It's one of
my favorite nights of the year: The NBA Draft!
I love
everything about this event: the anticipation, the hope, the wingspan
discussion, the awkward tension in the green room...and THE CLOTHES! Lots of
upside potential in the building tonight.
For the
first time in 30 years, first-round draftees will be strolling across the stage
to shake Commissioner Adam Silver's hand. (The draft was first televised in
1980, David Stern was named NBA Commissioner in 1984.) Will the Barclays Center
fans boo him like they did to Stern?
Prospective
#1 pick Joel Embiid (Center, Kansas) threw GMs a curve ball this week, by
heading into surgery to repair a broken right foot. So we're all waiting to see what the
Cleveland Cavs do with the top pick. Roll the dice with Embiid? Switch to Embiid's
college teammate Andrew Wiggins (Guard, Kansas)? Or maybe take Jabari Parker (Forward, Duke)
even though he allegedly tanked his tryout and doesn't seem to want to play in
Cleveland? Owner Dan Gilbert tried to squash the rumors on Wednesday that they are arguing internally
about which player to pick, but no one really knows what they will do.
7:00pm
It is T-minus
30 minutes before the show starts--are you ready??
(For those
of you who enjoy the "wingspan" drinking game...Bilas is ready!)
Jay Bilas
@JayBilas
7:08pm
Let's kick
this Draft Night LiveBlog off with some sage advice from a draft day veteran,
Jalen Rose:
YouTube:
Jalen Rose's Draftee Draft Night Kit
7:12pm
DA is the
truth, people--don't mess with him. Especially on Draft Night
Just making my annual pre-Draft announcement: when I
know the picks, I'm Tweeting them. Period. Don't bother arguing w/me.
7:15pm
In the
spirit of upside potential--let's just admire Wiggins's draft day suit. Hat tip
to SB Nation for securing a Vine to capture the shoes and glasses (See Jalen's
tip in the YouTube clip above)
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/6/26/5846908/andrew-wiggins-nba-draft-suit
7:18pm
Wizards beat
writer Michael Lee agrees:
Andrew
Wiggins should go No. 1 overall based on his suit selection. Any kid with the
confidence to pull that off will be a star in the NBA
7:26pm
The stage is set--the
board is ready--LET'S DO THIS!
We're just minutes away
from names starting to appear next to team logos on this board.
7:31pm
Mostly cheers and a smattering of boos for
Silver as he kicks off the draft. (They like him! Or at least they like him
better than Stern, who relished the role of the villain on draft night.)
Definitely boos as Silver acknowledges the Championship Spurs.
7:32pm
Silver's brief speech at the open is a nice
touch. He's helping to craft the narrative for the evening by naming
"hidden gems" from past drafts. Like Kawhi Leonard: a bargain at #15
(drafted in 2011 by the Spurs...they do an amazing job with player development:
Robinson, Duncan, Ginobili Leonard). MVP, MVP!
7:33pm
Cavs on the clock--this is the third time
they've had the #1 pick in the last 4 years
7:36pm
Jalen calls back to his infamous 1994 red draft
day suit with the bright red tie and lapel rose tonight in the ESPN analyst
chair.
7:39pm
Already running late on
the first pick---is there a trade brewing, or did Adam Silver's watch stop
working?
7:40pm
Cavs take
Wiggins--another #1 Canadian! (Anthony Bennett, also picked #1 by the Cavs in
2013 hails from Toronto).
Plus, more prime airtime
for THAT SUIT!!!
7:41pm
Wiggins should feel at
home--they have Canadian-like weather in Cleveland
Dr. Naismith is smiling
in heaven (He's a Canadian too...)
7:43pm
I love that we've
progressed to "Who are you wearing?" at the NBA Draft
#fashionforward
UPDATE: Fun fact from Elias
Sports Bureau:
Sidebar on the fun
fact: The Dannys were both drafted by the LA Clippers.
Danny Manning was
drafted after winning the 1988 NCAA Championship with Kansas (defeating Ferry's
Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four.) He played six seasons with the Clippers
and 16 total in the NBA. Manning is now the head coach of Wake Forest, the
college of current Clips All-Star PG Chris Paul.
Danny Ferry spurned the
Clippers after they drafted him at #2 and spent his first pro season playing
for Il Messaggero in Rome, Italy. He never suited up for the Clips, but there's
still a photo in the NBA archives with him in the Clips hat, and a very
disappointed look on his face. Ferry is now GM of the Atlanta Hawks, and is
making decisions about the #15 and #43 picks tonight.
7:46pm
New Milwaukee Bucks
owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens got the guy they wanted at #2: Jabari
Parker. This is Duke's 8th top three draft pick since 1985.
Remember the buzz about
Edens's daughter Mallory on lottery day?
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/daughter-bucks-owner-stars-nba-draft-lottery-article-1.1800500
7:46pm
TRUTH!
Now the Draft begins
for real.
7:52pm
The post-surgery
pain-killers seem to be working on Embiid...he could not be more nonplussed
about being selected #3 by the Philadelphia 76ers as he sits in his recovery
room (H/T to SB Nation for the excellent Vine).
Joel, you’re a Philadelphia 76er! Joel!
Joel? JOEL?!?!?!?!?!
https://vine.co/v/Mt9ujqDJqBJ
7:54pm
OK, so it was a DELAYED
REACTION, not the drugs...(gotta love the SB Nation GIFs to capture
EVERYTHING!)
SB Nation GIF @SBNationGIF
Wait nevermind, Joel is
happy.
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