The Wizards introduced top draft pick Bradley Beal yesterday at a press conference inside Verizon Center. I imagine that will consume the bulk of today's links:
- You can watch the whole press conference here at the Wizards' team website (which now greets you with a full-page poster of Beal in a Wizards jersey with a promise that he'll sign a basketball for you if you purchase season tickets).
- Highlights from Beal's presser. [Wizards Insider]
- We won't know for sure until the games start, but right now it seems the Wizards and Beal are a perfect match. [Washington Times | Washington Examiner]
- Beal's family has been an integral part of his success. [Washington Post]
- Personally, I'd say Mike has some pretty high expectations for Beal in his rookie season, but I guess they're in line with being the third overall pick in the draft.
- By the way, for that missed it, here's what BF's editors thought of the Wizards' draft.
- Truth About It has a video recap of Beal's draft night experience and Kyle Weidie breaks down how Beal's football-playing brothers made him a tougher basketball player.
- Randy Wittman loves Beal both as a player and person and John Wall thinks Beal is exactly what the Wizards need.
- Wittman went on the Scott Van Pelt Show yesterday to talk about the draft. He shows up at around the 20-minute mark. [ESPN]
- Chris Miller sat down for quick chats with Beal and his proud papa.
- Does the Beal pick signal the end of the Wizards' irrelevance? [Wizards Extreme]
- Sure, he got drafted third overall and will soon boast a million-dollar bank account, but the best part about Beal's last 48 hours was clearly the birthday cake. [SB Nation D.C.]
- Second-round pick Tomas Satoransky won't be suiting up for the Wizards next season, but the team is hopeful the Czech will play in the Las Vegas Summer League next month. [Wizards Insider]
- Chad Ford has released his draft grades for every team. I'd tell you what he gave the Wizards, but I don't have an ESPN Insider account...
- Since Kelly Dwyer doesn't hide behind a paywall, I can tell you he gave the Wizards a big fat 'A' for drafting Beal. [Ball Don't Lie]
- There was pretty much a consensus that the Wizards had a good draft. Really. I'm not sure I'd seen a grade below a B-, which is what I gave them, until I came upon this guy's grades. Let's just say he has determined Bradley Beal is apparently a worthless player, rendering the Wizards' draft one big epic fail. [Detroit Bad Boys]
- How'd the rest of the Southeast make out in the draft? [CSN Washington]
- Dan Moore isn't so sure the Ray Allen comparisons are the best thing for Beal. [SB Nation St. Louis]
- Some dude named John Walls got asked about Beal's selection at the Wizards' draft party Thursday night. [D.C. Sports Bog]
- Cleveland almost went up in flames after the Cavs drafted Dion Waiters at No. 4 and traded three picks for Tyler Zeller. Conrad Kaczmarek attempts to fan the flames. [Fear The Sword]
- Jonathan Tjarks ranked the 10 best players that went undrafted Thursday night, including a few local prospects and weighed in on what each NBA GM did on draft night.
- Ian Thomsen is bearish on this year's free agent class. [SI]