One week after the NBA Finals and a day removed from the 2013 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat have received big news that could impact their ability to play for a three-peat. As soon as the Finals had ended, the Heat’s focus shifted to recruiting Ray Allen to stay for one more year. He signed on for two years with the Heat last summer, but was given a Player Option on the second year of the contract. The recruiting process began with
Unpredictable. Chaotic. Climactic. Frenetic. Turbulent. These are just several words to describe Thursday night’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. For the first time in a while, nobody had any idea what was going to happen. And from the first selection down to the humongous blockbuster trade that went down, the theater and drama of the 2013 draft more than made up for the lack of an impact player among this year’s talent pool. With very few surefire
My snap judgement on the 2013 NBA draft? David Stern emerged a winner, because the crowd embraced him. The Utah Jazz were big winners, because they got the best point guard in the draft, Trey Burke, and added a Frenchman with a 7-foot-9 wingspan. Biggest losers? The Celtics, maybe — although those three first-round draft picks could become valuable assets if the Nets go into the tank after 2-3 years of trying to win old, which didn’t work for the Knicks. A final
It is not often that you are eating dumplings in Chinatown at 3 a.m. on a Friday morning and learn that Kosta Koufos has been traded, but that true story only just added to the bizzarro nature of the 2013 Draft — the craziest draft night I have ever witnessed in more than 20 years of covering them. [Read more…]
DESHAUN THOMAS 6-7, 225 lbs. School: Ohio State Class: Junior Selected with the 58th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs STRENGTHS: Thomas became the best player on the Buckeyes in last season’s NCAA Tournament, when he burst onto the scene and helped lead Ohio State to the Final Four. (That’s not a knock on Jared Sullinger–Thomas was that good.) He was a prolific scorer in college, putting up 19.8 points per game. He’s a good jump shooter, and has great balance and form. He
ERICK GREEN 6-4, 185 lbs. School: Virginia Tech Class: Senior Selected with the 46th overall pick by the Utah Jazz STRENGTHS: Green led the nation in scoring in 2013, putting up 25 points per game for a bad Virginia Tech team. He’s got a natural knack for putting the ball in the basket, and can score from anywhere on the floor. Green has NBA quickness and length, and is lethal in transition. He’s a wonderful pull-up jump shooter and can score in contact despite a slight
BROOKLYN — You know that scene in the Exorcist where Linda Blair’s head spins completely around? That was what it was like to be at the 2013 NBA draft. David Stern got booed, then cheered heartily. Nerlens Noel sat slumped in his chair as the second, third, fourth and fifth picks were called — and his name was not attached. [Read more…]
