Daily Basketball
NBA and NCAA blogging on an occasionally daily basis
Archive for June, 2007
June 9, 2007 at 5:12 pm · Filed under NBA
Well, here’s another preview while our domain and hosting still works. Previewing the Los Angeles Lakers, withmalice of his self-titled blog, With Malice.
previous season record: 42-40
picks held by the team: #19, #40 & #48
position needs: Power Forward, Point Guard
The Lakers enter the draft with many concerns at different levels of the organization, the primary one being how to turn around the ineptitude that has plagued the front office since winning their last title in 2002. Acquisitions have been made, but ever since the 2003-04 season where despite going into the Finals heavy favourites (starting line-up of Kobe, Shaq, Karl Malone, Gary Payton & Rick Fox) they lost in 5 to the Detroit Pistons, the choices made on personnel have oscillated between confusing to downright infuriating. The LA Lakers have the best player in the game in Kobe Bryant, but as yet, they have failed to put a decent team around him.
Some of the acquisitions made beggar the mind… leading them to wallow in the current quandary they find themselves in. Quite simply, the Lakers are heavy on salary, and low on talent.
In the 2006/07 NBA season, the Lakers finished 2 games over .500 (42-40), which - quite frankly - flattered this team. Sure, at times they were good - especially an opening run which saw them match the pace of some of the leading teams in the West - but at other times they looked absolutely bedraggled, getting annihilated by those same top-level franchises. Sure, there are nights when Kobe will take a game by sheer will alone, but that’s difficult against the likes of the Phoenix Suns & San Antonio Spurs. And, the West is about to get a little stronger with the additions (most likely) of Greg Oden to Portland, and Kevin Durant to Seattle.
So… the Lakers hold the 19th, 40th & 48th picks. And what to do… ? A lot of what the Lakers need in the draft is really dependent on what they’re doing trade-wise, because it’s really only through the addition of current players that the Lakers are going to improve. That’s not to say that they cannot draft someone with the 19th pick who won’t make an impact, just that a draft pick at that point is more unlikely to satisfy ‘team needs’ (aka… What Kobe Wants).
If trades go through, who leaves? That will be a major point in factoring what draft choices the Lakers make. Still… being able to do that as a speculative process is difficult, but we’ll try, huh? (stay with me!)
So… I see Andrew Bynum going this off-season, and most likely Lamar Odom & Kwame Brown (who finally becomes attractive for some teams – due to his expiring contract), which means that the Lakers will have a serious dearth of height (not withstanding that if they are gone, we’ll probably have a new Forward/Center named Jermaine O’Neal). Even if they bring back Chris Mihm (at a reduced rate), height is needed. Same with a point-man. Smush Parker pretty much burnt bridges at LA, and will be gone - so will Jordan Farmar get the ball or will they try and get another point guard in? Either way, a back-up guard will be nice addition.
Most big men drafted tend to be ‘projects’ (with the notable exception of this year’s most likely #1 pick), so the Lakers should look at drafting a point guard with the #19 pick. If Acie Law is still on the boards at that point in time, grab him and run. He’s a pass-first guard, and that is definitely what the Lakers desire in their point. Most draft boards have him going quite a bit earlier, and if that’s the case then Rodney Stuckey should be considered. Stuckey’s the kind of guard that Phil Jackson loves – he’s big, and has a frame that could easily bulk up. At the moment he’s a combo-guard, but would possibly see most time in the Lakers line-up at the point. If Petteri Koponen is still available at #40, the Lakers should take him. He’s a pass-oriented point European guard with great vision & excellent potential. If these aren’t available and the Lakers end up going a different direction with the 19th pick, then they should consider using one of the later picks (#40/48) to take Taurean Green, Zabian Dowdell or Gabe Pruitt.
With the later picks, I’d look at taking a big man who may not have an immediate impact. Players like Marc Gasol, Kyle Visser or Coleman Collins. If ‘Big Baby’ Glen Davis is around, then he has to be considered – the guy’s an out ‘n’ out baller. Still, his size has to be of some concern…
So, whichever way LA goes with it’s trades (and I believe this will be a busy off-season for them), should they still be able to pick up a productive player at #19, and get some beef in with the later picks.
