2010 NBA Draft: All About The Upside

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and assume that everyone here has followed the past season of NCAA basketball fairly closely, and knows the ins and outs of who can play. Now I'm going to ask that you forget everything you know about these players' skills, and focus on pseudo-abilities such as wingspan, upside, and flexibility. Because it is the time of year where the most incompetent GMs and owners of all professional sports gather and select the future staples of their franchises. It's the 2010 NBA Draft, and like always, Fuerto's got you covered.

1 Wizards - John Wall PG Kentucky As much as I ripped on Wall and the Cats last March, he has all the abilities to become a star in the league. He's a clear cut number one, and unlike busts like Kwame Brown and Michael Olowakandi, he proved he can play elite college ball, and can make the transition to NBA basketball. The sketchy part is that as of posting time, Washington also has Gilbert Arenas and Kirk Hinrich on the roster. Kirk can stay, as he did with Derrick Rose, but for Wall to achieve maximum potential, Gilbert's gotta go.

2 76ers - Evan Turner SG Ohio State I honestly cannot believe that people were pushing for Philly to take Derrick Favors over Turner. With all the speculation on measurements and intangibles, it's easy to forget that while not a great athlete, Turner was the best NCAA player last year. He does have some flaws, mainly his inability to win big games (Siena, anyone?), but he will be a solid starter in Philadelphia for years to come.

3 Nets - Derrick Favors PF Georgia Tech The first true "upside" pick of the draft. Only 12 PPG for a mediocre Yellow Jackets squad, but that's good enough for our new Russian Super Owner. According to Jay Bilas, he needs work on finishing, rebounding, shooting, post moves, and free throws. So, why exactly is that a great pick? Oh yeah, upside and athleticism, that's how you guarantee another lottery pick next year, New Jersey.

4 Timberwolves - Wes Johnson SF Syracuse I think Wes could be a nice pickup, especially if Ricky Rubio ever decides to leave Spain. He plays defense and rebounds unlike any other perimeter player in the draft, and has solid fundamentals. He may never be the best player on the team, but could help out anyone in the league. Johnson's transition could be made smoother by having former Orange teammate Jonny Flynn with him.

5 Kings - DeMarcus Cousins C Kentucky After selecting ROY Tyreke Evans a year ago, expectations couldn't be higher in Sac-Town. With his impressive strength and rebounding, he is the best big man in the draft. (Sorry NJ, but you screwed the pooch with this one). However, this may not be the best fit, as Cousins has attitude problems, and Sacramento has no proven vets or coaches that we know have the maturity to calm him down. As Bilas said, he's as good as he wants to be.

6 Warriors - Epke Udoh PF Baylor It always sucks to have the 6th pick in a 5-strong draft, but G-State will have to settle with the Nigerian big man. Udoh doesn't have great talent, but he can provide a defensive spark with his elite shot blocking skills. Definitely not as good as Cousins, but a pretty solid second level prospect.

7 Pistons - Greg Monroe PF Georgetown It's always a solid idea to snag a big man from G-Town after seeing what Hakeem and Ewing did in this league. Monroe is a great passer, especially, and like Turner, is just a solid overall basketball player. By the way, as a Jazz fan, I am pissed. He would've been a perfect fit under Sloan.

8 Clippers - Al-Farouq Aminu PF Wake Forest His name means "The Chief will Arrive", and the other LA is hoping that a legitimate post threat has arrived. It's not really worth discussing what kind of prospect he is, because as a Clipper, he is unfortunately destined to suck - at least until he can high step out of town in a few years.

9 Jazz - Gordon Hayward SG Butler Courtesy of a 2004 trade made by Isaiah, Utah snags the best white guy in the draft, and it could not be a more perfect fit. Well coached, fundamentally sound, a great BASKETBALL PLAYER, Hayward is ready to make some noise in the NBA. I could not be more excited, as I just ran circles around my neighborhood and changed my profile picture. Heyward, Matthews, and Korver on the perimeter? I smell and NBA Championship!

10 Pacers - Paul George SF Fresno State What the hell, Larry? With Cole Aldrich on the board, you take a 20 year old from the WAC? My guess is that Bird was so rattled by his dream pick getting snatched up by Jerry Sloan that he didn't know what to do.

11 Thunder - Cole Aldrich C Kansas Just one pick too late, Aldrich will at the very least be a funny white guy to laugh at, and his jersey will earn you some decent bro points to own. At the very least, I'm saying a Jeff Foster type player.

