keel252
Banned
- Mar 22, 2007
- 6,905
- 1,583
Bennett will be a very good player in the NBA
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Anthony Bennett is in EXCELLENT shape by the way.
Who said he would be the future best PG in the NBA....MCW isn't a bum, but people need to stop dropping the ROY's statline like we should be expecting him to be the future best PG in the NBA.
He was rookie of the year in one of the worst draft classes in recent memory and putting up inflated stats on the team with the highest pace in the league.
How far will Joel Embiid slide?
I was on the phone with an NBA general manager Thursday morning, and we were discussing how surprisingly predictable the draft was looking this year. Joel Embiid was going No. 1. Jabari Parker looked close to a lock at No. 2. Andrew Wiggins was a major lock at No. 3. The Orlando Magic had narrowed it down to Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh at No. 4. The Utah Jazz would take whichever of the two the Magic left on the table. To have the draft that predictable this early was ... nice.
Then the news that Embiid had a stress fracture in his right foot broke, sending shock waves through the NBA. The news spawns a host of questions, but here are the two biggest a week out before the draft.
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1. Who will the Cleveland Cavaliers draft No. 1?
The Cavs were leaning heavily toward drafting Embiid after a terrific workout in Cleveland last week. Their biggest concern was whether they could get away with trading down to No. 3, picking up Thaddeus Young from the Sixers and still landing Embiid.
Oh, how things have changed.
Embiid, I'm told by sources, hasn't totally been eliminated. The Cavs, like everyone else, are waiting to hear back from the doctors after Friday's surgery. But it's highly likely that they are going to go in a different direction now if they keep the No. 1 pick.
They essentially have three options: Wiggins, Parker or trade the pick. As of Thursday night, the Cavs were still looking at all three options.
Wiggins has never really been atop the Cavs' Big Board this year. However, a source close to the team predicted to me on lottery night that it'd eventually work its way to Wiggins. Embiid was a risk and too far away. Parker was ready now but didn't help them in the areas they needed help. Wiggins was the compromise candidate -- upside plus the ability to make an impact now, especially on the defensive end.
He worked out for the Cavs in Cleveland on Wednesday, and by all accounts had a strong workout. It's hard not to be impressed with the explosiveness of Wiggins, and it's clear he's been working on tightening up his game in a number of ways. Wiggins shot the ball well in the workout. The Cavs walked away convinced that he has the potential to be a good shooter someday. Wiggins has been growing on them, just like he's been growing on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Parker comes in Friday and will go through a similar workout. He's not going to be as impressive athletically as Wiggins, but he's more skilled and more ready to play right now. Parker was atop Chris Grant's board all year before he was let go, and there is still a strong faction in the organization that is behind Parker. But there are issues with his game. Parker is a terrific offensive player, but the team really needs someone who can start ramping up the defense. That's Parker's biggest weakness.
He's also still a bit heavy (he weighed 254 pounds with 11 percent body fat in the Bucks' workout). The team has also been working on slimming down Anthony Bennett to get him minutes at the small forward position. He's another offense-first type player. Are they giving up on him? And while Parker is a safe pick, can he really push them over the top into the playoffs?
That leaves us with trade options for the Cavs. Now, more than ever, there's a motivation to explore trading the pick. Sources said in the wake of the Embiid news that the Philadelphia 76ers, Magic and Jazz all made calls to the Cavs (and Bucks) about moving up.
The Sixers now have even more motivation to move up to No. 1. So do the Magic and Jazz. If the Cavs aren't in love with Wiggins and don't think Parker has the upside they're after, trading the pick to someone who values it more makes some sense.
The Sixers have several assets, including Thaddeus Young, Michael Carter-Williams and the No. 10 pick to offer. They also have loads of cap space to take contracts back. The Magic have the Nos. 4 and 12 picks, as well as veterans such as Arron Afflalo who could interest the Cavs. And the Jazz, if they would make Derrick Favors available in addition to the No. 5 pick, might be able to convince them, as well.
The Cavs have some very tough decisions coming. What once seemed like a slam dunk at No. 1 has gotten much more complicated. And until teams know what they are going to do, the entire draft is now in flux.
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2. How far will Embiid slide?
We know that Embiid's injury is serious. Breaking the navicular bone in your foot is a major injury, as our own Kevin Pelton pointed out yesterday.
I've had teams tell me he could be out anywhere from four months to a year. No one will really know for sure until they receive updated medicals after his surgery Friday. Not every break is the same; some are harder to fix than others. Once we have a better timetable on his injury, we'll have a better feel for his draft stock.
But as of Thursday night, here's what we know: The chances that he goes No. 1 or No. 2 are slim to none. There are two other good options on the board in Wiggins and Parker, and neither of them has had a stress fracture in their back and foot.
But after that? All bets are off.
The Sixers took a gamble on Nerlens Noel last year knowing he likely would miss the entire season. Noel is now healthy and ready to play, and many feel he was the best pick in his draft class. The Sixers' timeline can allow them to be patient. Noel and the No. 10 pick could be their rookies this season. However, Embiid isn't a perfect fit next to Noel, and the Sixers have also coveted Exum. So I think the odds that the Sixers take Embiid at No. 3 are less than 20 percent.
