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Draft Notes: Marshall, Lillard, Nets

May 26th, 2012 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

With just four days to go until the NBA draft lottery, the Memorial Day weekend might be filled with anxiety for teams hoping to land a high pick. It's not a restful time for many prospects, either, as they continue to try and impress future employers. Here's the latest on the draft:

North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall says that he broke his elbow, but hopes to be cleared for contact in time for the NBA combine, as documented by Dan Tierney of the IMG Basketball Academy Blog. Zach Links took a look at Marshall's draft stock as a part of our Prospect Profile series earlier this week.
Marshall's competition for top point guard honors in the draft is Damian Lillard, who looked impressive in a public workout today, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (All Twitter links).
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News believes landing the top pick in the draft could be transformative for the Nets. Lawrence says adding presumptive No. 1 pick Anthony Davis could persuade Deron Williams to re-sign and would eliminate the need to pursue Dwight Howard.

Prospect Profile: Kendall Marshall

May 21st, 2012 at 2:17pm CST by Zachary Links

March Madness is the time when top draft prospects typically solidify their status or boost their stock considerably on college basketball's biggest stage. Unfortunately for North Carolina's Kendall Marshall, he didn't get the opportunity to show scouts what he could do against top competition in this year's tournament. The sophomore point guard hit the hardwood wrist-first after a layup against Creighton in the round of 32, ending his season prematurely. However, Marshall has shown scouts plenty ever since taking the reigns as UNC's starting point guard in his freshman season and made tremendous strides in 2011/12 as he led the talent-rich team.

One could also say that Marshall's importance to the Tarheels was underscored by his absence for the remainder of the tournament. UNC, despite having three more All-Americans outside of Marshall, would succumb to No. 2 Kansas in the Elite Eight. Surrounded by a multitude of scorers, including likely top ten pick Harrison Barnes, Marshall spread the wealth with his remarkable passing ability. This year, Marshall averaged 9.8 assists per contest while turning the ball over just 2.8 times per game. It seems likely that Marshall will have a relatively easy learning curve entering the league this year and can be plugged in to any style of offense. While there have been questions about fellow one-guard Damian Lillard's court vision, there are no such qualms when it comes to Marshall.

Unlike Lillard, Marshall hasn't shown that he can be an effective scorer at the next level. Marshall averaged just 8.1 PPG this season, but in his defense, he wasn't asked to shoot as a part of UNC's offense. The youngster's distribution skills are so solid that he'll never have to be a quality scorer to succeed in the Association. The real question is, can he score well enough in order to establish a triple threat? Marshall's defense has also been called into question by some NBA scouts who fear that he can be easily overwhelmed by quicker, more agile opponents.

As it stands now, DraftExpress has Marshall pegged to go No. 14 while ESPN's Chad Ford has him at No. 18. If Marshall chooses to make the rounds on the combine circuit heading into the draft and shows that he can score and defend in live action, he could easily find himself in the backend of the lottery.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Blazers, Marshall, T-Wolves

April 26th, 2012 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Northwest Division won't be a major focus in tonight's games, with the Thunder off, the Jazz locked into the eighth seed, and the Timberwolves' and Trail Blazers' spots in the lottery set. Only tonight's Nuggets game in Minnesota will have an impact — a win would result in a first-round matchup against the Lakers, while a loss and a Mavericks win over Atlanta would see the Nuggets head to Oklahoma City.

As we prepare for the last night of the regular season, let's check in on the latest updates from the Northwest:

Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor spoke to the media Wednesday about a number of topics related to the team's season and direction going forward. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune has the highlights in two parts.
ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines the Blazers' needs heading into the draft, and explains why UNC's Kendall Marshall is the best fit for Portland.
Rick Adelman, like Kevin Love, hopes the Timberwolves are aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades this summer, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After saying he'll lobby management to make moves, Love adds that he'd like to have some input in personnel decisions.

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.

UNC’s Barnes, Henson, Marshall To Enter Draft

March 29th, 2012 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Three North Carolina players, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall, will leave UNC early and enter the draft, the Tar Heels announced today (link via ESPN.com).

"It's a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball," coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "On a very small stage, it's a sad day for me because I won't get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well."

While Barnes, a sophomore, has the potential to be a top-five pick, Marshall (sophomore) and Henson (junior) are expected to be picked early on June 28th as well. In the latest update to his mock draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) projected all three Tar Heels to be picked in the top 15 — Barnes seventh, Marshall 12th, and Henson 15th.