Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Nerlens Noel

Odds & Ends: Gooden, Aldridge, Gasol, Bulls

November 27th, 2012 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

With most of the Bench Mob gone, this year's version of the Bulls isn't built for 48 minutes, opines Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. However, Luol Deng seems to disagree with that view, as he told reporters today.

"It's not fair to the guys that are here, the new guys, to be compared to the guys from the last two years," Deng said, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "They’re still getting used to it. Even the Bench Mob, the first year we had them, it took a while to get going. When we got going, it clicked. The year after that, last year, what helped us a lot was we had a lot of guys returning so we knew how we play and how to play with each other. We’re still learning how to play with each other."

Here are a few more Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • While the Bucks would like to move Drew Gooden's contract, there's no urgency to "dump" him, since he's still a mentor and leader in Milwaukee, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
  • Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com makes his case for why the Trail Blazers should consider trading LaMarcus Aldridge. Blazers GM Neil Olshey reportedly told Aldridge last month that the team has no intentions of dealing him.
  • Although Pau Gasol has a 15% trade kicker, he'd actually only receive about a 3.4% bonus if the Lakers dealt him, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times explains.
  • Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman believes Derrick Williams could be a realistic target for the Thunder if GM Sam Presti gets involved on the trade market again this season.
  • Several NBA scouts told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that it's unfair to compare Kentucky freshman and potential 2013 No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel to former Wildcat Anthony Davis. "I think Anthony Davis’s IQ is so high that he’s unique that way," said one scout. "This is a guy that was a small player,  a two guard, who could handle the ball, do all those things. I mean, Nerlens could never be a ball-handler. He’s not a passer, ball-handler guy."
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Updates: McAdoo, Poythress, Noel

November 21st, 2012 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

When we unveiled our 2012/13 reverse standings feature last week, a way to track the tentative 2013 NBA draft order, we noted that it was still way too early for most fans to be thinking about the draft. Of course, when you're ESPN.com's Chad Ford or another draft scribe, there's no such thing as "too early." Here's the latest from Ford and others on this year's draft class:

  • Reviews for UNC's James Michael McAdoo at the Maui Invitational were poor, with one GM telling Ford: "He looks good in a basketball uniform. But after that, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to like. He’s a pretty good athlete, but he isn’t very skilled and he doesn’t go hard all the time. There’s not one thing he does that really stands out about his game. He certainly hasn’t played like a top-five pick."
  • In addition to sharing his observations from the Maui Invitational, Ford fielded questions in a chat with readers this afternoon. Among the highlights: He views Alex Poythress of Kentucky as a darkhorse for the No. 1 overall pick in 2013, and isn't sure any of the top three prospects in this year's class would've cracked the top seven in the 2012 draft.
  • Chris Mannix of SI.com spoke to a Western Conference GM, an Eastern Conference scout, and another pair of NBA execs to get their impressions on this year's group of Kentucky freshmen, which includes Poythress and Nerlens Noel.
  • We also passed along a set of draft links yesterday.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Magic, Bucks, 2013 Draft, D-League

October 17th, 2012 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After rounding up a few stories out of the west this morning, let's turn our attention this afternoon to the Eastern Conference and to a pair of drafts….

  • Competition for playing time and roster spots is still wide open, according to Magic coach Jacque Vaughn. "I am completely honest when I say I have not filled out my top 10, top nine, top 12 guys on the team yet," Vaughn told the media, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, after last night's game. "And guys should take advantage of that, and tonight was a night that guys should’ve taken advantage of that opportunity."
  • Coach Scott Skiles says the Bucks talked "many times" about how trading Andrew Bogut would impact their interior defense, and made it a priority this offseason to add size and length. Truman Reed of NBA.com has the details.
  • In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks the top prospects out of the Big East for next year's NBA draft. Meanwhile, Ford's No. 1 2013 prospect, Nerlens Noel, has been cleared by the NCAA to practice and play for the Kentucky Wildcats, according to a USA Today report.
  • Speaking of drafts, the NBA D-League's 2012 draft will take place on the evening of November 2nd, according to the league's official Twitter account.
  • The Cavs won't necessarily keep both Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan on their regular-season roster, but neither player has really pulled away as the favorite to earn a roster spot, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Blatche, Draft, Kaman, Milicic

October 11th, 2012 at 11:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com looks at the struggle homosexual athletes face as they decide whether to come out of the closet. Multiple league sources told Arnovitz that players who are believed to be gay have a tougher time landing deals. "From a front-office standpoint, anything that would take away from team chemistry, fair or not, is a concern," one source said. "The truth is that a lot of players don’t want that guy in the locker room. And, sadly, execs have to factor in how their star player and major guys are going to react." There's no telling whether that's had an effect on some of the players still seeking contracts this year or those who have already been cut. Here's the rest of the night's news from around the league.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Kidd-Gilchrist, Raptors, 2013 Draft

September 15th, 2012 at 7:01pm CST by Michael Pina

During a University of Kentucky charity game that he originally wasn't scheduled to compete in, Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist appeared to show no ill effects from a knee injury that kept him sidelined during July's Summer League in Las Vegas, writes the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell. 

