Official Draft 2004 thread

This is a thread to post any news (trades, intereted in...etc)

I dont know what happened to the last one I just made, but rumors have it we are interested in:
Luol Deng
Shaun Livingston
Martynas Andriuskevicius
Andris Biedrins
and Josh Smith

I heard on the radio today that they might be interested in trading their pick..either for a 1-4 pick or lower than the 5, or possibly packaging it in a deal.

Here are some articles:
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Wizards are going to explore trades that do and do not include their first-round pick and already have sent out feelers gauging interest in some of their players, including veterans Christian Laettner and Jerry Stackhouse, according to an Eastern Conference official, who requested anonymity to avoid any conflict in potential future transactions. Interest in Stackhouse, who missed most of last season after right knee surgery, is minimal, the source said, because of the injury and the three years, $25 million remaining on his contract.
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For More on this Article go Here

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">According to league sources, the Wizards have their eye on Duke small forward Luol Deng, a versatile 6-8 freshman, provided they don't get one of the top two picks.
Grunfeld said yesterday he has a "take the best player available" philosophy and doesn't like selecting a player to fill a specific need. He believes the Wizards have good depth and don't have any glaring weaknesses at any one position.</div>

For More on this article, posted originally by Shapecity, go Here

 

Rumor has it that they have completely put Luol Deng behind them and are focusing mainly on Andris Biedrins, the European prospect. He is supposed to be like a Chris Bosh player. I would love to get him, with a devolping Kwame who looks really promising, we could be in the playoffs in 2 years.

 

I havent seen him play, but I heard Biedrins loves Defense, he gets up for D, and he has greatly imprvoed his Offensive game.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BRockwell:</div><div class="quote_post">As a young, talented big man who protects the basket with enthusiasm and good shot-blocking ability, Biedrins is a good fit anywhere but is especially appealing to the Wizards becauset they are scary thin at the 4 and 5 positions (although with a legitimately talented center, Kwame Brown, Etan Thomas and Lonny Baxter could hold down the fort adequately enough). </div>

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Biedrins could help off the bench right away, but probaly wouldn't be ready to start untli year 2. In the East he can defend the Center spot, but the Wizards a dying for a consistent low-post scorer, given that Brown is more comfortable facing the basket. Biedrins won't be helping them there for a few years, unless he develops a couple of low-post moves that he has not shown us yet. </div>
True Brown is more comfortable facing the basket, but the last 20 or so games he also develop a nice spin move. He started with his back to the basket, faked left, spinned right, and shot a little hook. It was really nice and it worked every time. He also started to develop a little fade-a-way with his back turned.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think the best bet for the Wiz is to make a run at Erick Dampier...Jared Jeffries, Hughes and Brown for Jason Richardson and Erick Dampier works. If they swapped draft positions and the Wiz tossed in a future pick I think the warriors would bite...</div>
I dont think the Wizards are looking to trade Brown if they trade Hughes, and vice versa. Brown looks really promising, especially after last year. We arent in Dire need of a SG, and Dampier is a FA. I expect us to make a run at him.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Another possiblity is to dangle Stack and the 5th at the blazers for Rahim and the 23rd, or a 2nd rounder. The blazers have a big hole at SG and a lottery pick is always attractive to a building team. </div>
Rahim doesnt fit in here. He is getting old and I dont think he can still play the SF more effectively than Stack. I wouldnt mind doing that trade though. Kwame showed that he can play C in the east, he did it a lot last year. Rahim could move over to the 4, and we could try to go after a SF with the Blazers 1st round pick, or try to trade for one/sign one. Or they could use that pick on Al Jefferson, and move Kwame to C. Rumor has it they are high on Jefferson, he dominated Biedrins in the workouts with Atlanta I believe.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Anyhow, I think the Wiz have a good shot at making the playoffs if they can move the 5th pick for low-post help. Its all speculation, no sources or anything but given each teams' circumstances I would be surprised if deals similar to the ones aboved are not discussed.</div>

 

Here is a list of people that Washington Worked out so far:

1. Andris Biedrins
2. Al Jefferson
3. J.R. Smith

Just to name a few, the full list is Here

 

Ahh crap man, I dont wnat to protect Stack and Laettner. Rumor has it Stack has gotten himself back into his AS form. IF he can do that, I would take that. But Laettner is too much of a salary hit. I wouldnt mind drafting Iggy

 

<font size="4">Childress, Grunfeld Have a Special Relationship</font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There won't be a lot of guesswork for Ernie Grunfeld, the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations, when it comes to evaluating draft prospect Josh Childress, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard from Stanford. Grunfeld knows just about everything there is to know about the lanky Pacific-10 standout who bypassed his senior year to enter the June 24 NBA draft, where he might not get past the fifth pick, owned by the Wizards.




