Remembering RJ: June 26, 2008 - June 23, 2009

Thanks for the memories RJ, I barely knew you.

While one TBDS writer is making a mockery of the NBA Draft and the other is wishing big wishes for a former Saluki (in an excellent written blog may I add), I am left in a state of shock and confusion.

It didn't have to end this way for Richard Jefferson and the Milwaukee Bucks. But on June 23, the Bucks once again prove they are scared to win now. A team always set on looking to the future completely ignored they had the future on their team already.

Jefferson played all 82 games for the Bucks, connected on a career-high 39 percent of his 3-point attempts and averaged close to 20 points per game. He took leadership in the locker room and demanded accountability from his teammates. And while the club did not make the postseason, it was a refreshing change of pace from the 2007-08 Milwaukee Bucks.

I had faith in John Hammond to take the reigns of this team and make the necessary moves to put a competitive squad on the floor. On Tuesday, my faith was shaken when he shipped out RJ to San Antonio for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto.

While I realize Jefferson had a rich contract, he was worth every penny. He played great defense, great offense and was a great team player. Oh yeah, by the way ... he is 28. Last time I checked, 28 was a great age for an NBA player. How the Bucks did not realize Jefferson could be the star player they have been looking for is beyond me.

Instead, they picked up three expiring contracts in hopes of signing a star in the 2010 offseason just like every other team wants to do. But Jefferson is a star, and he was a Buck.

As a Milwaukee Buck fan, there is usually little to cheer about and not much of an arsenal when it comes to debating fans of other teams, but being able to say Richard Jefferson was a Buck was a point of pride last season. I am sad to see him go as I was looking very much forward to being a big fan of his for years to come.

But my life as a Bucks fan must go on and that means it's time to take a look at what the team has.

Bowen, 38, is a defensive specialist and good three-point shooter. It will be nice to see the team have a little more energy on the defensive end. Kurt Thomas will also be a nice addition defensively as well. But the problem is they are all going to be 35 or older next season and Thomas and Oberto average about 5 points per game.

With the likely departure of Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva this offseason, that leaves Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut as the team's lone source of offense. The Bucks are going to need to lean a lot more on Charlie Bell and hope Mbah a Moute adds a jumpshot to his game while Alexander comes back with a chip on his shoulder.

While I am examining the severe lack of offense, now would be a good time to say the Portland Trailblazers offered some sort of package involving Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez or a first round pick for Jefferson at the trade deadline. While that also would have been heartbreaking, it would have been better than what the Bucks settled for.

Normally I don't like to dedicate a full blog to the team I cheer for, but in this case, it was the biggest news in the NBA today and a sad day in this basketball fan's life. The one nice thing about this is that Bowen, Thomas and Oberto are all "Skiles-made" players. They are tough, defensive minded veterans. But tough defensive-minded veterans are supposed to be the supporting cast for young, athletic game changers. And the Bucks just lost one.

I was hoping to write about the major trades that could and should happen on draft night. And now more than ever, the Bucks need to have a great draft night. So while I spend the rest of the night being sad for the Bucks, I will be back tomorrow, proud to be a Milwaukee fan and ready to give some last minute advice to general managers for draft night.

I just hope John Hammond is reading.

Mock Mock Draft Version 0.672

Everyone wants to fill out their mock drafts, but where does the "mock" part come in? Now, I will perfect the art of a true "mock" draft.

1. L.A. Clippers: B.J. Mullens (Ohio State)
If anyone has perfected the art of screwing up the draft, it's the Clippers. It's obvious that Blake Griffin is the jewel of this year's draft class, so it would only make sense for the Clippers to take a guy who couldn't even get on the court in the NCAA Tournament for an eighth seed.

2. Boston Celtics (via Memphis, through Minnesota): Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)
Realizing the Celtics probably can't win another championship with the current roster, Kevin McHale convinces Memphis that Kevin Love is, in fact, Elvis Presley and trades him for the No. 2 overall pick, which McHale then sends to Boston for the right to be given his own championship ring once the Celtics win with a starting lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Griffin. Oh wait, you say Kevin McHale isn't with the T'Wolves anymore? Well scrap that idea then!

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Space Needle (Seattle)
Realizing it is the only good thing he has left to steal from the City of Seattle, Clay Bennett takes advantage of the opportunity and leaves Seattle with their only claim to fame being rain and Nirvana.

