Boy did Ty Lawson make a good decision.
On the basis of Mario Chalmers(KU) ending up in the 2nd round as well as Chris Douglas-Roberts(MU) it is a safe assumption Lawson would have not been picked where he wanted. Chalmers surprised me dropping so much when I saw some mock drafts that had him in the late lottery and even going before DJ Augustine(UT). The way this has unfolded, the Tar Heel Three definitely avoided crappy draft positions by heading back to school. Other thoughts:
- The decision by Chicago to take Derrick Rose(MU) versus Michael Beasley(KSU) will be an interesting one to examine a few years from now. Also, for all the chatter heard about Miami not wanting Beasley, the Heat end up opting for the best player available over the other issues.
- Kevin Love(UCLA) went #5 which seemed a tad high but Love is a very smart player who understands the game.
- You have to wonder how long Raymond Felton has in Charlotte with the Bobcats drafting Augustine. I honestly do not watch enough Bobcats basketball to tell you much, mainly because it is not even televised in Raleigh, but it seems to me that Felton was never full vested with running the point. The bottom line is Augustine is the same size as Felton so there is no way they play at the same time. One of them will be the primary PG and the other not so much.
- Charlotte had also hoped to get Roy Hibbert(GU) with the 20th pick but Hibbert ended with Toronto leaving the Bobcats to draft some French center.
- Eric Gordon(IU) was drafted by the LA Clippers and that is the last we will hear from him.
- JJ Hickson(NCSU) was taken 19th by Cleveland and will get two seasons to play with Lebron James before James heads to a big market team. It certainly justifies his decision to enter the draft. Hickson's career will me made or broken on the basis of his desire and effort going forward.
- DJ White in the 1st round was a surprise and the Kansas players did not make as good a showing as I would have thought with Darrell Arthur(KU) at #27 following up Brandon Rush's(KU) #13 pick.
- Golden State drafted a player similar to Brandan Wright in the person Anthony Randolph(LSU) which seems to indicate Wright might be moved or Golden State intends to play a lot of players with the same height and build.
- On the ACC front, Hickson was the only 1st round pick. In the 2nd round Sean Singletary(UVa) went to Sacramento at #42, James Gist(MD) went 57th to San Antonio and Deron Washing(VT) went 59th to Detroit where he might actually have a shot considering his explosiveness off the floor.