Pick One: New Orleans Hornets
Selection: Anthony Davis, PF/C, Kentucky
I read a comparison today of Anthony Davis that was very telling. On offense, think Tim Duncan, on defense think Tyson Chandler. Who wouldn't want that? Just a year after the departure of their star point guard, the Hornets get their next franchise player and they desperately hope they'll have a better outcome with him. Not only does he make the Hornets better right away, do you think Eric Gordon is going to want to skip town now? I don't see it, Congrats New Orleans you not only secure the best player in this draft, you managed to swing the news away from bountygate. I don't feel the need to get into what void he'll fill or the statlines he threw up in college, it's common knowledge that the uni brow will be the selection here.
Pick Two: Charlotte Bobcats
Selection: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky
Charlotte will have to settle with Kentucky's second best player, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Kidd-Gilchrist had one of the best motors in the country this past season and his athleticism is at an elite level. He's good enough now on the defensive end and has room to grow into a very good perimeter defender. He can pull-up and take a jumper from anywhere on the floor, but his strength lies in attacking the basket as he's at his best in transition. He avaeraged almost 12 points per game on a stacked Kentucky team. MKG will be welcomed on a team with needs everywhere, small forward may be their biggest need. This selection makes sense for both parties involved.
Pick Three: Washington Wizards
Selection: Bradley Beal, SG Florida
With this selection, the Wizards are able to pair Beal with John Wall, which will automatically give the Wizards one hell of a backcourt. I've been hearing comparisons to Ray Allen all week for this kid. He's a great shooter from anywhere on the floor, especially from downtown where he's got scary range. He's a great athlete as well and will attack the rim and finish more often than not. He shot about 45% from the field at Florida and averaged 14.8 points per game. He's a great rebounder for a guard, pulling down almost seven a game in his freshman season. This pick makes so much sense for Washington, but I would be thrilled if they passed on Beal for Thomas Robinson. Beal would look way better in the wine and gold than red, white and blue. Nevertheless, I don't see it happening and Beal will fit in great as a Wizard.
Pick Four: Cleveland Cavaliers
Selection: Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina
This is a tough pick, the ping-pong balls gave the Cavs a selection just one spot out of where they wanted to be. Bradley Beal would have been the ideal pick here, as he would have went third overall and possibly even second to Cleveland, had they had those picks. So this pick will be a choice of Barnes or Andre Drummond, depending on which direction Cleveland wants to go. Barnes is more seasoned at the collegiate level, which ironically is why his stock dropped. I don't buy into that however as he's still one of the best scorers, if not the best, in this years draft. His jumper is just beautiful and he can score just about any way. He'll give Cleveland that strong number two option that they need. He averaged 15.7 points a game in his sophomore season, down just a bit from his freshman campaign. He's a good free-throw shooter and a decent rebounder. One of the strengths of his game though is his defensive ability. He's a great perimeter defender which would be welcome in Cleveland. All in all, I'll be very satisfied with this pick.
Pick Five: Sacramento Kings
Selection: Andre Drummond, PF/C Connecticut
Andre Drummond is one of the most talented players in this years draft. He had a lot of hype surrounding him in high school, but had a disappointing freshman season at Connecticut. He has a lot of tools to succeed in the NBA, and the Kings hope that pairing him with DeMarcus Cousins will help not only Drummond bring out his full potential, but help Cousins play to his as well. Drummond averaged only 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per, but his potential says he can do way better. He needs to be in the right situation and buy into the team, but he could certainly be great, and the Kings hope it'll be for them.
Pick Six: Portland Trailblazers (By Way of the Brooklyn Nets)
Selection: Perry Jones III, SF Baylor
Had Jones declared for the draft last year, he would have been a top three pick. He didn't slide too far as he has all the tools to succeed in the right situation. He's a very raw player averaging 14 points a game, and 7.7 rebounds a game. He's 6'11 but only 235 pounds. I think he'd see time a small forward, especially if he's drafted by Portland. He played plenty of small forward at Baylor before freshman Quincy Miller stepped in at SF, and Jones was moved to power forward. At 6'11 though with his skill-set, Jones will be a headache to guard at small forward.
