7:28 p.m. I'm
here live in The Romm's bedroom giving you my thoughts almost minute by minute
of the NBA Draft. As a resident New York
Knicks fan I have a way to go until I get excited by the latest Isaiah Thomas
blunder plus I also can't wait for back to back Nets' picks. Warning though, I may fall asleep after a
long day at The Romm's other job (camp counselor) but will stay with the draft
as long as possible. Plus I will be
flipping back and forth from the Mets vs. Red Sox game which at the moment is
4-0 Red Sox...looks like the draft may keep my attention.
7:31 Player's are
being spotlighted in an ESPN commercial blatantly keeping up with the release
of the new Superman movie. LaMarcus Aldridge
was referred to as "Kryptonite" which means I don't really know what. The Italian guy Bargnani or however you spell
it apparently will go first.
7:33 David Stern
starts us off and gives us the many ways to watch the draft and refers to the
crowd as "rowdy". Then announces the
first pick but instead of saying the Italian's name says that the Raptors have
5 minutes on the clock. The Raptors'
draft room is a bunch of guys just chilling in a room. ESPN instead of focusing on the players in
the draft gives us information on GM Bryan Colangelo. Wow, I could care less.
7:36 They go to
Fran Frischilla whose credits are New Mexico
and St. John's. That does not make you credible.
7:37 First pick
made: Bargnani is apparently how you spell it.
Commissioner Stern apparently is nervous on pronouncing his name
mispronounces Raptors as RapTOURs. You
would have had to hear it to understand it.
7:38 Jay Bilas the NBA's Mel Kiper has some guy who's first
name is Yemi from Denver University or something like that as the seventh best center
in the draft. Thanks Jay!
7:39 All of the
ESPN analysts compare Bargnani to every European player in the league. Apparently a tall white guy who can shoot is
foreign to the United States. The Bulls are on the clock.
7:40 Really
awkward interview between Bargnani and Stuart Scott. I understand maybe two words the entire time
and neither of them are "Booyah"!
7:42 This Bulls' pick is killing me. Not only did we give up superstar playoff
performer Tim Thomas (who played for the Suns) but apparently a pick in next
year's draft.
7:43 The Bulls
select LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas. A fine selection but apparently they will
trade him to Portland for the 4th
pick and some guy named Krupka and future considerations. What are these future considerations
anyway? Will the Bulls GM call the
Portland GM one day and ask to borrow something and the Portland GM will have
to give it away without asking. Maybe
I'll figure this out by the end of this draft.
7:45 Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcat's are on the clock
and I wonder how good this team will be having top 10 picks the last three
years in a row. With Okafor, May and
Felton this team has some great college balers.
While checking the official site of the Bobcats the poll question is "Who
is your favorite Bobcats' draft pick?" "May, Okafor, Felton or Bernard
Robinson?" How does Bernard Robinson fit
into this?
7:48 Bobcats
select Adam Morrison from Gonzaga. My
personal favorite player already.
Watching in play in college he used to just move around the court
differently than every other player.
He's a special player who I guarantee will be a star in a few
years. But in the end the mustache will
be shaved. Bernard Robinson immediately
is excited about his new teammate.
7:52 Stu Scott
takes on Adam Morrison who looks depressed by being interviewed. Probably because Scott just compared Morrison
to Chris Dudley. Not because of his play
but because of the diabetes thing. Scott
brings up the crying and I wait for a new Kleenex campaign starring Morrison
and NFL draft pick Vernon Davis who cried his face off during that draft.
7:53 Dick Vitale calls the third pick in a row "The best
player he's ever seen" or something in that vicinity. Such high standards from Dickie V.
7:55 Portland
selects Tyrus Thomas for the Chicago Bulls.
That's so nice of them.
7:57 Still
haven't put the Mets game back on. To
find highlights of the game please refer to Bill Simmons' column who I'm sure
is doing the exact opposite and talking about how the Mets and Pedro Martinez
are losing to the Red Sox.
7:58 Stephen A.
Smith is mad at something. I try not to
listen to him too often. He's too
negative and gets too fired up for my tasted.
Plus he has very little credibility to be an NBA analyst.
8:00 Hawks are
picking and Andy Katz once again ruins the surprise that Shelden Williams from
Duke will be selected.
8:01 Stern says the
same thing Katz just said. Thanks
Andy. I'm not watching this for you to
tell me who is picked I'm watching for Stern to tell me. Anyway
Williams is also a great pick. In the Tournament this year
Williams
dominated while Redick choked.
8:02 Timberwolves are on the block and a lot of
players are could be picked because Andy Katz hasn't ruined it yet.
Adam Morrison just showed up on a
commercial about crying and the NBA and promises that people will cry because
of him and then talks about NBA Live the PS2 game. Kleenex I hear just became the official
sponsor of the NBA. Bernard Robinson
would never cry. BTW the Mets are now
down 5-0...just parental locked Sportnet New York
on my TV so I don't switch back.
