Saturday, May 24, 2008

HYPOTHETICAL TRADE: CRITTENTON + MILICIC



Darko Milicic has been a relatively big disappointment so far. People remember that he was the #2 overall pick chosen before the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade. People also forget that he is only 22 years old with more years and chances of redemption. He had another inconsistent year made worse with nagging injuries. The clock is ticking and the Grizzlies might be willing to give up on him if they feel they could get a better player at #14. Brook Lopez or DeAndre Jordan in all likelihood, will end up better centers than Milicic - there in lies the temptation to deal with the Warriors. They have a chance to wipe out $7.0 mil from their payroll if they feel Milicic is not the longterm answer to their search for a center.

Warriors give up relatively little to fill two needs with young prospects that could develop into solid pieces. Milicic 'unplugged' and free to improvise in the Warriors system could end up being a significant addition. We know for sure that he is a shot blocking and rebounding talent, but at 22 years of age, he still can develop into the versatile scoring threat he was back in Europe and as a member of the Serbian National Team. Crittenton is a tall, quick PG that could work well as Monta's future backcourt mate. For now, he could be a trustworthy backup to Davis, allowing him to keep his legs fresh for a strong finish to the season.

Golden State Warriors

Incoming Players

Javaris Crittenton
Salary: $1,285,200 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 5.6 REB: 2.2 AST: 1.0 PER: 11.04

Darko Milicic
Salary: $6,500,000 Years Remaining: 3
PTS: 7.2 REB: 6.1 AST: 0.8 PER: 11.04
Obtained with a trade exception

Outgoing Players: Kosta Perovic, #14 Pick 2008


Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming Players

Kosta Perovic
Salary: $1,800,000 Years Remaining: 3
PTS: 1.4 REB: 1.9 AST: 0.1 PER: 10.36

#14 Pick 2008

Outgoing Players: Javaris Crittenton, Darko Milicic



Memphis Grizzlies 2008-2009
  1. The Grizzlies now have 3 first round picks to get their rebuilding program off to a fast start by pulling talent from a very deep draft.
  2. Draft Lopez (or Jordan if not available) at #5 - With Lopez, they are set at the Center position for a long while. Darko becomes expendable and they address one of their two weakest positions.
  3. Draft Speights at #14 - The last area of need is filled with the addition of Speights. He has the potential to be a Brand or Jefferson type player with his midrange game, NBA body, and smooth footwork.
  4. Draft Douglas-Roberts at #28 - He gives the Grizzlies a versatile swingman that can score in bunches and defend multiple positions.
  5. The glut of PG's makes Crittenton expendable. If they feel strongly about keeping Crittenton, they could trade Lowry instead.
  6. With the instant dump of Darko's $7.0 mil, they could go after any free agent player they want and still have plenty of cap space left over to sign other quality free agents. They'll be +$20 mil. under the cap. Perhaps they could put a bid in for near-max players like Josh Smith or Andre Iguodala. If I were the Warriors, I'd offer this trade with the understanding that they won't touch our Free Agents.
  7. Sign Josh Childress.
PG: Conley / Lowry
SG: Miller / Douglas-Roberts
SF: Gay / Childress / Cardinal
PF: Smith / Speights / Warrick
C: Lopez / Collins / Perovic