Pick Seven: Golden State Warriors
Selection: Thomas Robinson, PF Kansas
I've seen Robinson go as high as two in some places, but given circumstances and team needs, I can see him slipping to a team that could really use him, such as Golden State. My only problem with Robinson is he seems to small for his size. Although undersized, high-energy NBA players have proven recently that they give enough to stick around. Robinson fits that mold quite well. He's one of the hardest workers in this draft class, and thanks to three years at Kansas, he's NBA ready as of now. At 17.9 points, and 11.8 rebounds per game he's the kind of player that would fill in a frontcourt with Andrew Bogut better than David Lee. Because, let's face it, David Lee off the bench wouldn't be so bad.
Pick Eight: Toronto Raptors
Selection: Jared Sullinger, PF Ohio State
A lot of the things I had to say about Robinson can also be said about Sullinger. Of everyone drafted to this point, Sullinger is the biggest potential bust. He has a fantastic basketball IQ, but my question is can he play against the bigger players in the NBA. Sullinger went for 17.6 and 9.3 per game in a great conference. His success could be determined who his coach or frontcourt mate happens to be. How a team uses Sullinger will also be essential to how good he can be.
Pick Nine: Detroit Pistons
Selection: Jeremy Lamb, SG Connecticut
Lamb would be the second shooting guard from Uconn on this team, the other being Ben Gordon. Lamb could give good minutes off the bench in his rookie year, and start shortly after. At 17.7 points per game in his sophomore season, his scoring would be welcomed by Toronto. From the looks of things now, he'll never be a leader and doesn't have that killer instinct thats so important in the NBA, but the kid can score. His jumpshot is deadly as he shot 48% from the field and 34% from deep, which was actually down from his freshman season His size also allows him to play small forward if a team needs him to. His strengths outweigh his weakness to be the ninth pick.
Pick Ten: New Orleans Hornets (From the Minnesota Timberwolves)
Selection: Damian Lillard, PG Weber State
Lillard is a player I don't know much about. What I do know is Lillard is the best point guard in this draft, the Hornets need a point guard. A+B=C. The Hornets struck gold with their first pick, Anthony Davis, and if you pair that with a scoring backcourt headed by Lillard and Gordon, the Hornets could have something going for them. Lillard averaged 24.5 points per game at Weber State. He won't be the only scoring option on the Hornets though, which is something he should, and probably will understand.
Pick Eleven: Portland Trailblazers
Selection: John Henson, C/PF North Carolina
This pick would give the Blazers a pretty good PF/C foundation with Henson and LaMarcus Aldridge. Henson went for 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in his junior year. He knows what it takes to play center and I believe that if he's drafted here, he will be Portland's center. Meyers Leonard or Tyler Zeller could also be the pick here, but Henson's superior defense likely lands him the pick. Like a few big men in this draft, Henson needs to hit the weight room to strengthen his body as well as his game.
Pick Twelve: Milwaukee Bucks
Selection: Meyers Leonard, C Illinois
The Bucks best big man is Kwame Brown, that's something that desperately needs fixed. Leonard already has the body of an NBA center and he's very athletic. He's much like Drummond, being a work in progress, but he definitely has the skills and size to become a solid center. He wouldn't be the flashy rookie to start, it's going to take time for him to settle in and find consistency in the NBA, but once he does, he'll be a fine center.
Pick Thirteen: Phoenix Suns
Selection: Kendall Marshall, PG North Carolina
Kendall Marshall fits here for so many reasons. Steve Nash is a free agent, if he leaves, the Suns have Marshall. If Nash stays, he's still 38 and the Suns will need a point guard soon after anyways. Marshall was one of the best facilitating point guards in the country this past season, and his injury in the NCAA tournament made that evident. The Tar Heels missed him quite a bit. Can he learn to score if needed, can he play better defense? He's worth a gamble at 13 regardless.
