The Big Dead NBA Draft Blog

In about an hour, the Los Angeles Clippers will draft Blake Griffin, thus ushering him into a career of disappointment, failure and being the Clippers' draft lottery representative for the next 10 years.

Our NBA scribe Jeff will be working The Big Dead Tweet as he dabbles into the Twittersphere for this momentous occasion that comes around just once a year.

If you will be on the go, I suggest and encourage you subscribe to our Tweets for the latest updates. And if you do not want to move your eyes over and to the right and down a little, this page is dedicated to your Twitter update needs.

So who is your favorite team going to draft? Probably someone who is useless, childish and will eventually be your team's whipping boy for the next three years.

You do love the Knicks, right?

60 minutes to liftoff

My thoughts exactly Big Aristotle. Your move to Cleveland could be great ... or not so much.

The mocking is done. Experts mean nothing. Fans hold their breath and pray they are not the unlucky saps that draft Psycho T or even worse ... BJ Mullens.

The trade of Shaquille O' Neal to Cleveland officially kicked off the trade madness that will begin in less than an hour. New York, Memphis and Minnesota will be scrambling like mad to wheel and deal. The first two deals will probably include Minnesota's picks and Quentin Richardson/Darko Milic.

Once that first wave happens, expect the big boys to get in the mix. Boston will continue to try to package Ray Allen and the Suns will continue to wave the white flag and unload any and everyone.

But for now, if I am a Cleveland fan, I am torn. O'Neal could help, or he could completely cripple the team. He has to be willing to work with Big Z and not demand minutes over him. Meanwhile, him and LeBron James will also have to check their egos at the door.

O'Neal is not a franchise maker anymore, but for Cleveland fans, lets just hope he is not a franchise destroyer.

And for the Atlanta Hawks, bringing in Jamal Crawford could be a great move. If the team can re-sign Mike Bibby, the Hawks will finally have their potent sixth man — a huge void since the loss of Josh Childress. The only thing holding them back from a very good chance at claiming the Eastern Conference crown is a backup for Al Horford.

But for now the trades are done and the celebration begins. It's a new beginning for every team and its the one night in the year in the NBA, where as Kevin Garnett would say ... anything is possible.

So check back frequently at the TBDS or its twitter page to get updates and analysis about all the picks.

These Should Be Gar's Guys In Tonight's NBA Draft

Wayne Ellington owns the prettiest jump shot to enter the draft since Ray Allen. That should land him in a good spot in the draft, right?

Earlier, I made the Bulls aware of five players they should stay away from. This is a list of players they should embrace. New GM Gar Foreman can make the impact of a lifetime in a negative or positive form. This is the most important draft because it is the one that takes place today, and because it could help shape Derrick Rose's future.

You want to keep Rose happy, don't you? Well, then, you might want to draft these guys.

1. DeJuan Blair, power forward, Pittsburgh. As of this posting, the Bulls best big man off the bench is Aaron Gray, and that is nothing to be proud of. He is not the inside scorer the Bulls desperately need, but Blair is NBA strong with a knack of getting boards and loose balls. And for what it's worth, he dominated Hasheem Thabeet, who will likely be the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

2. Jeff Teague, combo guard, Wake Forest. Teague might be the perfect replacement for Ben Gordon once Detroit's mega millions come a-callin'. At 6-foot-2, he's an undersized two-guard, but he handles the ball much better than Gordon ever dreamed of doing. A more complete player, Teague should be ranked higher than Stephen Curry, as Teague exceled against NBA talent that played at Duke, North Carolina and throughout the ACC.

3. Jrue Holiday, point guard, UCLA. Drafting Holiday could give the Bulls the option to trade Kirk Hinrich. The former Bruin stands 6-foot-4 and could be the sizeble point man that could move D-Rose to the shooting guard spot at times.

4. Taj Gibson, power forward, USC. Gibson could be available with the No. 26 overall pick and gets my stamp of approval if the Bulls are not able to land Blair with the No. 16 pick. He would also instantly become the best of Chicago's bench bigs.

5. Nick Calathes, point guard, Florida. He's going to Greece, so I wouldn't mind the Bulls drafting his rights and allowing him to use his playing time in Europe as a developmental experience. It would also save the Bulls some cap room for the next few offseasons.

Hey, Chicago, Whaddya Say, The Bulls Better Not Draft Any Of These Lames Today

While I have my no-no list, Gerald Henderson seems to have found this Binghamton Bearcat's no-no zone.

Everyone has their no-no list. And if the Bulls want to re-live their glory days, they read this blog and follow it accordingly.

Stay the f*** away from these five guys:

1. B.J. Mullens, center, Ohio State. Had Mullens stayed four years at tOSU, he probably would have ended up as a Top 10 pick after developing his game. Instead, he came out after one underwhelming year that saw him fail to make his mark in the NCAA Tournament against an undersized Siena squad. I'd be more comfortable drafting Bryan Mullins with the 16th pick than the other guy.

2. Omri Casspi, small forward, Israel. Here's hoping the Bulls learned from foreign flops such as Thabo Sefolosha and Dragan Tarlac. Just say no.