8:06 ESPN shows JJ
Redick's reaction when Williams was picked.
It was the same as everyone else's, he turned around and clapped. JJ will probably have a few drinks while he
slips down the draft. Hopefully he
doesn't drive home.
8:07 Minnesota
selects Brandon Roy who rhymes with ESPN pick Randy Foye. Good pick, safe pick, first guard
selected. He's a great pick to
compliment Kevin Garnett. So far all
picks have been very good though I'm still not sold on Tyrus Thomas. He had a good NCAA Tournament but before that
I never heard of him.
8:10 Boston
is picking for the Trailblazers who made a really good trade once again. Jay Bilas already gives Randy Foye NBA Rookie
of the Year. Thanks Jay.
8:12 Stu Scott
asks Brandon Roy a very intelligent question about being a janitor. I can't feel my legs.
8:14 Boston
has taken 7 minutes under the 5 minute clock.
Why have the clock if you don't follow it?
8:16 Celtics
select Randy Foye for the Trailblazers.
Foye with Aldridge are going to be a great 1-2 punch for the
Trailblazers.
8:18 Finger slips
on the remote and for some reason I see the Mets are down 8-0.
Feeling like JJ Redick right now. Looked up some info on Bernard
Robinson. Michigan Wolverine who averages 5.3 points in
the NBA in two seasons. I hate Michigan.
8:21 Ric Bucher ruins the pick of course by saying the
Rockets are taking Rudy Gay then sending him to Memphis for Shane
Battier. Don't like the trade at all. Let's see if that
actually goes down.
8:22 Rockets take Gay as expected and Hilton
Armstrong who decided to wear suspenders tonight gives a better reaction than
Redick for Williams. If the trade goes
down the Rockets are making a bad decision.
Gay can be a superstar if he wants to.
Battier is a role player but the Rockets with Gay and McGrady would be
more explosive than Battier and McGrady.
8:27 Golden
State is up soon. Once again the clock has run up and Dan
Patrick is talking.
8:28 David Stern
messes up again and calls Patrick O'Bryant the 10th pick when
obviously he is number 9. He is
humongous and you can't teach height.
Bilas tells us all about O'Bryant's hands. I don't like "maybe" picks in the top
10. Too much is riding on picks like
that.
8:31 Dan Patrick
teases us about a huge trade as they go to commercial. Oh Boy!
If the trade involves the Knicks trading for Bernard Robinson I may jump
off my roof.
8:33 Blade: The
Series commercial runs on ESPN. Not
really sure how you can have three movies with Wesley Snipes as Blade then
substitute some other guy in for the show.
8:34 More teasing
by Patrick about some trade as the go to an interview with O'Bryant as Stu
Scott asks him about cheesecake. I don't
care.
8:35 Patrick says
volatile and unpredictable again. Katz then announces Brandon Roy and Randy
Foye have been traded for each other.
Why select a player then trade him for a guy you could have had if you
drafted him.
8:36 Seattle
selects Saer Sene from Senegal
and calls him Mohammed Sene and mispronounces Mohammed.
Apparently Dan Patrick tells us he has really
long arms. Never actually hear of this
guy. When will Yemi finally get picked. Apparently he
averaged 3 points a game in Belgium. That's not supposed to be a
top 10 pick. They say he's two years away from being
ready. What a waste of a pick.
8:37 Stephen A. Smith
has said everything I've typed so far.
Weird.
8:41 After 4
minutes of nothing we have Commissioner Stern telling us that the Magic select JJ
Redick. I like JJ though he ruined my
NCAA Tourney pool by losing. He's an
amazing shooter and Dick Vitale is in love with JJ. Says Redick's one of the "best players in the
draft." So who's not one of the best
player's in the draft? Penn
State's own Travis Parker?
8:42 Bilas says
Redick is a better now than several years ago.
Of course Redick would have been 14 then and would have been an illegal
pick.
8:45 As the
analysts babble on about nothing I'd like to apologize by the absence of my
Michael Doleac blog of the playoffs. Apparently doing nothing for 3 months isn't
interesting to write about.
8:46 Noticed the
Heat have no draft picks in the entire draft.
Like they need anyone else.
8:47 Hornets
select Hilton Armstrong from Connecticut. Unfortunately we do not see Rudy Gay's
reaction which I'm sure was that of pure excitement...or not. Marcus Williams gives his teammate a few
claps then sees that he's on the top of Jay Bilas' top players remaining list.
8:51 Like to take
a moment of silence in honor of my goldfish Ned of the last 9 and a half years
who died today. He was a good goldfish
and he will be missed. My next pet will
most definitely be named Bernard or Yemi.
