NBA Draft recap:
Winners
Boston Celtics - I like how they took both of Purdue's best players (JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore). Granted, neither of these players are going to really break into the rotation for Boston because Johnson is just not big enough to do much on the next level. Moore has more of a chance to contribute).
Washington Wizards - Got Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Shelvin Mack
Vesely is highly ranked, Chris Singleton is a rugged, awesome wing defender, and Shelvin Mack is a fantastic PG on the little team that could (Butler). I just love this draft!
Losers
Charlotte Bobcats - Fisrt, they traded one bad contract of a good player (S. Jackson) for a bad contract of a worse player (Maggette). Then by the end of the night they got a long-term project in B. Biyombo, who is a PF. They also got Kemba Walker to be the PG rotation with DJ Augustin. However, Kemba is more of a SG in a PG body, so the backcourt is kind of screwy. It sucks having an owner with no money, I think that's the bottom line.
Losers-
Sacramento Kings - You got rid of Beno Udrih for Jimmer Fredette. Tsk tsk tsk. They did get Tyler Honeycutt from UCLA who I like. I don't like Jimmer though. He doesn't like me either.
Loser selection -
Minnesota chose a guy in the 2nd round and they thought he was 21. He's actually 26. This is a problem because European players become undrafted free agents if they reach the age of 22... Minnesota's GM David Kahn always finds new ways to get in the news!
Unclear
Cleveland - Yes, Kyrie Irving is the choice at #1 and that's good. However, I'm not exactly enthralled about the selection of PF Tristan Thompson at #4. The Cavs apparently were scared off from J. Valanciunas, a bona fide center who won't be getting out of his European contract for a season or two. Personally, I'd rather the Cavs have done that because it sounds like J. Valanciunas had a higher upside, and its not like the Cavs are trying to win next year. The one possibility for hope is that PF T. Thompson is very athletic though offensively challenged outside of dunking. Cavs are probably trading either Hickson or Varejao I'm guessing. Jamison is worthless (but may become worthwhile once the season starts since he's a $15 million expiring contract)
Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 24, 2010
NBA Draft 2010: Instant Analysis... Days Before Free Agency 2010!
As we all know, this summer is the summer that LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Joe Johnson, and a host of others are free agents... which creates all sorts of strange things... such as the Heat trading a player D. Cook AND the #18 pick... to get only the #32 pick from Ok City because it gets rid of a player and gets rid of the need for paying a first round pick!
Losers - Trail Blazers - Why did the owner fire the GM hours before the draft??? I don't get it. I mean... if you were going to fire him, you should have given a replacement a couple of weeks to prepare for the draft and run the draft.
Blockbuster Trade? - Did the Pacers trade Granger and the 10th pick to NJ for Devin Harris, Yi, and the #3 (Derrick Favors?). Probably Not.
Slider (due to "character" issues) - This happens in the NFL and in the NBA. Player with laods of talent, questionable attitude. This year, the Kings got Demarcus Cousins (Kentucky) who's supposed to be super-talented. Along with the addition of Dalembert (who only has 1 year left), the Kings just added a ton of size and could be contending for a playoff spot next year! That was a fast rebuilding project... it also means Tyreke Evans has to keep being dominant (which I'm sure won't be a problem).
-Also think it's cool how the Kings got Hassan Whiteside in the 2nd round. He's another 7-footer, this one from Marshall. Completely raw, but as we all know, 7-footers are rare, and I like this pick because he sounds like he has more potential than most unathletic 7-footers.
Perpetuating Stereotypes - Honestly... Utah selected Gordon Hayward, the white guy from Butler. Are they trying to perpetuate stereotypes?
The Spurs Always Do Well - I can't believe how I'm reviewing the draft, scrolling through the names, and suddenly I get to the Spurs and they have found yet another late-round steal. This time, they got James Anderson from Ok State... Big 12 player of the year, scores like crazy, and is tremendous value at #20.
Feel-Good Story - Da'Sean Butler got drafted in the 2nd round by the Miami Heat despite blowing out his knee in the final four! I hope he finds a way to make the team! I thought no one would take him after that... now he might get to play with Wade (and other 2010 free agents?!?)
2nd round pick I like - Tiny Gallon (Oklahoma). This name makes me laugh. I thought I was past laughing at people's names but this is the most fascinating name I've heard since...??? I'm not even sure since when! His parents must still be laughing about it. He's 6'9" and weighs 300 pounds of course.
Solomon Alabi (Florida St) - Pick by Dallas - This year's 2nd round was full of raw, big men with question marks. I really like this guy who actually has the size to do something in the NBA... even if that is just guard another big man! He's not that skilled offensively, but he's a good gamble late.
Losers - Trail Blazers - Why did the owner fire the GM hours before the draft??? I don't get it. I mean... if you were going to fire him, you should have given a replacement a couple of weeks to prepare for the draft and run the draft.
Blockbuster Trade? - Did the Pacers trade Granger and the 10th pick to NJ for Devin Harris, Yi, and the #3 (Derrick Favors?). Probably Not.
Slider (due to "character" issues) - This happens in the NFL and in the NBA. Player with laods of talent, questionable attitude. This year, the Kings got Demarcus Cousins (Kentucky) who's supposed to be super-talented. Along with the addition of Dalembert (who only has 1 year left), the Kings just added a ton of size and could be contending for a playoff spot next year! That was a fast rebuilding project... it also means Tyreke Evans has to keep being dominant (which I'm sure won't be a problem).
-Also think it's cool how the Kings got Hassan Whiteside in the 2nd round. He's another 7-footer, this one from Marshall. Completely raw, but as we all know, 7-footers are rare, and I like this pick because he sounds like he has more potential than most unathletic 7-footers.
Perpetuating Stereotypes - Honestly... Utah selected Gordon Hayward, the white guy from Butler. Are they trying to perpetuate stereotypes?
The Spurs Always Do Well - I can't believe how I'm reviewing the draft, scrolling through the names, and suddenly I get to the Spurs and they have found yet another late-round steal. This time, they got James Anderson from Ok State... Big 12 player of the year, scores like crazy, and is tremendous value at #20.
Feel-Good Story - Da'Sean Butler got drafted in the 2nd round by the Miami Heat despite blowing out his knee in the final four! I hope he finds a way to make the team! I thought no one would take him after that... now he might get to play with Wade (and other 2010 free agents?!?)
