2010 NBA Draft

Okay NBA fans the results are in from the 2010 NBA draft! This is C.T. Minardi reporting just in case you missed it! Here are some things you might want to know! The 2010-11 NBA season is shaping up to be a very interesting one, in light of the recent L.A. Lakers Championship win lead by Klobe Bryant. IN this years draft, many important picks from S.U. were made including Wes Johnson being signed to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Andy Rautins was signed to the New York Knicks!

The draft started of with the first overall pick being John Wall (Gaurd) by the Washington Wizards. Head coach Flip Saunders says Wall has much speed and agility, but must work on his strength. A freshman at 6'4" with a wingspan of 6'8", John Wall came from the University of Kentucky and will be a nice addition to the Wizards.

The second pick in the 2010 NBA draft was Evan Turner, former shooting guard at Ohio State, picked by the Philadelphia 76ers. Head coach Doug Collins commented on Turners defensive ability, as he averages 2 steals and 6 assists per game, but it was also said that Turner needs to improve on the offensive end, with shooting and turnovers.

The next pick was Derrick Favors, picked by the New Jersey Nets. A former forward at Georgia Tech, Favors averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds a game, and is 61% from the free throw line. Hailing from Atlanta, Derrick favors is 6'10" tall, with an impressive wingspan of 7'4". Lets hope he can help the Nets out of a slump where they ended up last in scoring in the Atlantic division last year.

The fourth pick was none other than S.U.'s Wesley Johnson, picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Johnson was the 2009-10 Big East player of the year, and is the highest drafted S.U. player since Carmello Anthony (3rd pick) back in the 2003 NBA Draft. Wesley Johnson is 6'7' but has a wingspan of 7'0". He joins former S.U. basketball player Johnny Flynn who was drafted to the T'wolves last year.

The 5th pick was Demarcus Cousins to the Sacramento Kings. Cousins was on the University of Kentucky with Paul Wall. Like Wall, Cousins was a freshman last year. At 6'11", 292 pounds, Cousins is a powerhouse in the paint and was the 2009 SEC Freshman of the year. Demarcus Cousins averages 10 rebounds a game.

The next pick was Ekpe Udoh, the Junior from Baylor. He was drafted to the Golden State Warriors. A power forward at 6'9", 237 lbs, Udoh has great shot blocking ability, but needs to work on his strength.

The 7th pick in the NBA draft goes to Greg Monroe of Georgetown University, drafted to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were the 2003-04 NBA Champions. Monroe was said by Georgetown coach John Thompson to be an excellent passer, and averages 9 rebounds a game. Monroe is 6'11" and sports a 7'2" wingspan. At 247 lbs, the only thing Monroe needs to improve on is his shooting game.

The 8th pick goes to Al-Farouq Aminu, whose name means "The chief has arrived." A former player of Wake Forest, Aminu was drafted to the L.A. Clippers. Aminu is a great rebounder at 6'8", 216 lbs, but also needs to work on his shooting.

The 9th pick was Gordon Hayward from Butler, signed to the Utah Jazz. Hayward is 6'8", 211 lbs. A Small Forward, Gordon Hayward was the 2010 most outstanding player of the West League. Head coach of the Utah Jazz Jerry Sloan welcomes Hayward onto a team with starters such as Carlos Boozer (Forward).

The 10th pick was Paul George from Fresno State University. George was drafted to the Indiana Pacers. George is 6'9", 214 lbs, and averages an impressive 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals a game. He must also work on strength.

And the 11th pick was made by the New Orleans Hornets. They picked up Cole Aldrich (Center). Aldrich is 6'11", 236 lbs, and hails from the University of Kansas. He will play on a team with the likes of NBA greats such as Chris Paul.

The 12th pick was made by the Memphis Grizzlies, who gained Xavier Henry (Gaurd) of Kansas. Henry is 6'6" and weighs in at 210 lbs. His father, Carl Henry, was 4th round pick of the Sacramento Kings back in the 1984 draft.

The 13th pick was made by the Toronto Raptors who selected Ed Davis of the University of North Carolina. Davis is a forward who is 6'9" and weighs 227 lbs.

The 14th pick went to the Houston Rockets, who picked up Patrick Patterson (Forward) of the University of Kentucky. Patterson is the 3rd Kentucky player to be drafted in the first round..............here's to an exciting 2010-11 NBA season!

-C.T. Minardi