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Discussion in 'Warriors Lounge' started by CohanHater, Jun 15, 2005.

  1. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    TREVISO, Italy The date was May 5, 2002.

    The Euroleague Final Four was in Bologna, Italy. I was making my first trip abroad to do a story on a feisty, young Argentinean shooting guard named Emanuel Ginobili and his backcourt mate, a young Serbian point guard named Marko Jaric.

    Both players had been second-round picks Ginobili to the Spurs (at No. 57 in 1999) and Jaric to the Clippers (at No. 30 in 2000) and were leaning strongly toward heading to the NBA after spending several seasons in Europe.

    Ginobili was an enigma back then to NBA scouts. His whirling-dervish act won him fans wherever he played in Europe, but how would such an unorthodox game translate in the NBA?

    Scouts in attendance weren't sure he was quick enough to get the shots he got in Europe. They were concerned that his thin body would break down with the more physical game in America. They worried about his jump shot. His defense. His temper.

    Most of all, they just weren't sure who he was.

    After the Final Four, most of those scouts and GMs traveled to Treviso to see a young kid in Benetton, Italy, who didn't even get in the game in Bologna Nikoloz Tskitishvili.

    Everyone was in Europe that year looking for the next Dirk Nowitzki and Tskitishvili was to be that player. Tskitishvili, a native of Georgia and a former ballet dancer, even played like Nowitzki, according to his former coach, Mike D'Antoni (now head coach of the Phoenix Suns).

    Ginobili, on the other hand, came with no ready-made comparisons. No one had seen anything like him. He scared them. Scared Gregg Popovich the first time he had to coach him.

    Three years later, Tskitishvili is on the slow boat back to his native Georgia. Ginobili? Well on his way to winning MVP of the NBA Finals.

    Have NBA scouts learned their lesson?

    The Reebok Eurocamp is underway in Treviso. In the gym are 60 of the top prospects in Europe, plying their wares for the NBA crowd. Almost every team in the NBA has a scout or GM here. Agents are crowded into bleachers in the corner.

    The Reebok camp has become to international scouting what the Nike and ABDC camps have been to high school scouting. It's a must-see stop on every good scout's itinerary as he attempts to untangle the scrum of high school, international and college players in the draft.

    This year, all eyes are on a young Croatian point guard named Roko Ukic.

    Ukic is a player who's familiar to most Insider readers. The feisty guard entered the draft last year after a stellar season playing for Split, shut down Sebastian Telfair at the Nike Hoop Summit, won MVP honors at the 2004 Reebok Eurocamp and played to rave reviews at a league-wide workout at the Chicago predraft camp.

    He's a big kid, but he's all point guard. He has great energy, ball handling, quickness, work ethic and athleticism for a point guard that size. He's great in the transition game. His defense has really improved.

    Still, despite the accolades and the upside, he wasn't able to secure a first-round promise. Discouraged, he pulled out of last year's draft and went back to Croatia to work on his game.

    Ukic wasn't a perfect prospect. His body was thin, he lacked a long-range jumper and he too often played a little out of control.

    "I heard what the NBA people were saying to me," Ukic said. "I knew I needed to improve. I follow the draft very closely. I know all of the prospects. I saw what they did well and then tried to fix the areas of my game. This was a dream of mine since I was 4 years old. I thought with hard work I could be ready this year."

    While most of last year's campers, including Martynas Andriuskevicius, Johan Petro, Marko Tomas and Yaroslav Korolev, skipped this year's Eurocamp, Ukic returned. To make a point.

    "I wanted those same guys to see what I've done," Ukic said. "I wanted them to see how hard I worked. I was in the gym many hours working on my 3-point shot. I worked on keeping my turnovers down and I even lifted weights."

    The results? Outstanding.

    Ukic had a stellar season for a 20-year-old, averaging 18.5 ppg, 4.3 apg and 1.9 spg for the year. That was a big improvement from his 15.4 ppg and 2.8 apg from 2004.

    His turnovers were down. His weight was up more than 30 pounds, from 185 to 218. He even grew an inch, now measuring 6-foot-6 in shoes.

    By the time Ukic hit the floor on Monday, he was a different player. And he did whatever he wanted in the exhibition game versus the Italian under-21 national team.

    Ukic darted around the floor making brilliant no-look passes. His stronger body made him a better finisher in the lane. Last year, he kissed the ball off the glass. This year, he finished with several heart-thumping dunks. His 3-point shot looked smoother.

    More confidence. More mature decision making. More to prove. More on the line.

    Even more of a leader. After he bounced several amazing passes off his teammates' chests, Ukic spoke up in the huddle before his coach had a chance.

    "Just be ready," Ukic implored his teammates, all All-Stars from the camp. "The pass is coming. Keep your hands ready. Don't worry about me. Just assume that it's coming."

    When the game ended, Ukic had 16 points and three assists (he could have had seven if his teammates caught the ball) in 24 minutes.

    And in addition to the good numbers, Ukic finally got his comparison.

    "He reminds me a lot of Ginobili," one NBA assistant GM said. "I'm not talking about position he's a pure point guard but in how he approaches the game. He's brilliant. He's always in attack mode. He's starting and stopping and changing directions. He's almost impossible to keep up with."

    "I think a lot of people were scared of how Ginobili played when he came here. The same is true of this kid. His game is so different, and I think it's just taken us awhile to get comfortable with it. Seeing Ginobili dominate in the playoffs this year doesn't hurt."

    Given Ginobili's sudden rise in stature, and because they play different positions and have different games, the comparisons may not be entirely apt. But what they're games do have in common is unconventional styles that require a little imagination to project to the NBA.

    Ukic is just relieved to be here. He came down with a bad case of the flu on Sunday and thought his moment was going to end prematurely. But he felt better Monday morning and decided to give it a go.

    "I was scared when I got sick," Ukic said. "I know it was a risk to come here. I could play poorly and people would say bad things. But good players try to be good all the time. They aren't afraid to fail. My game is still not at the level I want it to be, but it was important to come here and show the NBA that I'm the type of player who listens and improves."

    The NBA took notice. Monday night, as GMs and scouts gathered in the lobby of the local hotel, Ukic had the buzz. His improvement from last year was too good to ignore. In a draft already filled with three great point guard prospects, it looks like we'll have to add a fourth.

    Of the scouts and GMs that Insider talked to, more than half had him ranked as the fourth best point guard in the draft, behind Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton. Two even had him ahead of Felton. The rest all had him ranked fifth behind Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack.

    Everyone in the room thought he was a legit first round pick and the best international point guard prospect to come along since Tony Parker.

    Now Ukic's challenge is convincing NBA teams to believe in him enough to call his name on June 28. In the past teams have shied away from taking international point guards early. Parker was the 29th pick. Jaric was a second rounder. Ukic has the right to withdraw from the draft, but says it's unlikely that he'll do so.

    Nearly every team here asked his agent, SFX's David Bauman, for a private workout tomorrow. Ukic has agreed, but he can't understand why teams want to see him in drills.

