I spent most of the day dealing with work and iPhone 4 pick up so didn't have much time to do my usual NBA Draft research. This year's draft seemed a little ho-hum. Besides Wall and Turner, there wasn't much in terms of sure fire pro talent. Favors and Cousins have potential to be great but also could turn out to be the next Tyrus Thomas and Eddy Curry. Wesley Johnson is somewhere between Rudy Gay and Corey Brewer. In other words, either slightly above or slightly below average.

As for the Warriors' pick, Ekpe Udoh at #6, I can't really get too excited one way or the other. There's no one picked after him I thought was better and he does fill very specific needs - defense, rebounding and shot blocking. He won't be asked to score much (which he can't) and can learn behind Randolph and Wright. In the end he was a safe pick in a weak draft with no real upside but no big downside either. The W's weren't going to find salvation in the draft any way. The bigger impact will be when the team is sold to a better owner who has a different philosophy than current management's "break-even" mind set.

A few tidbits of news coming out of last nights NBA Draft:
 
* Ricky Rubio doesn't seem to like Minnesota. There are reports that his father says Rubio might return to Spain and play out his contract with Joventut. Plus his mom doesn't like the cold. I don't think he'll go back but might use it as leverage to force a trade a la Steve Francis. My guess, The Knicks pull it off by packaging David Lee and change. I guess that Jonny Flynn pick up at #6 wasn't that crazy after all.
 
* The rumored Amare Stoudemire for Biedrins, Wright, and Belinelli might actually be Biedrins, Wright, and Curry. Makes sense from Phoenix's standpoint to get a starting center and a potential PG of the future after Nash leaves in a year or two. It never really made sense to have two guards who are more comfortable playing the 2 try to be your PG. It's hard enough trying to get Monta to play the point effectively. Curry's stock is really high now and can only go down if he's competing for minutes with a much better Monta. Though I'm not against seeing if a Monta/Curry back court could be harmonious. I just don't think there are enough shots in a game to satisfy both of them plus Jackson and Maggette.
 
* Ty Lawson could be the sleeper PG to emerge from this PG heavy 1st round. Tyreke Evans and Curry aren't real PG's and I think they'll slide over to the 2 for most of their careers. Rubio has a ton of potential/hype which may be his undoing. He looks good dishing out assists but a lack of speed, athleticism, defense and shooting ability makes him vulnerable to faster guards who are much better than what he's played against to date. One of the reasons Nash dishes out so many assists is that his good shooting ability keeps defenders honest. If defenders knew Rubio couldn't hit a jumper consistently, they are in a much better position defensively. Lawson is one of the fastest guards in the draft and though he won't dazzle people with amazing passes, he's an efficient scorer who can manage a half court offense. He'll learn a lot from Billups and won't be asked to be the savior of a franchise. You also can't discount his proven ability to lead a team to a championship.
 
* I feel horrible for Jordan Hill. When he was announced as The Knicks pick, a little boy gave the thumbs down sign and his father had to turn it to a thumbs up. Hill is a solid player who doesn't deserve the jeers from the Curry-crazy Knicks fans. I hope he gets traded out of New York because he deserves better. Since Phoenix is rebuilding, how about trading for the U of A alum and some expiring contracts in exchange for Nash who obviously wants out and would love to be reunited with D'Antoni. Plus since Stoudemire is leaving, they'll need a big body with decent post moves to play alongside Biedrens who has no post moves. One can wish.

There's a trade rumor out there that Amare Stoudemire may be moved to the Warriors for Biedrins, Wright, and Belinelli. If this happens, the W's are instantly a playoff team (assuming Amare stays healthy). Wright and Belinelli are improving players but I don't see them being superstars. Biedrins is a little bit harder to part with. He improved every season he was in the league and at only 23, he has a ton of upside. Though still raw and with few real post moves, he's shown an ability to rebound, run the floor, and play the pick and roll. With Nash dishing to him, I think he'll flourish in Phoenix.
 
