2013 NBA DRAFT DIARY: Part II

Hasan R

(Part I of Hasan's diary can be read here).

Pick 6, New Orleans Pelicans: AND HE IS FINALLY PICKED! Nerlens Noel free fall has stopped and his landing spot is in New Orleans! Nerlens Noel and Anthony Davis! The Thin Towers! Guys, we have a really fun frontcourt…and he’s been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.  Does this mean Andrew Bynum will not suit up for the 76ers? ESPN is reporting that he is traded to the 76ers along with a protected 2014 first round pick for Jrue Holiday and a 2013 second round pick. Great trade for both teams.

Pick 7, Sacramento Kings: Ben McLemore has been selected by the Kings. A potential star with a high upside, McLemore is a great shooter and elite athlete. The Kings needed shooting and athleticism and they got it. Love this pick for this Kings. What this fan base needed, especially after the shenanigans with Seattle.

Pick 8, Detroit Pistons: Rumored to be grabbing a point guard, the Pistons have opted to pivot and grab Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. One of the best shooters in the draft, this is a good injection of talent to a backcourt with Brandon Knight running the point. Should be a fun backcourt to watch and keep an eye on this season.

Pick 9, Minnesota Timberwolves: Wolves select Trey Burke and he has been flipped to the Utah Jazz for their no. 14 and 21 picks. Jazz needed a point guard and Burke fits the bill. Most NBA ready guard in this draft he can start immediately for the Jazz.

Pick 10, Portland Trail Blazers: These guys have been eyeing a PG this draft and get it in the form of CJ McCollum. He projects to be a very similar PG to Damian Lillard making this a fantastically fun backcourt to watch. *Immediately removes Pelicans from League Pass and replaces them with the Trail Blazers*. This pairing has potential to score lots of points, create space for LaMarcus Aldridge, and McCollum can shoot well, handle the ball well and create his own shot. Good running mate for Lillard and this backcourt should have opposing defenses in fits if they can click.

Part III of Hasan's diary is available.

More NBA content is available here. 

2012 RANDOM NBA THOUGHTS: Vol, 2

Felipe M

Today's Random NBA Thoughts are based on the games that were played on Monday, December 17, 2012. 

Chicago Bulls at Memphis Grizzlies: This game matched the top two defensive teams (in terms of Average Points Allowed Per Game) in the NBA. And judging by the score, it was definitely an offensive stalemate. For the Bulls, this marks the 5th consecutive game that they have failed to score over 100 points.  While the Grizzles' center, Marc Gasol was held to only 4 points, we did experience a Wayne Ellington sighting as the former Tar Heel scored 11 points, on 3-4 from 3-point-land, grabbed 2 boards, and 2 assists in 20 minutes of playing time.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic: In what could've been the weirdest game of the night, the T'Wolves took a commanding halftime lead as they scored 32 points in the 2nd Quarter--and then they went on to score only 32 points in the entire 2nd half.  Despite having two players grab double-digit rebounds, the T'Wolves edged out the Magic in the rebound department by only 1 (43-42).  Even then, the T'Wolves grabbed more offensive rebounds (15-6). The rest of the game was evenly matched for the most part, but the most glaring stat of the night was that the Magic hit 42.9% from beyond the arc, while the Wolves struggled at 28% which might have proved to be the difference in the game.

On a fun note, this game matched up starting centers Nikola Pekovic vs. Nikola Vucevic. I can only imagine how much the broadcasters of this game enjoyed having to announce both players' names on a constant basis tonight. More importantly, both players achieved a double-double.

Los Angeles Clippers at Detroit Pistons: Having seen Chris Paul live, I can honestly say that he is without a doubt, the smartest point guard in the NBA. And tonight, he proved once again why he might be the best point guard in the NBA despite the lack of athleticism that has been on display by his younger, more explosive counterparts. Dropping 7 dimes, swiping 3 steals, and scoring 14 points to go along with numerous plays that could have made tonight's highlight reels.

However, the real treat (well, for any real NBA junkie, that is) came in seeing just how far away Brandon Knight is from even sniffing Paul's elite status.  Shooting 5-16 from the field (3-10 from 3-point-land), Knight scored 16 points, but committed 5 turnovers (which cancelled out his 5 assists).  Perhaps Knight was missing the play of fellow backcourt mate, Rodney Stuckey, but it's safe to say that Knight was definitely schooled tonight.

Check out more articles on Brandon Knight, here.

Houston Rockets at New York Knicks: The date we have all been waiting for--the #1 team, in terms of average 3-Pointers Made per Game, was hosting the #2 team in the Rockets.  And both teams did not disappoint as they combined for 60 attempts from the 3-point line.