    "I'm a point guard, that's why I came here," Ukic said. "I played nearly 70 games this year and I came in and played in front of them. I'm a five-on-five player. You can't judge me just by seeing drills."

    Ukic already has a list of teams that he thinks he can help.

    "I read everything about the NBA," Ukic said. "I think Toronto could use a point guard like me, don't you think? Boston has Delonte West, but I think because of my size, we could play together in the backcourt.

    "And I'd love to play in Phoenix. I love the way they play. If I could back-up Steve Nash for 15 minutes a night and get to throw lobs to their bigs, I'd be so happy. I really want to go to a team that will let me push the ball up the floor."

    If GMs, head coaches, and owners can get comfortable with him, they way they finally made peace with Manu, maybe Ukic's improvement won't have been in vain and the ghost of Skita can be laid to rest on the same court it was born.
     
  2. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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    Thank you, CH!
     
  3. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    Here's the next one:
    There are three ways to help your draft stock at the Chicago predraft camp.

    First, you can actually play well in the event, like Luther Head and David Lee did, and convince scouts that you're first-round material.

    Second, you can stand against a wall, spread your arms out and possibly measure longer/bigger than team originally thought you were. Guys like Chris Paul and Ike Diogu did that this year.

    Finally, you can go through the NBA draft combine and prove to scouts that you're quicker, stronger, or can jump higher than your original scouting report.

    Insider exclusively obtained a list of the Chicago pre-draft camp combine results on Wednesday. The combine measures four key areas: strength (bench press repetitions of 185 pounds), vertical jump, lane agility (how fast a player moves laterally around the key), and speed (-court sprint). Then the league adds those up and gives an athletic ranking to each player in the draft.

    The overall winner this year was Oklahoma State's Joey Graham, who blew away the competition. Second was Georgia Tech's Will Bynum. Other top players with good scores included Rashad McCants (3rd overall), Luther Head (6th), David Lee (11th), Marvin Williams (15th), Chris Paul (16th) and Raymond Felton (18th).

    There was one major surprise in the top 20 -- Illinois point guard Deron Williams finished 10th, ahead of both Paul and Felton. Part of that had to do with strength; Williams bench pressed 185 pounds 15 times, which is really great for a point guard. However, that wasn't the full story.

    There have been major questions about Williams' lateral quickness, but he actually tested quicker than Paul in the lane agility drill and finished .03 seconds behind Paul in the sprint. Williams has lost about 15 pounds and is down to 7 percent body fat, which obviously has helped his athleticism.

    The bottom end of the spectrum included mostly international players and lumbering big men. Georgia Tech center Luke Schensher finished at the bottom of the list (75th). Ersan Ilyasova (74th) and Martynas Andriuskevicius (73rd) also tested poorly.

    The shock on the low end was high school star Monta Ellis, who finished 70th. His strength, vertical jump and lateral quickness were all on the low end of the scale. That could be devastating to his draft chances.

    Other disappointments included Andrew Bogut (61st), Martell Webster (60th), Rudy Fernandez (57th), Antoine Wright (55th), Jarrett Jack (54th) and Francisco Garcia (51st).

    Luther Head ranked as the most athletic point guard in camp. Will Bynum took the award for the 2-guards. Joey Graham won for 3s, David Lee for 4s and Marcin Gortat for centers.

    Ellis was the worst ranked guard in camp at either position. Ilyasova finished last among small forwards while Taylor Coppenrath was last for power forwards and Luke Schenscher finished at the bottom of the heap for centers.

    On the individual test front, Will Bynum recorded the highest one-step vertical jump at 40 inches. Gerald Green and Ronnie Price tied for second at 39 inches, followed by Luther Head at 38. Chris Paul and Hakim Warrick rounded out the top-five, each launching a 38-inch leap.

    Luke Schensher recorded the worst vertical jump, at 26 inches. He was followed by Taylor Coppenrath and Jason Klotz (27 inches) and Martynas Andriuskevicius and Wayne Simien (27 inches).

    Joey Graham won the strength test, bench pressing 185 pounds an impressive 26 times. Ike Diogu finished second with 21 reps, followed by Chuck Hayes with 20. Channing Frye helped himself shed the soft label a bit by hoisting the bar 19 times. Eric Williams, Marcin Gortat and David Simon all finished tied for fifth with 18 reps.

    As happens every year, several top players were unable or barely able to do this drill. Monta Ellis, Rudy Fernandez, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Brandon Rush and Daryl Dorsey got a zero for the drill. Luke Schensher and Travis Diener could only lift the bar once.

    In the lane agility drill, Michigan State's Alan Anderson recorded the fastest time at 10.32 seconds. Rashad McCants was second at 10.39. John Lucas ranked third, Rudy Fernandez fourth and Raymond Felton fifth.

    Jason Klotz, Ellis Myles and Deji Akindele finished at the bottom of the heap. Monta Ellis and Andrew Bogut also recorded terrible times of above 12 seconds.

    In the -court sprint, Will Bynum recorded the fastest time at 3 seconds. Joey Graham, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and John Lucas were also in the top five. Marvin Williams and Julius Hodge finished in the top 10.

    Jason Klotz earns the awarded as the slowest guy in camp with a 3.68 seconds time. Ersan Ilyasova, Andrew Bogut, D'or Fischer and Torin Francis rounded out the five slowest guys in camp.

    Here's a look at how 30 of the top draft prospects performed in each event. Note that several top prospects, including Fran Vazquez, Johan Petro, Nate Robinson, Ryan Gomes, Brandon Bass, Matt Walsh and Linas Kleiza, did not participate in the testing.

    Chicago Predraft Combine Results
    Name Bench press Vertical jump Lane Agility -court sprint Overall rank
    Joey Graham 26 36" 10.62 3.05 1
    Rashad McCants 15 34 in 10.39 3.11 3
    Luther Head 14 38" 11.12 3.21 7
    Deron Williams 15 35" 10.83 3.25 10
    David Lee 14 32" 10.80 3.19 11
    Marvin Williams 12 35" 11.11 3.17 15
    Chris Paul 10 38" 11.09 3.22 16
    Raymond Felton 6 33" 10.50 3.06 18
    Ronny Turiaf 15 33" 11.50 3.23 21
    Gerald Green 7 39" 11.2 3.21 24
    Chris Taft 14 33" 11.26 3.27 25
    Julius Hodge 14 29" 10.89 3.18 26
    Sean May 12 33" 11.04 3.29 27
    Danny Granger 10 34" 10.84 3.34 31
    Channing Frye 19 31" 11.60 3.38 33
    Dwayne Jones 15 31" 11.87 3.25 38
    Ike Diogu 21 31" 11.94 3.45 39
    Charlie Villanueva 11 31" 10.86 3.3 42
    Wayne Simien 11 27" 11.05 3.35 49
    Francisco Garcia 5 31" 10.63 3.33 51
    Jarrett Jack 5 28" 10.87 3.24 54
    Antoine Wright 12 29" 11.45 3.41 55
    Rudy Fernandez 0 35" 10.48 3.33 56
    Martell Webster 7 30" 11.39 3.39 59
    Andrew Bogut 13 33" 12.06 31 60
    Hakim Warrick 11 38" N/A 3.22 61
    Monta Ellis 0 31" 12.13 3.31 70
    Martynas Andriuskevicius 0 27" 11.94 3.42 73
    Ersan Ilyasova 2 30" 11.59 36 74

    So who was helped and hurt by the testing?