4. Sacramento Kings: John Whisenant (Sacramento Monarchs)
Since the Kings can't seem to win a championship, they draft the coach who claimed the first ever professional sports championship in Sacramento, Whisenant, who lead the Monarchs to the 2005 WNBA Championship and was named Coach of the Year.

5. Washington Wizards: Michael Jordan (North Carolina)
Oh wait, they already tried that approach.

8. Minnesota T'Wolves: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)
After trading Kevin Love to Memphis, McHale realizes that Minnesota needs another big, white forward on the team. McHale sees that Hansbrough is the same height, has the same wingspan and nearly the same vertical for Blake Griffin, so he figures why not?

7. Golden State Warriors: The name "Oakland" (Oakland)
The Warriors finally realize there is no U.S. state named "Golden" so they draft the rights to officially change their name to the Oakland Warriors.

8. New York Knicks: Jay-Z (Brooklyn)
This is step one of the Knicks' paster plan to lure LeBron to MSG. If the Knicks can lure Jay-Z, who is friends with LeBron, to give up his portion of the Nets and bring him in as a member of Knicks management, that would increase their chance at landing 2010's most prized free agent.

9. Toronto Raptors: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh)
The Raptors finally realize that no one in Canada cares about basketball, so they begin their quest to acquire as many of the top hockey players they can and ship them to the Maple Leafs so they can again be one of the top hockey teams in the NHL.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brett Favre (Mississippi)
Brett Favre decides he want to keep playing professionally, and wants to end his career in Wisconsin. But, since he's pretty much burned his bridges with the Packers, he decides to lace up the basketball sneakers. Favre then goes on to do the same thing he was great at when he played football, turning the ball over.

11. New Jersey Nets: LeBron James, Jr. (Akron, Ohio)
Realizing that the Knicks have probably gotten the best of the LeBron sweepstakes by getting Jay-Z, the Nets decide to build for the future. The far distant future, that is. They take LeBron's son, LeBron Jr., figuring if he has LeBron Sr.'s genes, he will be the next LeBron.

12. Charlotte Bobcats: Hasheem Thabeet (UConn)
The Bobcats decide to pair Emeka Okafor, who went to UConn and whose parents were from Nigeria (Africa), with Hasheem Thabeet, who also went to UConn and grew up in Tanzania (Africa). The duo goes on to block every single shot all other team shoot inside the paint.

13. Indiana Pacers: Jimmy Chitwood (Hickory High School)
Chitwood becomes the first player drafted straight out of high school since 2005. Of course, Chitwood hasn't played since guiding Hickory to the 1952 Indiana State High School Championship, so he more than meets the requirement of being out of high school for one year before entering the draft.

14. Phoenix Suns: Jermaine Anderson (Canada)
Looking for the future replacement of Steve Nash, Phoenix decides to go with another Canadian, Anderson, who played for Canada in the 2007 FIBA America's Championships

15. Detroit Pistons: DeJuan Blair (Pitt)
Feeling as though they don't already have enough undersized big men, the Pistons draft Blair and, in the words of fellow TBDS writer Luis, the women of Detroit scream "Ooohh DeJuan, you soo sexxiiiii!!!!!"

16. Chicago Bulls: Toney Douglas (FSU)
Gar Foreman sits around thinking, "We're losing our undersized two guard who is a really good scorer, who should we get to replace him?" He then comes to the conclusion of, "Hey, let's draft another undersized two guard, but one who isn't nearly as good a scorer as Ben and will probably be out of the league in five years.

17. Philadelphia 76ers: Statue of Liberty and St. Louis Arch
Tired of having a symbol of America that gets overlooked, the Sixers take both the Statue of Liberty and the St. Louis Arch, and proceed to destroy them in order to have the No. 1 symbol of America. "We have a bell, and it's cool because it has a crack!!!!!"

18. Minnesota T'Wolves: Jayson Williams (jail)
Tired of having the "Minnesota Nice" reputation, the T'Wolves decide to take a page out of Portland's old book and take it a step further, actually choosing a guy who's in jail, starting a trend of putting guys on the team with a bad reputation and adopting the name of the Minnesota JailWolves.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Jrue Holiday (UCLA)
Continuing their trend of choosing point guard busts in the draft, (see: Acie Law, Salim Stoudamire) the Hawks take Holiday, who is out of the league five years later.

