**11:05**
The draft has ended with Sacramento Kings’ pick of Isaiah Thomas, a point guard out of University of Washington. In review, Markieff Morris went to the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick, Marcus Morris to the Houston Rockets with the 14th pick and Josh Selby 49th to the Memphis Grizzlies. The star of the night: Jeff Van Gundy, who offers solid insights expected from a veteran former NBA coach and bats 1.000 with his humor.
As it turned out, Stuart Scott’s math initially was off. Markieff Morris, born seven minutes before Marcus, also was drafted seven minutes before his brother.
**10:23**
Finally, Josh Selby is picked, going to Memphis with the 49th pick, joining fellow former Jayhawks Darrell Arthur and Xavier Henry.
**10:12**
With the 45th pick the New Orleans Hornets select Josh … Harrellson from Kentucky. Not Josh Selby, Josh Harrellson. Selby sure could have used another year at Kansas, which plays in front of slightly larger, more energetic crowds than D-League teams do.
**9:55**
Indiana Pacers, picking 42nd, are coming up soon and just might take Josh Selby, even amid concerns by some in the league that his foot has not healed properly.
**9:50**
Another Van Gundy gem: “Why do players get in shape AFTER their season?”
I love the Chandler Parsons pick at No. 38 by the Houston Rockets.
**9:34**
Based on the trick-shot feature ESPN just did on him, Kyle Singler should play for the Harlem Globetrotters, not in the NBA. Best prediction on Selby’s destination: I’ll stick with No. 42 to the Indiana Pacers.
**8:22**
Jay Bilas, as smart an analyst of basketball as anybody on TV, has Josh Selby rated as the eighth-best remaining player heading into the 19th pick. Yet, with concerns about his foot lingering, it’s looking as if Selby will spill into the second round, unless the New Jersey Nets take him at No. 27.
**8:14**
Best work by ESPN so far tonight:
1. Jeff Van Gundy: “Why in the draft room do they clap after their pick? They knew who they were picking. Why do they clap?” Van Gundy constantly makes great points such as that. He’s the anti-TV guy. He’s not about image. He’s about common sense.
2. Fran Fraschilla, ESPN’s expert on international prospects, weighed in on what sort of prospect Jan Vesely is after evaluating Vesely’s girlfriend, at his side for the draft: “First of all, he’s got great taste in women.”
3. Stuart Scott on the Morris twins being taken back-to-back, pointed out They were born seven minutes apart and drafted five minutes apart. Markieff came first both times.
**7:54**
Marcus Morris follows his brother as the very next pick. As the Taco Bell dog is fond of saying, “How cool is ‘dat?”
**7:52**
Leave it to Marcus to utter the quote of the night, the one that gets the biggest laughs, even if he did not intend it to be funny. Asked by Heather Cox about being separated from his twin for the first time, Marcus answered, “I’ll send him some flowers or some fruit. He’ll be all right.” Note his concern for his brother missing him, not the other way around. Marcus always has been very protective of his less-outgoing brother, Markieff. My guess is he wanted Markieff to get drafted before him because he’s always looked out for him.
**7:47**
Markieff Morris goes to Phoneix Suns with 13th pick. Marcus Morris still on the board.
**7:35**
So much for that prediction. Washington State shooting guard Klay Thompson goes to Warriors. Utah Jazz up next.
**7:28**
Neither Morris twin taken in the top 10. Prediction: The twins will combine for career NBA minutes than Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette. Here’s guessing the Golden State Warriors will take one of the twins with the next pick.
**7:12**
Bismack Biyombo of the Congo to Charlotte, which means the past five picks all were born outside the United States. Charlotte should have taken Marcus Morris here. Biyombo speaks five more languages than Morris, but Marcus has at least 10 more ways to score than Biyombo.
**7:10 p.m.**
No. 7 next. If one of the Morris twins gets picked here by Charlotte (via Sacramento), the twin fantasy of playing on the same team remains alive.
**7:04 p.m.**
Texas post player Tristan Thompson going higher-than-expected, to Cleveland with the No. 4 pick, increases the chances that the Detroit Pistons could use their No. 8 pick on Markieff Morris.
**Original post**
Matt Tait and I will be blogging throughout the night. [Tait’s covering the draft live in Newark, N.J][1]. I’m watching it on TV and working the phones in the office in Lawrence.
The first fruit from the draft grapevine has to do with why Josh Selby’s draft stock seemingly has plummeted. One insider said that there are concerns Selby’s foot injury hasn’t healed properly and that he might have “weak knees,” whatever that means.
I’d have weak knees if I were the GM who used a mid-first-round pick on him. He’s no longer projected that high. The New Jersey Nets, one league employee said, are intrigued by him and could take him with the 27th pick or the Indiana Pacers could take him with the 42nd pick.
Meanwhile, the chances of both Morris twins getting drafted in the top 13 picks look strong. At the very worst, Markieff Morris should be taken 16th by the hometown Philadelphia 76ers.
A three-team trade just reported by ESPN results in Charlotte having the seventh and ninth picks. Might the twins get to stay together after all? They might.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2011/jun/23/draft-day-in-the-big-apple/