    WINNERS

    Deron Williams -- Scouts have been questioning his quickness and athleticism all year. Now that he's lost some of that body fat, that no longer seems to be an issue. He's not as fast as Raymond Felton and doesn't jump as high as Chris Paul, but he's clearly in the same league athletically.

    Joey Graham -- It doesn't come as a huge surprise that Graham came out on top. If you've seen him play much, you know he's an unbelievable athlete. Still, finishing on top of the heap should guarantee he gets selected in the lottery.

    Will Bynum -- He was the last guy invited to Chicago and played extremely well, especially on the defensive end. A few scouts believe he might be a better prospect than Nate Robinson (the guy who tested as the top athlete in Chicago last year). I doubt he gets selected ahead of Nate, but he's definitely in the second-round mix now.

    Rashad McCants -- There are still questions about his attitude, but it's rare to find such a great shooter who can also test off the charts athletically (just look at Martell Webster and Antoine Wright). Someone's going to ignore the baggage and take him in the late lottery to mid-first round.

    Channing Frye -- He's stronger and more athletic than scouts have given him credit. The 19 reps on the bench press will turn a lot of heads.

    David Lee -- Athletically, he tested as the top power forward in the draft. His lane agility scores are what really stand out. Lee has very quick feet, which will really help him defensively in the pros. Combine that with his strong play in Chicago and Lee seems like he's another step closer to securing a spot in the first round.

    Marcin Gortat -- He had just a so-so camp, but he tested out as the most athletic center in the draft. He could be off the board in the first 10 picks of the second round if he decides to stay in the draft.

    Sean May -- His numbers don't jump out at you, but he showed a better vertical jump and more agility than his main competition: Ike Diogu, Wayne Simien and Chris Taft. Maybe that will balance out the fact that he measured smaller than all of them.

    LOSERS

    Andrew Bogut -- He's been trying to dispel the "great white stiff" myth for the past few weeks. This doesn't help. While his vertical leap is actually above average for a guy his size, his lateral quickness and sprinting speed were just awful. That will hurt him defensively.

    Wayne Simien -- Simien finished well below the other top big men in almost every area. Especially shocking is his lack of explosion jumping off one foot. His one-step vertical was only a half inch more than his standing vertical. That was, by far, the worst in the camp.

    Antoine Wright -- Scouts have been warning that Wright looks more athletic than he actually is. At the combine, he was significantly below Francisco Garcia, a guy almost every scout in the league has knocked for his lack of athleticism. Had he not benched an impressive 12 reps, he would have landed close to the bottom. That's going to come back to haunt Wright.

    Jarrett Jack -- He has great size and toughness, but athletically, he tested well behind most of the point guards in this draft. With Roko Ukic making a strong push, it could cause him to slip.

    The High Schoolers -- Monta Ellis, Martell Webster and Brandon Rush all tested terribly. That's partly because of their age and partly because guys like Ellis and Rush might not have been training for these particular tests the way some players do.

    We knew that Webster was just an average athlete but Ellis was a huge shock. For an undersized 2-guard to be successful in the League, he has to be long, quick and explosive. Ellis is none of the above. There's been talk that Minnesota is flirting with taking him at No. 14. It's pretty hard to justify that after seeing these numbers.

    The Internationals -- They always struggle every year. With the exception of Gortat, they all were near the bottom of the heap. Most of them have never lifted weights before (which hurts their bench press numbers) and most are bigs lacking any real explosion or quickness.
     
  4. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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  5. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    nothing really new in that article
     
  6. .cabangbang

    .cabangbang BBW Member

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    Thnks bro [​IMG]
     
  7. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    Check out Chad Ford's blog for the latest on who's in and who's out of the NBA draft.

    It's crunch time. Just eight days until the NBA draft and everything still is in utter commotion.

    Picks two through seven are for sale. Workouts are going full steam. The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the draft is Tuesday.

    Check back with Insider Tuesday for a full breakdown of who's in and who's out of the 2005 NBA draft. And on Wednesday, look for our latest mock draft.

    Here's the latest on what's going on:

    Blazers heating up the phone lines

    Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff has called the Blazers' No. 3 pick the key pick in the draft.

    Why? Because the Blazers are more than willing to trade it and a number of teams, including the Lakers, Bobcats and Jazz, are willing to offer a lot to get their hands on it.

    With Phil Jackson now running the show in Los Angeles, you can expect the Lakers to be pretty active over the next few weeks, retooling the team to Jackson's liking.

    That's led to whispers that the Lakers are talking to the Blazers about a deal that would give them the No. 3 pick in the draft and Ruben Patterson for Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins and the No. 10. There's also talk that the Lakers have been trying to resurrect talks with the Jazz for Carlos Boozer.

    If the Lakers do move up in the draft, who are they targeting?

    For months GM Mitch Kupchak has been hot on the trail of high school phenom Gerald Green. Green worked out for the Lakers and Jackson on Thursday. The workout raised more than a few eyebrows because Green isn't expected to slip past the Raptors (who are also very high on him) at No. 7.

    Meanwhile, Green and the Blazers continue to fight over his refusal to work out for the team in a group setting. Factor in that Portland just brought in another high school two-guard, Martell Webster, for a workout, and the dots are there, ready for someone to connect. Webster wouldn't be drafted as high as No. 3, but he would be draftable as the 10th overall pick.

    However, don't hold your breath just yet, Laker fans. This is just one of a number of different trade scenarios the Blazers apparently are working on. The ideal trade is to convince the Bobcats to swap Nos. 5 and 13 for No. 3 ? a deal that GM Bernie Bickerstaff admits is on the table but says he isn't interested in.

    The Blazers are also talking to the Jazz about a deal that would swap No. 3 for the No. 6 and No. 27 picks. That deal could also include some players. Sources claim that Gordan Giricek and Kirk Snyder could be sent to Portland with Ruben Patterson and the draft rights to Russian 2-guard Sergei Monia headed back to the Jazz. The Jazz, who desperately need a point guard, would select Chris Paul or Deron Williams with the No. 3 pick.

    If the Lakers stay at No. 10, folks in the camp of high school big man Andrew Bynum are suggesting, pretty loudly, that the Lakers are leaning toward drafting him.

    Bucks work out Williams

    Bucks GM Larry Harris continues to assert that he still hasn't decided whether the Bucks will select Andrew Bogut or Marvin Williams with the No. 1 pick.

    While most in the league have assumed the Bucks will eventually choose Bogut over Williams, Harris gave his first real hint Sunday that Williams is truly in the running for the pick.

