Thursday, June 24, 2010

NBA Draft News and Updates


Teams, players to watch in draft5 Most intriguing teams
• Nets at No. 3 (and 27). Have they settled on Wes Johnson? Are they open to moving back in the lottery? The Nets need to turn this pick into some kind of valuable piece that can help attract a free agent. They already have center Brook Lopez and point guard Devin Harris; now add a starter (and they hope a potential star) with this pick to go with the max free agent they can bring in this summer. Altogether, this has the makings of an impressive starting lineup: Harris, shooting guard Courtney Lee, Johnson, power forward Carlos Boozer (a likely free-agent target next week) and Lopez.

• Timberwolves at No. 4 (and Nos. 16 and 23). Say they can't get to Evan Turner (the likely No. 2 pick by Philadelphia) or Johnson. Do they take Derrick Favors as another power forward to go with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, himself a power forward masked as a center? Unless they're convinced DeMarcus Cousins is an impending disaster, don't they have to select him as the best true center in the draft? And if they're not sold on Cousins or Favors, then don't the Timberwolves have to trade up or down from the No. 4 pick? The availability of Jefferson adds another variable to this complicated formula.

• Jazz at No. 9. They rarely have the opportunity to pick so high in the draft. Doesn't it figure they're trying to move up for a potential star, much as they did in 2005 when they traded up to pick Deron Williams? That move provided the Jazz with a franchise talent they couldn't acquire by trade or free agency. They need size up front, and maybe they believe Cousins could thrive in the structure of daily life with Jerry Sloan. Maybe it's Greg Monroe they covet. But they're surely investigating all available options before cashing out this Knicks pick they acquired from Phoenix as part of the Suns' Stephon Marbury trade to New York.

• Pacers at No. 10. They need a point guard and find themselves in a draft woefully short at that position. Team president Larry Bird has encouraged offers by declaring his willingness to trade the pick for a point guard -- rookie or veteran. Here's one possibility among many: Swap No. 10 for Oklahoma City's picks at Nos. 18 (which the Thunder acquired Wednesday in a salary dump by Miami) and No. 21, enabling Bird to use No. 18 on Avery Bradley as a deep-shooting point.

• Thunder at Nos. 18, 21 and 26. Each year GM Sam Presti is one of the most important people in the draft; he used to dominate the top of the lottery when he was making one or more top-five picks, and now that his team is in the playoffs he's controlling the back end of the first round with multiple picks. He is a must-call for teams hoping to deal up, move back or trade into the first round. If he doesn't like the offers, then he can hold on to the picks and supplement his talented young roster with cheap labor in a draft that is rich with role players throughout the first round.

5 Most intriguing players
• Wes Johnson.
Each year a hot player emerges at the top of the draft, and this time it's the Syracuse forward. The Timberwolves hope to get to him while the Nets consider him as the No. 3 pick, with questions about his defense receding amid plans to utilize his scoring and playmaking on the wing. He has a chance to be Rookie of the Year as a featured scorer for either team.

• DeMarcus Cousins. Any team that needs a center could be second-guessing itself for not making a run at Cousins. The Timberwolves are threatening to pass him by at No. 4, while the Pistons have been trying like mad to move up from No. 7 to draft him. He'll rebound and block shots and he has the potential to step up and make jump shots.

• Greg Monroe. A flexible team like the Kings or Warriors would deploy him as a playmaker at center, as Monroe is the silkiest frontcourt passer in this draft. He could go as high as No. 5 to Sacramento if Cousins is off the board, or he could slip all the way to No. 9 if the hard-to-predict Warriors use their pick at No. 6 on Epke Udoh.

Gordon Hayward. He's a popular name among teams picking Nos. 10-15 after he led Butler to the NCAA championship game. If he's sitting at No. 10 and Indiana can't move the pick for a point guard, do his hometown Pacers take him? Hayward's local popularity may be the tipping point in his favor.