12 Grizzlies - Xavier Henry SG Kansas In all honesty, Henry was the biggest disappointment for me in college this year. I was expecting huge things, and they never really happened. With that said, he's a couple years away from being a legitimate NBA threat, but he has shown flashes of dominance which could become the norm in the next few years.'

13 Raptors - Ed Davis PF North Carolina I'm more impressed with the USA chant by the crowd than this pick. I'm not too confident in any player on a Tar Heel squad that doesn't make the NCAA, so I'm not expecting much for Davis. Watch for Bosh to book it for the states, leaving Toronto as a candidate for the top pick next year.

14 Rockets - Patrick Patterson PF Kentucky With the last lottery pick, the Rockets make a great move. Patterson performed in college, and is NBA ready right now. More importantly, he provides a low post presence that Houston has missed with Yao Ming out.

15 Bucks - Larry Sanders PF VCU Milwaukee wins the award for drafting the first player not at the draft. Jay Bilas says he could be as good as Theo Ratliff, which unfortunately might be all that's left in the draft now. Another classic "athletic player", but he did win the CBI with the Rams last year, which could really have helped prepare him for the D-League playoffs.

16 Blazers- Luke Babbitt SF Nevada The second WAC player to go, I think Babbitt is going to be a better player than Paul George. He can shoot lights out, and will be probably be a solid role player for years to come.

17 Bulls - Kevin Seraphin SF French Guiana The first foreigner, I will admit that I know next to nothing about Seraphin. But based on what the "experts" are saying, he won't even come to America for at least 2 years. Judging by this pick, the Bulls are putting all of their marble with LeBron.

18 Clippers- Eric Bledsoe PG Kentucky A point guard who lacks point guard skills, Bledsoe is not ready for the NBA yet. Had he stayed one more year, Bledsoe would have been the best player on Kentucky, and almost certainly a lottery pick. Now he's just another late round pick with numerous question marks.

19 Celtics - Avery Bradley PG Texas See Xavier Henry. Bradley was a big time recruit who didn't impress for the Horns. He's got the talent, though, and is in a system that will get the best out of him. He'll be a good bench player for a few years, and then take over as a solid starter for much of his career.

20 Spurs - James Anderson SG Oklahoma State The Big 12 Player of the Year has been the best player on the board for some time now, and he falls into a great system with San Antonio. In addition, if I've ever learned anything about the NBA, trust the franchise that grabbed George Hill and DeJuan Blair late in drafts recently.

21 Hornets - Craig Brackins PF Iowa State When the Cyclones start getting taken, you know that the quality of the draft has diminished... except for a certain shooting guard that I was hoping would get paired with David West in New Orleans.

22 Blazers - Elliot Williams PG Memphis We've been used to seeing the first Tiger selected a bit earlier, but Williams get put in a Portland team that has a really good young nucleus. He's not as good as Jerryd Bayless, but he could emerge as the sixth man of the future.

23 Wizards- Trevor Booker PF Clemson Booker is the first senior taken, and Washington is banking on him to bring leadership and maturity down low. However, Booker may be too undersized at 6'7 to make an impact in the Wizards' system.

24 Nets- Damion James PF Texas Very similar to Booker, and probably even better, he runs the floor pretty well for a 4, and plays tough on defense. However, James doesn't appear to be the kind of guy who can make a bad team decent.

25 Grizzlies - Dominique Jones SG South Florida After watching Jones in the Big East, one thing is certain: the dude can score. He's aggressive and willing to attack the basket. However, his touches may be limited by ballhogs such as OJ Mayo and Ronnie Brewer. Another decent player in a not so decent fit.

26 Thunder - Quincy Pondexter SF Washington Pondexter played pretty well for the Huskies, but then again, he was playing in the Pac 10. Either way, he won't crack the starting lineup in OKC, but will be set as the backup to Durant.

27 Hawks- Jordan Crawford SG Xavier It's about time Crawford goes, as he had probably been the best player available since James Anderson got taken. I think that this is a sign that Joe Johnson isn't coming back, which means a lot of points for Crawford, but not necessarily as much winning as he got used to here in the Nati.

28 Grizzlies - Greivis Vasquez PG Maryland There's no doubting that Vasquez was one of the best college players a year ago, as he won the Bob Cousy Award over the likes of Wall and Williams. However, the pro game is a lot different, and he won't exactly have an all-star supporting cast around him.

