It?s said every year, but this year?s NBA Draft truly is unlike any in recent memory. A draft class kindly described as ?unique? and the rough finances of several clubs have made Thursday night?s draft a veritable crapshoot.

RealGM dispatched me to New York City for the draft's annual Media Day on Wednesday, and the event was visibly different from what I have come to expect.

For starters, I have to believe that there were fewer members of the media than in recent years. I didn?t take, nor have, the time to do a headcount of the attendees, but it just didn?t seem as crowded or frenzied as usual. Maybe that?s because some outlets are cutting back, or maybe it?s because there wasn?t a transcendent prospect to smooze.

The hour of media availability was altered as well. The league grants the media thirty minutes with two separate groups of draftees, splitting them down the middle in terms of both number and demand.

I parked myself at Jrue Holiday?s table a few minutes before things got started, but he was nowhere to be found as other members of ?Group One? trickled in. Soon after, league spokesman Tim Frank came over to announce that Holiday would be a part of the second crew.

Thankfully, I was sitting at the table waiting with Henry Abbott of ESPN. Otherwise, I have a feeling Frank would have let me have a one-on-one interview with myself.

While the afternoon didn?t get started as I planned, I ended up spending time with every prospect other than Austin Daye and Tyreke Evans. Usually, Jason M. Williams is my partner-in-crime during Media Day, but he bailed on me to follow the NHL Draft (just kidding, he?s doing time in Los Angeles for railing on the Lakers).

To keep this as readable as possible, let?s go with the quick-hit approach.

-- The prevailing belief, among both the players and the media is that Hasheem Thabeet is the second-best player in the draft class. ?I?d have to go with Hasheem Thabeet,? Blake Griffin said when asked who he would take with the second pick.

While we are piling complements on Thabeet, I?d vote for him as the best-dressed prospect. He went with a very tasteful, and conservative, light blue dress shirt with dark slacks and a sweater over his shoulders. He looked classy; it?s too bad San Diego doesn?t have a team.

-- Seeing as this has turned into a fashion piece, Brandon Jennings is taking a huge risk heading into the draft. No, I?m not talking about his decision to forgo a freshman season of college girls in Tucson to play in Italy, but rather the fact that he hasn?t seen his suit yet.

?Actually, I haven?t even seen my suit yet. I have no idea what color it is or anything,? said Jennings. He mentioned a designer?s name, but I couldn?t discern it.  ?I?m trusting them,? Jennings added. ?They said it?s fly, so I?m like alright just don?t do too much I don?t want to look like the dude from Florida.? That?s a not-so-subtle shot at Joakim Noah.

-- A lot has been said about Terrence Williams, but he quickly became one of my favorites after spending a few minutes with him, one-on-one. He was respectful, gave thoughtful answers and maintained eye contact. There have been whispers of ?character issues,? but I don?t buy them. He?s either a really good kid, or he just really liked me.

He admitted to me that he was impressed with the Bobcats organization, especially after Michael Jordan attended his workout. There appears to be a strong possibility that Charlotte will take him with the 12th pick, assuming he?s still available.

-- Jordan Hill was by far the day?s most uneventful interview. All of his answers were stock, and appeared scripted. I know the NBA tutors the prospects on how to handle media day and all the attention that comes along with it, but Hill seemed like he was reading off cards.

If the NBA isn?t for him, he does have a couple of different other career options. He played the outfield and pitched as a youngster, and could probably also do some voiceover work with his Barry White-like Southern drawl. Oh, and he?s not going to cut his hair either. He?s been working on those dreads for two years.

-- Tyler Hansbrough is about as intense in front of the media as he is in the final seconds of a close game. He didn?t give bad answers to questions, but looked like he downed a few dozen cups of coffee prior to the session. I was actually fearful that he might flip the table in front of him at one point, but I escaped unharmed.

I have to defend him slightly though, he?s been knocked significantly in the weeks leading up to the draft. It?s highly likely that he?ll be the last player in the Green Room on Thursday night, but he says it doesn?t bother him. So why should it concern the rest of the world? He?s confident in his abilities too, I?ll give him that. Still, I don?t think I?d want my team using a lottery pick on him.

