New York Knicks: NBA Draft

New York Knicks: 2009 NBA Draft

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:04:13 -0700

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

- We’ll update our Team Capsules with more specific info once the lottery is complete.

New York Knicks

2008-09 Record: 32-50 (5^th Atlantic; 14^th in the East)

Draft Pick: 8^th

Key Free Agents:

David Lee (restricted)

Nate Robinson (restricted)

Al Harrington (unrestricted; player option)

How they got here:

Out went Isiah Thomas and in came the tandem of Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni, selling Knicks fans the dream of the 2010 free agent market. New York never made a play-off push, but they did succeed in ridding themselves of Stephon Marbury. The up-tempo style offered some excitement, but the resulting lack of defense also accounted for some remarkable performances by opponents (most notably LeBron James and Kobe Bryant) this season. Three important members of the rotation can hit the market this summer, and you’d think that retaining David Lee would be a goal for New York despite their desire to save money for next summer’s free agent bonanza.

What they need:

The question for the Knicks: are they sold on a tandem of Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson at the point? As exciting as the diminutive slam dunk champion is, he’s not a true point guard. And Duhon, who wore down over the final three months of the season, is a free agent in 2010. According to the New York Daily News the front office has been in talks with Spaniard Carlos Cabezas, who could be the answer at the point. If Cabezas is signed New York could draft a mobile big man instead. But expect the Knicks to resort to playing a woefully small lineup next season, picking a point guard suited to run D’Antoni’s system in the lottery.

Who they’ll take:

They’ve got options, especially with the possibility of signing Cabezas. It would make sense for the Knicks to go with a point guard here, given the presence of Wilson Chandler on the wing. Harrington may not return (given his inability to let go of the rim in a pair of losses to the lowly Clippers, I’d expect him in a different uniform), and they could let Robinson walk if a preliminary offer is too steep. Brandon Jennings, Eric Maynor and Ty Lawson (if he declares) could all be part of the conversation, as could Louisville’s Earl Clark if the Knicks go for a versatile forward to replace Harrington.

Draft History (since 2000)

2008: Danilo Gallinari (6^th)

2007: Wilson Chandler (23^rd)

2006: Renaldo Balkman (20^th), Mardy Collins (29^th)

2005: Channing Frye (8^th), David Lee (30^th), Dijon Thompson (54^th)

2004: Trevor Ariza (44^th)

2003: Mike Sweetney (9^th), Maciej Lampe (30^th), Slavko Vranes (39^th)

2002: Nene Hilario (7^th)

2001: Michael Wright (39^th)

2000: Donnell Harvey (22^nd), Lavor Postell (39^th)

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Top Prospects

Stephen Curry - PG/SG - Davidson

Tyreke Evans - PG/SG - Memphis

Blake Griffin - PF - Oklahoma

James Harden - SG - Arizona State

Jordan Hill - PF - Arizona

Ty Lawson - PG - UNC

BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State

Ricky Rubio - PG - DKV Joventut

Brandon Jennings - PG - Arizona

Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN

NBA: Four Teams on the Rebound

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:19:33 -0700

By: Tommy Beer

14 months ago, the Boston Celtics and their fans were in the doldrums. They were coming off a dreadful 2006-2007 season in which they finished 24-58. And, as if adding insult to injury, after gripping their rosary beads and praying for over a year that they would be lucky enough win the 2007 NBA draft lottery – they landed the fifth overall pick; meaning they would have no shot at landing Kevin Durant or Greg Oden. The mood in Beantown was somber, as Celtics fans assumed their team would be stuck in neutral for a decade or so.

But a funny thing happened on the way to back to the 2008 Draft Lottery: The Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship.

Thus, for the foreseeable future, whenever any coach and/or GM of a struggling organization addresses their team during the first practice of the season, they will likely be quick to remind them of the Celtics incredible turnaround. Of course, it is safe to assume that most teams won't have the good fortune of adding two Hall of Famers over the summer, but why quibble with semantics? The point is, while it is highly improbable, it is possible to go from first to worst. (At least that is what teams can try to convince themselves of…)

With that fairy tale in mind, let's take a look at last season's cellar-dwellers and see if there is reason for a glimmer of optimism. While the 'miraculous, one-year turnaround into a champion' won't happen, are these teams at least on the right track towards respectability?