29 Magic - Daniel Orton C Kentucky In the long and glorified history of the NBA, never before has a first round draft pick been wasted on a player who accomplished so little like Orton has. I know that Orlando is in a position to take risks, but it is inexcusable to make this move. Like Bledsoe, he did have a lot of talent in front of him, but it is ridiculous to think that he is worthy of a first round pick at this point.

30 Wizards - Lazar Hayward SF Marquette It's definitely a reach when you take the second best Hayward in the draft, but he did have a productive 4 year career at Marquette. Washington is hoping he will have the same impact 4 year Marquette star Wes Matthews had for Utah last year.

This is the Lakeshow

After a week away from civilization, and more importantly the sporting world, I realized things hadn't changed a bit since my departure. The Reds still couldn't beat Helen Keller on the west coast (which has since been disproven on the recent tear in O-town), Tim Howard is human, Adam Morrison is uglier than the crap I took yesterday, and oh yeah, Kobe Bryant and the Lakeshow are bringing home titles. Although I found myself yawning at several points throughout Game 7 and Kobe was looking like LeBrick James in the 1st half, bottom line is that the man has accomplished something that deserves to be talked about. One for the thumb by age 31? I'm impressed. But after a further look at all the evidence, how good really is the Black Mamba and what kind of dy-nasty will his Lakers be remembered as?

In a league dominated by salary caps and expiring contracts, it's hard to argue that parity is not a factor in the NBA. If Derek Jeter were to win 5 World Series rings for the Yanks that would be about as impressive as UC getting an NIT bid, but to do it in the NBA is a horse of a different color. Now you can say Kobe Bryant is the most prolific player of his playing era, and I'd have no problem with that, but to even mention KB 24 alongside His Airness remains ludicrous at this point. After all, how many classic films has Kobe starred in? Didn't think so. In the same regards though, comparing LBJ to Kobe is equally as redunkulous, and there's no reason not to give the man credit where credit is due.


After coming to the Lakers from the Hornets on draft night at the age of 17 in exchange for Vlade Divac, some pocket lint, a few buttons, and a washing machine, Kobe's arrival marked the inception of one of the most dominant dynasties the League has ever seen. To say they revolutionized the way the game was played would be a stretch, but to deny the dominance of the Lakeshow in the late 90's and early 2K's would be straight ignorant. Upon Phil Jackson's arrival in 1999, the installation on the triangle offense in LA that won PJ 6 titles in Chi-town worked wonders with the Lakeshow as well. Three titles in a row later, Kobe had already cemented his legacy as one of the geratest of all time...at the age of 23. Let's not kid ourselves now, the Western Conference back in those days was absolutely stacked with the likes of the Blazers, Spurs, Sacramento Divacs, and Jazz. All teams that were more than worthy to bring home titles, but the Lakers had other thoughts. The emergence of players such as Derek Fisher, Robert "Big Shot" Horry, Rick Fox, and did I mention Shaq? all added up to a new dynasty built in just a matter of years. Recent research conducted at various sketchy ass universities show that having two Hall-of-Famers in their prime on the same roster greatly increases the chance of claiming hardware, and it showed.


Then it all fell apart. Kobe raped some chick, and Shaq started running his mouth. OH NO! Two heartbreak seasons in a row preceded Shaq getting shipped to Miami (where he did what he knows best: win a title...with the help of James Posey) and Phil Jackson hanging up the clip board. Then the unthinkable happened, the Los Angeles Kobes, I mean Lakers, missed the playoffs after a less than stellar 04-05 campaign. LA was calling for Bryant's head as the dynasty had surely been reduced to ruble, but wait, there's more. It was official, Kobe was by himself (a modern day LeBron, if you will) and what he went on to do is what makes him one of the greatest. Anybody can win titles with Shaq-daddy, but to rebuild a dynasty with Kwame Brown as your post presence and Sasha Vujacic on the wing lets us all see how good Kobe really was (and is). Kobe took matters into his own hands in 2005-06 by averaging a hefty 35.4 points a game and returning a mediocre at best team to the playoffs. Of course Phil Jackson's return to the helm might have had a thing or two to do with it, but give Mamba his dues.

Three Finals appearances, two titles, and four seasons later, it appears safe to say Kobe has successfully resurrected the Lakeshow. I don't like Pau Gasol either, but he's got two more titles than you. Even Ron Artesticles got himself a ring this year. With Phil Jackson's retirement looming, perhaps the coming years will be Kobe's biggest test, but as far as I'm concerned, he has little left to prove. People point to his mere one MVP award and two finals MVP's as a weak spot on his resume, and yes I've said it once, he is no MJ, but the work he has done in the land of the angels is certainly commendable. Dy-Nasty noted, hats off to black Mamba 8/2-4. Lesson learned, don't doubt him. Burnside, upouttahere.

