Freshman sensation Greg Oden will leave Ohio State after one season to enter the NBA draft, The Dispatch has learned. Oden, who is in Indianapolis for an aunt’s wedding, is expected to make an announcement Friday. He is widely anticipated to be the first pick in pro basketball’s amateur draft on June 28. Columbus Dispatch
Yeah, no shit.
Showing posts with label NBA draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA draft. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Wednesday Chumpliness
The Grizzlies are expected to talk to former Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, among other candidates, about taking over the front office. Memphis Commercial Appeal
I have two words for Memphis fans who think Vandeweghe will return them to grace: Kenyon Martin.
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Regardless of whether he retains his job as coach of the Sonics or if owner Clay Bennett decides to replace him, Bob Hill's life will go on.
"I'm not going to die," he said after Tuesday's practice. "I've got a wonderful family that loves me to death. I just had my first grandson yesterday. I've got a beautiful home in Texas. So I'm not going to die. If I'm not back, I'll feel bad because it's the first time I haven't been able to have success." Seattle Times
I guess he's not counting his 36-78 record as coach at Fordham, or his three straight 1st round exits as coach of the Pacers.
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"Yeah, we're going to play hard [against the Hornets] and hope for the best, but we're just going to have to shoot for next year. Can we still get into the playoffs? Yeah, we can. Realistically, will we? No." Los Angeles Times
That's Maggette illustrating perfectly what it's like to be a Clippers fan: painful, pathetic, un-ambitious, and scared of the Golden State Warriors.
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Bryant said he hasn't given any thought to his MVP chances. Orange County Register
Fortunately I have. He has none. Kobe is a great player who deserves an MVP award about as much as I do. To even discuss his name in the same sentence as Dirk, Nash, Bronny or DWade is a joke. In fact, as far as the numbers go on paper, and the teams records, I'm not sure how you'd justify Kobe over 'Melo.
"Winning MVP would be nice, but it would mean much, much more if we had one of the top records in the league," Bryant said. "To win it now would be kind of like an empty award to me." Orange County Register
To us all, my friend. To us all.
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Dolan also revealed that Thomas' sexual harassment trial is scheduled for September. New York Post
Wow I had almost forgotten about that particular noose around Zeke's neck. Make that reason 7,943 on the top 25,000 reasons why Isiah Thomas should be fired. Something else just occurred to me: could the Knicks be tanking to go after a high draft pick? I know what you're saying, "But Cap'n, the Bulls get the Knicks 1st round pick this year." Sure, I know that. And you know that. But are you really that confident that Isiah knows it? I'm honestly only like half kidding. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out Isiah doesn't even realize he's given up maybe the most valuable draft pick since Bronny for Eddy Curry.
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Clyde "The Glide" Drexler may have been voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, but he was voted off the stage Tuesday as "Dancing With the Stars" fans eliminated Drexler and partner Elena Grinenko. And after Heather Mills' fall in Monday's competition, she fell to the bottom two in voting. Metromix.com
I guess now he'll only have a career of legendary basketballing, a city full of fans who'd die for him, millions of dollars and his debonair charm and good looks to keep him warm. Poor guy...
I have two words for Memphis fans who think Vandeweghe will return them to grace: Kenyon Martin.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Regardless of whether he retains his job as coach of the Sonics or if owner Clay Bennett decides to replace him, Bob Hill's life will go on.
"I'm not going to die," he said after Tuesday's practice. "I've got a wonderful family that loves me to death. I just had my first grandson yesterday. I've got a beautiful home in Texas. So I'm not going to die. If I'm not back, I'll feel bad because it's the first time I haven't been able to have success." Seattle Times
I guess he's not counting his 36-78 record as coach at Fordham, or his three straight 1st round exits as coach of the Pacers.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Yeah, we're going to play hard [against the Hornets] and hope for the best, but we're just going to have to shoot for next year. Can we still get into the playoffs? Yeah, we can. Realistically, will we? No." Los Angeles Times
That's Maggette illustrating perfectly what it's like to be a Clippers fan: painful, pathetic, un-ambitious, and scared of the Golden State Warriors.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Bryant said he hasn't given any thought to his MVP chances. Orange County Register
Fortunately I have. He has none. Kobe is a great player who deserves an MVP award about as much as I do. To even discuss his name in the same sentence as Dirk, Nash, Bronny or DWade is a joke. In fact, as far as the numbers go on paper, and the teams records, I'm not sure how you'd justify Kobe over 'Melo.
