:: Official NBA Draft Thread - June 26, 7PM EST ::

[henz0]

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[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by henz0

I know yall seen my man OJ put the shackles on Rose at the garden

Derrick aint exactly force the issue either...I've seen him give OJ the business back when Mean Street played Greyhound so it aint like he aintcapable.
3-9 and a W > 6-20 and a L

 

[i nasmatic i]

thecomebacklegend - interact >>> ignore user's post

 

[henz0]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Originally Posted by henz0

I know yall seen my man OJ put the shackles on Rose at the garden

Derrick aint exactly force the issue either...I've seen him give OJ the business back when Mean Street played Greyhound so it aint like he aint capable.
3-9 and a W > 6-20 and a L

Thats very true.. He didnt have to force the issue though due to all the help he had on his team, but watching the game I saw mayo had that %$% on smash.Mayo was 6-20 but Rose wasn't guarding him so that doesnt really matter to this subject.. And all USC needed at the end of regulation game was a made freethrow from hackett and they would've won that game.

 

[clutchshooter]

[h2][/h2]

[h2]Kaun signs contract with Russian team[/h2]
Sasha Kaun will play in Russia for at least the next three seasons.

Sasha Kaun has played his last game in America - at least for now.

The former Jayhawk center signed a contract to play basketball for CSKA Moscow, a professional Russian team.

Kaun, a Tomsk, Russia native, became the first Russian to win an NCAA basketball national championship last April. Now, he'll become the first NCAA champion to play professional basketball in Russia.

"CSKA always keeps in his field of interests all Russian best basketball players, especially young ones," Andrei Vatutin, CSKA Moscow chief executive officer, said in a statement. "After the win in the NCAA Finals, Kaun became one of the most popular players here."

NBA Draft scouts and experts expected Kaun to be taken in the late second round of Thursday's NBA Draft. Although he signed with an international team, it doesn't necessarily hurt Kaun's chances of being drafted.

A team can still select Kaun and own his rights in case he decides to play in the NBA later. In last year's NBA Draft, ten players who were signed into international contracts were still drafted.

"Good big players have always been a rarity," Vatutin said, "and Sasha with his excellent work ethic can potentially grow into a player of NBA level.

Kaun's deal with CSKA Moscow runs through the end of the 2010/2011 season.

smart move by kaun.

 

[pkballr]

Rot on an NBA bench getting paid pittance to do so... or play in your national country, becoming a national celebrity while getting paid a lot more to actuallyplay basketball, all the while getting the chance to still get paid pittance coming back to the NBA to rot on the bench. I say smart move indeed.

 

[al3xis]

Thanks for typing that Nowitness.

I was gona get this name banned for a month, too.

And now OJ was carrying the team, didn't have any talent around him....Yall shoulda known that while most of you were pickin them for a Final 4 run, right?

Taj Gibson actually regressed once OJ showed up, so what's that say?

 

[lnmymind]

Word on the Street: The Home Stretch

by: Jonathan Givony - President
June 22, 2008

-O.J. Mayo conducted a one on zero workout in front of five of the first six teams in the draft at Tim Grover's A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago on Saturday. Besides Chicago (who sent only lower level scouts) and the New York Knicks (represented by Brendan Sur), the workout was attended by the lead decision makers of teams drafting 3, 4, and 5, including the General Managers (Kevin McHale, Sam Presti and Chris Wallace) and head coaches (Randy Wittman, Marc Iavaroni and P.J. Carlesimo), as well as numerous other executives.

Although it's always difficult to get much of a read in a workout of this nature, Mayo reportedly "shot the ball well," according to Mike Procopio, who ran the workout, "finished strong around the basket", and generally showed his extremely high skill-level, which was never in doubt.

As of right now, if Minnesota keeps the pick, it appears likely that Mayo will be selected at #3, although things could still change between now and draft day. One rumor making the rounds says that the LA Clippers may offer to package their own pick (#7) along with their 2009 first round pick (protected) and the future pick they are owed by Minnesota(top 10 protected), in order to move up and select Mayo.

-Nicolas Batum will go a series of tests at one of the top Cardiological hospitals in the world in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday, his agent Bouna Ndiaye told DraftExpress this weekend. Batum has stopped conducting private workouts for the time being after tests in Toronto and New Jersey revealed potential reasons for concern possibly hinting at heart problems. Ndiaye is concerned with the fact that teams are jumping to conclusions about this being a heredity issue (which would make it much more serious) and is working on disproving the notion that Batum's father died of a heart attack. He believes that after Monday he will be able to show teams that Batum is in good health and that he will be able to conduct workouts immediately after.