And, of course, the biggest sports story of the night, the triumphant return of Jeremy Lin to Madison Square Garden.  Lin has had an up-and-down season as he has struggled to find a proper role on a Rockets' team that revolves around superstud James Harden. Lin also had to face a Knicks' team determined to spoil his return, especially Ray Felton who clearly was trying really hard to prove that he's better than Lin despite not getting the same publicity (and getting paid a lot less as well).  However, Lin proved to be up for the moment as he scored 22 points (on 9-15 shooting from the field), 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.  More surprisingly, Lin was able to maneuver his way down the paint against a tough Knicks' defense which is anchored by Tyson Chandler, who looked to intimidate Lin by committing hard fouls on the guard. But that did not stop Lin from continually driving down the lane time and time again, frustrating Chandler and whoever the Knicks assigned to defend the determined point guard.

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder: On most nights, this would be the marquee matchup of the night, but you knew that the Spurs would not go 100% against their biggest rival on the road and the Thunder were able to even the season series at one. While not a single Spurs' player logged over 30 minutes in this game, the Thunder were clearly determined to win this game as they had four players (including both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) logging in over 30 minutes. This will prove to be a more competitive game when these two teams meet up in San Antonio on March 11, 2013.

Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns: If there was ever a microcosm to describe the Kings this season (heck, even in the last 2-3 seasons), it would have to be the 3rd quarter of this game where the Kings only scored 14 points after leading by as many as 19 points before the game reached halftime.

Some would say that the Suns have had a tendency to comeback from large deficits this season, but the Kings have proven time and time again, that despite having highly talented and athletic players, they are clearly the dumbest team in the NBA.

DeMarcus Cousins has already gone through his annual wacky episode(s) where he has gone after Spurs' color analyst, Sean Elliot, admitted that he's been lacking confidence this season, visibly getting into confrontations with coach Keith Smart, and getting suspended for hitting O.J. Mayo below the belt.

Cousins is the biggest problem on a team full of problems and despite all of the lottery picks that they have accumulated in the past few years, there seems to be no direction, goal, or structure on this team (except getting a new fancy stadium from the highest, bidding city).  Brand new year, same old story in "Swerve City."

For more on the wacky Sacramento Kings, click here.

Want more NBA? Click here.

NBA 2012-13 Fantasy Preview: ON THE RISE

Felipe M

Finally, two weeks of the NBA are in the books, but it's never too late to "bookmark" some players who might become household names among casual NBA, basketball junkies, and fantasy basketball fans alike.  Here are the rising stars of the 2012-13 NBA season:

• Bismack Biyombo: Only his second season and he is still a raw product, but in a fantasy points league, blocks and rebounds coming from a center is adequate enough to get a virtual GM's attention.  Remember, Michael Jordan went out of his way to draft this player despite his inexperience so there's a good chance that Biyombo will get the opportunity to play more this season.
• Brandon Knight: I thought that Knight would be the better point guard than Kyrie Irving.  In his second season, he might end up being the best guard on his team at the very least. 
• JaVale McGee: A fresh start in Denver and playing under a coach with more prestige than Flip Saunders or whoever D.C. can sucker into coaching that sorry team can only do wonders for the very gifted, but incomprehensible and quizzical player.
• Omer Asik: From 3rd string big man with the Bulls to feature frontcourt player with the Rockets, Asik's stock can only go up.
• Dion Waiters: Don't like the fact that he was a bench player in college (remember Marvin Williams?), but should be a great running mate to Irving in Cleveland.
• Goran Dragic: Finally, after years of being the best backup point guard with the highest upside in the NBA, Dragic will no longer have to look behind his back to see who will steal his minutes.  It's finally his show to run in Phoenix and many fans can't help, but rejoice at this deserving player.
• Damian Lillard: The small-school product will continue to make a name for himself in the Pacific Northwest with the small-market, but crazy, basketball town of Portland.  He will be given every opportunity to prove himself in the NBA and show what he's made out of.
• Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: The rookie love continues with MKG.  His athleticism and stature should make him ideal as a perimeter defender.  That should equal more minutes and produce lots of padded stats for the former Kentucky Wildcat. 
• Carlos Boozer: After many Bulls' fans came with pitchforks and torches to rid themselves of the underachieving, but very expensive forward, Boozer enters this season as the Bulls' best offensive threat and main scorer.  That should at least quiet down the fans, media, coaches, front office, etc.
• Jeff Teague: His progress as an NBA point guard has been stalled with the presence of former teammate Joe Johnson, but this year, Teague will finally display his speed, quickness, handles, and athleticism and prove to the NBA world why he has been the best kept secret among NBA prospects. 
• Greivis Vasquez: He's the best ball-handler by default in New Orleans and last season, he proved that he can produce on the court as well as New Orleans deals with injuries to promising guards in Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers. 

And so it goes.  Can't wait to see if these predictions come to fruition or not, but I'm really excited to see how Dragic and Teague (and his brother Marquis) will develop.  And not a lot of rookies to get excited about, but the lottery picks are certainly must-watch (i.e. Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, etc.).

