Milwaukee Bucks: NBA Draft

2008 Draft: Winners & Losers: Part Two

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:44:41 -0700

The 2008 NBA Draft is finally in the books, and most of the viewing audience are regaining their hearing after listening to four-plus hours of Stephen A. Smith, Dick Vitale and Stuart Scott. Sixty picks, a handful of trades, buckets of tears from proud mothers, some odd suit choices and A LOT of camera shots of Darrell Arthur in the green room later, it's time to see who came out ahead this year, and who will be saving seats for next year's lottery.

Losers

Darrell Arthur: There's always one person left waiting in the Green Room, and this year the award went to the Kansas big man, who fell down many draft boards after rumors of health issue with his kidneys. He was eventually selected late in the first round, and then dealt to Memphis late in the night. However, the news might not be all bad, as the Grizzlies need some help up front, and Arthur's skill set could enable him to gain some immediate playing time.

DeAndre Jordan: The consensus among many draft analysts was that Jordan, despite being an athletic freak, needed at least another year of seasoning at the college level. However, no one thought he would fall completely out of the first round, eventually landing in Clipper-land with the 35th pick. A highly-touted recruit, whispers about a less-than stellar work ethic hurt him leading up to the draft, as did his concerning lack of playing time down the stretch at Texas A&M. Now, instead of pulling in the guaranteed first-round money, Jordan will have to still try to make the Clippers' roster in training camp...probably not exactly what he pictured when he declared for the draft.

New York Knicks: Now, I'm not saying Danilo Gallinari will be bust; in fact he could turn out to be a very solid player in Mike D'Antoni's system. But with the recent history of the Knicks, and the growing disenchantment between the fans and the team, I'm not sure the best way to usher in a new era is to draft a foreign player who many fans have never seen play, who doesn't speak fantastic English, and will never beat out Derek Jeter or Eli Manning for a billboard. Gallinari could prove to be a great fit for D'Antoni as a point forward, but with the team looking to rebuild their image and marketability, as well as improve their record, I can't help but wonder if they should have gone with a more well-known player like Eric Gordon or Jerryd Bayless.

Milwaukee Bucks: To be fair, I really like the Joe Alexander pick - I think he's going to be a great player who has a chance to be an All-Star one day. And I also like getting Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in the second round. He's a tough, hard-nosed defender who brings a winning attitude and is willing to let other players take the spotlight. I also like the acquisition of Richard Jefferson on draft day, adding a proven scorer on the perimeter to join Michael Redd. The only reason the Bucks make this list is that they acquired three small forwards in one day...where are they all going to play? Knowing they had Jefferson in the fold, why not address another need with the 8th pick? I just don't see the logic in using a high draft pick on a position where you just acquired a young, starter-caliber player less than two hours earlier.

Jamont Gordon/Davon Jefferson: It happens every year, and this year was no exception. Talented players overestimate their own draft stock, ignore the advice and warnings from scouts, and then fail to hear their name called on draft night. Now these aren't the only two underclassmen who went unselected, but they're two of the biggest names who will now have to try to catch on with a team this summer. Jefferson is a fantastic athlete, but he has very little understanding of the game other than dunking, which will make it very hard for him to catch on somewhere. Gordon is the typical tweener, not a real point guard, but too small to play off the ball full-time. He is a very skilled player however, and if he shows some play-making skills, he could find a home somewhere. Either way, both of these players would have benefited from returning to campus.

Return to Part One: Draft Winners

Draft: Top 10 Picks

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:45:57 -0700

An hour and a half into the 2008 NBA Draft, and ten guys have been picked. Nothing too extraordinary so far, though Charlotte's selection of DJ Augustin is a head-scrather.. replacing Ray Felton with another smallish point guard makes little sense. The Sonics/Clippers trade fell apart, and the Sonics took Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick. I've been down on him for weeks, a product of a good NCAA Tournament run in my opinion..

