O.K. to L.A: Clippers take Griffin in Round 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin was the consensus No. 1 pick. Shaq to the Cavs was the consensus blockbuster.

On a day of head-turning trades around the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers started Thursday night’s draft with the obvious choice: Griffin, the only player considered a sure thing in a class full of question marks.

Griffin was the consensus college player of the year after leading the nation with 14.4 rebounds per game while averaging 22.7 points last season for Oklahoma.

The Clippers said they would take the forward with the top pick just hours after they won the draft lottery last month, and never considered changing their minds.

“The fact is we’re getting an incredible player, incredible person, an impeccable work ethic and a guy that we plan on having in L.A. for many years to come,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s going to be a great, exciting fit for our ballclub.”

The draft followed a day of big trades in the NBA: Shaquille O’Neal to Cleveland to play alongside LeBron James and Vince Carter from the Nets to Eastern Conference champion Orlando.

San Antonio landed Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee on Tuesday, and more big names could be available this summer as teams are forced to slash payroll.

The best way to improve quickly this year was through trades, because the draft was considered weaker than in recent years.

It lacked the star power of 2007, when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant battled it out for top pick honors, or when Derrick Rose beat out Michael Beasley last year.

There was no debate this time. Dunleavy announced the Clippers’ intentions shortly after his team’s surprising lottery win, and they began a marketing campaign featuring the forward the next day.

The Clippers are hoping Griffin turns out better than their last No. 1 overall pick. They opened the 1998 draft by taking center Michael Olowokandi, a bust who is out of the league.

“Hopefully I can bring something they don’t have,” Griffin said.

The Memphis Grizzlies grabbed Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, a dominant rebounder and shot blocker who doesn’t have strong offensive skills.

After the two big men, the rest of the first round was expected to be dominated by point guards, with 10 or more expected to go in the top 30 picks.

Seven guards went in the first 10 selections, the Minnesota Timberwolves taking two with the fifth and sixth picks: Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio at No. 5, a pick they acquired from Washington earlier this week, and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn with the next pick.

It was thought Rubio might go as high as No. 2, but that never worked out for Memphis. Instead the Grizzlies went with Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 Tanzania native who switched from soccer to basketball a few years ago.

Oklahoma City took high-scoring Arizona State guard James Harden with the No. 3 pick and Sacramento followed by drafting Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans — who like Griffin was wearing a purple tie. So was Stephen Curry, the NCAA scoring leader from Davidson who went at No. 7 to Golden State.

Jordan Hill (New York), Demar DeRozan (Toronto) and Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) rounded out the top 10.

A run of forwards followed before Philadelphia grabbed another point guard, UCLA’s Jrue Holiday, who was considered a top 10 pick but tumbled to No. 17. Minnesota followed with its third point guard of the draft, Ty Lawson of national champion North Carolina, and Atlanta grabbed another playmaker, Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague, at No. 19. Utah kept up the run by selecting Eric Maynor from Virginia Commonwealth.

With the last pick of the first round, the Cavs selected center Christian Eyenga from the Republic of Congo. The 20-year-old Eyenga is a long-term project for the Cavs.

Although Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair and Sam Young were still available when Cleveland picked, the Cavs chose the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Eyenga, who played in Spain last season. Eyenga has raw skills and the Cavaliers won’t rush him but feel he can develop into a future contributor.