    Williams worked out with the Bucks on Sunday, and Harris and head coach Terry Porter came away raving about his post skills.

    "Early on, I see him more as a power forward and a guy who can play some three [small forward] as well," Harris told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the workout. "His post-up game is a lot further along than people have seen.

    "Eventually, he's going to grow some more, so he's going to get bigger. He has the bulk to him to play the four, and it's going to be a very easy transition for him. He's definitely strong and solid in the post."

    Those statements are significant because on lottery night, when the Bucks got the top pick, Harris told Insider that what his team really needs is a power forward. Joe Smith plays the bulk of Milwaukee's minutes at power forward, with mixed results. Desmond Mason plays small forward, and a combination of Dan Gadzuric and Zaza Pachulia plays center.

    It's been assumed that Bogut is the pick because he's a big upgrade over Gadzuric and Pachulia in the middle, while Williams would duplicate a position played well by Mason. However, if the Bucks really believe that he'll be a power forward, Williams might have a much better chance at being the No. 1 pick than people are giving him.

    Bogut is scheduled to work out for the Bucks today.

    Magic focusing on May

    In Insider's previous two mock drafts, we've had the Magic taking Webster with the 11th pick in the draft. Expect that to change when we release our third mock draft Wednesday.

    Sources in Orlando told Insider this past weekend that if North Carolina power forward Sean May is on the board when the Magic draft, they're leaning strongly toward taking him. Why would the Magic draft May when they took Dwight Howard at the same position last year?

    "I think they're such different players that you play them together on the front line," the Magic source told Insider. "Howard has the size, athleticism and defense and May has the bulk and skills scoring in the low post. [Tony] Battie and [[Kelvin] Cato are role players. I think those two guys would fit great together."

    We'll see. This is the time of year when some NBA teams start to throw out misleading information to mess with other teams drafting below them. It could be a smokescreen to convince a team drafting a few picks behind the Magic to give up something in a trade to get May.

    Vazquez working out on Sunday

    Spanish stud Fran Vazquez is coming to New York on Friday and has scheduled a general NBA workout on Sunday and an NBA physical on Monday.

    Vazquez is widely regarded as the top international player in the draft and a likely top-10 pick. His team recently was ousted from the playoffs, where Vazquez put up solid numbers of 12.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg.

    Vazquez was scheduled to come over and do a handful of individual workouts with the Hornets, Jazz, Raptors and Bobcats; however, he's opted instead to do just one group workout. That news didn't please everyone. According to one team that was scheduled to work him out, the news isn't good.

    "He was seriously in the mix," the GM told Insider. "I'm not sure that we'd still consider him without a private workout."

    Marc Cornstein, Vazquez's agent, defends the decision. "He had a tremendous year in Spain," Cornstein told Insider. "Virtually every team in the league has scouted him extensively. I don't know how big of an issue it really is."

    Draft Cards

    ? Among the top players, it sounds like the following early-entry guys are staying in the draft: Martynas Andriuskevicius, Jarrett Jack, Andrew Bynum, Yaroslav Korolev, Ersan Ilyasova, Roko Ukic, Johan Petro, Linas Kleiza, Louis Williams, C.J. Miles, Dwayne Jones, Von Wafer, Carl Krauser, Anthony Roberson, Drago Pasalic and Deji Akindele.

    Meanwhile, it sounds like these early-entry guys are withdrawing: Tiago Splitter, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Marko Tomas, Peja Samardziski, Torin Francis, James White, Olu Famitimi, Juan Jose Barea, Ivan Chiriaev, Paulius Jankunas, Miguel Marriaga, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Dusan Sakota.

    Among those still on the fence: Ike Diogu, Randolph Morris, Rudy Fernandez, Mile Ilic, Kosta Perovic, Marko Lekic, Marcin Gortat, Steven Smith, Brandon Rush and Amir Johnson.

    ? Croatian point guard Roko Ukic must have made quite an impression at the Reebok Eurocamp. After dominating in competition there, Ukic flew to the United States and worked out for the Raptors on Friday and the Celtics on Saturday. Raptors GM Rob Babcock and Celtics vice president Danny Ainge were both in Treviso at the camp and were impressed. They'll seriously consider him with the 16th and 18th picks, respectively.

    ? Slovenian big man Uros Slokar has surprised a number of teams with strong workouts. Sources with the Pistons, Clippers and Sonics all claim that he was impressive when they had him in.

    "The report that we had on him from Europe was that he was a little on the soft side," one scout told Insider. "He actually looks much tougher than we expected. He could be an interesting second-round pick for someone."

    Slokar has been a well-regarded prospect for years but never developed for Benetton. This year, with Andrea Bargnani taking his playing time, Slokar was loaned to a smaller team in Italy and began to put up impressive numbers.

    ? Arizona's Channing Frye refused to work out with the Charlotte Bobcats, fueling the fire that the Knicks have given him a promise at No. 8.

    ? There are a couple of great workouts scheduled on Monday to keep an eye on:

    The Bobcats have Deron Williams, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, Julius Hodge and Monta Ellis coming in. Look for Williams to work out individually while the other four all go at it. Williams has been refusing to work out against anyone other than Chris Paul.

    The Nets also have a sweet big man workout planned with Hakim Warrick, Charlie Villanueva and Wayne Simien all scheduled. Whoever performs well there could be the No. 15 selection in the draft.

    Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
     
  8. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    In or Out of the NBA Draft?
    The deadline for college underclassmen and international players under the age of 22 to withdraw from the draft is Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. EDT.

    On Monday the names of several key players have already started to trickle in. We'll keep updating this list throughout the next 24 hours so that you can play along:

    IN THE DRAFT
    Lithuanian big man Martynas Andriuskevicius is staying in the draft "for sure," according to his agent, Herb Rudoy. Rudoy said that Andriuskevicius has not received a draft promise, but that given the amount of interest in his client, he was very confident that he'd be gone by the "middle of the first round."

    Missouri forward Linas Kleiza also appears willing to stay in. Rudoy, who has been advising Kleiza, said that he was "sure that Linas would be staying in the draft," though he said he was awaiting final word from Kleiza's father. Rudoy said that Kleiza was down to 220 pounds and that he had received positive feedback from a number of teams. Kleiza has worked out for the Grizzlies, Bucks, Celtics, Bulls, Sonics, Warriors, Kings and Blazers, with workouts scheduled with the Spurs, Nuggets, Suns, Jazz and 76ers. Right now, he's still firmly planted on the first-round bubble.

    Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova is also likely to stay in. His agent, Lon Babby, told Insider that it is "close to 100 percent" that Ilyasova stays in. Babby also said that Ilyasova had not gotten a guarantee from a team, but felt that the feedback was strong enough to keep him in.

    SFX agent David Bauman confirmed that three of his clients, Roko Ukic, Drago Pasalic and Erazem Lorbek were staying in the draft.

    French big man Johan Petro is definitely keeping his name in, according to agent Sam Goldfeder. Petro has already worked out twice for the Lakers and had an impressive workout in Phoenix on Sunday against Ike Diogu.

