NBA Draft and Texas NBA Capsules: No. 1 pick Wall ready to help turn around Wizards

John Wall, the overall No. 1 pick by the Washington Wizards, DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick by Sacramento, Patrick Patterson, the 14th selection by Houston, Eric Bledsoe, the 18th pick by Oklahoma City, and Daniel Orton, the 29th selection by Orlando, all left Kentucky with eligibility remaining and were all taken in the first round of the draft.

Three schools had four players taken in the first round. Duke had overall No. 1 pick Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette and William Avery taken in 1999. North Carolina had Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants selected in 2005. The next year Connecticut had Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone all go in the first round.

"As far as all of us being in the draft, it's just a great accomplishment for all of us, individually, and especially for the University of Kentucky, Coach (John) Calipari and the coaching staff," Patterson said. "We made a new milestone, set history with five."

Patterson, a junior, was the only non-freshman of the group. Wall and Cousins were both selected to The Associated Press' All-America team. Orton wasn't even a starter, averaging 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds.

REALLY BIG 12: The Big 12, which was almost broken apart by various conference movements last week, had a big day at the NBA draft, leading the way with seven players selected in the first round.

The Southeastern Conference was next with five — all from Kentucky — while the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East both had four. The only other conference to have more than one player taken in the first round was the Western Athletic with two.

Besides Kentucky's record run of five first-rounders the only schools with more than one selection were Kansas and Texas, which both had two.

FEWER INTERNATIONALS: Five seniors were selected in the first round, one less than last year's draft. There were six freshmen taken in the top 30, two more than last year and four less than the record set in 2008.

The one big difference in the first round from last year was that only one international player — Kevin Seraphin of France — was taken, five less than last year.

MOM FIRST: The first person the first pick went to was his mother.

John Wall turned and hugged his mother when Commissioner David Stern announced that the Kentucky freshman had been selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards.

"I can't even, words can't even explain right now," Wall said as he talked of his mother, Frances Pulley, who raised him in Raleigh, N.C. "Growing up I lived in a tough neighborhood, getting in trouble in school, especially when my dad passed. So my mom taking me to school and picked up in the afternoon, that was it. As a kid, 10, 11 years old, you want to see your family spend time and (we) didn't really have it. She was the first lady, she says, if you don't change your attitude, you'll never be doing so for her, to be in some situation, means a lot to me and I love her to death."

FAMILY WAY: When Ed Davis was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 13th pick of the first round, it meant the draft's father-son legacy would last another year.

This is the eighth straight year that the son of a former NBA player was taken in the draft.

Davis, who left North Carolina after his junior year, is the son of Terry Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NBA with Miami, Dallas, Denver and Washington.

Andy Rautins of Syracuse, the son of former NBA player Leo Rautins, was taken by the New York Knicks in the second round.

The rest of the streak is: Mike Dunleavy in 2002, Luke Walton in 2003, Jackson Vroman in 2004, Sean May in 2005, Ronnie Brewer in 2006, Al Horford in 2007, Patrick Ewing Jr. in 2008, Stephen Curry, Gerald Henderson and Austin Daye in 2009.

There was almost another father-son combination to add to this year's list. Quincy Pondexter of Washington was taken 26th by the Oklahoma City Thunder. His father, Roscoe, was a third-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 1974 but he never played in the NBA, opting for a professional career in Europe.

TOP FIVES: John Wall, the No. 1 pick, and DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick, are the fifth set of teammates taken in the top five since 2002.

The others were: Duke's Jay Williams (2) and Mike Dunleavy (3) in 2002; Connecticut's Emeka Okafor (2) and Ben Gordon (3) in 2004; North Carolina's Marvin Williams (2) and Raymond Felton (5) in 2005; and UCLA's Russell Westbrook (4) and Kevin Love (5) in 2008.

COMING BACK: A total of 103 players applied for early entry to the draft this season and 55 kept their names in the mix after the last date to withdraw. The original list included 80 college players and 23 international players.

Of those that stayed in the draft, 50 are from the college ranks and five are international players.

POINT GUARDS: When John Wall was taken first overall by the Washington Wizards he became the third guard taken with the No. 1 pick in 14 years.

Allen Iverson of Georgetown was taken first by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, and Derrick Rose of Memphis was the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2008.

Wall and Rose had something else in common: in their one year of college they were both coached by John Calipari. Rose led Memphis to the national championship game with Calipari on the bench and Wall led the Wildcats to the regional finals this season, Calipari's first at Kentucky.

"Coach taught me a lot and I became a better leader vocally," Wall said of Calipari. "I was always a leader by example being the first in the gym and the last in the gym and working hard, but I'm a leader that won't mind speaking up to the older guys."

