A Sea Of Red

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 6:24 pm**

Since the drama of the #1 pick was ended less than 24 hours after the draft lottery results were announced, the real "drama" is who goes #2?

So who do you guys think goes #2?

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 6:32 pm**

I'm going Thabeet. Chad Ford, the ESPN draft expert, has been saying for a long time now that it's pretty much Thabeet at #2. Rubio has been losing interest because his buyout from his European contract is in the $7 million range and the Grizzlies already have Mike Conley, who did pretty well once the Grizz hired the new coach who actually let the players play to their strengths, so they don't need a PG. Sounds like Rubio will actually fall to 4th to the Kings, Thunder have interest, of course, but they already have a good young PG in Westbrook, eho had a pretty solid season for a rookie, so the Thunder don't need a PG either.

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 7:05 pm**

Thabeet, I really doubt Rubio will.

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 7:27 pm**

dompennix wrote:Thabeet, I really doubt Rubio will.

Yes, the Grizz are cheap (just look at the Pau Gasol trade they made), no way they will take a player with that kind of buyout, unless a trade is agreed upon before the draft, apparently many teams have been looking to trade up to #2...

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 9:49 pm**

The Kings GM really likes Jonny Flynn although I think getting Flynn at 4 is too early

Posted: **June 21st, 2009, 10:20 pm**

Is ESPMN some new network we havent heard about or something?

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:33 pm**

courtesy of had ford from his latest espn mock draft:

As for the rest of the Grizzlies' draft board? Notably absent is Ricky Rubio. Sources say he is off the board after refusing to visit.

So basically is thats true, Rubio will only go #2 if there is a trade...[/quote]

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:35 pm**

his latest mock draft also says Sam Presti (Thunder GM) is hot for Curry now. Curry might go #3, really? Is that how weak this draft class is?

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:37 pm**

A couple of NBA agents who have been talking to the Wizards say they believe it's highly likely the pick will get traded.

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:40 pm**

talk on the #12 pick

Last week, I said I thought it was close to a sure thing that Henderson would be the pick here. What a difference a week makes. Williams went in and blew Larry Brown away. Now Williams and Henderson are going to square off in a second workout early this week. That workout will determine who goes at No. 12, but sources are saying Williams has moved ahead for the time being.

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:45 pm**

The Jazz and Hansbrough seem like a match made in heaven. If Hansbrough falls this far (he's getting a look at 11, 13, 16 and 19), I don't see them passing on him.

I would agree, he's another Paul Millsap type, but Millsap is a lot more athletic...

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:45 pm**

flamesbball84 wrote:talk on the #12 pick
Last week, I said I thought it was close to a sure thing that Henderson would be the pick here. What a difference a week makes. Williams went in and blew Larry Brown away. Now Williams and Henderson are going to square off in a second workout early this week. That workout will determine who goes at No. 12, but sources are saying Williams has moved ahead for the time being.

I see raymond felton is going elsewhere, so I dont think they'll take henderson, or atleast I hope not. I would rather have a true point or a combo guard.

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:46 pm**

flamesbball84 wrote:talk on the #12 pick
Last week, I said I thought it was close to a sure thing that Henderson would be the pick here. What a difference a week makes. Williams went in and blew Larry Brown away. Now Williams and Henderson are going to square off in a second workout early this week. That workout will determine who goes at No. 12, but sources are saying Williams has moved ahead for the time being.

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Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:50 pm**

more info for you unc fans on here

39. Detroit Pistons (via Toronto)

Danny Green | G/F | North Carolina
Green may be one of the most underrated players in the draft. He can do a little of everything and fits into Detroit's team-first approach.

40. Charlotte Bobcats (via New Jersey)

Wayne Ellington | SG | North Carolina
I know this is low for a guy who many people think is a first-rounder, but someone has to slip, and Ellington could be that guy. He's a terrific shooter, and the Bobcats could use some of that skill, especially if they draft Terrence Williams with the No. 12 pick.

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:53 pm**

FlamesBeBallin wrote:
flamesbball84 wrote:talk on the #12 pick
Last week, I said I thought it was close to a sure thing that Henderson would be the pick here. What a difference a week makes. Williams went in and blew Larry Brown away. Now Williams and Henderson are going to square off in a second workout early this week. That workout will determine who goes at No. 12, but sources are saying Williams has moved ahead for the time being.
I see raymond felton is going elsewhere, so I dont think they'll take henderson, or atleast I hope not. I would rather have a true point or a combo guard.

54. Charlotte Bobcats (via San Antonio)

A.J. Price | PG | UConn
With Raymond Felton's future in Charlotte cloudy, I think the Bobcats might try to shore up their backcourt. Price could be a really solid backup in the NBA.

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:55 pm**

60. Miami Heat (via Cleveland)

Jodie Meeks | G | Kentucky
Meeks was one of the best scorers in college basketball this year, but scouts have deemed him a little undersized. While he could go anywhere in the second round, we'll put him here as Mr. Irrelevant.

Not true. If the Nuggets keep to their word, he's not going past #4 since they gave him a guarantee they would draft him there.[/quote]

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 6:58 pm**

I want to know what channel ESPMN is on Directv....is it in the same section as ESPN Ocho?

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 7:07 pm**

Hold My Own wrote:I want to know what channel ESPMN is on Directv....is it in the same section as ESPN Ocho?

