Draft Diary 2011

Before the draft, there is always at least one or two trades and much to my excitement, the Bucks were a part of the pre-draft activity this season.  Upon hearing of the deal, I was ecstatic.  As I played left field in the kickball game at the Gametime Sports Day Camp, my twitter feed started to blow up. 

The first tweet mentioned the Bucks trading for the #7 pick of the draft.  My reaction: surprise.  Why would the Bucks want the seventh pick of the draft?

The second tweet mentioned a third team, the Charlotte Bobcats.   And Steven Jackson.  My reaction: mellowed excitement.  I figured that Maggette would still be moved and we would only get the #7 pick in the return.  This was still a good deal. 

The third tweet mentioned the inclusion of John Salmons and the 9th pick.  My reaction: Ecstacy.  The Bucks had somehow managed to get rid of the contract albatrosses of Maggette and Salmons, all while getting the 9th and 19th pick in the draft.  It was a masterful trade by John Hammond that managed to get the Bucks out of two of their three terrible contracts and stil remain active in the draft.

Finally, after all the dust had settled and I found out that the Bucks had gotten rid of Salmons, Maggette, and the #10 pick for Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, and the #19 pick of the draft, I was still excited.  I wasn't happy to hear that Jackson doesn't want to play in Milwaukee, but I am still happy that the Bucks were able to move Salmons and Maggette off of the team.  Getting rid of those contracts is a matter of addition by subtraction.  The Bucks had screwed themselves over with all of the terrible contracts they handed out last season and this trade elevates the pressure Hammond put on himself.


6:05 p.m: Just got set up at our headquarters for the draft tonight, the Schoettler Village Apartments Clubhouse.  With me tonight is my roommate Jacob Dulle.  We will be holding it down here.  I'm sure he will have a few comments entered into this diary and hopefully I will have some texts from a few of my buddies up in Wisconsin entered into the diary as well.

6:10 p.m:  As the ESPN draft coverage mentions the Cavaliers point guard situation, the first name Jeff Van Gundy mentioned was Boobie Gibson.  Boobie Gibson.  Come on.  That is a joke.

Also, why was Baron Davis wearing #85 in Cleveland?  Can't believe I didn't latch on to this earlier.

6:14 p.m:  As ESPN throws the coverage to commercial, we see Jimmer Fredette dressed in what I believe was either a golf outfit from the 1940s or the outfit of a paper boy circa 1920 playing the drums.  EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!  Jimmer has no fashion sense!

6:23 p.m:  As ESPN goes to commercial, Enes Kanter is in the same outfit as Jimmer was at the previous commercial.  What is this theme?  I don't get it.  Can someone enlighten me?

6:30 p.m:  Final break before 1st pick of the draft.  Even more players in the ridiculous costumes.  Dulle and I are sitting here absolutely lost.  Also just saw Chad Ford's last tweet about his mock draft.  "7.3 will have Biyombo to Raptors. Leonard to Pistons. Brandon Knight to Bobcats. Alec Burks over Kemba to Jazz . I may really regret this."  This is insane.  So much different than everything that I've seen thus far.  Also Knight falling to the Bobcats would be crazy.

6:33 p.m: I'm excited.

6:35 p.m:  This is bulls**t.  I don't want the Cavs on the clock.  They need to be making a pick.  They've had months to figure out who they want.  Why do they need these extra five minutes?

6:37 p.m:  Love Stu Scott's line.  "When the shorts were short and the socks were high."  Good description of the NBA in the 1980s.

6:38 p.m:  Getting to see the Cavaliers roster is both hilarious and heartbreaking.  Alonzo Gee in a starting lineup.  Check out his basketball reference page: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/geeal01.html.  Also, Anderson Varejao needs to be on a winning roster.  It's just not right for him to be hustling for an awful team.

6:39 p.m:  Kyrie Irving gets drafted.  Dulle:  "You get to try to be the next Lebron.  Good Luck."  Well said.  Feel for whoever got drafted first.  The Cavs need a lot of help and the city of Cleveland is heartbroken.  They need something to help them out of their ugly divorce with Lebron and will immediately look to the 1st overall pick.  Bad spot to be in as the #1 pick.

6:42 p.m:  First Wisconsin text entry:  "Cavs gonna win it all this year.  Irving is good.  Not injury prone at all and dominated all year for Duke.  Looks like Dan Gilbert's prediction will be correct."  Thanks, Steve Mahne.  You claim you will be giving reactions to each pick.  These reactions will certainly not be included after each pick.

6:45 p.m:  Stuart Scott just said Timber'Wuvs not Timberwolves.  Figured you should know.  T'Wolves made the right pick.  I'm interested to see if they hold on to Williams.  I think they should keep Williams and move Beasley or one of their other wing players.  That's just me, though.

6:49 p.m:  Still makes me sad that Jerry Sloan is no longer in the league.

6:50 p.m:  Utah Jazz go with Enes Kanter.  Somewhat surprised.  If you're Cleveland, are you now upset that you didn't take Williams first overall with Brandon Knight available at 4?  Williams and Knight looks better this next year to your fans than Irving and Jonas Valanciunas.  I'm not saying that is who they will take, but it seems like that is where they will go.