2nd round pick I like - Tiny Gallon (Oklahoma). This name makes me laugh. I thought I was past laughing at people's names but this is the most fascinating name I've heard since...??? I'm not even sure since when! His parents must still be laughing about it. He's 6'9" and weighs 300 pounds of course.
Solomon Alabi (Florida St) - Pick by Dallas - This year's 2nd round was full of raw, big men with question marks. I really like this guy who actually has the size to do something in the NBA... even if that is just guard another big man! He's not that skilled offensively, but he's a good gamble late.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
NBA Draft Day 2009: Prelude to Armageddon Free Agency 2010
In the prelude to free agency 2010, which I'm now calling "Armageddon Free Agency 2010", there are teams that are trying to win NOW (i.e. Cavs, Magic, Lakers, Spurs, etc.) and there are teams preparing for Armageddon Free Agency trying to win in summer 2010 (i.e. Nets, Knicks), and there are teams that are just trying to survive financially and selling off everything at low, low prices (i.e. Bucks, Suns, etc.)
With this summary, we have had a number of moves from the teams trying to win now taking players from the teams waiting for LATER. I'll try to give my winners and losers on draft day and on the trades...
Trades
Winners - Nets - The Nets are my absolute #1 winners right now. They not only dumped out Vince Carter's long-term contract, but they got back Courtney Lee. I know Courtney Lee may be known more for his blown layup in game 2 of the NBA Finals, but he is only a rookie, and he averaged who after the all-star break averaged 10.3ppg on almost 40% shooting from 3-point land and who received all the tough defensive matchups in the playoffs (including LeBron and Kobe). He's not a superstar, but for a rookie SG to do all this is quite impressive. The Nets are now in the BEST position for 2010, with only Devin Harris (approx. $10 mill), a team option on Brook Lopez ($2.5), a team option on C. Lee ($1.3) and $6.6 for two random players for a grand total of only $20 mill, meaning they will have about $40 million to spend. I think if I'm a free agent in 2010, and I want to win, I'd much rather go to New Jersey where they have a great young PG, a great young Center, and a very solid SG. In addition, they got the best supposed "lock down defender" in the draft in SG Terrence Williams. Nice pick.
Winners - Knicks - they got Darko in exchange for Quentin Richardson! Darko lives!!!!
Losers - Magic - I think the Vince Carter acquisition screws them up long-term, and is a signal that Turkoglu will not be re-signed. Obviously, if the Magic are somehow able to sign Turkoglu then adding Vince Carter looks a lot better. I just don't think that's the case. The defensive drop-off from Lee to Carter is immense. Turkoglu is the #1 sought-after free agent and his destination will alter the fortunes of at least the Magic.
Undetermined - Did Amare get traded to the Golden State in exchange for Biedrins and S. Curry? I guess we'll find out. It's hard to evaluate the trade when you consider that Amare is still a free agent in 2010.
The actual draft
Note: It's hard to pick many winners, when picks 8-23 were all of the same caliber player.
Winners - Tyler Hansbrough - During his college career, he's gone from sure-fire lottery pick, to 2nd round pick, to supposed NBA failure, to lottery pick. Congrats to Tyler!
Winner - Denver - Acquiring Ty Lawson for future 1st round pick. He can learn from Chauncey. I think that's a great plan.
Winner - San Antonio - Taking a 2nd round (non-guaranteed) gamble on Dejuan Blair? Supposedly his knees are a train wreck, but his numbers are awesome. The Spurs always seem to be doing something smart. This is a low-risk, HIGH-reward pick being made by the Spurs. Seems like another great move by the Spurs.
Unclear - Grizzlies - I don't understand why they went after Thabeet. They already have Marc Gasol at center who posted 11.9ppg, 7.4 rebs. I guess you can never have too few 7 footers? I guess they didn't want to deal with Rubio's buyout?
Unclear - T-wolves - Selected 2 players who will be overseas next year (Calathes, Norel) and 3 players who will be on the T-Wolves: Rubio still doesn't know if he will be in the NBA or not. Make that 2 players! Jonny Flynn could be the PG, or Telfair could start at first. Wayne Ellington is an undersized SG though was fantastic at the college level. Obviously, having Rubio (eventually) is the key.
Losers - Ok City - chose James Harden with the #3 pick, probably to avoid contract negotiations with Rubio. I'm not big on Harden. Plus, this SI article rips him apart as a good candidate for being overvalued, as he is a "subpar contested shooter" and has a lack of "shot efficiency in one-on-one situations." Then, just to make sure the Ok City Thundercats had the worst draft, they went out and traded for Center BJ Mullens, from Ohio State. I've never seen a dumber player, who didn't seem to learn anything during the college season, who also has a poor work ethic. Good luck with that project.
2nd round picks I like
Milwaukee - SG Jodie Meeks - Can really shoot, which is a nice skill to have.
San Antonio - G Jack McClinton - An absolute scoring machine. Saw him play a couple of times on the Miami Hurricanes and thought he was pretty impressive, though he is very small.
With this summary, we have had a number of moves from the teams trying to win now taking players from the teams waiting for LATER. I'll try to give my winners and losers on draft day and on the trades...
Trades
Winners - Nets - The Nets are my absolute #1 winners right now. They not only dumped out Vince Carter's long-term contract, but they got back Courtney Lee. I know Courtney Lee may be known more for his blown layup in game 2 of the NBA Finals, but he is only a rookie, and he averaged who after the all-star break averaged 10.3ppg on almost 40% shooting from 3-point land and who received all the tough defensive matchups in the playoffs (including LeBron and Kobe). He's not a superstar, but for a rookie SG to do all this is quite impressive. The Nets are now in the BEST position for 2010, with only Devin Harris (approx. $10 mill), a team option on Brook Lopez ($2.5), a team option on C. Lee ($1.3) and $6.6 for two random players for a grand total of only $20 mill, meaning they will have about $40 million to spend. I think if I'm a free agent in 2010, and I want to win, I'd much rather go to New Jersey where they have a great young PG, a great young Center, and a very solid SG. In addition, they got the best supposed "lock down defender" in the draft in SG Terrence Williams. Nice pick.
Winners - Knicks - they got Darko in exchange for Quentin Richardson! Darko lives!!!!
Losers - Magic - I think the Vince Carter acquisition screws them up long-term, and is a signal that Turkoglu will not be re-signed. Obviously, if the Magic are somehow able to sign Turkoglu then adding Vince Carter looks a lot better. I just don't think that's the case. The defensive drop-off from Lee to Carter is immense. Turkoglu is the #1 sought-after free agent and his destination will alter the fortunes of at least the Magic.