*****

Oklahoma City TBD's
Last season's incarnation of the Seattle SuperSonics finished with a Western Conference worst and franchise-low 20-62 record. (And it must be noted that it is truly a shame that fans in Seattle will not be able to cheer for the Sonics next season). However, Oklahoma City residents will obviously be ecstatic to inherit a team with a solid nucleus of young, promising athletes. The crown jewel of the franchise is Kevin Durant. Durant is fresh off a Rookie of the Year season, and is primed for bigger and better things during his sophomore campaign. One of the most impressive aspects of Durant's rookie run was his ability to step his game up during the season's second half. Over the first 50 games of the year, Durant was scoring at an impressive clip (19.4 PPG), but he was taking a lot of shots to get those points – he shot just 40% from the floor and 28% from behind-the-arc during that initial stretch. However, over the second half of the season, where most first-year players hit the "rookie wall," Durant got stronger and became more efficient and effective. In the Sonics' 30 post-All-Star break games, he averaged 21.9 points per game and boosted his FG percentage all the way up to 47.6%. During 16 games played in March, he shot 52.6% from the field and over 90% from the stripe. One of the few knocks on Durant coming out of college was that his lack of strength would be a hindrance, so to see his play improve as the season dragged on was impressive. In addition, he also led the team in blocks and steals. The sky is the limit for this kid.

Oklahoma City will also get to watch the development of Durant's fellow 2007 draftee, Jeff Green. Green also came on strong late last season, averaging 16 points over the Sonics final 13 contests. And in the Vegas Summer League last month, Green poured in over 22 points per game. Accordingly, with Green and Durant already in the mix, and their talented, young GM Sam Presti calling the shots, Oklahoma City has plenty of reasons to be thankful.

Memphis Grizzlies: While most teams in the NBA are trying to figure out ways to shave salary to get under the cap or avoid paying the luxury tax, the Memphis Grizzlies are being much more conscientious. (Memphis did sign Atlanta restricted free-agent Josh Smith to an offer sheet, but the Hawks immediately matched it.) However, while Memphis won't challenge New York for the league's highest salary anytime soon, they do have an assortment of promising young pieces. And after the Grizz donated Pau Gasol to the Lakers last season and traded Mike Miller this summer (the team's fifth leading scorer, Juan Carlos Navarro, also left to play overseas), the youngsters that remain will get plenty of playing time to show and prove. The Grizzlies best player is rising star Rudy Gay. Gay was one of the league's most improved players last season, nearly doubling his rookie production by averaging over 20 points and 6 rebounds a night. But Gay did more than just score and rebound. In fact, there were only two players in the NBA last season to average at least 20 points, 1 block, and 1 steal per game: LeBron James and Rudy Gay.

Gay will be joined this season by O.J. Mayo, the highly touted guard out of USC. The Grizz originally drafted Kevin Love, but sent him to Minnesota for a package including Miller, with Mayo being the key ingredient. O.J. is extraordinarily talented and is said to have the most NBA-ready game of all incoming rookies. We shall see. However, with Mayo and Jaric coming over from the T-Wolves, the Grizz now have a glut of guards with Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Javaris Crittenton already on the roster. Expect Memphis to shop at least one of these PG's, most likely Crittenton, in effort to shore up some other holes in the lineup.

Miami HEAT – Of the also-rans listed in this piece, the HEAT clearly have the best shot of seeing rapid results. And while the addition of Michael Beasley and a full season of Shawn Marion is exciting, it is the return of a healthy Dwyane Wade that really has folks in South Beach fired up. Those hoops fans that have seen D Wade strut his stuff for Team USA in the Olympics this month realize that "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee's back." For the first time in over a year, he looks 100% healed from an assortment of injuries that have hampered him. And when he is on his game, D Wade is utterly unstoppable. He is a rare, elite talent that can take over a game by himself (or even an entire playoff series - just ask the Mavericks.)

The combination of subplots in South Beach makes the HEAT one of the more interesting teams to watch this upcoming season. Lots of questions need to be answered. Wade looks great right now, but can he hold up for the full season? How will Marion perform, considering he is in the last year of his contract and will be especially eager to prove his incredibly impressive career statistics aren't the byproduct of playing alongside Steve Nash within the Suns explosive offense? Word on the street in the days leading up to the draft was that Pat Riley was extremely worried about Michael Beasley's immaturity and character issues. However, Riley apparently felt Beasley's prodigious talent was too tempting to pass up. Can Beasley grow up in a hurry and steer clear of South Beach's late-night draw? And, with Riley stepping down, much of the responsibility for keeping the ship sailing straight will fall on the shoulders of 37-year old Erik Spoelstra, now the NBA's youngest head coach. Should be fun to watch it all unfold…

