The Kennel Report: Live NBA Draft blog

Hello readers of The Kennel Report, and welcome to the first ever TKR live NBA Draft blog. We hope everyone enjoys this and should be a lot of fun

From Spokane...

4:09- Lots of trades going on today.....looks like the Sonics have traded the 4th pick to the Clippers for the 7th pick and something else.....and Richard Jefferson is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. This is shaping up to be one of the best drafts ever in terms of trades and excitement

4:11- Just a couple of random thoughts....Jeff Van Gundy and Jay Bilas are very entertaining and knowledgeable, however I just cant stand Dick Vitale or Stewart Scott. Why must Dickie V always shout!!!!! Also what a great suit choice by OJ Mayo, very classy.

4:15- It now appears that Derrick Rose will for sure be going #1....that's a big shocker. Looks like Derrick Rose spent his whole rookie contract on all that bling on his wrist. Did you see the size of those diamonds WOW!!!!

4:17- Why does it take Stephen A.Smith so long to spit out a question. He takes longer asking then the athletes do answering the question.

4:19- Another reason I love Jay Bilas, he is a fan of Brook Lopez. Lopez will be a solid double-double guy throughout his career

Coming to you live from Denver...it's ZagBell

Jeff Van Gundy sounds about as bad as he looks...O.J. Mayo is straight class and Beasley has some sort of accent that I just can not figure out quite yet...

and Colleen Dominguez may have just passed Erin Andrews as my favorite ESPN personality...

Back in Spokane...

4:27- Its sad that every year around this time I just wait for Kevin Mchale to make the wrong pick....I pray that this is the year everything changes....OJ Mayo or Michael Beasley must be TWolves tonight or I will cry

Denver... Try being a Nuggets fan. The last draft pick that has done anything for us was Nene and Melo. And now I want to trade both of them... I love New York and the booing of David Stern. Beautiful thing.

Brook Lopez reminds me of a dinosaur of some sort

Spokane... I will go ahead and ignore that comment about Brook Lopez

4:33- I think Derrick Rose will be very good in the NBA, but Im no so sure he is an all-star. Can he really take over the game scoring the ball like a Chris Paul or Deron Williams? I think he will be solid, but Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo are the two best NBA players in this draft.

4:34- Two dark horses in this draft who could end up being great players in the NBA....Jason Thompson of Rider and Darrell Arthur of Kansas. I am a huge fan of both


Denver... Derrick Rose kicks us off...Beasley is praying he winds up and South Beach and not Minneapolis and Stuart Scott can't help but stumble on his words.

I love the draft.

Spokane...Amen on the draft. By the way, why do people in the draft room applaud their own pick....it just makes no sense to me.

Please let me see Michael Beasley somehow fall to the TWolves

Denver... Here we go. This is where Kevin McHale is bound to mess up. Mayo or Kevin Love. McHale loves KLove.

Now, I'll set the over/under at 6 months before Beasley gets into trouble in South Beach. What do you think?

Spokane....There is no way Beasley ever suits up for the Miami Heat...it will take 5 practices for him to pull a Sprewell and choke Pat Riley.

If I hear Kevin Love's name right now I will be breakdown in tears and never watch the NBA game. It has to be OJ Mayo right now....it just has to be. Even if you dont plan on him staying in Minnesota, Kevin Mchale should take him so that he can be used as trade bait

Denver.... I could really see Mayo being the best player in this draft. Foye, McCants, and Mayo. They are a college all-star team of guards. We'll see what happens. Mayo is going to be amazing though.

As for the Sonics, gotta go with Lopez right? They have six picks! Wow!

Spokane....YES!!!!!!!!!!! great job Kevin Mchale. He is a perfect fit in the backcourt with Randy Foye...I am so happy.

My understanding is that this pick will be traded to the Clippers as Chad Ford reported. I think Seattle goes Brook Lopez or Eric Gordon if they end up keeping this pick

Denver... that makes sense with this trade but I could not find two more guards I could care less about than Bayless and Gordon.