Golden State Warriors 2008-2009
  1. Milicic becomes the primary backup to Beidrins. His rebounding and shot blocking are sorely needed. He's shown some semblance of a midrange game, so there is hope that he could regain his touch and play alongside either of our young bigs, Beidrins and Wright. If the Milicic gamble doesn't pan out, his contract comes off the books anyways in the Summer of 2010 along with Jackon and Harrington's deals. Plenty of capspace to rebuild and recover.
  2. Crittenton becomes Baron Davis' primary backup and Monta's future backcourt mate. His size, quickness, and explosiveness make him a good fit next to Monta. He's still got significant upside and the chance to become a very good player in this league.
  3. Draft Pat Calathes at #49. Pat is a Dunleavy type talent that has the size of a PF but can play like a guard. He shoots the ball extremely well all the way out to the NBA 3, is an excellent distributor, racks up the steals, blocks some shots, and plays smart basketball. He'd be able to play 3 positions in Nelson's system. Draft Express Player Profile
  4. Resign Matt Barnes to low 1-year deal. After his rough year (0ff the court as well) he should be easy to resign on the cheap. He could play 4 positions, good defense, and is a perimeter threat. If he could come close to 2007 productivity, he'll be very useful.
  5. Resign Watson. He's a cheap 3rd or 4th PG that has a really strong mid-range game. If Baron goes down, the ship won't sink with Crittenton, Ellis, and Watson taking turns at the Point until he comes back.
  6. Sign Gerald Green for additional depth at the wing position. This guy has so much raw talent that is ideal for Nelliball. Hopefully, being traded/cut by 3 different teams in his short career has sent him a message, that he needs to get his head together and pour everything he has into making himself the best player he can be.

PG: Davis / Crittenton / Watson
SG: Ellis / Azubuike / Belinelli
SF: Jackson / Green / Barnes
PF: Wright / Harrington / Calathes
C: Beidrins / Milicic


Darko Milicic Mix
by whomario



Javaris Crittenton Highlights, Philidelphia 76ers 01-04-2008
by hitokiriheero



Pat Calathes dunk vs Xavier
by mossikukulas

Thursday, May 22, 2008

SEARCHING FOR THE ELUSIVE BIG

It's been harped on for years that the Golden State Warriors lack the prototypical difference-making big man that could do all the dirty work down low while still posing as a legitimate scoring threat. Wright and Beidrins are stars in the making, but we need the Boozer/Duncan/Stoudemire/Aldridge type of player to balance out the roster and have more options to provide a change-of-pace in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. We don't have the bulk in the middle. We need another rebounder and shot blocker. Basically, we need a big that can help the team right itself when Nellieball is not working.

The following is an exercise to aid in finding out who may be the best all-around Big for the Warriors. I've compared 11 players that have a chance to be available at #14 based on mock drafts I've seen. The players have been evaluated in the following categorize: Scoring, Rebounding, Blocks, Assists, Steals, Turnovers, True Shooting Percentage, Three Pointers Made, and Age. The top player in each category sets the benchmark for a 10 and the others get scores depending on how far they are from the best (5 will be the lowest possible score one can get). I also weighted the results with categories vital to the type of player we need having greater impact on the overall score while lessening the impact of categories not as important to the PF/C role.

I know it's not even close to a perfect predictor for success but here it goes anyway.....

These statistics are based on Per 40 Pace Adjusted.
Rank - Player - Statistic - Score

Points
01. Kevin Love - 29.6 - 10
02. Marreese Speights - 23.7 - 9
03. Jason Thompson - 22.6 - 8
04. Richard Hendrix - 22.3 - 8
05. Kosta Koufos - 21.9 - 7
06. Roy Hibbert - 21.7 - 7
07. J.J. Hickson - 20.9 - 7
08. Darrell Arthur - 20.1 - 7
09. JaVale McGee - 20.0 - 7
10 . Robin Lopez - 17.2 - 6
11. DeAndre Jordan - 16.2 - 6

Rebounds (1.25 multiplier)
01. Kevin Love - 14.8 - 10
02. Jason Thompson - 13.4 - 9
03. Marreese Speights - 13.2 - 9
04. Richard Hendrix - 12.7 - 8
05. DeAndre Jordan - 12.3 - 8
06. J.J. Hickson - 11.9 - 8
07. JaVale McGee - 10.4 - 7
08. Roy Hibbert - 10.3 - 7
09. Kosta Koufos - 10.1 - 7
10. Darrell Arthur - 9.9 - 7
11. Robin Lopez - 9.6 - 6

