2012 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Prospect Profile: Austin Rivers

April 22nd, 2012 at 7:21pm CST by Daniel Seco

After losing to Lehigh in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, Duke freshman Austin Rivers took some time to consider his future as a college basketball player. While his team's postseason performance had been disappointing, there was no denying Rivers had enjoyed a successful first year in Durham. Rivers put up gaudy numbers against some of the best teams in the country during the regular season as he finished with averages of 15.5 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.

The son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers is a lock to be a mid-first round draft pick and could even sneak into the lottery by some estimates. ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks Rivers as the 14th overall prospect among this year's talent pool, while DraftExpress.com has him going 16th in their latest mock draft. What will make Rivers, 20 in August, a valuable commodity going forward is his strong shooting ability mixed with a rare confidence that cannot be taught in the NBA.

For Ford, Rivers' strengths include his ball-handling skills, a devastating crossover and a deep-range jump shot that help fuel what Ford describes as a "killer instinct" on the court. During his time at Duke, this intangible could best be seen when the Blue Devils beat the fifth-ranked Tar Heels in Chapel Hill thanks to a three-pointer at the buzzer by Rivers. The victory ended UNC's 31-game home winning streak, which marked a school record.

There are many reasons why Rivers isn't projected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming draft and for Ford, it starts with the fact that he isn't a world-class athlete. Seemingly modeling his game after a much more athletically-gifted Kobe Bryant, Rivers attempts to do things on the court that his 6-foot-4, 203 pound body simply cannot achieve on a consistent basis. While his frame filled out over the course of the season at Duke, Rivers would stand to benefit from adding lean mass to make him more of a physical presence on the court.

Defensively, Ford says Rivers takes too many risks and may have let his attitude affect his effort at times, a sentiment shared by Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress.com, who describes Rivers' energy level as inconsistent. While some of Rivers' defensive shortcomings may stem from the heavy workload he was given on the offensive side of things, he will have to find a balance between being passive and overaggressive while covering opposing players in the NBA.

It's difficult to gauge how Rivers' career will unfold given his youth and lack of extensive collegiate seasoning. He will be selected anywhere from 10th to 20th in the upcoming draft with teams such as the Cavs, Rockets and Blazers most likely to give him a look. Rivers has expressed his desire to play for his father in Boston, but some critics wonder if that would be an unnecessary recipe for disaster for the Celtics with the team's roster facing a potential overhaul this offseason.

Odds & Ends: Draft, Brown, Cavs, Okur

April 21st, 2012 at 5:54pm CST by Daniel Seco

With the first of Saturday evening's eight games already underway, let's catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league.

Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times checks in with four different scouts to get a better picture of how the top-10 picks of the NBA draft will unfold come June. While all four agreed Kentucky's Anthony Davis was the sure-fire top pick in the draft, the group was split between Davis' former teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kansas forward Thomas Robinson as the player most likely to be selected second. Among the surprise names listed as a potential top-10 pick included Duke freshman guard Austin Rivers, who is projected by most experts to hear his name called in the mid-teens.
Newly-minted SMU head coach Larry Brown recently offered some unsolicited advice to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about the way he runs his franchise in an interview with NBA.com. Brown said that while he enjoyed working for Jordan thanks to the former Bulls star having high expectations for his team, he was not happy with how Jordan surrounded himself with people too afraid to challenge him. The Bobcats have currently lost 19 consecutive games and need to win one more to avoid having the lowest winning percentage in NBA history.
Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer ponders how the city of Cleveland will handle the Cavaliers struggling yet again next season if the team continues to follow the Oklahoma City model of rebuilding a roster through top-five selections in the draft.
The Celtics and Bulls were reportedly among a group of playoff-bound teams who inquired about the availability of Mehmet Okur in hopes of strengthening their frontcourt, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Okur, 32, started the season with the Nets before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Blazers along with Shawne Williams and a 2012 first-round draft pick (top-three protected) in exchange for swingman Gerald Wallace. The Blazers released Okur on March 21 due to the fact that the Turkish big man's back trouble would seemingly keep him out of action through June.