New York Knicks – The good news: Isiah Thomas is gone! Knicks fans rejoice. The bad news is that the Knicks roster is still full of the players acquired by Isiah Thomas. Nonetheless, New Yorkers are hoping that their team is on the right path under the direction of GM Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike D'Antoni. The Knicks big addition this offseason was Danilo Gallinari, whom Walsh selected with the sixth overall pick in June's draft. They also signed free-agent PG Chris Duhon to a two-year contract. The Knicks roster is still unsettled – will they waive Stephon Marbury? - and Walsh continues to explore trade opportunities. The main focus of the organization from a big-picture perspective is slicing salary and getting far enough under the salary cap to be buyers in the magical 'Summer of 2010.' Walsh would love to find a taker for Zach Randolph, who is owed $17.3 million in 2010-2011. New York feels that if it can carve out the requisite cap space to offer a contract starting at $15 million annually, it will have a very real shot at landing LeBron James, or possibly settling for a beautiful consolation prize in the form of Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

Still, the Knicks, who won just 23 games last year under Thomas, should see a significant increase in their win total next year. Adding a former NBA Coach of the Year in D'Antoni will have an immediate impact. New York is desperate for any sign of progress and even baby steps in the right direction should energize the team and its fan base. The Knicks haven't won a playoff game since April 29th, 2001, so just being in the postseason picture during the second half of the season would represent a monumental improvement. In addition, Walsh is hoping that Knicks success will translate into his player's league-wide value increasing, making beneficial trades more feasible.

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

New York Knicks: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:29:17 -0700

2007-08 Record: 23-59; 5^th Atlantic

Draft Picks: 6

Key Free Agents

G Fred Jones

How they got here and what they need

The Knicks over the past three seasons have been one of the most dysfunctional franchises in all of sports let alone the NBA. But the reign of Isiah Thomas has mercifully come to an end with Donnie Walsh taking over as club president and Mike D'Antoni the new head coach. But problems still exist in the form of lazy veterans who are in no shape to run D'Antoni's system and an owner in Christopher Dolan who can't seem to stay out of his own way (Isiah as an advisor? I wouldn't want that man running a concession stand in the Garden).

First and foremost the Knicks need a point guard since Stephon Marbury is in the last year of his lucrative deal. But if there isn't a good option at the point on the board look for the decision makers to find the player who could be the best fit in the running system.

Who they take

With both Bayless and Mayo possibly off the board, the Knicks may have to look for the best fit with their only selection of the night. But a trade down to pick up an extra pick or two could also be in the works if this were the case. If they stay here, I think New York will draft Anthony Randolph from LSU. Kevin Love has a superior basketball IQ, but in regards to athleticism Randolph can be a better fit in New York.

Draft History (since 2000)

- 2007: Wilson Chandler (23^rd)
- 2006: Renaldo Balkman (20^th), Mardy Collins (29^th)
- 2005: Channing Frye (8^th), David Lee (30^th), Dijon Thompson (54^th)
- 2004: Trevor Ariza (44^th)
- 2003: Mike Sweetney (9^th), Maciej Lampe (30^th), Slavko Vranes (39^th)
- 2002: Milos Vujanic (36^th)
- 2001: Michael Wright (39^th), Eric Chenowith (43^rd)
- 2000: Donnell Harvey (22^nd), Lavor Postell (39^th)

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

Poll: What Should The Knicks Do With the 6th Pick?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:38:10 -0700

Which Team Had the Worst Draft?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 04:04:04 -0700

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Monday's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:29:05 -0700

Speculation season has come early this year with the Spurs mercifully ending the Finals and beginning all the draft hype sooner than usual, which is probably a relief to most basketball fans. Last week I predicted a deluge of links once the Finals ended and, unfortunately for me, I was correct. So we’ll go heavy on the links and light on the side comments today (well, I’ll try at least).

· Let’s stay with this idea that NBA fans are relieved the Finals are over so the focus can switch to the Draft, which this year, seems to garner more interest. Bill Simmons tackled the subject this week, offering some ideas to salvage the credibility of the playoffs. Ken Berger of Newsday wrote a great piece, suggesting the quicker the focus can switch to the draft, the better so fans can get this miserable season out of their memory. From 1984-1998, the NBA Finals gave fans a chance to see some of the best basketball ever played, so it’s sad to say that Simmons and Berger are right about the state of the game. This year, the Finals were the low point on an overall terrible season of basketball and, with two franchise players available, this draft is so interesting because it provides the few casual NBA fans left with the exact thing that might save the popularity of the league: a change. It’s a chance for a whole new brand of players, two that could potentially change the face of the league, to inject some life into the NBA when it needs it most. Major League Baseball had the home run chase and fans (David Stern as well) are hoping Durant and Oden will strike the same chord. It’s pretty lucky that Durant and Oden are coming into this league after one of the worst years in memory, hopefully they don’t provide the NBA with yet another disappointment.

