Draft Day Diary 2015

In honor of Bill Simmons, who is on hiatus from ESPN, here's my draft day diary- the observations as I made as it happened.

7:11 PM 
Karl Anthony Towns is going to be the number 1 pick.  While Flip has made some questionable moves, he has typically had good draft selection most notably picking Kevin Garnett.  A Towns/Wiggins duo could help Minnesota turn into contenders in a few years.  Plus Towns ability to hit threes could make up for Rubio lack of shooting.  Towns did not shoot 3s at Kentucky but did beat Wiggins in a 3 point contest a few years ago.  

7:30 PM 

I think the Lakers take DeAngelo Russell because of Okafor's lack of defense.  Plus it looks like Russell at least has the personality of a star that LA can get excited about. 

7:40 PM 

Karl Anthony Towns is the pick. Here is his shot chart.

With the first pick in the 2015 #NBADraft the @MNTimberwolves select C Karl-Anthony Towns! pic.twitter.com/P0eb5eBC95

— Grantland (@Grantland33) June 25, 2015

7:42 PM

Philly is on the clock seems to like Mudiay a lot but he isn't the best player available.  Will they trade down?

7:45 PM

The Jays (Bilas and Williams) both wanted Okafor for the Lakers as they are both are from Duke.  But no surprise, Jalen Rose called it as well stating is head would explode if the Lakers went in another direction. Russell is the pick.

7:47 PM

Jay Bilas said that Steph Curry gets into the Hall of Fame if he stays healthy.  I would say Curry gets in even if he never plays again after winning the MVP and the title.  

7:49 PM

Who is the last dynamic point guard that Kobe has played with?  Nick Van Exel in the late 90s?  Gary Payton and Steve Nash were supposed to be but declined rapidly once they joined the Lakers.

7:52 PM

Philadelphia takes Okafor who is a center.  I wonder if Philly is going for an all center line-up.  Perhaps Embiid will play the point, who is amused by the selection. 

OK........... Lol

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 25, 2015

8:03 PM

Porzingis is taken by the Knicks and is booed immediately.  A kid who is a Knicks fans looks like he was taking a crying selfie.  Porzingis could turn out to be a good player but it is going to take patience something which Knicks fans apparently don't have.  

Welcome to New York, Porzingis! pic.twitter.com/XhrtK3lPFk

— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) June 26, 2015

8:13 PM

Orlando takes Croatian Mario Hezonja No.5. He can shoot and is athletic. Chad Ford compared him to a European JR Smith- although Orlando clearly believes he is going to be a superior player as they picked him in the top 5.

8:17 PM

Willie Cauley Stein is taken at #6- that's pretty high for someone whose offensive game is severely limited.   He is someone that can do the dirty work while Cousins takes all the touches. It could also be insurance in case the Kings move on from Cousins although Vivek Randive is probably more likely to fire coach George Karl.  I have to agree with Bilas that the Kings should have taken either Mudiay or Winslow.

8:20 PM

The Denver Nuggets take Mudiay, who opted to go to China after being ruled to be ineligible to play in college by the NCAA.  It looks like the Nuggets may move on from Ty Lawson.  They may overvalue Lawson though; other GMs laughed when the Nuggets tried to trade Lawson for the #6 pick, although he is probably better than Stein.

8:31 PM

Stanley Johnson seems solid at a small forward but he might fit more of a need for the Pistons than actually being the best player available.

8:43 PM

Hornets will probably take Kaminsky.  It would be the 3rd power forward that they have taken from the Big 10 in the past 3 years.  

8:50 PM

Winslow lucked out and goes to Miami.  Miami gets good value for someone who could have been selected as high as #4, and Winslow gets to live in South Beach.

8:55 PM

The Pacers take a center in Miles Turner.  Does that mean they are moving on from Roy Hibbert? 

9:08 PM

Kentucky players Devin Booker and Trey Lyles go back to back.  You have to wonder if they are that good or if they just played on a stacked team.  

9:12 PM

OKC, despite having more wins than some Eastern Conference teams, is in the lottery.  Presti has gotten good value in the mid first round picks (Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Steven Adams) where they taken point Cameron Payne.  Perhaps, Payne can fill the void left by the departure of Reggie Jackson.  Payne certainly has the confidence as he is already referring to himself in the third person.

9:15 PM

The Wizards move up a couple spots to acquire Oubre as they gave up couple of future second rounders He is super athletic and could be a quality defender down line.  Jalen Rose compared him to Trevor Ariza.  I was hoping that the Wizards would have gotten Bobby Portis but Oubre is certainly a good value pick at 15, and would not most likely have been available had they just kept their 19th overall pick.  Oubre is friends with Durant, so maybe the Wizards are using the Oubre selection in their campaign to bring Durant to DC in 2016.

This Oubre-Durant thing is....huh. pic.twitter.com/zvt9hyA1lH

— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) June 26, 2015

9:34 PM 

The Bucks add another scorer in Rashad Vaughn, perhaps someone who can be more consistent than OJ Mayo.  Jalen Rose's player comparison to Dion Waiters is a pretty unfavorable one.

