Tuesday, June 23, 2009

NBA Draft Live Blog!


The Rose Garden court in Portland, before Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs this year.

Hey everyone!

I'm not sure about you, but I always really enjoyed talking about the Blazers this year in class, when we could! I just had a thought (and am getting completely distracted from the over a hundred pages - no joke - of reading I have to do for my classes tomorrow) that we should definitely have a NBA Draft Live Blog! For those that do not know, the NBA draft is where the teams select college players (or foreign players) to play for them. In essence, they are selecting the rights to negotiate with the player for a contract. Every year, there is always a lot of interesting stuff happening! I am guessing that the Blazers will be active too - their General Manager, Kevin Pritchard, is famous for draft day trades. In fact, that is how we got Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge!

So, come back and visit the blog THIS THURSDAY, starting at 4:00 PM. The draft will be held live on ESPN television, and I am sure on the radio as well. I will be live-blogging as it goes along - possibly on this main post. Who knows what exciting players Portland will get? Hope to see you then!

EDIT: Thursday - 3:40 - I'm here, ready to chat, but very saddened at the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Weird, weird guy, and quite possibly a pedophile, but my goodness, his music was incredible.

Anyway, I will be in the comments, blogging the NBA Draft. The Blazers have already made a trade, to get the #22 pick. I wonder if they are done? Lots of action in the league - Shaq has been traded to play in Cleveland with LeBron next year. Plus lots of others. Follow along in the comments!

TRADE #1: Sergio Rodriguez is no longer a Trail Blazer, according to BlazersEdge. We just traded him and the #38 pick for the #31 pick in the draft from Sacramento. To commemorate Serigo's Portland career, here's a picture I took last season:



DRAFT PICKS:

#22: Victor Claver, a forward out of Spain. The thinking here is that the Blazers can have him continue to play overseas for a few years, so they don't have to pay him, and when he is ready to come over, we will have the money and roster spot for him.

#31: Jeff Pendergraph, a forward from Arizona. He will probably take the spot of Channing Frye.

#33: Daunte Cunningham, a forward (are you seeing a trend?) from Villanova. He will have to compete hard to take a roster spot (unless we are going to trade him or other Blazers away).

#55: Patrick Mills, guard out of St. Mary's. I am pretty sure that the thinking here is that we will send him overseas to continue playing.

Thoughts: All in all, this is a draft that does not overwhelm. I am guessing that the Blazers have other moves coming, via signing free agents in the next months, or by trade. If they don't do anything, I will be seriously questioning the strategy. I guess it is just another "wait and see" approach!

Thanks to everyone that stopped by! Lots of fun! Take care, have a great weekend!

75 comments:

John said...

Hey Mr.Fritz whats up? My bad for taking long to check up.Attepmting to get to know the neighborhood.

Luke Fritz said...

Hey John!

Great to see you on here! How is life in Vancouver? We missed you on the last day of class! Anything cool going on this summer for you?

Abe said...

Hey John good to hear.
Mr. Fritz, i read on this rumor page that the blazers are intent on getting Hedo Turkoglu. Is there any truth in that?

John said...

Well Mr.Fritz most the time it's sunny so I guess thats a good thing. Well got some airsofting coming up soon hopefully. So how ya been Mr.Fritz?

Hey Abe hows it goin?

Abe said...

Pretty good.
'bout you? We missed you on the last day.

John said...

good
I'm good.
what did you guys do the last day?

Abe said...

Took pics and ate food. Plus us guys played some hoops.

John said...

sounds like you guys had fun yes?

Luke Fritz said...

We had tons of fun, like always! You can still read the class recap over at the original blog, if you like.

Abe,

There was some talk about going after Turkoglu (he's a free agent) - a lot of that came from Mike Barrett, the Blazers TV announcer. We won't know anything about that until July, because he can't sign until then. Did you see the trade the Blazers made today? Three draft picks to move up two spots! I'm guessing that we don't need all those extra picks...

Abe said...

DRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFFFFFFTT

DAAAAAAAYYYYY

Scout said...

wooohooo heys guys haven't been on here in a while how is everybody?

Abe said...

hey scout
sup

John said...

Hey Scout whats goin on?