    Russian forward Yaroslav Korolev is in too, according to agent Mark Fleisher. The Clippers, Timberwolves and Celtics are all showing enough interest (and possibly promises) to keep him in.

    Agent Bill Duffy told Insider on Monday evening that high school star Louis Williams is staying in the draft. Contrary to reports, Williams doesn't have a first-round promise.

    Our own Andy Katz reports that UConn center Andrew Bynum is staying in the draft. Bynum canceled his workout in New Jersey for Tuesday and his advisor told the Nets that he had a promise in the top 14.

    OUT OF THE DRAFT
    Is Ike Diogu returning for his senior season at Arizona State? The big man has maintained that he'll wait until the last possible minute to decide his future, but a source claims that after two lackluster workouts for the Suns this weekend, he's now leaning toward returning to school.

    Rudoy also said that another one of his clients, Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter, had withdrawn his name from the draft. Splitter received a lot of interest from teams, but had an unworkable buyout clause in his contract that will force him to stay in Spain for the next couple of years.

    Agent Bill Duffy told Insider on Monday evening that he was "99 percent sure" that Kosta Perovic is out of the draft. Buyout issues and the lack of a commitment from a team in the first round has hurt his stock.

    Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez is also withdrawing from the draft and returning to Spain.

    Nemanja Aleksandrov is leaning strongly toward withdrawing from the draft. However, his agent, Bauman, said he'd wait until the last minute to pull him out. Bauman asserts that two teams in the mid-first round are still flirting with making Aleksandrov a promise. Three of Bauman's other clients ? Marko Tomas, Dusan Sakota and Steven Markovic ? will withdraw, according to Bauman.
    posted: June 20, 2005 3:20:39 PM PDT | Feedback
    Trading Kobe, Part 2
    I've gotten hundreds of e-mails, mostly from angry Lakers fans, over my last blog entry on Phil Jackson's hiring and Kobe's future in L.A.

    Based on the feedback I'm getting, I think it's worth addressing a few points being thrown out there with regularity by my readers.

    Reader claim No. 1: "Kobe has a no-trade clause, so he can't be traded."

    This was the most common contention from readers.

    It's true that Kobe has a no-trade clause, but it isn't true that he can't be traded.

    The Lakers can't trade him without his consent, that's true. That means the chances of his ending up in Toronto, for example, are probably very slim.

    However, if the Lakers were to work out a deal that was acceptable to Kobe, then he could green-light a trade.

    Reader claim No. 2: "Kobe would never consent to be traded."

    Really?

    If Kobe's miserable with Phil, you think he'd veto a trade to a good team that he'd like to play for? Players sign long-term contracts and then ask to be traded all the time when things go south.

    The Lakers have sent a message to Kobe that they tried it his way for one year, and now they're going back to doing it Phil's way. If Phil cracks down, and Kobe doesn't like it, a trade is a plausible solution.

    Reader claim No. 3: "The Lakers would never trade Kobe he's a top-five player in the NBA."

    This same argument was made even more forcibly by Lakers fans when I did a story during the 2003-04 season on why the Lakers would consider trading Shaq at the end of the season.

    I was flooded with e-mail from readers claiming that you can't trade the best big man in the league he's irreplaceable. Well, guess what?

    If Shaq, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter (when at one time the thought of trading "Air Canada" from Toronto was blasphemy) can be traded, so can Kobe.

    If players start to pout, it affects team chemistry and often their effort on the court. If a guy no longer seems willing to play for you (again, see Vince in Toronto), a GM may have no choice.

    A more plausible argument against the possibility of a trade is that owner Jerry Buss, who has a strong affection for Kobe, would never pull the trigger. That might be true. But I know Buss loves to win more than anything else, and if he thinks there's a deal out there that would make the Lakers better, I think he does the deal.

    Reader claim No. 4: "The Lakers wouldn't have hired Phil if they thought the two wouldn't get along."

    I'm not sure where this is coming from.

    I don't know anyone in L.A. or around the league who thinks Phil likes Kobe or vice versa.

    They'll tolerate each other because they need each other. Phil needs a talented player like Kobe if he's ever going to get back to the Finals. Kobe needs a talented coach like Phil to take some of the heat off him and to devise an offense that will capitalize on his strengths. It is, potentially, a mutually beneficial relationship and I think Buss is praying that both guys recognize that and get along.

    I agree the Lakers hired Jackson to coach Kobe, not to trade him. But if either side doesn't live up to the bargain, there's going to have to be a change.

    Reader claim No. 5: "If a change is needed, the Lakers will just fire Phil."

    I don't buy it. They essentially fired Jackson last year, when they refused his asking price. The fact that they hired him back one year later, with a huge pay raise, speaks volumes.

    One reason to bring in Jackson was to neutralize criticism that Kobe was really running the Lakers. They've given Jackson power and a $30 million contract to make their point.

    Given that, if Phil and Kobe were to feud, would the Lakers really fire Jackson? What would be their next move? If neither Phil Jackson nor Rudy Tomjanovic can coach Kobe, who could?

    If things were not to go well, their two basic options would be to overhaul the rest of the team (moving out Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and other Lakers) and to trade Kobe. They might try the first route initially, but if the new group they surround Kobe with was also to fail, the Lakers' choices would be pretty limited.

    The bottom line is if Jackson finds a way to turn the Lakers back into a winner quickly, a fragile peace may evolve between the two. Both guys are winners and will be willing to put a little pride behind them to do it.

    But if things don't turn around quickly, I think Kobe's future in purple and gold is pretty hazy.
    posted: June 16, 2005 10:15:11 AM PDT | Feedback
     
  9. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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  10. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    no prob. It's crunchtime. I'm finding myself at ease coming into this draft for the first time in awhile because I don't antisipate any major shakeups. It's a feeling I haven't felt in awhile. Everyone make sure that they don't tempt Karma and be exceptionally good this week leading into the draft.
     
  11. wtwalker77

    wtwalker77 JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting CohanHater:</div><div class="quote_post">no prob. It's crunchtime. I'm finding myself at ease coming into this draft for the first time in awhile because I don't antisipate any major shakeups. It's a feeling I haven't felt in awhile. Everyone make sure that they don't tempt Karma and be exceptionally good this week leading into the draft.</div>
    sssooooo.....I should stop picking up babies and punching them in the face?

    It's how I relax...
     
  12. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting wtwalker77:</div><div class="quote_post">sssooooo.....I should stop picking up babies and punching them in the face?

    It's how I relax...</div>
    I've been relaxing the same way for 11 years, until I donated all my money to orphans with disabilities back in February..
     
  13. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">I've been relaxing the same way for 11 years, until I donated all my money to orphans with disabilities back in February..</div>

    Ha! I think I'm going to go give blood, not quite all my money.. I'm dead broke... gotta give something!
     
  14. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    Who's the best PG in the draft?

    Great point guards are one of the rarest commodities in any NBA draft. Only a great center is more uncommon.

