|
| |
| |
| Word on the Street: The Home Stretch |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| June 22, 2008 |
-O.J. Mayo conducted a one on zero workout in front of five of the first six teams in the draft at Tim Grover’s A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago on Saturday. Besides Chicago (who sent only lower level scouts) and the New York Knicks (represented by Brendan Sur), the workout was attended by the lead decision makers of teams drafting 3, 4, and 5, including the General Managers (Kevin McHale, Sam Presti and Chris Wallace) and head coaches (Randy Wittman, Marc Iavaroni and P.J. Carlesimo), as well as numerous other executives.
Although it’s always difficult to get much of a read in a workout of this nature, Mayo reportedly “shot the ball well,” according to Mike Procopio, who ran the workout, “finished strong around the basket”, and generally showed his extremely high skill-level, which was never in doubt.
As of right now, if Minnesota keeps the pick, it appears likely that Mayo will be selected at #3, although things could still change between now and draft day. One rumor making the rounds says that the LA Clippers may offer to package their own pick (#7) along with their 2009 first round pick (protected) and the future pick they are owed by Minnesota(top 10 protected), in order to move up and select Mayo.
-Nicolas Batum will go a series of tests at one of the top Cardiological hospitals in the world in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday, his agent Bouna Ndiaye told DraftExpress this weekend. Batum has stopped conducting private workouts for the time being after tests in Toronto and New Jersey revealed potential reasons for concern possibly hinting at heart problems. Ndiaye is concerned with the fact that teams are jumping to conclusions about this being a heredity issue (which would make it much more serious) and is working on disproving the notion that Batum’s father died of a heart attack. He believes that after Monday he will be able to show teams that Batum is in good health and that he will be able to conduct workouts immediately after.
-Is Jerryd Bayless as much of a lock at 4 as everyone thinks? A number of NBA teams we’ve spoken with don’t think that’s the case. Almost everyone at this point in fact has Brook Lopez slated be picked by Seattle, with Bayless dropping slightly to the Knicks at #6. If Lopez doesn’t go 3rd, 4th of 5th, he will be taken by a team that did not work him out, as he only agreed to be seen by those three teams.
-There are rumors that the Portland Trailblazers may keep their pick after all, particularly if one of the top two players on their board can be had somehow on Thursday evening. We’ve heard numerous reports of trade talk between the Blazers and many other teams drafting below them, but now it seems likely that they stand pat if they can somehow managed to get a hold of Joe Alexander, who worked out in Portland on Tuesday (with Donte Greene and Nicolas Batum) in front of the watchful eyes of their owner Paul Allen, and apparently left quite an impression. Russell Westbrook is supposedly ranked at the very top of their draft board, but they would have to move up to at least 8 and possibly higher to get him.
-Another player that Portland could very well take a long look at (since Alexander and Westbrook are apparently out of reach) is Alexis Ajinca, who they are reportedly extremely intrigued by. Other teams that have worked him out recently have come away raving not just about Ajinca’s exciting combination of skills and physical tools, but also about his strong intangibles. He is reportedly impressing teams with his terrific personality and motivation to succeed, and is believed to have excellent leadership skills. There is an outside chance he could be drafted as high as 9th by Charlotte. Teams who did not do their research on Ajinca during the season (and there is no shortage of them unfortunately) beyond what he showed at the Hoop Summit are frantically trying to get him in for a workout, but to no avail. Ajinca last visited the Utah Jazz and will likely turn down a workout with the Phoenix Suns in favor of the 76ers on Tuesday. It’s possible that Portland goes full circle with the French connection and selects him and Nicolas Batum, should he slip to the early 2nd round.
-Look for the Chicago Bulls to announce former Spurs and Sonics head coach Bob Hill as the lead assistant under Vinny Del Negro shortly. The two are close (Hill coached Del Negro in San Antonio) and were believed to be a package deal from the very start, which eased some of the concerns John Paxson had initially about Del Negro’s lack of experience as a coach. Matt Lloyd of the Chicago Bulls told us via email that the report is “not true” and that there is “absolutely no decision that has been reached.”
-Serge Ibaka is in the United States, working out for NBA teams, sources told DraftExpress. Citing exhaustion, Ibaka initially decided to head straight back home to Barcelona after the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, but has changed his mind and worked out Sunday for the Utah Jazz. He also has workouts scheduled with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and San Antonio Spurs on Monday (with Ryan Anderson), which will also be attended by representatives of the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Seattle Supersonics and New Orleans Hornets. Ibaka is expected to be drafted anywhere from 23 to the early portion of the second round, depending on how he’s viewed by teams. If taken in the first round, he will likely stay overseas for one or two more years, as his contract is extremely flexible.
A team like Boston could decide to pick Serge Ibaka at 30 and stash him in Spain next season, which would help them with their problematic luxury tax situation. That’s one of the reasons Boston is heavily considering moving their pick, as they are “not in love with anyone in that range” according to one source with knowledge of the situation.
-Omer Asik is in discussions right now with his Turkish team Fenerbahce about ripping up his current contract and signing a 5-year deal that would keep him out of the NBA for a considerable amount of time, his agent Justin Zanik told DraftExpress. An agreement may or may not be reached before the draft on Thursday. Zanik is in the process of informing every NBA team about where things stand about Asik to ensure that they have all the information they need to make a sound decision on draft night. Asik currently has two more years on his deal and was thought to be a safe bet to be drafted in the second and bring over once his contract is up. This changes things considerably, though, and may drop his stock from the early second round to the mid to late portion of the draft. Asik seems likely to accept the offer from Fenerbahce, as his current contract is set at a bargain price and he would like to provide his family with financial stability that the 5-year deal would provide.
This is yet another in a long line of recent examples showing how much more equipped top European teams are to compete for the rights to their local players and keep them away from the NBA, due to the increased amounts of money flowing through the top leagues and the much weaker American dollar.
-In a telling sign of just how much his stock has risen over the past few weeks, Robin Lopez has been invited to sit in the Green Room on draft night. This is a pretty good sign that NBA executives consider him likely to go somewhere around the mid-first round or earlier, as the league does not like situations where players are sitting in the Green Room long after everyone else has been picked, even if that makes for great television. Lopez has an excellent chance to be picked at #15 by the Suns, and if not will almost certainly be taken 17th by Toronto. Every NBA person we’ve spoken with has him slotted at either of those two picks.
-Other players rumored to be invited to the Green Room (outside of the obvious suspects--Rose, Beasley, Mayo, etc) are Joe Alexander, DeAndre Jordan, Darrell Arthur, Donte Greene, Brandon Rush and Anthony Randolph. The top rated prospects we either have not heard back from or are not invited include JaVale McGee, Kosta Koufos, Marreese Speights and Alexis Ajinca.
