I like Stephen Curry, but I thought #7 overall was too high to draft him. Also, I don't think Golden State is a good fit. I'm not sure why all the experts are saying that Curry fits in best with an up-tempo run-n-gun offense like Golden State or the Knicks. To me, Curry is at his best running off screens in the half-court set (like Rip Hamilton). If he plays point guard, I see him as a scoring point guard like Mario Chalmers -- but not a fast breaking PG. Rumors are swarming that Curry may be traded to Phoenix along with several other players in exchange for Amare Stoudemire. I think Phoenix would fit Curry's game better than Golden State. He could play shooting guard and spend some time at the point behind Steve Nash. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I predict that Wayne Ellington (28th pick to Minnesota) will be a better pro that Curry. Ellington was a steal that late in the 1st round and he can flat out shoot. Curry is a better all-around player, but Ellington's shooting and athleticism will make him a solid shooting guard for the next decade. Interestingly, Ellington was Minnesota's only pick (of 5) that isn't a point guard.
Tyreke Evans is a ball hog...but he might end up being the best player in this draft. He was a ballhog in high school, college, and even at the McDonald's All-American game. I don't like the way he plays. Nonetheless, his game translates well at the next level and he is in a good situation in Sacramento where he will be THE MAN from day one. He can run the point surrounded by Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson, and Spence Hawes. They won't be a playoff team for at least 2-3 years, but Evans instantly becomes their best player.
I think Terrence Williams is this year's Josh Howard (in that he is versatile, can defend, and can score when necessary -- not in that he smokes weed on a daily basis). I was really hoping T. Will would fall to my Bobcats at #12 (went to NJ at #11). Williams can defend 3 positions, play 2 positions, and will be a vocal leader in due time. His shooting has improved every year. Gerald Henderson was a nice consolation prize for Charlotte, but I worry about his consistency (or lack thereof).
1) Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), DeMarre Carroll (Mizzou), and Sam Young (Pitt) - You know what you're getting with Thabeet. Carroll brings energy and defense. Young is an athletic scorer.
2) Spurs - DeJuan Blair (Pitt), Jack McClinton (Miami), and Nando De Colo (France) - I can't believe Blair fell so far. He will fit in nicely with the Spurs. McClinton has unlimited range. I don't know much about the Frenchman, but I trust that the Spurs know what they're doing. I love the Richard Jefferson trade as well.
3) Bucks - Brandon Jennings (Compton via Italy), Jodie Meeks (UK) - Jennings might be the best playmaker in this draft. Meeks probably should've gone back to school, but he can score in bunches and the Bucks need perimeter scoring now that Jefferson is gone.
Shout out to Omri Casspi from Israel -- the 22nd overall pick to the Kings. Hopefully he will be the first NBA player ever from Israel. Mazel tov, Omri!
Once again, these are real questions from actual readers.
Q: What is the age limit on bringing a baseball glove to a pro baseball game?
Dave F., Richmond, VA
Chop Culture: A part of me wants to say there is no age limit, but upon further reflection, it is age 12.The early teen years are meant for rebellion and trying to act cool, and bringing a baseball glove to a game is neither rebellious nor cool.Once you reach high school, if you can’t catch a baseball barehanded, then just get out of the way when a foul ball comes in your direction.
Q: How would you feel about being the executive producer of my new documentary entitled "GP: Gettin’ Worked"? It would be filmed at my Monday night pickup game and would mostly consist of me turning the ball over roughly 10 times, maybe scoring anywhere from 2 to 4 points and being too out of breath to talk to my teammates.
Gram P., Greenville, SC
CC:GP, footage of your Monday night pick-up game could not be any less intriguing than “Kobe: Doin’ Work” so I’m all for it.Your Monday night pick-up game is also as significant to the 2008 playoff picture as the Lakers-Spurs game from late in the 2007-2008 season.I would just ask that you give me some voice-overs in which you point out relatively obvious facets of the game, make sure not to show any compelling off-the-court footage, and talk to your teammates so much that they seem shocked that you are interacting with them at all.
Q: It’s a well-known fact that Billy Mays rules the infomercial world. OxiClean, OrangeGlo, Kaboom!, Mighty Putty...we've bought them all and loved every minute! Recently, salesmen like Vince Shlomi, promoter of ShamWow!, are trying to get their cut of the market. Everyone knows ShamWow! is just a knock-off of May's ZorbEEZ. Shlomi's arrest in SouthBeach after he smacked a ho puts him in on the sideline. Who's next in line to take a run at the king?
Patrick W., Richmond, VA
CC: As Keith Sweat would say, nobooooody!Billy Mays could sell ice to an Eskimo.He is the undisputed king of infomercials.I think sportscaster Gus Johnson would be a great infomercial spokesman.Think about Gus selling ShamWow!: “Rise and fire! He got it!He got the stain!Never buy paper towels again!It holds 12 times its weight in liquid!This is ShamWow!”Anyway, back to Billy Mays – check out this video of Mays being Mays at a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Q: Can you believe Redick vs. Morrison ACTUALLY happened? We're in the midst of an NBA Finals for the ages, no doubt.
