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2014 NBA Draft

Montrezl Harrell Declines To Enter Draft

April 14th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Chuck Myron

Louisville sophomore Montrezl Harrell has decided against entering this year’s draft, he’s announced via Twitter (hat tip to Chris Mannix of SI.com). His decision counters an earlier report that he would declare for this year’s field, and it comes as a surprise, given his solid first-round stock. The big man is the 15th-ranked prospect with Chad Ford of ESPN.com, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has him 20th.

Harrell averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game this season for Louisville, which lost in the NCAA Tournament sweet sixteen to Kentucky. He stepped into a starting role this year after serving mostly as a reserve last season when the Cardinals won the national championship. He’ll look to improve his free throw shooting as a junior after making just 46.4% of his shots from the line this year.

The news is no doubt a disappointment to teams projected to end up with a mid first-round pick, particularly those looking for an inside player. The 6’8″ Harrell is somewhat undersized at power forward, but it hasn’t hurt his production on the boards in college.

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And-Ones: Young, Cavs, Pistons, Turner

April 13th, 2014 at 8:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kentucky freshman James Young hasn’t made a decision on if he’s entering the NBA Draft yet, reports The Kentucky Advocate Messenger. Young’s godfather, Sean Mahone said, “I am not even certain what the deadline is for deciding. That shows how we are not fixated on the draft. That is just an innocent admission of where we are and what we have been thinking about. It’s just been chaos the last few weeks during this incredible run with a lot of late night worries and anxiety and then some great, great moments. That was our focus, not next year.”

More from around the league:

  • The Heat were offered Evan Turner in a trade by the Sixers before the trade deadline with Udonis Haslem being the only significant piece they would have had to send in return, writes Dan Le Batard of The Miami Herald. The Heat didn’t make the trade, at least in part because they didn’t like how it would look to deal one of the club’s longest tenured players, reports Le Batard.
  • According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link), whoever takes over as GM of the Pistons needs to clear out the logjam at power forward. Greg Monroe is looking for a big pay raise and Josh Smith doesn’t mesh well with Brandon Jennings and Monroe, opines Wolstat.
  • The Cavaliers are going to have to figure out if Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving can play together, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. It’s not the players personalities that are the problem, but rather that their ball-dominant games are too alike, opines Pluto.
  • The Lakers Pau Gasol is officially done for the season, reports Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link). Team doctors had told Gasol that he was still a few weeks away from returning to action.
  • Hofstra senior guard Zeke Upshaw has signed with agent Brian J. Bass, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
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Prospect Profile: T.J. Warren

April 13th, 2014 at 6:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The announcement had been expected since the team lost its second-round tournament game, and last Tuesday it became official when North Carolina State’s T.J. Warren declared for the 2014 NBA Draft. The announcement was made by the university. “It’s been a fun ride the last few years. I’ve had some great experiences and now I feel I’m ready to play at the next level,” Warren said in a released statement. “Playing in the NBA has been a lifelong dream of mine and playing at NC State has prepared me well to achieve my dream.”

The Wolfpack sophomore finished the 2013/14 regular season with back-to-back 40-plus scoring nights, and in the NCAA tournament Warren averaged 26.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 3.0 SPG. In 35 total games this season, Warren averaged 24.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 1.8 SPG in 35.4 minutes per game. His slash line was .525/.267/.690. For his career Warren averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 31.2 minutes per contest. His career slash line is .555/.315/.654.

Warren’s value is as an offensive threat. He can score in a variety of ways, and many of his skills should translate to the NBA. Despite his 24.9 PPG and ACC Player of the Year honors, Warren doesn’t project as an NBA superstar. He also won’t be a dynamic shot-creator or a No. 1 scoring option, but can still be a productive pro. I see Warren providing Shane Battier or John Salmons level numbers on the right team, but he’s not a number one option.

Warren is a highly unconventional player, and is quite a gifted scorer. He moves off the ball exceptionally well, and finds gaps instinctually in opposing defenses, and can score in a variety of ways. While not a traditional one-on-one player (most of his isolation plays come from the elbow or short corner), he’s extremely tough to defend because of the quality of his mid-range game and how many different release points he has on his shots. Jeff Benedict of SI.com said, “So many of Warren’s baskets this season have come after he’s used off-the-ball screens to get himself open. When moving without the ball, Warren is like a gun fighter who always has his hand on the trigger. Any sign of the slightest opening and Warren fires. Especially when he’s within 15 feet of the basket.”

