David Stern may have retired, but his draft night memories still remain. Here is the former commissioner's priceless interaction with a Celtics fan in the crowd during the 2012 NBA Draft. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)
We are proud to present to you our third running diary of NBA Draft night, as the Bill Simmons-esque method of capturing the moments has become much more enjoyable than following via Twitter, where picks are announced before ESPN can convey the same information, thereby spoiling the proceedings for fans.
Nonetheless, we will be here to bring it to you as it happens live from Daly Dose headquarters, just 20 minutes away from the festivities in Brooklyn, where Adam Silver takes the Barclays Center stage for the first time as commissioner, replacing David Stern. Quite frankly, he has a hard act to follow:
7:27 - Rece Davis brings ESPN's coverage back from break and throws to what the Boston Celtics might do with the sixth overall pick before profiling the Los Angeles Lakers, who are immediately following Brad Stevens and the Celtics on the clock.
7:28 - Andrew Wiggins gets some major style points for his bow tie. The blazer that goes along with it? Not so much.
7:31 - Not a bad opening montage to officially christen the proceedings.
7:32 - Adam Silver makes his first draft entrance as commissioner to a slightly mixed reception, but mostly applause from the Barclays Center crowd.
7:33 - Silver's first boos come when he congratulates the San Antonio Spurs for their NBA championship. We're only two minutes in, but Stern would have already captivated the crowd a hundred times over by now.
7:34 - The Cleveland Cavaliers are now on the clock with the top pick for the third time in four years. Brad Daugherty, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Bennett have been No. 1 choices in the lottery era by the city on the shores of the Cuyahoga River.
7:35 - Will the newest Cavalier inspire Cleveland's residents to run through the streets like their other, more notorious native son? Only time will tell.
7:37 - Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose are starting out slow for the second consecutive year on the panel, while Jay Bilas has come out firing yet again. We gotta go to work, and we're still waiting for the first "wingspan" and drinking game mentions from college basketball's coolest attorney.
7:38 - Bill Simmons: "I don't think it's realistic that LeBron James goes to Cleveland. I really don't." Neither do we.
7:40 - Cleveland is off the clock, but Adam Silver has yet to receive the card. Let's see what Dan Gilbert and David Griffin do with their pick, which could be traded, but not announced until after a player has been selected.
7:41 - Here is Adam Silver to end the suspense. With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Andrew Wiggins, forward from Kansas University.
7:41 - Wiggins now becomes the second straight Canadian to go No. 1 overall, joining the aforementioned Anthony Bennett.
7:42 - This year's draft hats aren't great, but they're not brutal either. Consider us indifferent to them so far.
7:43 - Jalen Rose compares Wiggins to Tracy McGrady, which is a pretty accurate analogy when you consider Wiggins' build and vast skill set.
7:44 - Jay Williams conducts the post-selection interviews this year, replacing Shane Battier. Doesn't matter. Still a Dukie, which is never good for the soul.
7:45 - Hey Durham, remember this?
7:46 - Milwaukee is on the clock, but there's no doubt of who they get here, as the Bucks select Jabari Parker.
7:47 - Parker is arguably the most pro-ready player in this year's draft, and perhaps one of the few Duke players that can actually be appreciated by everyone. If you haven't seen him, as we did live on two separate occasions this past season, he's the next LeBron James. No, that's not hyperbole.
7:48 - Jay Bilas gives a nod to proponents of tempo-free statistics, including both yours truly and our staff "Renaissance Man" Ray Floriani, by mentioning Parker's 1.2 points per possession around the rim, which correlates to an offensive efficiency of 120. That's exceptional for those of you who have no knowledge of how advanced stats work.
7:49 - Here a Dukie, there a Dukie. STOP THIS HEARTBREAK OVERLOAD!!!
7:51 - Breaking the fourth wall here, Parker going to Milwaukee, just a short drive from his hometown of Chicago, is awesome. Considering his father's medical problems, being close to home is a blessing for him.
