Memphis

2008 Draft: Second Round Gems

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:29:15 -0700

They don't get to shake David Stern's hand. They don't get to show off new suits, try on their team hats, or get interviewed by Stephen A. Smith. Occasionally, the television audience has to wait until the commercial break ends to see who was selected. They only get to listen to the analysts talk about them for about two minutes before they move onto the next pick. Yes...the life of a second-rounder isn't easy.

But every year, it seems there's a few picks who not only stick in the league, but make a name for themselves. Stars like Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Manu Ginobili, Monta Ellis and Michael Redd all had to wait until the second round to hear their names called. Last year, second-rounders Carl Landry, Glen Davis and Ramon Sessions all showed some promise, and should be around for a while.

So who are this year's diamonds in the rough. Here's some second-rounders who you might be hearing about this coming season.

Mario Chalmers (34 - Minnesota, traded to Miami): The hero of the national championship game, Chalmers was thought to be on the first-round bubble, meaning the Heat got great value by acquiring him in the second round. Chalmers isn't a pure point guard, but he has some play-making skills, a high basketball IQ, is a willing defender and can knock down shots. He brings a winning attitude, and is mature enough to come and compete for playing time right away. Chalmers reminds me a little of Chris Duhon in that he plays well within his own abilities, although I think Chalmers will be a better player. Look for him to earn plenty of minutes this season alongside Dwyane Wade in the backcourt.

DeAndre Jordan (35 - LA Clippers): Now I've spent plenty of time ripping Jordan for coming out when he clearly wasn't ready, but at the 35^th pick, he could prove to be a great value. Jordan has great size and is incredibly athletic, and if he ever puts it together, he could be a very good player. In the lottery, where teams are looking for immediate help, he would have been a reach. But picking him here, the Clippers take very little risk, and they can sit him on the bench for a couple years to let him develop. Check back in about two years on him.

Kyle Weaver (38 - Charlotte): Weaver should be a great fit in Larry Brown's system. Weaver has the size to play off the ball, but also possesses enough playmaking ability to run the point on occasion. He's a great defender, and is willing to do the little things to help the team. He isn't a great shooter, and isn't always aggressive on the offensive end, but his defensive prowess and toughness could earn him a place in the Bobcats rotation by season's end.

Chris Douglas-Roberts (40 - New Jersey): CDR may prove to be the steal of the draft in the second-round. How does a first-team All-American who helped lead his team to the national title game fall this far? Questions about his outside shot, athleticism and unorthodox style may have hurt him, but I think the Nets will love him. He's similar to Rip Hamilton in build, wiry strong with long arms that help him on defense. He has a great mid-range game, and while it's not always pretty, it is effective. He brings a winning mentality, and he's not afraid to take big shots. Only time will tell, but I think CDR could make a lot of teams regret passing on him.

Bill Walker (47 - Washington, traded to Boston): Walker has first-round talent, but his injury history held him back. If healthy, he will be as explosive as anyone in the league, capable of rising up at any time for a vicious dunk. He has an improving shot, and is a solid defender when he chooses to put forth the effort. He's a bit of a hot-head, but going to a veteran locker room like the Celtics should help him mature. He may not see much time early in his career, but there's no question he has the talent to stick around for quite a while.

Richard Hendrix (49 - Golden State): Hendrix is a little undersized for power forward, but he's a productive player who crashes the glass hard. The Warriors are always looking for big guys who can help them down low, and getting Hendrix here is a great pick. He brings a lot of physical toughness, something the Warriors need in the paint. Coach Don Nelson is notoriously tough on rookies, so he may not see a lot of time this season, but he should be a solid role player for many years.

James Gist (57 - San Antonio): This one may surprise people, but I was pretty high on Gist coming into the draft. He's still more of an athlete than a basketball player, but give me a 6'9" guy with a 35+ inch vertical any day. If he makes the team, he'll be able to learn from one of the best coaches in the league, not to mention arguably the best power forward of all time in Tim Duncan. Gist likely will never be more than a role player, but he has the potential to bring some energy, defense and rebounding off the bench. I wouldn't be surprised to see him stick in the league for awhile, even if it's not with the Spurs.

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Draft Links & Rumors: Tuesday

Jason Tomassini — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:18:02 -0700

"I just turned 19 years old in January," Beasley said. "How mature do you want me to be? I’m still a kid. I’m not 20 yet. I’m not legal. I can vote, but that’s about it. On the basketball side of things, I’m 30 years old. Off the court, I don’t know how old y’all want me to be. Do you want me to act 25? 30? 40?. I’m 19. I’m a kid. I’m going to live my life. I’m going to mess up. I don’t know as much as you do or him. I’m learning day by day. I hear a lot about character issues. But I’ve yet to hear what those character issues are. Until I hear somebody tell me, I don’t feel the need to change."