Pick Fourteen: Houston Rockets
Selection: Terrance Jones, SF Kentucky
Jones has the talent to land in the top ten, and he'll be a steal at this spot for Houston, who could also use a small forward. Jones is a phenomenal defender and as athletic as they come. Jones was behind Kidd-Gilchrist on Kentucky, so no shame in seeing limited court time on that team. Jones is athletic enough to create for himself, but he's too inconsistent for a teams liking. His offensive game needs to develop and he'll be a fin small forward in the NBA.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Outside the Box
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| Photo courtesy of Sportsgrid |
In so far, the worst showing of the playoffs, the all of a sudden classless Dwyane Wade lost his cool (and probably lost the game as a result) and fouled Darren Collison when he didn't have the ball. The officials blew the whistle right away and issued a flagrant foul on Wade.
But that isn't where the drama began, let's back up a few seconds. Wade went to the basket, where Dahntey Jones was waiting. Jones went straight up, arms in the air, in other words good defense. Wade stood on the floor pouting before a few possessions later when a fast break attempt for Indiana happened. Wade sprinted the length of the floor tackling Collison, because, well, who knows why he would do something like that.
Had it been Mario Chalmers or Shane Battier or Ronnie Turiaf that fouled Collison, you better believe it would have been a flagrant 2, resulting in a 2-game suspension. But no, it was Dwyane Wade. David Stern knows he needs the Heat for ratings. Stern knows the Heat can't beat Indiana without Bosh and Wade. It sickens me that he's getting a slap on the wrist for this.
This foul immediately made me think of Jason Smith. Smith ran the length of the court and tackled Blake Griffin. Sound familiar?
Well it is familiar, it's this same foul down to the letter, except Griffin actually had the ball. The result of Smith's foul was a flagrant 2 foul, an ejection and a two-game suspension. The result of Wade's? None of that.
How do you justify what he did? How do you justify the lack of a suspension or ejection? How can someone with a big name get a slap on the wrist for an unprovoked foul that could have led to a serious injury?
I'm aware that Griffin's may have looked a tad more brutal, thats because the foul was from one power forward to another, not a shooting guard to a point guard. The bigger guy is going to fall harder. Blake laid on the ground and milked his foul, while Collison, being the true professional that he is, got right up and walked in the opposite direction of Wade.
Smith was no different, so how can this not be the same penalty?
That's right because Wade's name means too much to the NBA, and Collison's, not enough. He didn't foul one of the superstars of the game, and he doesn't come off the bench. That's got to be it, it's the only thing I can think of anyways.
Stern needs to step in and get this right, because it's a precedent the NBA does not want to set.
In case anyone missed either of these calls, here they are:
Wade on Collison:
Smith on Griffin:
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Kyrie Irving (Officially) wins Rookie of the Year
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| Photo from Sportsmediaworld.com |
No surprises.
Kyrie Irving officially won the Rookie of the Year on Tuesday by garnering 117 of the possible 120 first place votes. Irving averaged 18.5 points per game, 5.4 assists per game while leading the NBA in "crunch-time points." Irving becomes the first Cleveland player to win the Rookie of the Year since... Do I have to say it?
Kyrie is that special kind of player, he's humbled while at the same time a leader. He's a facilitator that is a scorer. On and off the court he sounds like the type of person everyone would like to be around.
Going into his second year, he's admitted to exceeding his own expectations in his rookie season. Byron Scott will expect much more of the 20 year-old kid as the entire Cleveland fan base will be eager to see what he'll be able to do.
What's evident to me, is the amount of fun he injects into this team. At his ROY press conference, Kyrie was all smiles and even cracked a few jokes. He talked about the third game of the season -- Kyrie's first career game winning shot which came against the Pacers -- and how in the huddle, Scott called a high pick-and-roll for Kyrie, to win the game. Kyrie smiled and proclaimed that it was neat that someone he barely knew would call a play for him with the game on the line.