20. Utah Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina)
Jerry Sloan needs another white guy! He must have white basketball players on his team. Tough, gritty, scrappy. All words that describe both Hansbrough and players that Sloan likes on his team. Also, these seem to be words that only describe white players ... hmm ...

21. New Orleans Hornets: A new mascot
Would they please give Charlotte it's Hornets mascot name back? The Hornets name came from the Revolutionary War when General Cornwallis referred to it as a "veritable nest of hornets" because of their resistance to the British. New Orleans thinks that because Utah stole their name and it doesn't make sense for them that they can do that to another franchise? Not cool.

22. Dallas Mavericks: Austin Daye (Gonzaga)
The Mavericks seem to enjoy their seven foot tall guys who can hit the 3-point shot, (see: Dirk Nowitzki) and while Daye falls just short at 6'11", I don't think they would mind that one inch. Dirk is at the end of his prime, and he needs another soft seven footer to mentor.

23. Sacramento Kings: Ricky Rubio (Spain)
Rubio gets what he has wanted since entering the draft and goes to a larger market in Sacramento, but unfortunately for him, it comes at pick No. 23, where he receives significantly less money.

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Mohandas Gandhi (Indian)
Still trying to shed the image of the "Jail Blazers" and trying to get someone as old as Greg Oden on the team, the Blazers take Gandhi, the pre-eminent spiritual leader of India.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder: "Sonics" nickname and green and yellow colors
Realizing that he has the city of Seattle down for the count, Clay decided to kick them while they're down and take the only thing they have left, the Sonics name and colors.

26. Chicago Bulls: Chase Budinger (Arizona)
Hmm ... Jordan Hill is still on the board. Hmm ... the Bulls don't have a post player who can score. So, they decide to take another shooter.

27. Memphis Grizzlies: DeMar DeRozan (USC)
The Grizzlies decide to make O.J. Mayo feel a little more comfortable and grab another USC guy. Too bad this one is a terrible shooter and will likely be an NBA bust.

28. Minnesota T'Wolves: James Harden (Arizona State)
He can shoot, he can take it to the rim and he can distribute. All things the T'Wolves need in a two guard. Oh, you say I'm supposed to be mocking this draft? My apologies.

29. L.A. Lakers: Pass
The Lakers decide they want to keep the same team intact, so they decide to not use their pick at all and save cap space in order to resign both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

30. Cleveland Cavs: Tim Carroll (Akron)
Realizing how well they did with one guy who was from Akron, (LeBron) the Cavs decide to take a 6'5 215 pound forward from Akron.

Jon, Kate Plus 8 Things You Should Read Today

What better way to get hits than with a Megan Fox pic to go along with a Jon & Kate Plus 8 headline?

So much drama in the LBC ... er ... TV land ... yeah, that's more like it. Bothered by the Jon, Kate drama thanks in part to the overload of Facebook and Twitter, I've decided to turn back the hands of time here at TBDS and bring back the Daily Dosage.

If only for one lunch break.

1. The man responsible for 'Boom goes the dynamite' has hit the open market. [Awful Announcing]
2. Finally, a good book is made into a movie and Hollywood scraps it. (Flips double-bird toward the West Coast and shouts expletives.) [E!online]
3. A fight breaks out at Marlins-Yankees game, answering the question whether or not people actually go to Marlins games. [The Sports Hernia]
4. Nick Saban does not approve of your recruiting whispers. [The Wiz Of Odds]
5. Who wants a Natinals shirt? [Zazzle via Vegas Watch]
6. So, what is Albert Pujols' market value? [Crain's]
7. Joe Morgan would be a terrible eye witness. [SportsbyBrooks]
8. Joanna Krupa does to T.O. what Tony Romo shoulda done a long time ago. [With Leather]

Oh, and something about Erin Andrews, too. She became part of the topic of conversation today in the press box in Marion, Ill., only one year and six months after gracing Saluki Nation with her presence. Erin, please come back.

Now that that's over with, it's time to sit back, relax and watch the hits come in.

Introducing Bryan Mullins. Future Celtic?