Draft Notes: Fournier, Lottery, Jazz, Wolves

April 20th, 2012 at 5:52pm CST by Alex Lee

With the 2012 NBA Draft scheduled for Thursday June 28th, we should expect to see more and more early entrant decisions and mock drafts as the next two months progress. Luke Adams recently posted an index page for our Prospect Profile series, which should become more complete as we near the draft. Let's take a look at some draft updates as we head into Friday night's games:

Jonathan Givony from Draft Express takes a look at Evan Fournier, and he says could be the only international player taken in this year's first round. Givony says the 19-year-old Frenchman is, at 6-foot-7 with a good frame, the ideal size to play wing in the NBA, but needs to work on his jumper.
Chad Ford in an ESPN insider piece provides a detailed look at the race for the top selections in June's draft as well as many of the existing trade scenarios that will help to shape the order. The Jazz, in particular, are an interesting case – they can still end up with two lottery picks, or they can end up with none.
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press takes a look at the Timberwolves' draft situation, who will have an eye on the Jazz's final few games of the season. Minnesota traded away their own first rounder, but should the Jazz make the playoffs the Wolves would get their first rounder as part of the Al Jefferson trade. Walters says Minnesota is desperate for a shooting guard.

Draft Updates: C.J. Leslie To Return To N.C. State

April 18th, 2012 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Sophomore forward C.J. Leslie was a decent bet to be picked in the first round this June, ranking 28th on Chad Ford's list of top prospects at ESPN.com and 34th on DraftExpress' top 100. However, rather than entering the draft, Leslie will be returning to North Carolina State for his junior year, reports James Henderson of Pack Pride.

"I'm staying at State, that's the decision I've made," Leslie said. "I just felt like this was the best decision for me. The program is moving in the right direction, and I will finish it out and I'm excited about where we are heading at N.C. State."

Here are a few more of today's draft-related links:

Andre Drummond will be represented by Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, tweets Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress.com, who has compiled a list of agents representing this year's draft prospects.
Chad Ford answered draft questions in his weekly chat at ESPN.com today. Of note: Ford says the 2013 draft lottery class is shaping up to be "considerably worse" than 2012's.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also conducted a draft-heavy chat today, with a focus on the Cavaliers' picks.

Poll: Which UK Prospect Will Be The Best Pro?

April 17th, 2012 at 6:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

On Tuesday, NCAA champion University of Kentucky's full starting five declared for the 2012 NBA draft. Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and Marquis Teague will all be going pro, with Davis expected to be the first pick overall. Which of these highly-touted prospects do you think will have the best NBA career?

Five Kentucky Players Enter NBA Draft

April 17th, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

Five players from the NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats declared for the 2012 NBA Draft in a press conference on Tuesday (Associated Press link via ESPN.com). As expected, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague, and Doron Lamb, the entire Kentucky starting five, will all turn pro.

Davis, the winner of the 2012 Naismith College Player of the Year award, is the overwhelming favorite to go first overall in June's draft, with Kidd-Gilchrist and Jones also expected to be lottery picks. HoopsRumors writers have previously covered Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist in our Prospect Profile series.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Draft, Hornets, Blazers

April 17th, 2012 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday afternoon links from around the NBA….

David Pingalore of Local 6 in Orlando, who reported earlier this month that Dwight Howard had asked the Magic to fire Stan Van Gundy, says Howard no longer wants to play for Van Gundy. This situation may end up working itself out: Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel argued yesterday that the Magic should shut down Howard for the rest of the year, and Van Gundy is unlikely to remain the team's coach for next season.
The latest mock draft from ESPN.com's Chad Ford has received plenty of feedback from NBA scouts and executives, Ford writes. Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie and Dion Waiters of Syracuse were among the players Ford's sources felt were ranked too low — the latest ESPN.com mock had them coming off the board at 19th and 23rd respectively.
North Carolina's John Henson has hired Jim Tanner as his agent, reports Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The junior forward announced in late March that he was entering the NBA draft.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld explores the direction of the Hornets now that the team is under new ownership.
Having been officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Trail Blazers now look like a good bet to score two lottery picks, as Mike Tokito of the Oregonian writes.

Kentucky Players To Announce Decisions Tuesday

April 17th, 2012 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 9:41am: The press conference for the five Kentucky underclassmen has been delayed until Tuesday evening at 7:00pm local time due to travel issues and class schedules, tweets Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal.

MONDAY, 4:09pm: Five Kentucky underclassmen expected to declare for the NBA draft will announce their decisions at a Tuesday afternoon press conference, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. Barring a surprise, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague, and Doron Lamb will all officially declare for the NBA draft.

Earlier today, it was reported that Davis, Teague, and Jones will be entering the draft pool, though Kidd-Gilchrist's and Lamb's final decisions were still unknown. The five underclassmen made up most of the core of a Wildcats team that won the 2012 NCAA national championship.