8:53 Stern finally
announces trades that we knew about an hour and a half ago. While Philly selects Thabo Sefolosha from Switzerland
who looks like American Idol's Cory Clark.
No clue about him but I did have to type without looking at the keyboard
and had to stare at the TV to figure out how to spell his name. Apparently he's a defensive machine.
8:55 Chicago
apparently just acquired Sefolosha thanks to Andy Katz telling us. Thanks for making me spell Sefolosha
again. Sefolsha apparently speaks better
English than every player so far in the draft.
With Thomas and Sefolosha on the Bulls they may be the first team to
actually win by a shutout.
8:59 David Stern
rips on Dan Patrick in front of the crowd and makes a football joke. Jazz select Ronnie Brewer who I swear they
have already. Ronnie Brewer sounds like
one of those guys who are signed to two week contracts at the end of the
year. This Brewer apparently is much
better than all of those guys combined.
His dad Ron is just happy to be back on TV.
9:03 Stern
announces another trade we know then the Hornets select Cedric Simmons
from NC
State. Another player from a team that
screwed my Tournament bracket. I give
him three years and he'll be good. I
just have a feeling about this guy for some weird reason. Can't
place it though. Still mad at NC State's Mario Williams for
ruining my NFL Draft preview. That's why
I didn't do a mock draft for this one.
It only ends up with me looking bad every time.
9:09 I almost fall
asleep due to my tough day as camp counselor for a bunch of 8 year olds. I will make it through this.
9:10 Bulls select
Rodney Carney who is a very good player.
He will help this team next year because of his abilities. Good
thing he was picked by the Bulls for
Philly because he would not fit in with the Bulls. Great fit for
Philly. Carney's probably glad he was picked after he
keeps getting featured in ESPN NBA draft commercials.
9:12 Pacers are on
the clock and I guarantee whoever they pick I will not like. As a
Knicks' fan I just don't like Indiana. It's that whole Reggie
Miller thing. Hoping someone selects Marcus Williams before
the Knicks' pick. Can't afford another
guard on this team. We need some
height. Of course Isaiah Thomas will
probably select someone who already has a maximum contract.
9:17 Not even
going to bother talking about the trade Stern just announced.
I've mentioned it 8 or 9 times already. Just learned the guy's
name isn't Krupka who
was traded. Shawne Williams was just
drafted by Indiana and Jay Bilas
is in panic mode. He wasn't even near
the top of his charts. Indiana
always takes very young players and he'll fit in nicely.
9:20 Danny Granger
is interviewed though they have no video feed of him. Dan Patrick is shown smiling for two minutes.
9:21 Dan Patrick
tells us that Larry Bird is somewhere and puts him on hold. He has gone too far.
9:23 Wizards
select Oleksiy Pecherov from Ukraine. Oksana Bauul celebrates. He's European so I assume he is either a
great outside shooter or very tall.
Apparently he is 6'10" and is a great rebounder. Wow, amazing!
9:25 Dan Patrick
allows Larry Bird to grace his presence and questions his draft pick. How dare he?
Larry Bird does what Larry Bird wants.
9:26 Spike Lee is
shown in the crowd. As a fellow Knicks'
fan I like Spike Lee. Though I have
never watched one of his movies. Not
even He Got Game.
9:27 Just saw the
worst movie preview ever- My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Doesn't look
funny or interesting. Looks rather dumb. And that's coming
from the guy who paid to
see Nacho Libre.
9:29 Kings select
Quincy Douby from Rutgers who I witnessed slaughter Penn
State at Penn
State. Don't really want to talk about what happened
after that game but if you ask the DCMetrosports hockey writer Mr. Schmitt he
may fill you in. This guy can shoot. Knicks are next!!!!!!!
9:30 Dan Patrick
every time a team is about to pick says that the team is on the clock. Someone should tell him that they are off the
clock when they pick.
9:33 My
buddy/agent Justin called me and said that the Knicks selected me! Nothing like a 5'9" center for the Knicks in
Jamie "Air Jerusalem" Romm. I like that
pick a lot. Nothing like an under six
foot center to add to the under 6'5" forwards of the Knicks.
9:34 HERE WE
GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9:35 Stern teases
the NY fans and announces a trade we already knew about. I'm
getting sick of this. He's stalling on purpose I know it.
9:36 Knicks take
Renaldo Balkman from South Carolina
who I have never heard of. At least we
took a forward even though he's only 6'6" and a half. Jay Bilas is literally stunned and calls
Balkman a second round talent. Bilas
says "stunned at least 10-15 times. Knicks'
fans around the world hang themselves.
9:39 I lose all
respect for Spike Lee as he says sleeper pick over and over. We could have had him at 29 but we were too
afraid another team might accidentally take him. So dumb.
