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Busting Brackets 2015 NBA Draft Diary

By Chris Godfrey

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After weeks away from Busting Brackets while I relocated to Vermont (it’s a long story), I managed to make it back to Busting Brackets just in time for the NBA Draft. It’s a good thing I showed up, because after the future endeavoring of ESPN’s Bill Simmons there was a definitive need for writers who were willing to share their experience watching the draft on television. Here’s my attempt at filling the void with my own NBA Draft Diary. 

7:02 – The intros that ESPN does for both the NBA Draft and the NFL Draft are always amazing. They’ve mastered the concept of capturing the journey these players take to arrive at this moment. I enjoy the fact that they pay homage to this.

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7:04 – “High character” could be the official Jay Bilas catchphrase for this year’s draft. I wonder how many times he uses that one. [Editor’s Note: He never said it again. I was very displeased with that.]

7:05 – Jay Williams mentions that the players drafted tonight will finally be able to profit off their own likeness. It’s a good point. Williams never misses an opportunity to drop a line in favor of college players getting paid. He also has Jay Bilas at the dais to back him up. Jalen Rose followed up Williams’ point by rapping some random Meek Mill lyrics. I love the juxtaposition between Jay and Jalen. I’ve said this before, but as a native Detroiter, I can honestly say that Jalen Rose is the most “Detroit” person who has ever lived. No one personifies a city in the way that Jalen exudes Detroit.

7:07 – Brian Windhorst looks much better with hair. I think someone finally reminded him that he’s now frequently on television, and the biker gang skinhead look wasn’t very becoming. He looks like a frat boy who decided to finally grow up and get an adult’s haircut.

7:09 – I just realized that the draft doesn’t really start until 7:30pm. The advertised 7pm start was a swindle to hoodwink us into watching Wiz Khalifa at the end of Sportscenter. John Skipper is an evil genius.

7:12 – Tom Penn is a wizard on that video board. No one uses it with more swag. I’ve also never seen him on television without it. He clearly knows where his bread is buttered.

7:14 – Karl-Anthony Towns is the leader in the clubhouse for the “WTF is he wearing” award.

7:20 – Kristaps Porzingis is the next Darko Milicic. I really hope he gets his wish and ends up in New York. [Editor’s Note: Wait for it…]

7:22 – Jay Williams is making the exact point that I have been making for months about the triangle. Point guard is the least important position in the offense. Phil only coached one all-star point guard in his career — B.J. Armstrong (who Bilas name-dropped).

7:24 – Emmanuel Mudiay got his suit at a thrift store. Seriously? A leather collar? Who dresses these guys?

7:28 – Frank Kaminsky got his suit at JCPenney…and he may be the best dressed person there. This man wins without trying. Long live Frank “The Tank” Kaminsky. [Editor’s Note: He’s actually endorsed by JCPenny. I can’t make this up. However, I did sour on his suit by the end of the night. It was a bit too plain.]

7:33 – Adam Silver is good at a lot of things. Reading out loud in front of a large audience is not one of them. He is STRUGGLING.

7:35 – Of course Jalen Rose’s other draft night option was a lime green suit. He’s from Detroit. In case you forgot, he went with this wine colored pinstripe number.

7:37 – The Minnesota Timberwolves select Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky, but we knew that. Now for the stuff that we don’t know. Lakers on the clock.

7:39 – Props to Jay Bilas for trying to kill frat boys everywhere by going on an intentional wingspan rant as a nod to the popular drinking game that he has inspired with his trademark draft analysis.

7:41 – Big KAT is going to be a star on and off the court. I could listen to the kid talk all day. He has so much perspective. He definitely combines a wisdom beyond his years with a charisma that is miles away from arrogant. He’s just a nice guy.

7:44 – The Los Angeles Lakers select D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State, which means the New York Knicks could end up with Jahlil Okafor! Russell is a better player than Okafor in my opinion, but there are more players like Russell in the world than there are like Okafor. A lot is now riding on what the Lakers can do in free agency. Meanwhile…

7:51 – Jalen Rose makes a great point about the idea of millionaires being “busts” if they don’t pan out. It’s important to keep this in perspective. Not all of these guys are going to be all-stars, but 30 of them will become millionaires tonight. How long they stay millionaires is to be determined, but the point still stands. There are no losers on draft night. Ask Kwame Brown about how he feels about his NBA career. He was making $7 million a year nearly a decade into his NBA career. You think he feels like a bust? I imagine he just feels rich.

