Anthony Bennett was the number one draft pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. If that didn't surprise you, I'm going to ask you for next week's PowerBall numbers. And I was as shocked as anyone else. Thing is: I, along with millions of other people following Adrian Wojnarowski, Chad Ford, Ken Berger and countless other excellent sports reports and writers, knew what was going to happen before Bennett did.
I couldn't get to the TV in time, and gave up midway through the second pick when I realized that all news would come faster, and I woudn't have to listen to the talking heads on TV. Granted, it gets interesting, like Bill Simmons' face when he heard about the Boston Celtics trade but there's enough intelligent information if you follow the right people.
So as I refreshed, scrolled, refreshed, and read intently as Wojnarowski broke the Nerlens Noel trade news (Noel, 2014 first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday), I couldn't help wondering if next year is the year that we start to use the commentators on TV just break the draft pick before Adam Silver (new commissioner!) comes out to announce them. It appears that most TV outlets are fighting the new-age progession with old habits that are dying really fast; in the same way that people still act like sabermetrics have no place in baseball. Twitter is dominating how we are talking and viewing television, and there's little doubt that if ESPN or any other outlet keeps refusing to modify their product, we'll start to see some repercussions, if not already.
I don't consider myself a draft expert, don't spend too much (not any) time overseas watching European players, but there were some picks and trades that should make the upcoming season as good as the one that followed it. Granted, the draft didn't have as much stardom as we had hoped but who is to know if Victor Oladipo won't become the next Dwyane Wade or Shabazz Muhammad the next James Harden?
The set of unknowns are as uncertain as Kanye West's choice of beats but there's a snippet of foreshadowing to be gained in one of the crazies drafts in recent memory. With Cleveland ostensibly trying to trade their first overall pick for half a cent on the dollar and a donut, it only meant that other trades and the uncertainties at each slot gave us some moments to remember.
Most Interesting Pick
It's very easy to go with Bennett to Cleveland at 1 here but they do have a history of picking people they like, without caring about what so-called draftniks think(Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters), but I'll instead go with the Oklahoma City Thunder drafting Steven Adams at the 12 spot. They easily could have drafted someone who could create for themselves off the bench, like a Shabazz Muhammad or traded up—with their four selections—for a C.J. McCollum or Trey Burke to handle sme of the guard duties.
Instead, they went with a project big man, who, like most projects, has all the potential in the world to become the next Dwight Howard or the next Kwame Brown. Adams has great length, size and mobility. Pairing his length with Serge Ibaka's would represent an excellent interior, especially with Kendrick Perkins starting to fall out of favor there. If the Thunder could make Hasheem Thabeet serviceable, there's a chance for Adams, no matter how much he struggled in college.
Most Puzzling Pick
I was very tempted to choose this, but we'll spare the Charlotte Bobcats and go with the Detroit Pistons' pick at number nine of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Granted, the name is great, and a team with so many flaws really can take anyone and come out on the winning side. Pope can shoot and has the athleticism to defend at the guard position but with Brandon Knight barely showing glimpses of a top-shelf point guard, passing on Burke, McCollum or even Shane Larkin is a bit perplexing.
With the frontcourt oozing with potential in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, it'd be nice to have a great point guard run the show and the Pistons are basically pinning their hopes on Brandon Knight, a player that's averaged 3.9 assists and 2.7 turnovers for his career.
Most Interesting Trade
The craziest trade that went down was the one between the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans, where it was so confusing, even the great Woj got it wrong. The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday, the draft rights to Pierre Jackson to the Pelicans for Nerlens Noel and a top-five protected 2014 first round pick.
On first glance, you'd think the Sixers are tanking here, and umm yes, they are. New general manager Sam Hinkie has obviously laid out a plan and isn't interested in paying Holiday his extension, instead building around a team with Noel and not many other assets—though next year's draft should be great.
The Pelicans, on the other hand, gave us a tasty vision of Noel and Anthony Davis blocking shots and getting injured but will instead fill their guard need with Holiday, and pair him with a trio of Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. When healthy, and that's a massive if, this could be a sleeper contender in the Western Conference.
Most Questionable Trade
Though neither team made much noise in the draft, they did so with a trade that sent future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, along with Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, MarShon Brooks and three future first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, respectively.
Preseason Favorite for League-Pass Worthy Team of 2013
The Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz are all vieing for this spot, at least for me, but the team that's stood out as one of the potentially exciting teams next season are the Portland Trailblazers.
They could start a lineup of C.J. McCollum, Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews, with Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard, and Jeff Withey coming off the bench. With their up-and-down style, along with the defensive prowess of their wing starters, the Blazers a dark-horse contender that should double as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.