· Portland GM Kevin Pritchard claims he is still undecided on the No. 1 pick and will have a better idea after Oden comes to Portland tomorrow and Durant visits Friday. Apparently everyone in Portland wants Oden, which is funny because up until the national championship game, the “Greg Oden is overrated” bandwagon was nearly full. Something tells me that stupid bench press carries more weight (no pun intended… I swear) than it should. Pritchard’s best quote regarding the decision: "Look at the first half of Durant's game against Kansas. Watch that game and tell me it's an easy choice." I love this guy.

· On the Durant front, Adidas and Nike are apparently in a bidding war for the young man’s services. Durant’s agent is apparently asking for something in the ballpark of 50 million but Durant is interested in going the Stephon Marbury route (with shoes, not incompetence) and offering a cheap pair of shoes so kids can afford them. He is a lock for world domination, I’m sure of it. On a sad note, Durant visited Seattle this week to get a look at his probable first NBA city. He is expected to announce his retirement shortly.

· Today marks the deadline for undecided players to announce their intentions for the draft. I’m sure the final list of draft entrants will be readily available today, but we’ll cover that Wednesday. The great Andy Katz is all over several players decisions and, more importantly, what it means to their respective college teams. In case you’re reading this before the official list comes out, here’s what we know so far:

· Dominic James is making the right choice and going back to Marquette.

· JamesOn Curry is making the wrong choice and staying in the draft. He thinks Chicago is taking him at No. 49 but not everyone is so sure. He may pull a Randolph Morris and not hire an agent at all so he could head back to school and become a free agent after the season.

· Ramon Sessions is supposedly killing his workouts and will stay in the draft.

· I, probably like most people, know little about Dominic McGuire from Fresno, but here’s a Q & A with Gary Estwick of the Fresno Bee to enlighten us all. McGuire hired an agent and is in the draft.

· DeVon Hardin from Cal is staying in the draft, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Katz reported Hardin’s goal was to be in the top 20 and supposedly New Jersey has interest at No. 17 (didn’t they want McRoberts also?) and Golden State at No. 18 as well.

· Katz said draft longshots Maureece Rice (George Washington) and Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State) are heading back to school.

· Wilson Chandler appears to be staying in the draft and he just skipped a workout in Chicago. He claims it was due to injury but at the bottom of this article it says he is staying in the draft and has shut it down because Isiah Thomas, in his infinite wisdom, has promised the No. 23 pick to Chandler. Last week I read an article that Thomas promised he’d take Derrick Byars if he could. I don’t know what is going on in that man’s head but I know, given the precedent he showed last year, a ~~devastatingly awful~~ strange decision will be made.

· The most interesting draft article I read this week was from SI.com’s Luke Winn, who wrote about the incredible rise and ubiquitous presence of Internet draft services, most notably NBADraft.net and DraftExpress. It’s pretty fascinating how these sites began from such modest foundations and turned into resources that both players and NBA executives frequently consult. In a year where Joakim Noah bashed mock drafts and their “basement-dwelling creators,” Winn’s article smashes some of the preconceived notions about the Internet draft movement’s shaky legitimacy. It quickly becomes evident how serious these guys are. As far as the mock draft debate, the founders of the sites admit they are pretty unreliable at the end of the day, but Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, in one of the better quotes in recent memory, knows why: "If it was up to me, we'd just scout players and not have a mock draft at all. How am I supposed to predict the stupidity of 30 NBA GMs an entire year in advance?" He is my hero. Ryan White of The Oregonian takes his own look at the Internet’s unique way of following the draft, finding some interesting stuff regarding Portland’s pick at No. 1.

· Mike Conley (along with Daequan Cook) is staying in the draft. He worked out for the Bulls the other day and while it’s a long shot he’ll end up there, his dad wouldn’t mind it.