For more talk from a crazy fan in Japan, visit With Malice.
June 8, 2007 at 11:25 pm · Filed under NBA
Another preview, this time for the Utah Jazz as provided by UtesFan89 of Win Or Go Home.
Last year’s record: 51-31
This year’s picks: #25, #55
Needs: Wing, C, back-up PG
The Jazz shocked many fans this year, starting out blazing hot (12-1) before eventually cooling off and finishing 51-31, good for 5th in the West. And then, after upsetting the Rockets and the up-start (and 8-seed) Warriors (who were the favorites, so it seemed), the Jazz were destroyed by the Spurs. And out came allegations of players planning trips before hand and not giving it all they had against the Spurs, and all that Jazz. But a few goods did come from the playoffs. First, Deron Williams proved how good he is. He showed up every night (though the same can’t be said for his shot). He is the guy to lead this team for years on end. Carlos Boozer was strong through-out the year, proving the force that he can be in the league (when healthy). The Jazz learned how valuable perimeter defense is (the way they learned this wasn’t good though).
So, now they look ahead. The only free agents this year are CJ Miles, Rafael Araujo and Dee Brown. The core of the squad (Deron, Booze, AK, Okur) is signed for years to come. So, the team isn’t really in need of a super-star, do-it-all rookie (which is good, because they won’t find one at #25). All 3 of the free agents played very small roles, though I would prefer seeing them come back over some of the guys currently on the team. Miles was a starter early in the season (the youngest opening-day starter this year in the NBA), but was eventually benched (coinciding with the end of the 12-1 start). He was drafted out of high school 2 years ago, and has spent quite a bit of time in the NBDL. Araujo was acquired in a trade in the off-season, which cost the Jazz the highly-disappointing Kris Humphries. Araujo played well when called upon (which was rare), and supposedly really impressed the coaches with the determination and showings in practice. Of course, when you can impress the coaches and still sit behind Jarron Collins on the depth-chart, something is wrong. Brown (or Shorty, as he is nicknamed on Win Or Go Home) played a bit late in the season as the 3rd string PG, and even got some time in the playoffs with Deron’s (foul) and Derek’s (daughter) troubles… at least, until Okur landed on his neck. He showed the ability to play the point, despite being the 2-guard at Illinois, and quickly became a fan favorite here. All three have expressed interest in returning, though Brown (like Mo Williams before him) has said that if another team gives him a chance to play, he’ll go.
So, for the sake of this preview, we’ll assume that all 3 are allowed to leave (hopefully this is not the case). That would leave the Jazz in an interesting scenario… 2 players at each position (assuming Fish is moved back to back-up PG and assuming that AK is still misused).
PG: Deron Williams, Derek Fisher
SG: Ronnie Brewer, Gordan Giricek
SF: Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring
PF: Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap
C: Mehmet Okur, Jarron Collins
AK, Okur and Booze are all being paid a ton of money. Fine now, but Deron is going to deserve a max-contract (or near it) after next year. If the other 3 remain, it’ll be hard to get him that money. The most likely candidate to be traded (despite the contract) is AK. He has shown displeasure at being here, and rightfully so. Sloan’s offense calls for him (the max-man on the Jazz) to stand around, which he can’t do. AK is more naturally a 4, playing weak-side defense and helping teammates. Putting him at the 3, where he is constantly guarding the great 2/3’s is taking him away from what he does so well defensively. And then offensively… in case Sloan is blind, AK can’t shoot a jump-shot. So having him stand out there to launch long-bombs after Booze is double-teamed is insane. As much as I love having AK here, I think it is best for him if he moves on. He needs to find a team that’ll be able to better utilize him.
The Jazz needs entering the draft are: a wing-man that can bury the jumper (and play at least a bit of perimeter defense), a center that has a post-game and can play defense and rebound, and a back-up PG (only if Shorty isn’t returning). The C and SG/SF can come either round, taking a PG in the 1st round would be a waste. Assuming Brewer is given a shot to play and AK is traded, the wing need is at the 3. Otherwise, it’s at the 2 (though I guess Brewer could move to the 3 if need be).