Tony R., Baltimore, MD
CC:Adam Morrison was drafted 3rd overall (Bobcats) and J.J. Redick was taken 11th overall (Magic) in the 2006 NBA Draft – I bet both teams wish they could have a do-over.My Bobcats still haven’t recovered from the Morrison pick. Obviously, the Magic have adjusted to the fact that Redick is one-dimensional and currently third on the shooting guard depth chart in Orlando.The Bobcats could have taken Brandon Roy (taken 6th overall) or Rudy Gay (8th) with the 3rd pick in 2006 instead of Morrison, and the Magic could have taken Rajon Rondo (21st), Jordan Farmar (26th), or Ronnie Brewer (14th) with the 11th pick.I guess picking Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor (not a no-brainer at the time) in the 2004 Draft and signing free-agents like Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis has helped the Magic make up for poor draft picks.But I digress…Redick vs. Morrison – where amazing happens!
Q: “The Real World: Cancun” starts soon and MTV renewed “The Real World” for four more seasons after that.Assuming the show won’t go back to a city it’s already been, what do you think are the top candidates for the next four seasons?
Doodlebug, Worsham, VA
CC: I’d like to see the show stay in the U.S., but there are a few foreign possibilities.Here’s my top 10 cities that have not yet been selected for a coveted Real World season.
10) Nashville: Cast could get a job in music and frequent the plethora of bars.
9) Dallas: Good food, sports, and art.
8) Amsterdam: The only place that could cause more of an international incident than Cancun.
7) Toronto: New York meets Chicago.
6) Phoenix: No longer a desert.
5) Madrid: Ciudad that never sleeps.
4) Montreal: Cultural capital of Canada.
3) Houston: Put a lazy cast in one of the fattest cities in the world.
2) Atlanta: Hosted an Olympics and can’t get a Real World season?
Q: A fast food chain approaches you to design a new menu item. What's your creation and what would you call it?(Mine would be ChickInsanity - a fried chicken patty, topped with chicken salad and an egg.)
Dave F., Richmond, VA
CC: Dave, I think you used the whole chicken except the gizzards in your creation…but it sounds awesome!I have always been a chicken sandwich guy more so than a burger guy.My creation would not be as creative as yours, but I think it might be even more delicious.I would use Chick Fil-a’s chicken patty recipe, reshape it to fit on a Burger King hoagie roll (as used on the long pollo), steal the recipe for Zaxby’s sauce (somewhere between a BBQ and chipotle sauce), and top the sandwich with a few onion rings and bacon.I would call it the Southwestern Long Pollo.I would also make sure the restaurant carried Coke Zero and orange soda as fountain drinks.
Q: If you could bring back ANY fad from any time of your life, what would it be? My vote: slap bracelets.
Michelle K., Columbia, SC
CC:I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one fad so I’ll narrow it down to one outfit.I know you think I’m going to say Henley shirts and Zubaz pants, but that’s too obvious.I would wear L.A. Gear shoes, Jams shorts, a Hypercolor shirt, a Starter jacket, a Swatch watch, get a hi-top fade from my barber, and trade Pokemon cards with my buds (which of course I keep in my Trapper Keeper).
Q: If you could change three rules in the NFL what would you change? (Note: Spotting the Lions six automatic wins at the start of every season isn't allowed.)
Tony R., Baltimore, MD
Q: If you could add one new rule to NFL football what would it be?
Hunter R., Greenville, SC
CC:Great minds think alike.Per Tony’s request, I’ll give you three rule changes I’d like to see:
1) Coaches should not be allowed to call timeouts.Particularly on field goal attempts, only players should be allowed to call a timeout BEFORE the ball is snapped.
2) Overtime should be like college overtime – both teams get the ball at the opponents’ 25 yard line.More scoring means more action.You have to go for two-point conversions starting in the third overtime so games wouldn’t last that much longer than the current system.As it is now, too much rides on a coin toss.
3) This isn’t technically a rule change, but the season should be 18 games long with only two preseason games.There’s no reason an 8-8 team should be in the playoffs and no reason an 11-5 team should be out of the playoffs.Two more regular season games wouldn’t cause too many more injuries than two more preseason games would.
Q: If you had to choose between the two, would you rather be Spencer Pratt's siamese twin or have an ingrown toenail for the rest of your life? (Neither can be removed through surgery). Defend your answer.
Lindsey D., Kawaihae, HI
CC:I’d rather have 10 ingrown toenails for the rest of my life than share a uterus and/or a body with Spencer Pratt.Enjoy that mental image.
Q: I accidently entered www.chopculture.com and the site seemed pretty lame. If the occasion presented itself, what kind of offer would you make for that address?
Hunter R., Greenville, SC
CC: Yeah, I don’t understand that website.It’s just a logo of an 8-ball with a crown – there is no actual website to explore.I can’t tell if that guy is selling something or is just some d-bag with a nickname (like me).Don’t you think the owner would part with the domain name for $100 and the rights to www.chopculture.net?I’ll make an offer.
Q: Disregarding that (a) you're a dude and (b) they are cartoons, I present Shag, Marry, or Kill: Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry.
Karen R., West Columbia, SC
CC:Was the Yummy Mummy not available?I would KILL Count Chocula because I hate vampires.I would SHAG Boo Berry because it most resembles a female.That means I have to MARRY Franken Berry.And I’m okay with that.