-Sasha Kaun signed a 3-year contract with CSKA Moscow, as released on their their official website this weekend. Kaun may end up being the highest paid player on the Kansas Jayhawk championship team, as his salary will be similar to that of a late lottery pick next season. He has not shut the door on playing in the NBA down the road, as he has a comfortable buyout after the second year of his contract, which may even make him more attractive to a team drafting in the late second round.
Also joining him in Moscow is former Maryland power forward Terrence Morris, who landed a 3 year deal for over 5 million Euros net (a near-MLE deal in NBA terms). CSKA is reportedly close to landing the signatures of both Zoran Planinic (to replace Theo Papaloukas) and Jorge Garbajosa (if he passes their physical). |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Word on the Street: Who's Moving Up or Down? |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| June 19, 2008 |
Trade Talk
Numerous teams we spoke with today discussed the rumors of a potential draft-night trade that is making the rounds in NBA circles. Presuming that Derrick Rose goes #1, Miami would select Michael Beasley at #2 regardless, and wait to see if O.J. Mayo were to fall to the 5th overall pick. If that indeed was the case, Memphis would select him, and then trade him to Miami along with Mike Miller in exchange for Mark Blount and Beasley.
Seattle is also reportedly trying hard to move up to #2, and is dangling Chris Wilcox as bait (in exchange for the cumbersome contract of Mark Blount). The Supersonics would also take Beasley there. This is all assuming that O.J. Mayo doesn’t go third to Minnesota, which is not something teams should take for granted just yet based off what we know so far.
Memphis’ additional first round selection, the #28 pick, acquired from the Lakers in the Pau Gasol trade, is also reportedly in play. Rumors have the Grizzlies potentially trading this pick to Denver along with Kyle Lowry in exchange for the #20 pick. It’s possible that they would try and leap-frog the Orlando Magic and select Courtney Lee, who reportedly had a terrific workout there last week.
Other picks that we’re hearing rumors about include #6 (New York, trying to move up, or back), #19 (Cleveland, possibly to move up and take Brandon Rush), and #29 (Detroit, who supposedly isn’t enamored by anyone in this area). Two teams that are reportedly looking to acquire an additional first round pick are the Spurs (who unfortunately have very little to offer) and the Suns. The Wizards wouldn’t mind moving out if someone would offer them a good deal involving a point guard, but at this point that doesn’t seem likely to happen. Cleveland is trying to buy their way into the mid-first round, but unlike in years past, it won’t be Phoenix that is selling.
Look for the Los Angeles Lakers to try and land an early second round pick (possibly from Seattle) in order to draft IUPUI’s George Hill. He worked out in Los Angeles and reportedly was very impressive. His college team actually ran the triangle offense, and that is always a big factor in the Lakers’ workouts.
Who’s Gonna Slip?
As we continue to work the phones to discuss with teams who they hear is going where, we first of all need to establish which prospects will be on the board. At this point it’s clear that there is a fairly significant drop-off in this year’s draft class right around the 12th (Sacramento) or 13th (Portland) pick, as all the prospects that are getting mentions have some serious “warts” in the words of one NBA executive, which make teams hesitant about drafting them. The question is which will be overlooked, and which will cause players to slip.
Players that might find themselves being drafted a bit lower than they hoped include DeAndre Jordan, JaVale McGee, and possibly even Anthony Randolph. If Sacramento selects Darrell Arthur at #12 like many NBA sources we spoke with anticipate (this was his last workout stop before cancelling numerous workouts), then Randolph could be in for quite a tumble, as he would likely continue to slip past Portland at #13, Golden State at #14, Phoenix at #15, until reaching Philadelphia at #16. That’s about 10 spots lower than some mocks have him projected right now, but isn’t out of the question depending on how things play out next week. Randolph is not helping himself reportedly with the way he’s working out, being very average so far according to numerous people who’ve watched him, looking “laid back” or even “out of shape.” Compounding the problem is that he may have recently hurt his shoulder.
Another player who could crash the lottery unexpectedly and even shockingly go just one spot below his twin brother is Stanford center Robin Lopez. Lopez reportedly canceled all his remaining workouts (with the Pacers, Kings, Sixers, and more) with a supposed “sprained ankle” after working out for the New Jersey Nets this past week. Although the tenth pick is widely believed to be Danilo Gallinari’s, no one would know better about where the Italian small forward will get drafted than his agent Arn Tellem, who also happens to represent the Lopez twins. Robin being promised to go tenth (a speculatory rumor that is definitely making the rounds) almost surely means that Gallinari is going sixth to the Knicks. The Nets can’t expect to wait and pick Lopez at #21, as there is very little chance he gets past Phoenix at 15, or at the very worst (if Donte Greene slips past Golden State), Toronto at 17, where he is extremely coveted.
While DeAndre Jordan and JaVale McGee are refusing to conduct workouts with certain teams drafting outside of the lottery (McGee’s mother foolishly won’t let him visit anyone past 12 from what one frustrated team told us), there is no shortage of workout warriors on the prowl looking to take their spot in the teens portion of the draft. One of those is Alexis Ajinca, who may be working himself into that 12-14 range, based off the workouts he’s having.
One executive who recently watched him expressed shock at his combination of physical tools (7-1 in shoes, 240 pounds, with a near 7-7 wingspan), coordination and agility. “If he were in college, let’s say at Nevada instead of JaVale McGee, he would be a sure-fire top 10 pick,” the executive noted. “He’s bigger than McGee, and he’s also more skilled…with that length, he is going to be able to bother some people for sure” Ajinca is answering question marks about his toughness by not backing down from anyone he’s faced so far, particularly in an outstanding workout in Charlotte where he matched up with Jordan, McGee and Roy Hibbert. His experience playing against grown men all season long in the French league is certainly showing in workouts so far it seems.
The safest pick amongst players being projected to go from 13-19 is likely Brandon Rush. He could seemingly be picked by any of those teams, and be able to find a way to be productive thanks to his size, shooting ability and defensive skills. He’s probably not going to be a star, but as you’ll be able to read in the research conducted by Heather N. Allen and Paul Gearan tomorrow, that’s not such a bad thing in this range. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Word on the Street: Golden State Workout, Walker Injury |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| June 16, 2008 |
Representatives of 17 NBA teams (including numerous GMs) congregated this past weekend at the practice facility of the Golden State Warriors to take in 24 (mostly first and second round) prospects over a two day stretch. Participants included Brandon Rush, Nicolas Batum, Marreese Speights, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Alexis Ajinca, DeVon Hardin, Bill Walker, Ryan Anderson, Jason Thompson, Richard Hendrix, Gary Forbes, Joey Dorsey, Trent Plaisted, J.R. Giddens, Kyle Weaver, Jamont Gordon, Sonny Weems, Darnell Jackson, Rudy Mbemba, Ron Steele, Giorgi Shermadini and Josh Akognon.