In an ideal situation, the Jazz would trade AK, pick #25 and the 2010 unprotected Knicks pick (if need be) to move up into the top 8… I’m thinking between the 5th and 8th picks. This would guarantee them either Florida SF Corey Brewer (who I’ve been calling for since the season ended) or Washington C Spencer Hawes (young, yes, but it’s fine… he can slowly take time away from Collins). But those are the dream picks, picks unlikely to happen.
As for the more realistic picks… At SG, I’d really like to see either Arron Afflalo (UCLA) or Nick Young (USC), though Derrick Byars (Vanderbilt) would also be acceptable. At SF, Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) is a possibility. As for big-men… one of Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh), Nick Fazekas (Nevada), Kyle Visser (Wake Forest) and Jason Smith (Colorado State) would work.
In the 2nd round, one of SG Adam Haluska (Iowa), PG Sean Singletary (Virginia), SG Ron Lewis (Ohio State), SF Caleb Green (Oral Roberts) or PG Taurean Green (Florida) would work, depending on what position is addressed in the 1st round. A big man that’ll stay overseas for a year or 2 is also a possibility.
If we ignore the dream picks, I think the best case scenario would result in netting either Afflalo or Young in the 1st, and then taking a big man (one that falls or one that rises) in the 2nd. And by big-man, I mean a C, the Jazz are set at PF with Booze and ‘Sap.
For any Utah sports talk, make sure give Win Or Go Home a visit.
June 8, 2007 at 11:34 am · Filed under NBA
Enjoy another draft preview, this one provided by Darren of Hooplah.. Nation. Daily Basketball still needs bloggers for about 2/3 of the NBA teams. Visit the NBA Draft Preview page and see if your team is available. For now, enjoy this preview of the New Jersey Nets.
Last Season’s Record : 41-41
Draft Picks: #17
Draft Needs: Inside Presence, Back-up Guard to back-up Williams
Let’s just say for the last seven years, the Nets have yet to draft anyone that is able to come in straight away and help the team. The last man to do that was Kenyon Martin, not Richard Jefferson, who was acquired from a draft day deal that saved us from frickin Eddie Griffin, nor Nenad Krstic, who spent a year learning to cook somewhere in Serbia before coming back, and we know what happened from there.
After finishing the season 41-41 and also getting dumped out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the second consecutive season, I suppose the Nets’ management should just implode the team and rebuild. But if Jason Kidd were to get his coveted championship ring if he stays with the Nets, keeping the team together for another playoff push would be the best choice. Therefore adding depth to the team using the draft and through free agency would be the only way of strengthening the team.
The biggest need for the Nets are definitely on drafting someone who can provide them with an inside presence, block shots, rebound the basketball, and can hit jumpers to spread out the floor. Guys that fit into the resume include Al Horford, Spencer Hawes, and Julian Wright. The team has already worked out players like Josh McRoberts and Stephane Lasme, both of which I like a lot due to their shot blocking, but Lasme is limited offensively so I’ll end it there.
Last year, with the #22 pick, the Nets got themselves a steal in Marcus Williams and #23 for Josh Boone, this year I hope we do get the chance to do the same. With the 17th pick this year, the depth of talent available around the 15th – 20th picks are deep and the Nets have all the chance to draft someone who could help them down the stretch as early as next season. Josh McRoberts, Tiago Splitter and Jason Smith all are bigs available around that number, Personally I fancy McRoberts compared to the rest of the three — he’s athletic, block shots, can run the floor, and he passes the ball well enough. I don’t think Jason Smith would be the person to actually provide us with an inside presence, he’s rather a Nenad Krstic type of player, therefore I go with McRoberts.
The Nets don’t have a second round pick, which could be very helpful indeed in this draft, with guys like Jared Jordan and Dashaun Wood available in the second round. However the Nets could always trade down, which is workable given the players we have, guys like Eddie House and Mikki Moore are good trade bait to get us a pick in the second round. But, there is also a possibility that the Nets could trade up for a pick in the top 10, say a trade involving Richard Jefferson to the Timberwolves.