Undetermined - Did Amare get traded to the Golden State in exchange for Biedrins and S. Curry? I guess we'll find out. It's hard to evaluate the trade when you consider that Amare is still a free agent in 2010.
The actual draft
Note: It's hard to pick many winners, when picks 8-23 were all of the same caliber player.
Winners - Tyler Hansbrough - During his college career, he's gone from sure-fire lottery pick, to 2nd round pick, to supposed NBA failure, to lottery pick. Congrats to Tyler!
Winner - Denver - Acquiring Ty Lawson for future 1st round pick. He can learn from Chauncey. I think that's a great plan.
Winner - San Antonio - Taking a 2nd round (non-guaranteed) gamble on Dejuan Blair? Supposedly his knees are a train wreck, but his numbers are awesome. The Spurs always seem to be doing something smart. This is a low-risk, HIGH-reward pick being made by the Spurs. Seems like another great move by the Spurs.
Unclear - Grizzlies - I don't understand why they went after Thabeet. They already have Marc Gasol at center who posted 11.9ppg, 7.4 rebs. I guess you can never have too few 7 footers? I guess they didn't want to deal with Rubio's buyout?
Unclear - T-wolves - Selected 2 players who will be overseas next year (Calathes, Norel) and 3 players who will be on the T-Wolves: Rubio still doesn't know if he will be in the NBA or not. Make that 2 players! Jonny Flynn could be the PG, or Telfair could start at first. Wayne Ellington is an undersized SG though was fantastic at the college level. Obviously, having Rubio (eventually) is the key.
Losers - Ok City - chose James Harden with the #3 pick, probably to avoid contract negotiations with Rubio. I'm not big on Harden. Plus, this SI article rips him apart as a good candidate for being overvalued, as he is a "subpar contested shooter" and has a lack of "shot efficiency in one-on-one situations." Then, just to make sure the Ok City Thundercats had the worst draft, they went out and traded for Center BJ Mullens, from Ohio State. I've never seen a dumber player, who didn't seem to learn anything during the college season, who also has a poor work ethic. Good luck with that project.
2nd round picks I like
Milwaukee - SG Jodie Meeks - Can really shoot, which is a nice skill to have.
San Antonio - G Jack McClinton - An absolute scoring machine. Saw him play a couple of times on the Miami Hurricanes and thought he was pretty impressive, though he is very small.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
NBA Draft Rumors
As we approach the NBA Draft the number of rumors seems to be hitting a feverish pitch. Shaq to Cavs, Vince Carter to the Cavs, Larry Hughes back to the Wizards, a young genetically engineered George Miken and case of Pabs to Minnesota for the #5 pick and now Richard Jefferson to San Antonio. Rumors, especially in the age of the internet, seem fairly ubiquitous as the best way for a website to pick up traffic is to publish unsubstantiated rumors. Followed by it seems every team in the league is doing due diligence on the possibility of a trade. Top that off with rumors of financial pressures and the result is simply a flood of innedondos, what ifs and potentials. In the end I'm sure there will be a few salary dumps but I'll be surprised if there's a wave of big time moves and trades. So what are other's guesses as to the actual trade mill for Draft Day?
One interesting potential storyline to follow is the potential shift in drafting for potential . The NBA has long valued upside over certainty when it comes to the draft. Seniors that have achieved much are usually pushed to the 2nd round as unknown potential upcomers can snatched up first. However if the teams are bad straights, Ian Thomsen notes, this put pressure on production now. In other words when a Demar Derozan might someday be super awesome amazing, the need for a rotation player today means Tyler Hansborough - with his far more limited upside- might get selected first. Nonetheless something to consider as teams jostle for the right not to pick 10-30.....
Update #1 : Well looking like one trade rumor is true....RJ to the Spurs. Discuss the implications of that.....
One interesting potential storyline to follow is the potential shift in drafting for potential . The NBA has long valued upside over certainty when it comes to the draft. Seniors that have achieved much are usually pushed to the 2nd round as unknown potential upcomers can snatched up first. However if the teams are bad straights, Ian Thomsen notes, this put pressure on production now. In other words when a Demar Derozan might someday be super awesome amazing, the need for a rotation player today means Tyler Hansborough - with his far more limited upside- might get selected first. Nonetheless something to consider as teams jostle for the right not to pick 10-30.....
Update #1 : Well looking like one trade rumor is true....RJ to the Spurs. Discuss the implications of that.....
Thursday, June 26, 2008
2008 NBA Draft Instant Analysis - Rush Family Reunion
Here are some thoughts on the 4th annual NBA Draft roundup on some of the moves:
1) Rush Brothers Unite!
Brandon Rush got drafted by the Trail Blazers, then traded to the Indiana Pacers... where his brother, Kareem Rush, was playing! Apparently, Kareem still needs to sign a contract this offseason. I wonder if the Pacers want to reunite the Rush family, or if they just wanted a younger Rush brother. Of course, they could just go out and find oldest brother JaRon Rush, who was a stud at UCLA before declaring for the NBA draft... and not getting selected. Seriously though, Brandon Rush seems better than either of his brothers. We shall see.
2) Milwaukee Bucks Get a Steal
The Bucks were able to trade Bobby Simmons, who only has 2 years left, and the great unknown in Yi Jianlin to New Jersey in exchange for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson was a bit banged up last year, but it's an excellent trade for Milwaukee, and they really have absolutely no excuses for not making the playoffs this season.
The internet rumors are rampant with the theory that the Nets dumped Jefferson with the sole goal of clearing out even more room for LeBron James in 2010. Clearly, I can only hope that LeBron wants to stay in Cleveland, but it's funny that the Nets are going to essentially throw away this season and next for their chance at LeBron. Of course, you could also subscribe to the theory that the Nets believe that Yi is going to blossom into a dominating superstar!
However, interestingly enough, the Nets had 3 draft picks, and all of them (Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson (top scorer in the PAC-10, and Chris Douglas-Roberts) are known as offensive players who don't play much defense. It should be interesting at least this season!
3) 2nd Round Value Picks
I've really liked Bill Walker from Kansas State, who went to the Wizards, but then was traded to the Celtics for cash. Damn. I would have traded cash for Bill Walker if I knew that's all it took.
The Heat supposedly acquired Mario Chalmers from Kansas, who is a PG to take some pressure off D. Wade.