6:53 p.m:  This pick makes it seem as though the Jazz might be higher on Devin Harris than we had originally thought.  Also, Kanter might be in the perfect place to learn the ropes in the NBA.  Mehmet Okur can shoot it better, but as a foreign big man, he can be a good mentor to Kanter.  I like the pick.

6:55 p.m:  Cherrypicked this tweet from my feed.  "Nikoloz Tskitishvili's name appears on the bottom of the screen...So sexy"  Tweeted by my good friend Dan Schaefer.

6:56 p.m:  What just happened?!?!  Amazing draft analysis by ESPN highlighted by JVG attempting Jonas Valanciunas name and then completely giving up, Jon Barry calling JVG Johnny Most and no one else on the crew selling the joke, followed by a few seconds of silence, and then the Cavaliers picking Tristan Thompson.  Honestly, what just happened?

7:00 p.m:  Upon hearing Jamaal Magloire's name mentioned as an active member of a team, Dulle says, "Magloire is dead somewhere.  They just put his body on the bench to use a roster spot."

7:03 p.m:  Jonas gets selected by the Raptors.  I don't get this pick.  The Raptors could use some help now and Dwayne Casey is a guy that is all about defense.  Doesn't seem to be Jonas' strength.

7:05 p.m:  To quote Valanciunas:  "I don't knowwww....I don't knowwww....Good on my feet....I don't knowwww."  Real insight from him there.

7:07 p.m:  Jan Vesely knows how to get drafted.  Pick announced.  And just goes for it with his girlfriend.  Showing off his trophy girlfriend and he just got drafted.  That was AMAZING!

7:11 p.m:  First text entry from Dan Schaefer:  "Who the f**k was that kid...I might have to watch a Wizards game next year."

7:12 p.m:  Before the Biyombo pick, JVG mentioned that a team either needs to get really good or really bad to get good.  The really bad part is an idea I've always prescribed to.  I hate mediocre teams.  Being mediocre year in and year out does absolutely nothing for you as a franchise.

7:14 p.m:  I really like Biyombo.  I think he will be a good NBA player for years to come.  He's a good defensive player and can rebound.  A player like that will always have a spot on an NBA team.  Not going to be an All-Star, but he has a lot of potential and does a few important things very well.

7:17 p.m:  I love that Ben Wallace was back on the Pistons this year...and wildly effective.

7:18 p.m:  I think Brandon Knight to the Pistons is a steal to Pistons.  He was seen as someone who could be picked as high as #3.  Though he is good, I think the Pistons need to officially start their rebuilding effort and move some of their older players.

7:21 p.m:  Can't believe it took me this long to figure this out, but I just remembered that with the 19th pick of the draft the Bucks are in a very good position to get Kenneth Faried.  I love Kenneth Faried.  I think he will be a great role player in the league for years.  I would really, really like that.

7:24 p.m:  I think this Kemba Walker pick stays in Charlotte.  This is a very Michael Jordan pick.  Just the kind of great college player Jordan typically selects.  I'm not sure how he will be in the league.  Might struggle to find a position.

7:26 p.m: "You've always been about WINNING."  Well played, Mark Jones.  Well played.  Text from Mahne:  "Does Charlie Sheen get some money for the Winning question asked to Kemba?"

7:27 p.m:  My Ball Don't Lie show co-host Cody Steger just pointed out the Kawhi Leonard is in freefall.  I can't believe that he has not been picked yet and the Bucks could have got him at 10.  I'm a little hurt, but still overall happy.

7:33 p.m:  "Teach me how to Jimmer?"  "I love seeing Jimmer in a Bucks hat.  Any chance they can go back on the trade?"  "Bucks too Jimmer...Dammit I wish we could keep Jim"

7:34 p.m:  All texts that I received after Jimmer was drafted.  I'm not sure how Jimmer will be in the NBA.  My biggest problem with Jimmer is people claiming that he will be okay in the NBA because he is fast at a dot drill or a cone drill.  You can practice these things.  You can't practice staying in front of Derrick Rose.  Russell Westbrook.  Dwayne Wade.  I'm still not sold.

7:35 p.m:  Klay Thompson to the Warriors.  Thought the Bucks would take him tonight if they kept their pick.  I'm sure the Warriors were happy when the Bucks traded to the 19th pick.

7:36 p.m:  As I look at the upcoming picks, I don't think it is unrealistic to think the Bucks could get Alec Burks, Kawhi Leonard, or Markieff Morris.  This makes me happy.  Extremely happy.

7:39 p.m:  This text made me laugh.  I'm not sure its okay for me to laugh though.  "I don't care what they say Klay Thompson's dad isn't black.  This guy is white."

7:41 p.m:  There goes Burks.  Shoot.  Really liked him.

7:46 p.m:  I would have much rather heard "Hand Down, Man Down" or "Mama.  There goes that man again."  I don't care about the Warriors being in the playoffs.