7:52 - Speaking of Chicago and breaking the fourth wall...Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? (GOOGLE IT CRAIN)
7:53 - Still no wingspan mentions from Bilas. That makes us sad.
7:54 - Philadelphia goes for Joel Embiid despite his broken foot that was just recently surgically repaired.
7:54 - "...with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, enjoy your favorite beverage, there will be more to come." God bless you, Jay Bilas.
7:55 - Embiid is visibly displeased with the news that he was selected by the Sixers, (Photo courtesy of the Newark Star-Ledger) but not quite at the level of this guy after Brock Lesnar beat the Undertaker at WrestleMania: (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)
7:59 - There's the first shakeup on draft night: The Orlando Magic select Aaron Gordon, power forward from the University of Arizona. You can never go wrong with a Sean Miller recruit, especially one that plays like a young Blake Griffin. This kid will be something special alongside Andrew Nicholson if given the opportunity.
8:03 - First break of the night, with the Utah Jazz on the clock.
8:05 - Andy Katz makes his first appearance of the night. Usually, that means a trade, but this time, the former Sacramento Bee writer is suggesting that Australian import Dante Exum will be the choice for Utah here, which he is. Here's Adam Zagoria's piece that showcased just how much of a superstar Exum can be:
http://zagsblog.com/articles/dante-exum-ready-to-explode-on-nba-scene/
8:07 - FRAN FRASCHILLA!!! The best part of the draft, year in and year out. The former Manhattan Jaspers coach (he also coached at St. John's and New Mexico for those of you scoring at home) is as good as it gets when it comes to international scouting reports.
8:09 - Jay Williams calls Exum an "international man of mystery." That can only mean one thing:
8:10 - Cue the Boston Celtics on the clock at No. 6. We'll be sure to provide reaction from our resident Celtic fan on staff, that being Jason Schott, as soon as we can.
8:13 - Boston makes the right pick by taking the best player available, Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart, who instantly steps in as a more than capable replacement for Rajon Rondo. Next up, the Lakers, who should be considering Julius Randle if logic holds to form. Back to Smart for a moment: His willingness to learn and humble roots, Texas Tech fan incident notwithstanding, make him a perfect floor general for head coach Brad Stevens.
8:17 - The boos for Adam Silver increase mildly as he announces the Lakers' selection of Julius Randle, who extends the streak of John Calipari recruits turned lottery picks to seven consecutive years.
8:20 - ESPN mentions Shake Shack while discussing Randle, the reasons for which, I'm not sure. However, if my former colleague Mike Francesa is a fan of Shake Shack, it has to be good:
8:22 - Now that ESPN has made us all hungry, the Sacramento Kings get the first major steal of the draft, taking Michigan's Nik Stauskas eighth overall. Personally speaking, I would have loved to see him end up with the Magic.
8:23 - Bill Simmons astutely points out that Noah Vonleh has turned into the basketball equivalent of Aaron Rodgers, Brady Quinn and Johnny Manziel. In other words, he's still in the green room.
8:24 - Some Michigan fan in the stands just unveiled a maize and blue Canadian flag. That's pretty awesome.
8:25 - Nik Stauskas: "A lot of the guys who come to Michigan, they're pretty underrecruited." A testament to the coaching ability of John Beilein, who is, pound for pound, the most underrated coach in America.
8:28 - The Charlotte Hornets are on the clock, with a pick they received from the Pistons for Ben Gordon two years ago. Highlights of Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning would have been more appropriate. The first draft pick of the second Hornet era? Noah Vonleh, whose slide down the board comes to an end.
8:29 - Many people had the Hornets taking Doug McDermott at No. 9. You know where he would fit in real well? Orlando. Two more spots await before the Magic return to the clock, though. The 76ers are the next in line, with the Denver Nuggets to follow.
