Tag Archives: NBA
NBA Mock Draft 3.0
The NBA Draft is tomorrow and there are still many questions at the top as to what the teams will do. Here is my latest take on what will go down tomorrow night.
1. Los Angeles Clippers- Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma
A no brainer for the Clippers. Griffin is the consensus number one player in the draft and even the Clippers can’t screw this up.
Thabeet will be blocking shots in Memphis now.
2. Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet, C, UCONN
The Grizzlies need some interior defense and Thabeet will bring that. His offensive game is still developing but he can contribute immediately on defense. The Timberwolves are interested in moving up to this pick to take Thabeet too.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder- Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain
The rumor lately has been the Thunder will pick Rubio if available. If they pick Rubio it will shift Russell Westbrook to the 2 guard. Rubio is only 18 and has been playing professionally in Spain since he was 14.
4. Sacramento Kings- Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse
No one really knows what the Kings will do. If Rubio is available he will likely be the pick but if he’s not it be a number of guys including Flynn, Evans, Holiday, or Curry. Flynn is a leader at the point guard position and has been playing great in workouts recently.
NBA Draft Decisions: Should I stay or Should I go?
The deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft was yesterday and some prospects including Jodie Meeks, Luke Harangody, and Greivis Vasquez didn’t make their decisions until the final moments. In this article I’m going to discuss and analyze the decisions made by some prospects.
Scotty Reynolds, G, Villanova- Return to Villanova
Reynolds decided to return to Villanova for his senior season. The Wildcats made the Final Four last year and will try to repeat this season with a stacked recruiting class. Reynolds though, hasn’t improved much since his freshman year and his stock was high as it was ever going to be after his clutch shot against Pittsburgh. With incoming freshman Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns set to steal playing time from Renyolds this doesn’t like the right decision.
Harangody will return to Notre Dame as the Irish try to rebound from last years dissapointing season
Luke Harangody, PF, Notre Dame- Return to Notre Dame
Harangody waited until the final day to decide to come back to Notre Dame for his senior season. Harangody was a likely second round pick in this years draft if he stayed in. Harangody will return to Notre Dame and try to make up for a poor seaosn which saw the Irish miss the tournament. Also by coming back Harangody will break many Notre Dame school records making him go down as one for the best to ever play at Notre Dame. His draft status probably won’t change much but the allure of the records and fame make it worth going back for Harangody.
Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest- Stay
Teague waited until the last minute to decide whether or not to stay in but it seemed like a forgone conclusion he would stay in from the start. Teague had a great start to the season but tailed off a little at the end including a dreadful performance in the NCAA Tournament against Cleveland State but his stock is still solid. Teague should go somewhere from the mid first round to the early 20’s in the draft. A shooting guard in a point guard’s body Teague will need to work on his decision making skills in the NBA to be an effective point guard.
NBA Mock Draft Part 2
In case you missed the first part of my mock draft you can check it out here.
15. Detroit Pistons- B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State
The Pistons could lose Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Kwame Brown in the off season so a froncourt player is needed. With the Piston looking toward the future they can take a chance on Mullens who will take time to develop.
Blair would give the Bulls some much needed toughness
16. Chicago Bulls- DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh
There is talk the Bulls have promised to take Mullens here but if he is off the board the next best big available is DeJuan Blair. Blair would add some much needed toughness and despite his size (6’6) his 7’2 wingspan makes up for it.
17. Philadelphia 76ers- Eric Maynor, PG, VCU
Andre Miller is set to become a free agent this summer so addressing the point guard position is a necessity. Maynor despite playing at VCU got plenty of media attention thanks to his NCAA tournament performances and can step in and play right away.
NBA Mock Draft
Now that the deadline for underclassman has come and gone we officially know who is in and who is out of the draft. Some last minute withdrawals were Greivis Vasquez and Luke Harangody. With the NBA Finals over the focus in the NBA world switches to the draft. The draft will be held on June 25th. With that said here is my latest NBA Mock Draft.
Good News: Blake Griffin is going to Los Angeles. Bad News: It's the Clippers
1. Los Angeles Clippers- Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma
This pick has been a lock since the start and apparently since last year. Even the Clippers can’t screw this one up. Griffin is the consensus top player in what is considered a weak draft. The drafting of Griffin will probably force the Clippers to trade either Zach Randolph or Chris Kamen.
Previous Pick: Same
2. Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet, C, UCONN
This is where the drafts starts to get interesting. The Grizzlies could take Thabeet, Ricky Rubio, or trade the pick perhaps to Sacramento. The Grizzlies don’t have a big need at center or point guard with Marc Gasol and Mike Conely Jr. at both positions but while Gasol is a solid player you don’t pass up a player like Thabeet for him. Thabeet will be a defensive force early and if his offensive catches up he could have a career similar to Dikembe Mutombo.
