KU in the NBA

The NBA finals start this week featuring the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers. That alone makes it worthwhile for us non-NBA fans to watch the series. But Jayhawk fans should note that KU alum Paul Pierce is the team captain of the Celtics and former Jayhawk Scot Pollard is also on the team.

I don't watch much NBA ball but I have left a few games on this year while I blog or read a book. It's actually a little better than I've remembered it (I pretty much quit watching the NBA when Michael Jordan retired - the second time).

Other NBA notes:

• Mock drafts are still predicting that Kansas underclassman Darrell Arthur may go in the top half of the first round of the NBA Draft, perhaps at no. 9 Charlotte or no. 16 Philly. Either way there's no way he could turn this down and will likely be the first Jayhawk off the board. The Draft is June 26.
  
• Brandon Rush, who's hired an agent and is committed to the NBA, is predicted to go anywhere in the bottom half of the first round. A lot of experts expect that he'll find himself buried on the bench of a good team and possibly get traded early in his career. It would be better for his career to get drafted to a poorer team where there's room for him to start.
  
• Nobody knows where Mario Chalmers will be drafted but guesses range from the late first round to mid-second round, with six or seven point guards taken before him. Kansas fans are hoping that this sour news brings him back to Lawrence; Chalmers can withdraw from the draft as late as June 16.
  
• K-State's Michael Beasley is somehow being ranked second behind Memphis guard Derrick Rose in about half of the mock drafts. How could the Bulls pass up Beasley? He better be first! Bill Walker is landing in the early second round in a lot of mock drafts but I saw one insider put him in Denver (20th overall).
• Portland Trailblazers' GM Kevin Pritchard, who was KU's starting point guard on the championship team of '88, has four picks in the draft (13, 33, 36, and 55). Would he add any additional Jayhawks to his team (Raef LaFrentz played there this season)?
  
• Some mock drafts are predicting that the Celtics will take Chalmers at the end of the first round and Sasha Kaun with the final pick of the second round. It's not likely but you never know.
  

Any comments from all of you NBA nuts out there?