3. Gerald Henderson, shooting guard, Duke. Henderson fits the John Paxson mold of draft pick. A three-year starter at a college hoops power that excelled in the NCAA Tournament. And while he is an exceptional athlete, he isn't an elite athlete and isn't the kind of shooter that can make up for it. The Bulls already have two guys like that: John Salmons and Luol Deng.

4. Austin Daye, small forward, Gonzaga. Big men that can shoot the rock draw comparisons of Dirk Nowitzki and Hedo Turkoglu. But being that soft makes me think he's more like Adam Morrison.

5. Toney Douglas, point guard/shooting guard, Florida State. He's a better ball-handler, defender and distributor than Ben Gordon. But he's not as good of a scorer. Undersized two-guards that can't score don't last long in the Association. Besides, when was the last time FSU produced a star NBA player?

Yeah, and don't date any of these guys either.

Scouts Honor? Projecting NBA Draft Hits Isn't An Exact Science

Revisionist history is easy. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't waste my time trying to whisper in Jerry Krause's ear "Hey Jay Williams is gonna crash his bike, I like the upside of this Amare Stoudemire kid." Instead, I would invest in Google, take in a live Frank Sinatra show, sleep with Marylin Monroe before DiMaggio and them get in her and maybe, just maybe, tell George H.W. Bush to pull out.

I always find it odd that experts have a professional comparison for amateur athletes. Sure, Andre Wadsworth had size and speed, but he never became Bruce Smith. Kerry Wood had a rocket for an arm, but he never became Nolan Ryan. Jeffrey Jordan has Michael's DNA but he's going to business school. The point is some of these guys get labeled without much consideration.

According to past projections, the Bulls should have a starting line-up of Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce and Derrick Rose ... with Kevin Garnett coming off the bench.

How? Let's take you through time.

2006 - With the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Bulls passed on Larry Bird. What were they thinking? Coming out of college, this player was "Old school right down to the stripes on the socks ... Like a coach on the floor ... The game comes very easily to him ... Can create offense for himself or others ... Very good scorer with complete offensive repertoire ... Great intangibles, competes and inspires others to play hard ... "

The Bulls could have teamed Bird with one of the great rebounders of all time, Dennis Rodman. Rodman was "Long, wiry athletic forward with great energy level ... Excellent rebounder who hits the glass hard ... His bread and butter will be defensively." ... and "Has a unique personality ... A free spirit with a "carefree" attitude. which can be a positive and a negative"

2007 - Chicago could have added a real clutch player had they drafted Paul Pierce instead of Joakim Noah in this draft. Sure, Noah became a rebounding force in the playoffs, but Pierce was described as an "Elite level athlete ... Extremely fluid and explosive ... Blessed with incredible gifts ... Has great length for a wing player. ..." He could play the two or the three in this system.

2001 - Always searching for a low-post presence, the Bulls actually did draft Shaquille O'Neal with the No. 4 overall pick. And to add to the frontcourt firepower, the Bulls ended up trading Elton Brand in exchange for Kevin Garnett.

This is why Jerry Krause is among the best executives in all of sports.

* Adam Morrison ended up playing like bird sh*t rather than Larry Bird.. Renaldo Balkman ended up being Dennis Rodman, without the wedding dress. Thaddeus Young could evolve into Paul Pierce if he wished upon a star. Eddy Curry lived up to the hype and ate Shaquille O'Neal. Tyson Chandler matured and became Kevin Garnett in a wild dream that involved drinking with a panda while Chris Paul watched in amusement.

Tracking Trades

Portland wants him and the Bulls should give him to them. The potential Hinrich trade is just one of many trade possibilities at the NBA Draft.

This has already been an exciting offseason and the Draft hasn't even happened yet.

The Bucks made a painful trade to open salary cap room when they shipped Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. Shortly after, the Bucks made a brilliant move and shipped out Oberto to Detroit for Amir "My potential is endless" Johnson.

Many speculate the Bucks could cut either Bowen or Thomas or maybe both. I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen. Trading Jefferson may have been their way of trading for Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva.

Shortly after, Minnesota jumped on the trade game and sent perpetual shooters Randy Foye and Mike Miller to Washington for Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov and Darius Songaila along with the fifth overall pick.

I wouldn't expect the T'Wolves to hold on to Songaila or Pecherov, but they may opt to keep Thomas. And as far as getting the fifth overall pick, expect them to try to package that with their 28th pick to move to the two spot to assure themselves Ricky Rubio.

I like the move for Minnesota and meanwhile in Washington we have three guys now who will do nothing but shoot. Miller, Foye and Gilbert Arenas ... that combination should fail badly but will be entertaining to watch at least. Well at least the part where they scream at each other for the ball.

So now that those two deals are done, the rumor mill is churning and you can expect the following to happen on Draft night or shortly there after:

1. Cleveland begins their crusade: It's no secret GM Danny Ferry needs to make a move to keep the King happy and in Cleveland. It's all or nothing for the Cavs this year. A championship puts pressure on LeBron James to stay, but failing again would pretty much show him the door. The two most talked about names are Vince Carter and Shaquille O'Neal. Either would be nice additions to the roster, but I think Ferry is going for broke.

He wants to establish the Ming Dynasty. If Ferry could swing a deal for Yao Ming, you might as well hand the Cavaliers the championship. Sasha Pavlovic and Ben Wallace's expiring contracts won't be enough to bring the big man in though. They will need to offer a draft pick and a promising young player at least. Will it be done? Probably not. Could it be done? Yes. If it fails, expect to see Vince Carter running the floor with James next season.