2008 NBA Draft - Top 10 Picks

1. Chicago - Derrick Rose
2. Miami - Michael Beasley
3. Minnesota - OJ Mayo
4. Seattle - Russell Westbrook
5. Memphis - Kevin Love
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari
7. LA Clippers - Eric Gordon
8. Milwaukee - Joe Alexander
9. Charlotte - DJ Augustin
10. New Jersey - Brook Lopez

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Team by Team Draft Rumors & Links

Jason Tomassini — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:21:55 -0700

Team by team 2008 Draft links and rumors:

1. Chicago Bulls
It's becoming more and more apparent that Chicago will take Rose, even though I don't think they should. Although those ready to put Miami on the clock should be wary that Rose is openly politicking for his hometown team to pick him just a week before the draft. The one thing I don't like is this idea that Rose is a better pick because he acts serious and professional in interviews and Beasley does not. These kids are 19, neither of them are professional. Rose is shy, Beasley is not. Can Rose do his taxes better than Beasley or something? Is Rose more proficient in Excel? No. They are both really good at basketball but happen to have different personalities. Derrick Rose is going to be freaking great but give me Beasley this year. That is all. Now, the idea that Rose should be the pick because he is by far the best true point guard for a league that covets them more than ever -- that works.

2. Miami Heat
This is probably where Beasley is going to go, whether it's by Miami or not, so let's talk about him. First, ESPN is cashing in on this whole, "The Next Arenas" thing by capitalizing on Beasley's personality even while its writers bash his draft prospects. They have him blogging. They have an "in-depth" feature on him, which tries to overtake that old Wash Post feature as the "link all Internet writers must provide when discussing Beasley's character issues." They have some ESPN Digital Video things (part 1, part 2) of him, which are pretty tame but awesome for a Philly native like me because he hangs out in the city all day. For the record, he does not stab anyone in the videos nor does he give anyone a wedgie. Rose did work out for Miami so if you're the type of person that likes to make blind leaps of faith (and as someone writing about the Draft, I am), that's another sign that Chicago hasn't made up its mind.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves
They hold the key to the rest of the Draft. Not only does their pick affect those after it but it apparently affects those in front of it. If Miami thinks they can get Mayo at No. 4 or No. 5, they may be inclined to trade the No. 2. The T'Wolves seem to be all over the board. Mayo should be the pick but they have brought in Eric Gordon and Jerryd Bayless recently. Brook Lopez and Danilo Gallinari were in there too. As Ian Thomsen at Sports Illustrated writes, this is one of the toughest drafts to predict in recent memory and a lot of it rests on Miami and Minnesota's uncertainty. Thomson says it's down to Mayo and Love. Mayo has been neglecting small markets (although given that he worked out in Minny, his tune may have changed), and Love is a white person. You do the math.

4. Seattle Supersonics
Another team that long seemed to be locked in on a player (Jerryd Bayless), but now could go any number of directions. It appears Brook Lopez and Russell Westbrook (who Chad Ford has the Sonics taking -- now who is the one with the crazy man crush on Russ?), are very real possibilities. Apparently my man Westbrook has shut down workouts and according to Ford, has a promise in the mid-lottery, possibly at No. 4.

5. Memphis Grizzlies
Many reports have the Grizz trading this pick along with Mike Miller (good) and Brian Cardinal (and his franchise crushing contract). It seems like the Grizzlies best bet is if Mayo falls to them so Miami or another teams that wants him will come calling. Otherwise they will probably take Kevin Love. Some are reporting "Chubby Bryce Drew" Gordon is high up there, but others are reporting he doesn't want to play there. Also, this made me laugh out loud, although I'm sure that wasn't the writer, or Chris Wallace's, intention.

6. New York Knicks
Another pick that seems to be way up in the air and also seems to affect all that comes after it. Danilo Gallinari worked out there recently and supposedly balled, which is good because he said he won't play anywhere besides the Knicks or the Nets. Obviously with Donnie Walsh at the helm, who is very much unlike Isiah Thomas, trades are distinct possibilities if the right vet is available.

7. Los Angeles Clippers
It's highly possible that none of the current Clippers besides Al Thornton and Chris Kaman will be on the team next year. It looks like they will be going small, which assumes they are for some reason optimistic that Thornton, Brand, Kaman will be their front line for more than another month or so.

8. Milwaukee Bucks
Another team that will likely look far different next season. With Scott Skiles now at the helm you can be certain that the pick will be boring. Joe Alexander seems about right. I'm not entirely sure why DJ Augustin isn't an option here, seeing as how Mo Williams stinks and is a shoot-first PG on a team with a glut of shot-hoisting forwards, but then again, it's the Bucks so I guess I should be surprised they won't be taking Sasha Kaun.