I still fail to see what he has done that is so horribly wrong. He went to many high schools and some coaches piggybacked his ability to better themselves. This happens to every single big-time basketball recruit. How is a teenager who knows he will be in the NBA in the near future supposed to just ignore all these people with power showing him how to get there? And how is Rose any different? Ugh. Hopefully the media treats him as the quirky, outspoken Gilbert Arenas-type rather than the Josh Howard-type who gets blasted whenever he's honest about something. He's probably somewhere in between (in both personality and ability). Oh and any Beasley item on the Internet must link to this article in the WashPost, as required by federal Intertubes laws.

- TrueHoop, which is also very outstanding, approached this fairly. Thank you Mr. Abbott.

- Linked in the TrueHoop item, this piece, which in true NBA Draft form, makes insane speculation that Beasley "is not Pat Riley's type of player." (the same guy writes the same thing in another piece here). Suddenly nothing can be written about this man without the words, "immature," "playful," "candid" and the like being bandied around. I think Chad Ford started all this. Seriously people, let's come up with something new....

- ... Not quite, but getting warmer...

- ... OK, this will have to do.

Things of Different Persuasion
- I was none too pleased to see Donte Greene hire an agent. The only logical explanation for this was that he got one of the 16 "physical only" invites to Orlando, which means he thinks he's like, a top 16 player. This is bad news for my Orange and could be worse news for Donte Greene. NBA GMs love tall shooters but the guy didn't show an ability to do much else in college. And I loved Donte Greene. But who can he guard? Who can he beat off the dribble? Who can he box out? Perhaps the more important question is: Who can he fool into taking him in the top 15?

- Every year Andy Katz is good for a few of those, "How is this college coach handling his players testing the draft waters?" features. This one is on Richard Hendrix and Ronald Steele at Alabama. (I wouldn't be losing sleep Coach Gottfried, Steele is already coming back.)

- I really love the Ball Don't Lie blog over at Yahoo!, even if they are a bit light on draft stuff. The incomparable Kelly Dwyer does well with this rant on mock drafts. Couldn't have put it better myself. (This may prompt another mock draft before draft day where I oblige Mr. Dwyer with his dream mock draft. Or something.)

- Gary Parrish, a true college basketball Internet writer, continues to churn out columns in this offseason. This one is a nice look at how batshit insane some North Carolina fans are. Oh and leave it up to Parrish to actually look at the Mayo thing will a tinge of rationality.

- Fran Frischilla speaks, a New York Post writer listens.

- Lang Whitaker over at Slam Online with an entertaining second-person perspective thingy on being John Paxson (not a working screenplay by Charlie Kauffman). I'm not so sure about the Doug Collins hiring but I still think it's better than Avery Johnson. He's just as likely to want Rose as Avery, but at least he won't try to turn him into Anthony Carter.

- Looks like Jamont Gordon is leaning toward staying in the draft, which I pleased about. He should be a late first-rounder as an impact reserve for a playoff contender.

- Way to strike when the iron is hot, Mike DeCourcy. Will your next column be about how great it is that the draft is two rounds now?

Unsubstantiated Speculation: NBA Draft Links & Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:19:59 -0700

Nothing about the NBA Draft makes any sense. GMs intentionally lie about who they want to confuse the rest of the league, agents pull players out of workouts to manipulate their value and the Milwaukee Bucks continue to pretend they are trying to win. Mock drafts are always way off, the rumored trades never go down and the ones that do are always out of left field. There is no rhyme. There is no reason. And that is exactly why it is so great. Sports fans love to speculate, and the NBA Draft is 90 percent speculatastic. So in an exercise of almost certain futility, I bring you Unsubstantiated Speculation, a column containing all the relevant, completely false draft news links from around the Intertubes. Look for this once or twice a week leading up to the draft. Believe nothing.

Beasley/Rose
- Chad Ford looks at the Rose/Beasley pick, which is somewhat uninforming. I think Ford is great but I have a BIG problem with him continuously questioning Beasley's character and depicting Rose as squeaky clean. He has never backed up his questioning of Beasley besides that "he ran into trouble from time to time with practical jokes, pranks and general troublemaking," which is wildly vague and mildly defamatory. Both Rose and Beasley had very shady recruitments (Beasley with the Huggins thing, Rose with the Worldwide Wes thing) but neither had academic or legal troubles in college or high school. So based on, you know, actually important factors, it still remains a difficult decision. I think as a player Beasley should be the pick, but maybe there is a vagrant he killed that only Chad Ford knows about.