Hassan Whiteside. Another big man sliding in this draft is Daniel Orton, but knee issues are part of the blame with him. Whiteside has no such excuse: With him the questions are based entirely on his attitude and maturity. It will be difficult for any team in the 20s to bypass his talent, as he has the physical makings of another Marcus Camby. It's best for him if he's picked by a well-structured organization like Oklahoma City, which can afford to take a risk in hopes that its young roster can corral Whiteside and bring out his best qualities.


Cavs positioning for draft presence?
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers don't currently have a coach, any draft picks or a clue if LeBron James is coming back.
But in this volatile summer, things are changing quickly.
The Cavs, who traded away their selections while chasing an NBA title, are trying to move back into Thursday's draft through a trade. The team has purchased second-round picks in each of the past two years, and could be positioning to do it again.
Cleveland has discussed deals with several teams, even listening to offers for point guard Mo Williams, who has drawn some interest. Williams has had two solid regular seasons with the Cavs, but he has been maddeningly inconsistent in the playoffs since joining Cleveland.
With trade rumors swirling, as they typically do before the draft, Williams pleaded on his Twitter account that he wants to stay with the Cavs.
"Please don't trade me, I'm not ready to go," Williams wrote. "I'm begging. My work ain't done yet. I'm on both knees. I'm serious."
The Cavs do not have any deals in place for Williams, but that could change once commissioner David Stern declares the draft underway. Owner Dan Gilbert has stated he would like to utilize the draft to improve Cleveland's roster, which has lost some of its luster following the team's second-round playoff loss to Boston.
In recent days, the Cavs have put their coaching search on the back burner to focus on the draft and they have identified as many as 10 players they would consider selecting. To get one of them, they would need to acquire a late first-round or second-round pick. They traded their first-round choice to Washington in February in the deal for Antawn Jamison and sent their second-round selection to Phoenix last summer in the package for Shaquille O'Neal.
Gilbert would like to upgrade his roster before free agency opens on July 1, when James can consider offers from other teams. It's unlikely the Cavs can pull off a blockbuster deal for a big-name player, but that doesn't mean Gilbert -- and new general manager Chris Grant -- won't try.
Another option for the Cavs is to trade guard Delonte West, who like Williams, was a major disappointment in the postseason. Although the team won't admit it publicly, West's legal and health issues were a distraction last season. West, who has acknowledged having a bipolar condition, will stand trial next month in Maryland on weapons charges.
West's contract could make him attractive. He has a $4.6 million deal, but only $500,000 is guaranteed if he's released by August.
And while they prepare for both the draft and James' free agency, the Cavs' coaching search remains in a holding pattern.
Cleveland has had talks with several candidates, including Byron Scott. But the former New Orleans coach is waiting to see what happens with Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers before he considers another job.
On Wednesday, Jackson said he is leaning toward retirement, but the 11-time NBA champion will wait until next week to make a final decision. The delay could effect the Cavs, who are believed to have had multiple conversations with Scott about replacing Mike Brown, fired after Cleveland's second-round flop.
Scott's dream has been to coach the Lakers, and he would be the favorite to succeed Jackson because of his ties to the team and strong relationships with superstar Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and owner Jerry Buss.
The Cavs have had second interviews with several other candidates, but none of them has a resume like Scott, who went to seven NBA finals as a player and coach. Last week, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo turned down a lucrative offer from Cleveland.






NBA Draft: PBT's draft sleepers
These are the guys that cause general managers the most grief (unless you drafted Kwame Brown No. 1 overall, then your grief is your own making). Five years from now your draft pick may turn out to be a solid role player, but every time someone talks about him they'll say "but he passed up on X."
It will happen again this year. Here are the guys you'll be ripping your GM about in a few years.