9. Charlotte Bobcats
If it was up to Larry Brown he would try to take Aaron McKie, but alas, there is no such option. I haven't read much about the Cats trading this pick which means they most certainly will. But if they do pick, it might be someone that hasn't worked out for them, because no one wants to. I suppose playing for Michael Jordan and Larry Brown has lost its luster. Besides you can wait one more spot and play for Jay-Z!

10. New Jersey Nets
Speaking of Hov, he is about to make a new friend. Who that friend could be is completely impossible to predict however. Logic says another big man for NJ, but then again logic has no place in the Meadowlands. Gallinari seems to be a lock if he is available because, you know, he doesn't want to play anywhere else, but a "rich man's Bostjan Nachbar" probably isn't too appealing to a future Brooklyn fanbase. They can barely understand the dude who sells Gyros on the corner.

11. Indiana Pacers
With the rumors surrounding a makes-too-much-sense deal involving TJ Ford and Jermaine O'Neal, DJ Augustin might not be the surefire pick here anymore. I guess Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy are long-term options so one of those wacky, athletic bigs will probably go here if Augustin does not.

12. Sacramento Kings
Not a lot of action on this pick. It seems like they will just keep it and probably take Augustin if he's available. Otherwise a Wheel O' Big Man will be spun and any of the Speights/McGee/Jordan mess will be chosen.

13. Portland Trailblazers
Some have them trading this thing for sure, others have them keeping it and taking something called Alexis Ajinca. One thing is for sure, the Blazers have options and probably don't need to get any younger.

14. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are the team that every prospect seems tailor-made for, which is funny because Don Nelson hates youth. Apparently Jason Thompson, a guy who has been underrated throughout this process, is in play. A 7-footer who can run and shoot? Doesn't sound like something thing that would interest Nellie at all. Initially an upside big man like Koufos, McGee or Randolph would seem to make sense, but don't they already have Brandan Wright and Patrick O'Bryant? (Yes, they do).

-Read more of Jason's Draft coverage at the Super, Scintillating, and Sarcastic blog

Milwaukee Bucks: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:04:46 -0700

2007-08 Record: 26-56; 5^th Central

Draft Picks: 8, 37

Key Free Agents

None

How they got here and what they need

Well, another tough season in Milwaukee eventually cost Larry Krystowiak his job, with former Bulls head coach Scott Skiles taking over in the offseason. What Coach Skiles will have to deal with is a team that plays fractured in a sense, with the guards getting the bulk of the shots to the displeasure of the big men. Can he get Mo Williams and Michael Redd to willingly share the load? That's going to be the question in 2008-09, along with whether or not the restructured front office (John Hammond takes over for the fired Larry Harris) will entertain offers for Redd.

As for what they need, a draft pick won't deliver a newfound chemistry; that'll have to come from the team as a whole. A small forward would be a welcome addition to the roster, as the Bucks seemingly have big men (notably Charlie Villanueva) who fashion themselves in that role...and it doesn't fit. But the Bucks could also use some toughness inside, since most of their contributing bigs are of the finesse variety.

Who they take

This guy has been a lightning rod in draft circles over the past few months; either you love his smarts on the floor and ability to do the little things or you dislike the fact that he was an undersized center in college. But with there not being too many options at the small forward position on the board at this point, I think Milwaukee will select Kevin Love. Unless they move the pick on draft night, this would be a wise decision as he could play the 4 right next to Andrew Bogut.

Draft History (since 2000)

- 2007: Yi Jianlian (6^th), Ramon Sessions (56^th)
- 2006: David Noel (39^th)
- 2005: Andrew Bogut (1^st), Ersan Ilyasova (36^th)
- 2004: No picks
- 2003: TJ Ford (8^th), Szymon Szewczyk (35^th), Keith Bogans (43^rd)
- 2002: Marcus Haislip (13^th), Dan Gadzuric (34^th), Ronald "Flip" Murray (42^nd), Chris Owens (48^th)
- 2001: Andre Hutson (52^nd)
- 2000: Jason Collier (15^th), Michael Redd (43^rd), Jason Hart (49^th)