2. Just Kidding New York: Recent rumors have surfaced indicating the Knicks could be interested in Jason Kidd. I think not. With the Phoenix Suns ready to blow up their team and start all over again, I would expect Mike D' Antoni to make a big push bring in Steve Nash. The Knicks have also expressed interest in Marcin Gortat, while still trying to save cap room for the summer of 2010.

I think they will be careful spending their money this summer, and signing Kidd is not being smart. Speaking of not being smart with their money, the Knicks are talking about swapping one expiring contract for another with the Memphis Grizzlies. Apparently they like what they see in Darko Milicic and are willing to part ways with Quentin Richardson to get him. I mean ... well, they're the Knicks.

3. Is Gar Forman John Paxson: The answer is yes if he fails to trade Kirk Hinrich yet again. There is plenty of interest from multiple teams in Hinirch, and while he is a good player, he has worn out his welcome in Chicago. The backcourt tandem of Hinirch/Gordon didn't work and I don't think it works well with Rose either. If Portland wants him, which apparently, they sort of do, then pull the trigger. Trading for any player on that team would be a pretty good move as they are very deep. They could possibly convince the Blazers to part way with promising young guard, Jerryd Bayless.

4. Is the Celtics' front office smoking: That question will be answered if they trade Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen for Amar'e Stoudemire. For some reason unknown to man, they feel Rondo is a dispensable piece of their puzzle, despite not having any other point guard on the squad. I understand Allen is supposed to make loads of money next season and it would be nice cap relief to let him go, but come on. Stoudemire will not help the Celtics very much and they would have a real hard time replacing Rondo.

A very sick, gross feeling tells me the Celtics are going to make a trade happen on draft night.

Those are the big stories going into tomorrow night's draft, but be sure to follow TBDS all day tomorrow as I will have blog updates about the big stories and a direct twitter feed of all the night's action.

Have a good NBA Draft Night Eve

Mock Mock Draft Version 0.672

Everyone wants to fill out their mock drafts, but where does the "mock" part come in? Now, I will perfect the art of a true "mock" draft.

1. L.A. Clippers: B.J. Mullens (Ohio State)
If anyone has perfected the art of screwing up the draft, it's the Clippers. It's obvious that Blake Griffin is the jewel of this year's draft class, so it would only make sense for the Clippers to take a guy who couldn't even get on the court in the NCAA Tournament for an eighth seed.

2. Boston Celtics (via Memphis, through Minnesota): Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)
Realizing the Celtics probably can't win another championship with the current roster, Kevin McHale convinces Memphis that Kevin Love is, in fact, Elvis Presley and trades him for the No. 2 overall pick, which McHale then sends to Boston for the right to be given his own championship ring once the Celtics win with a starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Griffin. Oh wait, you say Kevin McHale isn't with the T'Wolves anymore? Well scrap that idea then!

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Space Needle (Seattle)
Realizing it is the only good thing he has left to steal from the City of Seattle, Clay Bennett takes advantage of the opportunity and leaves Seattle with their only claim to fame being rain and Nirvana.

4. Sacramento Kings: John Whisenant (Sacramento Monarchs)
Since the Kings can't seem to win a championship, they draft the coach who claimed the first ever professional sports championship in Sacramento, Whisenant, who lead the Monarchs to the 2005 WNBA Championship and was named Coach of the Year.

5. Washington Wizards: Michael Jordan (North Carolina)
Oh wait, they already tried that approach.

8. Minnesota T'Wolves: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)
After trading Kevin Love to Memphis, McHale realizes that Minnesota needs another big, white forward on the team. McHale sees that Hansbrough is the same height, has the same wingspan and nearly the same vertical for Blake Griffin, so he figures why not?

7. Golden State Warriors: The name "Oakland" (Oakland)
The Warriors finally realize there is no U.S. state named "Golden" so they draft the rights to officially change their name to the Oakland Warriors.

8. New York Knicks: Jay-Z (Brooklyn)
This is step one of the Knicks' paster plan to lure LeBron to MSG. If the Knicks can lure Jay-Z, who is friends with LeBron, to give up his portion of the Nets and bring him in as a member of Knicks management, that would increase their chance at landing 2010's most prized free agent.

9. Toronto Raptors: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh)
The Raptors finally realize that no one in Canada cares about basketball, so they begin their quest to acquire as many of the top hockey players they can and ship them to the Maple Leafs so they can again be one of the top hockey teams in the NHL.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brett Favre (Mississippi)
Brett Favre decides he want to keep playing professionally, and wants to end his career in Wisconsin. But, since he's pretty much burned his bridges with the Packers, he decides to lace up the basketball sneakers. Favre then goes on to do the same thing he was great at when he played football, turning the ball over.

11. New Jersey Nets: LeBron James, Jr. (Akron, Ohio)
Realizing that the Knicks have probably gotten the best of the LeBron sweepstakes by getting Jay-Z, the Nets decide to build for the future. The far distant future, that is. They take LeBron's son, LeBron Jr., figuring if he has LeBron Sr.'s genes, he will be the next LeBron.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Hasheem Thabeet (UConn)
The Bobcats decide to pair Emeka Okafor, who went to UConn and whose parents were from Nigeria (Africa), with Hasheem Thabeet, who also went to UConn and grew up in Tanzania (Africa). The duo goes on to block every single shot all other team shoot inside the paint.