-Is Jerryd Bayless as much of a lock at 4 as everyone thinks? A number of NBA teams we've spoken with don't think that's the case. Almost everyone at this point in fact has Brook Lopez slated be picked by Seattle, with Bayless dropping slightly to the Knicks at #6. If Lopez doesn't go 3rd, 4th of 5th, he will be taken by a team that did not work him out, as he only agreed to be seen by those three teams.

-There are rumors that the Portland Trailblazers may keep their pick after all, particularly if one of the top two players on their board can be had somehow on Thursday evening. We've heard numerous reports of trade talk between the Blazers and many other teams drafting below them, but now it seems likely that they stand pat if they can somehow managed to get a hold of Joe Alexander, who worked out in Portland on Tuesday (with Donte Greene and Nicolas Batum) in front of the watchful eyes of their owner Paul Allen, and apparently left quite an impression. Russell Westbrook is supposedly ranked at the very top of their draft board, but they would have to move up to at least 8 and possibly higher to get him.

-Another player that Portland could very well take a long look at (since Alexander and Westbrook are apparently out of reach) is Alexis Ajinca, who they are reportedly extremely intrigued by. Other teams that have worked him out recently have come away raving not just about Ajinca's exciting combination of skills and physical tools, but also about his strong intangibles. He is reportedly impressing teams with his terrific personality and motivation to succeed, and is believed to have excellent leadership skills. There is an outside chance he could be drafted as high as 9th by Charlotte. Teams who did not do their research on Ajinca during the season (and there is no shortage of them unfortunately) beyond what he showed at the Hoop Summit are frantically trying to get him in for a workout, but to no avail. Ajinca last visited the Utah Jazz and will likely turn down a workout with the Phoenix Suns in favor of the 76ers on Tuesday. It's possible that Portland goes full circle with the French connection and selects him and Nicolas Batum, should he slip to the early 2nd round.

-Look for the Chicago Bulls to announce former Spurs and Sonics head coach Bob Hill as the lead assistant under Vinny Del Negro shortly. The two are close (Hill coached Del Negro in San Antonio) and were believed to be a package deal from the very start, which eased some of the concerns John Paxson had initially about Del Negro's lack of experience as a coach. Matt Lloyd of the Chicago Bulls told us via email that the report is "not true" and that there is "absolutely no decision that has been reached."

-Serge Ibaka is in the United States, working out for NBA teams, sources told DraftExpress. Citing exhaustion, Ibaka initially decided to head straight back home to Barcelona after the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, but has changed his mind and worked out Sunday for the Utah Jazz. He also has workouts scheduled with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and San Antonio Spurs on Monday (with Ryan Anderson), which will also be attended by representatives of the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Seattle Supersonics and New Orleans Hornets. Ibaka is expected to be drafted anywhere from 23 to the early portion of the second round, depending on how he's viewed by teams. If taken in the first round, he will likely stay overseas for one or two more years, as his contract is extremely flexible.

A team like Boston could decide to pick Serge Ibaka at 30 and stash him in Spain next season, which would help them with their problematic luxury tax situation. That's one of the reasons Boston is heavily considering moving their pick, as they are "not in love with anyone in that range" according to one source with knowledge of the situation.

-Omer Asik is in discussions right now with his Turkish team Fenerbahce about ripping up his current contract and signing a 5-year deal that would keep him out of the NBA for a considerable amount of time, his agent Justin Zanik told DraftExpress. An agreement may or may not be reached before the draft on Thursday. Zanik is in the process of informing every NBA team about where things stand about Asik to ensure that they have all the information they need to make a sound decision on draft night. Asik currently has two more years on his deal and was thought to be a safe bet to be drafted in the second and bring over once his contract is up. This changes things considerably, though, and may drop his stock from the early second round to the mid to late portion of the draft. Asik seems likely to accept the offer from Fenerbahce, as his current contract is set at a bargain price and he would like to provide his family with financial stability that the 5-year deal would provide.

This is yet another in a long line of recent examples showing how much more equipped top European teams are to compete for the rights to their local players and keep them away from the NBA, due to the increased amounts of money flowing through the top leagues and the much weaker American dollar.