Links: NBA Draft | NBA Teams | Mock Draft | Draft History

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Wednesday's Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:20:13 -0700

I’ve always thought Kobe Bryant had this unusual desire for attention that dictated much of his behavior. It wasn’t overt like Terrell Owens or Barry Bonds but it was subtly there. He’s never wanted to share the spotlight and he always had this wannabe Jordan air to him. Well my suspicions were validated yesterday when, on the same day the final list of NBA draft entrants was announced, it was coincidentally revealed that an amateur video existed of Kobe ripping anyone and everyone in the Lakers organization at a shopping mall. I realize this year’s draft has gotten a lot of media attention but come on. An amateur video? Let’s just hope he’s still wearing underwear in public.

Anyway, big day for the draft, here’s some links…

· We’ll get to who is staying and who’s going back to school in a minute but there may be a bigger story going on. According to Ian Thomsen at Sports Illustrated, Greg Oden has some lingering health issues. When I first saw this I put it alongside Durant’s bench press as far as legitimacy, but there seems to be several things that league executives are investigating. Among the concerns are that Oden’s wrist might not fully heal, he has a bulging disk in his back, he has knee problems and his hip alignment is off, causing one leg to be longer than the other. It seems like no professional draft can go by without the expected No. 1 pick being doubted in some way. But if Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard is really as torn as he says he is over who to select, I suppose these injury rumors should carry a little weight. Oden made his first trip to Portland yesterday so Pritchard should get all the info he needs. Also in the SI article are concerns over Joakim Noah’s shoulder which he recently said was “75 percent,” but his agent says is 90 percent. Whatever, I’ve stopped listening to Joakim Noah but if his workouts are as mediocre as I’ve read, I suppose his shoulder is an issue. By the way, Noah is interviewed by Andrea Kramer tonight on HBO’s Real Sports. It should be more unpredictable than the Sopranos finale.

· So here’s the final list of early entry candidates for this year’s NBA Draft. Obviously there are going to be some names most people don’t know, but here’s a rundown of notable players and their decisions:

· The most surprising name heading back to college might be DeVon Hardin of Cal. Originally, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Hardin was entering the draft but when it came down to it, he decided to stay in school. Carl Steward of the Oakland Tribune thinks the decision was a smart one by a smart young man. He was rumored to be considered in the top 20 and with his injury history it’s certainly a risk, but one thing’s for sure, Cal should be pretty decent next year and Hardin will at least get a chance at becoming a lottery pick.

· The most surprising name staying in the draft was probably JamesOn Curry. He went with the whole “the time is now” thing for his justification, but it’s pretty unlikely he’ll get drafted. It’s worth noting, and he does so himself, that Curry is now off of probation from drug charges. Sounds like a great time to enter the NBA. Hopefully Portland drafts him. It was originally thought that he would not hire an agent and if he went undrafted could return to Oklahoma State. He still doesn’t have an agent but said he’s not going back to Oklahoma State. Good for him. I mean, he is off probation, he can do whatever he wants. Curry does think he has a promise from the Bulls at pick No. 49. So there’s that to look forward to?

· A guy who I always thought was undervalued in this whole process, Sean Singletary, decided his stock might be better next year and is returning to Virginia. On the bright side, we get another chance to see Singletary destroy Greg Paulus’ ankles, which is a nice consolation prize.

· All of the potential lottery picks that were believed to be on the fence decided to stay in the draft. Jason Smith earned his spot the hard way, with a string of outstanding workouts.

· Jeff Green might have been intrigued by a shot at a national title but realized he was too good to not be in the NBA.

· Like a schoolgirl deciding whether to break up with her boyfriend, Spencer Hawes made a list of pros and cons before deciding his draft fate. With interest as high as the Wolves at No. 7, Hawes is in.

· I guess Paul Hewitt should start recruiting less talented players because he’s now lost both prized recruits from last year with Thaddeus Young declaring for the draft. For what it’s worth I think he’s a lot more NBA-ready than Javaris Crittenton.

· Mike Conley worked out for the Bucks the other day to some rave reviews. I don’t see any reason for the Bucks to pass on Conley if he’s available. Mo Williams is a free agent who should get a lot of offers and with Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva needing shots (not saying he deserves them, just that Charlie needs them), Conley would be a good fit. I know Brandan Wright rocked their socks off, but Conley is a is a bigger need. He’s a Midwest guy too, which means he might actually want to play in Milwaukee, always a plus.

