calkins's Blog

Shaking and stirring while always recommending Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack for your greater dining pleasure. 

Enjoy the best a buffalo can provide with a discerning friend.  Or an attractive stranger.  

The Bloggorrhea is feeling the draft.  The NBA Draft.  And somehow, some way, feeling that the Rockets are operating from a better perch than the number 25 pick in the first round would suggest.  

Why?  

This is the NBA Draft.  Where the dumb and dunderhead happens.  Where smarter than a fifth grader rarely happens.  

Daryl Morey and his scouting staff can no doubt anticipate 15-pick value even if they remain planted-in-the-paint at the end of round one.  

Why?  

Because prior to Rocketball's scheduled proclamation, at least 10 picks will be of the brain-dead D-league until death variety.    Misfits and misguided evaluations from their lodge brothers will reward the Rockets even if their draft possession is as stagnant as a deep-clock LeBron possession.  

Less than 24-hours before the Bulls start the stampede and confusion appears to reign rim-to-rim.  Never a shock with the chronic less-than-lovable Clippers and Grizzlies picking from prime position, with the dubious Wizards, Bobcats, Cavaliers, and Magic in the mid-round mix, with the  aimless Sonics choosing not once but twice.  

And if any outfit can mangle the third overall pick – guys and dolls, welcome in Kevin McHale and the toothless and clueless Timberwolves.  

The Rockets can simply bunker the war room, ride out the predictable wave of paputrid (pathetic x putrid) personnel moves from higher-ups and wind-up with a Brandon Rush-sort.  Who’s up for some Chinese take-out.  

The rule of draft night should read:  Right player, right coach, right role, right franchise fit trumps mad measurables and the puke-inducting “up-side potential” pronouncement.  And rarely enforced.  

The Bloggorrhea doesn’t enjoy coast-to-coast and up-close-and-personal scouting review and evaluation, isn’t privy to Morey’s highly developed massively parallel computing environment and other helpful metrics and rubrics.  But The Bloggorrhea is banking on the following.  

Rose is the rock-sure safe top-shelf pick.  

Beasley is not necessarily the lock at number two, thanks to an immature side side-by-side with his greater talent/higher ceiling comparison with Rose.  

Kevin Love is vastly under-valued.  Should go top-five, perhaps will last past top-10.  Russell Westbrook is over-pumped even in league gone fast and small.  Texas-ex D.J. measures smaller (if that’s possible) than predecessor T.J. but brings instincts and IQ that can’t be coached.  Mayo won’t match the promise of 8th-grade prodigy projection but will serve as solid pro.  Neither Lopez will emerge past backup/borderline bust-out status.   

Of the non-premium young big men from the great state, Darrell Arthur will stomp metroplex mate Anthony Randolph.  Both will dwarf Texas Aggie DeAndre Jordan, short term career and long.  

Four-year senior Courtney Lea from Western Kentucky will out-perform at least 10 players taken before him.  He has the professional game and ethic that the Rockets could plug directly into their locker room and rotation and receive immediate jolt.  

Do they have an interest?  No idea.  No war room in the Association worth a ten-day contract would reveal any true intentions.  And the final countdown spilling into D-day brings out charter members of the Liar’s Club like no other time.  And it should.  Which is why the wide world of mock drafts are not worth the bandwidth they occupy.  

Count on this – the Rockets will leave Thursday night with an asset, for next season.  Details to come.