7:53 – Unfortunately, more reading from Silver as he eulogizes Harvey Pollack. In case you’re wondering, Pollack is essentially the godfather of modern sports statistics. If you consider yourself a fan of advanced metrics/analytics, the Houston Rockets, or even fantasy sports — you should be weeping over the passing of Pollack. His greatest contribution to the game of basketball may be the fact that he was the one who decided to scribble the number 100 on a piece of paper and hand it to Wilt Chamberlain moments before one of the most iconic photos of all time.

Howard Smith

-USA TODAY Sports

7:54 – The Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor, which means we probably aren’t going to see Joel Embiid suit up next year either. Knicks fans just got stabbed in the heart once again. They thought he was going to fall into their laps. The Sixers now have three franchise big men on their roster…and no point guard.

7:58 – Adrian Wojnarowski is spoiling the entire draft. I despise this aspect of social media. Thanks to Twitter, Woj is going to break the news of every selection before the pick gets to the podium. It’s almost like he’s showing off. No Mudiay for the Knicks. They’re going with the Latvian Darko.

8:01 – The New York Knicks select Kristaps Porzingis and a small child immediately bursts into tears. That’s an easy moment of the night front-runner.

8:05 – Now Chad Ford is spoiling picks. Mario Hezonja is going to Orlando. I was hoping he would fall to the Pistons at eight, but it looks like they’re locked in with Stanley Johnson.

8:08 – Just realized that the Pistons may end up with Justise Winslow. He’ll be on the board when they select at eight. I’m not crazy about Johnson, so Winslow at eight would be a huge steal.

8:09 – The Orlando Magic select Mario Hezonja. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft, and he has a game that translates well. No bust potential with him. He can shoot, and he can dunk. He’s a European Gerald Green…with more fingers.

8:12 – Kings on the clock, but the Pistons are the next team to make a selection. It has to be Winslow. Willie Cauley-Stein is going to Sacramento and Emmanuel Mudiay is going to Denver at seven. Woj is really taking the fun out of this.

8:15 – The Sacramento Kings select Willie Cauley-Stein, even though it looks like they selected a larger and lighter Wiz Khalifa. A lot of people knocking the pick, but I think he’s an excellent compliment to Boogie Cousins. NBA-ready defenders are a commodity, and I believe that Willie can be a transcendent defensive player that can switch off on any screen.

8:19 – Justise Winslow’s slide is going to continue. The Pistons are reportedly willing to take Stanley Johnson OVER Winslow.

8:20 – Winslow and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are almost identical players (even though Winslow shoots better). I don’t see MJ pulling the trigger on him either.

8:22 – The Denver Nuggets select Emmanuel Mudiay. He’s the early steal of the draft, but if Winslow keeps dropping, he may take that distinction. Check out the leather collar. What was he thinking? I feel like Eddie Murphy did a stand up set wearing that jacket at some point in the eighties.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

8:28 – My Detroit Pistons select Stanley Johnson instead of Winslow. He’s not who I wanted, but I’m not willing to boo the pick. I’m not sure how a small forward who can’t shoot fits into Stan Van’s plans, but the team was committed to him even with Winslow sliding into play.

[Editor’s Note: This also happened…]

8:31 – Johnson just dropped a “Detroit vs. Everybody” in his interview. I change my mind. This guy is a stud. I’m buying his jersey.

8:34 – Hornets could be trading their pick to Boston. I have no idea who the C’s could want here. I don’t think it’s Winslow though.

8:36 – The Charlotte Hornets take Frank Kaminsky! Not only was this the first pick of the draft that Adrian Wojnarowski didn’t spoil for me, but it’s also a pretty good pick. I’ve hailed Kaminsky as one of my favorite players in this draft. I wanted the Pistons to take him as a replacement for Greg Monroe. Frank’s a legit seven-footer who can shoot the three. He has a semblance of a post-up game as well. He has the potential to be a better Ryan Anderson than Ryan Anderson.

