2015 NBA DRAFT

http://i.imgur.com/XpLVsCO.png

#2 prospects skipping college to play in china for a cool milli http://sports.yahoo.com/news/will-emmanuel-mudiay-s-jump-to-china-be-the-start-of-a-trend-for-recruits-203740980-nba.html

"I think the new snack money will convince kids to go to school," joked Louisville coach Rick Pitino as he watched the AAU Nationals here earlier this month, referencing the NCAA initiative to provide unlimited food to players.

"We've got free Power Bars," he continued.

Kristaps Porzingis is an intriguing and somewhat pynchonian name.

wow Oubre in the top 5 is surprising

Todd Wright ‏@Twright502 2m
Willie Cauley-Stein 21 points 12 rebounds 3 steals & 5 blocks.

Brow: TNG

http://i.imgur.com/HLRBfWi.png

wow lol

haha this guy is so terrible he goes through a whole list of being wrong then misunderstand why it was wrong, literally wrong about being wrong http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ncaa-tournament-x-nba-draft-looking-to-last-year-for-a-reality-check/

The part about Brandon Knight being some fringe guy who only went high because he went to UK is really bad

This draft is really good but I kind of hate okafor and towns, it's weird

haha this guy is so terrible he goes through a whole list of being wrong then misunderstand /why/ it was wrong, literally wrong about being wrong http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ncaa-tournament-x-nba-draft-looking-to-last-year-for-a-reality-check/
--lag∞n

this dude is the fucking worst, prob the strongest argument you could have against that site's non-Lowe NBA writing

haha this guy is so terrible he goes through a whole list of being wrong then misunderstand why it was wrong, literally wrong about being wrong http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ncaa-tournament-x-nba-draft-looking-to-last-year-for-a-reality-check/

― lag∞n, Tuesday, March 31, 2015 3:13 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is just so lazy...no shit most nba rookies are pretty bad, could you possibly be bothered to look back 3-5 years?

my early take:

Okafor: boring
Towns: boring
Mudiay: cool I guess but what can you really tell from CBA ball?
Stanley Johnson: really awesome
Mario Hezonja: sex on legs

look at this gazelle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUcrZ4y_Ccg

Okafor: boring
Towns: boring

Well, they aren't Anthony Davis, if that's your point.

lol never change matt armstrong.

i do think towns is more of a high floor guy than a high ceiling guy and okafor is maybe just improved greg monroe

yeah exactly. Very unsexy number 1 picks.

think there's a decent if not definite chance cauley-stein goes higher than towns but who knows

lol Matt that hezonja clip is aight but slow yr roll

That hezonja clip shows some good athleticism, but the opposing defenses are not so active that hezonja's athleticism was decisive in getting the shots off, so it only shows he knows a bit about showmanship.

i have sort of a bad feeling about cauley-stein

That hezonja clip shows some good athleticism, but the opposing defenses are not so active that hezonja's athleticism was decisive in getting the shots off, so it only shows he knows a bit about showmanship.

― Giant Purple Wakerobin (Aimless), Saturday, April 11, 2015 7:08 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

idk the takes off the dribble are pretty good man

good athleticism is kinda underselling what those clips show too

he's a fucking beast you guys. Might be a bust cuz he seems like a flake but come on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4vqiqSMOY

cauley-stein old

I feel like the Twolves really don't need another big man, but then again they don't really "need" anything since they have young talent at every position.

Do you see Muhammad or Wiggins as a SG? Otherwise they could use someone there. They both seem like forwards to me.

yeah but not really a true SG in this draft

lavine probably their future SG

Right now I have it
1. Towns
2. Hezonja
3. Okafor

Okafor looks realllly vucevic/Al Jeff/Eddy Curry to me.