13. Indiana Pacers: Jimmy Chitwood (Hickory High School)
Chitwood becomes the first player drafted straight out of high school since 2005. Of course, Chitwood hasn't played since guiding Hickory to the 1952 Indiana State High School Championship, so he more than meets the requirement of being out of high school for one year before entering the draft.

14. Phoenix Suns: Jermaine Anderson (Canada)
Looking for the future replacement of Steve Nash, Phoenix decides to go with another Canadian, Anderson, who played for Canada in the 2007 FIBA America's Championships

15. Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Blair (Pitt)
Feeling as though they don't already have enough undersized big men, the Pistons draft Blair and, in the words of fellow TBDS writer Luis, the women of Detroit scream "Ooohh DeJuan, you soo sexxiiiii!!!!!"

16. Chicago Bulls: Toney Douglas (FSU)
Gar Foreman sits around thinking, "We're losing our undersized two guard who is a really good scorer, who should we get to replace him?" He then comes to the conclusion of, "Hey, let's draft another undersized two guard, but one who isn't nearly as good a scorer as Ben and will probably be out of the league in five years.

17. Philadelphia 76ers: Statue of Liberty and St. Louis Arch
Tired of having a symbol of America that gets overlooked, the Sixers take both the Statue of Liberty and the St. Louis Arch, and proceed to destroy them in order to have the No. 1 symbol of America. "We have a bell, and it's cool because it has a crack!!!!!"

18. Minnesota T'Wolves: Jayson Williams (jail)
Tired of having the "Minnesota Nice" reputation, the T'Wolves decide to take a page out of Portland's old book and take it a step further, actually choosing a guy who's in jail, starting a trend of putting guys on the team with a bad reputation and adopting the name of the Minnesota JailWolves.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Jrue Holiday (UCLA)
Continuing their trend of choosing point guard busts in the draft, (see: Acie Law, Salim Stoudamire) the Hawks take Holiday, who is out of the league five years later.

20. Utah Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)
Jerry Sloan needs another white guy! He must have white basketball players on his team. Tough, gritty, scrappy. All words that describe both Hansbrough and players that Sloan likes on his team. Also, these seem to be words that only describe white players ... hmm ...

21. New Orleans Hornets: A new mascot
Would they please give Charlotte it's Hornets mascot name back? The Hornets name came from the Revolutionary War when General Cornwallis referred to it as a "veritable nest of hornets" because of their resistance to the British. New Orleans thinks that because Utah stole their name and it doesn't make sense for them that they can do that to another franchise? Not cool.

22. Dallas Mavericks: Austin Daye (Gonzaga)
The Mavericks seem to enjoy their seven foot tall guys who can hit the 3-point shot, (see: Dirk Nowitzki) and while Daye falls just short at 6'11", I don't think they would mind that one inch. Dirk is at the end of his prime, and he needs another soft seven footer to mentor.

23. Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio (Spain)
Rubio gets what he has wanted since entering the draft and goes to a larger market in Sacramento, but unfortunately for him, it comes at pick No. 23, where he receives significantly less money.

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Mohandas Gandhi (Indian)
Still trying to shed the image of the "Jail Blazers" and trying to get someone as old as Greg Oden on the team, the Blazers take Gandhi, the pre-eminent spiritual leader of India.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: "Sonics" nickname and green and yellow colors
Realizing that he has the city of Seattle down for the count, Clay decided to kick them while they're down and take the only thing they have left, the Sonics name and colors.

26. Chicago Bulls: Chase Budinger (Arizona)
Hmm ... Jordan Hill is still on the board. Hmm ... the Bulls don't have a post player who can score. So, they decide to take another shooter.

27. Memphis Grizzlies: DeMar DeRozan (USC)
The Grizzlies decide to make O.J. Mayo feel a little more comfortable and grab another USC guy. Too bad this one is a terrible shooter and will likely be an NBA bust.

28. Minnesota T'Wolves: James Harden (Arizona State)
He can shoot, he can take it to the rim and he can distribute. All things the T'Wolves need in a two guard. Oh, you say I'm supposed to be mocking this draft? My apologies.

29. L.A. Lakers: Pass
The Lakers decide they want to keep the same team intact, so they decide to not use their pick at all and save cap space in order to resign both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

30. Cleveland Cavs: Tim Carroll (Akron)
Realizing how well they did with one guy who was from Akron, (LeBron) the Cavs decide to take a 6'5 215 pound forward from Akron.

Introducing Bryan Mullins. Future Celtic?

Could Bryan Mullins be making another appearance at Madison Garden, this time in a NBA uni?

Needless to say, fans of the Boston Celtics must have felt clueless when ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford pegged the C's as drafting Southern Illinois point guard Bryan Mullins with the 58th pick in the NBA Draft. I know I was a bit stunned myself.

Fear not, Celtics fans, for I can shine some light on this mystery known as Mr. Mullins.

As the Daily Egyptian's basketball beat writer, I can tell you that no one worked harder in practice and on game day than Bryan Mullins. He would not be outhustled or outworked by anyone. Yes, that includes you Tyler Hansbrough.