A couple of injuries early on changed the dynamics of the workout early, including a very unfortunate setback to Bill Walker at seemingly the worst moment possible. Walker hurt his knee during the three man weave early on and was unable to make it past stretching, forcing him to pull out. An MRI conducted later (which is now circulating amongst teams) concluded that he has a partial tear in his meniscus, which will force him to sit for at least three weeks and not allow him to work out for any more NBA teams from now until the draft. There is reportedly no structural damage to the knee, but concerns could very well still linger considering that the 20-year old freshman already suffered two separate ACL tears in his short career, making teams possibly even more nervous about what the future may hold in store for him.
Walker declined to participate in the NBA pre-draft camp in late May and decided to pull out of two workouts with Houston and New Orleans last week. Up until now, he has only managed to visit the Toronto Raptors (where he looked extremely nervous and was tentative, but checked out just fine on his physical) and Detroit Pistons (where he was reportedly outstanding), meaning NBA teams will have much less information to go off on draft night than they would likely prefer.
Ironically, the injury was suffered just 48 hours prior to the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from the draft. Walker, who has yet to hire an agent for this exact reason, will take the decision down to the absolute last minute, and as of right now could still return to school. He will likely be looking for assurances that he will be taken by the Detroit Pistons (where he fills a legitimate need and is likely the best SF on the board), because otherwise, he will almost certainly fall into the second round.
Also withdrawing from the workouts were Rudy Mbemba (hip flexor) and Nicolas Batum (halfway through after being poked in the eye).
A workout of this nature can be extremely important to a player’s draft stock considering the amount of teams present. We spoke to numerous people (both NBA executives and participants) afterwards to get a feel for what went on there. The three names that kept coming up more than others when asked who looked good were: Richard Hendrix, Brandon Rush and Courtney Lee.
Hendrix did everything he possibly could to help himself reportedly, blocking shots, rebounding well, scoring points both inside and outside, running the floor and playing strong defense. This is not the first strong report we’ve received from a workout he’s been in-- others have mentioned how much better he’s shooting free throws and mid-range jumpers, as well as the confidence he exudes and how impressive he is off the court as well. As we’ve discussed before, Hendrix’s numbers and overall profile compares favorably with Carlos Boozer’s at the same age, and even though we might not ever become an all-star like Boozer, he could develop into a Paul Millsap type steal if he falls into the second round.
The reports on Courtney Lee indicated that he looked “good enough to play in the NBA right now,” as he was “explosive, very polished, made good decisions, excellent defensively, jumped right over guys, and was terrific from mid-range.” Lee has reportedly been working out well almost everywhere he’s gone recently, and looks to be making a strong push to be drafted at 22 by the Orlando Magic, who had him in last week for a workout, and sent GM Otis Smith to Golden State to see him again.
Brandon Rush also drew some extremely high praise, as his size, length and skill-level were mentioned as big pluses, as was the fact that he can play two positions and looks to be in terrific shape athletically. He played strong defense, shot the ball well from outside, and even showed some nice craftiness with a few hook shots inside. Most executives we spoke with have Rush going either at 15 (Phoenix) or 17 (Toronto) in their personal mock drafts, but there is a chance that a team like Seattle or Cleveland for example could jump up ahead of them and take him at 13th if they can strike a deal with Portland (whose pick is clearly on the block).
Chris Douglas-Roberts was reportedly “just OK” in the workout, which is similar feedback to what we’ve heard consistently over the past few weeks from different cities he’s been to. As we’ve discussed in the past, he’s not proven to be a great workout player, which might be pushing his terrific season with Memphis a little further out of teams’ minds. Jason Thompson (good offensively, poor defensively) and Sonny Weems drew similar reports. Gary Forbes reportedly looked very poor, being outplayed athletically by both Brandon Rush and Courtney Lee, as he was unable to get past them and could not just bully them around the way he did to lesser prospects a few weeks back in Orlando.
JaMont Gordon measured out at a chiseled 6-3 ½ and 230 pounds, and reportedly got to wherever he wanted on the floor, but shot the ball extremely poorly, played a bit selfishly and even displayed some bad body language. Kyle Weaver was mentioned as having worked out favorably. The same can be said for Ron Steele. Alexis Ajinca received a couple of strong reports thanks to his terrific physical tools and skill-level—he reportedly played very hard (“battling inside”) and showed nice touch on his jump-hook shots and shooting the ball from outside. It appears he helped himself. Nicolas Batum was supposedly playing very well until he got hurt mid-way through.
News and Notes:
-A few teams we spoke with this weekend were wondering about the whereabouts of Darrell Arthur. The Kansas power forward reportedly canceled workouts with the Clippers (#7), Philadelphia (#16), Toronto (#17) and Indiana (#11) after working out for Seattle (#4, 24) and Sacramento (#12). Arthur has not hired an agent and is reportedly conducting all his business through his mother and AAU coach, although he will surely stay in the draft. One NBA team we spoke to had a hard time figuring out where he was and whether or not he’ll be showing up for their workout, as he did not bother to cancel or notify anyone of his plans. There were talks of a potential back and/or hamstring injury, leading some to question if anything funny is going on. He was reportedly 100% healthy when he worked out for Sacramento on Friday. Arthur’s camp could not be reached for comment.
-Danilo Gallinari was in Los Angeles this past weekend, working out for the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for solo one on zero workouts. Teams we talked to indicate they believe Gallinari will pull out of the draft if he does not receive a promise in the top 10 by the early-entry withdrawal deadline (5 PM EST Monday).
How could a near-certain lottery pick like Gallinari not keep his name in this year’s draft? The word is that the main sponsor of his current team in Milan, Giorgio Armani, recently bought a controlling share of the club, and is reportedly offering a large amount of money for him to return. There are whispers in Italy that the team will hire legendary Italian coach Ettore Messina next season, and will be splurging on expensive reinforcements on the player market this summer, in anticipation of playing in the Euroleague once again. Gallinari himself told us that he is waiting to get “as much information as I can about the situation in Milano…the new situation in Milano” when we asked him whether there is a chance he stays in Europe this year.
His American agent Arn Tellem—for the sake of his own reputation if anything-- is much more likely to pull him out of the draft tomorrow than risk a Fran Vasquez/Orlando situation where a team drafts him in the lottery but essentially forfeits the pick by seeing him decide not to come over. Still, that uncertainly can’t be helping Gallinari’s stock in the least bit.
-O.J. Mayo will conduct another workout on Saturday for select NBA teams in Chicago. Those who are invited according to one report we received are only the four big market teams in the top 7—Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Mayo continues to snub teams ranked three through five-- Minnesota, Seattle and Memphis, it appears. Speaking of Memphis, Kevin Love reportedly had a very strong workout there this past week. He looks like a solid candidate to be drafted fifth overall at this point.