Towns is wacky and I hate watching him but he does a lot of things

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/05/nba_draft_lottery_2015_how_to_fix_the_broken_nba_draft_system_and_prevent.single.html

that is actually brilliant

wouldn't this lead to 2nd level tanking that's even more flagrantly awful tho

I guess it prevents a team from being systemically bad which is boring compared to thrown games

one cool think is it wld create grudges between the teams that got picked to be the worst and those that picked them

could you trade for the YTW pick that named you, ie if the Knicks picked the nets as the worst could the nets trade for the Knicks' pick and then tank

yeah morey picking the mavs as the worst every year no matter his position would be great theater

I wish there was some way to make the lottery totally transparent so we could have the full gamble experience

these dudes will be reppin' their teams on lottery night
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CE-4Fs6UUAAFzGi.jpg:large

lottery 2nite

kinda want like a team like detroit to win this lottery for watch-the-world-burn reasons, i am just imagining hinkie's face (wherever he will be lurking) if he doesnt get in the top 5

sadly it's almost impossible for him not to

this isn't a draft where you really need to get number 1 or number 2 though, I could see the best player going 10th for sure.

hopefully the lakers win to prove its all rigged

to me the big question of this draft is: how high can you draft a guy who changed his middle name to Trill?

as high as a team wants

"best player" is mattarm-speak for that hezonja doofus i'm guessing?

to me the big question of this draft is: how high can you draft a guy who changed his middle name to Trill?

― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, May 19, 2015 4:10 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

def passes the psych test

as high as a team wants

"best player" is mattarm-speak for that hezonja doofus i'm guessing?

― slothroprhymes, Tuesday, May 19, 2015 8:13 PM (40 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

highly unlikely he slips to 10

I think Hezonja probably has the most upside of anyone in the draft but he seems crazy

uh, yea, his draft express profile has inconsistent and headcase written all over it

there's really no one in the draft that I don't have a lot of problems with other than Towns. Okafor looks like Eddy Curry half the time.

lol @ the current DX rankings having kaminsky slotted next to the jazz, as if they didnt already have the premium on milquetoast wite ballers w/hayward

I think DX doesn't adjust to team needs until after lotto

lol i know, it will prob change soon

suppose him being giant and (relatively) snail-paced would also fit their mold tho in addition to being boring

which elite prospect u guys think is gonna busto

whoever philadelphia picks at the highest position

serious answer: i can see mudiay's ankle probs being persistent and okafor seems really one-dimensional, don't know enough beyond that to make a truly informed pick though

NBA on ESPN ‏@ESPNNBA 15s15 seconds ago
Odds to get No. 1 Pick:
MIN 25%
NYK 19.9%
PHL 15.6%
LAL 11.9%
ORL 8.8%
SAC 6.3%
DEN 4.3%
NOP 1.7%
MIA 1.1%
IND .8%
UTA .7%
PHX .6%
OKC .5%

http://i.imgur.com/YjLcOY6.png

i've said this before but i just don't like something about cauly-stein, and i'm with matt on okafor having a good shot at not being an impact player.

okafor will probably be a good scorer

the biggest boom/bust guy is probably kelly oubre

cauly-stein staying 3 years at kentucky is a major red flag imo

what do u think about new coach
good dude
russ is the best

what if the draft lottery and the draft were in the same day imagine how good that wld be

like they announce the #1 picking team then they have 3 mins to pick then they announce the #2 selecting team

that would be really exciting!

every year this event reminds me how espn's coverage of pretty much everything couldn't be done much worse

its such bullshit that they dont pick from a shit ton of team branded balls

also they shd do it live on stage whats their problem

this thing could be so fun and dramatic! and it could be done so easily!

instead it is this interminable grind of being constantly reminded how all the people involved in this event are losers

except for the draftees, who will be losers this fall

haahha. russ

Larry Legend seems remarkably amped up and positive.... and they already know the results so...

this is so odd

IIRC the teams just send a team rep to the actual lottery but come on that shit has to get out sometimes right

hasn't anyone at espn ever seen a reality show before? because it is the opposite of this.

like they even had the host admit they have the results, they're just keeping them from us so they can squeeze out some more ads, i just feel like a damn rube watching this thing, u don't want your audience to feel like they're being bamboozled c'mon

btw Jay Bilas had almost exactly the same scouting report for Mario Hezonja as he did for Jan Vesely "he can really shoot it/the ball." It's somewhat true for Hezonja.