"Winning MVP would be nice, but it would mean much, much more if we had one of the top records in the league," Bryant said. "To win it now would be kind of like an empty award to me." Orange County Register
To us all, my friend. To us all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dolan also revealed that Thomas' sexual harassment trial is scheduled for September. New York Post
Wow I had almost forgotten about that particular noose around Zeke's neck. Make that reason 7,943 on the top 25,000 reasons why Isiah Thomas should be fired. Something else just occurred to me: could the Knicks be tanking to go after a high draft pick? I know what you're saying, "But Cap'n, the Bulls get the Knicks 1st round pick this year." Sure, I know that. And you know that. But are you really that confident that Isiah knows it? I'm honestly only like half kidding. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out Isiah doesn't even realize he's given up maybe the most valuable draft pick since Bronny for Eddy Curry.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Clyde "The Glide" Drexler may have been voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, but he was voted off the stage Tuesday as "Dancing With the Stars" fans eliminated Drexler and partner Elena Grinenko. And after Heather Mills' fall in Monday's competition, she fell to the bottom two in voting. Metromix.com
I guess now he'll only have a career of legendary basketballing, a city full of fans who'd die for him, millions of dollars and his debonair charm and good looks to keep him warm. Poor guy...
James Dolan's Pooch Screwing Clinic: Open For Business
So you're a gazillionaire owner of one of the biggest market pro basketball franchises on the planet. Maybe the biggest. Who cares if your team has the worst roster of overpaid, underachieving layabouts. Or that your insane coach/president is literally throwing stacks of hundred dollar bills into an incinerator on guys like Steve Francis, Malik Rose, Jerome James and Jared Jeffries. Or that with two first round picks in last year's draft, he went after two 2nd rounders. What does it matter that instead of Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins, you could have had Balkman and Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo or Dan Gibson? Who cares if your coach mortgaged your future on Eddy Curry, and now you don't have a first round pick in one of the deepest drafts in years...
Wait a second. That should all really piss you off. Sure the Knicks are still making gobs of money, but just imagine how much more they'd make if they could make the playoffs, or even be a contender. So with the team performing better than it had in years, with Curry, Marbury and the rest of these salary thieves not embarrassing themselves on the nightly, you take the carrot they've been chasing and stick it in their mouths. It can't be denied; announcing Zeke's extension with plenty of time left to go in the season sent the Knicks on a pathetic slide.
In fact, for all the bravado about an improved team, they're barely better than the humiliation factory they ran last season. Plus, as Adrian Wojnarowski recently pointed out, the extension really means nothing. If they play bad enough, Isiah will get fired whether he has 1 year to go on his contract, or a thousand. Even Isiah knows this. But it seemed like the threat of unemployment had lit a fire under the Knickersuckers to play for the job of the coach they love so. So why take away their only motivation?
They clearly love Isiah, and why not? For all the rampant failure and underachieving that goes on in New York, the maddest I've ever seen any Knicks (including Isiah) get about anything, is when they think another team is running up the score on them. Thomas doesn't hold them to account for their failures, so they don't hold themselves either. Now there's talk of bringing in Rashard Lewis. I hope for his sake he makes the right decision and passes. What the hell do they even really need to go after 'Shard for? The problem isn't a lack of talented players (at literally every position). The problem is the atmosphere of mediocrity.