Blocks (1.25 multiplier)
01. JaVale McGee - 4.0 - 10
02. Robin Lopez - 3.9 - 10
03. Roy Hibbert - 3.6 - 9
04. Jason Thompson - 3.0 - 9
05. Kosta Koufos - 2.8 - 9
06. DeAndre Jordan - 2.6 - 8
07. Richard Hendrix - 2.5 - 8
08. Marreese Speights - 2.2 - 8
09. Darrell Arthur - 2.1 - 7
09. J.J. Hickson - 2.1 - 7
11. Kevin Love - 2.0 - 7

True Shooting Percentage
01. Kevin Love - 65% - 10
02. Marreese Speights - 64% - 10
03. Roy Hibbert - 63% - 10
04. J.J. Hickson - 62% - 9
05. Richard Hendrix - 59% - 8
06. DeAndre Jordan - 58% - 8
06. Jason Thompson - 58% - 8
08. Darrell Arthur - 57% - 8
08. Robin Lopez - 57% - 8
10. JaVale McGee - 55% - 7
10. Kosta Koufos - 55% - 7

Assists (.75 multiplier)
01. Jason Thompson - 3.0 - 10
01. Roy Hibbert - 3.0 - 10
03. Kevin Love - 2.7 - 9
04. Richard Hendrix - 2.0 - 8
05. Marreese Speights - 1.5 - 7
06. J.J. Hickson - 1.4 - 7
07. Darrell Arthur - 1.3 - 7
08. Robin Lopez - 1.0 - 7
09. DeAndre Jordan - 0.9 - 6
09. JaVale McGee - 0.9 - 6
11. Kosta Koufos - 0.8 - 6

Three Pointers Made (.75 multiplier)
01. Kevin Love - 29 (35.4%) - 10
02. Kosta Koufos - 22 (34.9%) - 10
03. JaVale McGee - 14 (33.3%) - 8
04. Jason Thompson - 11 (32.4%) - 8
05. Roy Hibbert - 3 (100%) - 7
06. Richard Hendrix - 2 (28.6%) - 6
07. Darrell Arthur - 2 (16.7%) - 6
08. Robin Lopez - 1 (100%) - 6
09. J.J. Hickson - 0 (00.0%) - 5
09. Marreese Speights - 0 (00.0%) - 5
09. DeAndre Jordan - 0 (00.0%) - 5

Steals
1. Richard Hendrix - 1.6 - 10
2. Jason Thompson - 1.2 - 8
3. JaVale McGee - 1.1 - 8
4. Kevin Love - 1.0 - 8
4. J.J. Hickson - 1.0 - 8
6. Roy Hibbert - 0.9 - 7
7. Darrell Arthur - 0.8 - 7
7. Robin Lopez - 0.8 - 7
9. Marreese Speights - 0.7 - 7
9. Kosta Koufos - 0.7 - 7
11. DeAndre Jordan - 0.4 - 6

Turnovers
01. Richard Hendrix - 2.2 - 10
02. Kosta Koufos - 2.3 - 10
03. Roy Hibbert - 2.7 - 9
04. Marreese Speights - 2.8 - 9
04. Kevin Love - 2.8 - 9
06. Darrell Arthur - 3.0 - 8
06. Robin Lopez - 3.0 - 8
08. Jason Thompson - 3.2 - 8
09. DeAndre Jordan - 3.3 - 8
10. JaVale McGee - 3.4 - 8
11. J.J. Hickson - 3.8 - 7

Age (1.25 multiplier)
1. Kosta Koufos - 02/24/89 - 10
2. Kevin Love - 09/07/88 - 9
3. J.J. Hickson - 09/04/88 - 9
4. DeAndre Jordan - 07/21/88 - 9
5. Robin Lopez - 04/01/88 - 8
6. Darrell Arthur - 03/25/88 - 8
7. JaVale McGee - 01/19/88 - 8
8. Marreese Speights - 08/04/87 - 8
9. Roy Hibbert - 12/11/86 - 6
10. Richard Hendrix - 11/15/86 - 6
11. Jason Thompson - 07/21/86 - 6

Overall Scores:
01. Love - 79.25
02. Thompson - 71.5
03. Speights - 70.75
04. Koufos - 70.5
05. Hendrix - 69.75
06. McGee - 69.25
07. Hibbert - 68.75
08. Hickson - 66.5
09. Lopez - 64.75
10. Jordan - 63.5
11. Arthur - 63.25

Love leads the pack by a large margin. Senior Jason Thompson overcame the low Age score to place 2nd while rawer talents like Jordan and McGee didn't fair as well. I was surprised to see Arthur, a consensus lottery pick, finish dead last on the list. But if you look at how he finishes in each of the categories studied, he never ranks in the top level. What intrigues GM's is his potential, athleticism, and intangibles - things that were not measured in this exercise.

