First Round

1) Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma

2) Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut

3) Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden, G, Arizona State

4) Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis

5) Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, G, Spain

6) Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse

7) Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson

8) New York Knicks: Jordan Hill, F, Arizona

9) Toronto Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G, USC

10) Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings, G, Italy

11) New Jersey Nets: Terrence Williams, G, Louisville

12) Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, G, Duke

13) Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansborough, F, North Carolina

14) Phoenix Suns: Earl Clark, F, Louisville

15) Detroit Pistons: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga

16) Chicago Bulls: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

17) Philadelphia 76ers: Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA

18) Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson, G, North Carolina

19) Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague, G, Wake Forest

20) Utah Jazz: Eric Maynor, G, Virginia Commonwealth

21) New Orleans Hornets: Darren Collison, G, UCLA

22) Portland Trailblazers: Victor Claver, F, Spain

23) Sacramento Kings: Omri Casspi, F, Israel

24) Oklahoma City Thunder: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State

25) Dallas Mavericks: Rodrique Beaubois, G, Guadeloupe

26) Chicago Bulls: Taj Gibson, F, USC

27) Memphis Grizzlies: DeMarre Carroll, F, Missouri

28) Minnesota Timberwolves: Wayne Ellington, G, North Carolina

29) New York Knicks: Toney Douglas, G, FSU

30) Cleveland Cavaliers: Christian Eyenga, G-F, Congo

Second Round

31) Portland Trail Blazers: Jeff Pendergraph, F, Arizona State

32) Washington Wizards: Jermaine Taylor, G, UCF traded to Rockets

33) Portland Trailblazers: Dante Cunningham, F, Villanova

34) Denver Nuggets: Sergio Llull, F, Spain

35) Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Summers, F, Georgetown

36) Memphis Grizzlies: Sam Young, F, Pittsburgh

37) San Antonio Spurs: DeJuan Blair, F, Pittsburgh

38) Sacramento Kings: Jon Brockman, F, Washington

39) Detroit Pistons: Jonas Jerebko, F, Sweden

40) Charlotte Bobcats: Derrick Brown, F, Xavier

41) Milwaukee Bucks: Jodie Meeks, G, Kentucky

42) Miami Heat: Patrick Beverley, G, Ukraine

43) New Orleans Hornets: Marcus Thornton, G, LSU

44) Houston Rockets: Chase Budinger, F, Arizona

45) Minnesota Timberwolves: Nick Calathes, G, Florida

46) Cleveland Cavaliers: Danny Green, F, North Carolina

47) Minnesota Timberwolves: Henk Norel, F, Netherlands

48) Phoenix Suns: Taylor Griffin, F, Oklahoma

49) Atlanta Hawks: Sergey Gladyr, G, Serbia

50) Utah Jazz: Goran Suton, C, Michigan State

51) San Antonio Spurs: Jack McClinton, G, Miami

52) Indiana Pacers: A.J. Price, G, Connecticut

53) San Antonio Spurs: Nando De Colo, G, France

54) Oklahoma City Thunder: Robert Vaden, G, UAB

55) Portland Trailblazers: Patrick Mills, G, St. Mary’s

56) Dallas Mavericks: Ahmad Nivins, F, St. Joe’s

57) Phoenix Suns: Emir Preldzic, F, Bosnia

58) Boston Celtics: Lester Hudson, G, Tennessee-Martin

59) Los Angeles Lakers: Chinemelu Elonu, F-C, Texas A&M

60) Miami Heat: Robert Dozier, F, Memphis

James Harden Ended up with the Thunder (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 NBA Draft Results – 1st and 2nd Rounds

John Calipari has a team full of talented players, including John Wall — the No. 1 prospect in the nation.

First, Patrick Patterson withdraws from the NBA draft and decides to return to school. Then John Wall, the nation’s number one recruit and lighting-quick point guard, decides to sign with Kentucky.

I’m guessing that Coach Cal is chomping at the bit to get the 2009-2010 basketball season underway.

Even though Kentucky already signed Eric Bledsoe, another talented point guard, Wall is excited to compete for the starting position.

“Being able to play against Eric (Bledsoe) is a big plus,” he said, according to Rivals.com.