- For what it's worth, Bulls GM John Paxson has said it will be Rose or Beasley. Obviously not a surprise.

-This guy, who might be an idiot, thinks Rose.

- This was a pretty interesting piece from the Chicago Tribune where the reporter, KC Johnson, spoke with Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard and Magic GM Otis Smith about selecting first. There's a very good chance Smith only still has his job because he picked Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor (the guy did pay Rashard Lewis 8 gillion dollars) and Pritchard still gets an "incomplete" on his. Obviously Paxson cannot blow this (and it's going to be very difficult to blow it). By the way, this KC Johnson fella appears to be the go-to reporter for the draft this year, much like John Canzano of The Oregonian was last year. In this notes column, he has the scoop on Avery Johnson possibly being the next Bulls' coach. Let me go on record and say that would be a disaster for both Chicago and Derrick Rose, who I bet Avery would pick. Avery is exactly like Scott Skiles, except more Katt Williams-ish.

- NBADraft.net's Aran Smith has Rose No. 1 in this mock draft but that's not the real news. No, the real news is that -- and I'm not sure how this is relevant to anything ever -- that Michael Jordan's Marcus and Rose are dating Chicago-area twins. I do not want to know how Smith obtained this info, but man that guy is good at his job.

- Everyone in Chicago has an opinion on this, including this Sun Times blogger, who is promptly assaulted in the comments section.

ESPN Coverage
- Let's knock out all the ESPN.com items now because ESPN has already done a great job covering the draft this year (yes, I said it).

Within the same Chad Ford Beasley/Rose thing from before, he suspects DeAndre Jordan has received a top five promise because his agent has declined some workouts or something. This is exactly the type of blind speculation I live for. And drafting DeAndre Jordan in the top five is exactly the type of thing that gets a GM fired. Which is coincidentally exactly the type of thing Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace thrives at.

- Here are a bunch of draft-related videos they have up there. Important things within: Kevin Love is no longer fat and has been hitting NBA threes and should be moving up draft boards; Bill Walker will stay in the draft is he thinks he is a first-rounder; Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni played with Danilo Gallinari's dad, meanwhile, Isiah Thomas likes spaghetti; OJ Mayo will never say anything interesting again; Marrese Speights and Joe Alexander look much better in workouts than in college.

- Ford takes a look at Walker, Brandon Rush, CDR and Jeremy Pargo at the A.T.T.A.C.K. gym in Chicago. He also loves Joe Alexander, which concerns me. Alexander seems exactly like the type of guy that looks way too good in individual workouts. And he thinks Chase Budinger is a lottery pick, which concerns me for many of the same reasons. (by the way, Chad Ford has roughly 36 players in his lottery.)

- JaVale McGee is the son of a WNBA player, which could not be more perfect. NEVER draft a skinny big man who was birthed from a WNBA player. I believe Red Auerbach first formed that rule.

- Gene Wojciechowski continues to write about controversial topics and a nation continues to be indifferent.

- Good to see Dana O'Neill is still writing even with the college hoops season over. She turns in another good piece on one-and-doners for next year.

Other Things Besides The Already-Redundant No. 1 Pick Debate
- Here is the first list of guys who will be at the Orlando Pre-Draft camp next week... but only to be interviewed.

- Memphis' Antonio Anderson has decided to go back to school, before participating in the draft process at all. I'm pretty convinced Anderson just declared for the draft to get out of Coach Cal's spring practice, headed to Cancun and then withdrew when he got back. Genius.

- Jerel McNeal is going back to Marquette, which is smart, but disappointing. I think McNeal can be a pro with his defense and athleticism. So what if he is a bit undersized and can't shoot, you only need to do one thing well to find a spot as a role player in the NBA (see: Varejao, Anderson).

- Josh Carter going back to Texas A&M, Alonzo Gee back to Alabama. That didn't take long.

- It appears Marrese Speights will stick in the draft, which is good news for teams in the 10-20 range who need a really good power forward. Apparently Speights has slimmed down and is routinely knocking down 18-foot jumpers. I think I'd rather have him than Joakim Noah at this point. Although Noah does bring other qualities to the table.