-In a telling sign of just how much his stock has risen over the past few weeks, Robin Lopez has been invited to sit in the Green Room on draft night. This is a pretty good sign that NBA executives consider him likely to go somewhere around the mid-first round or earlier, as the league does not like situations where players are sitting in the Green Room long after everyone else has been picked, even if that makes for great television. Lopez has an excellent chance to be picked at #15 by the Suns, and if not will almost certainly be taken 17th by Toronto. Every NBA person we've spoken with has him slotted at either of those two picks.

-Other players rumored to be invited to the Green Room (outside of the obvious suspects--Rose, Beasley, Mayo, etc) are Joe Alexander, DeAndre Jordan, Darrell Arthur, Donte Greene, Brandon Rush and Anthony Randolph. The top rated prospects we either have not heard back from or are not invited include JaVale McGee, Kosta Koufos, Marreese Speights and Alexis Ajinca.

-Sasha Kaun signed a 3-year contract with CSKA Moscow, as released on their their official website this weekend. Kaun may end up being the highest paid player on the Kansas Jayhawk championship team, as his salary will be similar to that of a late lottery pick next season. He has not shut the door on playing in the NBA down the road, as he has a comfortable buyout after the second year of his contract, which may even make him more attractive to a team drafting in the late second round.

Also joining him in Moscow is former Maryland power forward Terrence Morris, who landed a 3 year deal for over 5 million Euros net (a near-MLE deal in NBA terms). CSKA is reportedly close to landing the signatures of both Zoran Planinic (to replace Theo Papaloukas) and Jorge Garbajosa (if he passes their physical).

 

[al3xis]

Jordan in the Green Room has potential..

 

[lnmymind]

NBADraft.net's latest mock has Roy Hibbert back in the lottery...

Knew he'd be back up there eventually

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Taj Gibson actually regressed once OJ showed up, so what's that say?
Taj Gibson soft as baby poo though....I think what %%*%#@ that team up was than when OJ played in the beginning of the season, he felt he had toshoulder the scoring load and go extra hard instead of playing his game....That messed up everybody. Once he got in the groove and played HIS game, not forcingand *$+!, the team was much better. There were two different OJ's this year. I think if the 2nd OJ would have been at that game in the garden....Memphiswould've lost 3 games this year instead of one (that was a hell of a game by the way).

What I don't get is people saying that OJ doesn't have the heart, desire, etc. to be an excellent player on the next level....Like, I just don'tunderstand that.... From what I have seen/read, he wants to win just as bad as these other players...

Originally Posted by henz0

I know yall seen my man OJ put the shackles on Rose at the garden

Yep.

Jordan in the Green Room has potential..

Like Brady Quinn...

 

[shannonscrooks]

Also joining him in Moscow is former Maryland power forward Terrence Morris

 

[al3xis]

What I don't get is people saying that OJ doesn't have the heart, desire, etc. to be an excellent player on the next level....Like, I just don't understand that.... From what I have seen/read, he wants to win just as bad as these other players...
Not sayin the kid doesn't wana win, Maybe what I mean is I don't think any team should try to make him the focal point and expect acontender. He'd fit in nicely with Al Jeff, but if he were to come to NY as the savior...that's not a good situation.

My whole thing is...he's gona be very good....just don't see him on Beasley or Rose's level right now. And don't know what people see to sayhe's possibly better

NBADraft.net's latest mock has Roy Hibbert back in the lottery...

Knew he'd be back up there eventually
No surprise.

I think the Kings take him at 12, and if not Utah is gona be scrambling to get him.

 

[viiheaven]

If the Knicks can't get OJ at #6, please pick DJ Augustin. Reading about him makes him seem like the perfect fit for NY.

 

[lnmymind]

DJ @ 6 is a reach...that's almost as bad as Memphis taking Conley at 4 last year

 

[prez t]

mark my words : Joey Alexander will be a beast in the league

 

[N41D]

im gonna end this like this cause u r not gettin it thru ya head and think u know everything

if OJ played on Memphis he would avg more points and assist and won the title, and the only reason Rose have a better percentage cause most of his game is layups cause he have a better team which free him up to avg the points he did

if u do alot of dunks and lay ups you gonna have a good percentage

why do you think Kobe could not drive to the basket against the Celtics?cause he had like 3 dudes focused on him,Kobe was the only scoring threat cause Odom and Gasol did not show up

no one is focused on Rose,cause he have a good team

This is absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever heard... If OJ was playing at Memphis, he wouldn't have taken 17 shots a game. Whydo you think Kobe scored more than anyone on either team in that series? Because he had to for the Lakers to be competitive.