Previous Pick: Ricky Rubio
LeBron a Poor Sport?
The Cleveland Cavliers were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday but they’re still getting plenty of media attenition most noticably LeBron James.
Much is being said of LeBron’s actions following the Game 6 loss when he left the court immedialtely after the bizzer sounded and did not talk to reporters after the game and instead went to the team bus. Also the next day LeBron did not apolgize for his actions which angered many in the sports world.
When LeBron addresed the media finally he said this “It’s hard for me to congratulate someone after you lose to them. I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. But somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them on beating you up. That doesn’t make sense.”
I initially was not that upset after LeBron walked off the court and din’t shake hands. He was upset and frustated and did not want to deal with everyhting. That’s understandable and I was willing to give him a break if he apolgized and said he should have shook hands and congradulated them.
LeBron in the NFL?
Last week ESPN put out an article about the possibility of LeBron James in the NFL and how good he would be. To sum it up it basically said while LeBron would most likely not pull an MJ and switch sports most people said he would be a good player.
After reading this I thought about for awhile before realizing that how silly it was. If LeBron played football he would without a doubt be a pro bowl caliber player and one of the best in the league.
Nuggets Win Game 2
The Nuggets came back from a 14 point deficit to beat the Lakers in Game 2 to even the series. This was a huge win for the Nuggets who lost a heartbreaker in Game 1.
Now the Nuggets are going home where they haven’t lost all post season and have won 19 of their past 20 at home including a easy win over the Lakers at the end of the regular season. The Nuggets have proven they can win in L.A. so now the pressure is on the Lakers to prove they can win in Denver.
Chauncey Billups has been absolutely dominating Derrick Fisher so far in the series. Fisher has struggled badly shooting the ball and Billups has had no problem getting in the lane to dish to his teammates. Also Carmelo has really stepped up. He has five strait 30 point games and is proving himself to be one of the games elite. Linas Kleiza was the x-factor last night hitting some big threes for the Nuggets. Denver has all the momentum in the series and the Lakers will need to really show up in Game 3.
My Top 5 NBA Playoff Moments
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NBA Mock Draft Part 2
You can see Part 1 here.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves- James Harden, SG, Arizona State
The Timberwolves already have their frontcourt set with Al Jefferson and Kevin Love so they look to Harden as a backcourt mate for point guard Randy Foye. Harden struggled at the end of last season especially in the NCAA Tournament but can create for himself and can finish at the rim. Harden is also a good defender and has great range.
7. Golden State Warriors- Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis
The Warrior will be looking for someone to pair with Monta Ellis. Whether the Warriors want to keep Ellis at the point or move him to the 2 where he will be a bit undersized. If the Warriors select Evans that would give them great flexibility. Evans can play both on and off the ball. He can drive and get to the basket and would be a good fit in the Warriors up temp style of basketball.
8. New York Knicks- Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson
The Kicks are looking to upgrade everywhere on their roster but especially point guard where they would rather have Chris Duhon coming off the bench. There have been rumors that the Knicks have promised Curry they will take him here. If they do Curry would be a great fit in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Curry is a terrific scorer who can shoot the lights out and has a great basketball IQ, and has a big name making him a great fit in New York.
9. Toronto Raptors- DeMar DeRozan, SG, USC
The Raptors have a need at the two guard and DeRozan would be a good fit. The Raptors big men like to hang out on the perimeter and the ability of DeRozan to drive to the basket would compliment them. DeRozan struggled early on in the season but really turned it on once conference play started. DeRozan has great athleticism and has enormous potential but was inconsistent at times in college.
Cavaliers vs. Magic Preview
The Cavaliers and the Magic will face off tonight as the Eastern Conference Finals begin. The Magic have been pushed by the 76ers and Celtics but they prevailed against in both in dominant road performances in the clinching game in both series. The Cavs have been on cruise control so far having not lost a game and have beaten their opponents by double digits every game. They have been unbeatable at home this season but lost two out of three games to the Magic this season and almost lost to them at home.
Cleveland will try to run up and down against Orlando. LeBron will get is but it will be interesting to see if the Magic double team LeBron. If they choose to double him that will create looks for other guys and get them going. A better decision is probably to just let LeBron get his and not let his teammates get going. When LeBron get to the rim he will see Dwight Howard this series and that match up will be key. If Howard gets in any foul trouble the Magic will be done. Hedo Turkoglu will guard LeBron and it remains to be seen if he can be the offensive force that he needs to be if he is using his energy guarding LeBron.
