For those who have not been paying close attention to draft speculation, an update: There is a 6-10 point guard playing for the junior team Filathleticos in Greece who has been drawing top executives to Athens for the better part of the past month. Danny Ainge was just the latest in a long line of execs who have voyaged to Greece lately, a cast of big shots that has included Masai Ujiri of Denver, Sam Presti of Oklahoma City, Daryl Morey of Houston and others. Our draft guru, Joe Kotoch, has Giannis Adetokundo at No. 24 in Mock Draft 1.0.1 and says he would not be surprised to see him rise to the lottery. Adetokundo, who has never left Greece and does not currently have a passport, will need to get one soon if he plans to attend the NBA Predraft Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. He is the son of undocumented Nigerian parents, and both the Greek and Nigerian federations are fighting to get him playing for their national teams. He will be a hot name in draft circles from now through late June. This was already considered a strong big man draft, but that was even before this 6-10 point guard (the NBA has never had one of those) started appearing on the radar.
8. Who will win the Sixth Man Award? This has come down to a neck-and-neck battle between Jamal Crawford of the Clippers and J.R. Smith of the Knicks. Crawford has been the steadier of the two over the course of the season, but Smith has been playing especially well during the Knicks’ late-season surge and recently won Player of the Week honors. Our latest rankings are here, and a strong argument on Smith’s behalf is made here. I have a vote, and I am undecided. Maybe it will come down to whichever team wins the most games. Maybe it will come down to whichever team finishes the strongest – and how big of a role those two reserves played in those finishes. If it was decided based upon who was the better Tweeter, it would be a tie. Too close to call right now.
9. Will Derrick Rose ever play a ballgame this season? Reason would dictate that the answer is yes, but reason is an unreasonable measurement to use in trying to solve this puzzle. When Rose says “Only God knows,” it is a head-scratcher. When Rose’s brother, Reggie, came out after the trade deadline and criticized the Bulls for not making any deals, that was a head-scratcher, too. Still, the guy has been practicing and traveling with the team for well over a month now. And yet the days come and go without any clarity being brought to the picture, and we all keep wondering and waiting. The guy could be an enormous X-factor in the playoffs, but Tom Thibodeau has run the rest of his team into the ground in keeping them well above .500 for the entire season, and you have to wonder if they will be able to stay healthy enough – even if Rose does return – to get out of the first round without having home court advantage. Myself? I remain of the opinion that they are a sleeping giant as long as Rose comes back.
10. Who will finish the season as the best 3-point shooter – both for this season and in the record books? Kyle Korver has made at least one 3-pointer in 70 consecutive games, leaving three players ahead of him for the NBA record: Dana Barros (89), Michael Adams (79) and Dennis Scott (78). But Korver is second in the league in the accuracy department, his .455 trailing Jose Calderon’s .461. And let’s not count out Stephen Curry, who is right on their heels at .452 and can overtake both if he goes on a particularly toasty streak. He will certainly get a shot at it (pun intended). Curry’s 546 attempts lead the league – and here’s a stat for you: Curry has made 248 3-pointers. Korver has made 268 total buckets. Yes, we’re talking high-volume when it comes to Curry, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Spinal Tap was filmed. Here’s hoping for “the one extra push over the cliff” from Steph.
Chris Sheridan is publisher and editor-in chief of Sheridan Hoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.