Live 2021 NBA Draft Blog

What is this? This is my 14th-annual NBA Draft Blog. I'll be posting my thoughts about the first round of the NBA Draft here. That will include everything from the actual picks, to the ESPN "personalities," to the commercials, etc. Anything goes. This page will be updated every five minutes or so, so I hope you join me for the 2021 NBA Draft!

Also, I will be posting NBA Draft Grades on this page. I'm doing the grades this year, rather than David Kay, so it's just easier for me to do it here.

Oh, and for the first time, I'll be posting the most-recent comments at the top, rather than the bottom. This is by request, so let me know if you like or hate this new formatting.

Follow me on Twitter @walterfootball for updates.

11:15: The first round is over, and my dad is on the verge of falling asleep, so this is the end of the Live NBA Draft Blog. Thanks for reading my nonsensical thoughts! I'll have a live blog going a week from now for the preseason opener!

11:13: Way to go, Grizzlies! Good job trading up for someone you may have been able to obtain as an undrafted free agent!

With the No. 30 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies select Santi Aldama. Grade: F

11:11: Big trade! Memphis trading into this selection.

11:10: Before my final grade, I'll leave you with one final gem from my dad on Adam Silver: "With his ears, Adam Silver looks like an alien. Without his ears, he would look like a dick."

11:09: The Nets made another solid pick. They really struggled with their interior defense last year, so it makes sense for them to take a big man.

With the No. 29 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Nets select Day'Ron Sharpe. Grade: B+

11:06: Why is ESPN airing a Suns feature when the Nets are on the clock Dumb.

11:05: With ESPN's ratings in the gutter, now is not the time to advertise WNBA and soccer.

11:03: I still can't get over Chris Paul being taller than Trevor Lawrence. Wow.

11:02: I would've gone with Jared Butler, but Jaden Springer is a solid pick. He's a three-and-D guy who could replace Seth Curry at some point.

With the No. 28 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 76ers select Jaden Springer. Grade: B+

11:01: I agree with the lady who yells at her black co-workers. Trading Ben Simmons now is bad value.

10:57: My dad wants his beloved 76ers to pick Jared Butler.

10:56: What in the world happened to Markelle Fultz?

10:55: I don't understand why Cameron Thomas lasted so long. He could have easily been chosen in the late teens. This is a great value selection for a very thin Nets team.

With the No. 27 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Nets select Cameron Thomas. Grade: A+

10:51: I was just told that because of the tornado near my house, it took my neighbors 50 minutes to drive a mile-and-a-half.

10:48: There were some better players available, but this is a solid pick. It makes sense for the Nuggets to pick a point guard because Jamal Murray's status is unknown.

With the No. 26 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Nuggets select Nah'Shon Hyland. Grade: B+

10:47: The Nuggets just ran out of time. Quick, Nets, steal their pick!

10:43: The Knicks couldn't find someone to score beyond Derrick Rose in the playoffs last year, so this pick makes sense. Quentin Grimes was among the top five players available, so New York made a nice choice.

With the No. 25 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Knicks select Quentin Grimes. Grade: A-

10:41: Will the Knicks finally keep the player they draft? My DogeVaccine bro Spike Lee needs a win here.

10:39: Josh Christopher is a bit small (6-3), but he's an excellent scorer and a spark plug the Rockets can have off the bench. This is a solid pick.

With the No. 24 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Rockets select Josh Christopher. Grade: B+

10:34: My wife and I are thinking about moving to Houston. Getting out of Pennsylvania seems like a good idea, and the weather and tax haven in Texas seems great.

10:31: The Rockets need guys who will actually try hard. John Wall's effort level wasn't quite Kevin Love's this past season, but it was close to zero.

10:30: I mocked Usman Garuba to the Rockets. He made sense for them, as they needed to continue to beef up their horrific frontcourt.

With the No. 23 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Rockets select Usman Garuba. Grade: A-

10:24: The Bullets were a woeful defensive team last year, so Isaiah Jackson will help. This won't exactly make up for Russell Westbrook leaving, but Jackson is a solid pick.