Davis, a freshman, will likely be picked first overall, while Kidd-Gilchrist (freshman) and Jones (sophomore) are also expected to be lottery picks. Teague (freshman) is also a likely first-rounder, while Lamb (sophomore) could crack the first round as well.

Hoops Rumors' full list of early entrants for this June's draft can be found here.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, Brown, Draft

April 16th, 2012 at 10:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's an eventful night in the NBA with 11 games, many of which have playoff implications. There's been plenty of draft news as well, as teams look past the playoffs, and one item concerning the distant future, with the NBA announcing the Hornets will host the 2014 All-Star Game, just six years after hosting the 2008 event. The new ownership of Tom Benson had plenty to do with that, though he's already come up short in his quest to get the Jazz nickname back from Utah, as Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes. If Benson ditches the Hornets name, it'll be a while before Charlotte could use it again, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. While nicknames won't be moving for a while, there's plenty of movement on other fronts, and here's the latest:

A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com doesn't think free agents Roy Hibbert and Eric Gordon will switch teams this summer, but says the Celtics have interest in both (Twitter link).
Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun breaks down the Raptors' roster and predicts who'll be there next season and who won't.
Longtime coach Larry Brown is pursuing the Blazers GM job even as he zeroes in on the SMU coaching gig, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford discusses the possibility that Kentucky senior Darius Miller, currently projected as a second-rounder, could climb up the draft board and make it six first-round picks for the Wildcats (Insider only).
Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday rounds up Carmelo Anthony's comments on multiple radio shows today about the way new Knicks coach Mike Woodson has held him accountable (Sulia links).
Mavs cast-off Lamar Odom leads Sam Smith's list of the biggest disappointments this year on NBA.com
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida shares the results of an informal survey of 11 former MVPs, who give a slight edge to Kevin Durant over LeBron James in this year's race. The former players won't have official votes for the award; instead, writers and broadcasters will make the selection.
Roland Beech of 82games.com crunches the numbers and determines Gilbert Arenas, taken in the second round by the Warriors in 2001, was the shrewdest draft choice in recent years (hat tip to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld).

Prospect Profile: Bradley Beal

April 16th, 2012 at 8:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

There aren't a lot of quality young shooting guards in the NBA right now, especially given the injuries Eric Gordon has endured this year. There's also only one shooting guard projected as a surefire lottery pick in this year's draft, so that player, Bradley Beal, could be even more valuable than his ability would otherwise suggest.

Even if he weren't playing at a sought-after position, the freshman from Florida possesses plenty of appealing attributes. His high basketball IQ is something both ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony of Draft Express agree on. He can play the point as well, and his showing down the stretch for the Gators and his ability to handle traps and double teams have already caught the eye of the Wizards, who are "enamored" with him, writes HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler. Ford points to his rebounding prowess, as he averaged 6.7 RPG this year, and Givony likes the advanced fundamentals and maturity he shows at just 18 years old.

Still, there are question marks involved. Ford writes that the only concern scouts have is his relatively poor shooting this year, when he connected on 44.5% of his field goal attempts, including 34% from three-point territory. Those are disappointing numbers from someone who, according to Ford, evoked comparisons to Ray Allen coming out of high school. While Givony believes he will never shoot so poorly from behind the arc again, he also points to a need for him to finish better on his attacks at the rim, as well as defensive inconsistencies. ESPN has him listed at 6'5", while he checks in at 6'3.5" at Draft Express. NBADraft.net splits the difference and has him at 6'4". Givony expressed concerns about his height, and if he's closer to the shorter side of his measurements, that's a legitimate worry.

Size matters less in a wide-open transition game, and he's been effective playing that style, according to Givony, creating looks for himself and his teammates with smooth ballhandling and an ability to change speeds. He'd fit a team looking for an up-tempo attack, and the Wizards notion holds water here, as they could go with a small lineup of John Wall, Beal, Jordan Crawford, Jan Vesely and Nene Hilario. He'd be a tougher fit with a team like the Raptors, who have a defensive-minded coach in Dwane Casey and DeMar DeRozan occupying the two-guard spot. Still, ESPN's latest mock has him going to Toronto at No. 5. Draft Express has him going fifth as well. Ford believes he could go as high as No. 2, but much of that will depend on how he compares to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, another sought-after wing player.

It all comes down to the right fit with a player like Beal, unlike a must-have top pick like Anthony Davis. If a team needs a versatile guard who can make quick decisions and, at worst, take nothing away from you with his shooting, Beal is the guy. If a team is worried about size and wants to play a halfcourt game, they'll shy away from him.