omg dude ur obsessed chill

lol these rando facts the host spits out after each selection is announced

lol knicks

go sota

lakers jumped! consipracy!

lol knicks

go yung wolves, fuck the knicks

i want philly to take another center

niice

huh, worst team never gets the number one seems like

omg what are the lakers going to do, i'm dying

minny gonna be stacked!

interesting that emperor palpatine owns the twolves

hahah

feel like towns is a safe and easy decision for the wolves

yeah towns fits there

yeah, they will go big and they should

@chadfordinsider: Will be very interesting to see what Wolves do here. They are the one team that NBA folks think could take Okafor over Towns

minny needs a 4 & some shooting imo, move pek and give dieng another year

omg no don't take oak

i'm sure pek is movable, this is a very easy decision

top five is towns, okafor, mudiay, russell, winslow, then the croat maybe right?

draftexpress has towns, okafor, russel, mudiay, hezonja

okafor on the lakers and mudiay on the knicks makes sense to me

minny needs a 4 & some shooting imo, move pek and give dieng another year

― Clay, Wednesday, May 20, 2015 12:56 AM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dieng is kinda 4ish

really the wolves are only committed at SF and PG

apparently the knicks are already trying to trade the pick, are in 'win now' mode

lol jfc

hey the window is closing man

theyre only 5 or 6 pieces away

gotta capitalize on the peak years of your one-dimensional scoring forward and literally nothing else on the roster

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm

this is so unbearable to look at. the guys on this roster should get special jackets made and get together once every few years at the VA hall like old soldiers who fought together in the same doomed platoon

knicks shd
1. use their draft pick to pick a good young player
2. trade melo as soon as he proves he can still play
3. fire fisher

who would want melo at that pricetag though? he has a $28m player option in 2019.

if he plays good to start the year some desperate team who thinks hes their missing piece will want him

http://i.imgur.com/NedwT3j.png

hm

chad ford's latest mock draft, i didn't format this shit

The lottery results are in and the Minnesota Timberwolves are the big winners in this year's draft lottery. That means it's time for Mock Draft 5.0.

At this point very little is set in stone. Expect this mock draft to continue to fluctuate greatly over the course of the next four weeks.

The NBA draft combine finished last weekend and had a significant impact on our board. The process of team workouts has just started. Over the next few weeks the adidas Eurocamp and hundreds of team workouts will dramatically alter the face of the draft.

But for now here's our best stab, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, at how the draft will play out on June 25.

Remember, my mock draft is different from my Big Board. In a mock draft, I don't tell you where a player should go but rather what each team in the draft will likely do with its pick(s).

Note: Traded picks are denoted by numbers with explanations at the bottom.

1
Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves
COLLEGE: Kentucky
HT: 6-11
WT: 250
POS: C

The Wolves are the only team some NBA scouts believe might take Jahlil Okafor over Towns. I see the appeal, and I know Flip Saunders is a fan. But for now, I'm sticking with Towns. Not only is he a more complete player, but I think he's a better fit. With Towns, the Wolves have the ability to form a super-team. His versatility should allow the Wolves to play him alongside Gourgi Dieng -- another young center they really love. And put Towns on the floor with this year's Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio running the point and other solid young prospects such as Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammed, Anthony Bennett and Adreian Payne and the Wolves have the best young core in the NBA. It might take them a while to be super-competitive in the West, but when they mature in a few years, it will be a major wow.
PLAYER CARD
2
Jahlil Okafor
Los Angeles Lakers
COLLEGE: Duke
HT: 6-11
WT: 275
POS: C

The Lakers would probably prefer Towns because of his shot-blocking ability, but Okafor is a great get here. Pair him on the front line with last year's lottery pick, Julius Randle, and first-team All Rookie Team guard Jordan Clarkson and the Lakers finally have some real pieces to build around. Offensively, Okafor is the most gifted young big man I've seen in a decade. He has great feet and hands and plays with a great feel for the game. He's going to average 20 ppg in the league. If Okafor can keep that slimmed-down physique he showed off in New York this week, he might end up surprising us all on the defensive end.
PLAYER CARD
3
D'Angelo Russell
Philadelphia 76ers
COLLEGE: Ohio State
HT: 6-5
WT: 193
POS: PG