8:35 - Here are the Sixers once again, using their pick they received from the New Orleans Pelicans in the Jrue Holiday trade last season to take upstart mid-major point guard Elfrid Payton out of Louisiana-Lafayette, much to the surprise of those in attendance.
8:37 - With the eleventh pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets select...someone who should stay away from 6th and Federal. Anyone who went out there when St. John's played Gonzaga in the 2011 NCAA Tournament knows what we're talking about.
8:42 - Denver McNuggets, meet Dougie McBuckets. Doug McDermott, described by our own Ray Floriani as "economy in motion" and by yours truly as the next Chris Mullin, is headed to the Rocky Mountains as the No. 11 pick.
8:44 - Jalen Rose on Doug McDermott: "He reminds me of Wally Szczerbiak." Nice of the former Fab Five star to steal college basketball insider Jon Rothstein's comparison.
8:46 - Only one international pick among the first eleven. Not enough Fraschilla. Not good.
8:49 - Jeff Goodman, who is much better on the TV side than people think, reports that Doug McDermott is headed to the Bulls. Chicago's two first-round picks, No. 16 and No. 19 overall, will go to Denver, but the Bulls will draft for them.
8:51 - With their second pick of the draft, the Magic select Croatian center Dario Saric. Considering their track record with international players, the jury is still out, but that's what Fran Fraschilla is for!
8:52 - And your NBA Draft Most Valuable Player is once again Fran Fraschilla. Loved the breakdown of the rules for stash picks and the option for Saric to change his mind after two years and opt to remain overseas.
8:53 - Bill Simmons mentions Fran Vazquez. KEEP RUBBING SALT IN THE WOUND, BOSTON BOY.
8:55 - Minnesota only takes half their time on the clock at No. 13, and the Timberwolves go for freakishly athletic swingman Zach LaVine of UCLA. That makes two straight Bruins to take their talents to the Target Center, as the Wolves ended up with Shabazz Muhammad a year ago.
8:56 - "I'm a little bit thirsty," says Jay Bilas, who references LaVine's 6-8 wingspan. With Stern out of the picture, this is as good as it gets when it comes to playing to the crowd and fans.
8:57 - Chris Broussard, and his pronunciation of LeBron James' first name, (LeBRAAAAAAAN) have to go. Bottom line.
9:01 - Andy Katz reports a trade between Philadelphia and Orlando. The Sixers get Dario Saric, the Magic get Elfrid Payton to be the successor to Jameer Nelson. Payton is really reminiscent of Damian Lillard in a lot of ways, so that's a huge plus for Orlando.
9:03 - At No. 14, the Phoenix Suns go for T.J. Warren of NC State, a pick that will make friend of the site and Suns fan Mike Ferraro optimistic for what lies ahead in the Valley of the Sun. Surprised that Gary Harris, who is now being referenced on the ESPN panel, didn't go in this spot, but Phoenix can grab him at No. 18 if he's still around.
9:05 - Our colleague David Menze, who was an integral part of yours truly's broadcasts at St. Francis over the years before doing a great job of covering the Atlanta Hawks despite his Brooklyn home base, had McDermott in this spot, while we had the aforementioned Dario Saric.
9:10 - Atlanta has been kind to the international players in recent years, but they go for Adreian Payne of Michigan State at No. 15. Lacey just smiled down upon her "Superman," who is now a steal of the draft.
9:15 - Adam Silver introduces Baylor's Isaiah Austin, whose career was tragically cut short due to Marfan syndrome before it could even begin. From someone who got to cover Austin in the 2013 NIT, this is tragic on so many levels, never mind the one where the 7-1 center played like a young Kevin Garnett.
9:19 - Chicago, drafting for the Nuggets, draft Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic at No. 16 with the first of two picks going to Denver in the Doug McDermott trade.
9:20 - FRAN FRASCHILLA TIME!!!
9:20 - Fraschilla in response to Bill Simmons announcing his latest scouting report: "Bring 'em on, guys. Bring 'em on." We concur, even before hearing that Nurkic "has a little WWE in him" in the sense that he has to mature.
