NBA Draft: Fashion Victors and Victims

(NEWSER) - Power forward Blake Griffin is almost certainly the No. 1 pick in tonight’s NBA draft, and that scares the bejesus out of Griffin fan Gregg Doyel. “Superstars as the No. 1 pick are the exception to the rule,” Doyel writes on CBS Sports.com, conceding the point of LeBron James. In fact, "No. 1 overall draft picks tend to suck." And there’s a ton of data to back that up. More»

Olson calls NBA rule "farce," plans to push for changes benefiting college basketball

(NEWSER) - Lute Olson is sick of an NBA rule that results in top basketball prospects spending just one year in college, the Los Angeles Times reports, and says he'll no longer recruit such players for his University of Arizona program. Olson, who's seen the rule cost Arizona two top players this spring alone, calls it a "farce" and say he'll push for changes. More»

Some fault NBA age rule in driving Jennings abroad; others rip teen

(NEWSER) - The decision by a top high school basketball prospect to ditch his commitment to college and play professionally in Europe—thus thumbing his nose at the NBA, which bars players under 19—has observers up in arms, the Wall Street Journal's Daily Fix blog notes. Camps appear split into those ripping the NBA's age rule and those criticizing Brandon Jennings for a selfish, youthful misstep. More»

Chicago has waited long enough, and this 19-year-old is ready

(NEWSER) - Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson said after last night's NBA draft that he thinks the team should give Derrick Rose some time to settle in, but he seems to be the only person who thinks so, writes Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times. The No. 1 draft pick says he wants to focus on "being a point guard and coming in and starting." More»

Rose goes first, in glut of college freshmen

(NEWSER) - The Bulls grabbed Derrick Rose with the first overall pick last night in a wild NBA draft dominated by college freshmen. For the first time in history, the top three picks all were first-year wonders, ESPN reports. The Timberwolves then traded that third pick—OJ Mayo—for No. 5 pick Kevin Love, who was, you guessed it, a freshman. More»