9:40 Suns select
Rajan Rondo who apparently will go to Boston
in a deal where Phoenix gets no one
but Boston agrees to take on Brian
Grant and his contract. That'll build up
a guy's confidence. You are traded for
no one and are sent with a first round pick.
Rondo is a very good player but he is a better fit for Boston
than Phoenix. The Mets have now cut the score to 10-2
against the Sox. What a great night so
far. Let's sum up my night so far. My goldfish died, the Mets are getting
slaughtered and the Knicks took some guy named Balkman. This is not the night for The Romm.
9:44 Hoping the
Nets select Marcus Williams with one of the next two picks. As a frustrated Knicks fan I have always had
a lot of respect for the Nets and the way they play basketball. Unlike the Knicks they are fun to watch.
9:46 Nets select
Marcus Williams and are immediately the smartest team in the draft. They are also cheered by the New
York crowd.
Isaiah Thomas doesn't really care.
Williams is a great pick for the Nets because he won't have
to be a star right away with Jason Kidd on the floor. The Nets now need a big man with the next
pick and they are the smartest team alive.
9:50 No clue why
the Nets are taking the full time to pick here.
They must have had a couple guys they wanted with the pick and they took
one of them. Just take the other.
9:51 Nets select
Josh Boone to complete the UCONN connection.
That's a great idea took select the Jar Jar Binks look alike to play
with his teammate Williams. Never
thought he was actually good in college but Jason Kidd makes everyone look good
around him when he plays.
9:56 Memphis
is up and takes Kyle Lowry from Villanova.
Quick note: David Stern had trouble saying NBA. These foreigners have finally taken a toll on
Stern to a point where he can't pronounce the league's name. Lowry is a safe pick as a guard this late in
the draft.
10:00 I've been
sitting here writing for the last two and a half hours. The time I put into entertaining you people
in the end is always worth it. Though my
fingers really hurt.
10:02 Jay Bilas
just said that Cleveland needs a
shooter who can make shots. Doesn't
every team need that? And why was
Maurice Ager in the ESPN commercials anyway?
Will he be drafted in the first round?
10:03 Cleveland
takes Shannon Brown from Michigan State
who I witnessed beat Penn State
on numerous occasions. Never thought he
was an NBA player but what do I know?
I've been watching a bunch of nobodies play for PSU for the last three years.
10:05 ESPN wastes
Jim Gray's time by making him the Lakers' draft expert. The guy is an accomplished reporter and they
have him available for a two minute speech.
10:06 Dan Patrick
calls Jerry West the "Logo" five times to his face. That has to be so awkward. He knows he's the NBA logo, it's not
something you call someone. It's like
calling Dave Thomas' daughter Wendy "The Fast Food Logo."
10:10 Lakers
select Jordan Farmar from UCLA. The
local product is a good fit. I think
this might actually work for the Lakers.
Four more picks to go and one of them is the Knicks. Then I'm passing out from exhaustion.
10:11 We learn
that Farmar is apparently a part of the Shaq deal from a few years
ago. I bet he has no idea. Dan Patrick teases us with
another trade
rumor as they go to break. Oh Dan, why
must you tease us so?
10:14 Ric Bucher
tells us the trade of pick Sergio Rodriguez to Portland
for cash. Probably a couple bucks.
10:15 Suns
officially take Rodriguez and is apparently known as "Spanish Chocolate." Another rookie that Portland
has. They are going to be really good in
a couple years.
10:19 The
Mavericks select Maurice Ager who is finally selected and actually looks happy
as opposed to relieved. I remember that
he was a good player for the Spartans which should transfer to the NBA. Dick Vitale agrees with me that this was a
good pick. Though I said it without
sounding like I'm extremely excited. Knicks are next. Notice I'm not so excited anymore.
10:22 After
watching this draft and the NFL draft I have to question my sanity as a Knicks
and Jets fan. How do I keep watching
these things?
10:24 The Knicks
take Mardy Collins from Temple. THEY NEED A BIG MAN!!!!! STOP
TAKING
GUARDS!!!! At least he's taller than the forward we took before.
I hate the Knicks now with a passion. We didn't need a guard.
10:28 Dan Patrick
asks Suns coach Mike D'Antoni about not having any picks in the
draft. How do you answer that question? All I wanted to
hear was, "Because every
player on our team is better than every player in this draft."
10:30 Portland
is now picking for the one millionth time in this draft and is the last pick of the
first round. My fingers are very
happy. They decide on Joel Freeland from
England. Pretty random to me. Apparently he stuffs groceries at a
supermarket.
First round thoughts.
The best draft has to go to Memphis
for getting Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry.
Those guys will fit in right away and help them. Worst draft is the Knicks who made everyone
upset. More in depth after draft
analysis coming soon for that's all The Romm has to say about the draft.
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