By the way, How badly is Stuart Scott tonight. It's quite sad.

Spokane...Well according to Andy Katz there is no trade. By the way that was a horrible pick by the Sonics....why take a guard who cant score on his own and cant create his own shot. Im stunned by the Sonics right now, how do you pass on Lopez or even Bayless.

I thought Kevin Love would end up in Memphis for sure, but now Im thinking it could be Eric Gordon. 1st bad pick of the draft belongs to the Sonics

Denver... Who would have thought Rajon Rondo would HELP someones draft stock. Chad Ford said that Westbrook has the Rondo effect going on and that teams think he can develop very similarly.

I like Westbrook...but at 4? Gotta trade the pick and get value. He's no better than Gordon, Bayless etc...

Spokane....Thats incredible Ford said that about Rondo....didnt he get benched for Eddie House and Sam Cassell in the playoffs? Kevin Love is a nice pick for Memphis, as much as I dislike him as a player he is in good shape and is a very smart player.

I think we will be hearing Eric Gordon to New York....although it wouldnt stun me to see Joe Alexander get picked here. How amazing is that Kevin Love full court shot...it never gets old to me?

Denver... Rondo had a few good games in the finals. Tough injury really hurt him.

I think Alexander is a lock with the Bucks. Knicks should probably take Gordon or Bayless but I wouldn't be surprised if they went Augustin and Lopez. I'll go with Bayless.

Marc Jackson, please be more indecisive!!!!!

And the Knicks select....come on David....Danilo Gallinari! As the boo birds rain down!

Spokane...I guess that pick makes sense with D'Antoni as the coach, I thought that Gordon was a lock to go there

Im not so sure about Alexander anymore since they just traded for Richard Jefferson.....I would be surprised if we dont see Bayless right here. The question is where will Brook Lopez end up...Im thinking Charlotte. This is a funny interview with Gallinari right now, I feel awful for this guy

Denver... Gotta be a guard for the Clippers here right?

Eric Gordon is the selection and I'm glad someone got the white suit going now all we need is someone to dress like Jalen Rose.

So, Alexander probably won't go now. Milwaukee has to love that Bayless is still around (I forgot the trade earlier). Lopez probably falls to Charlotte with Adam Morrison. Okafor can move to the power forward and everyone will be happy.

Spokane....You are correct about that suit....so sweet. The Bucks could have a nice 1,2,3 with Bayless, Redd, and Jefferson now and Bogut at the 5. This draft has worked out well for both Milwaukee and Charlotte

I feel like right now we are in the calm before the storm. I expect to see lots of trades of both picks and players so far. I wonder if we will still have both Lopez twins go in the 1st round. And Milwaukee still takes Joe Alexander....where will Bayless fall to?

Denver... Most important thing, can we stop giving these players hats to wear? Eric Gordon looked five years old. How about give them a tie to put on real quick so they still look like grown men.

Alexander is a stud, I think he is going to be very solid and he is ALL business. I'm calling the next two picks right now as Brook Lopez followed by Bayless. I think you can take that to the bank.

Spokane...That Alexander interview was intense....he is ready to be a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Im not so sure about Bayless to New Jersey, they already have Harris and Carter, I think Bayless will end up in either Sacramento or Indiana. It has to be Brook Lopez right now, although with MJ picking you never know...he did take Kwame Brown #1.

Denver.... As good a player as MJ was he is equally bad a drafter. What a garbage pick taking D.J. Augustin. Ray Felton is bad but Lopez changes your entire front line. Insane pick there. Now where does Lopez fall to? This may hurt Bayless because the Nets may go Lopez here and Bayless may fall.

The draft is crazy..

Spokane...And Brook Lopez is now a member of the Nets. Great pick for the Nets, I love Lopez to go along with Devin Harris and Vince Carter. Im still stunned by that pick from the Bobcats, what was MJ thinking....and how does Raymond Felton feel right now. Very curious to see where Bayless end up now, my guess would be Sacramento but who knows. And Jarron Collins has now made an appearance on ESPN....what a great day!!!