Childress, who worked out for the Wizards at MCI Center yesterday, bears a striking resemblance to Washington forward Jared Jeffries, except Childress is three inches shorter and sports a not-quite-Ben Wallace-sized afro. He played on the same Stanford team with Grunfeld's son Danny, a junior for the Cardinal. Grunfeld has seen Childress play up close several times and has gotten to know Childress on a personal level.

"We have a personal relationship," Grunfeld said. But, "this is business, and you have to evaluate all players according to how they perform on the floor. The more information you have about a player the better, but we do a lot of research and background checks on all the players we're considering."

Childress, who averaged 15.7 points and 7.5 rebounds despite missing the early part of last season with a stress fracture in his left foot, wasn't so coy about his familiarity with Grunfeld.

"He knows me as a person, he knows my character, he knows I'm a good guy who won't bring any trouble to a team, who will come in and be ready to do whatever it takes to get it done," said Childress, an all-American selection. "He knows my game. He knows a lot of my strengths and a lot of my weaknesses because he's come to watch so many of our games. It is a business, and you have to make intelligent investments, because that's what we are, and I'm confident Mr. Grunfeld would do that -- whether it's me or it's someone else."

In attendance at Childress's workout were Grunfeld, team owner Abe Pollin and about 10 other members of the coaching and basketball operations staffs. According to a team staffer who witnessed the workout, Childress did nothing to hurt his stock. He competed against other prospects, including Arizona forward Andre Igoudala, Fordham forward Michael Haynes, Wisconsin-River Falls forward Rich Melzer and Oak Hill Academy swingman Josh Smith.

The team thought highly of Childress even before he broke a sweat, according to a league official who did not want to speak for attribution about another team's affairs. However, the Wizards aren't the only team smitten with Childress.

The expansion Charlotte Bobcats, who select one slot before Washington, are also believed to be keen on him, prompting Bobcats Coach and General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff to remark after last week's draft lottery, "I do like sitting there ahead of Ernie because we probably have some kindred spirits about the same player -- and we would be willing to talk to him about that."

According to Grunfeld, the Wizards are not locked in on Childress. Also under consideration are Igoudala, Smith, prep guard Shaun Livingston, Connecticut guard Ben Gordon, Wisconsin guard Devin Harris, Duke swingman Luol Deng and center/forward Andris Biedrins (Latvia).
</div>

Childress going to be a Wizard? Hope not. I just dont think he looks promising, and I think #5 is too early to take him.

Childress, Grunfeld Article
NOTE: I posted the whole article because you have to register to read it.

 

I was listening to the radio and they said that the Wizards have promised Luol Deng they would select him with teh 5th pick if he is available...

Intersteing..I hope he is available.

 

Some analists thinks he might slip that far because he isnt as athletic as people make him seem...I dont believe that for one second.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Charlotte Bobcats yesterday received the official list of players who will be available to them in the expansion draft on June 22 or 23.

National Basketball Association rules prohibit the list from being disclosed, so the expansion Bobcats, who will play next season, could not comment on the players. "We have a number of directions we can take, and over the course of the next 10 days we will thoroughly explore all of our options," Bernie Bickerstaff, the Bobcats' coach and general manager, said in a statement.


The Bobcats received the names of available players from every team except the Lakers and the Pistons. Those two teams will send their unprotected lists to the Bobcats within 24 hours of the conclusion of the N.B.A. finals.

The expectation was that most teams would try to fill the unprotected list with overpriced and underachieving players. Some of the names that leaked out yesterday from various sources indicated that that was the case.

One Western Conference team executive said that the Dallas Mavericks left Antoine Walker and his $14.6 million contract unprotected. Washington left Jerry Stackhouse exposed with three years and $22.5 million remaining on his contract.

Still, the most striking names were those not on the list. Reggie Miller, who has spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers and who was rumored to be on the list, was not, according to an N.B.A. executive. Others who were expected to be on the list but were protected included Portland's Damon Stoudamire, who is entering the final year of his contract and will earn $15.7 million, as well as the Blazers' Dale Davis, who will earn $9 million next season.

One source familiar with the Knicks' plans confirmed that Allan Houston, Penny Hardaway, Shandon Anderson, Moochie Norris and Cezary Trybanski were left unprotected. The Nets left Kittles, Rodney Rogers, Alonzo Mourning and Tamar Slay unprotected, a source familiar with the Nets' plans said.
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Step one down, now all I can do is pray that they select him.