With the No. 22 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Bullets select Isaiah Jackson. Grade: B+

10:23: The Clippers got Keon Johnson after all. Maybe today isn't so good.

10:22: What a great day for the Knicks. They obtained the best player on the board, and their biggest fan took the same vaccine as me.

10:20: I miss the good, ole days when the Knicks were the laughing stock of the draft. They made a solid pick here with the ultra-athletic Keon Johnson. At this stage of the draft, you have to go for pure upside.

With the No. 21 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Knicks select Keon Johnson. Grade: A

10:13: The Hawks won't need Jalen Johnson to play if they keep battling teams that miss countless free throws in the playoffs. Jalen Johnson quit on Duke, so what if he does the same to Atlanta? The upside is there, but how can the Hawks trust him?

With the No. 20 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Hawks select Jalen Johnson. Grade: C

10:08: The Hawks are so tilting after that 76ers series. If Ben Simmons hit some free throws, we would have gotten a competitive Eastern Conference Finals.

10:06: I had the Hornets picking Kai Jones with their natural selection at No. 11, but I figured that would be a huge reach. I like that the Hornets got their guy eight picks later.

With the No. 19 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Hornets select Kai Jones. Grade: B+

10:01: Spike Lee is wearing a mask on his chin, so he's taken DogeVaccine like me.

10:00: The Thunder apparently have better analytics than the Kings because they drafted a big-time shot creator in Tre Mann. I'm a fan of this selection.

With the No. 18 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder select Tre Mann. Grade: A

9:56: I'm not joking. Cunningham's body is going to fall apart, much like Arian Foster's did. Humans need meat. Vegans are losers. I can understand vegetarians, but vegans? Yuck!

9:55: Ugh, Cade Cunningham is vegan? I'm downgrading that pick to an F.

9:53: I apologize to the Pelicans before because I criticized what I thought was their pick. This is a much better selection, as Trey Murphy seems like a nice replacement for the anemic Eric Bledsoe.

With the No. 17 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pelicans select Trey Murphy. Grade: B+

9:51: Ugh, a commercial for the Olympics. I've never been a fan. I hope they don't start them this year.

9:50: They just did a commercial for vaccine. I'm surprised to see DogeVaccine not mentioned. The guy in the Wawa parking lot who gave it to me seemed very legit. In fact, he said if DogeVaccine reaches $1, I'll have immunity from everything, including Ebola.

9:48: I don't get why ESPN isn't changing the graphic for picks. They show the Grizzlies picking, but the Pelicans are on the clock.

9:46: What a draft for the Rockets. They selected Aunt Viv, and now they get a steal in Alperen Sengun, who could've been taken five picks earlier. The Rockets needed frontcourt help, so this fills a huge hole.

With the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Rockets select Alperen Sengun. Grade: A+

9:42: Never mind! The Rockets are trading into this spot.

9:41: I still can't believe the Thunder gave up Moses Brown. He's better than anyone available right now.

9:40: Bradley Beal is likely gone, so this is a nice replacement. Corey Kispert was arguably the best player available, so I'm a fan of this pick.

With the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Bullets select Corey Kispert. Grade: A-

9:37: A nice tribute by the NBA. Sucks to hear that happened.

9:32: Where are the trades!?

9:30: Who cares what Moses Moody's 40 time was? He could've just taken easy classes. Grades in college mean nothing.

9:27: What a steal. Moses Moody easily could've been chosen in the top 10. In fact, the Warriors could've picked him at No. 7 without any argument. This is excellent value.

9:26: Modes Moody. Moody Moosy. Modeay Moodey...

With the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Warriors select Moses Moody. Grade: A+

9:26: My dad's suggestion for Golden State: "Draft Nancy Pelosi. She'll suck everyone's d**k." Not sure where that came from.

9:25: This is an OK pick. Chris Duarte is a defensive specialist, but his shooting is questionable. I think this is a bit too high for him, but he'll help Indiana's poor defense.

With the No. 13 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pacers select Chris Duarte. Grade: C+

9:22: Shut up, Rachel Nichols, this draft doesn't resemble the class contaning Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Vern Fleming.