Just listen to Dolan when asked about the possibility of bringing in Jerry West, one of the most brilliant and unstoppable men in NBA history, both on the court and in the front office:
"I wouldn't say to Isiah, 'Hey, Isiah, Jerry's coming in and you've got to take it,'" Dolan said. "No, I would never do that." (Ken Berger, NewsDay)
Good call, why put the needs of the team, city and fans ahead of your borderline creepy relationship with Isiah Thomas, the man who ruined the Raptors, ruined the Pacers and now has ruined the Knicks. Why do that, when you can run a clinic on how to kill a franchise. That, my friends, is what we call "screwing the pooch."
Wait a second. That should all really piss you off. Sure the Knicks are still making gobs of money, but just imagine how much more they'd make if they could make the playoffs, or even be a contender. So with the team performing better than it had in years, with Curry, Marbury and the rest of these salary thieves not embarrassing themselves on the nightly, you take the carrot they've been chasing and stick it in their mouths. It can't be denied; announcing Zeke's extension with plenty of time left to go in the season sent the Knicks on a pathetic slide.
In fact, for all the bravado about an improved team, they're barely better than the humiliation factory they ran last season. Plus, as Adrian Wojnarowski recently pointed out, the extension really means nothing. If they play bad enough, Isiah will get fired whether he has 1 year to go on his contract, or a thousand. Even Isiah knows this. But it seemed like the threat of unemployment had lit a fire under the Knickersuckers to play for the job of the coach they love so. So why take away their only motivation?
They clearly love Isiah, and why not? For all the rampant failure and underachieving that goes on in New York, the maddest I've ever seen any Knicks (including Isiah) get about anything, is when they think another team is running up the score on them. Thomas doesn't hold them to account for their failures, so they don't hold themselves either. Now there's talk of bringing in Rashard Lewis. I hope for his sake he makes the right decision and passes. What the hell do they even really need to go after 'Shard for? The problem isn't a lack of talented players (at literally every position). The problem is the atmosphere of mediocrity.
Just listen to Dolan when asked about the possibility of bringing in Jerry West, one of the most brilliant and unstoppable men in NBA history, both on the court and in the front office:
"I wouldn't say to Isiah, 'Hey, Isiah, Jerry's coming in and you've got to take it,'" Dolan said. "No, I would never do that." (Ken Berger, NewsDay)
Good call, why put the needs of the team, city and fans ahead of your borderline creepy relationship with Isiah Thomas, the man who ruined the Raptors, ruined the Pacers and now has ruined the Knicks. Why do that, when you can run a clinic on how to kill a franchise. That, my friends, is what we call "screwing the pooch."
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Rookie Barrage and Mirage: Vol.1
2003 was obviously the best draft class since the one that featured Jordan, Barkley, Stockton and Olajuwon. LeBron, 'Melo, DWayde, Bosh, and Josh Howard are all bona fide A-list stars now. The next tier is stacked with talent as well; Hinrich, David West, Luke Ridnour, TJ Ford, Kaman, Diaw and Barbosa. The C-List stars from that class are also nothing to scoff at; Mikael Pietrus, Darko, Zaza, Nick Collison, Marcus Banks, Sasha Pavlovic, Outlaw, Jason Kapono, Walton, Steve Blake, Willie Green, Korver, Bogans, and James Jones. Rounding out the pack are competent Kendrick Perkins, Brian Cook, Jarvis Hayes, Carlos Delfino and Michael Sweetney. And that's not to mention guys who signed after going un-drafted, which included Marquis Daniels, Matt Carroll, Udonis Haslem and Quinton Ross.