7:53 p.m:  Location change.  Back in my living room.  Thanks for the hospitality, Schoettler Village Apartments.  Twins go back to back.  I would assume that is some sort of first in the NBA Draft.  I thought Marcus would go higher and Markieff lower, but with them going back to back, I feel like they've been drafted at the exact same time.  I feel the same way about their birth and the birth of all other twins.  I don't care who was born 5 minutes earlier.  It's not cute to tell me either.

7:59 p.m:  Kawhi Leonard's suit is nice.  My two favorite suits of the night belong to Leonard and Kemba Walker.  Walker's suit was tight.  Not tight as in "cool", but as in form fitting.  Very unusual.  I canNOT believe that the Pacers didn't take a white guy.  It's two years in a row.  They have so few white people on the team that I'm not even sure they can put a full whitewash on the floor at this point.  I'm disappointed in you, Larry Bird.

8:04 p.m:  Getting more and more nervous for the Bucks pick.  Hoping for Kenneth Faried.  Have a feeling I will be disappointed.

8:07 p.m:  Don't sleep on Tyler Honeycutt to the Bucks at #19.

8:08 p.m:  Attempting to decipher Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs for George Hill.  I like it for the Pacers.  Another shooter on that team makes them very difficult to deal with on the perimeter.  Leonard to the Spurs, on the other hand, confuses me a little bit.  Not sure what direction the Spurs are going.  Are they going to start rebuilding?  Do they think Leonard can contribute immediately?

8:12 p.m:  Still a little weirded out that the draft is in New Jersey and not New York.  I don't think it's right.  It takes away from the atmosphere quite a bit in my opinion.  Knicks take Shumpert.  Thought they would take Brooks.

8:13 p.m:  The tension builds.  Marshon Brooks could be available at 19.  Lots of scouts have raved about Brooks.  Bucks had him in for two workouts.  They like him.  Can't figure out if the Bucks have worked out Kenneth Farried.  Because of this, I doubt that the Bucks will take Farried though I rave about him.

8:18 p.m:  What will the Bucks do?!?!?!

8:20 p.m:  I've been studying the different players that the Bucks could possibly draft.  Really have no idea where they will go.  Thinking Honeycutt or Trey Thompkins.  Really wouldn't mind Faried.

8:22 p.m:  Tobias Harris.

8:24 p.m:  Tobias Harris?

8:24 p.m:  Tobias Harris?!?!

8:25 p.m:  Thanks for all of the analysis, ESPN.  Really happy to hear about the Timberwolves' next pick.  Awesome.  I really don't like the Tobias Harris pick.  Think it is too early for him.  Don't really like much of what he does.  It's going to be hard for the Bucks to sell me on this one.  I've been wrong before though and I hope I'm dead wrong on this one.

8:33 p.m:  Can honestly say that I'm surprised with the reaction to the Harris pick.  Every scout or analyst I follow on Twitter is raving about the pick.  Like I said in my last post.  I may be dead wrong.

8:37 p.m:  Missed Motiejunas to T'Wolves.  Nolan Smith to the Blazers.  Jokes started flying about Kyle Singler when we discussed the last part of the Dukie trio being drafted.  Hoping for the Jazz or Pacers to take a round at him in the second round.

8:38 p.m:  Maybe I'm missing the boat on Tobias Harris.  A lot of people really like the pick.  I don't see it, but then again I don't watch a lot of SEC basketball.  We will see how it turns out.

8:42 p.m:  My interest in this draft is wavering.

8:43 p.m:  Nuggets draft Kenneth Faried.  I really like him in the league.  I'm not sure he fits in Denver, but it will be really hard for him to not fit in somewhere with his motor and work ethic.  Plays a lot like Birdman.

8:46 p.m:  Really enjoyed getting to hear Faried's interview.  Could tell getting drafted really meant a lot to him.

8:50 p.m:  So Mirotic goes to the Timberwolves.  Makes sense he will be ready in four years.  Just in time for the T'Wolves to figure out that Darko and Pekovic aren't going to pan out as the Twin Towers of the Twin Cities.

8:53 p.m:  The Reggie Jackson situation confuses me.  This guy hasn't worked out for anyone.  He didn't even work out for the Thunder.  They gave him a promise in APRIL that they would select him with their pick.  That was two months ago.  The Cavs weren't sure they were going to select Irving at #1 until this afternoon and the Thunder knew Jackson was their guy in April.  Are you kidding me?

8:57 p.m:  Epic fail on the T'Wolves joke.  Thanks for all of the trades, NBA Draft.  You're impossible to keep up with.

8:59 p.m:  Brooks to Boston makes a lot of sense.  The Big Three is getting old.  He can fill in for one of the guards that will be leaving.  Could pair well with Rondo for years to come.

9:05 p.m:  I'm done for the night.  I have an internship to get to.  I'm sure most of you paying attention to this blog have looked away a long time ago.  I hope my spelling and grammatical errors haven't been too bad tonight.  I had a lot of fun and hope you enjoyed reading.  Have a great night everyone!