"I didn't really know the bald head man." Kyrie joked.
Kyrie took the ball, got a good look at the rim, and exploded towards it, laying the ball in for the Cleveland win.
He made the 2011-12 season so much more enjoyable to watch over the 2010-11 season, even though the Cavs won only two more games. It was fun, there were flashes of great things this year, pieces are still missing and Kyrie is still learning, but dare I say the 21 win season was enjoyable to an extent, while the previous seasons 19 wins seemed like a train wreck.
The names of the NBAs top rookies of years past stick out. Most have done great things, individually and/or team oriented. Some of the greatest to ever play the game have won this award. While I'm not ready to compare Kyrie to anyone on this list, he's started off right. He's got the support of a wonderful organization, an owner willing to spend money and despises losing, a coach that can and will do wonders for a young point guard and the best fans in the NBA to back him.
This was step one in what will hopefully be a many step journey with Kyrie in Cleveland.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
So Much For That Idea...
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| Courtesy of Bleacherreport.com |
As Kevin Durant was the centerpiece, in the next two years the Thunder added Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden. It wasn't until Harden's rookie year that the Thunder were able to nab an eight seed in the playoffs.
With Cleveland youngsters Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson set to lead this team into the future, the Cavaliers have a bevy of draft picks over the next four years. One has to assume some sort of package deal will be struck at some point, because let's face it, 8 first round picks alone in four years is just too many players. Where will they all fit?
Cleveland has obvious needs at shooting guard, small forward and center. Luckily since the Cavs top pick can be no worse than sixth, there will be talent that can fill a need at any spot. Anthony Davis first, followed by in no particular order, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond and Harrison Barnes. You're probably thinking, that's only five, what about the sixth guy? Well that sixth guy is Thomas Robinson. The Cavs won't take him, but he won't fall to six either. So one of those five, or possibly Jeremy Lamb, will be a Cavalier.
The question is which one? Davis is the obvious pick at one, but after that it gets difficult. I've stated plenty of times my want for Cleveland to grab either Kidd-Gilchrist or Barnes, but now knowing that an Eric Gordon or O.J. Mayo won't be an option, that shakes up the thinking a bit.
Right now if it were up to me, Beal would be the guy. And he would be the guy strictly because of the talent at small forward that will be there at 24. At 24 you probably have the choice between Jeffery Taylor or Moe Harkless, which is just fine.
In that scenario, it would appear the Cavs could fill two starting spots in the draft alone. At the center position, Anderson Varejao could be plugged in there again, and/or a second round pick could be spent to try and develop Festus Ezeli or Fab Melo into a starting center.
Omar Asik could be a potential target for the Cavaliers as well to slot in at center, which would allow Andy to come in off the bench, where he's at his best in my opinion.
I can't say that I'd be sad with the draft night selections of MKG, Barnes or Drummond but if one of those three is the selection, there will be more ground to make up. I personally think Barnes is right now the best, and will have the best career of the other three, but the Cavs are way weaker at the two-guard and Beal just makes the most sense to me, if he's available when the Cavaliers have their name called.
Cleveland also has enough ammunition to move up and select two picks in the top five. Whether or not Chris Grant and Co. are willing to do that, or if they could work anything out with another of those top five teams, we'll have to wait and see. But a potential future of Irving, Beal, Barnes, and Thompson could become a reality.
Whatever the future holds, it's potential has me, along with every other Cavs fan, excited. Oklahoma City has proven that a team -- even a small market -- can build it's core through the draft, and has proven that it can be enough to seriously contend with the right pieces. Cleveland is going to give it a whirl and hope it can pull off what the Sonics/Thunder ultimately did over the last five years.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
End of Season Grades.