However, it’s too early to still be sure of whom the team will draft, but once the workouts finishes we will have a better picture. Right now I fancy Josh McRoberts a lot, because he’s definitely the type of player the Nets need, but, I do not give away the possibility of the Nets drafting another athletic wing again ala Antoine Wright.
If the New Jersey Nets are your team, then you should visit Hooplah.. Nation on a daily basis!
June 7, 2007 at 2:02 pm · Filed under NBA
Continuing with our NBA draft previews, Darren Heitner previews the Miami Heat. Heitner blogs for SportsAgentBlog.com. If you would like to contribute a preview of your own, then send an e-mail to cchadmin (at) gmail.com.
Last Year’s Record: 44-38
This Year’s Picks: #20
Needs: Young players to surround Dwyane Wade.
With only one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat have to make it count. At least the Heat hold one pick this year, after having squadoosh (zero for you non-Tony Reali fans) in 2006. 44-38 is a respectable record for a West Coast team, or the Atlanta Hawks, but for the defending champions, it was short of expectations.
So what can the Miami Heat do to return to its glory year, short of developing a flux capacitor and going back into time with Christopher Lloyd? The only way that the Miami Heat can return to the past is to look to the future, and the future must be shaped with players who can feed Dwyane Wade the ball and pick up his scraps off the board.
What do Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Antoine Walker all have in common? They are all ready to start playing shuffleboard outside of their multi-million dollar mansions in Miami. Jason Williams and James Posey are creeping up there too. The Heat’s biggest need is more draft picks, but in all likelihood, they will have to use their one first round pick to fill a hole.
As long as the Miami Heat do not follow the Miami Dolphins and draft a 26-year-old quarterback (John Beck), the team should do just fine with the critics. Udonis Haslem will be sticking around for a while, and Dorell Wright will continue to develop into a good small forward/shooting guard. Jason Kapono can also shoot the ball, and will contribute his fair share off the bench. The 2-4 slots should not be addressed.
That leaves the Miami Heat with choosing between addressing their current lack of depth at the point, or picking a big man to replace O’Neal and Mourning in a year or so. I think that looking center is more important, as a front court consisting of Michael Doleac and Earl Barron is extremely scary…nightmarish.
Many of the draft boards disagree with me. They see the Heat drafting Gabe Pruitt, Javaris Crittenton, or Acie Law IV. All of them are young point guards who would do a good job taking the ball up court. If available, I think that the Miami Heat should choose Tiago Splitter, a 7’1 player out of Brazil who is listed at power forward, but could definitely play the center position. He is a great defender, and the Heat have been playing abysmal defense. Spencer Hawes out of the University of Washington would not be a bad pick either, if available at pick #20.
At the 20th slot, the Heat needs to be flexible. If their top centers/power forwards are off of the draft board, I could understand going point guard. However, I think that the team should be looking to go big man if the right player is still available.
If you want additional Miami Heat discussion, do not go to I Want to be a Sports Agent, because you won’t find any there. If you want the latest sports business/law/agent news, then I Want to be a Sports Agent, is a place that you will love!
June 5, 2007 at 8:11 pm · Filed under NBA
This is the second preview of hopefully many for the 2007 NBA draft. Daily Basketball continues to seek knowledgeable fans and bloggers to preview their favorite team. If you would like to contribute a preview of your own (credit/links given), then send an e-mail to cchadmin (at) gmail.com.
This outstanding Boston Celtics preview provided by FLCeltsFan, who writes over at LOY’s Place.
Last Year’s Record: 24-58
This Year’s Picks: #5, #32
Needs: a power forward/center and backup point guard
The Celtics finished last season with a 24-58 record. The team was plagued with injuries for the entire season beginning with training camp. They lost 312 player games to injury including losing all of their top players and veterans for long periods. Pierce missed 35 games, Wally missed 50 games, Ratliff missed 80 games, Tony Allen missed 49 games, Scal missed 28 games, and Kandi missed 58 games. Perk only missed 10 games, but for most of the season, he was battling plantar fasciitis and was not able to be effective.