Denver... I heard they were giving away free Jarron Collins jerseys away at Wal-Mart because not one sold. Ever.

Pacers take Bayless and there goes an instant bust. I can see us never hearing Bayless' name again, more reasons to despise Arizona basketball.

I forgot to mention how Bill Walton, who is the best player, announcer, and dad in the world, was mentioned in the same sentence as Kevin Love. Nuggets go get Love!

Spokane....I like Bayless a lot, I think he can be a Gilbert Arenas type player and a solid 6th man his 1st season. And not even to mention how dynamite that suit was, I think all white suits should be required.

And thats a lie about Collins jerseys, they are sold out at every store across America because of his performance in NBA Live 08

Denver... HUGE reach here... Jason Thompson to Sacramento. I am loving Jay Bilas' discussion of this guy. He is beyond stunned. Jason Thompson...sounds like Jason Collins so he will be relatively decent but nothing special. Hawes and Thompson down low...sounds pretty mediocre to me.

Spokane....Im stunned by that pick....I like Thompson, but maybe at 17-20. And I dont know why Sacramento enjoys the thought of a Hawes, Miller, Thompson post rotation. Im not overly impressed by that group, although Thompson may be the best of the bunch in the coming seasons.

Great pick by the Blazers....Brandon Rush will be a very solid NBA player and will help the Blzers a lot. Although, I think that they must pondering the idea of trading Martell Webster at this point, because he is a poor man's version of Rush

Denver... It seems that Ajinca from France has the most upside of any big man left. I thought maybe Sacramento could take him and leave him in France for a year.

I love Brandon Rush, he's a good fit here even though I thought Ajinca could have gone here too.
For this pick I'm guess Koufos...

Nope, instead it's Anthony Randolph and this guy makes me laugh. I heard a radio show where they were saying that Randolph is a dying breed of player. People used to draft purely on upside (ala Kwame Brown) now they are getting smarter. Randolph is 198 lbs for god sakes. 2nd round pick in my book.

Spokane....Randolph makes no sense to me going to Golden State.....dont they already have Brandon Wright, who is a lefty forward that is loaded with potential?

How does Dickie V think Kevin Love should go to Seattle? They already have Collison, Wilcox, and a load of centers. Mario Chalmers seems to be the perfect fit right now for Phoenix, he would be a great guard option off the bench with Barbosa

Denver.... Love the pick by the Suns. Robin Lopez is an excellent defender and will bring it to Phoenix. I wish he would adjust that hat a little bit thought.

I love when players from Stanford get drafted because they annunciate and know grammar.

Spokane....Great pick by the Suns, Robin will be a great fit on the defensive end and really help out the Suns. Im very interested by what Philadelphia will do here, it should be a big man, but I dont know who they will go with.

Im glad that you have finally admitted your love for Stanford athletics....and the 76ers go with Speights. He is up there with Mcgee on the list of player's who should have spent another year in school. I would have loved the pick of DeAndre Jordan here, he has such great potential.

Denver... Roy Hibbert...a bit early. This pick goes to the Pacers.

Maybe David Harrison part two.

Spokane...That was certainly a surprise, I think we will see Darrell Arthur to Washington. Where are all the trades that I was expecting? And the Wizards blow their pick with JaVale Mcgee. Why he is not returning to school I will never know. The Wizards needed a player who could contribute immediately, but McGee wont be able to contribute for another 2 or 3 years.

Denver... I can't believe Arthur is still around. He was the most talented on the NCAA championship team. This is why Cleveland is nicknamed "The Mistake by the Lake". J.J. Hickson is solid but he is a freshman and for the most part is unproven. Arthur going to be a very solid forward in the league for years to come. Hickson may have more upside but I don't get that pick.