Luke Fritz said...

Hi Scout!

I am doing great, but sad about Michael Jackson. Excited for the NBA Draft though!

Luke Fritz said...

BlazersEdge is reporting that Sergio might be traded to the Sacramento Kings for a draft pick. Not confirmed yet.

They are also reporting that we might be looking to trade up for Ty Lawson, a guard out of North Carolina. I LOVE Ty Lawson. Him, Ricky Rubio from Spain, and Stephon Curry are the guys I most like in this draft, outside of the consensus #1 pick, Blake Griffin.

Luke Fritz said...

Updated the main post to show that Sergio Rodriguez has been traded, along with the 38 pick, for pick 31 from Sacramento.

This is going to continue to be an interesting night, I am guessing.

Randi said...

OH MY GOD! MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD!!!

Luke Fritz said...

Randi,

I know! I wrote a little about it on this blog. Really sad. Bad week for celebrities: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and now Michael Jackson.

Luke Fritz said...

The absolutely fantastic NBA Commissioner David Stern tells us: "With the first pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Blake Griffin."

Griffin is a beast. I feel bad for him though, the Clippers are the worst franchise in sports, as Bill Simmons summed up well this week. Good luck to him!

Now, the draft gets interesting.

Abe said...

Te real MJ is dead. Sad

Wow excited for draft though.

Luke Fritz said...

Hasheem Thabeet, center from Connecticut (originally from Tanzania), was just drafted number #2 by Memphis. I am not too high on him, but we will see. Memphis is actually a really interesting team now.

Does Oklahoma City have the spine to pick Ricky Rubio here at #3?

Abe said...

No, too risky

Abe said...

james hardin is that his name

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

Looks like you were right - I would have gone with Rubio though, I think he is a fantastic talent.

James Harden (no relation to Mr. Hardin, I am guessing) picked #3. Again, interesting, but not that surprising.

Now, Sacramento worked out Rubio this week and reportedly did not like how he did... do they overcome that initial reaction?

Abe said...

I think he is still gonna be overlooked, Rubio.

Like Brady Quinn maybe

Lauren V. said...

Michael Jackson, Noo! Apparently Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon died as well.

Luke Fritz said...

Hi Lauren!

I know, so sad. I actually wrote about Ed and Farrah about 20 minutes ago to Randi too, haha.

Abe said...

trekevans yesssssss

No rubio yet

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

Looks like you are right! I REALLY want Rubio now. Tyreke Evans from Memphis was just taken by the Kings, who, remember, now have Sergio Rodriguez as well.

Abe said...

Next is curry or hill

Luke Fritz said...

That would not be surprising at all either. Though I somehow doubt with two picks in a row now that Minnesota (if they keep both) will pass on Rubio.

Luke Fritz said...

Yep. Ricky Rubio just got picked by Minnesota, with pick #5 in the draft. Minnesota has the next pick as well.

Rubio and Kevin Love - that will be a great passing combo!

Abe said...

DAAAAAAAANNG Rubio is gone

Death to Minnisota

Better get traded to us or else

Abe said...

I know they are gonna get Curry now. But why, i want him too

Luke Fritz said...

Yeah, that would be a good pick too. Lots of young talent on the Wolves if that happens.

Abe said...

But i dont get them getting rubio cause he is like a steve nash that should play under d antoni which is vert unlike minnisota to run

Abe said...

FLIIN

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

Minnesota doesn't even have a coach right now. I'm guessing that whoever they hire will have to explain how they will get Rubio to play effectively.

Umm... we have a trade in the works, I am almost sure of it. Jonny Flynn is a point guard too.

Unless they want to play both at once... something smells about this...

Abe said...

Heyyy they could be drfting for someone else.
YYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Luke Fritz said...

Stephen Curry just drafted by Golden State. Don Nelson sure does love his shooters...

New York fans are heated - they wanted him at the next pick.

Seriously, Minnesota is going to keep both Rubio and Flynn?

Abe said...

daaaang

Curry is gone

Abe said...

They cant keep both i know
Rubio for Bayless and all our picks

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

I'd do that, but I am pretty sure that the Timberwolves would not.

Word is that Rubio is headed to the New York Knicks...