There were accusations that the Celtics tanked to get better lottery position, but if anyone really followed the team, they would know that the core of young players who were left to finish the season played hard every night and were in most games right to the end. A case can be made that Doc may have tanked the 2 games against the Bobcats and the Bucks after the season was already lost, but then again, with Doc, who can tell when he is just being a terrible coach and when he is tanking?
The Celtics are much better than their record of last season indicates. The team is loaded with young talented players. We have a very promising point guard in Rajon Rondo. We have an All Star in the making in Al Jefferson who blossomed into one of the best low post threats in the league this past season. We have a promising defensive center in Perk. We have a tough combo guard in Delonte West who can hit the outside shot. We have a very exciting defensive player in Tony Allen. We have a fundamentally strong player in Ryan Gomes. All of these players are growing into veterans in front of our eyes. Add to these a perennial All Star in Pierce and a pure shooter in Wally and we have a very strong core.
The biggest need for the Celtics is defense. We need a defensive big man who can rebound, block shots and hit the mid range shot to keep the defenses honest. Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Thornton, Spencer Hawes, and Jeff Green can all fill this need. There have been rumors that Danny is enamored with Yi Jianlian. I don’t feel that he is strong enough on defense to fill our biggest need.
Last year, we thought we had solved our point guard problems with Rondo and Telfair. Rondo has shown that he is the point guard of the future for the Celtics. Telfair was a big disappointment and with his arrest for gun possession was just a good excuse to cut him loose. Last week, Danny had said that he isn’t looking at point guards because Rondo is better than anyone in the draft. But he is now saying that he is going to evaluate Conley. Danny has taken a point guard in every draft since he took over as GM and I don’t know if he can help himself not to take another one. Danny could go for Conley at 5 or he could consider Petteri, Koponen, or Jared Jordan in the second round.
It is hard to say at this point what Danny will do with the pick. He may look to trade it to bring in veteran help. Or he can go for Conley if he is available. Or, he can go for a big such as Noah, Yi, Green, Horford, or Wright. Or, he can go for a defensive wing and draft Brewer. My personal favorites at this point are Noah, Horford, and Green. All 3 should be able to come in and help right away and would fill the need that we have.
For additional Boston Celtics discussion, make sure you visit LOY’s Place!
June 5, 2007 at 8:03 pm · Filed under NBA, NCAA
With the statistics from the Orlando Pre-Draft camp measurements, Greg Oden should be cemented in as the top player in the draft. Although Kevin Durant overtaking him seemed unlikely, Durant had a far more impressive season statistically. You can argue that Oden played with an injured shooting hand and his team made it to the championship game, but he had an underwhelming season when compared the Durant’s soliloquy performances.
Now that we see Kevin Durant failed to complete a single 185-lb. repetition, many (myself included) wonder how a star, soon-to-be professional athlete, could fail to reach a strength benchmark. One glance at Durant and you may not expect to see much strength, but he should have still had at least a half-dozen repetitions. Durant should be grateful that most guards only performed 3-8 reps, and fellow softy big man Brandan Wright only completed two.
Kevin Durant got crushed in almost every measurement, which means the Seattle Sonics should be happy that basketball is not a race or powerlifting competition. While he does have long arms (7′ 4.5″ wingspan), Durant fell well short of his athletic reputation. He put up miserably slow speed and agility times, falling to the bottom of the pack in most rankings.
Greg Oden, meanwhile, shocked people with mobility to match his strength. At this point, Oden looks to be far more athletic than Durant, who seems to be a regular lead-footed big man with sticks for arms. Any team what wants to add Durant for his athleticism should also appreciate his skills if they hope to satisfy their urge to draft him.
Still, draft superexpert Jonathan Givony knows that measurements rarely relate to performance on the basketball court; the measurements merely keep fuel in the fire during a month when most fans have little basketball to follow. Some of the fastest players in the NBA (Chris Paul, T.J. Ford) failed to distinguish themselves as speed demons. Although it may be temporarily fascinating to basketball statisticians, Durant may still easily win the Rookie of the Year award.
« Previous entries ·
Next entries »