4) Portland Trail Blazers Trading for Darrell Arthur
At 11:30PM EST, the NBA executive goes to the podium, and says, "we have a trade to announce!" Everyone gets all excited. Suddenly, he explains that the Hornets are trading Darrell Arthur... "for cash considerations!" Immediately the whole arena gets quiet. The NBA is supposed to understand entertainment. Simply trading money for a 1st rounder is just not very exciting for any fan.
UPDATE: After getting traded to Portland for cash, Arthur was packaged to Houston to acquire Batum from France. Then Houston reportedly traded Arthur to Memphis. Arthur was in the leage for only 5 hours before getting traded three times! (from the Hornets to Portland to Houston to Memphis)
5) The Ugliness of Stuart Scott's Interviews of NBA GMs
Stuart Scott interviews GM Larry Bird and proceeds to ask him about the trade for Brandon Rush. Bird then explains that he can't talk about the trade because it's not official yet, and it's only "speculation." Stuart Scott then asks a follow-up question: "so, are you excited about acquiring TJ Ford?" Bird hesitated and seemed like he was going to rip Stuart Scott in half through the satellite feed. Bird continued to act professional though and just again explained that he can't talk about this trade either and that it's only "speculation." Finally Stuart Scott ended the painful interview... to only interview Golden State GM Chris Mullin. Instead of asking about Mullin's selections, Stuart Scott goes for the jugular and asks, "so what are your plans for free agency?" Honestly, does Stuart Scott really believe that Mullin can talk about this??? Mullin then gave a very nice answer about "improving the team." Someone at ESPN needs to prep Stuart Scott to make sure he's asking questions that people can actually answer!
1) Rush Brothers Unite!
Brandon Rush got drafted by the Trail Blazers, then traded to the Indiana Pacers... where his brother, Kareem Rush, was playing! Apparently, Kareem still needs to sign a contract this offseason. I wonder if the Pacers want to reunite the Rush family, or if they just wanted a younger Rush brother. Of course, they could just go out and find oldest brother JaRon Rush, who was a stud at UCLA before declaring for the NBA draft... and not getting selected. Seriously though, Brandon Rush seems better than either of his brothers. We shall see.
2) Milwaukee Bucks Get a Steal
The Bucks were able to trade Bobby Simmons, who only has 2 years left, and the great unknown in Yi Jianlin to New Jersey in exchange for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson was a bit banged up last year, but it's an excellent trade for Milwaukee, and they really have absolutely no excuses for not making the playoffs this season.
The internet rumors are rampant with the theory that the Nets dumped Jefferson with the sole goal of clearing out even more room for LeBron James in 2010. Clearly, I can only hope that LeBron wants to stay in Cleveland, but it's funny that the Nets are going to essentially throw away this season and next for their chance at LeBron. Of course, you could also subscribe to the theory that the Nets believe that Yi is going to blossom into a dominating superstar!
However, interestingly enough, the Nets had 3 draft picks, and all of them (Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson (top scorer in the PAC-10, and Chris Douglas-Roberts) are known as offensive players who don't play much defense. It should be interesting at least this season!
3) 2nd Round Value Picks
I've really liked Bill Walker from Kansas State, who went to the Wizards, but then was traded to the Celtics for cash. Damn. I would have traded cash for Bill Walker if I knew that's all it took.
The Heat supposedly acquired Mario Chalmers from Kansas, who is a PG to take some pressure off D. Wade.
4) Portland Trail Blazers Trading for Darrell Arthur
At 11:30PM EST, the NBA executive goes to the podium, and says, "we have a trade to announce!" Everyone gets all excited. Suddenly, he explains that the Hornets are trading Darrell Arthur... "for cash considerations!" Immediately the whole arena gets quiet. The NBA is supposed to understand entertainment. Simply trading money for a 1st rounder is just not very exciting for any fan.
UPDATE: After getting traded to Portland for cash, Arthur was packaged to Houston to acquire Batum from France. Then Houston reportedly traded Arthur to Memphis. Arthur was in the leage for only 5 hours before getting traded three times! (from the Hornets to Portland to Houston to Memphis)
5) The Ugliness of Stuart Scott's Interviews of NBA GMs
Stuart Scott interviews GM Larry Bird and proceeds to ask him about the trade for Brandon Rush. Bird then explains that he can't talk about the trade because it's not official yet, and it's only "speculation." Stuart Scott then asks a follow-up question: "so, are you excited about acquiring TJ Ford?" Bird hesitated and seemed like he was going to rip Stuart Scott in half through the satellite feed. Bird continued to act professional though and just again explained that he can't talk about this trade either and that it's only "speculation." Finally Stuart Scott ended the painful interview... to only interview Golden State GM Chris Mullin. Instead of asking about Mullin's selections, Stuart Scott goes for the jugular and asks, "so what are your plans for free agency?" Honestly, does Stuart Scott really believe that Mullin can talk about this??? Mullin then gave a very nice answer about "improving the team." Someone at ESPN needs to prep Stuart Scott to make sure he's asking questions that people can actually answer!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
2008 NBA Draft Preview
Rose or Beasley? That's what the Chicago Bulls have to debate at the #1 pick, which is a very enviable decision to have to be made. Other interesting stories abound as we approach draft night on June 26 (Thursday night)...
1) Where will OJ Mayo go?
I find OJ Mayo to be one of the more interesting players in the draft. Despite losing in the 1st round of the NCAA Tourney in his only season, he still has a lot of potential and teams are clamoring to draft him. The other interesting phenomenon is how he has tainted USC's basketball program by (allegedly) taking money, just like Reggie Bush tainted USC's football program by (allegedly) taking money.
2) Which teams like Kevin Love?
Kevin Love was fantastic in college... but as anyone may know who watched him this season, he can hardly move and is one of the slowest guys on the court. Of course, he knows how to shoot jumpers, make post-up moves (at least on collegiate players), and appears to know how to rebound. His speed is such a question mark that K-Love could go as high as #5 or drop to #10 or even lower.
3) Which team will get suckered into drafting Eric Gordon from Indiana?
Eric Gordon is a poor man's Allen Iverson, as he's small and likes to take a lot of shots. I just don't think he's nearly as good or as quick as Iverson ever was.
4) Brook Lopez or Robin Lopez?
The twin 7-foot centers will both be drafted in the first round. Brook is known as more of an offensive player, while Robin is known as more of a defensive player. I'm very curious to see where each get drafted as it appears from various mock drafts that the number of picks that separate the two appears to be less than originally thought a few months ago.
