta Koufos from Ohio State and Mr. Perna is not happy about the predictions.
8:19PM
And the Milwaukee Bucks still select Joe Alexander with the No. 8 pick, surprising considering they just acquired Richard Jefferson from the Nets.
8:26PM
Charlotte takes D.J. Augustin with the No. 9 pick. The Bobcats were sitting in a pretty perfect situation. Needing a scoring big man and another option at point guard they had their pick between Brook Lopez and D.J. Augustin and they landed a Larry Brown-type facilitator in Augustin. For some reason, this pick seems to make sense for the Bobcats.
8:28PM
Jason On The Nets
With a huge need for interior scoring, the Nets have to be excited about Brook Lopez sitting anxiously in the Green Room.
Jason With More On The Bobcats
Many people seem shocked that the Bobs decided to give it a go with a frontline of Emeka Okafor and Nazr Mohammad, but Augustin gives Larry Brown a reliable point and don't forget they have the 20th pick from Denver. Look for the Cats to snatch up Roy Hibbert with their other first round pick. That will give the organization two more big name college players that are in the mold of Larry Brown.
8:30PM
With the No. 10 pick the Nets select Brook Lopez, just what they needed.
Andrew is now hyperventilating with Indiana on the clock. He threatens to jump...
8:35PM
The Indiana Pacers select Jerryd Bayless with the No. 11 pick, and Andrew's sanity remains intact.
Andrew On Indiana's Pick
Yessssssssssss! I can't believe Indiana picked up Bayless, how on Earth did he fall this far? I don't care if T.J. Ford is coming to town, there was no way they could have passed on him. Great pick by the Pacers, the only question now is...are they making the No. 17 pick as well?
8:41PM
The Kings take Jason Thompson with the No. 12 pick, far higher than anyone expected.
Andrew On The No. 12 Pick
Does anything else think that Thompson looks like Omar Epps?
Jason On Thompson
I love this pick for the Kings. He's a polished player who has four years of experience and can come in and play better than the other 419 power forwards already on the Kings roster. With rumors of Ron Artest possibly opting out of his deal, they could do a sign and trade and tack on some of their wasted power forwards - think Kenny Thomas or Shareef Abdur-Rahim - and get a pretty decent player in return.
8:48PM
The Portland Trail Blazers make Brandon Rush the No. 13 pick.
Jason On The Selection
Portland has done a great job assembling their team over the past three drafts. Brandon Rush is yet another intelligent, athletic and efficient player that has a knack for leadership and loves to win. He seems like a perfect fit in Portland.
Andrew On Rush
I was surprised when asked which franchise impressed him the most that Brandon immediately said 'Portland', maybe he knew something we didn't know until now.
8:51PM
The Golden State Warriors take Anthony Randolph with the No. 14 pick, despite his slim frame.
Jason On Randolph
The Warriors just got one of the sleepers of the draft. Randolph is one of the biggest guys available and has the tools to become a scary force in the league. Pair him with Brandan Wright and they have some of the biggest most skilled young big men in the league - both of which can sprint up and down the floor and cause problems for just about every opponent they encounter.
8:57PM
The Phoenix Suns take Robin Lopez with the No. 15 pick, a tad higher than most thought he would go but a great selection nonetheless.
Jason On Robin in Phoenix
Amazing pick by the Suns. Who is going to have the guts to go into the middle against Shaq, Amare and Robin Lopez? They had NO ONE behind O'Neal and Stoudemire, and now they have a tenacious and intense battler under the basket to give the 'Big Two' a breather.
9:04PM
With a very nice pick, the Philadelphia 76ers take Marreese Speights. He's very athletic and big, something the 76ers needed a great deal. Pair him inside with Samuel Dalembert and they could scare a first round opponent once again.
9:06PM
A video montage of the Boston Celtics is shown and the crowd erupts in a "Boston Sucks!" chant, Andrew can't help but get goosebumps and join in.
