2009 NBA Draft: Nothing Unexpected

In the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers used their first overall pick to select PF Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. Griffin is 6-foot-10, and was the College Player of the Year last season. His selection though creates a problem for the Clippers, who have four power-forwards/centers already in their lineup. Los Angeles is expected to trade either Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby or Zach Randolph. The Lakers had no first-round pick for the second straight year, this time selling it to New York for $3 million.

The first round went as follows:

1. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma
2. Memphis: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut
3. Oklahoma City: James Harden, SG, Arizona State
4. Sacramento: Tyreke Evans, SG, Memphis
5. Minnesota (from Washington): Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain
6. Minnesota: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse
7. Golden State: Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson
8. New York: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona
9. Toronto: DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC
10. Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings, PG, Compton/Italy
11. New Jersey: Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville
12. Charlotte: Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke
13. Indiana: Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina
14. Phoenix: Earl Clark, SF, Louisville
15. Detroit: Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga
16. Chicago: James Johnson, PF, Wake Forest
17. Philadelphia: Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA
18. Minnesota (from Miami): Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina (traded to Denver for future first-round pick)
19. Atlanta: Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest
20. Utah: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU
21. New Orleans: Darren Collison, PG, UCLA
22. Portland (from Dallas): Victor Claver, PF, Spain
23. Sacramento (from Houston): Omri Casspi, SF, Israel
24. Dallas (from Portland): B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State (traded to OKC for Beaubois)
25. Oklahoma City (from San Antonio): Rodrigue Beaubois, PG, France (traded to Dallas for Mullens and future second-round pick)
26. Chicago (from Denver via OKC): Taj Gibson, PF, USC
27. Memphis (from Orlando): DeMarre Carroll, PF, Missouri
28. Minnesota (from Boston): Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina
29. Los Angeles Lakers: Toney Douglas, SG, Florida State (traded to New York for 2011 second-round pick and $3 million)
30. Cleveland: Christian Eyenga, SG, Congo

Despite trading the first-round pick, the Lakers had two second-round picks, one from a trade with Charlotte for Kareem Rush back in 2004. With the 42nd overall pick, the Purple and Gold selected Patrick Beverley, who played most recently in the Ukraine in addition to Arkansas. The Lakers then sold his contract to Miami for $1.5 million and a future second-round pick. With the 59th overall pick, the Lakers chose Chinemelu Elonu, a center of Texas A&M.

The main talk of the draft was who be chosen by Memphis at number two. Many believed it would be highly-touted Spanish guard Ricky Rubio, while others thought Hasheem Thabeet would be chosen. Not only was Thabeet the number-two pick, Rubio fell to #5. Minnesota had an astonishing four different picks in the draft, and what's even more shocking was that they used each one to draft a guard. Conventional wisdom says a trade is in the works...