8:37 – SPOILER ALERT: I’ve got Pacers spoilers coming before Heat spoilers. Myles Turner apparently heading to Indy, but no word on whether or not the Heat are taking Winslow. This also means that the Thunder will be able to take Cameron Payne at #14. They reportedly made a promise to Payne about a month ago, so this was an easy decision for them. If Payne is gone, they’ll use the pick on Kelly Oubre‘s hair.

8:40 – Gotta love the tanks on the inside of Kaminsky’s jacket. That’s a great descriptor for him. He has a vibrant yet subtle personality. There’s a lot of layers to this kid.

8:42 – The Miami Heat select Justise Winslow from Duke. No chance the Heat knew he would be available at this point in the draft. He’ll be an immediate contributor and a possible replacement for Dwyane Wade if he leaves Miami (sorry for raining on the parade).

8:45 – Word leaked that the Pacers are taking Myles Turner…but they’re still going to use every second on the clock anyway. I’ll never understand this.

8:49 – The Indiana Pacers select Myles Turner as expected. He looks like a character from Sesame Street, but I’m not sure which one yet.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

[Editor’s Note: It wasn’t a Sesame Street character that Turner was channeling. I was actually thinking of Scooter from the Muppets]

8:51 – SPOILER ALERT: The Jazz are taking Trey Lyles. Why? I have no idea. He’s the one person that I have “bust” written all over. The platoon system may have hurt some players in Lexington, but it hid many of Trey Lyles’ deficiencies. Lyles is not tough enough to be a power forward, and doesn’t have any of the skills necessary to be an NBA small forward.

8:55 – The Utah Jazz select Trey Lyles…who will probably be their third-string power forward. I’ve got to think he’s getting traded.

8:58 – The Pacers are desperately trying to trade Roy Hibbert and NO ONE wants him. It’s one of the best social media subplots going on during the draft.

9:01 – Coach Cal eluded to this spoiler. Devin Booker to Phoenix with the next pick…another Wildcat off the board.

9:03 – The Phoenix Suns select Devin Booker as Coach Cal predicted. Booker could possibly start for them next year. The Suns needed a true off guard after that three point guard fiasco from last year.

9:08 – Somebody asked D’Angelo Russell about St. John’s shooting guard D’Angelo Harrison…because all people named D’Angelo apparently know each other. Russell’s responses are priceless.

[Editor’s Note: This is accurate. Harrison does have a crap ton of tattoos…]

Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports

9:10 – The Oklahoma City Thunder select Cameron Payne, keeping a promise that they reportedly made more than a month before the draft. Interesting prospect that can flat out score and move Russell Westbrook off the ball.

9:14 – Cam Payne already pulling out the third person in his interviews.

9:16 – That was a pretty uneventful lottery. The Winslow slide was the best story, and that’s not saying much.

9:17 – The Atlanta Hawks select Kelly Oubre (and his hair). Twitter is saying that he’s getting traded. Twitter needs to be talking about his shoes. It looked like Oubre got lost on the way to Radio City Music Hall where he was supposed to host America’s Got Talent. There’s a lot of Nick Cannon in his style of dress.

https://twitter.com/Symone_Jaay/status/614293021543256064/photo/1

9:19 – Oubre heading to the Wizards for a pair of second round picks. That’s a great deal for them. It should be said that Oubre also has a lot of “Swaggy P” potential. He’s talked about how his hair is a part of his “brand” and he just guaranteed a championship for Washington. This kid has no idea that he was awful for half of his freshmen year at Kansas. I love the lack of self-awareness.

9:22 – I’m not really feeling any of Jalen Rose’s comparisons tonight. I can’t see how Oubre compares to Trevor Ariza.

9:23 – Tom Penn’s usage of this magical GM smartboard is one of the highlights of my night.

9:24 – Celtics are taking Terry Rozier at #16? That’s a terrible pick. I hope this isn’t true.