FIRST NO. 1: In a fact that could win a lot of bar bets, John Wall was the first Kentucky player taken as the overall No. 1 draft pick.

The highest a Kentucky player was drafted had been in 1984 when the Portland Trail Blazers took Sam Bowie one pick after the Houston Rockets took Hakeem Olajuwon and one before the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan.

Since the 1966 draft seven schools have had two players taken with the No. 1 pick: Maryland (Joe Smith, John Lucas), North Carolina (Brad Daugherty, James Worthy), Michigan (Chris Webber, Cazzie Russell), Georgetown (Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing), Purdue (Glenn Robinson, Joe Barry Carroll), Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes), UCLA (Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

NICE THREADS: The competition among the players on draft night is all about off the court, as in what they are wearing. This year's version of Mr. Blackstone was Kansas freshman Xavier Henry, the 12th pick by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wesley Johnson of Syracuse, who was selected fourth by the Minnesota Timberwolves, had on an interesting pair of pants to say the least with a checkered pattern last seen on golf courses in the 1970s.

"I didn't know if he had pajama pants or are they sleeping pants or sweat pants or something," Henry said. "He pulled it off. He had a top to match it. He looked good tonight. Whoever did his shoot, he should tell them thank you.

"I liked John Wall's suit, a nice shade of blue; (teammate) Cole's (Aldrich) suit — we got them done by the same people so they are similar. I think everybody came out happy for a great occasion."

OLD DAYS: For those who thought watching the NBA draft all through two rounds was a bit much think back to the old days when the draft went as long as 20 rounds in 1973. Teams were allowed to keep picking players as long as they wanted and the Buffalo Braves selected 20 players that year, one less than the number of wins they had the previous season.

In 1974, the league put a 10-round limit on the draft and it was trimmed to seven rounds in 1985. The draft went to three rounds in 1988 and to its current length in 1989.

By the way, that player who was the only one taken in the only 20th round ever conducted was Phil Tollestrop of BYU.

BUTLER DID IT: Gordon Hayward was the first Butler player selected in the NBA draft since Ralph O'Brien was taken by the Indianapolis Olympians in 1950. Billy Shepherd, the school's all-time leading scorer, played in the ABA from 1972-75.

Hayward, whose halfcourt shot hit the rim at the end of the national championship game and left Duke with a 61-59 victory, was taken with the ninth pick by the Utah Jazz.

Hayward left the Bulldogs after two seasons.

"Toughest decision I ever had to make, and a lot of that was just because of the people at Butler, the fact we had everyone coming back," said Hayward, who grew up 20 minutes from the Butler campus in Indianapolis. "They are phenomenal people and they do things the right way and it's just a great program, a great program."

NEW CLIPPER: Al-Farouq Aminu was property of the Los Angeles Clippers for less than 20 minutes when someone asked him a question about the NBA's most futile franchise.

"I guess every team has a history either good or bad," the Wake Forest sophomore said after being taken eighth by the Clippers, the team that sends a representative to the draft lottery almost every year. "When you're drafted, you just try your best to change it for the good. That's what I'm trying to do."

-- Jim O'Connell

Reynolds 1st AP All-American not drafted

NEW YORK (AP) — Villanova's Scottie Reynolds has become the first AP All-American since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 not to be taken in the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-2 senior guard was not one of the 60 players who heard their name called Thursday night in the two rounds of the draft.

Reynolds averaged 18.5 points and 3.3 assists per game last season for the Wildcats, who were ranked in the top 10 all season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The other four All-Americans were all taken in the first round with Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins going first and fifth, respectively, while juniors Evan Turner, the national player of the year from Ohio State, and Wesley Johnson of Syracuse were the second and fourth picks.

Seven All-Americans were taken in the second round, including Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis in 2008 and DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh last year.

Two players were taken in the third round, BYU's Danny Ainge, who was playing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981 and Cal-Irvine's Kevin Magee in 1982.

"We don't have those kind of expectations," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "But if he wants to go ahead and do that, it's fine by us."

The Spurs snatched up Anderson with the 20th overall selection the NBA draft on Thursday night, hoping the former Oklahoma State star will be another overlooked steal like George Hill and DeJuan Blair.

Anderson averaged 22.3 points last year for Oklahoma State, but limited his workouts the last few weeks because of a sore hamstring. Watching the draft with his family in Junction City, Ark., Anderson said the injury probably made his stock drop.

"I don't think they got to see what they wanted out of me," Anderson said.

Not the Spurs, who had already seen plenty.

"When you're drafting No. 20, I don't think you can be particularly selective," Buford said. "As much as anything, if you listen to the guys who really know the college basketball scene, people really liked James."

