First, bookmark this page.  I’ll be using this micro-blog for thoughts not long enough for Red94 but too wordy to spam your Twitter feed.  

Chandler Parsons looked like a high schooler last night at the draft lottery, sporting silver on maroon; I would have gone with a more conventional dark on light look for the business appearance.  But so it goes.  

We knew the Rockets’ fate, as we have for the past three years, within ten seconds of the program as they were yet again anointed the 14th spot.  Bummer.  The real news for the team from last night, however, was the luck (or lack thereof) of the Nets.  Brooklyn’s finest did not land in the top 3, and thus, will be sending their pick (#7) to Portland.  Had they won the lottery, the Nets almost certainly would have dealt Anthony Davis to Orlando for Dwight Howard; the Nets are the only team whose opportunity cost was both Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.  Now, with no pick, the Nets have nothing to offer the Magic in a deal and are almost certain to lose Williams as well.  That deadline-day deal with Portland stands as one of the most baffling examples of mismanagement I’ve seen in quite some time.  

Jordan Hill had an impressive performance in yesterday’s playoff opener for the Lakers.  But let’s please not get carried away and say the Rockets made a mistake.  Playing next to high-level talent relieves pressure and allows players to do what they do best.  In Hill’s case, that’s rebounding, and that’s all he’s had on his mind while sharing the court with Bynum and Gasol.  In Houston, with no other notable big men, he was asked to anchor the defense and the team suffered badly, as evidenced by the numbers.  L.A. can afford Hill’s mental lapses.  Houston, with already a slim margin, couldn’t.  

The last time the Rockets had the 14th and 16th picks in the draft was 1999 when they also had #18.  In that draft, they passed on local HS phenom Rashard Lewis three times, taking Michael Dickerson, Bryce Drew, and Mirsad Turkcan.