To read Part I of this series on established players, click here.

Part II deals with declining players.

Part III looks at players who are at the crossroads of their careers.

2011 NBA DRAFT REVIEW: Part I

Felipe M.

I had a perfect plan for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get better in a relative hurry. The Cleveland Cavaliers, if they want to have their fans forget about LeBron James, need to select Derrick Williams with the #1 pick overall and then select a point guard at #4. T’Wolves and Jazz don’t need a PG so the Cavs might end up with the best athlete in Williams and STILL get Kyrie Irving at #4. Besides, who was the last player Duke developed into an NBA franchise player? If I were a Cavs' fan, I would much rather have Brandon Knight anyway.

Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers blew a perfect opportunity to get better by doing the following--and now, a recap of the 2011 NBA DRAFT:

Picks 1-5: A lot of nonsense happened in this year's NBA Draft and nothing was more ridiculous than seeing the Cavs pass on this year's best overall player in Derrick Williams by selecting a good point guard, but not a franchise-type player, in Kyrie Irving. Once again, the Duke Propaganda Machine suckers another NBA team's future fortunes down the drain.

Even worse was seeing Williams go to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA's version of hell. The T'Wolves already have plenty of players like Williams and by them picking him with the #2 pick overall, have all but guarantee the obstruction of this kid's development. The T'Wolves almost ruined Kevin Love and have done a horrible job in developing young talent and do a worse job in evaluating talent. Before the 2010-2011 season, it was reported that the T'Wolves' top brass decided that after looking at their roster, they came to the conclusion that Darko Milicic was the best player to build their franchise around. Yikes!

The other picks: Enes Kaster seems to fit perfectly well with the Jazz, especially if the trade rumors about Paul Millsap are true. Tristan Thompson out of Texas was the other pick for the Cavaliers who looks to be a poor man's version of Derrick Favors and according to Jay Bilas, Thompson needs to improve on his SCORING! You can forget about another Cleveland uprise happening any time soon.

The 5th pick saw the Toronto Raptors draft yet another European player in Jonas Valanciunas from Lithuania--a 19 year-old player who will never set foot with his NBA team until he's 24 and by then, Bryan Colangelo might be long gone. Or Jonas would have been traded to another team, thus making him a wasted pick at #5.

Picks 6-10: Jan Vesely from the Czech Republic was described as a "high-flying, energy guy" who can one day be a slam dunk champion. Unfortunately, the Wizards already have a player like that in JaVale McGee. And again, Vesely is reported to not make the Wizards' squad for another 5 years.

The Bobcats selected Bismack Biyombo from Congo who literally came out of nowhere. The 18 year-old is very athletic, but "cannot score." So Michael Jordan, who has been notoriously bad as a GM, decides that he needs the second coming of Hasheem Thabeet on his team. Just like the other Foreign players picked, Biyombo has a buyout issue, which is great because MJ has been known to have very little patience with young players (that he hand-selected in the first place). Best part about being Michael Jordan? He can screw up the Charlotte Bobcats all he wants because he will never get fired.

Brandon Knight--my guy!--gets selected by the Pistons, a great pick for Detroit as they are getting older and Rodney Stuckey is proving to not be the point guard that they were hoping for. Knight might just be the best point guard in this draft.

Speaking of point guards, the undersized Kemba Walker goes to the Bobcats as MJ might be losing patience with one of his hand-picked players, point guard D.J. Augustin--or maybe he wants both players to share the backcourt, making them one of the shortest in the NBA.

Finally, the Kings had to make a couple of deals to get Jimmer Fredette, which makes no sense to me whatsover. Yeah, they made room by trading away Beno Udrih, but they still have Marcus Thornton and no way is the Jimmer overtaking Tyreke Evans. Bilas thinks that Fredette can develop into a "scoring" guard, not just be limited as a Steve Kerr-like spot up shooter, but if his defensive liabilities become an issue, he might be just another white, bench player in the mold of J.J. Reddick and Adam Morrison.

This draft set a record for most Foreign players selected in the first 10 picks. However, this is a by-product of a draft full of "weak" collegiate players that were perceived to lack the offensive skills to make them standout in the NBA. This caused many NBA teams to roll the dice on a lot of foreign players. However, many of these players have many years to go before they arrive with their NBA teams.

History shows however that many foreign players who were drafted in the top 20 from 2000-2010 did not fully develop into the players that many NBA scouts thought their upside would take them. Of the 25 foreign players selected in the top 20 between 2000-2010, only half of them are still in the NBA, and often times, most of those players never make it to the NBA despite being drafted so high. However, the biggest letdown about these foreign players drafted very high in the NBA draft is that they never develop into that franchise type player that one would hope to get when selecting such a player. Many NBA teams select such players hoping they get the next Dirk Nowitzki, but more often than not, if one of these players end up a notch below Pau Gasol or Yao Ming, it should be considered a small victory.

To be continued....