9:21 - Since we're on the subject of WWE, (thanks, Fran!) rest in peace, Warrior:
9:25 - The Boston Celtics are on the clock again. This is the part of the night where Bill Simmons becomes intolerable. The panel wants Gary Harris out of Michigan State. The card is in, and Adam Silver announces Kentucky swingman James Young as Brad Stevens' newest player.
9:26 - Friend of the site Jon Alba must be proud of Silver's trolling of Simmons. After all, the voice of Q30 television and musical genius behind Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son (Google them, my friends) is a heel pretending to be a face. That's just the way it is.
9:28 - On that note...
9:28 - Bill Simmons after realizing his Celtics have drafted Marcus Smart and James Young: "Let's do shots!"
9:29 - That's the first time we've mentioned Bruce Hornsby since December 21, 2012, when his son Keith; then a shooting guard for UNC Asheville, helped his Bulldogs to an upset of St. John's at Carnesecca Arena in a second half filled with yours truly and friends/colleagues Gary Moore of The College Hardwood and Jerry Beach of Defiantly Dutch exchanging Hornsby references via Twitter. PLAY "ACROSS THE RIVER!!!"
9:31 - Getting back to the former @sportsguy33...
9:32 - The Suns take a point guard with their second pick, taking Syracuse's Tyler Ennis at No. 18 and leaving Gary Harris on the board. Warren and Ennis isn't a bad haul for Phoenix, who gets a pair of all-ACC players.
9:35 - Chicago drafts for Denver one more time, with the Bulls sending Gary Harris to the Nuggets. Absolute steal here, as Harris gets to team up with North Carolina legend Ty Lawson in one of the Western Conference's best backcourts.
9:38 - To recap: Denver will receive Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris from Chicago in exchange for Doug McDermott. Solid exchange on both ends.
9:40 - We just looked back and noticed that we missed another Chicago/breaking the fourth wall reference. With that said, PIPE BOMB!!!
9:41 - One more Chicago reference, and this one is right up Gary Moore's alley!
9:42 - ESPN cuts to Shabazz Napier as the Toronto Raptors finalize the 20th pick in the draft. Very subtle form of tipping it by the "Worldwide Leader In Sports," but whether or not it gets very far will be figured out momentarily.
9:44 - Toronto, only three years removed from taking Jonas Valanciunas, take Bruno Caboclo at No. 20.
9:45 - MORE FRAN FRASCHILLA!!!
9:46 - Fraschilla, the international expert, has already considered Caboclo to be the Brazilian Kevin Durant in a "swing for the fences pick."
9:51 - Oklahoma City makes their first appearance of the night, on the clock at No. 21 with Houston's pick from the James Harden trade. The Thunder use it to take Mitch McGary of Michigan, which is a solid pick that solidifies their front line.
9:56 - Rece Davis says that "Bruno will return" at some point. Cue John McClane's most memorable non-film moment:
9:58 - The Memphis Grizzlies get a steal at No. 22, taking UCLA's Jordan Adams, who was the most complete player on both sides of the ball in Westwood last season, with all apologies to Kyle Anderson. Really love this pick for the Grizz.
10:03 - Utah goes for a Dukie with their second pick, prying Rodney Hood out of Durham at No. 23. At least Hood won't be around to cost Syracuse big games in the ACC anymore.
10:05 - Hey Durham, remember this?
10:07 - The winner of "biggest first-round steal" is the Charlotte Hornets, who drafted a two-time national champion in Shabazz Napier to reunite with former UConn teammate Kemba Walker in their backcourt after taking Napier with the No. 24 pick.
10:08 - And it feels so good...
10:09 - Or not...Andy Katz has just reported that Napier will be traded to the Miami Heat, which means the four-time reigning Eastern Conference champions will draft for Charlotte at No. 26.
10:11 - Bill Simmons, the voice of the people, verbalizing his displeasure with teams helping Miami for the last four years.