He was the pass-first point guard every Saluki detractor heckled and booed to their lungs content, but quietly wished he was on their side.

And there is no denying that Mullins improved in every facet of the game. (You'll read that in the scouting report I whipped up below.) It's a rarity in this day of basketball where a player improves his offensive game while still being a terror on the defensive end.

Most importantly, Mullins imposed his will on his teammates. I remember an interview with then-freshman Kevin Dillard and I asked him what he had learned from playing with Mullins on game day and against Mullins in practice. It came down to two things: Composure and a will to win. Both of which would have been Mullins' major at SIU had it not been for that 4.0 GPA in finance.

If Stephon Marbury had Mullins' wits and heart, he would be a Hall Of Fame caliber point guard. Instead, he's just a headcase.

Sure, it looks like a project now, but you can't teach the intangibles Mullins has.

And after diving through several of the Celtics' message boards and knowing that Mullins is, at times, hidden in the relative obscurity that is Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I decided to blog up a scouting report on one of the all-time great Salukis.

Ready? Let's do this.

Mullins was a four-year starter as a Saluki, even though he started his first few games on the bench as juniors Jamaal Tatum, Tony Young and Mike Dale garnered starting roles. Dale struggled early (and often) for SIU and his spot was handed to Mullins, a pure point guard. Eventually, Dale disappeared into relative obscurity and is now one of my favorite punchlines over at SalukiTalk.

As a freshman, Mullins was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Freshman of the Year, placed on the All Newcomer Team and All-Defensive Team. Those are nice titles to have, but if anyone ever earned it, it was the Downers Grove, Ill., native.

B-Mull was a flat out crook as he registered a SIU single-season record 94 thefts (including a MVC record 8 in one game against arch-rival Creighton), good enough for a 2.85 steal per game average ... which ranked 7th in the nation.

Full of moxie and poise, Mullins helped lead the Salukis to their first MVC Tournament championship since 1995.

There was no sophomore slump for Mullins, who earned All-Defensive Team honors again to go along with being named to the All-Academic squad. Much to the chagrin of Valley foes everywhere, Mullins improved his offensive skillset adding a long-range jump shot as his 3-point percentage went up nearly seven percentage points from 30 percent to 36.8 percent and his free-throw percentage went up from 60.98 percent to 74.8 percent.

With Tatum and Young in the backcourt, and the emerging frontcourt of Randal Falker and Matt Shaw, Mullins' offensive contributions meant that no opposing player could rest on defense. As a result, SIU won 29 games that season, and Mr. Mullins highlighted a pair of unforgettable Saluki wins.

Mullins hit a running, left-handed 10-foot jump shot with 4.1 seconds left to give the Salukis a win against Creighton, etching his name among great Bluejay killers in SIU history.

B-Mull was an instrumental force in Southern's Sweet 16 run, and will always be remembered for this killer crossover against Kansas' Mario Chalmers, who happens to be currently employed by the NBA's Miami Heat.

As a junior, Mullins was hampered by a stress fracture, yet he had another solid season donning the maroon and white. He won his first MVC Defensive Player of the Year award, while continuing to improve his game on the offensive end as he nailed 48 percent of his 3-point shots. And for everyone keeping score at home, it was Mullins who got the honor of being interviewed by Erin Andrews on ESPN's GameDay -- which was the first such episode to be hosted by a "mid-major" school.

Senior year came around and, once again, Mullins fell victim to the injury bug. In an injury-shortened season, he still managed to win the Valley's Defensive POY award, cementing his legacy among the great MVC defenders. When on he was on the court, Mullins averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 assists and 2 steals per game. His field goal percentage was a career best 42 percent while shooting the three at a 43 perecent clip. Mullins surpassed Wayne Abrams' school assist record and became one of only two players in the Valley's history to record 500 assists and 250 steals.

And if you don't know, now ya' know.

(An aside: Even if Mullins isn't picked up by a NBA squad via draft of free agency, this is just the buzz that my alma mater and the Saluki basketball program needed. So, if anything, thanks Chad Ford. Forget about that stuff I said earlier about that whole failure of a grade you gave the Pistons for taking Darko.)


Mullins Works Out For Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics [Daily Egyptian]
Update: Ford's Mock Has C's Taking Mullins [Celtics Hub]
BMull To The Bulls? [Saluki Talk]

I don't speak Spanish, but ...

I think Rubio should try a little harder to eat that ball so he can stop sounding like LaTrell Spreewell trying to feed a family of four on a measly $21 million

 ... I understand what Ricky Rubio is saying and I don't like it one bit. 

Rubio has followed in the footsteps of some of his international predecessors and is playing the "mystique" card to the fullest. Because American basketball fans, and even NBA front offices don't get an opportunity to get a good feel for international prospects, many of them think they can descend upon the country like they are The Beatles and build on their own hype. 

Rubio is being epecially stubborn during these weeks leading up to the NBA Draft, refusing to workout for almost every team and doing interviews with only certain teams. He wants to play in a big market and seems to be taking a liking to Sacramento as he has done multiple interviews and even a one-on-none workout session. 

But he has completely ignored Memphis and has only given Oklahoma City a minimal amount of time. 

I mean, who died and made him John Elway or Eli Manning?

