Those that read my blog on a regular basis know my thoughts on the NBA. Last year I stated that the draft was the equivalent of a funeral for the players I enjoyed watching in college. It was one last chance to see them before they faded into the nothingness of the NBA.

This year’s draft is like a funeral for a long-lost great aunt I haven’t seen in a decade and almost forgot was alive to start with. The passing requires my attention, but in the end I really don’t care that much. Maybe it’s because of the problems the NBA has had over the last year (which I will talk about in more detail later). Maybe it’s because very few of my favorite players from favorite will probably be drafted. Maybe the fact the draft is so pathetically weak except for the top two players.

Whatever the case may be, I’m about as excited about this as a fried liver sandwich. I guess I’ll just close my eyes and eat it. Here comes the first bite.

1st pick. – Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls. The NBA is very much a follow-the-leader type of league. With the success of Chris Paul and Deron Williams, scoring guards are a hot commodity. Although Michael Beasley is the best player in the NBA draft, Rose is a good fit for Chicago. The Bulls have drafted power forwards the past two years. A guard with leadership ability might be just what this teams needs.

2nd pick. Michael Beasley, Miami Heat. The best player in the draft goes to a team that desperately needs a good big man. With Dwane Wade and Shawn Marion back and healthy, the addition of Beasley will make the Heat a contender again this year in the Eastern Division.

3rd pick. O.J. Mayo, Minnesota Timberwolves. I’m not completely sold on Mayo. At USC he had a chance to be “The Man.” However, he was good, not great. A good defensive player, decent scorer and athlete, he’ll be that kind of guy who will have an average career except in contract years, which will make him overpaid over the course of his career.

I hate that they talk to the players live. The number of clichés they spit out makes me ready to vomit.

A friend just texted me about the Bucks trade. I quickly flipped over to SI.com to see the details. After processing it for about ten minutes now, I’m not sure what I think. Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. I’ve said all year that there is only one untouchable player on the Bucks, and that is Andrew Bogut. Still, I don’t think the Bucks got enough in this trade, although it’s probably better then anything that former GM Lenny Harris would have pulled off.

I like Jefferson and think he is one of the best small forwards in basketball. The Bucks were able to dump one of their overpriced contracts signed by Harris. The got rid of a player that did not want to be on the team, and probably would not have resigned once his rookie contract expires. Personally I think they could have got more based on Yi’s potential. I’m not asking for a lot more, maybe a draft pick from New Jersey to help build the team further. However, I now wonder what the Bucks will do with their pick, as Alexander was considered the top prospect for the Bucks. Hum, look where we are in the draft…

8th pick. Joe Alexander, Milwaukee Bucks. Like every player at the top of this draft, I’m not sold on Alexander. However, I do think that new general manager John Hammond drafted the best player available in the draft regardless of position. Alexander is crazy athletic and an exciting player. He played for Bob Huggins, so he’ll have some toughness coming into the NBA. I think there will be more deals in this draft by the Bucks, and that the strength of this draft lies in the later part of the first round. Maybe the Bucks position themselves to take advantage of that.

The best part for me is Alexander is not a soft power forward.

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Really not too into the draft this year for the previously mentioned reasons, so here are some notes as they come up.

My all-draft team for this year:
C – Brook Lopez, New Jersey
PF – Michael Beasley – Miami
SF – Joe Alexander – Milwaukee
SG – Brandon Rush – Portland
PG – Derrick Rose – Chicago

I thought about making a second team, but there was no point guard worthy of inclusion.

Players I like that were drafted later or not yet drafted:

Donte’ Green – needs one more year of college, but has a chance to be great
Roy Hibbert – you still can’t go wrong with a Georgetown center
D.J White – was a leader on Indiana this year and a monster inside
Mario Chalmers – probably the second best point guard in the draft
Chris Douglas-Roberts – reminds me of Michael Redd
Joey Dorsey – OWNED Kevin Love in the plalyoffs. A man among boys.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute – Possibly the best defensive player in the draft
Michael Flowers – Possibly the best defensive player in the draft, offense getting better

There are two Badgers that will get tryouts in the NBA if not drafted – Flowers and Brian Butch. Butch likely won’t make a team, but Flowers stands a good chance of landing somewhere.

More to come.
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The new NBA deputy commissioner is being booed by the crowd at Madison Square Garden.  Nothing surprising there.

I shouldn’t have made the “best players” list, as  White, Chalmers and Dorsey just flew off the board.  The Trailblazers are on the clock, followed by the Bucks.  Personally I’m hoping for Douglas-Roberts.

37th pick. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks.  While I would love a backup guard like Douglas-Roberts, I love a good defensive player, as does Scott Skiles.  Mind you, The Bucks now have an abundance of small forwards.  Maybe Mbah a Moute will play a little power forward.

40th pick. Chris Douglas-Roberts, New Jersey Nets.  Every year, one team impresses me more then others with their moves.  This year that team is the Nets.  They started the move to a younger team when they traded Jason Kidd for Devon Harris midway through the season.  Picking up Yi and Simmons from the Bucks was a big move. Brook Lopez and Douglas-Roberts were both the best players available when the Nets picked, and they didn’t hesitate to take them.  Now, if they had taken Donte’ Green instead of Ryan Anderson, it would have been the perfect draft.  Still, they become one of my favorite teams to watch.