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?
As they prepare to move from New Jersey to Brooklyn this summer, the Nets are in an interesting situation. With cap space to spare, the team will be looking to retain potential free agents like Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace. How much room the team has to re-sign its own players and pursue other free agents will depend on its luck in the coming weeks though.
The Nets have a chance to land two picks in the top 20 of what's expected to be a deep draft. However, there's also a possibility that the Nets end up with zero first-rounders. New Jersey's own pick is ticketed for Portland if it doesn't end up in the top three, while the Rockets' first-rounder will only be sent to the Nets if it's not in the top 14.
As Hoops Rumors' tentative draft order shows, the Nets are currently tied with the league's sixth-worst record, and the Rockets are tied with the Suns for the eighth seed in the West. Our order, which doesn't account for tiebreakers, actually shows the 32-29 Rockets at 17th overall, but the 32-29 Suns hold the playoff tiebreaker, moving the Rockets up to 14th. So if the season ended today and everything held to form, the Nets wouldn't own a first-round pick.
With just a handful of games left in the season, how do you see the Nets' draft prospects lining up? Will New Jersey luck out and jump into the top three with its own pick? Will the Rockets edge out the Suns and Jazz to earn a postseason spot, handing their pick to the Nets? How many first-rounders do you think the Nets will hold when June arrives?
With recent comments from Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy suggesting Dwight Howard‘s chances of playing in this year’s playoffs is “50-50” due to a herniated disc in his back (Twitter link), and Lakers star Kobe Bryant sitting out his fifth straight game today with a shin related issue, we ask which key player’s injury will have the largest impact on several contenders trying to make their run at the championship.
Earlier today, Luke Adams posted a breakdown of Eric Gordon‘s free-agency outlook for the summer. Later, SI.com’s Sam Amick named the Mavericks, Pacers, Suns, and Trail Blazers as teams that could potentially compete with the Hornets for Gordon’s services. The fourth-year guard, acquired by New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade, is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Where do you think Gordon will end up: back with the Hornets, with one of these rumored suitors, or somewhere else entirely?
Deron Williams has made it clear he will test free agency this offseason. There will be no opting back in, unlike a certain other player we know. Williams is already talking about his options come summer and if one thing is clear, it’s that he will be the offseason’s biggest prize.
It sounds like Williams will consider resigning with the Nets if they are able to put together a contender-worthy supporting cast. Whether they are able to do that remains to be seen. So I ask the readers, where do you think Deron Williams will end up?
Feel free to offer any alternatives to options provided in the comments.
With the public's general opinion on Dwight Howard taking a turn for the worst in light of yesterday's comments by his head coach, Stan Van Gundy, are Howard's chances of winning a fourth straight Defensive Player of the Year award suffering? Or is it still his award to lose?
Barring a major development between now and June 28th, there's no argument from basketball experts that Anthony Davis will be selected first overall by whichever team lucks out in May's draft lottery. The same consensus isn't evident for the rest of the draft, however. While Davis' teammate at Kentucky, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, has gained momentum as the potential second overall pick, he's certainly nowhere near the lock Davis is.
DraftExpress.com ranks Kidd-Gilchrist behind UConn freshman Andre Drummond, while both DraftExpress and ESPN.com's Chad Ford have Thomas Robinson of Kansas and Bradley Beal of Florida in their top fives. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and UNC's Harrison Barnes had disappointing elimination games in the NCAA tournament, but are among the other players who have been discussed as top picks.
So we'll pose the same question that Reid Cherner of USA Today asked earlier today: If you're drafting second overall, and Davis is off the board, which draft prospect do you consider the best available? If your choice isn't listed as one of our options, feel free to specify and explain your vote in the comments section. And be sure to continue checking out our tentative 2012 draft order to stay up-to-date on which NBA teams have the best shot at a high draft pick.
Earlier today, we asked which team had the best trade deadline. Based on the voting so far, it looks like the Lakers and their acquisition of Ramon Sessions are the popular choice – hard to believe considering the big names that were discussed as potentially on the move. With the trade deadline quieter than anticipated, which playoff hopeful missed out the most by not making an impact move?