-With Milwaukee surprisingly showing very little interest in Danilo Gallinari, it appears that it’s a two man race at this point for the 8th spot between Joe Alexander and Anthony Randolph.
-There is some talk that Russell Westbrook (who is working out, as expected, extremely well) could find a way to sneak up and get drafted as high as 6th or 7th, as long as Mayo and Bayless are already off the board at that point. That could knock Eric Gordon down a few slots lower than he’s probably expecting at this point.
-Two players we haven’t heard great things about from their workouts so far as DeAndre Jordan and JaVale McGee. Both have reportedly been outplayed by lower rated prospects such as Alexis Ajinca (in Charlotte) and Roy Hibbert. Jordan has not impressed anyone by showing up for his job interview (what this is essentially) in a t-shirt and shorts while players such as Hibbert and Courtney Lee arrived prepared to get down to business in a suit and tie. Jordan, in the words of one scout "could drop right out of the lottery" if he isn't careful, based off the way he's been working out. Hibbert on the other hand has gotten some strong reviews from teams who have seen him so far, as he appears to be in excellent shape and is reminding people why he was considered a lock for the lottery just a year ago, running the floor well (better than his peers), finishing with either hand around the basket, and shooting the ball better than expected from outside. Not surprisingly, the 21-year old Georgetown product has been extremely impressive off the court as well—which is an underrated element in this process. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Word on the Street: Workouts, Trade Rumors Heat Up |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| June 5, 2008 |
-The Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso just got even more intriguing when Turkish big men Omer Asik and Semih Erden officially sent their paperwork in. The camp is already considered the strongest edition ever, and will surely attract a horde of NBA executives.
Note Corrections Made:
-There are a number of teams looking to move down or out of this draft if the right trade offer comes along. One of them is Memphis, who is having serious problems scheduling some of the top players expected to compete for the fifth overall pick. Besides Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose, who will not work out for obvious reasons, Jerryd Bayless has told the Grizzlies he is not interested in playing for them, while Brook Lopez and O.J. Mayo are still in a holding pattern waiting to see how things play out. Eric Gordon is expected to come to Memphis to work out eventually. Memphis might thus decide to save some money and slide down a few slots, while possibly unloading a contract (such as Brian Cardinal) in the process. The Sixers could come into play here too.
Similar to last year, where the Houston Rockets organized a massive two-day, 36 player workout attended by 12 teams in Orlando, this year the Phoenix Suns’ Dave Griffin and the LA Clippers’ Neil Olshey are putting together a two-day, 24 player workout intended to showcase players in the 10-40 slots of the draft.
Ten teams are reportedly already on board, including the Warriors, Kings, Nuggets, Clippers, Trailblazers, Supersonics, Grizzlies, Bulls, Bobcats and Suns. The workout will be conducted in Golden State on the 13th and 14th. Some of the players we heard that will attend include Brandon Rush, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bill Walker, Gary Forbes, J.R. Giddens, Trent Plaisted, and others.
We’re hearing about a multi-team workout that is being organized later on that week by Houston as well.
-UCLA sophomore Russell Westbrook is expected to sign with Wasserman Media Group shortly. Westbrook would give WMG six likely lottery picks in this draft.
-O.J. Mayo is expected to officially sign with Leon Rose (agent of LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Rip Hamilton, etc) of CAA next week, according to reports we’ve received.
Mayo has reportedly yet to schedule even a single workout, and will probably do so after he officially hires his new agent. We’ve been told by several sources that Mayo may try to pull a Yi Jianlian and only work out for Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles, while shunning the smaller market teams such as Minnesota, Seattle and Memphis. Things could certainly change as the draft develops over the next few weeks.
-The Indiana Pacers are trying to dangle the #11 pick in hopes of being able to package it with one of their ugly contracts (preferably Jermaine O’Neal). There is talk out of O’Neal’s camp that he anticipates being trade to Cleveland at some point this summer, possibly in a deal involving expiring contracts such as Wally Szczerbiak and Eric Snow.
The Pacers don’t want to give O’Neal away for nothing, but the temptation of shedding his 23 million dollar contract from their cap figure (giving them substantial cap space to work with in July of 2009) may be too great to pass up. On Cleveland’s end, it makes sense for their ownership to spend the money it will take to try and appease LeBron James and show them they are making the efforts to put together a championship caliber team. We’ve heard rumblings about this Cleveland/Indiana trade from a number of well-informed sources, so there appears to be at least some truth to it.
-One team that is apparently looking to move up in this draft is Philadelphia, thanks to the plethora of cap space they will enjoy coming July 1st. The Sixers are reportedly realizing that there could be very few quality unrestricted free agents available that they could realistically sign, making their precious cap space essentially useless.
One trade that is making the rounds would involve the Knicks sending Zach Randolph and the rights to the #6 pick to Philadelphia for a smaller contract, such as Reggie Evans, and the rights to the #16 pick—after July 1st (when Philadelphia’s cap space kicks in). New York would move into position to have significant cap space in the summer of 2010 (possibly to make a run at LeBron James) by unloading the 17.3 million dollars owed to Randolph in 2010/11, and would still be able to keep David Lee around.
Philadelphia would fill a big void at power forward with a 20 point per game scorer in Zach Randolph, and possibly pick up one of Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo or Eric Gordon in the process, while only sacrificing the 8-9 million dollars they are expected to have in cap space, which likely wouldn’t get them very far anyway.
-Minnesota continues to field offers for the #3 pick in the draft as well, according to numerous sources. They would not mind selecting either Kevin Love or Brook Lopez, and could decide to drop down a few slots and try to pick up another asset in return. It’s unlikely that Minnesota makes a trade before they are on the clock, though, as there is still a small possibility that Miami decides to pass on Michael Beasley at #2. Pat Riley and the Miami front office will reportedly be in Chicago this week to take a look at O.J. Mayo.
-Minnesota is reportedly looking at packaging their two early 2nd round picks (#31, #34) for a late first round pick, due to roster spot concerns. Chris Douglas-Roberts may be one of the players they are targeting.
-Portland (as they do every season) may consider doing the same with picks #33 and #36. One player they reportedly may make a run at this summer is Chicago’s Ben Gordon, as they may feel like he is the perfect fit in their starting lineup next to Brandon Roy, where he can defend point guards but not have the burden of having to run a team.
-Talk continues to circulate that the Denver Nuggets have promised to select Ty Lawson with the 20th pick later this month. Lawson pulled out of the NBA pre-draft camp after just one day, citing a hip-pointer, but was seen shooting around and looking absolutely fine just a few hours before he was supposed to play. He stated that if he were to be projected to be drafted outside the top-20, he will return to North Carolina, making the Nuggets precisely his cut-off point.