It was the highest pick for the Spurs since drafting Tim Duncan first overall in 1997. Anderson is no Duncan, but the Spurs have been able to find good players late — they took Hill with the 26th pick in 2008, and grabbed Blair at No. 37 a year ago.

After picking Anderson, the Spurs took 7-footer Ryan Richards from England with the 49th pick. The 19-year-old has played for England's national development teams and is another long-term international prospect for the Spurs.

The player the Spurs perhaps want most this summer wasn't on the draft board — because San Antonio already drafted him three years ago.

Tiago Splitter, a 6-foot-11 center and star for the Spanish League club Caja Laboral, has tantalized the Spurs since they drafted him with the 27th pick in 2007. Splitter was named MVP of the Spanish League this past season, and the Spurs want to finally bring him aboard.

But it's no guarantee. Splitter could make more money staying in Europe, even though he has recently expressed a desire to play in the NBA.

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, a famous international find by the Spurs, said this week that he would "love to see" Splitter finally arrive in San Antonio.

"I heard he's developed his game so much in the last couple years, that he became the best player in Europe, or the best big for sure," Ginobili said. "I'm dying to see him."

Having made the playoffs 13 consecutive years — the longest streak in the NBA — the Spurs seldom enter the draft with much expectations for their late picks.

But they made deep steals the past two years, particularly with Hill, who was starting ahead of Tony Parker in the playoffs last season. The move had much to do with chemistry and Parker providing a jolt off the bench, but also demonstrated Hill's emergence.

It has led to speculation that the Spurs might trade Parker, who is 28 and entering the final year of his contract. Buford has tempered that speculation, and Parker reiterated Wednesday week he expects to remain in San Antonio.

Anderson could give the Spurs a valuable outside shooter, perhaps even from 3-point range. San Antonio shot .358 from behind the arc last season, its lowest percentage since 2003-04.

Anderson is believed to have NBA 3-pointer potential, though he was a 34 percent shooter as a junior last season. Buford said part of the problem was the load Anderson was forced to carry.

"He had to do so much for Oklahoma State that you can understand why his percentage were down, because teams were keying on him and he was having to take hard shots," Buford said.

-- Paul J. Weber

Rockets pick Kentucky F Patterson

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Patterson averaged 14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks as a junior last season. He initially committed to the draft in 2009, then decided to return to the Wildcats after the school hired John Calipari to replace the fired Billy Gillispie.

"I can't stop smiling, I'm shaking on the inside," Patterson said in a conference call. "Finally, my dream has come true. I'm just trying to soak all this in."

Patterson was the third Kentucky player taken in the first 14 picks. John Wall was taken first overall by Washington, and DeMarcus Cousins was selected fifth by Sacramento. Teammates Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton were picked later in the first round.

"It's just a great accomplishment, to see my teammates do well, at the college level and now to see them living their dreams," Patterson said. "I'm extremely proud of all of them and happy that we're all going to the NBA together."

The Rockets were uncharacteristically quiet on draft night. General manager Daryl Morey has orchestrated complex deals in recent years, and he was trying to acquire a top-5 pick this year. But he said teams were asking for too much in return.

"The prices were really high, and people weren't just asking for money," Morey said. "People were looking for future picks and things like that. The deal points never lined up."

But Morey and scouting director Gerald Madkins said Patterson was the top player left on the team's wish list, and No. 6 on that list when the draft began. Madkins said Patterson projects as a power forward with solid rebounding and defensive skills. He went 24-for-69 from 3-point range last season after shooting a total of four 3s in his previous two college seasons.

"We see him as a guy that's going to add a little diversity to the things we do defensively," Madkins said. "He's shown his ability out on the floor a little bit more. He's shooting college 3-pointers, his mobility for a power forward is really good."

The Rockets went 42-40 and missed the playoffs last season. All-Star center Yao is expected to return healthy from foot surgery this year, and Patterson will be valued up front.

Madkins said Patterson is a good fit for coach Rick Adelman's system and the personalities on the team.

"It's important to add quality people to your locker room," Madkins said. "He fits in with our culture, a hardworking, professional approach. You really can't measure that, and we value that more than most teams."

Patterson said he'll bring a physical toughness to Houston.

"I can be the tough guy, a guy who won't back down, who will continue to push through the hard times," he said. "I can do whatever is asked of me."

Houston had no other picks before the draft began. The Rockets purchased three second-round picks last year and acquired guard Jermaine Taylor, Spaniard Sergio Llull and forward Chase Budinger, who provided valuable minutes off the bench as a rookie last season.

Morey said he wanted to protect the team's assets on draft night this year for potential deals when free agency opens next week.