The Week That Was: Griffey Retires, Wooden Passes (2 Guys Who Did it Right)

Last week was a big week in the sports world and it had nothing to do with what was going on the baseball diamond, NBA Finals, or Stanley Cup Finals. Two All-Time greats in their respective sports left for good: Ken Griffey Jr. from baseball and Coach John Wooden at the age of 99 passed away. The legacies that both left will be talked about generations from now and I would like to take a moment to remember them and thank them.

The age range of those who read Mack is Berning I'm sure dips to the ages that were probably too young to remember Junior in the mid-late 90's. He had a streak of a few years (check out 96-99 http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=griffke02) that arguably was the best stretch in that amount of time by any player in the history of the game. Junior with the Seattle Mariners hit for average, power, stole bases, made ridiculous plays in centerfield, and did this all with a smile and most importantly in an era so tainted by cheaters, did it All-Natural. Speaking of Natural, has there ever been anybody with a smoother swing in baseball than The Kid?

My first memory of Ken Griffey Jr. is similar to that as my first memory of Michael Jordan. I was born in 1987 and have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. I remember getting my first set of baseball cards in like 1992. My grandma would be buy me a complete set of that years Topps baseball cards and I would spend hours sorting, looking at, and organizing all of my cards. All of them except my Ken Griffey Jr. cards. Those babies were making it to the protective hard plastic cases and going in a special separate shoebox under my bed in a location easy to grab from under my bed. Reason? Well obviously in case of a fire, I could easily reach under my bed and get that precious cargo before I ran out of the house. They always said in fire safety classes in gradeschool, "in the case of a fire, GET OUT of the house AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and DON'T GRAB ANYTHING." Well I've got news for ya Fireman Fred, I'm not getting out without my cards and especially not without my Griffeys!

Coming back to why he was similar to MJ was the fact that he was the FIRST guy whose name I knew in Major League Baseball. He was on the cover of my Sports Illustrated for Kids with a backwards hat blowing a huge bubble and I thought he was the coolest dude in the world. I mean shit, the man, like MJ, had his own Nike Shoe and Super Nintendo game! He was Big-Time baby! Not only was he the most recognizable name in baseball especially to the youth of America, but everybody loved him and wanted to be him. The number 24 to baseball was equivalent to the number 23 in basketball in the 90's.

1999 was the best summer of my life (to this point.) I literally watched/listened to every single Reds game that year. This is before the time of stattracker, gamecasting, and Youtube. You had to watch the games to see what happened. And then, the next day, I always had to watch a full hour of Sportscenter before I got on with my day to make sure that I saw the Reds highlights to see what all of the experts were saying about them. The Reds won 96 games that year (although they did not make the playoffs). The hopes were high for the 2000 season. Dante Bichette was signed, things were good for baseball fans in Cincinnati.

And then came February 12, 2000. It was one of the top 5 days of my life. Jim Bowden and John Allen announced the trade of OF Mike Cameron and P Brett Tomko from the Cincinnati Reds to the Seattle Mariners for Kenneth Griffey Jr.!!!! I cannot put into words how ecstatic I was that day. The best player in baseball came home to Cincinnati by choice to play for his hometown Reds. It was INDESCRIBABLE. UNBELIEVABLE.

Say what you want about his career in the Queen City. What Junior did here for our fans, our economy, and this organization cannot be thanked enough. He brought stardom here. He brought history here. Players don't hit 500 and 600 home runs too often and Griff did both in a Reds jersey. He gave it his all in his time here in Cincy. He came in on pace to break Hank Aarons home run record. He left as a "huge disappointment." I don't look at it like that, I don't look at it like that at all. He hit a string of bad luck and it's just a shame that it had to happen to him, and that many times. The injuries in the 2000's were like clockwork. Just as dominating seasons in the 1990's were clockwork. His combination of power and unbelievable glove in centerfield are something that is quite the rarity in baseball. He will go down as arguably the best all-around player in the history of the game at that postion. And he played here in Cincinnati for almost a decade. Reds fans years from now will look back #30/#3 with what should be only fond memories and a realization of the greatness that manned the outfield here from 2000-2008.