5) What kind of help will LeBron get?
An argument can be made for virtually any position for the Cavs. I would prefer a scorer who can create his own shot for the Cavs. Perhaps either Brandon Rush (Kansas) or Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) would fit there, if they are still available at #19. If the Cavs decide to go big because B. Wallace and Z may be gone within one year, I just hope the Cavs avoid Koufos from Ohio State who is a real long-term project.
1) Where will OJ Mayo go?
I find OJ Mayo to be one of the more interesting players in the draft. Despite losing in the 1st round of the NCAA Tourney in his only season, he still has a lot of potential and teams are clamoring to draft him. The other interesting phenomenon is how he has tainted USC's basketball program by (allegedly) taking money, just like Reggie Bush tainted USC's football program by (allegedly) taking money.
2) Which teams like Kevin Love?
Kevin Love was fantastic in college... but as anyone may know who watched him this season, he can hardly move and is one of the slowest guys on the court. Of course, he knows how to shoot jumpers, make post-up moves (at least on collegiate players), and appears to know how to rebound. His speed is such a question mark that K-Love could go as high as #5 or drop to #10 or even lower.
3) Which team will get suckered into drafting Eric Gordon from Indiana?
Eric Gordon is a poor man's Allen Iverson, as he's small and likes to take a lot of shots. I just don't think he's nearly as good or as quick as Iverson ever was.
4) Brook Lopez or Robin Lopez?
The twin 7-foot centers will both be drafted in the first round. Brook is known as more of an offensive player, while Robin is known as more of a defensive player. I'm very curious to see where each get drafted as it appears from various mock drafts that the number of picks that separate the two appears to be less than originally thought a few months ago.
5) What kind of help will LeBron get?
An argument can be made for virtually any position for the Cavs. I would prefer a scorer who can create his own shot for the Cavs. Perhaps either Brandon Rush (Kansas) or Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis) would fit there, if they are still available at #19. If the Cavs decide to go big because B. Wallace and Z may be gone within one year, I just hope the Cavs avoid Koufos from Ohio State who is a real long-term project.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
3rd Annual NBA Draft Recap
Trade-Mania! -- Both of the big trades of the night surround the teams with the top 2 picks (Portland, Seattle) and their efforts to clean house and free up cap space for a couple of years down the road, as both franchises start over fresh.
Portland Odens
Knicks get:Zach Randolph (4 yrs, 60 mill !), Dan Dickau (1 yr, 2.8 mill), Fred Jones (1 yr, 3.3 mill)
Portland gets:Channing Frye (1 yr, 2.5 mill and player option), Steve Francis (2 yr, 33 mill)
The Knicks continue to take on more payroll in exchange for questionable players. Randolph has been through a lot, including punching a teammate, legal problems, microfracture knee surgery, and arguing with the coach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Randolph Randolph is talented, and if Randolph actually plays consistently well, it’s a monster front line in combination with Eddy Curry. I really like the trade from the Portland perspective – 2 years of Steve Francis is going to be sad, but at least they got Zach Randolph off their hands. I’m not sure what else they could have gotten for Zach Randolph, since everyone knew they were trying to unload him. It’s tough in today’s internet age to keep stuff like that under wraps I suppose. Anyway, Channing Frye is a really good prospect who I assume can just start immediately at SF. Now the Blazers are set with an excellent but young starting 5, because they just plug LaMarcus Aldridge into Randolph’s starting spot. Look at this sweet lineup:
PF Aldridge
SF Frye
C Oden
SG B. Roy
PG J. Jack…plus they now can focus on team chemistry, by shipping Randolph out! They don’t have any bench as of this moment, but there’s no reason the Trailblazers can’t at least fight and contend for a playoff spot this season. Plus, as awful as it is going to be to pay Steve Francis, it’s only 2 seasons, as opposed to any of the other possible awful contracts that Portland could have gotten in return. Of course, they could have traded for someone who may actually play, but I think Portland was more focused on the quickest way to get a $15 million cap number off their books.
Seattle Super-Durants
Seattle gets: Delonte West (2 yrs remaining, $4.5 mill total), Wally-World (2 yrs, $25 mill total), and the #5 pick (Jeff Green)
Boston gets: Ray Allen (3 yrs remaining, $51 mill total)
In a lot of ways, this is good for both teams though much better for Seattle from a long-term perspective. GM Danny Ainge is under pressure to start delivering some wins, so he decided to roll the dice and deal West and the #5 pick. Granted, I’m not sure that Ray Allen is the answer for their team because this means they have a starting lineup of:
PF Jefferson
SF P. Pierce
C ???? Ratliff
SG R. Allen
PG Rondo
6th man – G. Green ?
Maybe they are going small though they still have Theo Ratliff, but Ratliff hasn’t been healthy in years. I’m just really biased against Rondo, who I don’t think is the answer at PG. Regardless of my hatred for Rondo, Boston did get a lot more interesting for next season at least! As for Seattle, I really do like the trade. They end up creating even more cap space this year (saving $2 million) so they should have like $17 million this summer to go after Rashard Lewis and whomever else they want. Plus, I’m assuming that this allows Seattle to still trade Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson. AND, this frees them one year earlier from a cap perspective (by not having Ray Allen)!
Early Draft Winner: Detroit Pistons
Drafted two sweet guards (Stuckey from E. Washington – a pure scorer ; and Afflalo from UCLA) which were much needed to add some depth since the Pistons didn’t really have much after Billups and Rip Hamilton (they already unloaded Delfino, and only had L. Hunter back there). I’ve always liked Afflalo a lot better than Jordan Farmar (who came out last year from UCLA). Granted, Afflalo is a SG, but coming off the bench he can knock down some open jumpers.
The Bad
Jay Bilas, on 7-foot center Spencer Hawes – “He’s not athletic and he doesn’t rebound well or block shots and this tends to raise some red flags.”
The Ugly
-Joakim Noah’s bowtie and 1970s sports jacket… maybe there’s an unwritten rule to wear the ugliest outfits possible. I don’t get it. Joakim Noah is a goofy guy, who just sat with Stuart Scott and waved to all of his buddies in the crowd the whole time.
-Houston’s pick of PG Aaron Brooks from Oregon – the quest continues to restore the faith of the nation in the name “Aaron Brooks.” The good news: you have T-Mac and Yao to pass to! The bad news: don’t know where the minutes are coming from, because the Rockets seem to be stockpiling PGs (Mike James, Rafer Alston, V-Span (Greek World Championship Hero), Luther Head? ).