    In the last 10 years, only one draft, in 1999, had three legit point guards taken in the top 10 picks (Steve Francis, Baron Davis and Andre Miller).

    This year, that feat likely will be matched again as Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton are all expected to be taken in the top 10.

    For months, scouts argued that Paul was at the top of the class, with Williams and Felton fighting for second place.

    Deron Williams
    Deron Williams' stock is soaring. Could he be going ahead of Marvin?

    Until Monday, that was speculation. None of the three point guards had worked out against each other. Nor had they all worked out for the same team.

    Now, however, Bobcats GM and head coach Bernie Bickerstaff can claim that he's the only guy to get up close and personal with all three.

    On Friday, Paul worked out individually for the Bobcats. On Monday, Williams and Felton went head-to-head for the first time in draft workouts (Williams previously had refused to work out against Felton, in a stop in New Orleans).

    How did they compare? Chances are the Bobcats will select one of the three on draft night. Always-candid Bickerstaff talked with Insider on Monday evening to give us the lowdown.

    Monday's workout "was about as competitive as it gets," Bickerstaff said. "Nobody stepped back. Both guys were really impressive. They worked really hard, and they competed."

    Bickerstaff sounded especially impressed with Williams. Williams has lost 15 pounds and is in the best shape of his career, and it clearly has helped. Bickerstaff said he didn't have any concerns about Williams' quickness on either end of the floor.

    "He stayed right with Felton, who may be the fastest player in the draft," Bickerstaff said. "On the defensive end, he really plays with a purpose. I like how he talks on defense. He's real strong. There won't be any problems."

    Scouts have known for some time that Williams will be able to hang defensively. The big question is whether he'll be able to get by anyone offensively. Point guards who are unable to create their own shot or get to the basket struggle in the NBA. Bickerstaff isn't worried there, either.

    "Yeah, he can get by," Bickerstaff said. "He's real strong with his first thrust. If he touches you, he creates space. His real quick to his peak on his jump shot. Both guys [Williams and Felton] also have a real nice in-between game."

    But wouldn't Williams be better in a slower-paced, half-court offense? And Felton in a run-and-gun situation? Bickerstaff isn't so sure.

    "I think they'll both be effective in the transition game," Bickerstaff said. "Felton is great advancing the ball with the dribble. Williams advances it with the pass. The key is having someone to throw it to."

    "I think the key for Deron is that he has great size and a great basketball IQ. Now he also has a good body. I think that's why the consensus is that he might be a little ahead."

    Bickerstaff also had kind words for Felton.

    "Felton will play in this league," Bickerstaff said. "He's strong; he's a great athlete; and he's a better shooter than people think. He does a great job of using his body around the basket. He just needs to slow down a bit. Felton's not far behind those other guys."

    Bickerstaff then went through a laundry list of attributes on each player. Williams has the size. Felton has the quickness. Paul has the shooting and ability to play both styles of basketball.

    What went unsaid was that both Paul and Felton are local products. That also will factor into the Bobcats' decision. All things being equal, the local guy will sell more tickets.

    "They're all pretty damn good," Bickerstaff said. "I don't think there's a big gap between those three. They all have their own strengths and are really contrasting point guards."

    Deron Williams still on the rise?

    If Bickerstaff sounds as though he's gushing a bit about Williams, he isn't alone.

    The Hawks and the Hornets also have fallen in love with Williams  to the point that they might take him over Paul if both players are on the board. Clearly, Williams' superior size and strength, combined with revelations that he's more athletic than scouts had believed, are fueling his meteoric rise.

    There's even been talk that the Hawks might select Williams with the No. 2 pick in the draft over Marvin Williams if Andrew Bogut goes No. 1.

    In fact, that's partly why the Hawks have been reluctant to deal the No. 2 pick to the Bobcats for the No. 5 and the No. 13. It isn't that they're afraid to pass on Williams. It's that they don't believe Williams will be on the board at No. 5  they think the Hornets would grab him at No. 4 if he ended up still being available.

    That's somewhat at odds with what Marvin Williams told us during the Chicago predraft camp media day. Williams told Insider then that the Hawks had told him they'd select him with the second pick if he were available. Williams is scheduled to work out in Atlanta later this week.

    Although it's doubtful the Bobcats would select Deron Williams at No. 2 if they moved up in the draft, you have to wonder after Bickerstaff's talk Monday.

    For Insider's purposes, we still have Paul rated one spot ahead of Williams on our draft board. His combination of speed, shooting ability and an uncanny feel for the game make him the best overall point-guard prospect in the draft.

    It's pretty clear, though, that it's no longer the consensus opinion.

    Hodge v. McCants, Part 2

    There were two other participants in the Bobcats' Monday workout  UNC's Rashad McCants and North Carolina State's Julius Hodge.

    Hodge and McCants worked out against each other once before -- in Toronto several weeks ago. McCants came down with an intestinal illness during the workout and was unable to continue.

    Hodge, under the impression that McCants quit, didn't hesitate to take a shot across his bow.

    "We started the workout, and I was working with Rashad," Hodge said. "We were doing shooting drills, and I was hitting everything. I think it was getting discouraging for him and, near the end, he decided to go to the sidelines in an attempt to say that he was hurt. Once it was found out that he wasn't hurt, he then tried to say he was sick. That was unfortunate. He was free and able to show his stuff, and he shied away from it."

    Fast-forward to Monday. Hodge and McCants were working out together again in Charlotte when McCants came up lame with a hamstring pull just minutes before the two would begin playing two-on-two with Felton and Williams. McCants missed the rest of the workout.

    Hodge didn't miss another opportunity to get in a dig.

    "My body is aching right now, but I'm going to work out no matter what," he said. "I don't know about any other guys, but I'm going to work out."

    Bickerstaff had nothing but praise for Hodge after the workout.

    "He's helping himself," Bickerstaff told Insider. "He's very tough mentally. And don't be fooled by his body. He's also very tough physically. He really stays at it. I think he's going to be able to play two or three positions in the pros, including point guard."

    Promises, promises, promises

    This whole idea of teams promising players they'll draft them in the first round is getting out of hand. There have been so many bogus promise rumors the past few weeks, it's out of control.

    The only legit one we've heard (and been able to verify) is for Russian forward Yaroslav Korolev. But even that one is a bit shaky. Although Russian sources are claiming it's the Clippers, and the Clippers, off the record, are admitting that they like the kid, the team issued a classic nondenial for the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday morning.

    "Of course we're not going to commit; we're not going to mention anything," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We commit to everybody in the draft, and whoever we get, we get."

    With that said, a couple more rumors began floating to the surface Monday. Some make some sense, while others are ridiculous.

    Big high school center Andrew Bynum canceled a Wednesday workout in New Jersey, a Nets source told Insider. His representative claimed that Bynum had a promise in the lottery and was shutting down the rest of his workouts. Speculation has run rampant that either the Lakers at No. 10 or the Timberwolves at No. 14 have made the deal.

    High school guard Monta Ellis also canceled a workout Monday with the Bobcats. His adviser also is claiming, according to the Bobcats, that he has a promise and will stop working out.