New channel, only available on dish network

Posted: **June 22nd, 2009, 8:31 pm**

jazz are poised to hit the jackpot in next year's nba draft

With their focus on Thursday's draft, the Jazz can't help but consider the possibilities that await next year, when they will own the New York Knicks' first-round pick. The Knicks finished with the Eastern Conference's second-worst record last season at 32-50.

The more disastrous a season New York has, the longer the rainbow that could lead to a pot of gold for the Jazz. Even if the Knicks win the draft lottery, they would have to relinquish the No. 1 overall pick to the Jazz.

Imagine if Utah gets the #1 pick next year and is able to reel in John Wall.

They don't need him with Deron Williams in town, BUT if they did get Wall, they could move Deron to SG or trade John Wall and get some very good stuff in return for him.

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_12667010

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 5:48 pm**

more draft buzz

The Thunder weren't the only team to meet with Hasheem Thabeet in Los Angeles this past weekend. The Grizzlies, after being snubbed by Thabeet in their workout, flew to L.A. and met with him for three hours.

Sources close to both Thabeet and the Grizzlies expect Memphis to take him at No. 2. If it doesn't, chances are there is a trade in the works.

Did Louisville's Terrence Williams get a promise from the Charlotte Bobcats? Williams went back for a second workout with the Bobcats on Monday against Gerald Henderson. Sources said after the workout that Williams met with the Bobcats and might have walked away with a promise that the Bobcats would take him at No. 12.

good news for teams wanting to take rubio

the Kings got word that Rubio was making progress on a deal with his club in Spain, DKV Joventut, that will lower his buyout to roughly $4 million. When you factor in that Rubio will be allowed to make his payments over several years, there is no longer a huge financial impediment for Rubio to come to the draft.

•There are some, including apparently head coach Lionel Hollins, who prefer Stephen Curry for the Memphis Grizzlies at pick No. 2. The Memphis Commercial Appeal chimes in with a nice feature on the development of Curry's game over the last two years.

•In the same vein, this article from the Houston Chronicle on the development of Thabeet's game will provide insight into the man who seems to be shaping up as the No. 2 pick.

Curry #2?! The grizzles could trade down further and be able to get curry and then be able to get another valuable cocmmodity of some sort in return for trading down...

Also, the Wizards have received 10 trade offers for the #5 pick, I wouldn't be surprised if that pick, or the player picked there, is dealt soon.

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 7:00 pm**

interesting tidbits from film analysis on curry, griffin, and thabeet http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-4 ... mbers.html

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 7:49 pm**

well the Wizards did it, they traded the #5 pick

The Washington Wizards are close to a deal that would send the No. 5 pick in Thursday's draft, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas and Darius Songaila to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, a league source told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher on Tuesday.

The Wolves would then keep the draft pick and their own selection at No. 6 and not try to package those to move up, a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

The deal would be finalized on Wednesday, in advance of the draft, another source told Katz.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... NHeadlines

This solidifies the fact the TWolves are taking a PG now because they have to.

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 7:51 pm**

Like Griffin, Thabeet's face-up game is nonexistent -- 3% of overall possessions with only a half-point per possession.

Not that it's all that important, but he can shoot. He didn't because what kind of a college offense would have a 7'3" guy shooting face-up? A retarded one. Combine that with the fact that he hasn't been playing basketball for very long at all, I think he's got great potential for hitting a jumper if needed on occasion. But like I say, that's really not what you'd want him for anyway so it's a dumb stat to look at.

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 8:19 pm**

the more I think about it, the more I think this is a bad trade for the Wizards.

I had recently begun to like Miller's offensive game because he is so versatile, but his offensive numbers absolutely plummeted drastically this year. He averaged a career low 9.9 points a game, even lower than his rookie year! He rarely looked to shoot this year (11.2 shots per 48 is absolutely pitiful for an offensive oriented player), I don't know if it was just his game or the coaching, but he was nowhere near the offensive player he was the two seasons before. It's not like he is bringing anything close to good defense to the table either. If he isnt bringing much offensively and isnt bringing much defensively, then what in the world is he going to do for the Wizards?

I had Randy Foye on a strat-o-matic team this year and followed him pretty closely, and there is a very good reason why I traded him very quickly after the season was over. When he is on, he is really good but that isn't very often, as evidenced by his .402 shooting percentage, and he has shown very little progress in three years in the league. Sure his scoring has gone up, but his FG% has gone down by 27 percentage points since his rookie year, and he only shot .434 his rookie year. He also is pretty short for an SG (6'4", and thats generous) and has not proven to be able to run PG well at all. He also has proven to be an injury risk as well, missing 55 games in the past two seasons. The Wizards already have a shoot first small guard who is a big injury risk in Arenas, now you are adding a guy that is a somewhat similar player but nowhere near as good? Doesn't make sense to me.

Mike Miller is clearly on the decline. Randy Foye is a decent guard, but his lack of progress doesn't indicate that he is ever going to be worthy of being a starting guard on a playoff team, which is what the Wizards could be next year when healthy. This will make them better, but still won't put them anywhere close to contender level. Why make a move that will make you a little better now, but leae you without the ability to choose a player that could be a good pro like Stepehn Curry, James Harden, Jordan Hill, Tyreke Evans, Demar Derozens, etc. They probably aren't future all-stars, but they certainly have more potential then either Miller of Foye.

Posted: **June 23rd, 2009, 9:26 pm**

Make sure you pay attention on draft night to Curry's table. I'm pretty sure there'll be a recognizable face there that you don't expect.

A Sea Of Red

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