There's still a lot we don't know about the Stephen Curry/Warriors/Suns thing. But one thing we do know is that Warriors general manager Larry Riley and coach Don Nelson are saying in no uncertain terms: Curry ain't going anywhere.
The Warriors continue to staunchly maintain that they did not select Curry to be part of a future deal for Amar'e Stoudemire. And it was tough not to believe them on Friday afternoon, as they went about the process of introducing Curry to the Bay Area media – in front of Curry's mom, dad, girlfriend, family and even more than a dozen kids from a local youth group.
If the Warriors are lying, they're surely going above and beyond at this point.
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.
But it's not quite a done deal at this point. There seems to be that little matter of Stephen Curry, whom the Warriors plucked with the No. 7 pick in Thursday's draft. Apparently, that's a player the Suns like and want included in the deal.
It looks like Warriors general manager Larry Riley likes Curry, too. A lot.
After the Warriors took Stephen Curry, the New York Knicks adjusted to take Arizona forward Jordan Hill, who gives the club much-needed rebounding help and insurance should restricted free agent David Lee leave. Hill is a skilled player who should help bolster New York's post game and has the ability to run the floor in Mike D'Antoni's offense.
The Knicks obviously were relishing the opportunity to take Curry (as were the fans in attendance, who greeted Hill with a round of boos), but Hill would be a solid starter or key reserve. Hill could become the best player in the lottery in a few years -- behind Blake Griffin.
The Warriors surprisingly took Stephen Curry at No. 7, leaving supposed heartthrob Jordan Hill on the board. (Hill went one pick later to New York.) Curry had refused to work out for Golden State during the workout season, and the hubbub followed that the Warriors would avoid a point guard to avoid angering Monta Ellis, who fancies himself a modern day Cousy.
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an NBA Draft pick. The day of reckoning has also arrived for some 9,000 mock drafters, who desperately try to get it right even though no one ever could on a consistent basis.
And, if I may, a word about the recent backlash against mock drafts from the key mock draft writers. The major draft experts from ESPN and DraftExpress told the New York Times last week that they hate mock drafts. But the mock draft is like their version of a test. It's too arbitrary, too black and white. It creates an impossible task. But thems the breaks when you're in a field in which performance matters. If Chad Ford didn't have to put out a mock, he could forever avoid criticism, basically. It's his job to analyze and predict the draft. How could we judge his efficacy without looking at his mock the morning after? It's like Amar'e Stoudemire telling everyone he hates to rebound. (Oh wait ...)
I love mock drafts! You'll find my final version after the jump.
As we roll on toward the 2009 NBA Draft, FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller turn their attention toward the players who deserve the hype. Previous draft debates focused on Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet.
Ziller: At the end of our last debate, you asked who I thought deserved more hype. That is, of course, a tricky question, considering the entire draft is built on hype. In fact, the role of the media (professional, semi-pro and amateur) is often to debunk hype. As many have ruminated, it's highly unlikely the next Amar'e, Maravich, Wade and Dikembe are really in this draft.
Two weeks ago, Orlando assistant general manager Dave Twardzik was talking about the NBA Draft when he shook his head a little and said: "It's a tough one."
When a questioner wanted to know whether that meant Twardzik thought there would be hits and misses all over the place in the first round, he responded: "Yes."
On Monday, Warriors general manager Larry Riley was asked about the uncertainty of this year's draft and had this to say:
Mock drafts are fun, but if you want the real inside scoop on who's expected to be a high draft pick, you need to see the list of the players the NBA has invited to the draft. Generally speaking, it's limited to players the league has been assured will go in the top half of the first round.
There are always exceptions, but ever since Rashard Lewis awkwardly hung around until the second round, the league has done a respectable job making sure no one gets too embarrassed. The league hasn't yet released an official list, but thanks to some sleuthing by DraftExpress, we know at least 16 players have been extended invitations, although only 13 have confirmed their attendance. Keep reading for the full list:
If FanHouse owned one of those jumbo countdown clocks, I would be parked in front of it for the next four days. The ecstacy! The anguish! NBA Draft Day is like Christmas and Dia de Los Muertos wrapped into one.
As the draft hits Thursday, everyone is warning not to believe everything you read this week. My advice is a bit different: don't believe anything you've read ever. Just follow your heart. Follow it ... after the jump, where we unleash our second-to-final mock draft of the season. (The last one will come Thursday morning.)
There's still a lot we don't know about the Stephen Curry/Warriors/Suns thing. But one thing we do know is that Warriors general manager Larry Riley and coach Don Nelson are saying in no uncertain terms: Curry ain't going anywhere.
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- 
When it comes to whether or not 
After the Warriors took 
The Warriors surprisingly took 
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an 
As we roll on toward the 2009 
Two weeks ago, Orlando assistant general manager 
If FanHouse owned one of those jumbo countdown clocks, I would be parked in front of it for the next four days. The ecstacy! The anguish! 