9:08PM
If Indiana winds up with this pick they will have a Georgetown center. The Toronto Raptors used the No. 17 pick on Roy Hibbert. Andrew is starting to pull out his hair with rumors of a trade between the Pacers and Blazers involving newly-minted rookies.
Andrew On Indiana/Portland Rumors
The Pacers are reportedly talking with the Blazers about sending Jerryd Bayless to Portland for Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack. I despise Jack, and while I like Rush a great deal, landing Bayless seemed too good to be true. At the end of the night, I hope he's still wearing that 'Pacers' cap.
9:14PM
With the No. 18 pick the Washington Wizards have taken Javale McGee.
Jason On McGee In Washington
JaVale McGee will give the Wizards a very raw big man with tremendous upside. There is no doubting his length and his ability to score down low. He has a very fresh repertoire of post moves and can block shots with the best of them. The only thing is whether or not he can add the muscle needed to keep up with the other power bigs that already exist in Washington. The only questionable call for the Wiz is that they left the multi-talented Darrell Arthur in the Green Room when he has a very solid game from the four position - a spot they will have to fill if Antawn Jamison leaves DC.
9:16PM
After feeling absolute jubilation after Bayless put on an Indiana cap, Andrew is now completely bald. Rush is great, but Bayless was better. Also, Kareem Rush isn't likely to remain in Indiana this summer, so the dream scenario of Brandon and Kareem (brothers) playing together isn't a lock. Getting rid of Diogu isn't horrible, but watch him excel in Portland.
9:27PM
Jason and Andrew nearly miss the 19th and 20th picks as they discuss the fact that Darrell Arthur is still available and that the Pacers gave away Bayless.
The Cleveland Cavaliers take J.J. Hickson with the No. 19 pick and the Charlotte Bobcats add Alexis Ajinca with the No. 20 selection.
By the way, Stern nearly slipped and said the "Charlotte Hornets" when he came to the podium to announce the 20th pick.
Andrew With More On The Indiana Pacers
Great, Indiana is getting Josh McRoberts from Portland as well. He'll play a total of 56 minutes this season while Bayless leads Portland into the Western Conference playoffs.
9:35PM
With the No. 21 pick the New Jersey Nets take Ryan Anderson, a slick shooter from California.
Jason On New Jersey
The Nets are stockpiling bigs. Just today, they have added Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons, Brook Lopez - and now Ryan Anderson. They already have Josh Boone, Nenad Krstic and Sean Williams. Why didn't they take Chris Douglas-Roberts to play the wing next to Vince Carter? He would've been a perfect component for this squad.
9:38PM
Random Jason Comment
I'm not 100% sure, but I think Stu Scott just called Dwight Howard a "straight up freak of a beast." And my girlfriend wonders why NBA Draft Night is my favorite night of the year.
9:39PM
The Orlando Magic have taken Courtney Lee with the No. 22 pick.
Jason On Lee In Orlando
J.J. Redick just puked in a bag. He must hate Stan Van Gundy and the Orlando organization. Forget about playing time this year now that the Magic have made a glorious selection with Courtney Lee. I love the pick for the Magic, they get a proven shooter who will help them right away. Oh wait...that's what they said about Redick...
9:45PM
With the No. 23 pick in the NBA Draft the Utah Jazz select Kosta Koufos, much to the delight of Greek fans everywhere.
Jason On Kostos In Utah
If you heard me last week on Salt Lake City's KALL 700 'Reality Check' radio show, you would have heard my prediction that the Jazz would land Kosta. Hopefully this will land me a regular slot on 'Reality Check' for next season.
9:50PM
With the No. 24 pick the Seattle Sonics select Serge Ibaka, who likely won't pick in the NBA for quite some time.
9:52PM
Andrew is starting to feel badly for Arthur, who is still sitting in the Green Room. Maybe he'll catch a case of 'Gilbert Arenas' syndrome and get angry at all the team that passed on him.