Could Bryan Mullins be making another appearance at Madison Garden, this time in a NBA uni?

Needless to say, fans of the Boston Celtics must have felt clueless when ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford pegged the C's as drafting Southern Illinois point guard Bryan Mullins with the 58th pick in the NBA Draft. I know I was a bit stunned myself.

Fear not, Celtics fans, for I can shine some light on this mystery known as Mr. Mullins.

As the Daily Egyptian's basketball beat writer, I can tell you that no one worked harder in practice and on game day than Bryan Mullins. He would not be outhustled or outworked by anyone. Yes, that includes you Tyler Hansbrough.

He was the pass-first point guard every Saluki detractor heckled and booed to their lungs content, but quietly wished he was on their side.

And there is no denying that Mullins improved in every facet of the game. (You'll read that in the scouting report I whipped up below.) It's a rarity in this day of basketball where a player improves his offensive game while still being a terror on the defensive end.

Most importantly, Mullins imposed his will on his teammates. I remember an interview with then-freshman Kevin Dillard and I asked him what he had learned from playing with Mullins on game day and against Mullins in practice. It came down to two things: Composure and a will to win. Both of which would have been Mullins' major at SIU had it not been for that 4.0 GPA in finance.

If Stephon Marbury had Mullins' wits and heart, he would be a Hall Of Fame caliber point guard. Instead, he's just a headcase.

Sure, it looks like a project now, but you can't teach the intangibles Mullins has.

And after diving through several of the Celtics' message boards and knowing that Mullins is, at times, hidden in the relative obscurity that is Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I decided to blog up a scouting report on one of the all-time great Salukis.

Ready? Let's do this.

Mullins was a four-year starter as a Saluki, even though he started his first few games on the bench as juniors Jamaal Tatum, Tony Young and Mike Dale garnered starting roles. Dale struggled early (and often) for SIU and his spot was handed to Mullins, a pure point guard. Eventually, Dale disappeared into relative obscurity and is now one of my favorite punchlines over at SalukiTalk.

As a freshman, Mullins was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Freshman of the Year, placed on the All Newcomer Team and All-Defensive Team. Those are nice titles to have, but if anyone ever earned it, it was the Downers Grove, Ill., native.

B-Mull was a flat out crook as he registered a SIU single-season record 94 thefts (including a MVC record 8 in one game against arch-rival Creighton), good enough for a 2.85 steal per game average ... which ranked 7th in the nation.

Full of moxie and poise, Mullins helped lead the Salukis to their first MVC Tournament championship since 1995.

There was no sophomore slump for Mullins, who earned All-Defensive Team honors again to go along with being named to the All-Academic squad. Much to the chagrin of Valley foes everywhere, Mullins improved his offensive skillset adding a long-range jump shot as his 3-point percentage went up nearly seven percentage points from 30 percent to 36.8 percent and his free-throw percentage went up from 60.98 percent to 74.8 percent.

With Tatum and Young in the backcourt, and the emerging frontcourt of Randal Falker and Matt Shaw, Mullins' offensive contributions meant that no opposing player could rest on defense. As a result, SIU won 29 games that season, and Mr. Mullins highlighted a pair of unforgettable Saluki wins.

Mullins hit a running, left-handed 10-foot jump shot with 4.1 seconds left to give the Salukis a win against Creighton, etching his name among great Bluejay killers in SIU history.

B-Mull was an instrumental force in Southern's Sweet 16 run, and will always be remembered for this killer crossover against Kansas' Mario Chalmers, who happens to be currently employed by the NBA's Miami Heat.

As a junior, Mullins was hampered by a stress fracture, yet he had another solid season donning the maroon and white. He won his first MVC Defensive Player of the Year award, while continuing to improve his game on the offensive end as he nailed 48 percent of his 3-point shots. And for everyone keeping score at home, it was Mullins who got the honor of being interviewed by Erin Andrews on ESPN's GameDay -- which was the first such episode to be hosted by a "mid-major" school.

Senior year came around and, once again, Mullins fell victim to the injury bug. In an injury-shortened season, he still managed to win the Valley's Defensive POY award, cementing his legacy among the great MVC defenders. When on he was on the court, Mullins averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 assists and 2 steals per game. His field goal percentage was a career best 42 percent while shooting the three at a 43 perecent clip. Mullins surpassed Wayne Abrams' school assist record and became one of only two players in the Valley's history to record 500 assists and 250 steals.