Portland Odens
Knicks get:Zach Randolph (4 yrs, 60 mill !), Dan Dickau (1 yr, 2.8 mill), Fred Jones (1 yr, 3.3 mill)
Portland gets:Channing Frye (1 yr, 2.5 mill and player option), Steve Francis (2 yr, 33 mill)
The Knicks continue to take on more payroll in exchange for questionable players. Randolph has been through a lot, including punching a teammate, legal problems, microfracture knee surgery, and arguing with the coach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Randolph Randolph is talented, and if Randolph actually plays consistently well, it’s a monster front line in combination with Eddy Curry. I really like the trade from the Portland perspective – 2 years of Steve Francis is going to be sad, but at least they got Zach Randolph off their hands. I’m not sure what else they could have gotten for Zach Randolph, since everyone knew they were trying to unload him. It’s tough in today’s internet age to keep stuff like that under wraps I suppose. Anyway, Channing Frye is a really good prospect who I assume can just start immediately at SF. Now the Blazers are set with an excellent but young starting 5, because they just plug LaMarcus Aldridge into Randolph’s starting spot. Look at this sweet lineup:
PF Aldridge
SF Frye
C Oden
SG B. Roy
PG J. Jack…plus they now can focus on team chemistry, by shipping Randolph out! They don’t have any bench as of this moment, but there’s no reason the Trailblazers can’t at least fight and contend for a playoff spot this season. Plus, as awful as it is going to be to pay Steve Francis, it’s only 2 seasons, as opposed to any of the other possible awful contracts that Portland could have gotten in return. Of course, they could have traded for someone who may actually play, but I think Portland was more focused on the quickest way to get a $15 million cap number off their books.
Seattle Super-Durants
Seattle gets: Delonte West (2 yrs remaining, $4.5 mill total), Wally-World (2 yrs, $25 mill total), and the #5 pick (Jeff Green)
Boston gets: Ray Allen (3 yrs remaining, $51 mill total)
In a lot of ways, this is good for both teams though much better for Seattle from a long-term perspective. GM Danny Ainge is under pressure to start delivering some wins, so he decided to roll the dice and deal West and the #5 pick. Granted, I’m not sure that Ray Allen is the answer for their team because this means they have a starting lineup of:
PF Jefferson
SF P. Pierce
C ???? Ratliff
SG R. Allen
PG Rondo
6th man – G. Green ?
Maybe they are going small though they still have Theo Ratliff, but Ratliff hasn’t been healthy in years. I’m just really biased against Rondo, who I don’t think is the answer at PG. Regardless of my hatred for Rondo, Boston did get a lot more interesting for next season at least! As for Seattle, I really do like the trade. They end up creating even more cap space this year (saving $2 million) so they should have like $17 million this summer to go after Rashard Lewis and whomever else they want. Plus, I’m assuming that this allows Seattle to still trade Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson. AND, this frees them one year earlier from a cap perspective (by not having Ray Allen)!
Early Draft Winner: Detroit Pistons
Drafted two sweet guards (Stuckey from E. Washington – a pure scorer ; and Afflalo from UCLA) which were much needed to add some depth since the Pistons didn’t really have much after Billups and Rip Hamilton (they already unloaded Delfino, and only had L. Hunter back there). I’ve always liked Afflalo a lot better than Jordan Farmar (who came out last year from UCLA). Granted, Afflalo is a SG, but coming off the bench he can knock down some open jumpers.
The Bad
Jay Bilas, on 7-foot center Spencer Hawes – “He’s not athletic and he doesn’t rebound well or block shots and this tends to raise some red flags.”
The Ugly
-Joakim Noah’s bowtie and 1970s sports jacket… maybe there’s an unwritten rule to wear the ugliest outfits possible. I don’t get it. Joakim Noah is a goofy guy, who just sat with Stuart Scott and waved to all of his buddies in the crowd the whole time.
-Houston’s pick of PG Aaron Brooks from Oregon – the quest continues to restore the faith of the nation in the name “Aaron Brooks.” The good news: you have T-Mac and Yao to pass to! The bad news: don’t know where the minutes are coming from, because the Rockets seem to be stockpiling PGs (Mike James, Rafer Alston, V-Span (Greek World Championship Hero), Luther Head? ).
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
2nd Annual NBA Draft Recap
The Good
Memphis trading Shane Battier for Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies actually did something riske. They got great value for Shane Battier, I still can’t believe a team was willing to part with a top-10 pick in exchange for Shane Battier in the year 2006. Now with Rudy Gay, Memphis actually is trying to improve itself, and they get tons of “upside” potential.
Orlando taking JJ Redick. With the power of Darko, Dwight Howard, and my favorite underrated PG, Carlos Arroyo, this is a team destined for the playoffs! There certainly should be enough open looks for JJ on this team. I think JJ didn’t fit very well on most teams, but this is one of those teams where JJ should be able to go in and get some open looks, because I don’t believe he can create his own shot that well.
The Bad –
Seattle choosing the Senegal center, named Sene. Huge upside. Good news: He’s 7 feet tall. Bad news: He only weighs 235 pounds! Just like his fellow Senegalese countryman, DeSagna Diop, this is one of those draft picks where the player is a definite project, and he probably won’t be paying dividends to the Sonics, but to his 2nd team. If I was an NBA GM, I’d only take these insane, long-term projects if I had a playoff team. The Sonics need help now!
I also discovered that this is the 3rd year in a row they have taken a center! In 2004, it was it was Robert Swift, a dorky white 7-footer (averaged 6 and 5.5 in 20mpg). In 2005, it was Johan Petro, a 7-footer from France (average 5 and 4.4 in 19mpg). I believe they are trying to start an international all-star team of skinny 7-footers.
On the subject of skinny 7-footers, I have to bring up one of the first things I learned over the years about drafting players. The 76ers drafted Shawn Bradley back in the early 1990s, who was a skinny 7’6”, but the 76ers management had this great idea to “fix” their draft pick, they would just fatten up Shawn Bradley. The orders came down from the GM and the president, and Bradley was placed on a SIX THOUSAND CALORIE DIET. So I was watching NBA Inside Stuff back in like 1993, hosted by Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay, and they followed around Shawn Bradley and had dinner with him. Granted, Willow didn’t eat the 7th and 8th courses of the meal, but Shawn Bradley did. Sadly, Shawn Bradley gained only 5 pounds that year. Moral of the story, NBA GMs cannot expect to alter someone’s metabolism. The science just isn’t to that point yet!