10:14 - The Houston Rockets salvage the last few picks by taking Clint Capela of Switzerland at No. 25. Of course, the best part of this pick is the analysis from Fran Fraschilla.
10:16 - Miami on the clock, but as mentioned before, the Heat are drafting for the Charlotte Hornets in the 26th spot after Shabazz Napier was taken for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra at No. 24.
10:19 - Have we mentioned that Adam Silver isn't getting a decent reaction?
10:20 - Drafting for Charlotte, Miami takes North Carolina expatriate P.J. Hairston at No. 26 after the swingman spent last season in the NBDL.
10:27 - Pick No. 27, the third for the Suns, is Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who can team with Goran Dragic if he comes over soon enough.
10:28 - Nothing is better than Fran Fraschilla extolling the virtues of players 95% of the viewing audience knows absolutely nothing about.
10:33 - The Clippers, on the clock at No. 28, take Washington swingman C.J. Wilcox, generating a reaction that couldn't even be heard at the CBI game Hofstra hosted several years ago to an intimate gathering of 952.
10:39 - Oklahoma City throws somewhat of a curveball with their second pick of the first round, taking Stanford swingman Josh Huestis at No. 29. A double-double threat in college for the Cardinal, Huestis now gets to learn from one of the best in Kevin Durant.
10:41 - Adam Silver wraps up his first round with the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, on the clock at No. 30.
10:46 - The new commissioner concludes a less than spectacular first round with the Spurs' selection of Jersey City product and UCLA superstar Kyle Anderson, the latest in a long line of typical Spurs picks.
10:47 - Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum takes over for Silver, but there's one man we miss seeing at this stage that can never be replaced.
10:48 - #WeWantGranik
10:49 - #WeWantGranik
10:57 - The Milwaukee Bucks start the final of two rounds with the 31st overall pick, using it to select Damien Inglis, a French Guiana native who played in France last season after Mark Tatum's introduction did not go over well.
10:57 - Fran Fraschilla. This is the part of the night where he really earns his money.
11:00 - The first of two second-round picks for the Philadelphia 76ers is used on K.J. McDaniels of Clemson, who we got to see in the NIT this past April. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year lived up to the hype against SMU at Madison Square Garden, and can back it up offensively as well.
11:05 - Cleveland drafts Joe Harris of Virginia to pair up with Andrew Wiggins, taking the swingman 33rd overall, five spots before the Pistons could scoop him up to the delight of Detroit fan and friend of the site Matt Cerilli.
11:06 - The New York Knicks are on the clock. Isn't that impossible?
11:07 - GREGG MARSHALL HAS FINALLY PRODUCED AN NBA DRAFT PICK. IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME.
11:08 - Cleanthony Early, a native of Middletown, New York, is the 34th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, headed to the New York Knicks.
11:10 - Utah takes Jarnell Stokes of Tennessee at No. 35, and while ESPN is away on a commercial break, Milwaukee adds to their haul by taking LSU big man Johnny O'Bryant with the 36th overall selection.
11:15 - The Raptors tap into Storrs for the 37th pick, grabbing UConn swingman DeAndre Daniels after his tour de force performance in the East Regional semifinals and final at Madison Square Garden en route to leading the Huskies to a national championship. The Detroit Pistons follow suit at No. 38 by taking Colorado guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who will be a force in Motown once he recovers from his torn ACL.
11:17 - Back to Cleanthony Early, if I may: Here's the piece we wrote on Gregg Marshall in 2013:
http://dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com/2013/03/marshall-belongs-and-his-time-is-now.html
11:18 - The fourth pick for the Sixers is a Syracuse product, that being burgeoning big man Jerami Grant at No. 39.
11:20 - Two-thirds of the way through after the Timberwolves take Glenn Robinson III of Michigan at No. 40.
11:21 - Denver takes Serbian power forward Nikola Jokic 41st overall, which means we get a Fran Fraschilla debriefing coming back from ESPN's latest commercial break.