And if you don't know, now ya' know.

(An aside: Even if Mullins isn't picked up by a NBA squad via draft of free agency, this is just the buzz that my alma mater and the Saluki basketball program needed. So, if anything, thanks Chad Ford. Forget about that stuff I said earlier about that whole failure of a grade you gave the Pistons for taking Darko.)


Mullins Works Out For Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics [Daily Egyptian]
Update: Ford's Mock Has C's Taking Mullins [Celtics Hub]
BMull To The Bulls? [Saluki Talk]

I don't speak Spanish, but ...

I think Rubio should try a little harder to eat that ball so he can stop sounding like LaTrell Spreewell trying to feed a family of four on a measly $21 million

 ... I understand what Ricky Rubio is saying and I don't like it one bit. 

Rubio has followed in the footsteps of some of his international predecessors and is playing the "mystique" card to the fullest. Because American basketball fans, and even NBA front offices don't get an opportunity to get a good feel for international prospects, many of them think they can descend upon the country like they are The Beatles and build on their own hype. 

Rubio is being epecially stubborn during these weeks leading up to the NBA Draft, refusing to workout for almost every team and doing interviews with only certain teams. He wants to play in a big market and seems to be taking a liking to Sacramento as he has done multiple interviews and even a one-on-none workout session. 

But he has completely ignored Memphis and has only given Oklahoma City a minimal amount of time. 

I mean, who died and made him John Elway or Eli Manning?

Much like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Dirk Nowitzki, Rubio has made it clear there are only a handful of locations "suitable" for him. Well let me tell you something Rubio, and all of our other international friends thinking about coming over. 

THIS IS THE DRAFT!

Thanks to all your previous hard work, you have the opportunity to be drafted in the top-10, but you have not earned the right to pick the place where you play. In the NBA, that right is earned when you become a free agent. 

A few mind-boggling passes and clutch plays in the Olympics does not mean you are Michael Jordan. And no matter how could people expect a player to be, the right to choose where one plays is not earned until that first contract expires. 

Blake Griffin hasn't earned that right, and either has Ricky Rubio. Someone as mediocre as Royal Ivey has earned the right and someone as great as Hedo Turkoglu has earned the right. 

It was Ivey's choice to opt out of his contract and sign for however much a team of his choosing will give him. The same goes for Turkoglu who is sure to sign for a price he wants in a city he wants to play in. And it's cause those two players have ran the NBA floors and have shown the league what they are capable of. 

But Rubio and all the past international players who were so  persistent in making pre-draft claims of where they need to play did not earn it. 

Don't get me wrong, I love international players and the unknown they bring to the NBA. They could be out-of-nowhere stars like Manu Ginobli, or they could be busts like Darko Milic. It's always exciting. And all those players who made the pre-draft demands like Ming, Jianlian and Nowitzki, well now they have earned the right to sign with a team they want to play for. 

So your time will come Rubio. Show the NBA what you can offer and then make the decision as to where you want to play and for how much. Until then, work just as hard as any other lottery pick. Go to team workouts, express some sort of humility and be willing to play for any team willing to give you millions. It's a privilege to get paid millions to play a game you love, not a right. 

If you end up with a Grizzlies hat on Thursday, smile and tell everyone you are going to play your hardest to get the team back to the playoffs. Cause while you may not like them now, I hear they have excellent BBQ (and car thiefs). And if you still don't like Memphis, play with maturity and wait. Because good things come to those who wait. 

Until then can you please send a message across the channel that international players are not drafting NBA teams, the teams are drafting them. 

Jamey Carrol Wants No Part Of 'Go Cubs Go'

For what it's worth, former Cubs Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa had a pleasant homecoming. And by pleasant, I mean, Wood blew a pair of saves while DeRosa received more standing ovations than he collected hits (1-for-7 with 2 RBIs in the three-game set).

However, it is apparent that second baseman Jamey Carroll does not echo those sentiments. See, last season DeRosa and Wood did their part as the Cubbie faithful sang 'Go Cubs Go' after each of the team's 55 home wins.