Denver started Anthony Carter at the point guard position in 67 of 70 games he played this season. He did an admirable job, but clearly the team is in need of an upgrade at that spot, particularly if they want to continue to play the brand of up-tempo basketball that George Karl is so fond of, and which Lawson just happens to absolutely excel at.
-Rodrigue Beaubois and his agent Bill McCandless are conducting an open workout on Sunday the 8th in Atlanta that is expected to draw multiple NBA teams (Orlando, Atlanta, Memphis, New Jersey, LA Lakers, possibly others).
-J.R. Giddens has been forced to cancel workouts with Boston, Detroit and New Jersey this week after suffering a hamstring injury in the second game of the NBA pre-draft camp—of which he played only six minutes. Always the competitor, Giddens tried to play on the injury in the third and last game of the camp and struggled because of it, and was forced to pull out of the combine as well. Giddens will be participating at the multi-team workout in Golden State. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| What We learned from the NBA Draft Measurements and Combine |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| June 3, 2008 |
We’ve been very outspoken in the past about the dangers of reading too much into the measurements and combine numbers. If you didn’t read our article from last year on that topic, you are strongly encouraged to do so.
What makes the release of the measurement and combine numbers so interesting, though, is the plethora of new information we’re presented with, some of which directly contradicts things we’ve heard, read or thought we saw with our own eyes. These numbers obviously have their limitations, but it’s hard not to get excited when they come out. The problem is when you throw everything you know about a players’ strengths and weaknesses, and use the numbers as your only tool to compare between them. Obviously this only tells a very small part of the story, and in regards to the combine, might not tell you any part of the story depending on the player.
With that said, let’s take a look at what we learned from the numbers released exclusively on DraftExpress today.
All heights will be discussed without shoes (so add an inch and a quarter approximately in your head for their likely NBA listings)—in order to put all players on the same standing. Some (like J.R. Giddens, Donte Greene, Darnell Jackson) gained only ¾ of an inch from being measured in shoes, while others (like Kevin Love) gained as much as an inch and 3/4.
-Joe Alexander (38 ½ inch max-vertical, 24 reps, 2.99 ¾ Court Sprint) is a freak
We had that confirmed to us two weeks ago already when we went to watch him workout on Las Vegas, but it’s good to see that in print. His measurements (6-7 ¼ without shoes, 6-11 ½ wingspan, 220 pounds) are ideal for an NBA small forward. We know his work ethic is top notch, so it’s not hard to envision him improving on his below-average skill-level substantially as well over the next few years. If he has good workouts, it wouldn’t be hard to see him surpassing Danilo Gallinari as the top small forward in this draft.
Also posting impressive all-around numbers: Sony Weems (all-time record 2.96 ¾ court sprint) Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Nelson, Bryce Taylor
-D.J. Augustin (5-10 ½ without shoes) is short
Augustin is about to become the 3rd shortest player in our measurements database to be drafted, behind Nate Robinson and Brevin Knight. We don’t have every NBA player there, but we have a lot. Will he be able to see the floor and defend his position well enough? His standing reach (comparable to Luke Ridnour, Jameer Nelson, Mike Conley Jr) slightly compensates for that, but that might just be enough to scare away the LA Clippers at #7. Whether that’s smart or not, we will see in time. There is absolutely no question that Augustin can play.
Also measuring out a bit shorter than expected: Derrick Rose (6-1 ½ without shoes, listed at 6-4 in college), Lester Hudson (5-11 ¾ without shoes, listed at 6-3 in college), DeMarcus Nelson (6-1 without shoes, listed at 6-4 in college), Joey Dorsey (6-6 ¼ without shoes, listed at 6-9 in college)
-Eric Gordon deserves a second look
Gordon’s all-around numbers are superb, as he’s got a wingspan befitting of a shooting guard at 6-9, is very strong (15 reps, 222 pounds, only a freshman), he can jump (40 inch vert), is very fast (3rd best time) and very agile (7th best time).
-Jerryd Bayless (6-3 ½ wingspan, 8-1 standing reach) has very short arms
We’ve known this for a while now, but Bayless measuring a near-identical wingspan to his height is not going to help his cause with those that already question how well he’ll be able to defend NBA point guards, let alone shooting guards (he’s more of a combo at this point remember). He doesn’t stack up well at all in that category.
Also in the alligator arms department: Donte Greene (6-8 ¼ without shoes 6-10 wingspan), Brian Butch, Jiri Hubalek, Maarty Leunen, O.J. Mayo (6-3 ¼ without shoes, 6-6 wingspan), Ty Lawson (5-10 ¾, 6-1 wingspan) Brian Roberts
-Michael Beasley’s measurements aren’t that bad
A lot of people gasped at first when they saw Beasley measuring in at just 6-7 in shoes. Looking further though, you see that he has a very good wingspan and standing reach, similar to Al Horford’s (7-0 ¾, 8-11). His combine numbers tell us a bit about the combination of strength, speed and agility he brings to the table, which will help him as a rebounder and, hopefully in time, as a defender.
Neither are Kevin Love’s- 6-7 ¾ without shoes, 6-11 ¼ wingspan, 8-10 standing reach and solid all-around combine numbers are probably better than most people initially anticipated.
-Keith Brumbaugh has very little chance of being drafted
Between being arrested 6 times, playing terribly in the pre-draft camp, weighing 190 pounds (on a 6-9 frame), posting mediocre combine numbers, and having a wingspan that is an inch and a half shorter than his height, things look to be pretty stacked against Brumbaugh at the moment. If he was some kind of prodigious talent teams might be willing to overlook his disastrous rap sheet, but he clearly isn’t.
-Patrick Ewing can jump
His 42 inch max-vertical leap ranks as the 3rd best figure ever measured at the combine, which is very impressive.
Other high-flyers: O.J. Mayo and Bryce Taylor (41 inches), are tied for 7th best ever. Derrick Rose, Deron Washington and Eric Gordon all jumped 40 inches.
-Kentrell Gransberry isn’t serious about playing in the NBA
Gransberry’s team finished the season all the way back in early March, meaning he had nearly three months to get himself in the best shape of his life before coming to the pre-draft camp. Instead, he posted the third highest body fat percentage in pre-draft camp history, only behind Oliver Miller and Marco Killingsworth. That tells you everything you need to know about how serious he is about playing basketball. Measuring out at 6-6 ¾ without shoes and without an incredible wingspan or standing reach to compensate doesn’t help, even if he can clearly rebound the ball.
Also not in great shape: Chris Daniels, Shaun Pruitt, Kevin Love, Darnell Jackson
-Davon Jefferson is turning into a cautionary tale
We discussed during the pre-draft camp just how incredibly out of shape Davon Jefferson looks, and the combine results did nothing to dissuade that notion, as he came out measuring 12% body fat. A guy that clearly looked like one of the best athletes in the NCAA for most of the season seems intent on doing everything humanly possible to tank his draft stock—lifting the 185 bar just twice, running very poorly in the lane agility and ¾ court sprint, and to add insult to injury, measuring out an inch and a half (6-6 ½ in shoes) shorter than he was listed at USC. He showed almost no competitive fire when things mattered at the pre-draft camp. For a player who was never going to impress anyone with his skill level or intangibles, all this combined is probably going to cause him to go undrafted.