9:57PM
ESPN is reporting that Arthur has an undisclosed kidney issue over the loud speaker here at the WaMu, which Darrell can hear by the way. Andrew continues to contemplate bringing a pack of tissues over to him in the Green Room.
9:58PM
Ba-TOOM! With the No. 25 pick the Houston Rockets have selected Nicolas Batum.
10:01PM
Thank you San Antonio, they have picked with 34 seconds still left on the clock. The Spurs have made George Hill with No. 26 pick out of IUPUI.
Andrew On Hill
He's not well-known, but he's a nice fit for the Spurs. He can create his own offense, something the Spurs need some more of with a lot of free agents likely heading out of town this summer.
10:03PM
Gallinari comes back onto the main stage, much to the delight of the three Italian fans waving a red, white and green flag wildly.
10:08PM
Darrell Arthur gets taken by the Blazers with the No. 27 pick. Even the tough New York crowd shows some compassion for the big guy.
Jason On The Situation
This Draft is absolutely shocking. Here we sit at the 28th pick, and CDR, DeAndre Jordan, Donte Greene, Bill Walker, DJ White, and Mario Chalmers are still available. Two of them will be going to the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. Once again, the rich get richer.
10:13PM
Andrew Gets Sarcastic
This just in...each one of the league's teams has agreed to trade a player of Kevin Pritchard's choice to the Blazers for a bag of socks and a $10 for every Blazers win next season.
10:15PM
With the No. 28 pick the Memphis Grizzlies take Donte Greene.
Andrew Sounds Off
Are you kidding me? The Grizzlies have Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay, why wouldn't you grab a big man? Maybe someone like Jordan or DeVon Hardin? They now have a second Syracuse wing, and one that's less talented than Warrick, if you ask me.
10:23PM
With the No. 20 pick the Detroit Pistons select D.J. White, the second Indiana Hoosier taken in the first round.
10:26PM
The WaMu Theather is starting to clear out as the Celtics remain on the clock with the 30th pick; Andrew is silently hoping that they'll draft a complete bust...but he digresses.
10:28PM
With the final pick (No. 30) of the first round the Boston Celtics have taken J.R. Giddens.
The crowd once again expresses their hatred for Boston, and Andrew and Jason are wondering why the NBA is no longer enforcing the five-minute rule as the Celtics had at least ten minutes to make their pick.
10:34PM
It's amazing that the first round has come to an end and DeAndre Jordan, Mario Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey are still available. Where will these guys go?
10:36PM
Rumor Alert: It appears that the Pistons are trading D.J. White to Seattle for two second rounders. So it looks like Detroit is going after both DeAndre Jordan and Chris Douglas-Roberts.
10:37PM
Two things that just made Andrew's night in a thirty-second span. First, he spots a Duke fan with a white t-shirt that he scribbled "Pick DeMarcus!" across it. Second, a young woman from the NBA's public relations department nearly trips up the steps while making eye contact with RealGM's own Senior Writer. Andrew immediately hopes his girlfriend isn't reading.
10:38PM
The Pistons will trade D.J. White (29th overall) to the Sonics for the two second rounders.
10:44PM
For the hundredth time, New Yorkers resort to a "Jeff Van Gundy!" chant with nothing else to exclaim.
10:45PM
Jason Sounds Off
There almost a guarantee that Portland is taking someone who is actually legit. After shocking picks of J.R. Giddens, Nikola Pekovic, and Walter Sharpe, we can rest assured that the Smart-Land Trail Blazers will take either Mario Chalmers, CDR, DeAndre Jordan, Joey Dorsey, Bill Walker, Kyle Weaver, or Nathan Jawai.
10:47PM
Jason's Rant Continues
Wow. I might move to Portland. They have one of the toughest, most talented, and coolest teams ever assembled. Adding Dorsey to Aldridge and Oden, along with Jerryd Bayless - wow. I can't say enough about how this Portland team has turned around in three years.
10:49PM
Mario Chalmers has been taken off the board by the Timberwolves with the No. 34 pick.