But after hearing it for three straight days, Carroll has had enough. Via the Trib's Rosenblog:

"Whatever reasons fans had for going to Cubs games in the past, it seems that the big draw now is Cubs karaoke. Everybody wants to be able to sing the song. Not “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’’ but “Go, Cubs, Go.’’ Said Indians second baseman Jamey Carroll after Cubs fans sang it for the third straight time in the series: “I can do without hearing that song again.’’

If you're not familiar with the song, here's a video at the bottom. The lyrics can be found here. Catch the wave while it's still high, America. (For serious, though, Steve Goodman ... real good songwriter.)

Hendry Goes 2-for-2 As Cubs Go 3-for-3 [Chicago Tribune - Rosenblog]

Mocking The NBA Draft, Vol. 5.0

In this edition of 'Mocking' the Bulls will select Jeff Teague to fill the void of undersized scoring guard vacated by Ben Gordon's looming exit.

Please take time out of your busy schedule to check out the first of a gazillion NBA Mock Draft blogs you will see this week. We won't write that many, but it might seem like it. ESPN's Chad Ford said he thinks Mock Drafts like this are "like a joke." Kind of like the A+ grade he gave the Pistons after the 2003 draft that landed Darko Milicic and not Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Carmelo Anthony. Oh wait, that wasn't meant to be funny. This is.

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma. Right now, Blake Griffin says he can't wait to be a Clipper, but how long until he's saying he can't wait to be an ex-Clipper?

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet, UConn. The Grizzlies need a defensive presence like the city of Memphis needs a secure parking lot. Just saying.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden, Arizona State. My one concern with Harden is that he seemed to disappear come NCAA Tourney time. Not a big deal, OKC isn't making a playoff push any time soon.

4. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio, Spain. After using YouTube videos to scout this pick, I've come to the conclusion that Ricky Rubio is Spanish for Jason Williams.

5. Washington Wizards - Tyreke Evans, Memphis. If the Jamison-to-Cleveland rumors are true, the Wiz are going to need someone to fill the basket when Agent Zero returns to street clothes. Built like a small forward, Evans can play both guard positions. But with Arenas and Evans in one backcourt, one must wonder if there are enough open shots to go around.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Brandon Jennings, Italy via USA. Drafting Jennings gives the Timberpups a chance to give (probable) head coach Mark Jackson time to rebuild Kevin McHale's mess.

7. Golden State Warriors - Jordan Hill, Arizona. The Warriors are stocked with overpaid guards that underproduced last season. That's why I'm going with a big man with skill and potential that will eventually rot at the end of the bench, ignored by Don Nelson.

8. New York Knicks - Stephen Curry, Davidson. At least pro games at the Garden will be fun again.

9. Toronto Raptors - Gerald Henderson, Duke. His aggressive play and sharp elbows will make hockey fans forget their even watching a basketball game. Well, other than the fact that there are several people of color on a court instead of watching a bunch of Canadians on skate on frozen water.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn, Syracuse. This team needs a point guard as much as I need a date on a Saturday night. At least I have an alternative to dating (drinking). The Bucks' alternative at the point makes their fans want to drink. Then, throw up.

11. New Jersey Nets - DeMar DeRozan, USC. Vince Carter is getting old and at this stage of the game, he only seemingly shows up whenever the opponents jersey reads 'Toronto' on the front. DeRozan is an athlete that could shine next to star point guard Devin Harris.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - B.J. Mullens, Ohio State. Drafting Mullens allows Emeka Okafor to slide back into his natural PF position. But that plan will be scrapped as Mullens will play in less NBA games than he did at Ohio State.

13. Indiana Pacers - Ty Lawson, North Carolina. If any team needs a former floor general as its sideline general, it is the Pacers. Prediction: Lawson will fill the floor general role better than Jim O'Brien has filled the role of sideline general.

14. Phoneix Suns - Jrue Holiday, UCLA. It's sad to think of it, but there will be a day that Steve Nash will no longer don the Phoenix Suns uniform. That day will come soon. Besides, how often do you get to draft guys named Jrue?

15. Detroit Pistons - DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh. Blair looks like the kind of guy you don't want to meet in a dark alley. Yep, he'll fit right in with the rest of Detroit.

16. Chicago Bulls - Jeff Teague, Wake Forest. With the Bulls likely losing guard Ben Gordon to free agency, Chicago will need to fill the void of tweener scoring guard. Welcome to Chicago, Mr. Teague.