James Anderson: There are a ton of perimeter guys who can score in the Association, but not a lot that do it efficiently. Anderson is efficient. He is a guy who can score the rock any way you please -- at Oklahoma State pretty much every defense he faced was about stopping him and he still was the biggest force in the Big 12. He scored because he can shoot the spot up, off the dribble and get to rim (and draws fouls well). He is a fantastic athlete. Guy has the package. He can be the spark plug guy off the bench who puts up points starting this season. And if he can get focused on the defensive end he can be a whole lot more than that. --Kurt Helin

Jordan Crawford: Forget the dunked-on-LeBron biz. This kid averaged 29 points per game in three contests in the NCAA tournament, and comes from pure scorer blood. He's got good athleticism, and all of his faults are things that can be corrected with coaching and development. Crawford is a guy who if you watch him slip by you're going to ask "How did we not see that kid coming?" --Matt Moore

Paul George: George isn't your typical sleeper because he's still due to go in the mid-first round, but to me he's one of the few prospects outside of Wall-Favors-Cousins with real star potential. Paul has a smoothness to his game that you love to see from small school products, but his statistical résumé isn't exactly overwhelming. George could settle into a role as a middling player in the pros, but he has the potential to be far, far more. He's far from capped out, still very young, and has already made huge improvements to his game. How could a team not fall in love with George's incredible talent? It's not always easy for NBA small forwards to bust into stardom, but I'm backing Paul to make a decent run at the possibility. --Rob Mahoney

Hassan Whiteside: With his 7'7" wingspan and freakish athleticism, Whiteside definitely doesn't lack for talent. And thanks to his 5.5 blocks per game and status as one of the biggest head cases in the draft, Whiteside doesn't really lack for exposure. But if you define "sleeper" as "player with the best chance to perform better than his draft slot suggests he will," Whiteside looks like a good potential candidate.

I know the odds against Whiteside making the most of his talent are high. He didn't go to class, he doesn't want to be coached, he looked out of place on the court a lot more often than he should have, and he's way too in love with his jumper for a 58.8% free-throw shooter. All I'm saying is that unless Rita Repulsa is prominently involved, it's much more likely that Whiteside will change his attitude than a less gifted player will wake up with a 7-7 wingspan. --John Krolik





NBA Draft: PBT's draft busts
The list is long and infamous: Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, Darko Milic, Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
There may not be any epic busts of that level in this draft, but there are going to be busts. Somebody is going to disappoint an excited fan base. Who? Here's who we think.

Cole Aldrich: I'm hesitant to put Aldrich on the list because his bust status is more perception than the realty. People around the NBA know what Aldrich is -- a big body, role-playing back up big who can take up space. Play him behind someone like Yao Ming for 18 minutes a night, expect 4 points and 6 boards, and you're fine.

But fans want more than four points a night from their new center, expectations are higher for a guy who led Kansas for so long. He has shown enough tempting flashes to excite. He could well come to a city where the fan base expects him to step in and be the man in the middle. Last year if he came out he would have been Top 10 and the hype would have been bigger, and somebody is going to buy into that again. It's not Aldrich's fault. He is what he is. But perception will be that he's a bust even if that is not the reality. --Kurt Helin

Gordon Hayward: What's the model here? Let's get past the race thing. Kid makes a run as part of a Cinderella team in the NCAA tournament from a small school, shows off a series of college elite moves while not displaying much of a pro game, and somehow finds himself in the lottery. When you're staring into the belly of the beast, do you want Justin Bieber on your side? --Matt Moore

Al-Faroq Aminu: I don't think there are any safe picks in this draft outside of the top two. I'll go with Al-Faroq Aminu as a guy I don't see doing much in the NBA. He's a great athlete, but he's a forward who shot 45% in college and isn't much of an outside shooter. He doesn't create plays well enough to be a 3, and he doesn't finish them well enough to be a four.
He'll be a nice enough energy player, but I'm not a fan of these quasi-stretch fours who think that having some perimeter skills is an excuse to drift outside of the paint on offense. If you're an NBA 4 or 5 and aren't a great shooter, get in the paint and stay there. There are likely at least 3 guys on the floor with you who are better playmakers and shooters. --John Krolik

Wesley Johnson: Wes is a skilled prospect, but is he really worthy of going in the top five? I have a feeling that if a team took Johnson in the late lottery or beyond, they'd be just fine with the player he turns out to be. Yet when a team inevitably stakes a substantial part of their future in selecting Wesley with one of the draft's top picks, I have a feeling they'll ultimately be a bit disappointed. He'll be a perfectly decent NBA player, but selecting him over Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins -- regardless of fit -- is ridiculous. --Rob Mahoney

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