It’s March, and that means it’s almost tournament time, and the NBA Draft is less than four months away. As die-hard college basketball fans and casual observers alike watch game after game and see countless numbers of prospects showcase their abilities, NBA scouts are putting the finishing touches on their scouting reports. Every March some prospects play themselves into or out of the first round, but for many others their stock has been cemented. [Read more…]
Just four days ago, the 2013 NBA draft was turned upside down when Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel suffered a devastating knee injury. Over the past month, Noel has separated himself from the pack to be projected as the top pick in June’s draft. Instantly, Twitter blew up with reaction from fans and journalists ranging from the injury to the gruesome images to his draft stock. In the days following it was revealed that Noel suffered a torn ACL and is expected to have
Think back to the days of Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and even Kevin McHale and what a power forward meant to teams. For the most part this position was filled by players with low-post games who were very good rebounders. Flash forward to the new generation of superstar power forwards, and you see an aging group led by champions Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett. The major difference between these newer stars and those Hall of Famers is the versatility
Will the 2013 draft deliver the next LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Carmelo Anthony? Absolutely not, but it could deliver a quality starter or a key contributor off the bench. The NBA is a copycat league, and with the majority of the best players in the league playing small forward, it is easy to see why teams are eager to target that position in the draft. [Read more…]
Most years, where we’re talking about the NBA draft, the relative strengths of the various shapes and sizes differ. The 2013 draft will be no exception. While there are talented perimeter scorers, lockdown defenders, and everything in between, the 2013 class does lack something significant this year … star power on the wings. [Read more…]
The NBA draft is all about projections and potential. A generation ago, most NBA executives’ strategy was to compare prospects based on their collegiate careers. Then the Fab Five arrived at Michigan, and suddenly the process was flipped upside down. Underclassmen were scrutinized, analyzed and scouted thoroughly by NBA clubs who wanted to get the next big-time prospect. While prospects with high upside are intriguing, they come with more risk than upperclassmen. The lottery is annually dominated by underclassmen, primarily freshmen. [Read
If you are Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander or GM Daryl Morey, how much more rope are you giving Royce White? Apparently, not much more. The Rockets are now fining White for every day he is not with the team or does not attend therapy sessions arranged by the team, according to the Houston Chronicle. By all accounts, White is an immensely talented 21-year-old rookie power forward. (I don’t watch much college basketball, so I’ve never seen him play.) He also has
In all, seven players from the 2009 draft class received contract extensions, with three – DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Taj Gibson – going down to the wire Wednesday night. Two players received maximum extensions – top overall pick Blake Griffin and No. 3 pick James Harden, who had to change cities to get the deal he wanted. By contrast, five 2009 first-round picks became unrestricted free agents before their four-year rookie deal was completed, including No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet. And