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| (Photo from Foxsports.com) |
Kyrie Irving
In a league that is quickly becoming dominated by point guard play, the Cavaliers struck gold with this kid. There is no question that a big part of what Cleveland was able to do this year and what they'll be able to do in years to come, was and will be because of Irving. He can score from anywhere on the floor, get his team involved and can even throw in the occasional jaw-dropping block. His defense has gotten better and he's the best free-throw shooter on the team. Safe to say this 19 year-old kid is the best player on the Cavs roster. I haven't even mentioned his multiple game-winners as a rookie. At 18.5 ppg and 5.4 apg, the rookie of the year award is already his. The only concern for me right now are the injuries. If you can ignore that he's 19 and playing like he's been in the league for ten years, if nothing else, he's made Cleveland fun to watch again.
Grade: A-
Anthony Parker
AP is a tough one to decode, he's old and nearing the end of his career and in fact may have played his last game, but who knows at this point. Parker is a shooter on a team without shooters and judging from the production at his position, the two guard is near, if not at the top of Cavalier needs. There are too many upgrades out there via the draft or free agency that I don't see Parker starting next year if he plays at all. AP can't guard many people and doesn't really get to the rim. He's a spot-up shooter that played his best without a facilitator (Played his best games without Kyrie). He was a decent role player on a non contender. The question is can he do it if the Cavs are contending, or better yet, can the Cavs contend with him starting?
Grade: C-
Alonzo Gee
Gee was the pleasant surprise of the season to me. Gee averaged almost 11 points a game, but more importantly brought a lot of energy to the game, whether he was in off the bench or starting. Gee is a plus defender and I never really worried about him getting torched no matter who he was guarding. He has an explosive step towards the rim and has the ability to finish. If I'm looking ahead, I see Gee of more of a sixth man, bringing his energy and defense off the bench, and believe me, that isn't a bad thing.
Grade: B
Antawn Jamison
Oh Jamison, where to start? First off let me say that Jamison has always been one of my favorite players to watch, even before he donned the wine and gold. With him almost certainly done in Cleveland he was a valuable piece of the puzzle, if only for mentoring Tristan Thompson for the year. His 17.2 points a game were second only to Irving, and his 6.3 rebounds per game is commendable considering how he plays. Jamison is another defensive liability though as I don't think he even knows what it is. Irving was a direct beneficiary of Jamison's (strange) scoring mentality. It seems he can score from anywhere out of nowhere with the craziest shots you could ever see. That's a big part of what made him special. From a leadership standpoint as well, he is second to none.
Grade: B+
Anderson Varejao
I can't say enough about the Wild Thing, in my eyes, he's the most underrated player in the NBA. This man comes out and plays harder than anyone, from start to finish, from season start to end, of course barring injuries. Sadly, he was only able to play 25 games this season. Coincidentally, when his injury kept him out of the remaining 41 games, the Cavaliers playoff hopes started to fade. He averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds a game, which was good enough to garner All-Star votes. Varejao will be back next year, and hopefully he can stay healthy throughout the year to see the Cavs through the season into their potential playoff run.
Grade: Incomplete
Tristan Thompson
TT is a fun player to grade, his potential is through the roof. Athletically, he's a freak. His motor, much like Varejao, is always running. He's a defensive stud who is finally showing flashes of an offensive game. He averages about 24 minutes a game, and throws down 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. He'll even throw a block a game in there, even though he swats at everything in his bubble. Stats don't really justify how valuable Thompson is though. The stats will improve, but defensively he's already a force. There are good things in this kids future, and this year started him out on the right track.
Grade: B-
As far as Cleveland notables go, I think that about covers it. There are other players who are noteworthy for the Cavs, but for whatever reason didn't play enough. I honestly believe that barring injuries to Irving and Varejao, Cleveland would have been an eight seed right now instead of having the third best shot at getting Anthony Davis. If everything does indeed happen for a reason, this draft pick may put the Cavs over the top, instead of being that perennial seven or eight seed. Time will tell.
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