-Richard Hendrix is faster than he looks?
Although he measured out just a hair under 6-7 without shoes, Richard Hendrix posted solid numbers across the board in virtually every category. His 7-3 wingspan and 9-foot standing reach are both very good for a typical NBA power forward, and his lane agility time (10.62) ranked as the 3rd best figure amongst all players in Orlando, and is the 18th best of all time. In case you were wondering, there are multiple people timing the players as they run through the various drills, and the group convenes after each player and compares scores.
-Brook Lopez is a very long human being
Tied for the tallest player measured at the camp (6-11 ¼ without shoes), with a freaky 7-5 ½ wingspan and 9-5 standing reach looks the part and then some of an NBA center. His frame clearly still has room to carry more weight too, meaning it won’t be his size, length or strength that holds him back from being a very productive NBA player. What might concern some are his combine numbers, 12.77 in the lane agility drills, which ranks as the 5th worst total in our database according to the limited numbers that are at our disposal. He did slightly better (just 9th worst) in the ¾ court sprint, though, which confirms what we’ve seen on film—that he runs the floor north to south very well, but is not a very fluid or agile player going east/west.
Other extremely long human beings: John Riek (7-8 ¾), JaVale McGee (7-6), DeAndre Jordan (7-6), Sasha Kaun (7-6), Shawn James (6-9 with a 7-5 wingspan) |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| DraftExpress Podcast #12 |
|
|
|
| by: DraftExpress |
| June 2, 2008 |
| Jonathan Givony and Joey Whelan break down the latest rumors about who the top 8 teams in the draft are considering, who is trying to make trades, the most disappointing performances at the NBA pre-draft camp, and which of the early-entry players may return to school. Check it out at our podcast page: here or download it directly here |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Word on the Street: Love to Minnesota? |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| May 27, 2008 |
McHale in Love with Kevin Love?
Numerous sources with varying ties to Minnesota confirmed to DraftExpress over the past few days that Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale has locked in on UCLA freshman Kevin Love as possibly his favorite prospect in this draft. McHale reportedly likes the skill-level and all-around feel for the game that Love brings to the table, as well as his winning mentality, and sees him as an excellent potential compliment to Al Jefferson in Minnesota’s front-court.
Picking 3rd in this draft, many would consider it a reach to take Love, although numerous advanced statistical formulas have identified him as being the 2nd most productive player in this draft, behind Michael Beasley.
There is already some talk that Minnesota will look to make a trade with Memphis GM Chris Wallace, who would then have the option of fortifying his front-court by drafting Brook Lopez at #3, or swinging for the fences and taking O.J. Mayo. Memphis could offer Minnesota the young prospect of their choice in Kyle Lowry, Hakim Warrick or Javaris Crittenton to help facilitate the deal. Wallace only has two more years left on his contract and needs to make as big a splash as possible in this draft to jump-start Memphis’ rebuilding process, meaning he could be leaning more towards taking Mayo, especially if his team is drafting 5th.
Seattle Locking into Bayless at #4?
Although Sam Presti has to be considered one of the best GMs in the league in terms of holding his cards as close to the vest as possible, early indications are that the Supersonics are heavily targeting Arizona freshman point guard Jerryd Bayless, barring poor workouts or background checks. Reports we’ve gotten indicate that Bayless will measure out extremely well as far as his intangibles are concerned, as he’s a highly motivated and engaging person who comes from a strong background.
Bayless fits the up-tempo early-offense system that P.J. Carlesimo has implemented in Seattle, and can play minutes alongside their existing point guard rotation of Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour until he’s ready to man the position full-time. Seattle had the 4th fastest paced offense in the NBA last year, but finished dead last in points per possession and near the bottom in true shooting percentage. A big time athlete and shooter like Bayless could help in that regard.
NBA teams we spoke with indicated that their intel suggests that Presti is also high on Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon, although he might be a bit of a reach with the 4th overall pick.
Is 7th a Reach for Augustin?
In desperate need of help at the point guard position, and with D.J. Augustin in their sights holding the 7th overall pick, the Clippers are pondering whether to pull the trigger on the extremely productive sophomore playmaker from Texas. Augustin will clearly be the best point guard on the board, but may be a bit of a reach where they are selecting. Workouts will play a big role in the decision of Elgin Baylor and key decision maker Mike Dunleavy Sr. They will also likely nab a big man with the 35th pick.
Adding interest is the fact that Augustin has reportedly decided to hire Thad Foucher of Los Angeles-based agency Wasserman Media Group as his representation. Foucher is from Augustin’s home-town of New Orleans, and the agency has strong ties to the Texas program, currently representing LaMarcus Aldridge. If Augustin is selected in the top 10, WMG could have 5 of the top 10 picks in the draft, as they also represent Derek Rose, Brook Lopez, Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph. There are rumors that they may end up signing Russell Westbrook as well.
Augustin has numerous fans in the lottery, including Charlotte and especially Indiana, and likely doesn’t slip past Sacramento at #12 at worst. He is one of the 9 players who will be participating in the very exclusive NBA pre-draft camp media session, which is a very good sign for him.
D.J. White Promise?
D.J. White may a promise from the Detroit Pistons at the end of the first round, according to sources with ties to the player. The Pistons have the 29th overall pick and may like the way White’s length and toughness fit into their team’s overall culture. They have not been shy in the past about identifying players they like early on and being aggressive pursuing them—having made a promise to draft Rodney Stuckey with the 15th overall pick right around this time last year, and reportedly also giving DeVon Hardin assurances they would select him in the late first round before he decided to return to school. They did the same exact thing with Jason Maxiell a few years back, which caused him to pull out of the NBA pre-draft camp after just one day, despite then being projected as a 2nd round pick.
White has scheduled many workouts with NBA teams for the weeks leading up to draft, which is not unusual even for players like Stuckey or Maxiell if year’s past is any indication. He will not be playing in the NBA pre-draft camp, which is a pretty good sign that he feels comfortable with where he is projected to be drafted.
Will Omer Asik be the steal of the 2nd round?
We had the chance to go over quite a bit of film, advanced statistics and previous scouting reports over the past few days in advance of a large quantity of NBA draft content we’ll be providing Yahoo! Sports once again this year. While doing so, one player really stood out as someone we (the DX crew in America, not Europe) may have previously been overlooking—Turkish big man Omer Asik. You may have read some of his scouting reports on this site already, as Luis Fernandez has gone into quite a bit of depth on him recently.