He also displays terrific footwork, an extremely soft touch and has a knack for going glass. Warren is also extremely effective close the basket, making 69% of his non-floater attempts around the rim, which is also first among the Top-100 ranked prospects. Warren has also taken the third highest amount of runners and floaters in all of college basketball this season according to Synergy Sports Technology, hitting over 50% of these attempts, which is first among the Top-100 prospects.

Warren’s outside shooting may be suspect from NBA long range distance. He has shown some issues with his shooting stroke, and only connected on 26.7% of his threes last season. A long, low dip has been observed in his shooting motion, and he’s a bit “chicken-winged” when he raises up to deliver the ball. If he fails to refine these deficiencies, he won’t be able to stretch opposing defenses at the professional level. Continued inability to regularly connect from beyond the arc would end his chances of being a legitimate rotational weapon at the pro level. You can’t play the three or be a small four in the NBA unless you can shoot with real range and space the floor.

If Warren cannot find an effective role in the NBA, he may struggle to maintain substantial minutes which would lower his production and value. The positive view is that he wouldn’t require a whole lot of touches to put up points, especially when working in transition and away from the ball. As a third or fourth scoring option, he could score double digits with only eight or nine shot attempts per night. Warren could also operate well as a facilitator if he’s able to draw defenses in, because he’s demonstrated that he’s a capable if not always willing passer while at N.C. State.

His main weakness is that he doesn’t have a defined position in the NBA. Warren lacks athleticism at the wing, and he’s small for a post player and has short arms. Regardless of what position he plays he’s going to be at an athletic disadvantage due to poor lateral quickness and being only an average athlete.

Warren was primarily tasked with guarding power forwards at NC State, and will likely see more time on the perimeter defensively in the NBA, which poses another set of questions he’ll have to answer in his pre-draft workouts. Warren could have a lot of trouble guarding swingmen in the NBA according to Draft Express video analyst Mike Schmitz, whose scouting report stated, “Not a great on-ball defender…Not all that quick laterally…A bit of a ‘tweener on defense. Not strong enough for power forwards. Must be able to check NBA small forwards if he wants to be a 3.”

Warren’s tweener skills make his NBA value a bit difficult to predict. Most mock drafts have him as a mid-to-late first round pick. Warren currently ranks 18th in Draft Express‘ latest,  28th in CBSSports.com‘s, NBA Draft.net has him ranked 20th, Bleacher Report has Warren 23rd, and he ranks 32nd on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s Big Board.

The one facet that Warren has to sell teams on is his ability as a scorer. Whether he can defend well enough to stay on the court long enough to get his shots in will be a big question mark. Warren will also need to make adjustments and work towards improving his outside shot. The ceiling on his game has been compared to that of Michael Beasley and Trevor Ariza. Based on his college production and taking into account his limitations, Warren could make for a good value pick late in the first round, and would make a nice complementary piece on a playoff team. I wouldn’t take him in the lottery though, especially when players with higher upsides will still be on the board.

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Celtics Notes: Grousbeck, Stevens, Draft

April 13th, 2014 at 11:35am CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck believes in the team’s plan to rebuild through the draft, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Grousbeck said, “I’m not used to being out of the playoffs. I remember being back to the building phase back from ’03 to ’07, and we knew in ’03 that we didn’t have a team that was capable of winning. So we changed the coach and the general manager and really started over just building through the draft, with the goal eventually of maybe making a couple of transformative trades. And that’s really how it played out in ’07. So we really think we’re going to do the exact same thing. We’re going to draft and be patient and provide the payroll and support and steady hand necessary to bring this back, because I’m only interested in banners. I named my company ‘Banner 17’ – we got that one (championship in 2008). I might as well name it Banner 18, because that’s all we’re interested in.”

More from Boston:

  • In the same Amick article, when asked about his timetable for the team to contend, Grousbeck said, “Nothing would make me happier than to be contending next year. We went from basically worst to first in ’07-’08. Having said that, this is going to be a multi-year process. We’ve got a young core that we’re excited about. We’ve got picks (seven first-rounders in the next three drafts) and a GM and a coach that looks like a recipe for a lot of success in the future, but it doesn’t look like it’s an overnight success. So we’re prepared for the long haul, but we’d love to accelerate it if we could.”
  • If you ask Celtics coach Brad Stevens about the who the team might add in the draft, he’ll tell you developing the players already on the roster is just as important, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Stevens said, “I got asked just today, ‘What would you like to see us add’ with regard to positional need or shooting or whatever the case may be. We’ll get focused on some of those things but we also need to focus on the guys that are here and the guys that will be here — because they can all get better and they’ve all proven themselves to be really valuable.“
  • Brad Stevens’ college ties might make him the best talent evaluator in the organization heading into the draft, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Stevens had recruited many of this year’s draft entries while at Butler, plus has closer ties to high school and prep coaches than most NBA executives, writes Murphy.
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Prospect Profile: Rodney Hood

