Either way, you know how much we love the NFL and NBA drafts here at THE Ultimate Sports Blog which of course means that it's time once again for the NBA DRAFT LIVE BLOG!
There may not be a whole lot to get excited about when it comes to the draft tonight, but at least you will have my smart ass comments to help get through it all. Even though it's considered a weak draft among experts, there are all sorts of rumors going around that chaos could definitely ensue tonight. You know who loves chaos????
THIS GUY!!!
So sit back. Relax. And let's poke fun at all the stupid moves every team makes and act like we are all smarter than the NBA GM's who are actually running this thing. As of right now, I only plan on covering the lottery picks, but if things go right, I might make it all the way through the first-round. Let's let it play out and see where it goes....
THE Ultimate Sports Blog's
NBA Draft LIVE BLOG
(Make sure you keep the page here and keep reloading for updates!)
1. Philadelphia 76ers select......Ben Simmons (F), LSU
A lot of people are high on Ben Simmons. I'm not one of those people. While I think he'll be a fine NBA player, I happen to like Brandon Ingram just a little bit more. Simmons' stock went from being a potential LeBron James/Kevin Durant type player to more of a Tracy McGrady/Paul George type and it seemed to lessen the more he played. That's not exactly something I'm extremely excited about if I'm a 76ers fan who desperately need a franchise changing player. There's also the fact that Simmons' college basketball team missed the NCAA tournament. When's the last time a #1 overall pick's (who wasn't a foreign player or a high school player) team missed the tournament? The talent is so spread out in college basketball that if you have a talented player who can be a game-changer in the NBA, your team should make the tournament....just saying. That's only my opinion though, take it or leave it. Like I said, a fine player but I think 76ers fans are expecting LeBron and they are going to be disappointed.
2. Los Angeles Lakers select.......Brandon Ingram (F), Duke
The right choice by the Lakers. Los Angeles needs a franchise player in the worst way. They still don't know what they have with D'Angelo Russell (and rumors are, the Lakers are not that high on him) and Ingram is the safest bet in the draft in my opinion. While it pains me to see the Lakers draft a player with Ingram's potential, it's the right move.
3. Boston Celtics select......Jaylen Brown (F), Cal
Oh, c'mon Danny Ainge! All day long I had to put up with rumors that Boston was going to do this with the #3 pick or they were going to trade that for Jimmy Butler. Instead they ended up making a safe pick with a guy who I personally think is as NBA ready as anyone else in this draft. BOOOOOO! GIVE US DRAMA DAMNIT! WHERE'S THE WOJ BOMBS?!?! This is turning into a safe shitty draft so far.
4. Phoenix Suns select.......Dragan Bender (F/C), Croatia
A foreign player who I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about. He's really young and NBA experts seem to be high on him....so yay? Once again, no trades in a draft that was rumored to have a lot of them. Don't let me down Timberwolves! You have a bunch of nice young players already. You don't need to add another one to the mix.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves select......Kris Dunn (PG), Providence
This looks like a solid pick on paper considering the Timberwolves reportedly had Dunn ranked as the #1 player on their big board. However, The Vertical is reporting that the Timberwolves PASSED on a trade that would have sent Dunn and Zach LaVine to the Bulls and JIMMY BUTLER to the Wolves! Somehow, someway...the Wolves said no that trade though and I'm trying to wrap my head around why exactly. Can you imagine Butler along with the emerging Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING MINNESOTA?!?! THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE'NT BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS IN OVER TEN YEARS!!!!
6. New Orleans Pelicans select......Buddy Hield (G), Oklahoma
The team with the stupidest mascot in the NBA makes a solid selection with Buddy Hield. C'mon, we all remember Buddy Hield don't we? The last time I saw Hield he went ahead and lit up the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA Tournament and eliminated them from tasting NCAA gold. Just talking about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I'm kind of glad that Hield is going to a team like the Pelicans. Does anyone really care about anything the Pelicans do? No. We don't. They are "NBA hell" and Hield will hate it with a passion. How's that for a hot take?
7. Denver Nuggets select......Jamel Murray (G), Kentucky
WHEW! There's our first Kentucky player folks! I was beginning to worry that maybe John Calipari and company were slacking a little bit down there considering 5 of the first 7 draft picks weren't Wildcats. The good news is, they didn't get completely blown out as Kentucky ONCE AGAIN gets a player selected in the top 10 of the NBA draft. Jamel Murray is an elite shooter and in today's NBA, that's exactly what most teams are looking for. Solid choice.