On to the GREAT coach but even BETTER person of John Wooden. Arguably the most dominating coach in the history of sports. I heard Tony Kornheiser say it yesterday, something of the nature of "he did the hardest thing in sports, he won with talent." I sat there for a second and said to myself, "that makes no sense." Then I though about it some more, and realized, it takes a special person to be able to first of all recruit that kind of talent in college sports, but it takes even more magic to get all of those big egos to share the ball, play defense, and win games as a TEAM...and no one did it better than Wooden. His record for NCAA Basketball Championships will never be touched.

I think the most impressive thing about Coach Wooden though has nothing to do with basketball. Sure, what he said probably gained more popularity because he had banners to go with his words, but truly was a wealth of wisdom. In a century of so many changes, good and bad, his words remain true and consistent today and something that I and everyone should live by and think about every day of our lives. I have been meaning to read some of his books. It's unfortunate that it took for him to die for me to actually crack one open, but hey, I'm going to read it and really looking forward to it and I suggest that you do too. I leave you just a few quotes that I really like of his. Feel free to post your favorite Wooden Word of Wisdom. Although he has passed, his legacy in college basketball, American sports, and life in general will live on.

Over and out, Kevin Frey Wannabe....see you in a couple of days for some in-depth World Cup Coverage. Sgo Reds. Sgo Yanks.

Celtics...Lakers...THE REMATCH

Summer is finally getting started, which can only mean two things. Obviously, I am talking about a #21 Bros Only Vacation, but more importantly it's time to crown an NBA Champion. LeBron, his BFF Delonte West, and the rest of the Cavaliers are watching from home, and it appears that the planets are back in order. With Cleveland and Orlando falling, it looked like the Lake Show would run away with another title, but after watching Pierce light it up and Rajon Rondo emerge as one of the leagues best PGs (after D-Will of course), Doc Rivers and his squad could very realistically make it 2 titles in 3 years. Like always, you can count on Fuerto to give you the most in-depth analysis, as well as plenty of pointless trivia.

No doubt Rondo is a stud, as he leads all remaining players in both assists (9.8) and steals (2.3). He has stepped up his game big time, and is a jump shot away from being on the same level as Deron Williams. On the other hand, it's hard to go wrong with Derek Fisher, because every time I see him, I see flashbacks of him in a Jazz jersey knocking the Warriors out of the playoffs in 2007, one of the most heroic moments in NBA history. Fisher lives for June, and will show that he still has plenty left in the tank.

The big matchup of the series is at the SG position where NBA legends Kobe and Ray will duke it out. The Black Mamba has scored 30+ points in 10 out his last 11 games, and shows no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, Ray has been held to single digits 5 times in the postseason, and seems content deferring the big plays to Pierce and Rondo. Allen has to step up in order for Boston to take the series.

Kobe is no question the best player in the series, but Paul Pierce is playing pretty damn good too, averaging just over 19 per game. But it's a lot tougher when you have a "Tru Warier" guarding you. Lil Ron-Ron hasn't done a whole lot offensively, with 4 exceptions, but plays lock down D almost up to the standards of Ken Carter, and is still a much better shooter than he is a rapper. This is the matchup I'm looking most forward too, and I've got a feeling that Artest is gonna come up big.

Gasol-Garnett is going to be another classic, as KG will have to pick on someone his own size, which is always more fun to watch. After a huge performance against Cleveland, he was pretty quiet against Orlando, except for Game 4. If he gets dominated by Pau, watch for Big Baby to get some extended minutes. Oh yeah, and that band aid on your forehead - not a good look.

Perhaps the most important stat about Kendrick Perkins is his impressive 0.4 technical fouls per game, by far the highest of all remaining players. You know its bad when Rasheed Wallace isn't even your biggest threat to get T'd up. For LA, Bynum is probably the most inconsistant player on the squad. He went from 21-11 to 6-4 in back to back games against OKC and 17-14 to 0-4 against Utah. He should be good for 2 or 3 games, and will take up a lot of space for the remaining games.

Just some random thoughts on the benches... Sasha Vujacic reminds me of the Monstars after they give back the NBA players' talent, but he's also dating Maria Sharapova, clearly trying to outdo Lamar Odom... I love watching Rasheed Wallace sitting next to Brian Scalabrine on the bench... Adam Morrison is actually getting paid over $5 Million a year, just over twice as much as Rajon Rondo... Luke Walton has been referred to as the hardest worker on the team, but to quote Charles Barkley "If you go out with a girl and they say she has a great personality, she's ugly. If they tell you a guy works hard, he can't play a lick. Same thing"...I wouldn't count on much at all, except for some good high fives... That's all I got...Fuerto out.