Asik has very good size, a frame that looks capable of adding more weight over the next few years, and a phenomenal wingspan that helped him break the Euroleague Top 16 round shot-blocking record. Asik is an extremely late bloomer who barely could minutes on the basketball court two years ago, but has quickly developed into one of the top big man prospects in all of Europe this season. He started the season on loan with Alpella, and averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 34 minutes per game over the first 10 games of the season. After exploding for a 25 point, 16 rebound, 6 assist outing against European powerhouse Efes Pilsen, Asik was brought back to the team that owns his rights, Fenerbahce, and was quickly added to their roster for the Euroleague.
On a per-40 minute basis, Asik’s numbers are spectacular—averaging 16.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks, while shooting just under 60% from the field. He ranks 5th in Win Score and 16th in PER, behind some of the most established players in European basketball.
This is coming remind you from a fairly skinny player who is extremely raw offensively and is only playing essentially his second season of professional basketball, meaning his learning curve is still very steep. He put up those numbers against a level of competition that is far stronger than anything any NCAA player faced this season, against the cream of the crop of Europe in the second round of the Euroleague. There is a very good chance that once his body develops, and his skill-level becomes more polished, we could have a very intriguing player on our hands, in the mold of an Andris Biedrins. He doesn’t turn 22 until July.
We’re talking about a pretty athletic big man, with good hands, solid touch, and great extension around the basket thanks to his length. He is a good defender, mobile enough to defend on the perimeter and physical enough to defend down low, thanks to the high amount of energy he brings on both ends of the floor. His rebounding numbers with Alpella or per-minute with Fenerbahce don’t lie.
On the downside, Asik is still fairly raw on the offensive end, possessing very little in terms of perimeter shooting ability or scoring moves in the pivot, and no left hand to speak of. He struggles at the free throw line, shooting just 52% in the Euroleague. He is certainly not a player that can be relied upon to get points, and also struggles when pressured with the ball in his hands. While his frame is solid and should develop in time, he still needs to add plenty of strength to play in the NBA. He currently struggles at times finishing with contact due to his underdeveloped body.
With two more years left on his contract, and no NBA out clause, it will be a while before the team that drafts him sees dividend from the pick, which could be viewed as a positive by some. His team is currently playing in the finals of the Turkish league playoffs, and he won’t be able to come over for private workouts until probably the middle of June, which eliminates the possibly of getting a physical at the Orlando pre-draft camp or playing at the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso.
We’ve moved Asik all the way up to the top of the 2nd round, and will be curious to hear what teams think of him once he comes over for private workouts. While there are certainly no guarantees that he will develop, adjust culturally or even make it over to the NBA, there is very little downside to drafting a long, athletic and productive 7-footer with a big upside in the second round. We could easily see a team with multiple picks, such as Seattle, Minnesota or Portland targeting him, as all have very competent international scouting operations as well. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Post-Lottery Analysis: the Implications |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| May 21, 2008 |
With the order of one of the draft now set in stone, we take a look at the implications of the lottery drawing on each of the top 10 picks and what they might mean for the stock of various players in the draft. We also think about which players teams might consider at each individual draft slot.
 | | AP |
Make your own two round mock draft for free and share it with all your friends
Our pick for each individual team is highlighted in bold.
#1- Chicago Bulls
Will Consider: Michael Beasley , Derrick Rose
Chicago rejuvenates their entire organization by lucking into the top pick in this year’s draft, and thus the best possible solution for their scoring woes in the post. While they will work out and certainly give Derrick Rose a long hard look, it makes way too much sense to draft Beasley and let him fit right in at the biggest hole in their lineup—the 4. This pick fixes a lot of things for Chicago’s players, front office, local media and fan-base—things don’t look all that bad any more all of a sudden.
Chicago’s pick (then #9) was once on the trading block—in exchange for the right veteran to compliment their rapidly maturing high draft picks. The Bulls are in win-now mode and supposedly didn’t have the patience to wait for a player to develop—do they still feel the same now that they striking gold in the lottery? They will likely field some very intriguing trade offers….Sam Smith would have had a field day if he was still in the mix.
#2- Miami Heat
Will Consider: Derrick Rose
A huge sigh of relief from Miami’s front office, which desperately needed either of the top picks to help get the franchise back on track. Although it’s always nice to have your pick of the litter, in certain respects it’s advantageous to have the decision made for you—either Beasley or Rose would be just fine, and no one will question you taking the one that “falls” to there. Considering that Chicago will likely take Beasley, Derrick Rose (who almost certainly would have been Miami’s choice had they received the#1 overall pick) will look great next to Dwyane Wade in the Heat’s backcourt, allowing him to move off the ball and shoulder less offensive responsibilities, while also upgrading their perimeter defense significantly.
If Chicago trades the #1 pick or unexpectedly takes Rose, Miami will be more than happy to “make due” with Michael Beasley.
#3- Minnesota Timberwolves
Will Consider: Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo
Although they will probably be disappointed not to move into the top two, Minnesota should still be pleased not to have moved down at least , and to have their pick of the consolation prizes of the draft lottery. Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo will likely be their short-list of players to choose from, and the ultimate choice might end up coming down to positional needs rather than the best player available.
Minnesota’s pick will tell us two key things about how they feel about their current roster. One, do the Timberwolves still consider Randy Foye the cornerstone he was meant to be when they traded Brandon Roy’s draft rights and selected him 7th overall just two years ago? And two, do they view Al Jefferson as more of a power forward in their lineup, thus forcing them to find a center, read: Brook Lopez? Minnesota’s head coach Randy Wittman already showed their hand to a certain extent by stating at the conclusion of the season that they would like to move Jefferson to the 4, something that may hurt their leverage in trade scenarios dealing with teams looking to move up to the #3 pick.
#4- Seattle Supersonics
Will Consider: Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph
The Supersonics took a bigger hit than anyone in the lottery, falling two spots from #2 to #4 overall, which is a pretty decent setback for a franchise that needs about as much help as it can get at this point considering the turmoil it’s going through with the city of Seattle.
Considering their weakness at the guard spot, it seems like O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless would be the frontrunners here. This is a decision that likely won’t be decided for quite some time, as there is a lot of information that needs to be processed—particularly about the direction the team sees itself heading, the culture of the organization and how each player fits in, whether or not the roster needs more of a 1/2 at the moment or a 2/1, and how each of those players fit in with the core of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green.
Don’t be surprised to see Sam Presti hold his cards very close to the vest and work out a large range of players for this pick, as well as diligently and discreetly explore what kind of value it might have on the open market at this point.
Right now, we look at Bayless as the frontrunner, but this could really go either way.