When the combine results come in, I'll add an Athleticism and Size component to the equation. Other factors that should be considered are Strength of Schedule, Potential (similar to age but takes more into account), Leadership, Work Ethic, Intangibles, and Special Circumstances (injuries, system, coach, rotation) but the more you add the more subjective it can get. So take this exercise with a grain of salt and deal with the data as you see fit. This is just a small part of the evaluation process, but at least now, I have a better idea of how Big Men of this draft stack up against each other.

NBA.com Draft 2008 Prospect Videos

Finally, the prospect videos are surfacing. They are a little short, but you can check them out here:

NBA.com Draft 2008 Prospect Videos

Donte Greene
Kosta Koufos
Chase Budinger
J.J. Hickson
Marreese Speights
D.J. Augustin
DeAndre Jordan
Wayne Ellington
Mario Chalmers
Brook Lopez
Brandon Rush
Eric Gordon
Derrick Rose
Richard Roby
Anthony Randolph
O.J. Mayo
Michael Beasley
Jerryd Bayless
Darrell Arthur
Joe Alexander
Kevin Love

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Mock Draft 5.0



The NBA Lottery results were just announced and it's time for an update to the Mock Draft. Bulls leapfrogged 7 teams to steal the top pick, while Seattle dropped from #2 to #4. Here's an updated mock with a little commentary and a list of each team's key players they could build around or players with good trade value.

01. Bulls - Michael Beasley
6-9 235 SF Kansas St. Fr.
Bulls main weakness is inside scoring - draft Beasley and problem solved. They have the PG position covered with Hinrich so they reluctantly pass on hometown hero, Rose. This could change if they could deal Hinrich + one of their bigs for a low post scoring threat. If that happens, Rose is their guy.

Hinrich / Gordon / Sefolosha / Deng / Beasley / Noah / Thomas / Nochioni

02. Heat - Derrick Rose
6-3 195 PG Memphis Fr.
Rose is the default pick here and he happens to fill a Heat need. He and Wade instantly become one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Rose is a once in a decade type PG with rare athleticism and true PG skill - a combination that is hard too find. Think UCLA Baron Davis meets Deron Williams.

Rose / Wade / Wright / Marion

03. Timberwolves - Brook Lopez
7-0 260 C Stanford So.
Center is their biggest area of need and Lopez looks like he could be one of the better ones down the road. He is a tremendous shot blocker, has a consistent midrange jumper, and hustles every minute he is on the floor. He and Jefferson will make a great combination.

Foye / Brewer / Jefferson / Lopez

04. Super Sonics - O.J. Mayo
6-4 210 SG USC Fr.
They select best available player here. Mayo and Durant make for a potent scoring duo that will sell plenty of tickets for the Sonics at home and on the road.

Ridnour / Mayo / Durant / Green / Wilcox / Swift / Sene / Petro

05. Grizzlies - Kevin Love
6-9 260 PF UCLA Fr.
Call me crazy, but I think the new look Love will blow GM's away. There were doubts he could lose the weight, but he is showing that it can be done with changes in his diet and the typical rigors of the new NBA lifestyle. Love's one of the best skilled bigmen coming out of college in a long time. Although undersized, he can do many things well and is a phenominal passer with an excellent perimeter game. He'll make everyone around him better and his ultra competitive drive will help him overcome most of his shortcomings. For any other team, I would select Bayless, but the Grizzlies have way too many PG's already. It would be a good idea if they try to capitalize on the #5 pick and trade down a few spots to land Love or another big in the draft.

