[Izulde]

2011 Draft - 1st Round
1. PF Ryan Hoiberg - Sacramento Kings

I get a trade offer right off the bat. Two of them. Detroit offers Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum for Raymond Felton. ...Yeah, no. Miami offers me a scrub for one of my scrubs and even though their scrub is better, I don't want to give them any satisfaction or risk cutting into Eric Bledsoe's PT, so I decline.

2. PF Germayne Postell - Toronto Raptors

...Wow. Not Johnson. Crazy. Another offer, this one Danny Granger for Joakim Noah. Blockbuster and a half. It'd kill us in the post, but Granger was a very worthy All-NBA 3rd Team and he gives us that scoring star we need to give Stephen Curry some help. He's also an excellent defender.

On the other hand, we have Nicolas Batum, a great defender in his own right, and one of my personal favorite players. Noah has also been our glue guy at center.

Hell with it. I take it and I'll review the deal later.

3. SG Nick Perry - Charlotte Bobcats

Hmm. This is familiar. College hero goes to local team. In this case, literally so, as Perry played for UNC-Charlotte. I finally get around to looking at our scouting reports and ...yeah, I see why Chris Johnson is slipping. Some worrying signs about him.

4. PF Arlon Knight - Minnesota Timberwolves
5. SF Brandon Molnar - Detroit Pistons

Another offer, but I'm not going to post them all, especially when they're as dull as this one.

6. C Brad Jones - Washington Wizards

...Shit. He shouldn't be up this high. I call Washington to see if they want to cut a deal. No go. Damn it. I want my Runnin' Rebel at center.

But the Wizards refuse everything I throw at them, including Batum and Felton. Sigh.

7. SG Rodney Perry - Phoenix Suns
8. PF Wesley Worrell - Cleveland Cavaliers (Boo UNR).
9. C Chris Johnson - Philadelphia 76ers

Even though he has his issues, I think the 76ers got fantastic value here. But we can't always build around Hoosier stars.

10. PG Mills Jolly - Memphis Grizzlies
11. SG Andrew Kirtz - Milwaukee Bucks
12. SG Derrick Cockle - Oklahoma City Thunder

Can I just say 6'8 SGs warm the cockles of my heart? They really do.

13. SG Richard Gattison - Utah Jazz
14. PF Ilian Halilovic - Portland Trailblazers

So the lottery's done. There's exactly one player left on our board and I'm frantic to get him.

So frantic I offer #20, #46, and the Knicks' 2012 2nd to the Pacers to move up and nab our guy.

15. SF Eutor Taffarel - Los Angeles Clippers

The analysts shred the pick, asking what in the world we're doing with this guy when we have Nicolas Batum and just traded for Danny Granger. They also hated on Taffarel as a prospect. They can go to hell. I stand by my man Eutor, who looked really, really good when he came in for his private workout, especially on offense.

16. PG Hector Simmons - New York Knicks
17. SF Chris Crosby - Minnesota Timberwolves
18. PG Cameron Risinger - Sacramento Kings
19. SF James Layne - New Jersey Nets
20. PF Johnnie Gardner - Indiana Pacers

...Impressive. Right guy, right slot. Just wrong team.

21. C Sam Kitt - Golden State Warriors
22. SF Clint Walker - Houston Rockets
23. PF Brian Roberts - Dallas Mavericks
24. PG Kenyate Hamilton - San Antonio Spurs
25. PF Tim Hampton - New Orleans Hornets
26. PF Steve Beck - Boston Celtics
27. PG James Montague - Los Angeles Lakers
28. SF Ed Yarbrough - Orlando Magic

Superb value for the spot. If we'd kept 20 and our guy was gone, Yarbrough prob would have been the choice. 6'10 is awesome.

29. SG Josh Lawson - Denver Nuggets
30. C Renard Charity - Miami Heat

Yes, because a 6'9 center is what the Heat needed. Skinny dudes don't win you championships, Bron Bron.

Sadly, Taffarel does not look nearly as good as I thought he would at first look post-draft. I feel like kind of an ass now. Brad Jones doesn't look worthy of the #6 pick, but he's definitely good enough to start. Chris Johnson looks pretty bad on defense.

I still try and trade for the big Hoosier anyway, but the 76ers are being assholes about it.

Forget it. I'll try again tomorrow.

Oh and Ryan Hoiberg is indeed a future All-Star. Iffy consistency and durability, but very much a promising young man.