Here's a look elsewhere around the league this Saturday evening. 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Florida Notes: Heat, Magic, Big Three, Harris

August 18th, 2012 at 5:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Let's take a trip to the Sunshine State to check in on the Heat and Magic..

  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at a few college players Magic fans should keep an eye on this season, including Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and James McAdoo.
  • Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looks ahead to the summer of 2014 where the Heat's big three could be the biggest gets on the open market.  Winderman sees the Magic as a potential threat to poach Miami's talent as they'll have the cap space to sign two top-tier free agents.  The Lakers will also have payroll flexibility once the contracts of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant expire and as unlikely as it seems that they would part with Kobe, Winderman notes that they are the same club that traded Shaquille O'Neal.
  • More from Winderman, who is surprised that the Heat have yet to re-sign guard Terrel Harris.  The 25-year-old is seeking a contract with some amount of guarantees, but the club may be holding its remaining two spots open for a different combination of players which may include Juwan Howard.
  • Undrafted free agent Charlie Westbrook has agreed to a three-year deal with Italian team Tezenis Veronia, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.  Westbrook, who was in summer league with the Magic, tweeted earlier this week that he would be passing on two training camp opportunities to play overseas.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Kyler On 2013 Draft Prospects

August 11th, 2012 at 5:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's never too early to look ahead to the next NBA draft, as Magic fans would surely attest after this week's Dwight Howard trade. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has been keeping up with the top prospects, and shared some of his thoughts via Twitter this afternoon. We'll round up the highlights here:

  • Center Nerlens Noel sits atop the latest DraftExpress.com 2013 mock, but Kyler believes he has plenty of work to do at the University of Kentucky this year. He thinks UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad, No. 2 on the DraftExpress list, and perhaps center Isaiah Austin, going No. 6 in the mock, have made more progress in their development. Noel must get stronger and put in more time on the court to refine his raw talent, Kyler says (Twitter links).
  • Kyler is a fan of Indiana center Cody Zeller, but Muhammad has an "it" factor reminscent of other NBA stars, and is Kyler's current top choice (Twitter links).
  • The general consensus is that it will be a weak draft this year, and Kyler joins the chorus, tweeting that the 2013 draft class, like the one coming in behind it for 2014, offers no true star and plenty of projects.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Noel, Spurs Prospects, Thunder

June 14th, 2012 at 6:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

It has been extremely rare for a college basketball team to deliver a number one pick in consecutive years. However, with incoming freshman Nerlens Noel already being touted as the top selection of the 2013 NBA Draft, Kentucky could be the first program to do it since 1955 and 1956, when Duquesne’s Dick Ricketts and Sihugo Green were each selected number one overall on draft day in those respective years. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld provides some background on Noel, from his early beginnings as strictly a defensive minded player to now, a time when some marvel at the possibility of him being the NBA’s next great big man. 

Here's more of what we've heard this evening, including two possible international gems whose draft rights are owned by the Spurs, an offseason dilemma for the Thunder, and some insight on two former Dream Team members looking for work in the NBA… 

Read more

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Smith, Olympics, Anthony

April 11th, 2012 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Two of the nation's top high school prospects, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad, have been creating some buzz in the college basketball world regarding which schools they will commit to respectively for the 2012-13 season. While Muhammad announced that he will choose UCLA, Jeff Goodman of CBS tweets that Noel has chosen Kentucky over Syracuse and Georgetown. ESPN's Chad Ford provides a look at who could possibly headline the 2013 NBA Draft (Insider link), and Noel and Shabazz top the list. With that aside, we'll keep tabs of this evening's other noteworthy stories here:
  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel took some time to shed some light on Magic guard Ishmael Smith after his standout performance against the Pistons on Monday. In a separate piece, Schmitz outlines the uphill battle Orlando faces as they look to clinch a playoff spot. Six of their last eight games are against above-.500 teams, and four of those games are on the road. 
  • If Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade could have things their way, players on the USA basketball team would be compensated for their participation in the Olympics. While Allen sees it as a matter of opportunity cost, Wade focused more on the jersey sales and summer commitment aspect of it (Scott Gleeson of USA Today reports). According to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo responded to their comments, saying: "It’s never been discussed and it’s not even feasible in the reality of economics."  
  • Jim Cavan of the New York Times examines the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after being moved to the power forward slot as well as the role it has played in the Knicks' recent success. If New York can hang onto a playoff spot and Amare Stoudemire is cleared to play, it will be interesting to see how Anthony will translate that success at the small forward position with Amare in the lineup. 
  • The Kings team owners will make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in New York that the plan to finance a new arena in Sacramento needs more negotiating, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. 
  • Gilbert Arenas tells J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today that he is happy to be out of the spotlight in Memphis as he looks to move forward from his troubled past. 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Updates: Melo, Sullinger, Ross, Moser

April 1st, 2012 at 9:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

We'll post today's draft-related updates here: 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0