Much like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Dirk Nowitzki, Rubio has made it clear there are only a handful of locations "suitable" for him. Well let me tell you something Rubio, and all of our other international friends thinking about coming over. 

THIS IS THE DRAFT!

Thanks to all your previous hard work, you have the opportunity to be drafted in the top-10, but you have not earned the right to pick the place where you play. In the NBA, that right is earned when you become a free agent. 

A few mind-boggling passes and clutch plays in the Olympics does not mean you are Michael Jordan. And no matter how could people expect a player to be, the right to choose where one plays is not earned until that first contract expires. 

Blake Griffin hasn't earned that right, and either has Ricky Rubio. Someone as mediocre as Royal Ivey has earned the right and someone as great as Hedo Turkoglu has earned the right. 

It was Ivey's choice to opt out of his contract and sign for however much a team of his choosing will give him. The same goes for Turkoglu who is sure to sign for a price he wants in a city he wants to play in. And it's cause those two players have ran the NBA floors and have shown the league what they are capable of. 

But Rubio and all the past international players who were so  persistent in making pre-draft claims of where they need to play did not earn it. 

Don't get me wrong, I love international players and the unknown they bring to the NBA. They could be out-of-nowhere stars like Manu Ginobli, or they could be busts like Darko Milic. It's always exciting. And all those players who made the pre-draft demands like Ming, Jianlian and Nowitzki, well now they have earned the right to sign with a team they want to play for. 

So your time will come Rubio. Show the NBA what you can offer and then make the decision as to where you want to play and for how much. Until then, work just as hard as any other lottery pick. Go to team workouts, express some sort of humility and be willing to play for any team willing to give you millions. It's a privilege to get paid millions to play a game you love, not a right. 

If you end up with a Grizzlies hat on Thursday, smile and tell everyone you are going to play your hardest to get the team back to the playoffs. Cause while you may not like them now, I hear they have excellent BBQ (and car thiefs). And if you still don't like Memphis, play with maturity and wait. Because good things come to those who wait. 

Until then can you please send a message across the channel that international players are not drafting NBA teams, the teams are drafting them. 

Happy Sam Bowie Appreciation Day: 25th Anniversary Edition

I'd probably puke if I ever would have seen Jordan with the Jail Blazers.

If not for Sam Bowie, there would be no Air Jordans. There would be no slam-jam-thank-you-ma'am moments. Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller would each have NBA championships. The No. 23 would not have the same significance. Craig Ehlo would be just another member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As a Bull, Michael Jeffrey Jordan played 930 regular season games, sunk 555 3-pointers, drilled 6,798 free throws, grabbed 5,886 rebounds, snatched 2,306 steals, scored 29,277 points and made countless NBA players his bitch throughout the years.

And it all added up to 6 NBA championships for the greatest player to ever lace 'em up.

Thank you, Sam Bowie. Thank you, Portland. You will always be remember fondly in my heart.

A Quarter-Century Later, Jack Ramsay Still Catches Grief For Passing Over Michael Jordan [NJ Star Ledger]

Bulls: Guarding from guards

Here's hoping Gar Forman has the (basket)balls to make a bold trade on Draft Night.

The NBA Draft is an exciting time for basketball fans and also a saving grace from an NBA hangover. Sorry baseball fans, but the crosstown rivalry doesn't really do it for me. 

So while I wait for next Thursday's draft, I will spend my time watching the Confederation's Cup and thinking big thoughts about how the Milwaukee Bucks should handle their draft. But since this is a Chicago-style blog, I am also going to give some thought to how the Bulls should handle their draft. 

First of all, Chicago is the envy of every Milwaukee fan, and really every NBA fan, as they have two great draft positions in the first round. With the #16 and #26 pick, they can't go wrong ... or can they?

This will be the draft that answers the question as to whether or not John Paxson is still running the show behind the scenes. If the Bulls draft Gerald Henderon, Paxson is still making the calls, it they do not, then it might be safe to say Gar Forman is in control. 

And that's not to knock Henderson, but if I wanted a player like Henderson I would just take Kirk Hinrich ... oh wait, they already have him. So another small combo guard is the last thing the Bulls need. 

There has been a lot of talk about Eric Maynor and Jeff Teague lately, but I don't think either of those fit the Bulls needs. With the #16 pick, they should bolster their non-existent frontcourt, and then with #26 they need to take a straight-up scorer. 

The problem for the Bulls is there is not a lot of depth at the forward and center positions. They could take a chance on Chase Buddinger, but he is pretty much Tyrus Thomas version 2. He has plenty of developing to do, but he is a great athlete, much like Joe Alexander for the Bucks last year. 

DeJuan Blair should be off the board by then, which is good for the Bulls. I'm still unsure if Blair will be able to do anything more than rip down offensive boards. So this leaves the Bulls with two options: Earl Clark and BJ Mullens.

Clark is a good shooter, and at 6'10" he can be a dual threat. But he doesn't have the tenacious post game the Bulls desperately need. Mullens could be a force in the paint, but he is only a freshman, which makes him a big question mark. 

If I were the Bulls, I would shock some people and takes USC's Taj Gibson at #16. He is a physical, aggressive presence and seems like the most NBA ready out of the players I just mentioned. It's a little high to take him at that position, but he would be worth it.