Boston – taking on Brian Grant’s salary ($13.3 million) in exchange for rights to Rajon Rondo. Rondo can only score on layups, and has no outside shot. Boston GM Danny Ainge did get Sebastian Telfair earlier in the night while ensuring that Dan Dickau is now moving on to his 6th team in only his 5th year! Congratulation Dan! You are well on your way to catching Jimmy Jackson who has been on 13 teams in 14 years!
The Ugly
Dick Vitale doing NBA draft analysis. Is he up there for comedy purposes??? I really don’t know. All he does is talk about how great the juniors and seniors in college are. This year, he took things to the next level, by stating, “The #1 pick sounds more like an Italian construction company, than [his name] sounds like an NBA player.” And you wonder why the rest of the world doesn’t like Americans.
Names with the Letter “Y”
Throughout their careers at ‘Nova, I could never distinguish Ray from Foye. They played similar positions, and those stupid “y”s confused me. Add in Brandon Roy from Washington, and I just have no idea who is who anymore. I was talking to Mighty and I got very excited that Ray and Foye got drafted back-to-back, then traded for each other. But really, it was Roy and Foye. I hope I can distinguish these guys once they start actually playing.
Cash Considerations
When the Timberwolves traded the #6 pick (Roy) for the #7 pick (Foye), the Timberwolves scored some “cash considerations.” I’d much rather the NBA release what the cash is going to be used for. For example, the trade really could have been “Roy for Foye, a 4-night cruise for the GM, 3 strippers, 2 tickets to the Super Bowl, and $100,000 cold hard cash.”
Isiah is a World Cup Fan
The Knicks always keep it interesting. They drafted Ronaldo! The all-time leading scorer from Brazil! Oh wait, I got it wrong. It was Renaldo (Balkman). From USC. Actually, Univ. of South Carolina. Projected to be a late 2nd-round pick. He’s a 6-8 small forward. At least his favorite food is “peach soda.” No joke, that’s actually listed on NBA.com.
Memphis trading Shane Battier for Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies actually did something riske. They got great value for Shane Battier, I still can’t believe a team was willing to part with a top-10 pick in exchange for Shane Battier in the year 2006. Now with Rudy Gay, Memphis actually is trying to improve itself, and they get tons of “upside” potential.
Orlando taking JJ Redick. With the power of Darko, Dwight Howard, and my favorite underrated PG, Carlos Arroyo, this is a team destined for the playoffs! There certainly should be enough open looks for JJ on this team. I think JJ didn’t fit very well on most teams, but this is one of those teams where JJ should be able to go in and get some open looks, because I don’t believe he can create his own shot that well.
The Bad –
Seattle choosing the Senegal center, named Sene. Huge upside. Good news: He’s 7 feet tall. Bad news: He only weighs 235 pounds! Just like his fellow Senegalese countryman, DeSagna Diop, this is one of those draft picks where the player is a definite project, and he probably won’t be paying dividends to the Sonics, but to his 2nd team. If I was an NBA GM, I’d only take these insane, long-term projects if I had a playoff team. The Sonics need help now!
I also discovered that this is the 3rd year in a row they have taken a center! In 2004, it was it was Robert Swift, a dorky white 7-footer (averaged 6 and 5.5 in 20mpg). In 2005, it was Johan Petro, a 7-footer from France (average 5 and 4.4 in 19mpg). I believe they are trying to start an international all-star team of skinny 7-footers.
On the subject of skinny 7-footers, I have to bring up one of the first things I learned over the years about drafting players. The 76ers drafted Shawn Bradley back in the early 1990s, who was a skinny 7’6”, but the 76ers management had this great idea to “fix” their draft pick, they would just fatten up Shawn Bradley. The orders came down from the GM and the president, and Bradley was placed on a SIX THOUSAND CALORIE DIET. So I was watching NBA Inside Stuff back in like 1993, hosted by Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay, and they followed around Shawn Bradley and had dinner with him. Granted, Willow didn’t eat the 7th and 8th courses of the meal, but Shawn Bradley did. Sadly, Shawn Bradley gained only 5 pounds that year. Moral of the story, NBA GMs cannot expect to alter someone’s metabolism. The science just isn’t to that point yet!
Boston – taking on Brian Grant’s salary ($13.3 million) in exchange for rights to Rajon Rondo. Rondo can only score on layups, and has no outside shot. Boston GM Danny Ainge did get Sebastian Telfair earlier in the night while ensuring that Dan Dickau is now moving on to his 6th team in only his 5th year! Congratulation Dan! You are well on your way to catching Jimmy Jackson who has been on 13 teams in 14 years!
The Ugly
Dick Vitale doing NBA draft analysis. Is he up there for comedy purposes??? I really don’t know. All he does is talk about how great the juniors and seniors in college are. This year, he took things to the next level, by stating, “The #1 pick sounds more like an Italian construction company, than [his name] sounds like an NBA player.” And you wonder why the rest of the world doesn’t like Americans.
Names with the Letter “Y”
Throughout their careers at ‘Nova, I could never distinguish Ray from Foye. They played similar positions, and those stupid “y”s confused me. Add in Brandon Roy from Washington, and I just have no idea who is who anymore. I was talking to Mighty and I got very excited that Ray and Foye got drafted back-to-back, then traded for each other. But really, it was Roy and Foye. I hope I can distinguish these guys once they start actually playing.
Cash Considerations
When the Timberwolves traded the #6 pick (Roy) for the #7 pick (Foye), the Timberwolves scored some “cash considerations.” I’d much rather the NBA release what the cash is going to be used for. For example, the trade really could have been “Roy for Foye, a 4-night cruise for the GM, 3 strippers, 2 tickets to the Super Bowl, and $100,000 cold hard cash.”
