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Feeling the draft
I love the draft. You know this.
Elvis loved the draft too. Cassius Clay, not so much.
But the NFL Draft is >>>>>> NBA Draft.
Still, there’s no way I have — cue the Righteous Brothers, or Maverick and Goose — lost that loving feeling.
Some takeaways from Wednesday night’s first round of the NBA Draft:
› Winner — Dallas. Of course, Dallas won the draft, and they won it at the lottery. It’s hard to imagine the roller coaster Mavs GM Nico Harrison has ridden. Dealing a top-five player for nickels on the dollar. Winning the lottery in the draft with the best prospect since maybe LeBron. Re-signing Kyrie and assembling a starting five that is a step behind maybe just the Thunder in a downright cutthroat Western Conference.
› Loser — Experienced college players. We all have noticed that NIL has allowed more experienced players to remain in college. Well, youth was served Wednesday. The first eight picks were freshmen. There were a record 18 freshmen picked in round one.
› Winner — Your Atlanta Hawks. Holy buckets, the Hawks made their best draft day since dealing John Drew to the Jazz for the rights of some UGA player named Dominique Wilkins. Wednesday, on the clock at 13, the Hawks peddled that pick to New Orleans for an unprotected 2026 first rounder — either New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s, and each could be in tank mode depending on the rest of the offseason — to move back 10 spots. Then, at 23, Atlanta was still able to pick Asa Newell, the former UGA player, who arguably is the best offensive rebounder in this draft and very likely could have been the pick at 13. Man, the Hawks are like the only good scene in “Godfather 3” — “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
› Loser — The viewer. Hey, ESPN, just because you overpaid Screamin’ A Smith and are trying to justify those checks, it does not mean he needs to be on every broadcast everywhere. Jiminy Crickets. That whole broadcast was bad.
Thoughts?
Not feeling the draft
So Cooper Flagg was the national player of the year, and was the clear-cut No. 1 pick.
Flagg edged Auburn big Johni Broome for the PoY honors.
Rightly or wrongly, it was a narrow call, and Flagg got it.
(Side note: That Flagg and two other Duke players were top-10 picks and that no AU players were picked is a testament to what Bruce Pearl’s team accomplished in a Final Four season. Was it a disappointment not to get by Florida? Of course, but man, what a memorable team.)
Anywell, Broome went undrafted in Wednesday’s first round and could likely be among the first names called tonight when Round Two starts.
(Side note: I love dividing the draft into multiple days like the NFL has done. It allows more time for more trades, and more trades is always a good thing during the offseason. On the downside, it allows more time for more Screamin’ A chatter, which is becoming more and more of a bad thing.)
So Broome is still out there.
So is UT high-volume scorer Chaz Lanier and Kentucky’s Koby Brea and Arkansas forward Ado Theiro.
In truth, I’m not overly surprised Johni Broome dropped out of Round One.
Are you?
Pitching fits
Jacob Misiorowski, the hard-throwing Brewers rookie, out dueled Paul Skenes Wednesday afternoon. And the Big Mis is the truth. Three starts, 3-0, 16 innings, 19 Ks and two earned runs. Honey hush.
So, the Mis and Skenes got the ball.
So did Phillies ace Zach Wheeler, who got a tough-luck loss to the red-hot Astros.
So did Max Fried, who has been amazing in his first three months in NYC. Think his 10-2 record and sub-2.00 ERA would look good at Truist? Yeah, me neither.
Also, Dodgers magician Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Rangers righty Jacob de Grom (who is putting together a fantastic case to be a) an All-Star and b) the comeback player of the year and Toronto’s Max Scherzer.
That’s some big-time names all pitching on the same night.
It got me thinking — dangerous, I know, Spy — Scherzer is an almost-lock to be a Hall of Famer. Three time Cy Young winner, a 216-112 record with a career 3.17 ERA and 3,400-plus Ks with a 75.3 WAR, which is right at what Kershaw’s WAR is.
So yeah, Scherzer’s a first-ballot guy. But of every other starting pitcher mentioned above, if you had to bet a sizable amount of money on who would also be bound for Cooperstown, where are you putting your coins?
Go.
This and that
› A heckler brought Arizona’s Ketel Marte to tears earlier this month by delivering insults about Marte’s late mother. The MLB has now banned said heckler. You have the freedom to say whatever you want. But that does not guarantee you freedom from the consequences of your asinine comments and behavior.
› So Beyonce fans are mad at the superduper star for wearing a T-shirt with the historic Buffalo Soldiers on it during a recent concert, saying the shirt was offensive to Native Americans. OK.
› Speaking of big-time pitchers, Roger Clemens is definitely pro-Trump. Here’s more.
› Braves played. Braves lost. Juan Soto is good at that hitting thing.
› You know the rules. Here’s Paschall with some UT football goodness.
› One final note: Have to do a little bit of bragging on my oldest. The not-so-Lil 5-at-10 is about to be a senior, and we just got word that he got a composite 36 on his ACT. Atta’ boy, kid.
Today’s questions
It’s the ol’ AGT — Anything Goes Thursday — so fire away.
We asked about Hall of Fame thoughts above.
We’ll also ask this:
Arch Manning, all-American kid or All-American QB1 this fall? Discuss.
(Side note: I got into a pretty heated Twitter discussion with someone who took issue with me saying I’d take Arch over Garrett Nussmeier of LSU. Who would you rather have at QB1 for your school — Arch or Nuss? Discuss.)
As for today, June 26, let’s review:
It’s National Chocolate Pudding day. I am a fan.
It’s the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, which begs the questions that shouldn’t that be every day?
Chris O’Donnell is 55 today.
Derek Jeter is 51 today.
Does he make the Rushmore of shortstops, and moreover, who is far left?
Go, and remember the mailbag.