9:20: Did the Spurs confuse Joshua Primo with Primo Hoagies? I'd rather have Primo Hoagies than Joshua Primo.

9:17: Gregg Popovich really needs a friend because he lost his mind several years ago and has never reclaimed it. Joshua Primo was a borderline first-round pick. The Spurs could've moved down 10 spots and still gotten him. What a waste.

With the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Spurs select Joshua Primo. Grade: MILLEN

9:14: San Antonio's biggest need is a friend for Gregg Popovich because he's such a miserable human being.

9:12: Just realized the Grizzlies took Zairie Williams; not the Pelicans. ESPN's incorrect graphic screwed me up.

9:10: So much for the Hornets picking the worst player available. I don't know how James Bouknight fell into their laps, but he did, and Charlotte will benefit with Bouknight joining LaMelo Ball in an incredible backcourt.

With the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Hornets select James Bouknight. Grade: A+

9:06: The Hornets are on the clock, which means they'll utilize their usual strategy of picking the worst player available.

9:05: Kendrick Perkins just said college isn't for everyone. That's perhaps the smartest thing anyone on ESPN has ever said. I don't think I'm sending my future kids to college unless they want to become a doctor or a lawyer.

9:02: Zairie Williams was expected to be chosen in the late teens or early 20s, so this is tremendous value /s. The Grizzlies, not the Pelicans, just got some terrible value.

With the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies select Ziarie Williams. Grade: Z-

8:59: The kid wearing the Baylor jersey is ESPN's next sideline analyst, apparently.

8:58: The Kings' analytics don't work. They just drafted a guy at No. 9 who was a borderline lottery pick. Seriously, how many point guards do they need? This is a horrible pick.

With the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Kings select Davion Mitchell. Grade: F

8:57: If the Kings' analytics worked, they would've fired Luke Walton already. He sucks.

8:56: Analytics in basketball seems dumb. Just draft the guys who can shoot and create their own shots.

8:55: The Kings being on the clock reminds me that my dad's sworn enemy, before Adam Silver came to power, was Vlade Divac. It's sad my dad can't make fun of him anymore.

8:51: Franz Wagner could've been chosen anywhere between 7-10, so this is fine value. He has good potential and upside, but I would've gone with James Bouknight.

With the No. 8 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Magic select Franz Wagner. Grade: C+

8:50: ESPN guy just said the NBA made diverse coaching hires, but I'm not seeing any Asian coaches. Why is the NBA so anti-Asian?

8:48: Upon seeing Kuminga and Silver, my dad said something I can't even bleep out.

8:47: I would have gone with James Bouknight, but this is a fine pick. Jonathan Kuminga is raw, but has huge upside. I wonder if the Warriors will trade him.

With the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Warriors select Jonathan Kuminga. Grade: B

8:42: My dad's latest nickname for Adam Silver: "Adam C**k-Sucker!"

8:40: The Thunder just picked the 10th-best player at No. 6 overall. They could have traded down and acquired him. There's no value with this selection.

With the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder select Josh Giddey. Grade: F

8:39: The guy with the glasses just said that the Thunder have firteen first-round picks. Where does firteen factor in when counting to 20?

8:38: If you want to see what's going on near my house, search "Bucks County" on Twitter. The car dealer ship that got destroyed is a 3-minute drive from my home!

8:35: Why was Suggs wearing a mask the whole time before taking it off? And speaking of masks, I'm surprised no one's wearing one on their chin. I got the DogeVaccine, and the guy in the Wawa parking lot who gave it to me said I need to sometimes wear a mask on my chin.

8:33: Jalen Suggs is the big winner tonight, going from Canada to Florida. The Magic have Cole Anthony, but they can make things work with Suggs, who arguably could've been chosen second overall in this class.

With the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Magic select Jalen Suggs. Grade: A+

8:30: This cheesesteak sucks, by the way. There's a food place called Station Pizza near my parents' house. They used to have the best pizza and cheesesteaks, but their food sucks now. I don't know why they changed their recipe.

8:28: A non-center who can't shoot at No. 4 overall? Maybe "C" was too high.

8:26: Jalen Suggs must be thrilled with this pick because he now doesn't have to go to Canada. This is not a good pick, as Suggs would've been a great replacement for Kyle Lowry.