Isiah is a World Cup Fan
The Knicks always keep it interesting. They drafted Ronaldo! The all-time leading scorer from Brazil! Oh wait, I got it wrong. It was Renaldo (Balkman). From USC. Actually, Univ. of South Carolina. Projected to be a late 2nd-round pick. He’s a 6-8 small forward. At least his favorite food is “peach soda.” No joke, that’s actually listed on NBA.com.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
NBA Draft Winners & Losers
Winners
Minnesota Timberwolves – Rashad McCants was a fantastic pick. It’s unbelievable that he was available at 14, and the T-wolves will be back in the playoffs next season. McCants will be replacing Spreewell at SG. The next step is to find PG Sam Cassell’s replacement. They also nabbed Bracey Wright from Indiana in the 2nd round, who at least will help their 3-point shooting now that Fred Hoiberg may not be playing due to having heart surgery. The Timberwolves always battle bad luck, but at least they drafted well, and with KG, Wally, McCants, and a healthy Troy Hudson, they will return to the playoffs.
Charlotte Bobcats – They can definitely pack the stadium now that they have Felton and Sean May to add to Emeka Okafor. Felton is still pretty raw, but Charlotte is really winning back the fans by drafting college players who can immediately play and avoiding any attitude problems. If they can add a shooter next year, they will have built a .500 team rather quickly.
Questionable
New York Knicks – They got their top-rated center in Channing Frye, but he’s as skinny as Shawn Bradley, and he’s only 6’10”. I realize he’s the center most likely to play immediately, but it’s a big gamble. I have to actually give credit for the first time ever to GM Isiah Thomas for getting Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson (short guy from Washington) for Kurt Thomas. The Knicks actually got a quality player in a trade! It’s unbelievable!
Golden State Warriors – They drafted Ike Diogu from Arizona State, who can rebound and score, and is real talented. The problem is, he doesn’t play defense. GM Chris Mullin has a quick team that can score a lot of points, but won’t play any defense. He’s trying to create a 21-st century version of Run TMC! (That was what they called Tim Hardway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin). This version has Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, and Ike Diogu.
LA Lakers – If Phil Jackson wasn’t the coach, and they weren’t planning on competing immediately, then their pick of a 7-foot tall 17-year old is fine. The problem is, they were supposed to get players ready to play immediately, especially at point guard. I thought Jarrett Jack would have been a great pick for them, but instead they chose a 2nd round PG from Florida St. I guess we’ll have to see some Phil Jackson magic and some off-season acquisitions if the Lakers are going to get a playoff spot next year.
Losers
Toronto Raptors – I guess they are planning on using Chris Bosh at Center. They added Charlie “I look like an Ogre” Villaneuva and Joey Graham, a physical small forward from Oklahoma State. I’m not really sold on Chris Bosh at Center, so if Bosh plays another position, suddenly Villaneuva is a 6th-man and then the draft really doesn’t make any sense. The Raptors failed to address their SG or PG concerns, other than a European who doesn’t sound like he’s ready yet.
Utah Jazz – Gave up 3 first round picks just to get PG Deron Williams. A) I don’t like Deron Williams that much as an NBA point guard. He’s slow like Khalid-El Amin (that Uconn point guard who lasted all of 2 seasons). B) If Utah doesn’t pull the trade, Portland stays put, and still drafts a high schooler at #3 since Portland already had a number of point guards. Which means that one of Deron Williams, Chris Paul, or Raymond Felton still would have been available at #6. I think Utah just got absolutely fleeced by Portland. In Utah’s defense, Portland may have threatened to draft a PG and hold him ransom, but it would have been only a bluff, and Utah could have played that game, and probably given up less AFTER the draft in a point guard/high schooler swap.
Minnesota Timberwolves – Rashad McCants was a fantastic pick. It’s unbelievable that he was available at 14, and the T-wolves will be back in the playoffs next season. McCants will be replacing Spreewell at SG. The next step is to find PG Sam Cassell’s replacement. They also nabbed Bracey Wright from Indiana in the 2nd round, who at least will help their 3-point shooting now that Fred Hoiberg may not be playing due to having heart surgery. The Timberwolves always battle bad luck, but at least they drafted well, and with KG, Wally, McCants, and a healthy Troy Hudson, they will return to the playoffs.
Charlotte Bobcats – They can definitely pack the stadium now that they have Felton and Sean May to add to Emeka Okafor. Felton is still pretty raw, but Charlotte is really winning back the fans by drafting college players who can immediately play and avoiding any attitude problems. If they can add a shooter next year, they will have built a .500 team rather quickly.
Questionable
New York Knicks – They got their top-rated center in Channing Frye, but he’s as skinny as Shawn Bradley, and he’s only 6’10”. I realize he’s the center most likely to play immediately, but it’s a big gamble. I have to actually give credit for the first time ever to GM Isiah Thomas for getting Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson (short guy from Washington) for Kurt Thomas. The Knicks actually got a quality player in a trade! It’s unbelievable!
Golden State Warriors – They drafted Ike Diogu from Arizona State, who can rebound and score, and is real talented. The problem is, he doesn’t play defense. GM Chris Mullin has a quick team that can score a lot of points, but won’t play any defense. He’s trying to create a 21-st century version of Run TMC! (That was what they called Tim Hardway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin). This version has Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, and Ike Diogu.
LA Lakers – If Phil Jackson wasn’t the coach, and they weren’t planning on competing immediately, then their pick of a 7-foot tall 17-year old is fine. The problem is, they were supposed to get players ready to play immediately, especially at point guard. I thought Jarrett Jack would have been a great pick for them, but instead they chose a 2nd round PG from Florida St. I guess we’ll have to see some Phil Jackson magic and some off-season acquisitions if the Lakers are going to get a playoff spot next year.
Losers
Toronto Raptors – I guess they are planning on using Chris Bosh at Center. They added Charlie “I look like an Ogre” Villaneuva and Joey Graham, a physical small forward from Oklahoma State. I’m not really sold on Chris Bosh at Center, so if Bosh plays another position, suddenly Villaneuva is a 6th-man and then the draft really doesn’t make any sense. The Raptors failed to address their SG or PG concerns, other than a European who doesn’t sound like he’s ready yet.
Utah Jazz – Gave up 3 first round picks just to get PG Deron Williams. A) I don’t like Deron Williams that much as an NBA point guard. He’s slow like Khalid-El Amin (that Uconn point guard who lasted all of 2 seasons). B) If Utah doesn’t pull the trade, Portland stays put, and still drafts a high schooler at #3 since Portland already had a number of point guards. Which means that one of Deron Williams, Chris Paul, or Raymond Felton still would have been available at #6. I think Utah just got absolutely fleeced by Portland. In Utah’s defense, Portland may have threatened to draft a PG and hold him ransom, but it would have been only a bluff, and Utah could have played that game, and probably given up less AFTER the draft in a point guard/high schooler swap.
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