9:25 – The Boston Celtics select Terry Rozier. Welp, that happened. They already have Marcus Smart and the other Isaiah Thomas. The Jalen Rose comparison was Eric Bledsoe. Jalen is drunk off malt liquor tonight.

9:27 – The Bucks are taking Rashad Vaughn, which means we’ve reached the point in the draft when everyone starts reaching for prospects.

9:30 – Sam Dekker is still on the board. I don’t think NBA scouts watch college basketball at all. He was one of the three best players in the NCAA Tournament, and now no one is willing to touch him.

9:31 – The Milwaukee Bucks select Rashad Vaughn. Sigh. Sam Dekker played college basketball in the state of Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Bucks play basketball in Wisconsin. I wonder if the two sides ever crossed paths.

9:32 – Good lord! Is there a worst comparison you can get saddled with on draft night? Dion Waiters? Congrats, Milwaukee. You just drafted Dion Waiters! I should probably change that to “my condolences” instead. Sadly, if you saw Vaughn at UNLV, the comparison may not be far off.

9:33 – This little kid with the bowtie business is the real winner tonight. He’s going to be printing money long after these guys make their last million in the NBA.

9:35 – Jay Bilas questioning the eligibility of the bowtie kid was a great bit. It makes so much sense, though. A college student is praised for their ingenuity in any other situation except if that student also happens to be a college athlete. It’s a double standard that needs to be pointed out. Couldn’t you see Frank Kaminsky having a bow tie business?Or driving an Uber like Matt Stainbrook? I’m shocked Stainbrook was able to get away with that. How dare he try to make money while he’s in college. Doesn’t he realize that the NCAA owns him?

9:36 – This exchange was everything…

Jay Will: “You were wearing red gators (on draft night)?”

Jalen: “Absolutely…I’m from Detroit!”

Detroit is winning big tonight. It’s also worth noting that you can justify almost anything by making a slight pause and then reminding whoever you’re speaking to that you’re from Detroit. Try it sometime. It never fails.

9:38 – The Houston Rockets select Sam Dekker. He’ll fit well in Houston. He could be very good if he develops his three-point shot. Jalen compares him to Wally Szczerbiak. I don’t see that one either. I love how white players are ALWAYS compared to other white players. Who’s going to break the player comparison color barrier? We need this to happen.

9:41 – The Knicks are shipping Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Hawks for Jerian Grant, who the Wizards are about to select for the Hawks…who selected Kelly Oubre for them earlier in the night. Confused yet?

9:44 – The Washington Wizards select Jerian Grant. The fans in Barclays have no idea that he’s actually going to be a Knick. He’ll contribute faster than Porzingis will.

9:45 – Jalen’s comparisons are awful. He just compared Grant to Greivis Vasquez. What…the…hell?

9:49 – Analysts love the Knicks’ draft…but Knicks fans are about to burn MSG to the ground. This is why the Knicks can’t have nice things. They don’t appreciate them.

9:51 – The Toronto Raptors select Delon Wright. He’s a replacement for Greivis Vasquez, who the team traded to Milwaukee earlier. They actually have very similar games. Unfortunately, the role of being the next Greivis Vasquez has been bestowed upon Jerian Grant by Jalen Rose.

9:53 – Tyus Jones is going to end up making a good team very good towards the end of the first round. [Editor’s Note: This prediction turned out to be more awful than anything Jalen Rose said all night.]

9:54 – SPOILER ALERT: Mavs taking Justin Anderson with their pick.

9:55 – Phil Jackson is going to break Twitter when this interview starts.

9:56 – Hey, Phil. Why Porzingis? “He’s got the best upside.” Oh…well that’s underwhelming.

9:58 – The Dallas Mavericks select Justin Anderson. The type of boring, solid pick that good teams always make.

9:59 – Bulls likely to take Bobby Portis. He could have gone to Milwaukee, so this is a steal for the new Mayor of Chicago, Fred Hoiberg. Really thought Portis was going to the Bucks. He’s Larry Sanders…if Larry Sanders liked playing basketball.

10:04 – The Chicago Bulls select Bobby Portis. He’ll be a good change of pace for new coach Fred Hoiberg’s frontcourt. Jalen Rose compared him to Rasheed Wallace, which further confirms that Jalen has drank all the Hennessy in Brooklyn tonight.