Abe said...

If Hill gets picked th ee is gone

Abe said...

Its Hill
Say bye Lee

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

I think that Jordan Hill pick was for Minnesota. We will see though...

Abe said...

Does that mean Rubio is a Knick?

Luke Fritz said...

Not yet. It could mean that Flynn is a Knick. Or it could mean that the ESPN and BlazersEdge sources are wrong about a potential trade. All I know is that Minnesota having two rookie point guards is fishy.

Abe said...

DeRozn to Toronto

Luke Fritz said...

Brandon Jennings, who went to Europe for a year to play professionally out of high school, just drafted #10 by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Any second now, we are going to start hearing about some trades.

Abe said...

Brandon Jennings to Bucks of Miluakee

Abe said...

Thank goodness cause i want something big to happen

Abe said...

Any chance we get Rubio, Nash or Calderon

Luke Fritz said...

No way on Calderon, the Raptors love him. Nash, possibly (but not likely), because it seems like Phoenix is trying to rebuild now.

I think Rubio is going to the Knicks, but we will see.

Abe said...

Henderson Goes to them cats

Luke Fritz said...

I'm not going to lie, I love Tyler Hansbrough's game. "Psycho T" is right. Not sure how good he will be in Indiana, but you can't question his desire.

Luke Fritz said...

Okay, that was hilarious. After announcing the Earl Clark pick for Phoenix at 14, Brandon Jennings comes out and is introduced, even though he was picked at 10 by the Bucks and wasn't in the building because he was afraid he wouldn't be picked. So awkward...

Abe said...

How embarassing for Jennings. How will his counterparts think of him now? So sad

Abe said...

Was Daye chosen cause Tayshaun is gonna be gone?

Luke Fritz said...

Blazers Edge is hearing rumblings about Travis Outlaw being traded...

Yahoo Sports is saying that Rubio to the Knicks is close to 100%.

I seriously want Lawson!

Luke Fritz said...

I'm not sure about the Pistons pick. I don't know if Prince will be gone, but that seems unlikely to me.

Abe said...

If sixers dont get lawson then we have a good chance

Luke Fritz said...

And the 76ers pick Jrue Holiday. Abe, I think that if Atlanta doesn't pick Lawson, he is ours.

Abe said...

But the Hawks wont take him. They got one possiblely two if bibby signs. They have a new guy in a crawford so im not worried. But be worried of Hornets

Luke Fritz said...

HAHA! The Timberwolves have selected a third point guard in the first round. This is getting ridiculous. All I know is that there are hidden trades all over the place that we are going to hear about eventually.

Abe said...

Are you kidding me. Thatsthe third pg that they have. What do they think they are doing?

Luke Fritz said...

They are trading Lawson to Denver, ESPN is reporting.

Abe said...

For who and what?

Luke Fritz said...

They haven't said yet.

The Blazers are now assured of having either Blair or Collison available at 22 (we are up after the Hornets)!

Luke Fritz said...

Hornets take Darren Collison.

I am now 95% confident that the Blazers are going to take DeJuan Blair with the #22 pick in the draft. The 5% comes from Omri Casspi from Israel.

At least, I really hope it is Blair at this point, despite the fact that he has no ACLs.

Luke Fritz said...

WOW! That was unexpected.

Blazers pick Victor Claver from Spain at #22. My brother absolutely hates the pick. I think it is fine, IF we use the cap space that we get from stowing Claver overseas for a couple years to get a quality free agent THIS summer. That is acceptable.

Abe said...

Do we still not have any real news

Luke Fritz said...

Abe,

Not to my knowledge. I think the Blazers didn't pick Blair because of worries about his ACLs.

Andrew H. said...

Hey everyone!! Sorry I haven't been on in awhile, been pretty busy lately.

Seems like you guys are talking bout the blazers:)
Hope everyones summer is going well

Luke Fritz said...

Hey Andrew!

Great to see you stop by! I hope your summer is going great too!

Back to the draft:

The Blazers just drafted (through Sacramento) Jeff Pendergraph from Arizona State at #31, the first pick of the second round.

Sounds good. I'm fine with it - he had a great work out here in Portland.