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Eric Maynor, Virgina Commonwealth. The Sixers have a lot of guys who can score the rock, but no one to get it to those guys. This is why Maynor makes sense.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves - Austin Daye, Gonzaga. Because there aren't enough goofy white guys in the world to make Kevin McHale happy. He still is running the team, right?

19. Atlanta Hawks - Earl Clark, Louisville. Remember when I said the Hawks were allergic to drafting point guards? I have a feeling Atlanta has a thing for athletic tweener forwards.

20. Utah Jazz - Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina. Had Psycho T come out as a freshman or sophomore, he would have been a lottery pick. This is why staying four years at school is damaging. The good news is that Hansbrough can take his scrappy, gritty, hard-working self to the czar of scrappy, gritty, hard-working guys, Jerry Sloan.

21. New Orleans Hornets - Patrick Mills, Saint Mary's. After watching Lil' Wayne in the "Championship Pop Bottles" video, I wanted to slide him into this spot (pause) but instead I'm going with a back-up option for CP3.

22. Dallas Mavericks - Darren Collison, UCLA. Collison is the most underrated point guard in this draft. He has excellent ball-handling skills and has proven he can handle difficult situations. Last year, he would have been a Top 15 pick. Now, he drops to a talented team in need of a leader.

23. Sacramento Kings - Omri Casspi, Israel. The Kings are trying to build an international all-star team.

24. Portland Trail Blazers - James Johnson, Wake Forest. Because anyone is better than Sam Bowie, right?

25. Oklahoma City Thunder - DaJuan Summers, Georgetown. If someone is shooting, one assumes someone else has to be hunting down rebounds, right?

26. Chicago Bulls - Nick Calathes, Florida. The Bulls could benefit from drafting a player that won't even play in the NBA next season. Chicago wouldn't have to pay him next season (and that helps the cap situation) and can allow his time in Greece to serve as a developmental year. Genius! I hope Gar Forman reads this blog!

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State. Another inside force for a team that couldn't get a rebound even if Lindsay Lohan was calling its name.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Chase Budinger, Arizona. Did I mention Kevin McHale loves white guys that can ball? This is his attempt to build the 1980s Celtics teams in the 2000s.

29. Los Angeles Lakers - Toney Douglas, Florida State. For being undersized (6-2), Douglas can defend and score with bigger guards. He's a Phil Jackson type of guard, you know, if Phil decides to stick it out one more year.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Wayne Ellington, North Carolina. Why, yes, this edition of Mocking the NBA Draft ends with Wayne Ellington not wearing a Bulls cap. That saddens me just a little bit inside.

I'd Like To Show These Girls Some Power Rankings (See Below)

You can put 'em on the board...Yesss! (courtesy of the Sun-Times)

Every week, I'll put out power rankings until Phil Rogers acknowledges that mine are better than his. OK, moving on.

1. Happy returns. Jeff, our hoops connoisseur is back in the fold, just in time for the NBA Draft. The weekend also saw the return of BFeldt, who will make a strong effort to contribute to this blog. As for this upcoming week, M.J. Hartwig returns. Looks to be a busy week here.

2. Hot fans. I'd like to put her on the boooaaaarrrrrd ... YESSSSSSSSS!!!!1!!!!!!ONE!!!!!!!!!

3. Facebook status updates. The social networking giant helped inspire this piece after the Cubs came from behind to beat the White Sox. Expect the FB statuses to be equally entertaining this week as we approach the NBA Draft and another Cubs-Sox weekend.

4. Landscaping. The American League Central is tired of its NL counterparts getting all the good lawnmowing jobs, so White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen decided he would get in on the fun.

5. Flintsontes Vitamins. The New York Times reported Sammy Sosa abused PEDs in 2003. Somehow, I think we all knew Flintstones Vitamins could help you only so much.

6. Reunions. Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa returned to a place each once called home. The Mark DeRosa love was a little too much for my liking, so the Cubs took it out on Woody.

7. Father's Day. Because you are not the father.

8. Das Uber Geigh. Hat tip to Hire Jim Essian. Sure, the Cubs and Sox have their fair share of "hot" fans, but both teams also have a sub-set of fans I just want to hit in the face with a cookie sheet. Both of these guys deserve a fate worse than that as they likely molest bottles of spray tan and hair gel like these guys.

