Blake Griffin Is First Draft Pick

While analysts largely regarded this year's NBA draft as a weak one, there was nonetheless plenty of drama last night as teams supplemented their new prospects with a series of blockbuster trades. Oklahama University's Blake Griffin was selected first by the Los Angeles Clippers, while UConn's Tanzanian bigman Hasheem Thabeet went second to the Memphis Grizzlies. But the bigger news came earlier in the day when word got out that Shaquille O'Neal had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers to team up with MVP Lebron James. Later trades saw Vince Carter moving to Orlando to join Dwight Howard and Richard Jefferson going to San Antonio, both of which help bolster the already-elite teams with additional star power.