    There continues to be talk that Ike Diogu was given a promise by the Suns at No. 21. That one is wrong, according to sources. Diogu is still wrestling with whether to stay in the draft after spending two days working out for the Suns. That doesn't sound like a guy who just got a promise from a team.

    An Internet rumor had the Celtics promising Roko Ukic they'd pick him at No. 18. That one's also bogus, according to his agent, David Bauman. When a player gets a promise, he usually shuts down his workouts. Ukic is scheduled to work out for Memphis and Phoenix this week, according to Bauman. Both teams select after the Celtics.

    Bad trade rumors floating around, too

    A rumor flying around the league Monday had the Pacers and Lakers ready to consummate a trade that would send Jonathan Bender and the No. 17 pick to the Lakers for Devean George, Stanislav Medvedenko and a second-round pick.

    Insider talked to Pacers president Donnie Walsh about the rumor Monday, and he quickly shot it down.

    "I don't know where this stuff is coming from," Walsh told Insider. "There's absolutely no truth to it. I've never even talked to the Lakers about a trade. I asked Larry [Bird, Pacers president], and he hasn't, either."
     
  15. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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    Thanks CH. Well, I'm glad about the first part about point guards being the hardest piece to obtain next to big men with skills, size and coordination.
     
  16. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    With just five days before the league lifts its moratorium on player movement, this summer's free agent frenzy appears to have hit a lull.

    With most of the top unrestricted free agents off the board, and the top young restricted free agents waiting for the moratorium to end before announcing their intentions, free agent news slowed to a trickle this weekend.

    Most surprising is that several of the most promising free agents haven't gotten deals yet. With guys like Raja Bell, Dan Gadzuric, Brian Scalabrine, Luke Walton, Bostjan Nachbar and Jerome James all having come to terms with teams, it makes you wonder why these five sleepers haven't been locked up.

    Sarunas Jasikevicius, PG, Maccabi Tel Aviv
    Two international free agents, Fabricio Oberto and Arvydas Macijauskas, have already found homes. But how is it that the best veteran player in Europe, Jasikevicius, hasn't? Oberto is older and Macijauskas is less athletic. Neither player has led his team to three straight Euroleague Championships. Jasikevicius, a former Maryland star, is an incredible passer, has deep range on his jumper, and plays with emotion and grit.

    Given his asking price (three years, around $10 million), he'd be a great pickup for a team trying to compete for a championship. The Cavs have shown the most interest, but have waffled between him, Antonio Daniels, Marko Jaric and Damon Stoudamire. The Pacers, Blazers and Sonics have also shown interest, but it's becoming clear that the market isn't quite as hot for him as we thought going into the summer.

    If teams don't act quickly, he may just decide to sign a long-term deal in Europe. That would be a shame. While Jasikevicius may not ever be a superstar in the NBA the way he is in Europe, he has the intangibles to be the type of player who helps a team win a title.

    Gerald Wallace, G/F, Charlotte Bobcats
    With most of the top swingmen off the board, it's pretty surprising that Wallace hasn't garnered more interest this summer.

    He had an excellent year for the Bobcats last season, and has great size and athleticism for his position. Defensively, he ranked in the top 10 in steals last year. His jump shot will never be a thing of beauty, but Wallace is versatile and would be a great fit on a team still trying to fill a void at the two or three.

    However, most teams assume that the Bobcats would match any offer for Wallace. They are way under the cap and have to sign somebody.

    But the truth is that Bernie Bickerstaff isn't inclined to overpay. They want lots of cap room going into next summer and might be willing to let Wallace leave if the alternative is eating up an inordinate amount of their cap flexibility next year.

    Kyle Korver, SF, Philadelphia 76ers
    Now that it appears that Joe Johnson, Michael Redd, Ray Allen and Macijauskas are locked up, Korver stands as the best shooter left on the board. Seven of the top eight 3-point shooting teams in the league made the playoffs last season. It's clear that shooting now comes at a premium.

    Korver tied for the league lead in 3-pointers made (226) and posted better than average numbers in rebounds and steals. The Sixers used him primarily as a spot-up shooter in their system, but it's clear that Korver has potential to be more. Add in his durability and better-than-expected defense and it's surprising the Heat and Cavs haven't made a stronger run at him.

    The fear is that under the new rules for "early bird" free agents (players with just two years experience), the Sixers will just match any offer. However, with Jim O'Brien gone (as well as the heavy emphasis on 3-point shooting) and Samuel Dalembert looking pretty expensive for the Sixers, Korver might be worth the risk.

    Ronald Murray, G, Seattle SuperSonics
    Have NBA teams forgotten about Murray's magical run in November of 2003, when he averaged 20.8 ppg and 4.3 apg on 45 percent shooting with Ray Allen out of the lineup? Murray's numbers have been up and down since then, but he was so good, and so consistent, during that month that surely teams have to take a look. Even this season, when given more than 25 minutes on the floor, Murray averaged an impressive 16.1 ppg.

    His shooting percentage was terrible this year and he never seemed to get into the flow, but on a team desperate for a combo guard who can put the ball in the basket, Murray seems like he's worth the risk.

    Travis Hansen, SG/SF, TAU Vitoria
    Hansen spent one lackluster year on the Hawks before heading overseas last year. After a rocky start at TAU, Hansen turned it on in the last two months of the season and was great. He helped his team get all the way to the Euroleague Finals and did it in front of a host of NBA GMs and scouts.

    Hansen is a great athlete, plays tenacious defense, can play multiple positions and has turned himself into a very good 3-point shooter. The Nuggets and Rockets have shown the most interest, but you have to wonder why teams such as the Cavs (assistant GM Chris Grant drafted him in 2003), Heat, Bobcats, Magic and Jazz aren't in the mix.

    Around the League

    ? The Nets are running out of patience with the Blazers and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The two teams have been in talks for the past week about a sign-and-trade that would put Abdur-Rahim in New Jersey. The Nets are trying to use their $4.9 million trade exception to acquire him. While that amount is no more than the mid-level exception that every team over the cap owns, a sign-and-trade would allow Abdur-Rahim to get an extra year and larger bonuses each year. The difference could amount (depending on where the cap comes in) to an extra $9 to $11 million over the course of the deal. The Blazers were holding out for a No. 1 and lately have been trying to get the draft rights to the Nets' second round pick this year, Serbian center Mile Ilic. So far the Nets have refused to budge, offering only a future second-round pick.

    The team's trade exception expires July 29, so there is a growing sense of urgency. If the Nets can't land Abdur-Rahim with their trade exception, they would be willing to pay him their mid-level. However, his agent, Aaron Goodwin, is holding out hope that if the Blazers can't work out a deal with the Nets, they might be able to get one done with the Kings, Rockets or Clippers.

    Expect things to work themselves out soon. The Nets also have strong interest in Stromile Swift and will try to work out a sign-and-trade with the Grizzlies for Swift if they don't get things with Abdur-Rahim resolved in the next few days.

