At 7 p.m. tonight questions will begin to be answered. We'll find out if the Bulls are really going to pass up Beasley for Rose. If Pat Riley was able to work out any kind of deal to move out of the #2 slot so he can choose a lesser player than Beasley. We'll see if Memphis will continue their epic quest to the bottom by trading away the #5 pick. We'll see how Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni plan to dig the Knicks out of Isiah's mess.
So many questions to be answered. If you take a cold-hard look at the situation, the Sixers will not be able to trade up into the top 10, so you can probably cross these names off your wish list:
- Rose
- Beasley
- Mayo
- Love
- Bayless
- Alexander
- Brooke Lopez
- Westbrook
- Galinari
- Gordon
I'll be shocked if any one of those guys makes it out of the top 10. If they do, it means someone reached. If a couple of teams reach, or if the top five or six picks don't play out as expected, an opportunity could present itself for the Sixers, but chances are, it isn't happening.
For a good look at the Sixers' options at #16, check out
Them's Good Eaton. I wholeheartedly agree with his take on things. When the clock strikes midnight I'll probably be scouring the Internet for every video I can find of the newest Sixer(s). I'll be wrapping my mind around what the newest addition(s) will mean for the guys already on the team and what the direction Ed Stefanski took in the draft will mean for the free agent and trade markets which will open on July 1st.
I'm going in hoping for that miracle trade that brings Kevin Love to Philly, but more than anything I'm hoping I don't see Anthony Randolph's bulimic ass in a Sixers hat up at the podium.
I don't think this is the type of draft that's going to shift the balance of power, at lest the guys being selected won't. The trades might. Still, I'll be here throughout. Actually, I won't be here, per se. I'll be over at
Arin It Out for his live blog of the draft. If you guys are online, stop by. There's a reminder form at the bottom of this post.
I'll keep my eye on the wires throughout the day and keep the site updated with the latest rumors. Tonight is the official beginning of the '08-'09 season for me. Let's hope it gets started on a good note.
I'm actually attending the draft, but for those of you watching at home, this is much better news than whoever our pick will be:
http://deadspin.com/5018398/the-continued-downsizing-of-stephen-a-smith
How much longer is Stephen A. going to be employed at all?
Are you attending the draft in a professional capacity, or just as a fan?
Fan. And the fact that ESPN and draftexpress both say DeAndre's the pick scares me.
Scares me too, but better him than Randolph.
Lots of trade activity in the past 72 hours. Should be an interesting night.
I want to make the move to get Kevin Love. Badly.
It seems like Memphis' asking price for the #5 pick keeps dropping. David Lee's agent apparently told them he wouldn't sign long-term to play in Memphis, so that deal is off the table. I heard they were considering swapping with the Nets for the #10 pick and a future first-rounder.
I like how things are shaping up at the top, but If we want Love, I firmly believe that we need to leapfrog Charlotte to ensure he's there. I think he's a lock to go to the Bobcats if he's available at their spot.
Hey Brian, thanks for the linkage and the comment. I generally defer to you on pretty much everything Sixers-related, so I'm glad to hear we're on the same page with this stuff.
I'll be looking forward to your recap afterwards. Fingers crossed we don't have to scurry around trying to find a silver lining in picking DeAndre Jordan or Anthony Randolph...