-- Griffin almost seemed uninterested in the whole ordeal. He didn?t command as much attention as first overall picks typically receive, but that could be because he?s already locked in with the Clippers. With that said, in the few minutes I spent at his table, I don?t think his facial expression changed.

-- Jonny Flynn is a fireplug. He?s a little smaller than I expected, but if he runs the point in the NBA as well as he talks, he?ll be a Hall of Famer. He was the last guy on the bench during his freshmen year in high school, and roughly five years later he?s going to be a millionaire.

From the side, he bares a striking resemblance to Andre 3000, or Andre Benjamin, whichever you prefer, but for whatever reason the similarity disappears when you look at him face-to-face. He grew up a fan of the Knicks, and in New York, which made him a darling on Wednesday afternoon.

-- Speaking of the Knicks and New York, I have an idea. The NBA should make the draft a traveling circus. Move it from New York every couple of years, or do something to mix things up. I realize that New York City is the ?hub? of the country and the NBA, for that matter, but I?m probably the only person that didn?t ask a prospect how he?d like playing for the Knicks.

I can?t confirm it, but I?m pretty sure even Griffin was asked. I realize that with the events held in New York, that a good chunk of the media are going to be from the Big Apple, but come on. Contrary to popular belief, the Knicks are not interested in each and every player available, nor are they currently in position to draft a majority.

The answers given to a New York question are always the same too. How would you like to play for the Knicks (insert prospect name here)? ?I?d be awesome. The Knicks are a great franchise, and they play in a great city,? prospect says. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

-- Jrue Holiday may have just turned 19, but he?s got a solid head on his shoulders. He wasn?t befuddled by all of the attention he received, and carried himself well. He was honest, but also diplomatic. You can?t really ask for much more out of a kid his age. When asked by a Kings reporter what he would think about playing for Sacramento, Holiday admitted that he grew up a Lakers fan and joining a rival would be rough, but went on to cite the positives of playing in Sactown.

-- Flynn made his Big East pride known on Wednesday. ?The Big East is the best conference,? the former Syracuse standout said. ?Now we can finally see that it?s the best conference when you have all these guys getting drafted out of the Big East. It definitely helps, every night going up against NBA talent.?

Flynn, Thabeet and Williams are all Big East alum and all three could end up in the lottery.

-- Demar DeRozan believes that he wasn?t even half the player in college that he could become in the NBA, and added some comments about the coaching situation at USC. ?I think they?ll be fine with Kevin O?Neill in there. You might take them a couple of years, but I have faith in them. They have a couple good players over there now, so I think they?ll be alright,? the former Trojan said.

-- I knew going in Ricky Rubio was small, but wow. It could be the hairstyle, but he looks like he just became eligible to get a driver's license in the States. I didn't bring a yardstick with me, but he doesn't look 6'4". I'm not doubting the league's measurements, but he's slender as well. Maybe the Knicks will find a way to draft him, because he won't need a license to get around in NYC the way he undoubtedly will in Oklahoma City or Sacramento.

-- Seeing Curry on Wednesday, a thought popped into my mind. Why does he have to be a true point guard or solely a shooting guard to be a solid draft pick? There are a number of great combo guards in the league, and a number of the best point guards keep defenses honest with a good three-point shot. Curry has deep range, sometimes the hardest thing to improve on. Give him the opportunity to further work on running an offense and he could be a star with the right team. No matter where he plays, if he sticks, Reggie Miller?s all-time, three-point record could be in jeopardy.  I'm not sure how I feel about that last point, but I'm a believer.

-- A number of mid-major deals were made on Wednesday afternoon; some while a majority of the NBA media was busy actually talking to players instead of feeding the rumor mill. Talking to a few high-standing sources, we?ll see even more movement on Thursday. We?ve already seen almost the entire bottom third of the draft order shift, perhaps the top two-thirds will shuffle before the Clippers call on Mr. Griffin.

-- One more thing. After covering the MLB Draft just a few weeks ago, nothing compares to the NBA?s version. Take note Mr. Selig.

Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com