9. Promises. B.J. Mullens says he has a promise from a team that is drafting in the Top 16. Ben Gordon is also rumored to have a promise (worth $11 million annually) from the Detroit Pistons. I promise to be thoroughly enraged if the Bulls draft Mullens and let Lil' Big Ben walk without getting anything in return.

10. Athletes and rap songs. Rapper Young Jeezy dropped a dis track on Gucci Mane & OJ Da Juiceman this week in which his punchline is that he "used to play Kobe until he played LeBron." Yeah, even this musical mind doesn't understand the reference. (Language NSFW)

No Tiger. No Problem. U.S. Open shows promise regardless

Even in a golf column solely dedicated to proving the PGA Tour's ability to provide quality golf without the likes of a certain golfer by the name of Tiger, Tiger Woods' name is still the first to be mentioned.

I tried getting around it. But let's be honest here, if I hadn't told you up front that Tiger wouldn't be the point of this article, you would be scrolling aimlessly down the Web browser looking for my two cents Tiger's tragic 1-over-par 211 entering the final round of play tomorrow.

So my brief views on Tiger before we get into things that really matter:

1. Nobody needs to be issuing any sympathy points to the best man to ever grace a golf course. Yes, Tiger had to play in conditions that weren't as jolly as the folks who played after he did Friday. But, isn't this the equalizer that should have been showing us exactly why Tiger is known as the best? If he's the so-far-beyond-everyone-in-the-field best, shouldn't he have overcome the weather? And further, he was playing find through the first 16, playing par golf. It wasn't until the last two holes, at which point conditions were good for producing birdies, when Woods blew up. He shot 4-over-par on the last two holes because of poor execution on some key shots.

2. Even looking at his game today (today, being Sunday... the third round and beginning of the final round), he looked off. In fact, there were several times where I would identify a 20-30 foot putt as a "Tiger putt"... you know, one of the fist bump ones that could have secured momentum for himself. When Tiger is on, he makes those more often than not.

3. This could be a pivotal point for Woods. Now 9 strokes back of the leader, a Woods comeback would be legendary. And it's not impossible. It wouldn't surprise me to see some of the leaders crumble under the intense pressure that is Bethpage Black or the U.S. Open. Even a Phil Mickelson implosion is not out of the ordinary.

So there it is... what you wanted. Now let's move on to more intriguing things.

Conceding the fact that Tiger (see, there he pops up again) won't finish better than fifth or sixth, there are still good stories in the field.

The aforementioned Mickelson sits just six strokes behind leader Ricky Barnes, who has shot a remarkable 67-65-70 to lead the field with an 8-under-par 202. David Duval (a name you probably didn't think played even disc golf much less professional golf) is even closer, five strokes behind Barnes. And eight of the top 10 on the leaderboard are American golfers — only England's Ross Fisher and Canada's Mike Weir are in the mix).

So there are stories.

And there will be competition. It won't be Rocco and Tiger (damn, there it is again), but it will be good golf.

Mickelson, with his hometown fans accumulating by the hundreds in the New York golf course, should have a very good chance of capturing another U.S. Open title. He certainly rides streaks, but if he can get going on the last 18, he has as good a shot as anybody.

Weir has been there the whole tournament. Duval is playing as good as he has in years. And Lucas Glover, who is in second just one stroke back of Barnes, has been whispered to be breaking out.

But look at the scores of some of those guys, and it shouldn't be a surprise if they fall off. Barnes, Glover, Duval and Weir all shot 70 or above in the third round, conceding valuable strokes to Mickelson, who rode a 69 on the heels of a clutch putt on the 18th hole. Players such as Bubba Watson and Sean O'Hair have also cashed in on catching up by posting 67 and 68 respectively.

So the competition will be there, no doubt.

Rain briefly soaked the course again in between the third and final round, so conditions should be decent enough to let us see some movement on the leaderboard.

And we must never forget... Tiger is always lurking.

Happy Father's Day!

There's something about Father's Day and baseball that is so right. This picture was taken last year with my father (far right) and godfather, Luis Rivera, first base coach of the Cleveland Indians.

Happy Father's Day, folks.