Conley / Crittenton / Lowry / Miller / Gay / Love / Milicic

06. Knicks - Jerryd Bayless
6-3 182 SG Arizona Fr.
They could use a little bit of everything so I see them taking the best available player in Bayless. He's compatible with D'Antoni's style of play and will give them another offensive weapon on a team that struggles to put up points consistantly.

Bayless / Crawford / Chandler / Lee / Randolph / Curry

07. Clippers - Danilo Galinari
6-10 220 SF Italy 1988
At 19 years old, he's already considered one of the best players playing outside of the NBA. Galinari is versitle, big, can score from anywhere, has Point Forward skills, and a very high basketball IQ. If the Clippers could get healthy and stay healthy, they could quickly become a force in the West, passing up the Warriors along the way.

Livingston / Galinari / Thornton / Brand / Kaman

08. Bucks - Eric Gordon
6-4 220 SG Indiana Fr.
If Gordon is still available, this would be a great pick. He fills a need and is perhaps the best player left on the board.

Williams / Gordon / Yi / Villanueva / Bogut

09. Bobcats - Anthony Randolph
6-10 200 SF LSU Fr.
They need more athleticism in the frontline so I see them taking this shotblocking freak full of potential. Richardson, Wallace, and Randolph would be a hell of an exciting team to watch.

Felton / Richardson / Wallace / Randolph / Okafor / Morrison

10. Nets - Darrell Arthur
6-9 230 PF Kansas So.
They have some impressive bigs in Williams, Boone, and Krstic, but they need a power guy that can score in the post. Arthur is a proven winner with lots of upside and athleticism.

Harris / M. Williams / Carter / Richardson / Arthur / S. Williams / Krstic

11. Pacers - D.J. Augustin
6-4 180 PG Texas So.
They've had enough of Tinsley and need a PG in the worst way. Augustin is a true, pass first PG that could give them a more consistent and reliable option in what is the most important position in basketball.

Augustin / Granger / Dunleavy / O'Neal

12. Kings - Marreese Speights
6-10 232 PF Florida So.
They need a big man so they select Speights who can develop into an Al Jefferson type player with extended shooting range. It will take time, but he could be special down the road. From the games I've seen him play, he has the ability to evolve into a dominate inside player, but he seems to be more comfortable taking the outside shot. The tools and talent are their, it's just going to take a little patience and commitment to development to bring them out.

Martin / Artest / Speights / Miller / Hawes

13. Trailblazers - Donta Greene
6-10 226 SF Syracuse Fr.
Webster may be on his way out so they could use a versitile SF like Greene. He can knock it down from outside, has great size, and is athletic enough to eventually give teams trouble in the paint. He also rebounds well and blocks shots. Ideally, the Trailblazers would like to pickup a PG, but available PG's are a reach at this spot in the draft.

Roy / Fernandez / Webster / Outlaw / Greene / Aldridge / Frye / Oden

14. Warriors - DeAndre Jordan
7-0 250 C Texas A&M Fr.
This guy was considered a top 5 prospect coming into the season, but has been slow to develop and underutilzed at Texas A&M. Jordan has shown flashes of sky-high potential and with his tremendous size, athleticism, and explosiveness making him too good to pass up here. If drafted, he probably will see about the same amount of minutes O'Bryant saw, but once Nelson retires from head coaching duties next year, he'll get a chance and could end up the equivalant to a top 5 pick when it's all said and done. Nelson and the win now contingency won't like the pick, but a core of Ellis, Beidrins, Wright, Belinelli, and Jordan would be incredible. This is a clear 'swing for the fences' pick at #14.

Davis / Monta / Azubuike / Belinelli / Jackson / Wright / Harrington / Beidrins / Jordan

15. Suns - Kosta Koufos
7-0 252 C Ohio St. Fr.
The Post D'Antoni Era Suns need another option at C to play other than Shaq. Koufos has the range to keep the lane open for Amare but can also score off nifty moves in the paint. He's a decent rebounder, evolving scorer with tremendous skills and hands, and shot blocker with good quickness and excellent size.