Notice I didn't say Tyler Hansbrough and for the sanity of Bulls fans, I hope they don't consider him.

Now for the second pick, the Bulls need to draft offense. With the exception of Ben Gordon and Derek Rose, the Bulls don't have much scoring power. I like John Salmons, but he isn't the explosive scorer to compliment Gordon and Rose. 

It's a no brainer that at #26, the Bulls need to select Wayne Ellington if he is still available. Ellington is known for his sweet stroke, drawing comparisons to Ray Allen. And though he is 6'5", he plays more like 6'7" with an impressive wingspan. 

I think a Gibson/Ellington draft would be a nice kick for the Bulls, but here is my best suggestion to my Chicago rivals. 

TRADE YOUR PICKS!

I have little doubt that if the Bulls traded their two first-round picks, they could convince Toronto to trade Chris Bosh. The Raptors know he won't be back in 2010, so they might as well get something for him. 

If your the Bulls, you make that trade and sign Bosh to an extension. The pick-and-roll possibilities with Bosh/Rose would make defenses tremble. It's time for Forman to be bold and make a deal happen next Thursday. 

Mocking The NBA Draft, Vol. 1

A long time ago, in a blogosphere far, far away, a young, up-and-coming sports blogger provided his thoughts on the upcoming NBA Draft. That post of insight and comedic relief helped springboard The Big Dead Sidebar, so I figure I'd bring back one of my favorite segments.

Void if without sarcasm.

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma. It's all over but the crying. The consensus No. 1 pick will go from potential star to probable bust once he puts on a Clippers jersey. The good news, kid: You're going to L.A. The bad news: You're not playing with Kobe. Enjoy playing in front of Penny Marshall and 1,700 of her closest friends.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet, UConn. The people in Memphis are convinced Mike Conley Jr. is the point guard of the future. I'm convinced their spending more time on Beale Street than paying attention to their basketball team. At least Thabeet will provide a defensive presence to a team that last year couldn't grab a rebound if it was served to them on a platter.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Ricky Rubio, Spain. Think Rubio is regretting declaring for the NBA Draft? It will be a tough transition to go from a cultural gold mine like Spain to ... well ... Oklahoma. Ouch!

4. Sacramento Kings - James Harden, Arizona State. Poor Sacramento, they went from being on the verge of drafting Blake Griffin to draft lottery afterthought in a matter of moments. It's hard to write up something about a team that hasn't been relevant since Vlade Divac skipped town.

5. Washington Wizards - Jordan Hill, Arizona. The Wiz could have done a Bulls-like leap up the Eastern Conference standings had they landed the No. 1 pick and Blake Griffin. Instead, they will have to settle for the 6-foot-9-inch frontcourt thunder. How long before Hill and Agent Zero are exchanging love stories about Lute Olson?

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Tyreke Evans, Memphis. Evans is versatile enough to fill one of the T-Wolves' two biggest holes, whether it be at point guard or at small forward. Too bad this pick will end up being traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Brian Scalabrene.

7. Golden State Warriors - Brandon Jennings, Greece. The Warriors have about $20 million locked up in their backcourt. Unfortunately, about $9 million will go to the albatross that is Jamal Crawford. Eh, screw it. It's time to bring back NellieBall by running four guard offenses on the road to respectability.

8. New York Knicks - Stephen Curry, Davidson. Step one in conning LeBron James into signing with the Knicks is by drafting his sharp-shooting, media darling of a pal. Besides, this move has been speculated before, so, it makes too much sense. And since it makes sense in the first place, expect the Knicks to go completely off the board with this one, probably drafting some Eurotrash.

9. Toronto Raptors - DeMar DeRozan, Southern California. The Raptors haven't had a legit shooting guard since Tracy McGrady wasn't a brittle boy and Vinsanity didn't play himself out of Canada. So it's time to draft DeRozan, who will say good bye to Song Girls and hello to Canadian League Football!

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn, Syracuse. If I was TBDS NBA scribe Jeff, who would I want? A point guard that can distribute and play defense, and as I look down the Bucks roster, that guy does not exisist. Welcome to Milwaukee, Mr. Flynn, enjoy beer, brats and beerbrats.

11. New Jersey Nets - Earl Clark, Louisville. The Other Lopez Twin needs a frontcourt friend, preferably one that speaks English and isn't bad at basketball. Clark fits the bill here as a runner-jumper athletic specimen that Devin Harris can throw some alley-oops to.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Wayne Ellington, North Carolina. You know what the Bobcats really need? A shooting guard. ... And another Tar Heel product. Ellington will save a buck or two in moving expenses thanks to fellow UNCers Larry Brown and Michael Jordan.

13. Indiana Pacers - Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth. He slayed the Dukies and he came close to doing the same to UCLA. Maynor single-handedly put VCU on the map and helped parlay that success into Anthony Grant's first big job. He will fit in well with the Pacers, who haven't had a real point guard since the Mark Jackson Era.

14. Phoenix Suns - Ty Lawson, North Carolina. Sad, but true: Steve Nash isn't going to play forever. And the Suns really do need an heir apparent at the point, and unless the Suns have chryogenically frozen a Steve Nash clone, the choice here is the former Baby Blue Blur.