So basically out of one year we got 5 guys who were all stars within 4 years. 5 more who could be all stars next season. 18 starters. And a few guys who we've just scratched the surface of potential with (Barbosa, Darko, Collison, Pavlo and Pietrus). 4 Years later and this class is running the league. Compared with 2002(and don't understand me too fast, it was also an excellent draft class): Amare, Yao, Caron, Tayshaun and Boozer is a fantastic core. There's 4 all stars and a champion in there. The fall off is rather steep after that though; Nenad, Dunleavy, Jr., Gooden, Nene, Wilcox, Flip Murray, Freddie Jones, Nachbar, Ely, Salmons, Dixon, Barnes and Jared Jeffries. That's 4 all stars and 18 players worth even mentioning within 5 years. As opposed to 5 and 37 the next year.
So what about the 2006 class? It's a little early to tell, but the picture's getting clearer. First the guys who obviously can hang at the NBA level. They're not locks to be All Stars any time soon, but they'll all be playing prominent roles 4 or 5 years from now: Bargnani, Roy, Foye, Gay, Rondo, Aldridge, Thomas, Williams, Garbajosa, and Millsap. And I would expect Gay, Roy and Bargnani to be All Stars in the next two or three years. After them are a another string of actually decent players. This class was labeled a bust by many, but I disagree. Lowry, Farmar, Morrison, Reddick, Shelden Williams, Gibson, Carney, Sefolosha, Brewer, Miles, Balkman, Rodriguez, Armstrong, Simmons, Novak, Powe and Adams have all shown flashes. There were several immediate busts, Brown, Brown, Sene, O'Bryant, and more happening every day. But still this class has a wide field of guys getting a chance to shine.
Essentially the draft ebbs and flows with the crop of college talent. Though next year's draft potentially sports two guys everyone agrees will be immediate successes, Oden and Durant, the fall off after that is pretty steep. Some even think Marc Gasol, Pau's chump ass baby brother, could go 1st round. So stars do not, necessarily, a great draft class make. One could even argue this class will be a bigger success than that 2002 class, in that there are way more guys potentially to still be big contributors, 4 or 5 years down the line.
More on this analysis to come...
So basically out of one year we got 5 guys who were all stars within 4 years. 5 more who could be all stars next season. 18 starters. And a few guys who we've just scratched the surface of potential with (Barbosa, Darko, Collison, Pavlo and Pietrus). 4 Years later and this class is running the league. Compared with 2002(and don't understand me too fast, it was also an excellent draft class): Amare, Yao, Caron, Tayshaun and Boozer is a fantastic core. There's 4 all stars and a champion in there. The fall off is rather steep after that though; Nenad, Dunleavy, Jr., Gooden, Nene, Wilcox, Flip Murray, Freddie Jones, Nachbar, Ely, Salmons, Dixon, Barnes and Jared Jeffries. That's 4 all stars and 18 players worth even mentioning within 5 years. As opposed to 5 and 37 the next year.
So what about the 2006 class? It's a little early to tell, but the picture's getting clearer. First the guys who obviously can hang at the NBA level. They're not locks to be All Stars any time soon, but they'll all be playing prominent roles 4 or 5 years from now: Bargnani, Roy, Foye, Gay, Rondo, Aldridge, Thomas, Williams, Garbajosa, and Millsap. And I would expect Gay, Roy and Bargnani to be All Stars in the next two or three years. After them are a another string of actually decent players. This class was labeled a bust by many, but I disagree. Lowry, Farmar, Morrison, Reddick, Shelden Williams, Gibson, Carney, Sefolosha, Brewer, Miles, Balkman, Rodriguez, Armstrong, Simmons, Novak, Powe and Adams have all shown flashes. There were several immediate busts, Brown, Brown, Sene, O'Bryant, and more happening every day. But still this class has a wide field of guys getting a chance to shine.
Essentially the draft ebbs and flows with the crop of college talent. Though next year's draft potentially sports two guys everyone agrees will be immediate successes, Oden and Durant, the fall off after that is pretty steep. Some even think Marc Gasol, Pau's chump ass baby brother, could go 1st round. So stars do not, necessarily, a great draft class make. One could even argue this class will be a bigger success than that 2002 class, in that there are way more guys potentially to still be big contributors, 4 or 5 years down the line.
More on this analysis to come...
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