Spokane....And Ajinca is the 20th pick by the Bobcats. I just dont understand why Arthur wasnt picked...and how Koufos is still around. Both will be solid pros and have a ton of skill. And also how is DeAndre Jordan still available. If I was going to take anyone based on potential it would be Jordan

I also love the trade for both the Blazers and the Pacers. I think Bayless will be a solid PG and scorer for Portland, and I love Rush in Indiana. He will be such a solid performer at the next level. I think Chalmers may end up in New Jersey or maybe Donte Greene

Denver.... someone please for the love of God take Arthur. I can't stand him sitting there anymore, but I do wonder what kind of gum he's chewing.

Please New Jersey, take him...take him...take him...oh no.

Ryan Anderson is the pick. I like this kid alot, he can flat put score but I just want someone to take Arthur before we see another Rashard Lewis.

I have changed my mind on Bayless, very well spoken young man, maybe we will hear from him again.

Spokane....Great pick by New Jersey, they have added the best center in the draft, and just got one of the best pure scorers in the draft.

Im glad you changed your mind on Bayless, he is going to be a Gilbert Arenas type player. From everything I have read, Courtney Lee is a lock here. Although I am starting to think that with Chamlers and Arthur both falling, they might be the pick here.

And the Magic do go with Courtney Lee....I like this pick a lot, he can really score the ball and he is a great athlete

Denver... Here we are at pick #23, Jeff Van Gundy is starting to get tired and sound worse but luckily they cut to Kiki Vandegwhe who looks fantastic and has had a great draft day. I would love to see Utah take Chalmers but they have some good guard so it will either be Koufos or another big.

And the pick is Koufos, I finally got something right. Unlike you, I don't like Koufos that much, he never panned out the way I thought he would, I thought they could take a reach on DeAndre Jordan. Let's see how the Sonics can blow this next pick.... I'm sensing they pass up on Jordan, Arthur, and Chalmers and take Serge Ibaka, that would be Seattle-esque

Spokane...I like that pick by Utah, he works well with Okur and Kirilenko. Im very curious to see what Seattle does here, Arthur and Jordan both make lots of sense, but as you said, with Seattle you never know. I think they will now be referred to as Oklahoma City just so I can get some practice in.

And Jeff Van Gundy nails it...no matter who the Sonics take, they will be right back in the lottery next season. And congratulations to the Sonics for making the 2nd worst pick in the draft. They could have had an immediate impact player in Arthur, and of course they take a foreign kid, who may never play in this country.

Denver... Can we just stop and notice how I nailed that Serge Ibaka pick. It shows you that a 20 year old college kid sitting in a recliner in his parents house can make the same choices as the Seattle front office. Sign me up!!! What a insane pick by Seattle...they will have to wait at least 4 years for anything from Ibaka, they should have drafted Bol Kong!

Only in Seattle...I don't mind taking players that need some time but one thing Seattle does not have is time! If they want to stay in the NW they need a winning attitude and this is not it.

I'm tired of seeing Darrell Arthur, hopefully I can channel Houston and they take him.

Spokane...I like Batum to the Rockets, apparently he is quite the talent, and just needs to get stronger. Well played on the Ibaka pick, but what an awful job by Seattle. If you are going to draft on potential you take DeAndre Jordan, he is a top 5 talent who is just raw. The kidney issue for Arthur could cause him to fall all the way out of the 1st round.

I think that Chalmers or Arthur make a whole lot of sense to San Antonio, Chalmers would be a great backup for Parker. And the Spurs take George Hill. What is going on with the Kansas players, and why would anyone take George Hill over Chalmers. This has been a very surprising draft, and there could be a whole lot of talent available in the 2nd round

Denver... George Hill from Ewwweee Poooo-eee (sound it out). This has been a crazy draft. Batum is going to be very good I think, youtube him.

Darrell Arthur is finally off the board! He will likely land in Portland after the trade is approved and will be another excellent young player. Portland has got to be ecstatic about this pick even if the Kidney problem is legit.

He is pure talent and he has realized his potential to a certain amount. He can get up and down the court and I thought he had a chance to sneak into the lottery. Great pick by Portland and you have to feel good for Arthur. He is NBA ready much like Chalmers who should go soon.