Nash / Barbosa / Diaw / Stoudemire / O'Neil / Koufos

16. 76ers - Russell Westbrook
6-4 187 PG UCLA So.
Westbrook dropping this far is a huge steal for the 76ers. Although he's still developing as a PG, he will be ready from the start to play the combo guard role because of his insane athleticism, creativity at the rim, and shut-down perimeter defense. He's tough as nails and a prospect with a load of physical tools and athletic gifts to work with.

Miller / Westbrook / L. Williams / Igudola / Young / Dalembert / Smith

17. Raptors - JaVale McGee
7-0 237 C Nevada So.
The key word with McGee is upside. He has incredible physical dimensions, excellent basketball genes, and unreal explosiveness for a 7-footer. He's a bigtime project in every sense of the word but if developed properly, can be the steal of the draft. He's shown flashes of greatness with big rebounding and shot blocking games, so the potential to be a Bynum type of pick is there. McGee could be a nice fit with Bosh who needs help to battle down low.

Ford / Calderon / Parker / Moon / Bosh / Bargnani / McGee

18. Wizards - Roy Hibbert
7-2 278 C Georgetown Sr.
If they can keep Arenas and Jamison, their biggest need is at C. Hibbert is a huge defensive presence in the paint with still a lot of upside to go. Good hands and basketball IQ, but needs to be able to utilize his enormous size for improved rebounding numbers.

Arenas / Young / Butler / Jamison / Blatche / Pecherov / Hibbert

19. Cavaliers - Joe Alexander
6-8 230 SF West Virginia Jr.
LeBron wants to win now and the Cavs will pick an NBA Ready player like Alexander who can help LeBron in multiple areas. His versatility allows him to play SF or PF. He has good basketball instincts that would make LeBron's job a lot easier.

Gibson / James / Alexander / Varajo / Ilgauskas

20. Nuggets - Ty Lawson
5-11 193 PG UNC So.
Nuggets clear need is at PG. Lawson is the best available PG and has fantastic true PG skills and quickness to push the ball like the Nuggets love to do.

Lawson / Iverson / Smith / Anthony / Kleiza / Nene / Martin / Camby

21. Nets - Nicolas Batum
6-8 210 SG France 1988
I'm tempted to put him higher, but he is a very risky pick that won't be ready to come to the NBA for another couple of years. He would be a great pick for a veteran team but at #21, his upside is just too hard to resist. Batum has true SF skills, athleticism, playmaking instincts, and incredible size for his position. What will probably cause him to drop this far is his lack of intensity, inconsistancy, and the underachieving play he exhibited in Euroleague play with the terrible LeMans team. He's a classic 'high-risk, high-reward' pick that you'll have to wait on - very similar to an early version of Rudy Gay.

Harris / M. Williams / Carter / Jefferson / Batum / S. Williams / Boone / Krstic

22. Magic - Brandon Rush
6-6 210 SF Kansas Jr.
They need at SG like Rush to solidfy their starting 5. He fearless attacking the basket and has a solid shooting touch. He has great size for a SG and could become a very good defender at the NBA level if he can continue his steady recovery from the ACL injury he suffered last summer. There are some concerns over his longterm health, but he has shown in the NCAA tournament, that he can bounce back and carry a team when necessary.

Nelson / Rush / Turkoglu / Lewis / Howard

23. Jazz - Chase Budinger
6-7 215 SG Arizona So.
Budinger is all over the board and would have easily been a lottery pick last year. He couldn't build off his stellar Freshman season (due in part to the absence of Lute Olson). He's probably best available and at #23, this pick illustrates just how deep this draft is talent-wise. Budinger has all-world athleticism, picture perfect jumpshot, and does a lot of things well, but not great. He disappears at times, but has the ability to take over games as he showed periodically throughout his years at Arizona and International play. Jazz could use another C, but Budinger is just too good to pass up this late in the draft.