***We have a TRADE! The Phoenix Suns have traded with the Sacramento Kings for the rights to the 8th pick in the NBA draft. FINALLY!***
8. Sacramento Kings select.......Marquese Chriss (F), Washington
Marquese Chriss is a fantastic player, but the real story here is that the Kings will be trading the rights to Chriss to the Phoenix Suns. As I've already mentioned numerous times, I LOVE TRADES! Chriss to the Suns is a good addition and now it's time to kick back and see what the Kings got in return for the 8th pick.
9. Toronto Raptors select.......Jakob Poeltl (C), Utah
Jakob Poeltl might be the best big man in the draft. The Raptors are a pretty good team, but they are also one of the most boring teams in the NBA. You know what this pick was? Boring. Let's go ahead and move on.
10. Milwaukee Bucks select......Thon Maker (F), Australia
Who?
11. Orlando Magic select.....Domantas Sabonis (F), Gonzaga
Ahhh man. Part of me was hoping that somehow, someway the Portland Trail Blazers would find a way to get Arvydas Sabonis' son in a Blazer uniform. Sabonis' is one of the all-time Blazer greats and it would have been great to see his son in Rip City. Unfortunately that won't happen though and now Sabonis has to rot in hell (otherwise known as Orlando). Sometimes thing just don't work out the way you wanted them to.
***We have another trade! The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the rights to Domantas Sabonis.***
12. Atlanta Hawks select.......Taurean Prince (F), Baylor
Awful, awful pick. Taurean Prince was widely regarded as being a second-rounder at best and the Hawks just took him in the LOTTERY. Let that one sink in for a second. Absolutely atrocious pick by the Hawks.
13. Phoenix Suns select........Georgios Papagiannis (C), Greece
Another awful pick. The Suns take Georgios Papagiannis with the 13th pick for the Sacramento Kings. Georgios is the exact meaning of a "prospect". He was widely considered a second-round pick but he's 7'2 and you can't teach that! Does this selection mean that the Kings are looking forward to moving "Boogie" Cousins sooner rather later? Stay tuned!
14. Chicago Bulls select.......Denzel Valentine (G/F), Michigan State
We finally get back to teams making solid picks. Denzel Valentine not only has one of the coolest names in the draft, but he's also one of the safest picks in my opinion. I loved what this kid did at Michigan State and the Bulls need a lot of help in the worst way so it's a perfect marriage. My only question is, I thought the Bulls were heading towards tank mode? If so, why draft a guy who's ready to play RIGHT NOW? Hmmmm.
And that's it for me and this year's NBA Draft! It was a good time while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end. I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm going to have to see a Sabonis name in a Oklahoma City Thunder jersey and that is sad enough to put this Portland Trail Blazers fan to bed for the night. Enjoy the rest of the draft!
A lot of people are high on Ben Simmons. I'm not one of those people. While I think he'll be a fine NBA player, I happen to like Brandon Ingram just a little bit more. Simmons' stock went from being a potential LeBron James/Kevin Durant type player to more of a Tracy McGrady/Paul George type and it seemed to lessen the more he played. That's not exactly something I'm extremely excited about if I'm a 76ers fan who desperately need a franchise changing player. There's also the fact that Simmons' college basketball team missed the NCAA tournament. When's the last time a #1 overall pick's (who wasn't a foreign player or a high school player) team missed the tournament? The talent is so spread out in college basketball that if you have a talented player who can be a game-changer in the NBA, your team should make the tournament....just saying. That's only my opinion though, take it or leave it. Like I said, a fine player but I think 76ers fans are expecting LeBron and they are going to be disappointed.
2. Los Angeles Lakers select.......Brandon Ingram (F), Duke
The right choice by the Lakers. Los Angeles needs a franchise player in the worst way. They still don't know what they have with D'Angelo Russell (and rumors are, the Lakers are not that high on him) and Ingram is the safest bet in the draft in my opinion. While it pains me to see the Lakers draft a player with Ingram's potential, it's the right move.
3. Boston Celtics select......Jaylen Brown (F), Cal
Oh, c'mon Danny Ainge! All day long I had to put up with rumors that Boston was going to do this with the #3 pick or they were going to trade that for Jimmy Butler. Instead they ended up making a safe pick with a guy who I personally think is as NBA ready as anyone else in this draft. BOOOOOO! GIVE US DRAMA DAMNIT! WHERE'S THE WOJ BOMBS?!?! This is turning into a safe shitty draft so far.