This really isn't a bad outcome for the 76ers. They desperately need both a point guard and a shooter, and Russell is the best on both counts. They would've been tempted to take a big if they had gone higher just because it would've been a more valuable asset. But Russell is the best fit with this young team and will make them look really smart moving Michael Carter-Williams out of the way for him. I really think Russell has the chance to become a star, and with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel clogging the paint, they found the perfect guard to spread the floor.
PLAYER CARD
4
Emmanuel Mudiay
New York Knicks
COLLEGE: China
HT: 6-5
WT: 196
POS: PG

The Knicks are obviously hurting. They really wanted the No. 1 pick and a chance at a dominant big. They also miss out on the best offensive guard in the draft in Russell. However, Mudiay is a terrific consolation prize. He's strong, attacks the basket, plays on both ends and has unique maturity for his age to handle the bright lights of NYC. Yes, the Knicks might decide to trade the pick. But they shouldn't. Mudiay could become a star for them -- sooner rather than later.
PLAYER CARD
5
Kristaps Porzingis
Orlando Magic
COLLEGE: Latvia
HT: 6-11
WT: 220
POS: PF

The Magic's biggest need is a young, athletic stretch 4 who can also protect the rim. Porzingis will fit perfectly there. Yes, they signed Channing Frye to do the same thing last year, but Porzingis is better and younger. I love the core nucleus of Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Porzingis and Nikola Vucevic. And of that group, as good as Payton is, Porzingis has a chance to be the best player on the team.
PLAYER CARD
6
Willie Cauley-Stein
Sacramento Kings
COLLEGE: Kentucky
HT: 7-1
WT: 242
POS: C

The Kings need a rim protector in the worst way (and defensive help, overall). Cauley-Stein has a chance to be both the best overall defender and rim protector in the draft. If the Kings can get over the fact that they'll be adding yet another unusual personality to the mix, Cauley-Stein is an excellent fit next to DeMarcus Cousins. Justise Winslow, Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner are also possibilities if they are on the board at this point.
PLAYER CARD
7
Justise Winslow
Denver Nuggets
COLLEGE: Duke
HT: 6-6
WT: 222
POS: SF

The Nuggets have needs everywhere, which gives them the luxury of drafting the best player available at this slot. Winslow's so-so measurements at the combine coupled with ongoing concerns about his ability to shoot off the bounce might cause him to slide this low. But at No. 7, given his elite athletic abilities, strength, motor and leadership attributes, he looks like a good fit in Denver. Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson and Myles Turner are other possibilities here.
PLAYER CARD
8
Mario Hezonja
Detroit Pistons
COLLEGE: Croatia
HT: 6-7
WT: 200
POS: SF

The Pistons have need at shooting guard, small forward and possibly at power forward should Greg Monroe decide to bail. Hezonja's ability to play either wing position should be very attractive to them. So should his 3-point shooting, as the Pistons could really use it. While Hezonja didn't get a lot of touches or minutes in Spain this season, when he was on the court he was very effective, especially in Euroleague play. Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson, Myles Turner and Devin Booker are the other players the Pistons will look at seriously with this pick.
PLAYER CARD
9
Devin Booker
Charlotte Hornets
COLLEGE: Kentucky
HT: 6-6
WT: 206
POS: SG