· Chad Ford has some rumors. It’s Insider only so I’ll just tell you what he said. Apparently the Wolves are really interested in Spencer Hawes at No. 7. I’m not sold on Hawes because nearly every power forward in the NBA is either stronger or more athletic than him, but he seems to have a lot of suitors. Only time will tell if I’m truly smarter than most NBA GMs. Ford thinks Thaddeus Young is staying in the draft, citing an interest in being in the top 20. That shouldn’t’ be a problem.

· Speaking of Hawes, he worked out for the Sixers and Celtics to pretty decent reviews.

· Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times took on the unenviable task of speaking with Sixers GM Billy King. They appear to be high on Nick Young.

· The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sekou Smith continues to lord over this draft with an iron fist, turning in another great feature, this time of Al Horford. Featured inside: Joakim Noah has something to say!

· I’ve always been interested in the effects that undecided draft entrants’ decisions have on their college’s incoming recruits. Luckily Whitelaw (not making that name up) Reid of the Daily Progress in Charlottesville has me covered with this feature on Sean Singletary and how his decision on the draft will affect Sam Zeglinski, an incoming point guard for the Cavaliers.

· It’s looking more and more like Al Horford and Brandan Wright will go, in some order, at No. 3 and No. 4 so the Celtics pick at No. 5 may be the key to the rest of the lottery. The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy takes a look at the options, which basically include a trade or any of up to eight players.

· Aaron Brooks is one of the more likable players in the draft as evident by this feature assessing his draft chances. His lack of size and his scoring mentality probably have him destined for the second round but Brooks has always been confident.

· Al Thornton has come a long way and after working out for the Celtics, Danny Ainge thinks he’s the second-best offensive player in the draft. Hopefully his long journey will contain a Sixers jersey.

· So I guess Brandan Wright, being the masochist that he is, had an incredible workout with Milwaukee Friday. The joke is once again on the hapless Bucks, who have no chance at getting him. That didn’t’ keep the local columnists, like Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, from wishing. After the recent diss from Noah, who refused to work out for the Bucks, and the defections from all their stars of the recent past, the Bucks appear to be the NBA’s least desirable franchise right now. Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hopes this offseason helps Milwaukee bring back the old days.

· Good to see some features on a few of my favorite mid-major players last season:

· When I covered Delaware and the CAA in college, one of my favorite players to watch was Loren Stokes, who is highlighted in this well-done feature from Brian Hendrickson of The Columbian. Hopefully he gets a shot somewhere.

· The Nets and Knicks worked out Jared Jordan. Isiah Thomas apparently really likes Jordan, raising the tally of players he’d like to draft to 14.

· Jamaal Tatum is one of the better defensive guards I have seen in awhile and apparently NBA teams are taking notice. Whoever drafts him is getting a lot of value.

· I’ve heard next to nothing about the Clippers pick at 14 but they seem to be looking for a point guard. Acie Law and Javaris Crittenton worked out for the Clips Wednesday. They must not be optimistic that Shaun Livingston will locate his left knee any time soon.

· Oh, and Yi Jianlian has a blog on NBA.com. The entire concept baffles me. I know bloggers don’t get a lot of credit but I will say this of them. They speak fluent English. That seems to be a prerequisite. Yi Jianlian, breaking the ethnic barrier of blogging. Maybe our government ccan learn from the blogosphere and repair our poor relationship with China.

Wow, that was exhausting. Back with hopefully much less on Wednesday.

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Monday's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:44:37 -0700

I am still catatonic from the vicious emotional shift that occurred after switching from the heart-stopping suspense of The Sopranos series finale to the soul-crushing disappointment of the NBA Finals last night. The body isn’t meant to endure such abrupt contrasts in entertainment value. Thank God for the internet, which once again provided instant rejuvenation through its own brand of suspense and half-truths: NBA Draft links, free of charge (well, at least for ESPN Insiders).

· I was all set to not have Greg Oden be the lead item of this edition but then something life-changing happened. I found out that Greg Oden has a blog. It’s hosted by something called Yardbarker, which seems fairly hack-ish but somehow hosts blogs from Oden, Angels pitcher John Lackey and a few scrubs, one of which is named Chris Henry but is not the Chris Henry I had hoped for (I had the prison pen pal joke all loaded up). Anyway, something tells me these Yardbarker fellas must have been involved with this photo and blackmailed the future Hall of Famer into doing this, but it’s interesting nonetheless. His latest entry is essentially a glorified yearbook message but for the most part, Oden is a pretty well-spoken, interesting and witty guy. I am all for athlete blogs (especially when they are not idiots and are Gilbert Arenas) so despite the oddity of it all, Mr. Oden has gained a reader. A lot has been said of Oden’s stoic nature and his elderly visage but from what I’ve seen and read of him lately, he seems like a pretty regular kid. And if you think you are seeing a different side of Greg Oden, it’s because you are. Within this well-done feature by Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star, we learn that Oden has hired a “media coach” to help him convey his personality to the public. Oh, and his coach was in American Pie 2, so he’s in ~~well-lubricated~~ good hands.