4. Phoenix Suns select.......Dragan Bender (F/C), Croatia
A foreign player who I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about. He's really young and NBA experts seem to be high on him....so yay? Once again, no trades in a draft that was rumored to have a lot of them. Don't let me down Timberwolves! You have a bunch of nice young players already. You don't need to add another one to the mix.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves select......Kris Dunn (PG), Providence
This looks like a solid pick on paper considering the Timberwolves reportedly had Dunn ranked as the #1 player on their big board. However, The Vertical is reporting that the Timberwolves PASSED on a trade that would have sent Dunn and Zach LaVine to the Bulls and JIMMY BUTLER to the Wolves! Somehow, someway...the Wolves said no that trade though and I'm trying to wrap my head around why exactly. Can you imagine Butler along with the emerging Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING MINNESOTA?!?! THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE'NT BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS IN OVER TEN YEARS!!!!
6. New Orleans Pelicans select......Buddy Hield (G), Oklahoma
The team with the stupidest mascot in the NBA makes a solid selection with Buddy Hield. C'mon, we all remember Buddy Hield don't we? The last time I saw Hield he went ahead and lit up the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA Tournament and eliminated them from tasting NCAA gold. Just talking about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I'm kind of glad that Hield is going to a team like the Pelicans. Does anyone really care about anything the Pelicans do? No. We don't. They are "NBA hell" and Hield will hate it with a passion. How's that for a hot take?
7. Denver Nuggets select......Jamel Murray (G), Kentucky
WHEW! There's our first Kentucky player folks! I was beginning to worry that maybe John Calipari and company were slacking a little bit down there considering 5 of the first 7 draft picks weren't Wildcats. The good news is, they didn't get completely blown out as Kentucky ONCE AGAIN gets a player selected in the top 10 of the NBA draft. Jamel Murray is an elite shooter and in today's NBA, that's exactly what most teams are looking for. Solid choice.
***We have a TRADE! The Phoenix Suns have traded with the Sacramento Kings for the rights to the 8th pick in the NBA draft. FINALLY!***
8. Sacramento Kings select.......Marquese Chriss (F), Washington
Marquese Chriss is a fantastic player, but the real story here is that the Kings will be trading the rights to Chriss to the Phoenix Suns. As I've already mentioned numerous times, I LOVE TRADES! Chriss to the Suns is a good addition and now it's time to kick back and see what the Kings got in return for the 8th pick.
9. Toronto Raptors select.......Jakob Poeltl (C), Utah
Jakob Poeltl might be the best big man in the draft. The Raptors are a pretty good team, but they are also one of the most boring teams in the NBA. You know what this pick was? Boring. Let's go ahead and move on.
10. Milwaukee Bucks select......Thon Maker (F), Australia
Who?
11. Orlando Magic select.....Domantas Sabonis (F), Gonzaga
Ahhh man. Part of me was hoping that somehow, someway the Portland Trail Blazers would find a way to get Arvydas Sabonis' son in a Blazer uniform. Sabonis' is one of the all-time Blazer greats and it would have been great to see his son in Rip City. Unfortunately that won't happen though and now Sabonis has to rot in hell (otherwise known as Orlando). Sometimes thing just don't work out the way you wanted them to.
***We have another trade! The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the rights to Domantas Sabonis.***
12. Atlanta Hawks select.......Taurean Prince (F), Baylor
Awful, awful pick. Taurean Prince was widely regarded as being a second-rounder at best and the Hawks just took him in the LOTTERY. Let that one sink in for a second. Absolutely atrocious pick by the Hawks.
13. Phoenix Suns select........Georgios Papagiannis (C), Greece
Another awful pick. The Suns take Georgios Papagiannis with the 13th pick for the Sacramento Kings. Georgios is the exact meaning of a "prospect". He was widely considered a second-round pick but he's 7'2 and you can't teach that! Does this selection mean that the Kings are looking forward to moving "Boogie" Cousins sooner rather later? Stay tuned!
14. Chicago Bulls select.......Denzel Valentine (G/F), Michigan State
We finally get back to teams making solid picks. Denzel Valentine not only has one of the coolest names in the draft, but he's also one of the safest picks in my opinion. I loved what this kid did at Michigan State and the Bulls need a lot of help in the worst way so it's a perfect marriage. My only question is, I thought the Bulls were heading towards tank mode? If so, why draft a guy who's ready to play RIGHT NOW? Hmmmm.
And that's it for me and this year's NBA Draft! It was a good time while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end. I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm going to have to see a Sabonis name in a Oklahoma City Thunder jersey and that is sad enough to put this Portland Trail Blazers fan to bed for the night. Enjoy the rest of the draft!
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