<h2>76ers select Georgia Tech F Young with 12th pick</h2> Thursday, June 28, 2007 08:54 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) - With an eye to the future, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Thaddeus Young with the 12th pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night. Playing just one season at Georgia Tech, the buzzword on Young is potential. At 6-8, 220 pounds and with a deft outside shooting touch, Young has the size and talent to thrive at small forward once he polishes his game. </p> The smooth lefthander tied for the team lead by averaging 14.4 points per game and shot .419 from beyond the arc. </p> Young played exceptionally well down the stretch, with a 25-point game in a victory over North Carolina and a career-high 30-point performance in an overtime loss to Wake Forest. </p> A bit of a project, Young does not yet have a varied arsenal of offensive moves. That is why his selection to the 76ers was such a surprise. </p> Philadephia was rumored to select Florida State forward Al Thorton, who is considered one of the more NBA-ready talents in the draft. But Young may be able to improve quickly, playing off the skills of talented go-to guy Andre Iguodala. </p> Young's athleticism also will help on the boards for Philadelphia, which was the 25th best rebounding squad in league. </p>
<h2>Hornets draft versatile F Julian Wright with 13th pick</h2> Thursday, June 28, 2007 08:55 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) - Julian Wright's numbers might not translate to those of a high draft pick but his multi-dimensional skills certainly do. Needing plenty of help at more than one position, the New Orleans Hornets may have found a perfect fit by drafting Wright with the No. 13 pick in Thursday night's NBA draft. </p> Wright's statistics won't blow anyone away - he averaged 12.0 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds as a sophomore at Kansas - but his ability to play anywhere but point guard drove up the value of the 6-8, 225-pounder. </p> On a team with several scoring options, Wright showed his offensive prowess with a 33-point, 12-rebound performance at Missouri. </p> But his talents are best defined by a sophomore campaign that included 82 assists, 49 blocks and 55 steals for the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament champions. </p> Wright has exceptional passing skills and is an outstanding ball-handler, but he's also a superb leaper who knows how to finish around the basket. </p> Despite taking the second most shots on the Jayhawks, Wright shot a blistering 55 percent from the floor. A glaring weakness is his free-throwing shooting (.613) and he could stand to bulk up. </p>
<span class="main"><span class="spacing"> That means the Pistons will draft Stuckey if the rumors hold, which doesn't make me too happy. I think he'll be pretty good.</span></span>
<h2>Clippers take Al Thornton with 14th pick in NBA draft</h2> Thursday, June 28, 2007 09:06 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) - Taking the best available player, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Florida State forward Al Thornton with the 14th pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. Despite being considered the best talent on the board, it was a surprising selection by the Clippers, who were in dire need of another point guard. </p> Los Angeles has the aging Sam Cassell backing up by the injured Shaun Livingston, whose gruesome knee injury may cause him to miss a good portion of the upcoming season. </p> A late-blooming combination forward, Thornton knows what it is like to carry a team on his shoulders. He led a mediocre Florida State squad in scoring the last two seasons with an impressive offensive arsenal. </p> He also led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring with a 19.7 average during his senior season and was named to the All-ACC first team. </p> The 6-7 forward has superior athleticism and has shown the ability to score around the rim and from the outside. But Thornton lacks the bulk to be a significant rebounder in the NBA, although he should be able to get a few here and there because of his activity. </p> However, the forward still needs to learn how to play and develop a knack for passing and making plays within an NBA offense. Isolated on the wing for the sub-par Seminoles, Thornton has proved he can put the ball in the basket but the jury still is out on the rest of his game. </p>
<h2>Pistons pick high-scoring Stuckey with 15th pick</h2> Thursday, June 28, 2007 09:11 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) - The leap from Eastern Washington to the NBA just got a lot less steep. The Detroit Pistons, looking to add depth to their backcourt, selected Rodney Stuckey with the 15th pick in Thursday's first round of the NBA draft. </p> With point guard Chauncey Billups choosing to opt out of his contract, the Pistons needed to address the situation in the backcourt. </p> Stuckey was a scoring machine for the Eagles, registering at least 30 points in 15 of his 59 career games. He poured in a career-high in his very first conference game as a freshman. </p> The second player ever drafted from the school, he was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year as a freshman, </p> Stuckey averaged 24.6 points as a sophomore, particularly impressive since he struggles from 3-point range, shooting just under 32 percent for his career. </p> The 6-5, 205-pounder is tough to cover off the dribble, possessing quickness, strength and a good first step. And when he gets to the free-throw line, Stuckey converts, improving his percentage to 85 percent his sophomore season. </p> Stuckey also is a good defensive play, having amassed 137 steals in his two seasons, which should help him stay on the floor as much as his deft scoring touch. </p>
The Knicks and Portland do the Randolph for Francis and Frye deal</p> Seems like basically a salary dump by the Blazers</p>
Randolph and Curry up front will either be a disaster or an unstoppable machine. Blazers get very little in return for Randolph IMO. Francis is washed up and Frye is a PF.
<h2>Wizards select G Young with the 16th pick in NBA draft</h2> Thursday, June 28, 2007 09:17 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) - Nick Young's numbers rose every year - and his draft stock went up accordingly. Young was taken with the 16th pick by the Washington Wizards in the NBA draft on Thursday night. The offensive-minded guard will join Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler - one of the highest-scoring trios in the league. </p> A 6-6, 200-pounder, Young had 13 games of 20 points or more and finished second in the Pac-10 Conference in scoring at 17.5 points per game. </p> Young elevated his shooting percentage in each of his three years, capped off by the marvelous junior season in which he shot an impressive 52.5 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range. </p> Thriving in an up-tempo offense, Young can take his man off the dribble and loves to attack the basketball for spectacular dunks. </p> Despite his slight build, he is not afraid to challenge bigger men for his share of rebounds, having averaged 4.6 as a junior and 6.6 as a sophomore. </p> Young needs to work on his ball-handling so he can maximize his already impressive slashing ability. </p>