· The Sixers took an impromptu flight out to L.A. to see Yi Jianlian. I think Yi would be a great fit for my Sixers and it’s rumored they would make a play to get him if he slips, but I cannot imagine a worse place for a 7-foot Chinese jump shooter to play than Philadelphia. This is the city that doesn’t allow non-English speakers to eat cheesesteaks. Al Thornton was unable to workout for the Sixers due to injury and Wilson Chandler was a no-show because of Isiah Thomas’ complete insanity, so they got a look at Morris Almond and Marcus Williams, two players Philly should consider at No. 21.

· Chad Ford has his latest mock draft and behold! It is free! Finally Chad Ford is being unleashed on the general public. I’m not sure how long it will be free because it’s still part of Insider’s content but it’s there nonetheless. Here’s the first five picks and here’s the rest of the first round (I’m as confused as you). He has some interesting choices here. I thought the Grizzlies loved Kyle Lowry so I don’t know why they’d take Conley, No. 7 seems high for Jeff Green, especially given the Wolves interest in Spencer Hawes and with all the teams trying to jockey for Yi, I can’t see him falling to No. 9. But then again, this is Chad Ford’s draft world and we’re all just living in it, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.

· Sometimes finding a decent article on ESPN.com’s Page 2 is nearly impossible but Mary Buckheit turns in a nice feature on some of the top draftees and their excursion to Vancouver to help EA Sports with NBA Live ’08. The whole trip sounded more awkward than entertaining but it was interesting anyway.

· SI.com’s draft expert Chris Ekstrand answers a bunch of pertinent questions. He’s not bad but I would trust NBADraft.net, DraftExpress and the like over SI’s guy.

· After Portland, it seems the team most people are looking to for a draft-induced rejuvenation is the Hawks. Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talks with beleaguered Hawks GM Billy Knight about using this draft to turn the franchise around… again.

· The Jazz have the No. 25 pick and worked out Morris Almond. As Almond acknowledges in this piece by Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune, he would be a great fit for the Jazz. The best quote from this article? “He even admitted to being a fan of the Jazz and forward Matt Harpring, an Atlanta-area product like himself, even if ‘it wasn't a popular thing to say.’” As I had always suspected, cool kids don’t care for Matt Harpring.

· And finally, you’re going to read a million articles on Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and all the potential lottery picks, but some of the best stories might come from the guys who have no shot at getting drafted. The guys who chase their childhood dreams and are just happy to be working out for one NBA team, let alone 10 or 12. Matt Lojeski from Hawaii is one of those guys. Props to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times for his feature on Lojeski, who used a workout with his hometown Bucks to gain an outside shot at a second round pick. He went up against Corey Brewer and Carl Landry and held his own against the college standouts, even when few eyes were on him. Good luck Matt.

Links: NBA Draft | NBA Teams | Mock Draft | Draft History

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Wednesday's Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:01:37 -0700

Today’s links are a little light. Not only are there not that many but after the Spurs took another step towards a Finals sweep I anticipate an epic flood of draft links from NBA writers desperate for a story once the Finals are over, so there are plenty to come. If you ever wanted a 1,200 word feature on Kyle Visser, your time has come.

And… links…

· There seems to be quite a buzz surrounding Yi Jianlian and it’s not necessarily because he has done anything good. In the sparse video footage of him, he’s basically dunking on high schoolers, his only workouts are individual and yet some teams are enamored with him. This well-done San Francisco Chronicle piece by Janny Hu doesn’t answer too many questions about his game, but it does provide a look at who the hell this kid is and the state of basketball in China. One thing is for sure though, if Yi gets drafted in the top five and struggles like Darko Milicic and Nikoloz Tskitishvilli, it might be the last time a foreign prospect can pull the whole “mystery” thing with the draft. On second thought, some of these NBA GMs would draft a 7-foot Romanian monk who averaged 12 points in a monastery league if he had a long wingspan and was mobile.