    If the Nets can land either Swift or Abdur-Rahim with their trade exception, look for new owner Bruce Ratner to keep spending money. Their next signing would likely be free agent guard Keyon Dooling with part of their mid-level exception. The Nets are looking for a combo guard who can help Jason Kidd keep his minutes down to about 30 a night and they seem to have narrowed in on Dooling as their guy.

    ? The Hawks have targeted Eddy Curry this summer, sources say, because GM Billy Knight believes that Curry is the one attainable free agent center out there right now. Knight is convinced that the Sixers and Bulls would match any offer he might make for Samuel Dalembert or Tyson Chandler, but Curry is a different story. Given his health problems and rocky relationship with the Bulls, the Hawks feel like the Bulls would be unwilling to match or, at the very least, would be amenable to a sign-and-trade that could send Al Harrington to Chicago.

    ? It looks like free agent point guard Antonio Daniels has narrowed his choices down to the Lakers and Blazers. It would appear that the Lakers would be a no-brainer. Phil Jackson loves big guards and the Lakers, now that they've agreed to trade Chucky Atkins, could offer him a starting position. However, two things are holding him back. One, the Lakers want Daniels to sign a two-year deal. This has been the Lakers mantra all summer as they try to protect potential max cap space during the summer of 2007 so that they can make a run at Yao Ming in free agency. Daniels, who turned 30 in March, wants more job security, and feels he can get it from his other suitors.

    Two, new Blazers head coach Nate McMillan loved Daniels in Seattle and has been pushing to get him to come aboard as a tutor for Sebastian Telfair. The Jazz, Heat, Magic and Cavs have also shown interest in Daniels.

    ? It looks like Vladimir Radmanovic and the Sonics are in contract gridlock at the moment. The Sonics want to re-sign Radmanovic, but he's asking for starters money (a starting salary between $8-9 million) and a position in the starting lineup. "Vladimir's a starter," his agent David Bauman told Insider. "He needs to be paid like one and he needs to be played like one."

    The problem for the Sonics is that they have Rashard Lewis playing his primary position, small forward, and a combo of Reggie Evans, Nick Collison and Danny Fortson holding down the power forward spot. Evans is also a free agent, so there might be an opportunity there, but it seems unlikely. If Radmanovic is a sixth man, the price would be way too rich for the Sonics' blood.

    The Sonics, however, hold Radmanovic's restricted rights making it difficult for him to just bolt the team. Teams like the Hornets are interested and have the cash to do a deal, but are fearful that the Sonics will match. A sign-and-trade might be the only way out of the jam for both teams. The Sonics need a big man and there are plenty of suitors for Radmanovic if teams over the cap can get into the bidding. One trading partner that might make some sense is the Celtics, who are willing to part with Antoine Walker and/or Gary Payton in a sign-and-trade. The Sonics have interest in both.

    The Timberwolves are making a strong push for Clippers free-agent point-guard Marko Jaric. That could be the best signal yet that the team plans to jettison Sam Cassell this summer. Jaric is a restricted free agent, but the Clippers have shown some interest in being willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade. Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy would love to have Jaric return as a back-up to Shaun Livingston and Cuttino Mobley, but he isn't going to break the bank. Jaric likes the Clippers, but would prefer to get a starting gig in the league. The Nuggets and Cavs have also shown strong interest in Jaric this summer.

    ? The Bucks have been very busy this summer, drafting Andrew Bogut, trading for Jiri Welsch, and coming to terms with free agents Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons and Dan Gadzuric. The team has also been trying to re-sign center Zaza Pachulia. However, sources say that it looks like the Hawks are prepared to throw more cash his way should they be unable to land a big-time center like Dalembert, Chandler or Curry via free agency.

    ? The Cavs have been showing a lot of interest in free agents Reggie Evans and Damon Stoudamire. The team is looking for a rugged rebounder to put next to Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The team missed Carlos Boozer and feel that Evans, who was the best rebounder per minute in the NBA, would be a great fit. If the Cavs offer the full mid-level, the Sonics might not be match. The team has also shown strong interest in Abdur-Rahim. That could also signal the end of the Drew Gooden era. The Cavs are also after another point guard to platoon with Eric Snow. Snow is a bigger, defense-minded guard so the Cavs are trying to go the opposite direction with his backup. Stoudamire might be a good choice. He's a good perimeter shooter, can push the ball up the floor and is coming off one his better seasons in recent memory. Then again, he's 31 years old and has had more than his fair share of legal problems the past few years. The team has also looked at Jasikevicus as well as two bigger guards in Daniels and Jaric.

    ? The Miami Heat wanted to make a big splash this summer in the free agent market, but it looks like they'll end up standing pat by keeping a couple of their own free agents. The team came to terms with restricted free agent Udonis Haslem early last week and is getting closer to getting a deal done with free-agent point-guard Damon Jones. The Heat will, however, have to use most of their mid-level exception to lock up Jones.

    ? Poor Nikoloz Tskitishvili. After three years of being labeled one of the all-time great draft busts, he finally caught a break this summer by landing on the Timberwolves' summer league squad. With former Suns scout Rex Chapman now playing a big role in Minnesota, Skita finally got a chance to show his stuff in front of some sympathetic eyes. In his first game, he had 25 points, 10 rebounds, shot 4-for-5 from three and looked much better than the No. 1 pick in the draft, Andrew Bogut.

    Alas, Skita broke his hand just nine minutes into the Wolves' second summer league game and will be out the next 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately for Skita, who wants to keep playing in the NBA, not Europe, no one is willing to break open the bank after one great summer league performance. Every one remembers that he was the MVP of the Reebok Vegas Summer League last year and then went on to do very little for the Nuggets and Warriors last season.

    ? Spanish point guard Jose Manuel Calderon is expected to sign with the Raptors when the moritorium ends. The 24-year-old Calderon averaged 12 ppg and 2.9 apg this past season in the Euroleague and hit 46.6% of his three-point attempts.
     
  17. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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    Thanks CohanHater
     
  18. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    I seriously doubt Mullin does anything right now. The Bottom Bowl is almost sold out for season tickets already. I think he holds on until Murphy's BYC expires and packages him, Fisher to clear some space to a team that looks at Murphy's rebounds and thinks he's the answer.

    This time next year, I think (if Mully can dump Fisher/Murphy) that we can be a player in the FA market. Dunleavy may not demand as much as we once thought after seeing Reef's contract. Mullin seriously has plenty of tradeable pieces for next season.
     
  19. Custodianrules2

    Custodianrules2 Cohan + Rowell = Suck

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    You know, I thought sixth man role was perfect for Troy Murphy. Remember how well he did last season off the bench? I guess, Murphy gets bitter about that kind of thing because of his post game interviews with Barnett where he clearly doesn't want to lose his starting job. Cliffy was playing better D and moving the ball better and that definitely stood out when you compare 2003-04 to 2004-05.
     
  20. CohanHater

    CohanHater JBB JustBBall Member

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    I agree.. but that's a huge contract for a 6th man, right?
     

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