The Magic have wanted a rim protector and could see an opportunity here. They too have another lottery pick and some flexibility to be patient. Nikola Vucevic has been more than solid the past two years, but he doesn't provide the Magic with the shot-blocking they desperately need. If Embiid makes a full recovery, he's a steal at No. 4. The problem for the Magic is that they have other needs, too. They need a point guard, and Marcus Smart will be there. They also need a stretch 4, and Vonleh is likely to be on the board. Can they pass on both of them for Embiid? I put the odds of them doing so at 50 percent.
The Jazz are intrigued, as well, but I doubt they'd pull the trigger on Embiid. They went into the tank this season with the idea that they'd bounce back in 2014-15. With Embiid, it would be another season at the bottom of the standings in the West. I don't think ownership signed up for that.
That leaves the Celtics. From everything I can gather, GM Danny Ainge, barring unforeseen complications in Embiid's surgery, wouldn't let Embiid slide past here. If Ainge can't land Kevin Love, I think you'll see the Celtics go into full rebuilding mode this summer, and taking Embiid, the guy who could end up being the best player in the draft, would have to be very tempting.
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Other Notes
Another possible scenario for the Sixers is to try to package Young and No. 10 to get a higher lottery pick. One potential scenario is with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking to add young veterans to pair with Kobe Bryant, and they might be willing to move down a few spots to get one. Moving to No. 7 would guarantee the Sixers get one of the top young power forwards in the draft -- Vonleh, Julius Randle or Aaron Gordon -- or, if he slides, Embiid.
• We've had the Lakers really narrowed down to two players -- Smart and Randle -- the past two weeks.
Smart had a stellar workout in Los Angeles versus Tyler Ennis earlier in the month. It was so dominant that the Lakers will bring him back Friday against who they hope will be a tougher opponent: Louisiana Lafayette's Elfrid Payton. Payton worked out the same day as Smart last time they were together in L.A., but they didn't work out against each other. Payton worked out in a separate group versus UCLA's Zach LaVine and was dominant there. Now the Lakers want to see them together.
Randle wowed the Lakers this week in a workout. The Lakers are one of the teams who aren't very concerned with his potential foot issues. Randle has gotten in better shape over the process and was explosive in the workout they saw.
Both make sense for the Lakers. If they are going to keep the pick, they'll want a player who can make an immediate impact. These two are your best bets at this point in the lottery. Smart can be an immediate contributor on the defensive end. He's got NBA size and strength for his position, and he goes hard all the time. Randle already has the tools to be a big-time rebounder from Day 1 and, like Smart, he's got a terrific motor and toughness. They are Bryant's types of players.
The Lakers have also been trying to get in Creighton's Doug McDermott for a second workout after a very impressive first one. It's unclear whether McDermott is in the mix at No. 7 or whether they are interested in him for scenarios where they move down a few spots in the draft (like the Sixers-Lakers scenario described above).
The thinking on McDermott is similar to Smart and Randle. He's NBA-ready and provides an immediate NBA skill (spot-up shooting). If Smart struggles in the workout, or if the Lakers decide not to take a risk on Randle's foot, or if they trade down, McDermott could be the guy.
• Speaking of McDermott, he and Michigan's Nik Stauskas did a workout for the Kings, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Warriors in Chicago on Tuesday. None of those four teams were able to get either player in for a workout, but they were able to schedule this meeting in Chicago.
The Kings have shown strong interest in McDermott. He's an unusual fit for a team that's loaded with gunners and is making a full-on effort to lure Rudy Gay back to Sacramento. But he and Smart are definitely in the mix for them. Payton is being considered, as well, although it appears the Kings are looking at him more for scenarios where they move down a few spots in the draft.
The Nuggets and Timberwolves have both been in the market for shooters -- although both teams have been among the most active in trade discussions leading up to the draft.
The Warriors don't have a first-round pick, though they've been trying to move up in the draft using Harrison Barnes as bait and have been involved in trade discussions centering on Kevin Love that could net them Minnesota's 13th pick (though the latest from Marc Stein actually has the Wolves demanding that the Warriors give them a future first-round pick). But I wouldn't read too much into the visit. While the Kings, Nuggets and Warriors brought large contingents of their staff to the workouts, the Warriors were only represented by Larry Riley, their director of scouting.
• One mystery man in this draft has been Michigan's Mitch McGary. He hasn't worked out for anyone to date, despite the fact that he's been practicing and playing in Chicago for almost two months. Is his back still an issue? Or did a team late in the first round already lock him up?
Both are possibilities, but I'm told McGary will have one or two workouts this last week leading up to the draft, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
• Finally, NBA green room invites have finally come in. Here is a partial list of confirmed invites to the NBA draft next Thursday: Wiggins, Parker, Embiid (who, per his agent, will decline), Exum, Vonleh, Gordon, Smart, McDermott, Stauskas, Ennis, Payton, Gary Harris, James Young, T.J. Warren, Jusuf Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Rodney Hood.
Now, I take Thad and 10 before I take Thad and MCW in all honesty.
Man i wonder if utah would give up Favors and their pick to cle. Their revenue would go through the roof if they draft Jabari
is Leo Rautins still the coach for Canada?
Lavine hit 45.5"
and in jordan team 1's
Lavine hit 45.5"