· Speaking of overhyped international players, Chad Ford checks in with his Eurocamp wrap-up (Insiders only). Seems like the better players at the camp won’t be in the draft until 2008. Also, these international players must have learned something from the stateside draftees in Orlando because most of the best prospects didn’t show. Tiago Splitter of Brazil, Kyrylo Fessenko of the Ukraine and Petteri Koponen of Finland, probably the three top international prospects besides Yi, all declined to play. Marco Belinelli of Italy and Ali Traore of France are the only two participants with a first-round shot this year. Oh and one day, Kansas State’s Bill Walker showed up with Team Reebok, which included some high-profile high schoolers, to challenge some of the Europeans (UCLA-committed guard Malcolm Lee was apparently the best player in the whole camp). Seems like some sort of international basketball version of Bring It On, but I’m sure it was entertaining nonetheless. Walker is apparently very fat right now, sorry K-State fans. NBADraft.net and DraftExpress have daily recaps available if you’re into that sort of thing.

· Joakim Noah continues his attempts to take over this draft. After attacking bloggers, mock drafts, Yi Jianlian and, albeit nonverbally, hairstylists everywhere, he’s now saying he’s going through workouts at 75 percent because of a shoulder injury. He said it also affected him during the season. Andy Katz has the story. Apparently this time Noah is speaking the truth because NBA teams have seen an MRI that shows a slight tear in his rotator cuff. Either way it’s pretty clear Noah doesn’t feel to secure about his draft position right now. So the strategy has become to use his two most valuable assets, his motor and his mouth, to boost his stock. What has resulted is an arrogance and obnoxiousness that most people are supposed to hate, but in a strange way has made Noah likable in this process. He is complaining about all the things that fans have complained about for years. Mock drafts are stupid, players that refuse to work out against other top prospects are cowards (he made an indirect jab at Brandan Wright as well), and injuries aren’t an excuse to not go all out for every team. Even though his words and actions may be a veiled attempt to restore his draft hype, Noah’s certainly accomplishing something important in the NBA Draft: getting noticed.

· The Bulls held a pretty giant workout Monday that included the Sigfried and Roy of the 2007 NBA Draft, Corey Brewer and Al Thornton. It’s the third straight workout they have done together. Joakim Noah loudly approves. Josh McRoberts and Jason Smith were also there. Smith is becoming one of those overhyped underrated guys in the draft. Both the Chicago Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune did the whole “this mid-major kid is so unheralded!” story. The hype is real for Smith, he has supposedly been dominating workouts and recorded a 37-inch vertical leap, the best among big men. He hasn’t hired an agent but he’s probably a lock for the top 20, maybe even the lottery. In other Bulls news, after all that, Carol Slezak of the Chicago Sun-Times doesn’t think the No. 9 pick is going to help the Bulls at all.

· Other workout news:

· The Sixers have been terrifying me with all of the local scrubs they are working out. Their latest workout included Will Sheridan who had been interning on Wall Street when he got the workout request. Maybe Sixers GM Billy King wanted to know if Sheridan’s firm was hiring. Jared Dudley, Nick Fazekas and DeVon Hardin were also there.

· At the Noah workout (he went up against Courtney Sims, by the way), which was for the Celtics, Brandan Wright did an individual workout on the other end of the court. He did not go up against the chair from Yi Jianlian’s individual workout because rumors are the chair received a late first-round promise and won’t work out for other teams.

· The Bucks are tight-lipped about their workouts but Brandan Wright will allegedly have an individual workout with them Friday. Mike Conley and Thaddeus Young should be there next week and Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Carl Landry are rumored to work out for the Bucks June 19th.

· Derrick Byars has worked out for the Sixers, Knicks, Nets and Wizards. He continues to fly under the radar but it’s rumored that if the Knicks keep the No. 23 pick and Byars is available, they promised to take him.

· Former Wisconsin Badgers Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor have been making the rounds. Tucker has 11 workouts total, Taylor probably won’t get drafted but worked out with Minnesota and is scheduled for Portland. Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal can’t believe Tucker would get picked behind Daequan Cook. He also can’t believe Eric Crouch isn’t a starting NFL quarterback.

· The deadline for prospects to withdraw from the draft is Monday and Joseph Jones is going back to Texas A & M.

· Jaycee Carroll is 24 but appears to be headed back to Utah State.

· To no surprise, Josh McRoberts signed with an agent and is staying in the draft.