April 12th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heading into the 2013/14 college basketball season, most of the discussions about Duke players and the 2014 NBA Draft revolved around Jabari Parker, and deservedly so. But Rodney Hood also began the year as a projected top-10 pick, but has moved down in the rankings due to the unexpected emergence of other players and some of his limitations on the defensive end.

But Hood apparently decided one year in Durham was enough and was rumored to be entering the 2014 draft. He is ranked 25th in the latest mock by Draft Express,  while NBA Draft.net has him 11th, and CBSSports.com ranks him 13th. Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Hood currently ranked 16th on his Big Board.

The Mississippi State transfer entered the season as a player regarded to have a great outside shot, a good ability to take the ball to the rim, and no major offensive weaknesses that would keep him from being an NBA player. He didn’t do anything to dispel these notions. In 35 games Hood averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG while playing 32.9 minutes per game. His slash line was .464/.420/.807. Hood’s numbers his freshman year at Mississippi State were 10.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 32.8 minutes a night.

Hood shares many of the traits that have attracted NBA teams to Parker’s game. He has shown himself to be a versatile player with excellent length, and good athleticism. He is also effective out in transition, able to finish at the rim, can beat defenders off the dribble, and can be very effective from behind the three-point line.

He ranked eighth in the ACC in 3-point field goals made, and sixth in total field goals made. Hood ranked first overall in effective field goal percentage with .550. His overall field goal percentage of .464 was good for fourth in the ACC, and his offensive win shares of 3.7 was good for third in the conference. Fine numbers for playing on a team as talented as Duke.

There aren’t a bunch of concerns about Hood’s offensive game, but there are a few question marks. Hood hardly ever goes to his right and this could become an issue at the next level. Teams will force him to use his right hand and it hasn’t been seen if he can finish going that way. The other unknown is Hood hasn’t been viewed as a play maker. While at Mississippi State he was strictly a catch and shoot player, but at Duke he has demonstrated a little more variety to his game. To be an effective scorer in the NBA though, Hood will have to show more of an ability to create his own shot. He also still needs to work more on passing to the open man instead of forcing up bad shots.

Though he has worked on his body, Hood has a slight frame and needs to add upper body strength, which he’ll need to play against NBA small forwards. He stands 6’8″, but is a slim 215 pounds. The majority of his offense comes as a shooter, because his lack of strength makes him hesitant to drive. Hood is also not a great rebounder, which again points to a lack of strength. He doesn’t have a frame made to carry bulk, so it will be a challenge for him to correct this.

Hood’s biggest weakness as an NBA prospect revolves around his defense, as he has shown questionable intensity on this end of the floor, rarely getting into an actual stance and frequently being knocked off balance and taken advantage of off the dribble due to his lack of strength. His relatively short arms don’t help, which may be reflected in his inability to generate steals (0.7 SPG), blocks (0.3 BPG) or rebounds (3.9 RPG), all of which rank among the worst rates in the draft at his position. According to Draft Express Hood has decent lateral quickness, so he could end up becoming at least adequate in this area, but he’ll have to improve his motor and hustle quite a bit and also get stronger and tougher, as he allows himself to get pushed around with minimal resistance more than he should.

It is all but certain that if Hood makes the jump to the NBA, the interest will be there. He will be a first-round pick and possibly crack the lottery, so it’s difficult to fault him for turning pro. But if Hood elected to come back to Duke this would give scouts the chance to see how he performs when he isn’t benefiting from playing alongside Parker, who is arguably the best player in college basketball. Hood could also use another year under coach Mike Krzyzewski to raise his overall basketball I.Q.. This could set him up to be an early lottery pick in 2015.

The temptation will probably prove too great for Hood. There is always a demand for shooters in the league, and he certainly has a sweet stroke from downtown. His offensive game reminds me of Robert Horry‘s, and as a prospect, his ceiling has been compared to Rashard Lewis‘. My prediction is that he might sneak into the end of the lottery, but more than likely falls into the 16-24 range, where he could end up being a value pick. His limitations will hold him back from stardom, but he has the offensive tools to be a valuable role player in the NBA.