A potential starting 5 for the W's would be Ellis, Maggette, Jackson, Randolph, and Stoudemire with CJ, Curry, Morrow, Azubuike, and Turiaf on the second team. Again, just a rumor.

I posted about this potential trade earlier. It looks like it's going to happen unless Jamal Crawford doesn't love money. The Warriors get Acie Law and Speedy Claxton in return but this trade seems to be all about getting rid of Crawford. I don't expect either of them to see much playing time next year. Claxton is hurt and Acie Law has been largely a bust. The good thing is that both of their contracts come off the books next year which will clear about $7.5 million for the W's salary cap. Jamal never really fit into Nellie's system and given the logjam the W's had at the off guard position and given his large contract, he seemed the logical player to move.
 
Does this mean the W's will get a big man or a point guard? I can see either happening but only if Jordan Hill falls to #7. Otherwise, it's Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, or Jonny Flynn. If they get Hill, then a starting rotation would be Ellis, Magette, Jackson, Randolph, and Biedrins with CJ, Morrow, Azubuike, Hill, and Turiaf making up the second team. If they pick up a point guard, then the starting 5 remains the same but CJ now becomes expendable (he's a free agent) and the second team will be [insert new PG], Morrow, Azubuike, Wright, and Turiaf. Will see what actually happens tomorrow. Can't wait!

UPDATE: As I hit the send button on this post, just saw that there's a trade brewing to send Jamal Crawford to the Hawks for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.  Gotta let that marinate for a sec before I give my thoughts but I was never a big fan of Crawford and his big contract.

Before I talk about the W's, just read a great article by Bill Simmons re: the Clippers and their curse. The Native American angle is interesting and humorous.
 
Lots of goings-ons have occurred in the past 24 hours that may shift a lot of what happens in tomorrow's draft.  That's not including the Richard Jefferson trade to San Antonio which suddenly makes them much better, in my opinion. First, they get a 20 point scorer to go alongside Duncan, Parker, and Manu. Plus, they may actually sign back Bowen and Thomas if they are bought out of their contracts (highly likely). Overall, a win for the Spurs. The other big trade news was Minnesota getting the 5th pick from Washington for Foye and Miller. That gives them to 5th, 6th, 18th, and the 28th pick in the first round. Wow - if only this wasn't a weak draft. Word around the campfire is that their looking to package the 5th and 18th or the 6th and 18th to get the 2nd or 3rd pick to grab Rubio. Given that Minnesota has a lot of holes to fill, they'll do fine whether they trade up or keep those picks for themselves.
 
Regarding what the Warriors do with the 7th pick, it's really a crap shoot at this point. Some boards are projecting that the W's get Brandon Jennings or Jonny Flynn or Stephen Curry or Jrue Holiday while some see Jordan Hill falling to them. Personally, I would go for a point guard over a big man given that the W's could slot Anthony Randolph or Brandan Wright at the 4. Both seem a little underweight to play the position but there are rumors that Randolph grew an extra inch and added 20 pounds since the end of the season. That's just crazy talk. Randolph definitely has more upside than Wright and should eventually be a starter, whether at 4 or 3. I think adding Jordan Hill would mean reduced playing time for Wright and after watching him play in the Pac-10, I'm not 100% convinced he won't be just an average NBA player. If there was any depth in this draft, it seems to be at the point guard position. Jonny Flynn has the maturity and polish at PG, Stephen Curry has the jump shot, but Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday have the upside. Holiday has fallen as of late and Jennings definitely has maturity issues but they both are considered long term projects. I'd rather opt for the upside versus the "NBA ready" players like Flynn and Curry because I don't see either of them ever being any better than what the W's have now in CJ Watson (who's actually an above average back up PG). Why not roll the dice and go for someone who might become a Rajon Rondo? Regardless of who they get, there's not much downside. The 7th pick is far enough down that even if the player turned out to be a bust, it's not like wasting a #3 on Mike Dunleavy, Jr.