- Here's a good feature on Ryan Anderson, who I feel is being underrated by all the draft pundits. The guy is 6-10 and can score like crazy. And while he cannot guard anybody, neither can many NBA forwards. Again, the way role players work in the NBA (and all but about 6 or 7 players in this draft will basically be role players) is you fill a certain need for a team. Look athe Lakers, Jordan Farmar plays defense and hits open shots, VladRad shoots, Turiaf rebounds and acts like a crazy person, Vujacic shoots, defends and annoys people, Luke Walton passes and shoots. All of those guys were late picks that are incredibly effective in their specific role. And since there aren't going to be all-around studs around in the 20s, you might as well take a guy who can score off the bench and spot up on the perimeter like Anderson, defense be damned. He's only gonna play 20 minutes a game, tops, anyway... OR, just take Bill Walker or something.

- Speaking of Anderson, the blogger at BMac's Blog (presumably BMac himself) agrees with me, writing that Anderson's biggest draft flaw is not being European.

- Great interview from the great DraftExpress with CDR, who doesn't appear to be entertaining any idea of going back to school. (by the way, for everything you need on the draft, just go to DraftExpress, they are outstanding... but, uh, still read this site! hehe). With his handling, size and defensive ability, the first up-tempo team outside the top 10 should really consider taking CDR. Golden State at No. 14 would be crazy to pass on him.

- This Portland Tribune writer thinks the Blazers should trade the No. 13 pick (and so do I). With Oden coming in and Spaniard Rudy Fernandez coming over, Portland already has a full rotation of promising young guys. If they can turn the pick and one of the young guys for a solid point guard (Andre Miller, TJ Ford/Jose Calderon, Andre Miller), they should be a legit playoff team next year. Although, this guy thinks with a good number of lottery teams looking to trade (he cites "reports" on this, but that's a bit vague), the Blazers might get more talent by just keeping the pick. They need a shooter and unless Eric Gordon falls to No.13, there are really any shooters worth taking there.

- Some guy in Minnesota wants the T'Wolves to trade the pick because they suck at drafting players. Little does this man know, the Wolves are also very bad at trading for players. He claims there are no stars at No. 3, to which I ask: Why would a team trade you a star for a pick that cannot be used on one? Ugh, just take Mayo or Lopez.

- Here's a decent scouting report on Kosta Koufos except the writer says Koufos is soft because he is polite to people and that Daequan Cook is a prime example of self-assurance. I realize Cook was decent for Miami last year, but that comparison is completely insane. He also questions Koufos perimeter game, which we all know is nuts. I actually think Koufos' best skill is his ballhandling for a 7-footer, which he didn't get to show in college. I'd take him top 20. There's also a possibility he will play for Greece in the Olympics.

- And finally, George Hill, Pride of Ooey Pooey, is going to Disney World.

Joey Dorsey: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:33:29 -0700

Joey Dorsey

College: Memphis

Class: Senior

Position: PF/C

Height: 6’9”

Weight: 265lbs

Accolades: Second Team All-Conference USA (08), Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year (08), Conference USA All-Defensive Team (08), Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year (07), Conference USA All-Defensive Team (07), First Team All-Conference USA (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (06), Conference USA All-Freshman Team (05).

Scouting Report: A big, strong, physical defensive force.

Strengths: Big, strong physique. Very physical player. Great defender. Used to guarding opposing team’s best big man. Used to guarding players bigger than him. Very athletic for a big man. Great offensive and defensive rebounder. Great shot blocker. Big game experience. Good at cleaning up the garbage.

Weaknesses: Didn’t play in a BCS conference – didn’t go up against the top competition every game. Questionable attitude. Age – will turn 25 early next NBA season. Probably too short to play center in the NBA. Horrible free throw shooter. No offensive game at all – almost all his scoring comes on garbage points.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late first round to mid second round pick.

Consensus: Every NBA team needs a physical, defensive-oriented player like Dorsey so he will definitely get drafted. Whether or not a team can make him into another Ben Wallace, like John Calipari tried to do, is another question.

Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22285

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

= Consistent NBA Starter

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

= Career Reserve

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

More 2008 NBA Draft Profiles

Current NBA Mock Draft Position

Complete NBA Draft coverage

Poll: Which NBA Prospect is the Best Passer?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:27:53 -0700

Cheerleader of the Day: Memphis

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:08:10 -0700

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Memphis

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Picture of the Day: Tyreke Evans at the Hoops Summit

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:20:37 -0700

Picture of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Tyreke Evans

Despite losing Derrick Rose and others to the NBA Draft, Memphis will again be the favorite in the CUSA.. in part due to incoming freshman Tyreke Evans. At the always enjoyable Nike Hoops Summit, the talented scoring guard finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds as Team USA rolled to an easy win.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

- Also check out the Cheerleader of the Day!

