This year's draft is generally regarded as a deep one, but several teams outside the lottery are looking to trade their first-round picks so they can avoid making financial commitments to players who won't contribute right away, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes. That should make for an interesting month ahead as the June 28 draft approaches.
So far this week, we've heard that the Wizards will shop Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis before the draft and that they intend to retain coach Randy Wittman. We've also seen the team land the third overall pick in the lottery, and heard owner Ted Leonsis say it won't be traded. What other news is coming out of Washington as the week approaches its end? Let's round up today's Wizards updates….
Following the Hornets' lottery win, ESPN.com's Chad Ford published his newest mock draft, which includes a handful of interesting scenarios, including Dion Waiters jumping to eighth overall and Austin Rivers slipping to 18th. With less than four weeks until draft day, Ford continues to talk to sources and visit workouts to get a better sense of how things will play out on June 28th. His latest draft blog (Insider link) explores potential options for the top 10 picks and is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let's round up some of the highlights….
We're down to six teams in the 2012 NBA playoffs. While none of them will have lottery picks in June's NBA Draft, good teams that supplement their rosters via end of the first round picks significantly add to the longevity of their success. Here are some draft links on this Wednesday night:
- In an interview with HoopsWorld, Kansas' Thomas Robinson says he thinks he should be the first pick in June's NBA Draft. “I think I’m very capable of being the number one pick. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, he’s a great player. But at the same time, as a competitor, I do feel that I’m worthy of the number one pick," Robinson said. Robinson has impressed scouts with an improved jumper in workouts, but I can't see anyone unseating Anthony Davis for that honor.
- Chad Ford (via Twitter) released an updated top 100 available to ESPN.com insiders. Ford fingers Syracuse guard Dion Waiters as the big mover on the updated list, who is now up to number eight overall.
- Quincy Acy worked out for the Warriors on Sunday, and had some positive things to say about former teammate and projected lottery pick Perry Jones III, via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter. "He’s 6-foot-11, and he can do what the little guys do. It’s amazing. People criticize him, but it’s nonsense to me. He loves the game of basketball. He’s going to play hard and he’s going to compete. I play very hard, so it might look like he’s not playing hard. But he goes hard in practice, and he’s not a prima donna," Acy said. Acy is ranked 80th on the Draft Express top 100, while Jones III is 8th.
Many members of last year's draft class received recognition for their first NBA seasons today, when the league announced its All-Rookie squads. Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried, Klay Thompson, Brandon Knight, Iman Shumpert, and Kawhi Leonard all earned first-team honors due to a three-way tie for the fifth spot. The second team consisted of Chandler Parsons, MarShon Brooks, Derrick Williams, Tristan Thompson, and Isaiah Thomas. Here's the latest on the 2012 draft class that will be eligible for All-Rookie accolades a year from now:
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy interviews Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, who says he believes himself worthy of the top overall pick.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio examines Jared Sullinger's potential to succeed at the NBA level.
- The NBA announced all the players who will participate in the Chicago draft combine on June 7th and 8th, and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com passes along the list. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com points out (via Twitter) that, besides #58 Casper Ware, the top 67 prospects on DraftExpress' top 100 were all invited to Chicago.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) takes note of a few prospects who may have improved their stocks during the weekend workouts in New Jersey. Iona point guard Scott Machado tops Ford's list.
- Teams need to be careful of being wowed by Perry Jones' individual workouts and drafting him too high, one scout tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- 2012 represents the Trail Blazers' most important draft since they selected Greg Oden in 2007, writes Joel Odom of the Oregonian.
- Don't forget to follow Hoops Rumors' Prospect Profile series, where we've taken a closer look at many of the players expected to be drafted in the first round next month.
Determining the potential success of an NBA prospect continues to be a great enigma. In 2005, David Lee went from being an unknown at the 2005 Chicago Pre-Draft camp to an eventual NBA All-Star in 2010. Joe Alexander, who wowed scouts as arguably the best athlete in the 2008 Pre-Draft Camp, struggled to find a niche in the NBA after being selected eighth overall. Even with the uncertainty that comes along with talent evaluation, the importance of teams doing their homework on players is highly-emphasized. Here are a few links to keep you oriented and familiar with the top names you'll be hearing about in late June:
- Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated understands the risk of drafting on potential, but identifies his list of "jackpot" players, namely those whose talent and upside are trustworthy. In descending order, Amick highlights Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Bradley Beal.