"That factored in in terms of how aggressive we could be," Morey said. "We were saving assets to be flexible this summer."

The Rockets lost popular forward Carl Landry last February in the three-team deal that sent Tracy McGrady to New York and brought Kevin Martin to Houston. Madkins wouldn't directly compare Landry to Patterson, but said the Rockets hope Patterson eventually fills a similar role.

"He brings a lot of intangibles that teams love to have," Madkins said, "especially winning teams, like we think we can be."

Patterson averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds as a sophomore, ranking in the top five in the Southeastern Conference in both categories.

Calipari brought in a star-studded freshman class, and Patterson accepted a less-featured role. He was still Kentucky's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, and was the only Wildcat to start all 38 games last season.

The Rockets liked Patterson's no-nonsense personality and team-oriented attitude.

"If you look over his career, he's been a go-to guy, the No. 1 guy, and then he's been a guy who can fill a role," Madkins said. "This year, with all those freshmen coming in, they kind of took the hype away from him. He didn't skip a beat. He was just as productive, his approach never changed.

"Those are the kind of guys we love in our locker room," Madkins said. "They don't worry about what role they take on, they just show up for work every day and do the best they can."

-- Chris Duncan

Mavs deal for Grizzlies draftee G Dominique Jones

"When we interviewed him, he said he felt like a cross between Dwyane Wade and (Rodney Stuckey); that sounded pretty good to me," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said, laughing. "We're always trying to surround Dirk with guys who can take the pressure off him."

Nowitzki, the franchise leader in points, rebounds and other key categories, is expected to become a free agent next week but the team is hoping he's only doing that to sign a longer deal to stay. Still, once he's on the market, anything can happen. So they obviously want to keep him happy.

This should help. When asked the day after the Mavericks were bounced from the playoffs what type of player Dallas needed to get, Nowitzki said: "We'd love to get somebody explosive off the dribble, who can create his own shot at any given time."

Nowitzki was thinking of guys like LeBron James or Wade. While they will be free agents next week, too, landing either of them will be a lot tougher.

Mavs president Donnie Nelson was excited to have landed Jones without giving up anything but a pile of team owner Mark Cuban's cash, likely the league maximum $3 million. It would've cost a future first-round pick to get any higher, and Dallas refused because those picks are precious chips that can be used all sorts of ways later this offseason.

"We got really lucky," Nelson said. "We kept our powder dry for bigger things this summer."

Carlisle and Nelson proudly noted that Jones, a 6-foot-5 off guard at South Florida, was the only player in the country who averaged 21 points, six rebounds and three assists last season. He also scored 46 points on the road in the Big East (in overtime against Providence) and had a knack for getting to the free throw line "a lot — 15, 16, 18 times a game," Carlisle said.

"That's hard to do," Carlisle said, adding that drawing fouls is a skill that "translates extremely well" from the college game to the NBA. "He has the ability to get places with the ball. He's a very resourceful scorer. Toughness and energy are high on our list."

Jones is 6-foot-5 with a wingspan closer to 6-foot-9, which should help on defense, too. He was a first-team All-Big East selection, averaging 21.4 points per game last season.

Jones was just getting used to the idea of competing for playing time in Memphis when he learned he was headed to Dallas. He's excited about being teammates with Jason Kidd and is eager to find his niche in the rotation. He describes his style as big on seeking contact.

"I love it," he said, "because everyone else doesn't."

He also feels a burden to contribute right away.

"If they paid $3 million to get into the first round to get me — whew!" Jones said. "That means I've got high expectations."

With Jones and last year's top pick Roddy Beaubois, the Mavericks could have their backcourt of the future already in place.

Beaubois is quick, with great leaping ability, a nice touch on 3-pointers and is spending the summer trying to hone his skills as a point guard. Jones is more suited to be a shooting guard, a banger who needs to work on extending his range. They should be somewhat interchangeable, too.

"They supplement each other very well," Nelson said. "They're going to be fast friends."

Only thing is, Jones hasn't heard of Beaubois. Asked about his new teammate, Jones said, "WHO?!" He'll find out very soon, as they will be working together soon in the summer league.

The Mavericks also had the 50th pick. They spent it on Florida State center Solomon Alabi, then sent him to Toronto for a second-rounder in 2013 and cash.

-- Jaime Aron

Kidd: 'We all feel (Dirk) is not going anywhere'

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Kidd wouldn't be surprised if Dirk Nowitzki opts out of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks and becomes a free agent. That doesn't mean he expects the former MVP to change teams.

AP source: Bulls agree to send Hinrich to Wizards

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bulls agreed to trade veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, freeing up more salary-cap space, a person familiar with the situation said.