Spokane....Great draft by Portland yet again. They have Bayless who will be a great scorer off the bench and a potential starting point guard, and now have one of the best post players in the draft. So it now appears that either one of DeAndre Jordan or Chalmers will fall into the 2nd round. This draft is the chance for Kevin Mchale to redeem himself for numerous horrible picks.

I cant believe how much solid college talent will be available in the early 2nd round. I think the Pistons go with CDR, he would be a great scorer off the bench for Detroit

Denver... Joe Dumars is looking to bust up his core. He tried to get Melo from Denver and offered Tayshaun and Chauncey. Why Denver did not accept I will never understand but I think Joe is tired of losing. I'd be surprised if it was the same team as last year. In fact, Dumars said the only player he would not trade is Rodney Stuckey

I'd like to see Bill Walker or CDR here but maybe like Bilas said we could see DJ White. Maybe they take a flyer on DeAndre Jordan, they have a few years to develop him. I'll go with Walker.

So Bilas is right and they take DJ White, I'm pretty surprised by this pick. He has a history of injuries and is very lazy during some games. Overall it was pretty surprising.

For the Celtics, I could see DeAndre Jordan, just develop him but they have to be licking their chops with all this talent. CDR or Jordan for me.

Spokane....The pick has to be Jordan, they can just have him ride the bench for a couple of years and have KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen get him motivated and working hard. But the way the picks have gone in the 1st round, I have no idea who the Celtics will take. I would like to see Bill Walker here.

I dont love DJ White to the Pistons, especially since I think that Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell will be a strong post duo for many years down the line. And the Celtics select J.R Giddens with the last pick in the 1st round. I cant believe that Chalmers, CDR, and Jordan have all made it to the 2nd round.

Denver... Wow so the first round comes to an end. I love Dick Vitale but I have rarely agreed with him until now. The college situation right now is insane. Let them do what they want but if they commit to college, make them stay until they get some education.

J.R. Giddens has a list of problems longer than DeAndre Jordan's wingspan. I'm pretty sure Doc Rivers still is intoxicated by all that champagne.

Now on to the second round. Thanks for reading! We may update from time to time but are going to take a break and enjoy the draft. Write some comments, let us know what you think.

Spokane....And with all the talent still available.....Kevin Mchale selects Nikola Pekovic. While he is certainly talented, he just signed a 3 year contract in Europe, and it is not likely that they will ever make it to America. I am so upset right now its hard for me to even type

Denver.... Worst pick thus far is a tie between Minnesota and Detroit for the first two second round picks. Great to see Joey Dorsey go, he is one of my favorite players and an absolute savage on the court. If he keeps his motor going, he can make some waves in the NBA.

Spokane....And the Twolves rebound from that blunder early in the 2nd round and get Mario Chalmers. He is a winner and will be a good PG in the league. Just a side note....but Darrell Arthur will be going to Houston along with a 2nd round pick for Nicholas Batum. I cant believe that CDR and Bill Walker are still available, those are 2 great talents

Denver... The Milwaukee Bucks are now my least favorite team as they selected the biggest letdown I have seen in college basketball. Mbah a Moute will be a nothing in the NBA, he may not get out of the D-League. He was a stud his freshman year and did nothing after that. Pardon the venting process but Mbah a Moute is always talked about and he is just not good.

By the way, how obsessed is Jay Bilas with tools, tool boxes, and finding the tool box and sharpening the tools? He is really taking this comparison over the edge a bit...

...CDR finally goes to the Nets.

Spokane....Great fit for CDR, and the Nets are officially my winner in this draft. They got the best center in the draft, and also chose 2 of the best scorers in the whole draft. CDR will be great backing up Vince Carter for a couple of years. Apparently Mario Chalmers is heading to Miami, but it is not said who is going back to Minnesota

Denver... T-Wolves get cash and two second round picks...

Some names of note getting taken late are Sean Singletary out of Virginia, Bill Walker out of K State, Patrick Ewing Jr. out of Georgetown and Malik Hairston of Oregon.