Odd Draft Brings Plenty of Surprises

Last night's NBA Draft was so unpredictable that from the get-go even the analysts were unsure and surprised. Rarely is there a draft in professional sports where the number one pick is unknown before the commissioner walks to the podium to deliver the selection, but the Cleveland Cavaliers kept everybody on their toes until David Stern announced that Anthony Bennett would go number one. From surprising selections to heartfelt moments to great quotes, last night's draft cannot be called boring by any means. Here were some of my observations.

Most Surprising Pick: Anthony Bennett to Cleveland with top pick
It didn't take long for jaws to drop in the Barclays Center and around the nation. Sure, the number one pick was not clear cut as it usually is, but many believed that Nerlens Noel would be number one and others thought that it could be Alex Len, Victor Oladipo or Otto Porter. No one mentioned Anthony Bennett, but he was the Cavs' choice and shook Stern's hand before anyone else. There's little reason to doubt Cleveland's choice because, if history tells us anything, they don't miss when they pick number one. In the past ten years they have selected LeBron James and Kyrie Irving with the top pick and both of them won Rookie of the Year and are now All-Stars. The reason Bennett seems like an odd selection is because he is not exactly the mold of a 3-man, but Cleveland selected Tristan Thompson just two years ago at the four spot. Seeing how Bennett fits in with the Cavaliers roster will be interesting.

Biggest Drop: Nerlens Noel to New Orleans at pick six
Noel, thought by many to be the top pick, had to wait longer than he thought. Bennett went first and then two other big men (Cody Zeller and Alex Len) were chosen before the former Kentucky star. Noel tore his ACL last season and his services won't be available until around the New Year, but his talent is obvious. He protects the rim and blocks shots at an incredibly high rate. Along with the injured knee, there are a few concerns such as Noel's slender frame and limited offensive game. However, there's no doubt that he will make a good pro. A trade sent him to Philadelphia which all but seals Andrew Bynum's fate in the City of Brotherly Love and Noel has already vowed to make those teams that passed on him pay. Should be an intriguing story to watch unfold.

Steal of the Draft: Jamaal Franklin to Memphis at pick 41
Franklin could have gone much earlier in this draft because he is a do-it-all shooting guard. During his junior season at San Diego State he led the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. He is athletic and can defend well which will fit in with the Grizzlies. He does need work on his jump shot and he only shot 28 percent from three point range last season. Those things will come, but for now he is a guy who could play some meaningful minutes and give the Griz whatever they need be that scoring, rebounding or defense. Definitely a great pick for it being the 41st selection.

Weird Moment of the Night: Shabazz Muhammad's introduction six picks late
It seems that trouble and boneheadedness (made that word up myself) are going to follow Shabazz Muhammad wherever he goes. Something as simple as walking across the stage to shake David Stern's hand didn't come so easy for Shabazz and that seems to be the story of his basketball career since enrolling at UCLA last season. Stern came out and announced that the Chicago Bulls had selected Tony Snell with the 20th pick. He proceeded to say that Snell was not in Brooklyn, but that Shabazz Muhammad was and that he wanted to have his moment after being selected 14th. The weird thing about all this is that nobody quite knows why Shabazz showed up late. He wasn't invited to the green room, but there were several guys not in the green room that still walked across the stage when their name was called. Between the Gucci backpack, leading everyone to believe he was a different age and showing up late to the draft, Muhammad is compiling an impressive list of bonehead moves and he hasn't even played an NBA game yet. Stay tuned.

Best Moment of the Night: Hakeem Olajuwon returns to honor David Stern
As David Stern rides into the sunset of retirement after 30 years at the top of the NBA, this was his last draft to orchestrate. Stern basked in the boos and enjoyed every second of his last draft night. In 1984 he announced the first pick of Hakeem Olajuwon and, at the end of the first round last night, deputy commissioner Adam Silver came out and announced they had a surprise for Stern. Emerging from the back room, and in the same tuxedo he wore on draft night, was Olajuwon and he and the commissioner shook hands, hugged and the crowd rose to their feet to give Stern a deserving standing ovation. In 30 years Stern has completely revolutionized the NBA and made it a global power. To see the NBA, fans and past players honor him like they did last night was special.

Best Quote of the Night: Doc Rivers to Shelley Smith
Bill Simmons, ESPN's analyst for the NBA, was covering the draft last night and never hides his love for the Boston Celtics. Despite being an analyst, Simmons regularly calls the Celtics "we" and talks about them any chance he gets. Doc Rivers recent move to the Clippers didn't sit well with Simmons and he said that Rivers quit on the team. During ESPN's coverage last night Shelley Smith interviewed Rivers and asked him what he thought of Simmons' accusation. Why Smith thought this would be a good idea or have a good outcome I have no idea and it couldn't have gone worse for Simmons and ESPN. Rivers answered, "I would really like to call him an idiot, but I'm classier than that. He needs to get all the facts and know the whole truth." To be fair, Doc has danced around the subject and the truth seems to have changed, but the look on Simmons' face was priceless when ESPN cut back to Brooklyn.

Last night was a fun draft, but in terms of talent it wasn't exactly deep. Next year should be one of the better draft classes in history, not to mention the wild summer of free agency that will commence. For now though, the newest NBA ballers have found a home and summer league will kick off in the coming weeks. From the weird to the touching, last night's draft had it all.