The top four 3-point-shooting teams in the NBA just happen to be the last four teams standing in the NBA playoffs. That fact won't be lost on the Hornets, who this season finished dead last in the NBA in 3-point-shooting percentage at 31.8 percent. While Booker might be a little bit of a stretch here, he's quite possibly the best shooter in the draft. He also plays with a high basketball IQ and, as the youngest player in the draft, has plenty of upside. Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre and R.J. Hunter will be other options here, but the word out of Charlotte is the Hornets are big fans of Booker.
PLAYER CARD
10
Stanley Johnson
Miami Heat
COLLEGE: Arizona
HT: 6-6
WT: 242
POS: SF
The Heat need depth everywhere and might need starters at all five positions depending on how things play out this summer in free agency. Dwayne Wade, Goran Dragic and Luol Deng all can opt out. Plus, Chris Bosh's health is still a major question mark. Johnson makes a lot of sense here for the Heat; he's one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft, with the size and strength to play right away. And, given how young he is, there's still a lot of upside there. Wisconsin's Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky along with Texas' Myles Turner are other players in the mix for Miami.
PLAYER CARD
11
Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers
COLLEGE: Texas
HT: 6-11
WT: 239
POS: PF
Larry Bird apparently has a thing for Willie Cauley-Stein, telling him in a team interview last week in Chicago that he was a $100 million player. Alas, I don't think Cauley-Stein will be on the board when Indiana picks here. But there are other players who fit the idea of Cauley-Stein -- a more mobile, less lumbering sort of low-post presence than the Pacers' current big man, Roy Hibbert. Turner isn't quite the athlete Cauley-Stein is, but he's similar in size, is mobile and, as an added bonus, can really stretch the floor. He'll be pitted against Frank Kaminsky, who is another mobile shooter. Kaminsky might be more NBA-ready. Turner has more upside. It will be a tough choice between those two. Also, look out for Murray State's Cameron Payne. The Pacers are eyeing help at the point guard position, and word out of Indiana is that Bird is a big fan of the Murray State point guard.
PLAYER CARD
12
Trey Lyles
Utah Jazz
COLLEGE: Kentucky
HT: 6-10
WT: 242
POS: PF
The Jazz are one of the few teams that can just draft whoever falls to them. They have young players they really like at all five positions. So, the next-highest-rated guy on their board should be able to come in and help right away in a backup role. Lyles has a high basketball IQ, good size for his position and versatility.He's not the most explosive athlete in the world, but his solid all-around game makes him a good fit in Utah. Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Kevon Looney are other players who will get serious looks here by the Jazz.
PLAYER CARD
13
Frank Kaminsky
Phoenix Suns
COLLEGE: Wisconsin
HT: 7-1
WT: 231
POS: C
As I explained last month, the Suns don't have a lot of options in the middle behind Alex Len. Kaminsky not only can play right now, but he would give Phoenix an entirely different look. While Len thrives in the paint, Kaminsky is at his best facing the basket and stretching the floor. He adds immediate depth to the Suns' front line. Jerian Grant, Kelly Oubre and R.J. Hunter could all be good fits here, as well.
PLAYER CARD
14
Cameron Payne
Oklahoma City Thunder
COLLEGE: Murray State
HT: 6-2
WT: 183
POS: PG
The Thunder need a long-term starter at the 2 guard, but they need a player who's ready sooner rather than later. But at this portion of the draft I'm not sure that player is available.They also could use help behind Russell Westbrook at the point, and Payne seems like a terrific option. He's heady and crafty and his balance between scoring the basketball and shooting appears just about perfect. R.J. Hunter, Kelly Oubre and Jerian Grant are other strong possibilities in OKC.
PLAYER CARD
15
Sam Dekker
Atlanta Hawks
COLLEGE: Wisconsin
HT: 6-9
WT: 219
POS: SF
The Hawks get the right to trade picks with the Nets as a result of the Joe Johnson trade. Dekker looks like an ideal fit for the Hawks. As I stated last month, his versatility, toughness and ability to stretch the floor make him a strong fit in Mike Budenholzer's offense. Kelly Oubre, R.J. Hunter and Kevon Looney are other potential options here.
PLAYER CARD
16
Kevon Looney
Boston Celtics
COLLEGE: UCLA
HT: 6-9
WT: 222
POS: PF
