I’ve enjoyed a long summer vacation. I hope you missed me. I was going to wait until football started but I’m so angry right now I had to write something.

I wrote a blog immediately after CDR declared annotating five reasons he should have stayed at Memphis. I said that he would lose millions of dollars because next year he would have been a lottery pick because this season was stocked full of freshmen. The NBA historically drafted on “potential” and this class is long on “potential.”

Now as I watch the NBA draft and have yet to hear CDR’s name. Chris said he had nothing left to prove in college. I think the NBA scouts have shown they think otherwise. I don’t know who was advising him but he got some really bad advice. Now he doesn’t have a guaranteed deal. He doesn’t get those “millions of reasons” to leave school that some of you were quick to point out. It simply was NOT the year to come out early.

He was drafted after dozens of players he out-played in college but that doesn’t matter to NBA scouts. He was bypassed by guys who will play in Europe for a couple of years. It has been simply heartbreaking to watch this because you know the kid is in agony and I’m pretty sure he’s filled with regret. Now he’s a 40th pick in the NBA draft and will have to work his way into a job. The millions won’t come for a few years. I think he’ll eventually get them but coming out a year early has cost Buckets 10’s of millions.

I truly feel bad for the kid. But he should have returned after “testing the waters.” They were cool towards him but he went too far into the deep end and couldn’t get out of the pool in time. I was right but it pains me to say it.

I felt more excited for Joey getting drafted than I did Derrick. He’s a gem of a guy and did it the right way. He got better every year. He worked his butt off. I think Portland will be happy with him in the long run. And if you ever met Joey Dorsey, you know why I feel that way.

Derrick Rose’s spot was a shoo-in for the last month. For that matter it was a shoo-in in my my mind when the Bulls were awarded the number 1 pick. It was really good to see Memphis all over the place. I think he’s the first of other Memphis players that will be number 1 overall picks with Cal doing the recruiting. Rose is a 1st class player with 1st class character so it only made sense that he was the 1st pick in my mind.

In the end, it’s a good feeling that three Tigers got their names called tonight. But quite honestly, I wish it had only been two and we had another senior leader on the floor next year.

NEW YORK — When David Stern went to the podium to announce the Memphis Grizzlies’ 28th pick, John Calipari sat in the green room clinching his left fist and yelled out, “C’mon Memphis!”

It was not hard to figure out what Calipari was rooting for. Clearly, the Tigers’ coach was hoping the Grizzlies would take Chris Douglas-Roberts, who worked out with them yesterday and would have clearly been the best PR pick available. When he declared after the Tigers’ season ended, CDR was projected to be anywhere from 10-25 and suddenly here he was in the Grizzlies’ lap if they wanted him.

Even after the Grizzlies passed on him, however, Calipari felt that he might go to Boston at No. 30. After they picked J.R. Giddens, it was not a lot of fun watching Calipari mill around for the next several minutes, typing furiously on his Blackberry while Leon Rose, CDR’s agent, was working the phones and likewise looking a bit nervous. After CDR finally got taken by the Nets at 40, Calipari and Rose left Madison Square Garden pretty quickly, obviously disappointed at how the night unfolded.

The question that will now be asked for a long time to come is whether Douglas-Roberts made a mistake by leaving Memphis a year early. I find it hard to second-guess him, since every single person in the basketball business felt his stock was at its peak coming off a season in which he was a first-team All American and led the Tigers to the NCAA title game. The only reason to stay is that next year’s draft would have been weaker, but there didn’t seem to be much risk that he would slip out of the first round. It seemed like a safe move.

The reality is, Chris just didn’t perform well in workouts, and obviously teams put a lot of stock into those workouts. I find it remarkable that a player like J.R. Giddens, with a spotty personal history and only one effective season at the college level, would be selected ahead of CDR. I find it even more remarkable that Walter Sharpe, a complete head case who washed out of Mississippi State and UAB, would go ahead of CDR and Joey Dorsey. CDR won’t get the guaranteed money, but he’ll have a chance to make a team. Time will tell whether the NBA executives who passed on him were right or wrong.

The Grizzlies continued to work feverishly this afternoon on numerous trade proposals that would have them move throughout the NBA draft, which is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

At least five possible trades had fallen through but a team insider was confident another deal could be consummated if the opposing team met the Grizzlies’ requirements.

Barring a last-minute development on that front, the Grizzlies are set to keep their first-round picks at No. 5 and 28 with the decision having been made that they will select Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook or Danilo Gallinari.

For now, though, Miami, New Jersey and Charlotte are not potential trade partners.
Miami informed Memphis that it intends to keep the No. 2 pick, decreasing any chance that the Griz will move up and take Michael Beasley. Charlotte has relentlessly tried acquiring Memphis’ fifth pick. But the Griz rebuffed those offers because they don’t covet anyone on the Bobcats’ roster.

Rumors that the Griz and Nets have talked about a deal that would send the No. 5 pick to New Jersey for the No. 10 and a future first are false. The Griz and Nets had not engaged in trade discussions as of two hours before the draft.

…with the proceedings set to begin in a matter of mere hours. The Grizzlies have been sifting through several trade proposals so here’s an attempt to separate fact from fiction.

$ The Grizzlies have been in constant communication with the Miami Heat about the possibility of moving up to No. 2 for the chance to draft Michael Beasley. In Memphis’ view, Miami is asking for too much.
Miami asked for Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley and the No. 5 pick in a package that would also include the Memphis taking a bad contract or two (i.e. Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, etc.). The Grizzlies preference was to send Miller, Lowry and the No. 28 pick. The No. 5 pick and Conley are sticking points with Conley serving as an absolute deal-breaker. With both teams being motivated, stay tuned to a variation of those discussions should a trade happen.

$ Before trading for the 20th pick, the Charlotte Bobcats asked Memphis to take anyone on their roster for the No. 5 pick. It’s something that hasn’t been completely ruled out. Now that Charlotte owns the ninth and 20th picks, don’t be shocked if the Griz agreed to take players plus the ninth and 20th picks for the fifth and 28th selections.

$ The Griz front office seemed divided on the proposed New York deal: Memphis sending Brian Cardinal and No. 5 for David Lee and Malik Rose. It’s a terrible deal, and it’s also telling that the transaction wasn’t presented to owner Michael Heisley, who said emphatically that unloading Cardinal’s contract wasn’t a priority.

$ The Grizzlies are NOT trading the rights to Marc Gasol.

$ Memphis has checked with Dallas about acquiring Josh Howard.

Editors Note: If you missed Jason’s story on area commitments, go to the Preps Page on our website or visit commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/25/early-birds-get-some-big-name-recruits/