Why do you think all three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce saw drops in their scoring averages this season compared to the rest of their careers?Because they didn't have to carry that load anymore. Having a better team around you does not equal you scoring more points. Why do you think Kobe'sscoring average was down this year from 35 and 32 the previous two seasons? Because he had a better team around him, and didn't have to score as much.

Or is it just that all three of those guys had down years from their career norms?

OJ Mayo may well be a better scorer (albeit a less efficient one), but as an all-around basketball player, he's not Derrick Rose.

Thanks for typing that Nowitness.

I was gona get this name banned for a month, too.

Yall shoulda known that while most of you were pickin them for a Final 4 run, right?
The sad thing is, he's yet to formulate a legitimate argument as to what makes OJ Mayo a better player... All he says is "Well, OJ scoredmore with less talent around him! That obviously makes him a better player!" It's almost as bad as the "Beasley is 3 inches shorter than somepower forwards, so all they'll have to do is reach up and block his shots" crap he was talkin... And we're the ones playing too much NBA Live.

And yeah, at the beginning of March, everybody loved USC's talent and thought they'd make a deep run.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

OJ has the mindset and competitive determination to be a beast in the league. He's not point guard by any means, that makes it difficult to compare him toDerrick Rose but I will say this; he is the most NBA ready player in this draft and from day one will be able to physically impose his will offensively anddefensively on any point guard in this league. Just pencil him in for 20, 5 and 5 for the next 10 years.


Also if Minnesota takes Brook Lopez with the number 3 pick I will laugh, OJ is the kind of player you DON'T pass up on regardless of your"needs".

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

OJ has the mindset and competitive determination to be a beast in the league.

This is what I don't understand when people make comments like these...

Like...how do you measure something like this? What makes his mindset and competitive determination any more different than Rose, or anyone else in thedraft?

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by VIIheaven

If the Knicks can't get OJ at #6, please pick DJ Augustin. Reading about him makes him seem like the perfect fit for NY.

I love DJ nh, and even i think he's a reach at #6 if you can trade back and pick him up in the possess that would be

this guy is going to be a model citizen and a good maybe very good player in the L.


if Seattle takes B. Lopez, i'll be very disappointed

 

[tmay407]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Jordan in the Green Room has potential..

Like Brady Quinn...

What's the longest a player has ever been in the Green Room? Myman DJ is about to break that record...

 

[messiahchild]

Originally Posted by tmay407

Originally Posted by dreClark

Jordan in the Green Room has potential..

Like Brady Quinn...

What's the longest a player has ever been in the Green Room? My man DJ is about to break that record...

Maciej Lampe was drafted in the second round. I can only imagine the kid face when the lottery comes and goes and that ESPN camera zooms in on him afterevery selection....It would be like one of those Southwest commercials....

 

[i nasmatic i]

Originally Posted by tmay407

Originally Posted by dreClark

Jordan in the Green Room has potential..

Like Brady Quinn...

What's the longest a player has ever been in the Green Room? My man DJ is about to break that record...

not sure if he had to wait the longest, but rashard lewis back in 98 waited till the second round.

 

[viiheaven]

Originally Posted by cleansneaksonly21

Originally Posted by VIIheaven

If the Knicks can't get OJ at #6, please pick DJ Augustin. Reading about him makes him seem like the perfect fit for NY.

I love DJ nh, and even i think he's a reach at #6 if you can trade back and pick him up in the possess that would be

this guy is going to be a model citizen and a good maybe very good player in the L.


if Seattle takes B. Lopez, i'll be very disappointed

Well how everything seems to be playing out, isn't this the order?

1 - Rose
2 - Beasley
3 - Mayo
4 - Bayless?
5 - Kevin Love
6 - DJ
So all that has to happen is that Memphis going for Kevin Love instead of DJ, the other 1-4 is pretty much set, right?

Other factors include Brooke Lopez being taken by Seattle/Minnesota. I don't think the Knicks are even thinking of taking Gallinari anymore.

 

[lnmymind]

/\ what he's saying is that DJ Augustin is not worth a 6th pick