· Like an overshadowed younger brother, Joakim Noah isn’t too fond of this whole, “I’m not the best player anymore” thing and has been enjoying the presence of tape recorders in his face as he hits the workout circuit. At a workout in Charlotte he told reporters that he thinks mock drafts are a “complete joke” (Somewhere Chad Ford is locked in a room sobbing into a pint of Haagen Daaz). The weird thing is that Noah is probably right. He is a deranged lunatic, but right. Despite what the media thinks, mock drafts mean nothing, the opinions of NBA front offices do. Joakim Noah, voice of reason. If his war against mockers was not enough, Noah also felt like attacking his fellow potential draftees, possibly Yi Jianlin, after a workout in Chicago. He went off about players avoiding workouts against their peers and Yi has only been conducting private workouts. Spencer Hawes was in the workout, so it appears he is the only one safe from Noah’s wrath. In summation: Joakim Noah hates mock drafts and Yi Jianlin. He certainly picks his enemies wisely. Oh and he seems to have taken a liking to Chicago. Charlotte? Not so much.

· Speaking of Noah, he and his fellow Gator draftees helped out EA Sports with its player motions for NBA Live ’08. I can only hope this means that all players in the game will celebrate lay-ups by screaming and trying to swallow the camera.

· Really well-done piece from Jake Curtis of the San Francisco Chronicle on the new NBA age-limit rule and its affects on college and the NBA. I’ll go ahead and make this the section designated for well-written articles and add this piece, from the Portland Business Journal of all places, on the financial gains that come from winning the draft lottery. Here’s a sneak peek: it helps.

· Back to Yi for a second. He’s really not working out against other players and has opted instead to prove himself against chairs. Brett Edwards at the AOL Fanhouse has the link and the fantastic quote from Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who attended the workout. Reports indicate Joakim Noah thinks the chair is a coward as well.

· There are a lot of rumors about the Celtics trading the No. 5 pick, with one completely asinine scenario being basically Shawn Marion for the No. 5 pick straight up. Only if Steve Kerr’s intends to make his first move as Suns GM his last.

· Because this column involves reading an emotionally straining amount of NBA Draft content, I have a pretty good idea of which guys are the best at sifting through the BS. Here are some that recently stood out.

· Chad Ford is the best. With his ESPN resources he probably should be, but he is the best nonetheless. This week, he turns in a pretty great piece on the validity of draft workouts and some rumors, which include the groundbreaking news that Glen Davis is, in fact, fat. Ford’s stuff is for Insiders only but considering what he has to offer, any cost that doesn’t involve a piece of your soul should be seen as a bargain.

· I know he’s old news, but Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune is always all over this league. He’s got some trade options and draft buzz for us.

· Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is one of the best NBA beat writers I’ve read this year and I think his family should be concerned about his enthusiasm for this draft. He’s got a really good blog and turns in a solid feature on the Hawks No. 3 pick du jour, Brandan Wright. Can someone get Smith an NBA team to cover?

· There’s too many reporters that excel at this draft stuff to mention them all but one in particular slipped through the cracks until now. Bethlehem Shoals at the AOL Fanhouse alerts the world of NBA draft expert Lauren Anderson, who just so happens to be a former Playmate. There is no truth to the rumor that Doug Gottlieb is considering a boob job.

· Some notes on prospects making the workout rounds:

· In a match-up I would love to see, Corey Brewer and Al Thornton worked out against each other for the Celtics.

· Jason Smith continues to be this year’s Chris Kaman (unknown mid-major center who is way under the radar), working out in relative anonymity for the Knicks and Nets.

· Aaron Gray has slimmed down, to the point where scouts are now describing him as sloth-like instead of the previously used term, glacier-like.

· Ramon Sessions and Marcellus Kemp are still trying this draft thing out, but most are waiting for them to go back to Nevada.

· For some reason Jeff Green still doesn’t know if he should be in this draft. Teams are coming to DC to watch him because he doesn’t have an agent to pay for the travel expenses. This just seems like a genius plan to save a few dollars. Is being a top 10 pick really not enough anymore? I blame Hibbert.