Williams / Brewer / Budinger / Korver / Kirlenko / Boozer / Milsap / Okur

24. Super Sonics - J.J. Hickson
6-9 235 PF NC State Fr.
Wilcox has one more year left, so PF will be an area of need for this team in rebuilding mode. Hickson is a young, unusally strong PF. He's a little undersized, but his good timing, explosiveness, and long arms make up for his lack of height. He's an excellent rebounder and good shotblocker with a lot of upside.

Ridnour / Mayo / Durant / Green / Wilcox / Hickson / Swift / Petro

25. Rockets - Jason Thompson
6-10 245 PF Rider Sr.
TMac and company are eager to win now and advance out of the 1st round so they should go for a big man that's ready to play right away. Thompson has the NBA body, is tough and can rebound and block shots. He's a good compliment to Yao.

Alston / McGrady / Battier / Hickson / Landry / Scola / Yao

26. Spurs - Chris Douglas-Roberts
6-7 200 SG Memphis Jr.
With the swingmen getting older, Spurs should look to address that area by selecting CDR. He can do many things well, including defend, shoot from midrange, and slash to the hoop. He's a fudamentally sound player that could fit right in with the Spurs veteran team.

Parker / Ginobli / Douglas-Roberts / Bowen / Duncan / Mahinmi

27. Hornets - Bill Walker
6-6 230 SG/SF Kansas St. Fr.
Here's another player that was considered a potential high lottery pick entering college. His injuries derailed his progress, but he seems to have recovered and has shown that he is back on track to developing into a solid swingman - just what the Hornets need.

Paul / Walker / Stojakovic / Wright / West / Chandler

28. Grizzlies - Robin Lopez
7-0 255 C Stanford So.
I had them taking Love in the lottery so they need to upgrade their center with a guy like Lopez that can play well with Love and make up for his lack of size.

Conley / Crittenton / Lowry / Miller / Gay / Love / Milicic

29. Pistons - Serge Ibaka
6-10 220 PF Congo 1989
They have a great veteran team, so they can afford to gamble on a player that projects to be a great PF/C in a few years. Ibaka is super athletic with great size and athleticism. He's a great rebounder and shot blocker with nice range. Ibaka could play overseas for a while before coming to the USA. If not Ibaka, than they could take best available C like Hardin, Pekovic, Tomic, or Ajinca.

Billups / Stuckey / Prince / Wallace / Johnson / Maxiell / McDyess

30. Celtics - DeVon Hardin
6-11 250 C Cal Sr.
Celtics need to get physical and athletic at the C position. Powe and Davis are undersized while Perkins is not athletic enough. Hardin is project, but has all the tools to succeed given the right coaching and time to develop.

Rondo / Allen / Pierce / Garnett / Powe / Hardin / Perkins

First Round Bubble:

Richard Hendrix, Alexis Ajinca, DJ White, Wayne Ellington, Omri Casspi, Courtney Lee, Mario Chalmers, Ryan Anderson, Davon Jefferson, Nathan Jawai, Ante Tomic, J.R. Giddens, Trent Plaisted, Jamont Gordon, Nikola Pekovic

Monday, May 19, 2008

Draft Articles

Cross-Country Workout Swing: Part Two, Abunassar Impact Basketball
by: Jonathan Givony - Draft Express

Lower expectations in store for Warriors in draft lottery
by: Jake Curtis - SF Chronicle

JaVale McGee Workout: The Big Secret
by: Rodger Bohn - DraftExpress
JaVale McGee

Warriors need boy wonder: Robin?
by: Monte Poole - InsideBayArea.com
Robin Lopez

Cross-Country Workout Swing, Part Two: Priority Sports LA
by: DraftExpress
J.R. Giddens
Trent Plaisted
Bryce Taylor

Cavaliers should give Roberts a look
by: Matt Schwade - Rivals.com
Brian Roberts

Arthur case starts, ends in Dallas
by: Rick Dean - Topeka Capital-Journal Online
Darrell Arthur

NBA considers draft plan revisions
by: Sarah Rothschild - Miami Herald
NBAStore.com