This is the time of the year for the earliest Mock Drafts, and I am subbing myself in for our regular guru, Joe Kotoch, who has been writing Mocks for this site for four years. Kotoch will be back … I am a one-and-done guy in this particular category. As I sat down to write this column, I was consumed with one thought: If you are in the business of finding great players and you want to stay employed, you
BROOKLYN — It’s incredible how a building’s mood can change so drastically every five minutes. From the roaring approval for Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell to the acidic, vitriol for the Knicks’ pick of Kristaps Porzingis, nothing satisfies a sports fan’s need for instant gratification like reacting to an NBA draft pick. But there were great moments behind the scenes that you could not see. A proud multi-generational basketball family sharing a special moment in a back room. A fashion statement that added to
Elsewhere on this site, veteran NBA experts are breaking down the real-life winners (and losers) of last night’s NBA draft. Here in the fantasy corner, it’s never too early to plan for next season. All rookies have a learning curve. Some need extra time — third-year players can be undervalued in Roto and Head-to-Head drafts. From our perspective, opportunity matters most. Minutes, touches, fit with the system and depth of the organization are all factors. While there won’t be any Daily Fantasy Sports action on pro
BROOKLYN – As usual, the NBA Draft was filled with boos and oohs from the crowd. D’Angelo Russell drew the biggest ovation when he was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. Subsequently, Kristaps Porzingis eventually drew the ire of the crowd when he was selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had high praise for Russell. “We think his upside is unlimited, and we didn’t feel that for all the players we were considering,”
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — I am not going to sit here and tell you that Phil Jackson made a mistake in taking Latvian toothpick Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick of the 2015 NBA draft. Jackson was in the press room at 8:20 p.m. Thursday night comparing the kid to Pau Gasol, and Jackson is a better judge of talent than I am. He gets paid $12 million of Jim Dolan’s money each season to make these decisions, to “preside.” But I will
With the NBA draft just about to begin, GMs are working the phones frantically to explore all avenues of improving their clubs, including trades and creating cap space. The latest news appears to be the Los Angeles Lakers choosing at 2 between Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell. As I reported in Mock 6.0.1, my sources revealed that the Lakers front office voted Russell over Okafor when polled by Mitch Kupchak. It sounds doubtful that a deal for DeMarcus Cousins will happen tonight,
I have always respected Phil Jackson, but I am starting to think the man is crazy. Crazy like a fox? Maybe. But his statements Tuesday congratulating himself for the job he did in Year One as president of the Knicks are mind-boggling. He led the team to its worst record in franchise history, he gifted J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a second-round pick in 2019, and he started goink crazy on Twitter when he
Pardon the San Andreas reference, but the seismic ramifications of the 2015 NBA Draft will emanate from El Segundo, Calif. That is where the Lakers are headquartered, and that is where Jim and Jeannie Buss together with Mitch Kupchak will decide who the purple and gold will take with the No. 2 pick Thursday night. Our latest Mock Draft has them taking D’Angelo Russell of Ohio State, although the consensus on other Mock Draft sites is that they will go for