Duke, Miami and Florida were also at the top of Wall’s list. But playing for Coach Cal and the situation that has opened up for Kentucky is what ultimately swayed his decision. Wall joins No. 2 ranked prospect DeMarcus Cousins, No. 22 ranked prospect Daniel Orton, Bledsoe (No. 23 overall) and four-star prospects John Hood and Darnell Dodson. (As well as returning star, Patrick Patterson.)

Does anyone really want to question Coach Cal’s move from Memphis to Kentucky at this point?

Visit Rivals.com for John Wall’s scouting report.

Image: Zuma

Post from: EveryJoe

John Wall — No. 1 Recruit — Picks A School

There was hardly a blink of an eye when Hasheem Thabeet, Ty Lawson and Blake Griffin — for example — announced that they were entering the 2009 NBA Draft.

UCONN Center Hasheem Thabeet hired an agent as is more than ready for the NBA.

But players like Eric Devendorf and Roderick Flemings (Hawaii … I know …) make us scratch our heads and say, “Huh?”

The NBA Draft is a tricky thing. It’s like Forrest Gump and his box o’ chocolates — “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

The following is a list of underclassmen who have decided to “test” out the NBA Draft. Some have hired an agent, others have not.

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Who’s Testing The NBA Draft?

Bill Plashke and others have different opinions on the rule of the “you must be 19 and one year removed from high school to enter the NBA draft”. Many athletes have gone the college route and most of the top prospects have left after one year there. But Brandon Jennings could help change things. He decided to take the overseas route instead of going to a place that recruited him, The University of Arizona. And Lute Olson is deciding to change his whole aspect on recruiting because of it.

“It’s a situation now that if someone’s a ‘one-and-done,’ we’re not going to pursue them anymore, no way,” Olson said from his Tucson office. (LA Times)

Lute Olson wants the rules to change. Either enter the NBA draft out of high school or spend no less than two years in college. He no longer wants to deal with the one and done athletes. Of course he could be reeling from losing two potential point guards for next year. Jerryd Bayless who left after one year to enter the NBA draft and Brandon Jennings who was on course to attend Arizona. But there are others who feel differently.

“We don’t know who’s going to go,” Boeheim said. “You try to get the best 11 players you can. Guys will leave . . . it’s a fact of life . . . but you still have 10 guys. When we recruit, we try to get the best one we can and hope he’s good enough to win you a national championship, like Carmelo Anthony. But you have to be prepared for guys leaving, like Carmelo did. (LA Times)

Some might find it noble to hear that Lute Olson is doing this. But can you really tell whether or not a player is going to leave early? Yes there are some like Greg Oden and O.J. Mayo who would have been able to be a top pick out of high school. But some of these athletes really do need that year in college. Imagine if Kwame Brown went to college. Do you really think he would have been the #1 player in the NBA draft that next year? Him being a #1 NBA draft pick probably had something to do with the NBA instituting this rule.

We all know that this rule helps the NBA with their overall talent. But everyone has different opinions on whether or not this is good for college basketball. The rule is the rule at least until 2011. Will it change then?

Post from: EveryJoe

One and Done? Get Out of Lute Olson’s Face.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Life of Stephen A. Smith

1.  The Suit. Who can forget Jalen Rose’s suit in the 1994 NBA Draft. Or last year when Joakim Noah showed in that bow tie. Let’s hope this year won’t be boring and bring us the suit of all suits.

2.  The Boos. We can all thank the New York fans for taking time out of their busy schedules to come down and show their true feelings when a team makes a pick they don’t like. Don’t worry, we’re all booing at the TV when it happens too. Goodness this makes me anxious to see who the Knicks will pick.

3.  Stephen A. Smith. Cheez Doodles Rule! Whether you love him or loathe him, you have to admit that he is quite entertaining. Though his usual spot at the NBA draft has “downsized”, he’ll still be there.

4.  Bye Bye Mock Drafts. Don’t get me wrong, I read the mock drafts. But after reading so many and driving myself crazy over who will get picked where, it will be nice to actually see fact instead of reading fiction.

5.  The Family. When the athlete gets announced as a draft pick, and that said athlete is in the arena, the family is usually sitting with him. Let the happiness ensue!

Post from: EveryJoe

5 Reasons Why The NBA Draft Is "Da Bomb"