NOTE: I posted the whole article because you need to register.

Unprotected PLayers

 

Wizard's Workout <font size="5"><font color="blue">THE WORKOUT</font></font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">All of the Wizards' workouts have the same basic elements. Prior to each session each athlete is weighed and measured, first without shoes and then with. After wing span and standing reach measurements are recorded, the all-important vertical jump is conducted to measure both standing and running one hand verticals. With the measurements in the books, strength and conditioning staff and training personnel guide the players through a warm up before basketball drills begin. Serving a dual purpose as a warm up and an agility test, players are well into the workout before a basketball is ever touched.
The next segment of the workout puts the athletes through dribbling drills; a basic set for the post players in attendance and a more rigorous test for the prospective guards. Crossovers, hesitations, inside outs, through the legs and behind the back, if you can do it this is the time to show it, if you can?t, it doesn?t go unnoticed.

Shooting drills are next for the professional prospects; 10 shots from five spots (50 total) to test accuracy and range. With a Wizards staffer calling out the success rate after each shot (?one for one?, ?one for two?, ?two for three?), all eyes turn to watch a shooter in the midst of a particularly impressive or unimpressive performance.

Nearing the midway point of the workout, some form of two-on-two basketball ensues. The format varies, but the concept remains the same. In a drill that encompasses all of the previously touched upon aspects (agility, ball handling, shooting), an interesting dynamic emerges. Consider a recent sharp-shooting guard in attendance: does he continue to feed the post and watch his teammate score at will on their counterparts inside, or is it time to show the onlookers his shooting form and off-the-dribble ability?

It?s important to win, but in the team game of basketball, a strong individual performance is necessary at workouts. Workout groups average four players at a time. Smaller groups play one-on-one rather than two-on-two, and the action becomes even more intense.

"We don?t want to see anybody get hurt," yells Wizards assistant Mike O?Koren. "You have a career ahead of you."

At the conclusion of the half-court games, with weary bodies teetering near exhaustion, a full court lay-up drill tests stamina and a trail of sweat traces a path from end to end. As coaches love to see if a player can perform well when tired, another round of shooting drills follows. Forty seconds at a time, jumper after jumper rains.

With a body language suggesting that ?it?s finally over? but the mind wondering ?was it enough?, the players retreat to the Wizards locker room. Removing the jersey without a name, it can only be hoped that theirs is not forgotten. </div>

<font size="5"><font color="blue">THE AFTERMATH</font></font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"The evaluations that we do in these workouts is just another tool in the evaluation process that we have been doing throughout the season," said Grunfeld, the team?s President of Basketball Operations, who is one of the 30 men league wide that ultimately hold the fate of the prospective pros. ?"For those players that were in college, we?ve been watching their growth and development for two or three years. If they come in and don?t have a good workout for us, that doesn?t mean that we don?t like the player. In workouts you can?t see how they handle themselves in game-type situations. That is why this is a long process. This has been going for a long period of time."
When 59 names are called on draft night, NBA general managers will likely experience the same feelings time and time again. "We got our guy" or "we liked him too" or "we weren?t going to take him anyway", there will be surprise picks but no surprise players. Drafting is a science, and workouts are one of the tools of the trade.

"We?ve done our homework, and we?re very prepared," said Grunfeld. "It?s always good to have them in so that you can meet them and look them in the eye and put them through some of these drills, but that is not going to shoot someone from the fifth spot to the twenty-fifth spot in our rankings. We do a lot of background checks, a lot of character checks, and a psychological test like most teams do. We do a very thorough investigation of all of these players not only on the court, but off the court."

With the homework done, and the tests taken, the only thing remaining is the final grade</div>

That is really intense, I wouldnt be able to hang I promise that...I hope the staff chooses the right player, I would love to draft Iggy, EJ is rumored to be really high on the kid and wants him in a Wizards uniform.

 

rumor has it that Juan Dixon, Stackhouse, and Laettner were left unprotected...I cant find the list anywhere...I think tehy will select Dixon just because if they select Stack that is 1/3 of their cap...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">lol maybe it's some people connected with the Wizards trying to get his tock to frop so he can fall into our laps

I'm happy Stackhouse was left off the list, now him actually getting taken away from us, a whole new different story.</div>

I think if they were to take on a big contract it would be Stack because he went to college in teh Carolina area, he has ties there, he could attract fans, and if the rumors are true that he is at his AS form, he could be a nice asset to that team...I say we offer them a 2nd round pick and cash to take stack.