Some thoughts after the NBA Draft

Nothing like watching the NBA Draft when the Boston Celtics are picking last. It's hard to believe that the league is welcoming new players when the glow of Banner 17 has barely worn off around New England. It feels like the victory parade was yesterday, the smell of Paul Pierce's cigar sweetly wafting into the air coming down Boylston Street.
The fact that Boston selected J.R. Giddens, the troubled swingman from New Mexico, is hardly enough to disturb any Celtics' fans this morning. So what if he left Kansas under murky circumstances? And that stabbing in 2005? Nobody cares. Pierce got stabbed once too.
Anyway, on to the rest of the league.

--Can Derrick Rose outrun his past in Chicago? Rose went No. 1 overall to the Bulls, returning to his birthplace and providing Chicago with an instant upgrade at point guard. Rose has good size (a shade over 6-2), is cobra-quick and will allow the Bulls to trade Kurt Hinrich for a front-court banger (like what they used to have with Tyson Chandler before they made a foolish trade to free up space for the decaying Ben Wallace).
The downside to this? Rose's cell phone is going to ring 800 times a day for as long as he plays in Chicago. His friends and associates will be constantly looking for tickets or favors from the hometown hero. Rose was sheltered from his rough surroundings on the city's South Side by his strong family support when he was in high school, but the millions in his pocket will make him a target for people from his old neighborhood who don't feel like he's doing enough to help them out. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out off the court next season.
--Al Jefferson just breathed a sigh of relief in Minnesota. His offensive development into one of the game's best power forwards will continue after the Timberwolves traded away the rights to O.J. Mayo for the rights to Kevin Love. Love's touch and ability to finish around the rim must have reminded Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale of himself.
Mayo plays point guard like Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson -- shoot first, ask questions later, win absolutely nothing. He's used to being The Man at all levels of basketball, something that will annoy his teammates and coaches alike. Nothing but friction will follow him wherever he goes.  
--Leave it to fans of the New York Knicks to give their newest addition a warm reception at Madison Square Garden. They booed the hell out of Danilo Gallinari, the No. 6 pick, presumably because they wanted New York to draft Indiana guard Eric Gordon. The last Indiana guard to play a prominent role with the Knicks franchise? Isiah Thomas. How did that work out?
--The league must be thrilled that the Nets pulled the trigger on a deal for Yi Jianlian. New Jersey acquired the Chinese star from Milwaukee along with swingman Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson, a move that gives the Nets broader appeal when they make their move to their new arena in Brooklyn in the next two years. Yi's representatives will be much happier thanks to New York's bustling Asian community, one a little more vibrant than Milwaukee's, and the Nets' revenue stream is certain to grow exponentially, allowing the team to stockpile cash and bid for LeBron James when he becomes a free agent in 2010.
The fact that James has a close personal relationship with Nets partial owner Jay-Z can't hurt the process, and the team seems to be building around LeBron's anticipated arrival. Simmons is a solid perimeter shooter and defender, No. 10 pick Brook Lopez provides the Nets with some bulk in the paint and will defer to his teammates on the offensive end and the team's average age is now just over 25 years old. This is a storyline that bears watching over the next two seasons and a team that could be a power in the Eastern Conference in the next decade if James decides to head to the Big Apple.
--Two good moves by Danny Ainge in this draft, and they both came in the second round. Selecting Semih Erden, a player who will stay in Turkey for the next few years, allows the Celtics to save some cap room that they can use to resign James Posey. Also, Bill Walker and his ailing knee are worth the risk. All Boston had to do was send some cash to Washington for a player who would have been a lottery pick coming out of high school. Walker's ACL injury last year hurt his draft stock, but 6-6, 235-pound swingmen with Walker's athleticism are born, not made.