11:25 - Houston takes Arizona guard and Pac-12 Player of the Year Nick Johnson 42nd overall.
11:26 - In the No. 43 spot, the Atlanta Hawks go for 7-3 center Walter Tavares of Cape Verde, who played in Spain last season. Here's Fran Fraschilla!
11:27 - "I may need three drinks," says Jay Bilas when informed of Tavares' 93-inch wingspan.
11:29 - Andy Katz scoops the latest happenings by informing us that Minnesota has drafted Oklahoma State's Markel Brown on behalf of the Brooklyn Nets, who have purchased the 44th overall pick for the sum of...
11:32 - During the break, Charlotte steps in at No. 45 to take 6-11 Stanford big man Dwight Powell. Love this pick for the Hornets if they keep it.
11:32 - The Washington Wizards are on the clock! May their newest draft pick have a celebration somewhere that is comparable to this guy:
11:34 - Les Wizerables, as yours truly and our friends at Gheorghe: The Blog call them, get a steal for the 46th pick, taking Missouri combo guard Jordan Clarkson.
11:36 - Utah has traded Jarnell Stokes to Memphis for a 2016 second-round pick while the 76ers use their fifth pick of the night, No. 47 overall, on Louisville guard and Queens native Russ Smith, who played for the late Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy.
11:37 - Milwaukee takes Pitt shooting guard Lamar Patterson 48th overall, much to the delight of our colleagues Dexter Henry and David Greenwald.
11:39 - The Bulls take a New Mexico player for the second year in a row, taking forward Cameron Bairstow 49th overall after using their 2013 first-round pick on another of Los Lobos, that being swingman Tony Snell.
11:41 - Ten picks left after the Suns take 7-1 center Alec Brown out of Wisconsin-Green Bay at No. 50. The Knicks are on the clock once again in the 51st spot.
11:44 - The Knicks go for Thanasis Antetokounmpo of Greece, whose younger brother Giannis was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks last year. FRAN FRASCHILLA FOR THE WIN!!!
11:46 - Jeff Goodman reporting Russ Smith has been traded to New Orleans for Pierre Jackson, while Lamar Patterson, while Lamar Patterson will be traded from Milwaukee to Atlanta for a future second-round pick.
11:47 - Pick number six for the Sixers is Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic. Only eight more to go.
11:51 - During the break, the Timberwolves used the 53rd pick on Italian guard Alessandro Gentile. ESPN returns to find the 76ers on the clock yet again for their seventh pick, No. 54 overall.
11:52 - The Sixers take Serbian forward Nemanja Dangubic, which cues a Fran Fraschilla scouting report. Nothing wrong with this pick at all.
11:54 - We're down to five after the Heat take Xavier point guard and budding superstar Semaj Christon 55th overall.
11:57 - The surprising run on college players continues as the Nuggets take Iowa forward Devyn Marble 56th overall.
12:02 - After Indiana takes 6-10 Frenchman Louis Labeyrie during the break for the Pacers' lone selection, San Antonio uses the 58th overall pick on Tennessee guard Jordan McRae.
12:03 - The penultimate of the 60 selections is San Diego State point guard Xavier Thames, who goes 59th to the Toronto Raptors before San Antonio wraps it up with Mr. Irrelevant.
12:04 - X gon' give it to ya.
12:07 - Last, but not least, with the 60th and final pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Cory Jefferson, forward from Baylor University. We got to see Jefferson during the Bears' run to an NIT championship in 2013, and all he did was put on a clinic. At 6-9, Jefferson is a factor on both ends of the floor, and will have Tim Duncan for a mentor. What more could you ask for?
From Wiggins to Jefferson and so many diversions in between, we thank you for putting up with us, and hope we were able to keep draft night entertaining for you. In closing, here's one final memory of David Stern:
Hello, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your site and this post. You make some very informative points.Keep up the great work!
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