Austin Rivers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Hornets, Barnes, Cavs, Bobcats

June 7th, 2012 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets may be looking to find a way into the first round of this month's draft, but a number of teams are considering moving their first-rounders. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), every club besides the Cavs that has multiple first-round picks is trying to trade one of them for a young player. The Blazers, Celtics, Warriors, Rockets, and Hornets all fit the bill, with two first-rounders each. Let's round up a few more of today's draft rumors….

Teams inquiring on the 10th overall pick are being told by the Hornets that taking on a contract like Emeka Okafor's or Trevor Ariza's won't be enough to land the pick, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, De Colo, Mavs, Hornets

June 4th, 2012 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Southwest Division champion Spurs resume their series vs. the Thunder tonight, looking to hold serve at home in San Antonio. As ESPN.com's John Hollinger writes, the Spurs are very familiar with this situation, having entered a Game 5 with the series tied nine times already in the Tim Duncan era. Hollinger wonders what adjustments Gregg Popovich will make tonight, speculating that the team's changes could involve the use of Manu Ginobili and Matt Bonner. Here are a few more Monday updates out of the Southwest….

Western Notes: Nuggets, Fisher, Jordan

May 20th, 2012 at 8:40am CST by Daniel Seco

The Western Conference playoff picture became a bit clearer on Saturday evening as the Thunder knocked off the Lakers at the Staples Center to take a 3-1 series lead. The Lakers entered the fourth quarter with a nine-point advantage but could not overcome timely shooting from Kevin Durant as they fell 103-100. Let's take a look around the rest of the conference to catch up on the latest stories making headlines on this Sunday morning.

Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post suggests the Nuggets use some of their depth to move up in the draft to acquire Austin Rivers. The team has too many wing players and not enough minutes to go around, which makes some combination of Arron Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler expendable. The Nuggets currently hold the 20th pick in the draft and would need to move up to approximately the 10th slot to have a chance to draft Rivers.
The signing of Derek Fisher earlier this season has proven to be a key move for the Thunder as his leadership has been evident in the team's locker room, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. It helps that Fisher, 37, won five rings during his two stints with the Lakers, giving him instant credibility with players like Nick Collison. "It's like having another coach, but he still has the respect of the players. It doesn't feel like he's preaching at you, he just makes a lot of sense."
T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times says while DeAndre Jordan is a fun teammate to have around the Clippers organization, he needs to do more on the court to justify his hefty contract. Chris Paul, nearly a foot shorter than Jordan, is averaging the same amount of rebounds per game as the former Texas A&M star (5.0).

Draft Notes: Suero, Drummond, Rivers

April 24th, 2012 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few of today's draft-related updates, including the latest players to declare their intent, and a few first-round tidbits courtesy of ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link):

Albany junior Gerardo Suero has declared his intent for the draft, according to the school's website. Suero, who isn't ranked among this year's top prospects by Ford or DraftExpress.com, is a long shot to be drafted, but he's looking to begin his professional career, "whether it be in the NBA or overseas."
The majority of teams have UConn's Andre Drummond ranked between third and fifth on their boards, with a handful of clubs placing him as high as second.
Some veteran scouts think Perry Jones III is the best player in the draft besides Anthony Davis, and believe he'll be Rudy Gay at worst. However, other personnel people say they wouldn't take Jones in the top ten.
There are a few teams that consider North Carolina's John Henson a better prospect than Drummond or Jones, but a greater number of clubs don't like him as a lottery pick.
Austin Rivers of Duke seems like a love-him-or-hate-him player, with evaluations very divided. Some teams like him in the 6-10 range, while others have him down between 20 and 30.
Teams are "scared to death" of Tony Wroten Jr., who could end up being selected after even Marquis Teague on draft night.

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: George, Chandler, Pistons

April 18th, 2012 at 8:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Orlando is currently sixth in the East and owns a four game lead over the seventh place Knicks. A New York win against the Nets and an Orlando loss versus the Celtics tonight would reduce the lead to three with four games left to play. For both teams, the stakes involve avoiding a first-round matchup with Miami or Chicago. The Clippers have a chance at the third seed in the West with a win against Denver and a Lakers loss to Golden State. Those are just a few of the many storylines to follow as the NBA inches closer to its conclusion within the next week and a half. With that aside, here's the latest news from the world of basketball:

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link).
Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season.
Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.
Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.