Jason On Mario
What a steal by Minnesota. Chalmers has first round talent, and they grabbed him with the 34th pick. He could be the starting point guard by midseason for this young team. Just minutes after I ridiculed them for wasting the 31st pick on a guy who likely will never play a second in the NBA, they did a great job building a brand new backcourt of Chalmers and O.J. Mayo.
10:51PM
The Clippers have taken DeAndre Jordan off the board with the No. 35 pick, a steal for L.A. solely based on the fact that some projected him to be a top-ten talent.
Jason On His Knicks
Now on the clock is the New York K...oh wait, no - the Portland Trail Blazers. But how? Because the Knicks traded this pick to the Blazers last year in exchange for Demetris Nichols. That is turning out to be a pretty wise decision by Isiah and his boys, especially since Isiah cut the Syracuse shooter before the season, and he had stints in Cleveland and Chicago. Instead, they could have been on the clock with CDR, Kyle Weaver, Richard Hendrix, Bill Walker, and Nathan Jawai available.
10:55PM
Well, they took Omer Asik - maybe its actually a good thing that the Knicks didn't use that pick on him...
11:00PM
Andrew Rants
Where is Russ Granik, and why is Douglas-Roberts still available?
11:02PM
Could CDR join Derrick Rose in Chicago? Let's wait and see...
11:03PM
...and I guess not. Instead, the Bulls take Sonny Weems of Arkansas. Hilarious. They love guards.
11:04PM
Chris Douglas-Roberts! He's going to the Nets, a great steal for New Jersey, who has done very well tonight.
Jason Concurrs
The Nets get yet another steal in CDR. He can immediately step in and fill the void left behind by Richard Jefferson's departure. The Nets have to be the luckiest team so far tonight, grabbing Brook Lopez at No. 10 and CDR at No. 40. A great night for the Nets.
11:08PM
Andrew's Pacers select Nathan Jawai, who will be in Toronto sometime in mid-July.
11:13PM
Patrick Ewing is going to the Kings. Oh wait, it's his son? Okay...onto the No. 44 pick.
11:14PM
Larry Bird makes an appearance, and he looks like he's just come home from a funeral. Andrew does, as well. He still claims that the trades are "speculation." If it is, and he traded Bayless without getting Ford, Andrew will spontaneously explode.
11:24PM
Bill Walker is finally off the board as the Wizards take him.
11:28PM
Jason Receives A Phone Call
After the Pistons selected Trent Plaisted with the 46th pick, I received a phone call from one of the biggest Piston fans on Earth, and his reaction was simple - "Omigod, why we'd draft a huge white dude? They are never good."
11:35PM
Did the Mavericks just pick Usher or Shan Foster?
Ouch, too bad he opted to submit that piano clip to ESPN...look for that all over the internet.
11:37PM
Another Jayhawk goes as the Darnell Jackson does to Miami. I think Bill Self is next...
11:41PM
Jason Sounds Off
With the 51st pick, the Dallas Mavericks may have won 'The Derrick Byars Award' for picking an overhyped Vanderbilt player who won SEC player of the Year and will eventually blend into European roster obscurity. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Shan Foster Era!
11:43PM
Mike Taylor becomes the first NBDL player ever drafted by a team, and he's headed to the 2009 NBA Champion Portland Trail Blazers...congratulations!
11:45PM
Jason Corrects Himself
And forget about what we said earlier about Minnesota being smart. They just traded Mario Chalmers to the Miami Heat for a pair of future second round picks. Chalmers could be the point guard steal of the 2008 NBA Draft.
11:46PM
Yet another Jayhawk gets taken as the Sonics grab Sasha Kaun...I think some random Kansas coed is next.
11:50PM
The 2008 NBA Draft is over; best of luck to all the rookies and congratulations to all the teams that improved over the last five hours.
Andrew Perna and Jason M. Williams are Senior Writers for RealGM.com. Feel free to contact them with comments or questions on this piece via e-mail (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com and Jason.Williams@RealGM.com).