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Draft Notes: Harrison Twins, Johnson

April 12th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Charlie Adams

Both Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison fared well in NCAA tournament play, and they’re leaning toward entering the draft, a source tells Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. We heard Wednesday that their teammate and projected top-5 pick, Julius Randle, had yet to make his decision. Here’s more on the draft:

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

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Ilja Gromovs To Enter Draft

April 12th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Charlie Adams

Latvian big man Ilja Gromovs will declare for the draft, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter). Gromovs, a 6’10” center, currently plays for Jurmala in the Latvian league, where he’s averaged five points and 3.6 boards through 31 contests. Neither Givony nor Chad Ford of ESPN.com have Gromovs ranked in their top 100 prospects.

It’s possible, and maybe even likely, that Gromovs withdraws his name from the draft before the June 16th deadline for international players to revoke their entry status. He might simply want to expose himself to the predraft workouts to get a look at the process so he has experience for drafts down the road.

Gromovs is currently ranked 42nd on Givony’s list of international players born in 1994, so he would probably be best suited as a “draft and stash” player, were any team to even select him at all.

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Eric Moreland To Declare For Draft

April 12th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Charlie Adams

Oregon State forward Eric Moreland says he will be declaring for the draft, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Moreland is a 6’10” junior who could be taken in the second round, writes Wojnarowski. The big man averaged 8.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per night this season for the Beavers. He’s currently ranked 38th on Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress‘ list of NCAA juniors.

Moreland isn’t a prolific scorer, but his potential upside comes from his massive size. His 7’4″ wingspan is appealing to coaches and executives at the next level. He was able to average 2.1 blocks per contest over the course of his college career, and his skillset could have him develop into a solid defender capable of a backup role in the NBA.

If Moreland is to be selected this June, he will join Jared Cunningham as the only Oregon State alumni in the league. The latest 2014 mock draft from DraftExpress doesn’t have him being taken.

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Latest On Jabari Parker

April 11th, 2014 at 9:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s still unknown as to whether or not Duke freshman Jabari Parker intends to declare for this year’s NBA Draft. It was reported earlier that Parker had applied for housing for his sophomore year. This doesn’t prohibit him from declaring, but it does show that he hasn’t made up his mind definitively to enter the NBA. As for Parker’s draft projection, you can check out his prospect profile for more information.

More on Parker’s situation:

  • Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Video) breaks down Parker’s game.
  • Parker still hasn’t made up his mind about leaving Duke, and is set to meet with coach Mike Krzyzewski next week, Ford writes. According to the article, Parker refuted the report that he already has applied for student housing at Duke for next school year. He also doesn’t view a potential return to Durham as risky. Parker said, “I think there’s no risk. I think the community at Duke has really done a good job of taking care of my safety and they make sure that everything is done by the playbook.“
  • Parker’s decision is between returning to Duke or entering NBA. He is not considering a Mormon mission, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times.
  • The decision on Parker entering the draft won’t come until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
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Freshmen Outnumbered In Recent NBA Drafts

April 11th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The perception inherent in commissioner Adam Silver’s rhetoric about his desire to raise the NBA’s minimum age is that the draft is overrun with college freshmen. One-and-dones nonetheless represent only 20.7% of the first-round picks from the last five seasons. Juniors outnumbered all other classes during that span, meaning a significant portion of first-round picks entered the league more than halfway through college.

Each college class represents between 16.7% and 24% of the first-rounders in the last five years, indicating balance throughout the collegians. The sample size is somewhat limited, and it doesn’t count players picked in the second round or who go undrafted, but it reflects the most current trends in the NBA, and shows that NBA teams aren’t choosing to load their benches with talent just a year removed from high school.

Here’s how the past five years break down by class:

2013

  • Freshmen: 6
  • Sophomores: 7
  • Juniors: 7
  • Seniors: 3
  • International: 7

2012

  • Freshmen: 8
  • Sophomores: 11
  • Juniors: 6
  • Seniors: 4
  • International: 1

2011

  • Freshmen: 6
  • Sophomores: 4
  • Juniors: 8
  • Seniors: 7
  • International: 5

2010

  • Freshmen: 7
  • Sophomores: 8
  • Juniors: 9
  • Seniors: 5
  • International: 1

2009

  • Freshmen: 4
  • Sophomores: 6
  • Juniors: 8
  • Seniors: 6
  • International: 6

Five-year totals

  • Freshmen: 31
  • Sophomores: 36
  • Juniors: 38
  • Seniors: 25
  • International: 20
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