9:36 PM

There is 13 old boy  who makes $200,000 making bow-ties.  The kid likes Kelly Oubre's shoes.  Thanks ESPN.

10:26 PM

Spurs take an international player (Nikola Milutinov) - maybe they want to add him to the Spurs Special Forces



10:35 PM

The Golden State Warriors select Kevon Looney, who could be another steal for them.  I thought this would have been possibility for the Wizards at 19.  

NBA Draft Possibilities for the Wizards

With the NBA Draft coming up this Thursday, Washington looks to improve either its starting frontcourt or at least its overall depth.  The nature of the NBA draft is tricky in getting the right prospect as well predicting how a NBA team will make its selection.  Here are a few possibilities for the 19th overall pick for the Washington Wizards.

Bobby Portis (Power Forward, Sophomore, Arkansas)  -

Portis was SEC Player of the Year 

during the 2014-15 season

(via CBSsportline.com)

Portis has pretty good size at 6'11 and a well rounded offensive game.  He does have a high motor, a well rounded offensive game including a post game as well as a 3 point shot, and good strength and mobility that could translate well in the defensive end.   A stretch 4 that fits the mold of Draymond Green is exactly what the Wizards need especially as Nene ages.  The big question will be whether Portis will still be there at #19.  

Kevin Looney (Power Forward, Freshman, UCLA)

Looney works out for the Wizards 

(via MonumentalNetwork)

Looney at 19 has a lot of potential.  He is a great rebounder (averaging 12 rebounds per 40 minutes), and has shown an ability to knock down 3s albeit a small sample size.  Of course, time will tell if Looney can develop a better defensive awareness as well improve upon his weaknesses, but at 19 years old, Looney will possess a higher ceiling than a lot of prospects.  The question will be whether Washington will be patient enough to take a chance on a player who may take time to develop.


Jerian Grant (Point guard/shooting guard, senior, Notre Dame) -  

Grant also has ties to the Washington DC area.

Grant may last up until this point given that he is 22 and older than most who are entering the 2015 NBA draft.  Grant would have the versatility to play both positions off the bench.  Statistically, he can play point guard given that he average 6.7 assists per game while having a solid 3:1 assist to Turnover ratio.   The Wizards could use depth in the guard position, especially someone who can spell Wall and given Beal's injury history.  

How the Wizards passed on 5 starters on the Golden State Warriors

The Wizards have had the same general manager in Ernie Grunfeld since 2003 and while the Wizards have enjoyed the recent success of getting to the 2nd round, some of the decisions have been dubious.  Here is how Ernie Grunfeld managed to pass over the Golden State Warriors who started in game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Andre Iguodala (via sportsline.com)

The Wizards at the time had the number 5 pick.  The Wizards who had failed to make the playoffs since 1998 were desperate to get back there and opted to trade their first round pick, Jerry Stackhouse, and Christian Laetner for 6^th man of the Year winner Antawn Jamison.

Jamison was solid, made the all-star team twice, and helped lead Washington to four straight playoff appearances.  Still, Iguodala will go down as a better player, at least since 2004.  While he only made the all-star team once compared to Jamison, he is still a much better defender which earned him a spot on the 2012 US Olympic basketball team.  Iguodala has shown a willingness to come off the bench which has helped conserved his energy for the postseason to guard the likes of LeBron James.  Jamison, on the other hand was unwilling to do so in Washington which was a reason why the Dallas Mavericks traded him, and to the Wizards’ detriment Jamison offensive numbers in postseason more often than not dipped which resulted in the Wizards only getting to the 2^nd round once.  In the meantime, Iguodala has managed to raise his level of play this postseason and if the Warriors go on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers; he may become the Finals MVP.

Steph Curry

The Wizards find themselves owning the number 5 pick in 2009 NBA draft.   The Wizards ultimately pass on Steph Curry in an effort to make one last run with veterans- they trade expiring contracts and the #5 pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye.   The Timberwolves use the pick to draft Ricky Rubio; Steph Curry falls to the Warriors at number 7.

The Wizards were pressured to make such a move because Abe Pollin who would end p passing away in less than a year, wanted the Wizards to go for a championship run.  Although perhaps the bigger reason was that move saved the Wizards $2.5 million in the short term.  Ricky Rubio did not want to come and play for Washington since they already had Gilbert Arenas, and ended up sitting out  3 seasons before ultimately joining up with the Timberwolves.  Steph Curry would have been a logical selection.   Sources say that the Wizards had Steph Curry rated ahead of Hasheem Thabeet.

Grunfeld justified the trade stating that guys like Miller and Foye could help open up the court. Problem of course was that Gilbert Arenas was never going to return to being a top 10 player again after multiple knee surgeries.  Miller was often too reluctant to shoot and was a poor defender.  The Wizards attempted to play Foye at point guard which turned out to be uninspiring experiment.  Sure Miller could be a role player on a championship team like with the Miami Heat, but the Wizards were fooling themselves in thinking they had the talent to compete for a championship given that they were one of the worst teams in the league.  Ultimately, Steph Curry could have proven to be a useful given that he did manage to become the 2014-15 MVP.   At least the trade worked out so badly that the Wizards ended up being terrible and managed to get John Wall with the number 1 pick in 2010.