- Speaking of potential, Sam Amico of FoxSports Ohio looks at the question marks associated with potential lottery-pick Andre Drummond. The former UConn Husky stands at 6'10'' and boasts a 260-lb frame, and although he arrived as a prized recruit for Jim Calhoun last year, Drummond disappointed many with his inconsistent play. One scout believes that his upside is his selling point, and his mobility and skill set have reminded some people of Andrew Bynum.
- Starting Blocks of Cleveland.com gives a brief rundown of what various mock drafts have been projecting for the Cavaliers, who will have the 24th pick in the draft along with their lottery selection. The team currently has the third-best odds to win the number one selection.
The latest news and notes regarding the NBA Draft on Tuesday evening:
- SI.com's Sam Amick says that Kentucky's Anthony Davis has drawn high reviews from scouts and general managers. Davis is expected to be drafted first overall.
- Amick also says there is plenty of talent in the draft beyond Davis, singling out Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, and Andre Drummond as names to watch.
- CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman has posted his latest mock draft. Goodman has Davis going first and Florida's Bradley Beal going second.
With just two nights left in the 2011/12 regular season, the draft lottery waters are still fairly murky. While the Bobcats and Wizards are locked in with the league's worst and second-worst records, six teams have between 21 and 23 wins. Games like tonight's Wizards/Cavaliers matchup and tomorrow's Nets/Raptors contest will go a long way to clearing up the lottery picture, with tiebreaking coin flips coming on Friday. Until then, be sure to check out our tentative draft order and our breakdown of just how the lottery works.
Here are today's draft-related items:
- Two Tony Mitchells were candidates to be drafted this season, and while Tony Mitchell of Alabama has declared his intent, Tony Mitchell of North Texas will return to school, tweets Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress.com. It was first reported earlier in April that Mitchell had decided to return to North Texas, but he seemed to be wavering after coach Johnny Jones was hired away by LSU. The North Texas freshman had been ranked 26th by DraftExpress' among this year's top 100 prospects.
- Thomas Robinson has hired agent Tony Dutt and Rivals Sports Group, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). Robinson will almost certainly be a top five pick in June, and could go as high as number two overall.
- In an Insider piece, David Thorpe of ESPN.com examines the Hornets' needs as the team heads into the draft armed with a pair of lottery picks.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com has released the third version of his NBA mock draft (Insider only), and Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continue to occupy the top two spots. Of course, those two players haven't even officially entered the draft yet, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes (via Twitter). Kentucky coach John Calipari is only paying attention to the NBA's early-entry deadline, so Kentucky players will have until April 29th to make a decision on their futures.
Here are a few more of today's draft-related links:
- Chad Ford and FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico both answered plenty of draft questions in their respective chats today.
- If they don't win the lottery and land Davis, the Bobcats' best pick would be Thomas Robinson, according to ESPN.com's David Thorpe.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld identifies five potential sleepers in this year's draft: Darius Miller, Jae Crowder, Will Barton, Khris Middleton, and Kevin Jones.
Kansas junior power forward Thomas Robinson will announce at a press conference today he is entering the NBA draft, Kansas coach Bill Self told Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Robinson, who measures 6'9" and 240 pounds, is slated to go second overall in NBADraft.net's latest mock, and fourth according to Draft Express and ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
He put up 17.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG for the Jayhawks, who fell in last week's national championship game to Kentucky. He trailed only Anthony Davis, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, in voting for the Wooden Award and Associated Press Player of the Year.
In the Hoops Rumors Prospect Profile of Robinson, Daniel Seco writes that his 7'1" wingspan and rebounding ability are his greatest assets as he heads into the NBA. Ford lists his weaknesses as a lack of size (wingspan notwithstanding) and too much of an infatuation with the perimeter game.