#5-Memphis Grizzlies
Will Consider: Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Danilo Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Anthony Randolph
Memphis is in a bit of a tough spot here, as they really needed to be in a position to draft a sure-fire big man they can plug into their system right away and produce from day one, i.e. Michael Beasley or Brook Lopez. Their roster is extremely perimeter heavy at the 1-4 positions. Falling to #5 means they will need to heavily consider reaching a bit for Kevin Love here, as they are seemingly set at the guard positions (possibly ruling out Mayo) and likely have very little need for a player like Gallinari, Gordon or Randolph.
Trading the pick might be an option as well, but taking on a contract of a player who will need to be resigned or extended sooner might not be an option for a franchise that seems completely unwilling to spend money to improve itself at this point.
Things are pretty wide open at this pick.
#6- New York Knicks
Will Consider: O.J. Mayo, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, Kevin Love, DeAndre Jordan, D.J. Augustin
Donnie Walsh and the Knicks need to get their new era off to a great start by hitting a homerun with this pick, as their assets are extremely limited otherwise.
If O.J. Mayo is on the board, it’s hard to see New York passing him up. He fills a need, has the most value here of any player, and also is likely the most ready player around to deal with the incredible amount of scrutiny that comes along with playing in the media capital of the world.
Mike D’Antoni will also give consideration to fellow Italian Danilo Gallinari, although it’s not quite clear that this is the direction the franchise should head in considering how much they are lacking in other departments.
#7- Los Angeles Clippers
Will Consider: Eric Gordon, D.J. Augustin, Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, DeAndre Jordan
The Clippers need a point guard, meaning that they could realistically reach a bit up the board and snag sophomore D.J. Augustin, or they could opt for a player with slightly more value at that pick, and look to take someone who fills one of their many other serious needs. Eric Gordon may fit that mold, especially if the team feels like they will be losing Corey Maggette this summer. Gordon would actually be a fantastic compliment for a big point guard like Shaun Livingston who can defend shooting guards and allow Gordon to focus more on being a scorer.
#8- Milwaukee Bucks
Will Consider: Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, D.J. Augustin, DeAndre Jordan, Donte Greene
Milwaukee has a lot of talent at virtually every position on their roster except small forward at this point, making that clearly their biggest need in this draft. Rather than making sweeping personnel changes, they decided to change the head coach and general manager, opting to bring in a new culture to the organization, one with more of an emphasis on accountability and mental toughness, drawing from fellow Eastern conference foes Detroit and Chicago to help accomplish that.
The best small forward on the board here is clearly Danilo Gallinari, and in this particular projection, he falls right into their lap, making this a no brainer decision considering the versatility, unselfishness and high-level experience he brings to the table. Donte Greene will get a serious look too, although he might not have as much value here.
#9- Charlotte Bobcats
Will Consider: Anthony Randolph, DeAndre Jordan, D.J. Augustin, Donte Greene, Russell Westbrook, Kosta Koufos
Before deciding who to draft, the Bobcats first of all need to decide what direction their organization is heading in after the hiring of Larry Brown. The roster seems best suited to run, but Larry Brown has always been known as a defensive oriented, grind it out type, making it interesting to see how the pieces they have will fit into their overall scheme. Can Raymond Felton play the type of half-court basketball that Brown demands? And if not, does D.J. Augustin make more sense here? Is Emeka Okafor better suited as a PF or a C in today’s basketball, and with that in mind do you draft someone to compliment him at either position, like Kosta Koufos or Anthony Randolph? Is it just better off to go with best player available and decide later?
#10- New Jersey Nets
Will Consider: DeAndre Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Donte Greene, Kosta Koufos, Joe Alexander
The Nets are caught somewhere in the middle between rebuilding and mediocrity, having been aided greatly by the terrific trade they pulled off parlaying an aging Jason Kidd for a true cornerstone in Devin Harris and a few first round picks to boot. They are still in the midst of building their frontcourt, though, but unfortunately seem to be caught in a portion of the draft with very little in the ways of proven contributors, especially considering the importance their coach puts on the defensive end of the ball. DeAndre Jordan seems like a poor fit considering the way Lawrence Frank wants to play, but seems to be most talented big man on the board at this point. Kosta Koufos might be a bit high at this point, but is also worthy of being considered. If the Nets look outside of the big man slots, they’ll find some interesting prospects as well that could help them down the road. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| The Doldrums of May |
|
|
|
| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| May 15, 2008 |
New NBA rules state that teams are no longer allowed to work out potential draft picks until the conclusion of the NBA pre-draft camp on June 3rd. That leaves a lot of dead time for non-playoff teams between the end of the season (April 16th) and the start of the pre-draft camp (May 27th). What goes on in NBA front offices during that time? We decided to talk to four key personnel members to find out. "
Director of Player Personnel, Eastern Conference Team
“The two main things I’m doing right now are watching tape, and spending time on the phone. We use mostly our own film, I watch a lot of full NCAA or International games that I zip through. I’m also trying to get workouts organized, which is not an easy thing considering where we are in the lottery. Most agents won’t commit a firm date to us until the ping pong balls come out. As far as our 2nd round pick goes, we’re not big on bringing a lot of guys in to work out for that. We’ve had a lot of success over the past few years in the second round, and most of it was based off our own evaluations.
A big thing right now is the background research we do. Instead of targeting only the NCAA head coaches, I like to talk to some of the lower level guys there too, the strength and conditioning coaches for example, and the trainers. I try to find people without a vested interest in the players, for example speaking to the NCAA coach of a team that recruited the player out of high school, but may not have gotten him. The type of background info we look at? For example off the floor habits, work ethic, whether the player is goal oriented, what kind of student he is, the family background—all the little things that might help you.
I don’t do a lot of traveling at this point. I used to go around and watch players workout at the different training facilities in LA or other places for examples—where you can see many different prospects at once—that helped me got a lot accomplished—seeing how hard they work, seeing their body type and size in person, observing their skill level. That was tremendous before they stopped that a year ago.
Director of Scouting, Eastern Conference Team
“There are a lot of things going on for me every day. For example setting up workouts, which is quite a job, since as you know, according to the agents there are at least 100 first round guys out there right now. I’m also putting together the schedules for our scouts and coaches in the summer, organizing where all of our players will be going and what they will be doing in the summer. We’re conducting a free agent camp, which we’ll bring in 20 guys for. Also our summer league team is something we’re putting together right now.
I’m watching a lot of film, mostly edits that we create internally—offensive touches, passing, defensive plays, and various other categories that we study to break down the different strengths and weaknesses. We put together a good half a player played, alongside a bad half, to give you a more complete picture. As the draft gets closer, we’ll watch more film together, so we can share information amongst each other.
Background research on the various prospects is an important part of what we’re doing. Talking to the college coaches, the high school coaches, AAU coaches, anyone that might have important information that I want to write up. I try to ask them point blank questions about any incidents we might know of, try to find out about past problems that have come up. Anything bad, but also anything good—for e | | |