With the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Raptors select Scottie Barnes. Grade: C

8:24: Mark my words, the 2028 second-round pick will make or break the Russell Westbrook trade.

8:23: Kendrick Perkins must have smoked something crazy to compare Mobley to Bill Russell.

8:22: My dad's not a fan of the selection. "Cleveland always f**ks up." I can't argue that.

8:21: This is another good pick. Kevin Love is trash, and he doesn't care at all. Replacing him is a great move, and Mobley will go well with the two talented guards.

With the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers select Evan Mobley. Grade: B+

8:19: The Westbrook trade is official. I like it. The Lakers didn't know how to use Kyle Kuzma, so they're not really giving up anything. That said, I wish the NBA were like the stock market so I could short the Lakers.

8:17: My dad just said the Rockets need to trade Jalen Green for Juwan Howard. I'm not sure why they would do that, but again, I'm just reporting the news.

8:16: Like the Pistons, the Rockets needed everything, and Jalen Green was the best player available. An argument could've been made for Evan Mobley, but I like the Green selection.

With the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Rockets select Jalen Green. Grade: B+

8:14: I'll be surprised if Aunt Viv isn't the second pick.

8:12: Maybe Cunningham can use his new wealth to get a tailor. Get some longer pants, bro.

8:11: I heard "Ben Simmons with a jump shot" about Cunningham. If I were the 76ers, I wouldn't trade Simmons. Dealing Simmons now would be like selling AMC at $9.

8:09: This is what the Pistons should have done, so they did well not to overthink things. They have a miserable roster, so they just needed to take the best player available.

With the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pistons select Cade Cunningham. Grade: A

8:08: My sister just called me and said there was a deadly tornado in my area (I'm at my parents' house.) Fortunately, nothing happened with my home.

8:04: To give you an idea of what my dad is saying about Adam Silver, when he was announced... "His name isn't Adam Silver! It's Adam Fa***t!"

8:03: Why are some guys not wearing masks on their eyes? You can get Covid that way. I was wearing a mask over my eyes while driving alone in my car. I hit some people, but it's OK because I saved grandma.

8:00: My dad is yelling more words that would get him banned from Twitter. He's not a big fan of Adam Silver, apparently.

7:58: I'm not sure why Cameron Thomas' sister decided to wear the Jerry Seinfeld pirate shirt.

7:57: My dad on the Moody family: "That's a s***ty family. You can see it right away." I'm not sure what metric he's using; I'm just reporting the news.

7:55: Wow, a 48-inch vertical? I'm pretty sure I had a 4.8-inch vertical.

7:54: Jalen Green rocking the Aunt Viv haircut.

7:53: Someone should've reminded Chris Duarte to bring his socks to the draft.

7:50: My dad just said some things about Adam Silver that would get him banned on Twitter. That would require him knowing what Twitter is though.

7:48: Who is this nerd on the set with Jay Bilas and Kendrick Perkins?

7:46: What the hell? How is Chris Paul taller than Trevor Lawrence in this State Farm commercial?

7:45: Food delivery is here with my usual cheesesteak and cheese fries. By usual, I mean every night; not just every NBA Draft.

7:43: Whoa, Rachel Nichols? I assumed she'd be busy yelling at black people tonight.

7:42: We get to hear this 12-year-old kid all night from behind the scenes!? So excited!!!

7:40: Why is there a 12-year-old kid interviewing Cade Cunningham? ESPN is getting desperate for employees, apparently.

7:37: I'm watching the NBA Draft with me dad, as usual. He's brewing up potential 76ers trades. His latest: Trade No. 28 to the Blazers for Andrew Wiggins. I don't know how this is possible because Wiggins isn't even on Portland's roster.

7:35: The impending Russell Westbrook trade is great for the Lakers and LeBron James specifically. When the Lakers disappoint in the playoffs, people will blame Westbrook instead of LeBron, so LeBron won't be criticized as much as usual.

7:34: We're live! I'm excited to try this new format where the new comments will be at the top. This is revolutionary technology, so I hope it doesn't break my server.

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