Klay Thompson

In 2011, the Wizards find themselves with the 6^th pick.  The Wizards select Jan Vesley, who most notable achievement in the NBA may be making out with his girlfriend.  Klay Thompson is selected with the #7 pick by Golden State.

Sadly, Vesley NBA career is over

 as well as his relationship with his girlfriend

Vesley is currently out of the league.  Klay Thompson made his first all-star appearance this season and for all intents and purposes is the second best shooting guard behind runner up MVP James Harden.  What makes the story worse for Wizards fans is that the Wizards were actually debating to take Klay Thompson according to former coach Flip Saunders.

Harrison Barnes

The Wizards were right in taking Bradley Beal at #3, at least over Harrison Barnes at #7.  Although, the Warriors pick at #7 did turn out to be useful starter while Grunfeld missed out in 2011 by Jan Vesley.

Draymond Green

The Wizards also manage to pass on Draymond Green with their second round pick.  The Wizards chose Tomas Santoransky, who was a former teammate and fellow country man of Jan Vesley.  While Santoransky does have potential as a pro, he has yet to play this season.  Draymond Green in the meantime, made the all NBA first team, and probably should have won defensive player of the year this season.

Takeaways

Of course no team’s management is perfect.  The Golden State Warriors did manage to take Ekpe Udoh over Paul George back in 2010.  Nonetheless, it is not surprising why a lot of Washington Wizards fans are still calling for Ernie Grunfeld, even though the Wizards did manage to make it to the 2^nd round this season. 

There are lessons that the Wizards or any NBA team should follow.  The Wizards should go for the best player available rather than a need.  Trading for veterans can get you into the playoffs but drafting well could put yourself in championship contention.  Ultimately, a lot of Wizards hope that Grunfel will draft better especially under the new ownership of Ted Leonsis.

2015 NBA Finals Preview and Prediction

Curry has been as unstoppable as LeBron offensively this season.

Even LeBron Agrees (via 538.com)

LeBron when asked how do you slow down Steph Curry: "The same way you slow me down ... You can't."

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 29, 2015

There has been a lot of talk about why the Cavaliers are going to give the Warriors a run for their money.   LeBron James is the best player in the world.  The Cavaliers have the best defense so far this the postseason.  The former Knicks in JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Mosgov  have turned around the Cavaliers into a sub-500 into contenders.

Still, do not overlook the Golden State Warriors.

• The Golden State Warriors rank fourth all time in point differential in NBA history. Mainly because this season, they have had the leagues best offense and the best defense.  
• Their best player, Steph Curry, just won MVP, which has inspired remakes of Beatles music.  I would rank him as the 3rd best player in the NBA this year behind LeBron James and Anthondy Davis, who has witnessed what Curry is capable of.
• Klay Thompson made the all star team as well, and scored a record 37 points in one quarter. Like Kyrie Irving, he also made the All-NBA 3rd Team.     
• Draymond Green, who would have made the All-Star team in the East, was perhaps the best defensive player in the NBA this season.  Green after all did have the most first place votes for defensive player of the year, but did not win.
• Andrew Bogut, the #1 overall pick in the 2006 draft is no slouch either, as he also anchors the defense as a rim protector.  This season, the Warriors were 59-8 with him and 8-7 without him. 
• Harrison Barnes, the Warriors "5th best starter", is capable of putting up big games as well as he put up 24 points and 7 rebounds to help close out the Houston Rockets in game 5.
• The Warriors also have the best benches in the league.  Andre Iguodala is a former All-Star who may have lost a step but is still in his prime and would start a most teams in the league.  
• Shaun Livingston, the 4th overall pick of the 2004 draft has finally had the fortune of good health and has proven to be capable distributing point guard and a good defender with decent athleticism.  
• Leandro Barbosa, the Brazlian blur who had won Sixth Man of the Year back in the 2006-07 is a nice guy to have in case of an emercency.  
• The Warriors are so deep that two time NBA all star David Lee cannot even crack the rotation even when backup center Maurese Speights was injured with a sore calf (who is expected to be back at 100% against the Cavs.

Of course, LeBron James is a great player.  Still, this may be where the magic could run out for the Cavaliers.  

• Take the Cavs defensive improvement with a grain of salt because the NBA teams which they have played are not as good offensively as the Golden State Warriors or for that matter defensively.  
• Maybe the Cavs would have had a shot if they had a healthy Kevin Love, who is out for the rest of the playoffs.  
• Throw in the fact that Kyrie Irving is not 100%. 
• Plus LeBron has been pretty good but not as good as years past, his numbers indicate that he's closer to Allen Iverson of 2001 rather than his past years, which were comparable to Michael Jordan.

Why 2015 LeBron James is 2001 Allen Iverson. http://t.co/kxk7ZHCR2Y [in] pic.twitter.com/TfkvZ64nll

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 28, 2015

My prediction is that the Warriors should beat the Cavaliers in five games.  Of course, my prediction changes if Matthew Dellavedova can "accidentally" get tangled up with a few Warriors' players.