Chris Douglas-Roberts: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:38:15 -0700

Chris Douglas-Roberts

College: Memphis

Class: Junior

Position: SG

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 200lbs

Accolades: First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), Wooden Award All-American Team (08), Conference USA Player of the Year (08), All-Conference USA First Team (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (08), NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team (07), Conference USA Tournament MVP (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (07), All-Conference USA First Team (07), Conference USA All-Freshman Team (06).

Scouting Report: A very unorthodox, yet deadly, wing player.

Strengths: Great slasher. Very good floater shot he is confident shooting from deep. Long arms (6’9” wingspan). Experience playing in big games. Decent ball handler. Good rebounder. Good height/length for an NBA two guard. Used to being the go-to guy on one of the country’s best teams. Decent defender – long arms helps get steals. Accurate three-point shooter. Shot for a fantastic average for a guard – over 53% FG all three years in college. Crafty player – knows how to get the job down.

Weaknesses: Very thin – needs to bulk up a bit for the NBA. Not an off-the-charts athlete. Didn’t play in one of the top conferences. Can he guard the NBA’s top wing players? Needs to improve his assists to turnovers to play guard in the NBA. Good three-point shooter but didn’t hit very many – just over one a game. Missed clutch free throws in the NCAA championship game.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

Consensus: CDR couldn’t have had a much better junior season with the Tigers (besides that loss to Kansas). It is hard to pin down how effective he will be in the NBA with his unique style, but with his good length and tricky game he should make a nice living in the NBA.

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

= Consistent NBA Starter

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

= Career Reserve

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

More 2008 NBA Draft Profiles

Current NBA Mock Draft Position

Complete NBA Draft coverage

Early 2008-09 All-Freshman Projections

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:42:30 -0700

Following my 2009 Field of 65 & Projected All-Americans, here is an early look at the 2008-09 All-Freshman Team.

First Team
G - Jrue Holiday - UCLA
G - Brandon Jennings - Arizona
G - Tyreke Evans - Memphis
F - Greg Monroe - Georgetown
F - Samardo Samuels - Louisville

Second Team
G - Demar DeRozan - USC
G - J'Covan Brown - Texas
F - Tony Mitchell - Alabama
F - Drew Gordon - UCLA
C - BJ Mullens - Ohio State

Third Team
G - William Buford - Ohio State
G - Willie Warren - Oklahoma
G - Scotty Hopson - Tennessee
F - Devin Ebanks - ?
C - J'Mison Morgan - LSU

Fourth Team
G - Chris Singleton - Florida State
F - Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest
F - Luke Babbitt - Nevada
F - David Lobeau - Texas A&M
C - Jeff Withey - Arizona

2008 CHN All-Final Four & MOP

Jeff Fox — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:09:11 -0700

After a National Championship game for the ages, and a Final Four utterly dominated by Kansas & Memphis, it is no shock that CHN’s All-Final Four team is all Jayhawks and Tigers.

MOP: Mario Chalmers, Kansas

Final Four Averages: 14.5ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.0apg, 3.5spg

Chalmers truly was Super Mario in the championship game versus Memphis. By now the whole world has heard and seen his last second three-pointer to tie the game in regulation, but he excelled in other aspects of the game also. Always a tough defender, he was a thorn in Memphis’ side as they tried to run their offense and picked off four balls. Plus Memphis’ ultimate Achilles Heal was Chalmers strong suit this game – he was 6-6 from the charity stripe.

MOP Runner Up: Darrell Arthur, Kansas

Final Four Averages: 13.0ppg, 9.5rpg, 2.0bpg

Arthur quietly had an excellent championship game also. He was his usual exceptional self down low, providing scoring and rebounding (including five on the offensive end), and also knocked down some face up jumpers. Plus he didn’t miss a free throw (2-2).

All Final Four Team:

Guard: Mario Chalmers, Kansas

Guard: Brandon Rush, Kansas

Final Four Averages: 18.5ppg, 6.5rpg, 16/26 FG

Rush scorched UNC to get the Jayhawks into the final. Against Memphis he had a very solid 12 points and six boards. NBA, here he comes (finally).

Guard: Derrick Rose, Memphis

Final Four Averages: 21.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 6.0apg

Rose’s explosive NCAA tournament performance has shown why he, and not Michael Beasley, is the top prospect of this year’s NBA draft.

Guard: Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

Final Four Averages: 25.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 15/20 FT

His inability to hit clutch free throws kept Memphis from winning its first men’s hoops national championship and also kept Douglas-Roberts from being CHN’s Final Four MOP. Pretty sure the first one hurts more than the second.

Forward: Darrell Arthur, Kansas