Category: NBA Draft (Page 21 of 55)

      Is Jennings’ stock taking a hit?

      June 20, 2009 /

      Brandon Jennings has changed his mind about working out for a few teams recently, and it may be due to concerns that he’s going to slip in next week’s draft.

      In New Jersey, after avoiding the Nets for weeks, Brandon Jennings is expected to join a group for a workout Saturday. The Star-Ledger reports the reason for the about-face is, as one scout said, that Jennings is “sliding like a five-year-old in the park.” More evidence of a fall for Jennings comes from Phoenix, where The Arizona Republic reports Jennings will work out for the Suns, who hold the 14th pick.

      I called Jennings “the wild card” a few weeks ago, and it seems like he has one of the biggest ranges in the draft. He could go as early as #3 or #4, or he could slip to the mid-teens (or further). The point guard depth in this draft is excellent, but the teams at the bottom of the lottery aren’t necessarily in the market. Toronto (#9) has Jose Calderon, New Jersey (#11) has Devin Harris, Charlotte (#12) has Ray Felton and D.J. Augustin. Indiana (#13) and Phoenix (#14) could go with a point guard, but Detroit (#15) and Chicago (#16) likely will look to fill other needs.

      With six or seven guards vying for four or five picks in the top 10, someone is going to slip to Indiana or Phoenix in the middle of the round. I wouldn’t be surprised if Philadelphia has a shot at a good guard at #17.

      NBA, NBA Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      NBA Draft Do-Over: 2008

      June 19, 2009 /

      How would the 2008 NBA Draft go if owners and GMs knew then what they know now?

      Here’s my take…

      #1 Chicago: Derrick Rose
      The Bulls don’t want a mulligan. They are perfectly happy with their franchise point guard.

      #2 Miami: Brook Lopez
      Michael Beasley isn’t a bust, no matter what anyone says. But if the Heat had it all to do over again, they’d go with Lopez here, who posted 13.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in about 31 minutes of playing time.

      #3 Minnesota: O.J. Mayo
      I don’t think the T-Wolves would do anything differently. They’d still draft Mayo and trade with Memphis for Love. Why not?

      #4 Seattle/OKC: Russell Westbrook
      Likewise, the Thunder have to be happy with what they have in Westbrook, who averaged 20.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists in February.

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      NBA Rumors: Rubio, Boozer, T-Mac and more

      June 19, 2009 /

      Chad Ford writes about why Ricky Rubio is being so selective in his workouts.

      First of all, the idea that Rubio is the only one doing it is silly. James Harden has only worked out for four teams. Even the Knicks couldn’t get him in. Hasheem Thabeet will likely only work out for three. DeMar DeRozan has been really selective, and so has Stephen Curry.

      It’s pretty simple as to why Rubio is being selective: He is going to have to pay a lot of money for the privilege to play in the NBA next season. His buyout will cost him something between $5 and $7 million of his own money. That’s a lot of money, especially when you consider that Rubio wasn’t making a ton of dough in Spain. He essentially will be signing over his paychecks for the next couple of years to his team in Spain.

      The Kings have an obvious hole at point guard on a young team. It seems to be the place his camp wants him to land. If the Kings draft him, I don’t think there’s any question that Rubio would pay the buyout and come. The question is, will the Kings draft him? I think the odds are in Rubio’s favor, but it sounds like some in the organization still need to be convinced.

      Rubio’s future might depend on something he has no control over — is Russell Westbrook a point guard? A statistical study I did a few weeks ago revealed that he was turnover-prone and shoot-first, though obviously as a young rookie, there is room for improvement. If the Thunder think he’s a point guard, then I doubt they take Rubio. They’ll take James Harden, who averaged 4.2 assists during his senior year even though he was taking 13 shots per game.

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      NBA, NBA Draft, News, Rumors & Gossip

      No promise was made to Monta Ellis

      June 19, 2009 /

      On his draft buzz blog [Insider subscription required], Chad Ford dispelled the notion that the Warriors made a promise to Monta Ellis not to draft a point guard at #7. He spoke with GM Larry Riley, who said that the topic never came up. In an interview with KNBR, Ellis confirmed that the meeting was about getting everyone on the same page and said that if the team drafted a point guard, he was going to “do anything to help the team win.” Riley told Ellis that if they do use him at the point, his primary responsibility will be to “get guys more involved” and help his teammates “get off.”

      Riley told Ford that he would “like to have a little beef” and said that the Warriors could “use more size and toughness.” Does this mean that they’ll draft Jordan Hill at #7, if available? Probably, but Riley also said that the Warriors didn’t “have a gaping hole at any position” so that they can “draft the best player available.”

      Ellis thrived at off guard playing alongside Baron Davis two seasons ago, averaging 20.2 points, 3.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds, and shot an astounding 53% from the field.

      NBA, NBA Draft, News, Rumors & Gossip

      John Hollinger’s Draft Rater likes Lawson

      June 18, 2009 /

      Earlier in the day, I wrote about how Chad Ford is hearing that Ty Lawson is shooting up some draft boards, and now John Hollinger’s Draft Rater (where he takes college statistics and a few other metrics to predict a player’s production in the NBA) says that he’s the top player in this draft. Yes, he’s even ahead of Blake Griffin.

      Lawson, who is coming off an electric performance in leading North Carolina to the championship, grades out highly for several reasons: Although he’s short for a point guard, his shooting numbers (47.1 percent on 3-pointers), strong assist rate and microscopic turnover ratio (9.1, first among point guard prospects) all point to him as an NBA keeper.

      The Draft Rater puts Lawson slightly ahead of Griffin for first, but this doesn’t mean a team should take Lawson first. The standard error in the projections for point guards is higher than it is for big men, which means random noise could be putting Lawson ahead just as easily as on-the-court performance. If the consensus is that Griffin is the better player, I don’t think Lawson’s statistical record alone is strong enough evidence to refute it. Additionally, we’ve heard questions about Lawson’s work ethic and injuries.

      But the rating is emphatic enough for me to say Lawson should be at the top of the college point guard ladder, ahead of Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague & Co. (If you’re wondering about Ricky Rubio, I’ll have more on him next week.)

      Hollinger’s Draft Rater isn’t error-proof but it’s not a bad second opinion when trying to pick a player out of a group of two or more.

      Or when you’re trying to avoid a bust…

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      NBA, NBA Draft

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