Draft Notes: Mitchell, Hummel, Rivers, Sullinger

April 16th, 2012 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

It's already been an eventful day for draft updates, with news that the University of Kentucky has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon, likely to announce that five underclassmen will officially enter the draft. While we await that formal announcement, let's check in on a few other draft-related items….

Junior forward Tony Mitchell has elected to enter the NBA draft, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Mitchell, not to be confused with the North Texas player of the same name, was averaging 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for Alabama this season before he was suspended indefinitely in February. Mitchell is ranked 71st by DraftExpress.com.
A number of NBA scouts and executives help TNT's David Aldridge break down the shooting guards in this year's draft class. Aldridge's piece is chock-full of interesting quotes and comes highly recommended.
Purdue senior Robbie Hummel has hired agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports in hopes of being drafted, writes Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press. DraftExpress ranks Hummel 81st among this year's draft prospects.
In other agent news, Austin Rivers and Jared Sullinger have signed with David Falk, Moe Harkless will hire Happy Walters, and William Buford has hired Herb Rudoy and Ron Shade.

Draft Notes: Measurements, Sullinger, Rivers

April 13th, 2012 at 10:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Many of the underclassmen declaring for the draft this week hope to take after Avery Bradley. His success with the Celtics this year defies criticism that he shouldn't have left the University of Texas after only one season in 2010, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Here's the latest news on NBA hopefuls:

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, taking place in Virginia this week, is a showcase for top seniors. It's also when many draft prospects have their measurements taken, which can either help or hurt a player's stock. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express passes on the measurements of all the participants, as well as some observations on some notable dimensions.
Bob Baptist of The Columbus Dispatch tweets that Jared Sullinger has signed with agent David Falk, and Givony adds via Twitter that Austin Rivers has done the same.
French big man Rudy Gobert will not enter the draft this year, Givony reports (Twitter link). The 6'11" 19-year-old is second on the Draft Express list of international prospects born in 1992 and projects him as the 15th pick in the 2013 draft.
Givony tweets that Brazilians Cesar Lima, Lucas Nogueira and Raul Neto aren't entering the draft either, according to their agency. Lima is the No. 2 Draft Express prospect born in 1991, Lucas Nogueira is No. 3 from 1992, and Neto is No. 7 from 1992.

Atlantic Notes: Ewing, Rivers, Nets, Bayless

March 28th, 2012 at 6:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers are off, but the other four Atlantic squads will host games tonight, including the Celtics, who can pull into a tie for the Atlantic Division lead with a win against Utah. Here are a few updates out of the division:

Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing reiterated his desire to become a head coach, and said if the Knicks don't retain Mike Woodson and the opportunity arises this summer, he'd like to coach the Knicks, with whom he starred as a player, writes Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
It's no surprise, but Doc Rivers would jump at the chance to coach his son in the NBA. He remarked that if Austin Rivers comes available when GM Danny Ainge and the Celtics are drafting this June, "I am going to say, 'Danny, you better draft him,'" tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The coach also said his son always had eyes on the NBA, and indicated the plan all along was to be a one-and-done player, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter link).
For his part, Austin Rivers said on The Dan Patrick Show that he wouldn't mind playing for his dad if the Celtics were to draft him. CSNEE.com has the details.
Deron Williams tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that he could definitely see himself playing alongside Kentucky's Anthony Davis. Of course, two big ifs are left unspoken here: The Nets would have to luck into the first overall pick to land Davis, and Williams would have to re-sign or opt into the final year of his contract.
According to coach Dwane Casey, as relayed by Eric Koreen of the National Post, Jerryd Bayless' season-ending oblique injury won't affect how the Raptors view him in free agency.
Playing in Canada for the Raptors hardly feels foreign for the well-traveled Alan Anderson, as Koreen writes in a separate piece for the Post.

Rivers Officially Declares For NBA Draft

March 26th, 2012 at 6:53pm CST by Daniel Seco

Duke guard Austin Rivers has announced his decision to leave school and officially declare for the 2012 NBA draft. Rivers, 19, played one season for the Blue Devils in which he averaged 15.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG with a season-high 29 points coming in a buzzer-beating victory over the University of North Carolina. The consenus ACC rookie of the year will hire an agent and is projected to be one the first players selected in the draft.

"I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and the fans for helping make this past year at Duke so special," Rivers said in a statement released by the university. "It was a difficult decision to leave Duke, but I am excited about chasing my dream of playing in the NBA."

The son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers led his squad to a 2-seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament only to lose in the first round to 15-seed Lehigh University.