10:10 – SPOILER ALERT: Portland is taking defensive specialist Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the next pick. He’ll be a valuable contributor off the bench.

10:12 – The Portland Trailblazers select Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. If this guy could shoot, he would have gone in the top eight. His development will be interesting to watch. A decent jump shot could make him an all-star. The Jalen Rose comparison is Josh Smith, so his theme of awful comparisons continues.

10:16 – I love the pants on Hollis-Jefferson. Successful fashion risk. He had to think he was going to Portland. The outfit matched up too perfectly.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

10:18 – Jacob Rude is campaigning on Twitter for the Lakers to draft Tyus Jones. Rude is a former Busting Brackets editor who is a massive slappy for Duke and the LA Lakers. So logic isn’t high on his priority list.

10:20 – SPOILER ALERT: Instead, it’s the Cavs taking Jones and trading him to Minnesota for picks #31 and #36. This is a great trade for both teams.

10:21 – The Cleveland Cavaliers select Tyus Jones, who will be on his way back home to Minnesota. Before the pick, the Jerian Grant trade was announced and the Knicks fans popped pretty well.

10:22 – Jalen Rose compared Jones to Shabazz Napier. That’s the first good comparison of the night for him. Maybe the liquor is wearing off.

10:27 – The Memphis Grizzlies select Jarell Martin. Shocked that Memphis would take a player that’s not known for his defense. I’m obligated to mention how good the LSU Tigers would have been if Martin and Jordan Mickey had decided to return to school and enter next year’s draft as probable lottery picks. LSU would have been a top five team with those two returning and All-American’s Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney arriving in Baton Rouge.

10:31 – The Spurs select Nikola Milutinov. I have no idea who the hell that is…but the Spurs drafted him, so I’m going to assume that he’s really good.

10:37 – The Los Angeles Lakers select Larry Nance Jr. from Wyoming. Jacob Rude has to be sick. If not for Terry Rozier, this would be the worst pick of the night. I like Nance, but I liked him because I thought he was going to be picked in the second round. The Lakers pick #34 in the second round, wouldn’t Nance still be available then?

10:43 – Kevon Looney is the last person remaining in the green room. He has since left the area. Hopefully he doesn’t slide out the first round. He’s going to be a good player, but this was probably a year too early for him.

10:44 – The Boston Celtics select R.J. Hunter. Somewhere in Atlanta, Ron Hunter just took a tumble from the seat of a rolling stool. This is such a great pick for Boston that it almost made me forget the Terry Rozier pick. I’d feel better about the situation if they picked R.J. Hunter at #16 and Rozier at #28. It’s clear that the Celtics wanted to add scoring, and they have done that. Also, another good comparison from Jalen. He paired Hunter with Kevin Martin, which I think is spot on. Hunter could be a guy who lights it up for a bad team. However, the Celtics don’t look like they’ll be bad for long.

10:47 – SPOILER ALERT: It looks like Chris McCullough is the pick for Brooklyn. I’ve never understood his appeal as a prospect, but he’s a New York guy, so the crowd may appreciate him.

10:49 – The Brooklyn Nets select Chris McCullough, and the fans react positively. I love the guys that don’t get invited to the green room and show up at the draft anyway.

10:52 – SPOILER ALERT: Looney is going to Golden State! A great pick up for the champs, and a well deserved honor for Looney, who was one of the country’s most talented freshmen last year.

10:55 – The Golden State Warriors select Kevon Looney. He’ll replace David Lee, and will have every opportunity to develop into the pro that scouts projected him to be before his year at UCLA. It’s funny how quality prospects always fall into the laps of contending teams because late lottery teams and lower level playoff teams whiff on picks. There’s a reason why bad teams are bad teams, and it’s usually because they consistently make bad decisions.

That’s all for this edition of the diary. Every year, I say that next year is the year I will expand the diary into the second round, but it will never actually happen. I’m always exhausted after I finish the first round. So I’ll no longer sell you that dream. I will encourage you to check in with Busting Brackets over the weekend as we breakdown the draft even further before we turn our focus back to the upcoming college basketball season. 

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