Stay tuned to The Big Dead Sidebar for more insight and draft projections as we get closer to that time. Besides, we're still in the first round of the NBA Playoffs right? That means there is plenty of time for the draft board to shuffle.

Placing Prospects: Why LeBron should stay

Before the news broke today that LeBron James would consider signing an extension, I had the Cleveland Cavaliers on my mind. Not because I was thinking about where the King would be in two years, but because I was about to go watch Davidson vs. Purdue at the Conseco Fieldhouse for the John Wooden Tradition.

I was excited to see America's sweetheart Stephen Curry light up the Boilermakers for a ridiculous amount of points and hopefully confirm a destiny I have had in mind for the young scorer since I first saw his brilliance last March.

Curry did not light up Purdue though. In fact, he only scored 13 points and went 5-for-26 from the field. But even the best have off nights and I still believe Curry is the one who has the power to sway James' decision for what jersey he will wear in 2010.

The Davidson junior is the exact player James needs in his offense. James has needed a "pure" scorer to play alongside for years and has yet to find a perfect match.

With Larry Hughes, he had to fight for his shots since Hughes would put up ill-advised shots or he just was never healthy. After Hughes left James had no options except for the occasional good game from Donyell Marshall or Daniel Gibson.

Now James has Mo Williams and Delonte West which is a better situation but still not perfect. Williams is a good scorer but I saw plenty of him in Milwaukee and I know he just doesn't click with other elite scorers like a Michael Redd.

Williams will score his and then let someone score theirs and then score his and so on. It's never a real fluid relationship like the Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen relationship James desperately wants. While West has been solid this year, he is more of a utility man that will do whatever the team needs him to do and cannot be James' personal wingman when he has rebounds, defense and assists to worry about.

Enter Stephen Curry.

Curry can shoot lights out. He shoots off the pass and at 6'3 he is tall enough to score off the dribble and drive the lane. The most important aspect of Curry is his lack of ego yet complete confidence in his game. Curry doesn't need to score 30 points a game, but when his number is called he knows he can perform.

When James needs the help Curry could become the person that is virtually impossible to stop. When he starts hitting on all cylinders you need to double team him and when you double him then James makes you pay.

Curry is expected to be picked around the 20th slot, and the Cavs will be picking in the upper 20's come draft time. The Cavs should do everything they can to land Curry, even if they have to trade someone like Williams, West or even Anderson Verajo.

Watching Curry throw up shots with confidence despite struggling all game was further proof he is ready to be James' go-to man. He won't be selfish like Hughes, but he will be more dangerous than Williams and West and give James the perfect outlet pass every time down the floor.

So LeBron, don't sign anything yet. But if Curry becomes a Cav, take the extension because I think he would bring a ring with him.

Progressive thinking and the No. 1 pick in the draft

While most of Chicago is arguing the merits of drafting Memphis' Derrick Rose or Kansas State's Michael Beasley, one future sportswriter is thinking progressively.

Yeah, that's me.

While the Rose/Beasley debates give the city something to argue about other than where Alfonso Soriano should bat, Bulls General Manager John Paxson should be thinking about how he can get Rose and Beasley.

That's right, Rose AND Beasley. I didn't stutter.

Rose could become the next elite NBA point guard, you have to take him. Beasley is the inside scoring presence Bulls fans have been clamoring for in the last two years.

So instead of settling on one, why not try to get both?

It sounds like the impossible dream, but it can happen. All you need is to be a little bit creative. Think about it people, you have the No. 1 pick in the draft. You have to take in consideration each possible scenario.

The Bulls have plenty of chips to trade, and you've got to believe that no one is untouchable. The Miami Heat, who currently hold the second pick, have their hearts set on Rose. And if he's not available, the pick is rumored to be on the block.

There have to be some pieces that Pat Riley has got to like.

The Heat already have a superstar point guard in Dwyane Wade and a great supporting star in forward Shawn Marion. Adding a few proven NBA players would put the Heat back in the NBA playoff picture without a doubt.

How about adding Kirk Hinrich to team in the backcourt with D-Wade. Hinirich is a solid defender who can guard the opposition's point or shooting guard.

Ben Gordon is a flat-out scorer who can average 20 points if he starts or if he comes off the bench. A backcourt of Wade and Gordon could light up the guard combos of most NBA teams.

Adding Luol Deng would give the Heat size in the backcourt, for Deng would have to move over to the two-guard position. It's not like he's not athletic enough for the job. A 6-8 two-guard that can slash, defend and shoot out to 20 feet would have a lot of open shots with opposing defenses focusing on Wade and Marion.

I could go on, mentioning the value of Tyrus Thomas, who could turn into Tyson Chandler under the direction of D-Wade. Or how Drew Gooden could be a valuable frontcourt player in the MIA. Or how Joakim Noah would benefit from moving to the 305 -- mostly because he'd be closer to his college campus.

Oh wait, that didn't work out too well, did it?

With the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Bulls have the ability to do something special. But with the talent and potential that could (and should) be on the block, the Bulls could kill two birds with one stone.

Rose, Larry Hughes, Thabo Sefolosha, Beasley and Aaron Gray (?) could compete in the Eastern Conference tomorrow.

While I ponder the possibilities of having the two best prospects in this year's draft on the 2008-09 Bulls, I can only hope that Johnny Jumpshot is doing the same.

-LMed