The Celtics will obviously explore moving up in the draft. Their biggest need is an athletic rim protector, and they'd love to get their hands on Willie Cauley-Stein. But assuming they stand pat at No. 16, there are a couple of intriguing options for them if they want to swing for the fences. Foremost among them is Looney, a guy who is getting knocked around a bit by scouts right now because he's a project. But he has some terrific tools, including amazing length, versatility to play inside and out and a really good work ethic. I actually think that once he gets into workouts, he'll wow teams. But until then, I think this would be a great get for the Celtics. Kelly Oubre and Bobby Portis are other good fits here.
PLAYER CARD
17
Kelly Oubre
Milwaukee Bucks
COLLEGE: Kansas
HT: 6-7
WT: 203
POS: SF
The Bucks are another team that would really love to get their hands on a rim protector. However, at this point in the draft, I'm not sold there is one worth grabbing. Shooting is the other big need, and Oubre could be an intriguing get. The lefty is a potential 3-and-D-type player with a terrific wingspan and an improving 3-point shot. On a team with several major upside players, he'd be a great get. Oubre is a top-10 talent, but he will require a patient team. The Bucks can afford to be patient, especially with Khris Middleton already playing the 2. R.J. Hunter, Bobby Portis and Justin Anderson are also potential fits in Milwaukee.
PLAYER CARD
18
Tyus Jones
Houston Rockets
COLLEGE: Duke
HT: 6-2
WT: 185
POS: PG
The Pelicans send their pick to the Rockets as part of the Omer Asik trade. It's not news to anyone that the Rockets need help at the point in the worst way. Payne, Jones, Grant and Delon Wright are all serious options here. The whispers that the Rockets are in love with Jones continue to grow louder. Not only did he just win the National Championship, but he tests extremely well analytically -- a major plus for Houston.
PLAYER CARD
19
Bobby Portis
Washington Wizards
COLLEGE: Arkansas
HT: 6-11
WT: 246
POS: PF
The Wizards are another team that is fairly easy to figure out when it comes to draft needs. With one year left on Nene's contract (along with dwindling returns), they need help at the 4. Portis would be a great option if he lasts this long. He could go as high as No. 12 to Utah or No. 16 to Boston, but if he's available here, he's a steal. He's one of the more NBA-ready players in the draft. He might never be an All-Star, but he's going to have a long career in the NBA. Kevon Looney and Montrezl Harrell are other strong possibilities for the Wizards.
PLAYER CARD
20
Jerian Grant
Toronto Raptors
COLLEGE: Notre Dame
HT: 6-4
WT: 198
POS: PG
Lou Williams is a free agent this summer, and that could leave open space for a player like Grant who could provide instant offense off the bench at either the 1 or the 2. And with the Raptors hyper-focused on the playoffs, getting a veteran, gritty player like Grant makes a lot of sense. Christian Wood, Delon Wright and Terry Rozier are other players who could fit for Toronto.
PLAYER CARD
21
R.J. Hunter
Dallas Mavericks
COLLEGE: Georgia St
HT: 6-6
WT: 185
POS: SG
The Mavs are potentially looking at holes at the 1, 2 (assuming Monta Ellis opts out) and 5 this year. Traditionally, the Mavs haven't chosen to use the draft to fill those needs. They discard draft picks almost as quickly as the Nets do. But if they hold on to one, adding a potential lights-out shooter such as Hunter makes a lot of sense. Delon Wright, Justin Anderson and Rashad Vaughn are other possibilities for Dallas.
PLAYER CARD
22
Delon Wright
Chicago Bulls
COLLEGE: Utah
HT: 6-6
WT: 181
POS: PG
Derrick Rose is healthy again, but several things point to the Bulls potentially needing help at the backup point guard position. First, both Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks are free agents. Second, Rose needs a solid backup who can allow whoever his new coach is to limit his minutes. Wright is a cagey senior who doesn't necessarily wow you in any one area but is the sort of perfect point guard who makes smart plays and rarely makes mistakes. Justin Anderson, Rashad Vaughn and Terry Rozier are also possibilities for the Bulls.
PLAYER CARD
23
Montrezl Harrell
Portland Trail Blazers
COLLEGE: Louisville
HT: 6-8
WT: 253
POS: PF
Both LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Freeland are free agents this summer. Aldridge should be back, but the Blazers could use some depth at the 4. Harrell is a bit undersized, but his length, athleticism and terrific motor means he should be able to come in and impact the game right away. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Christian Wood and Justin Anderson are also potential fits in Portland.
PLAYER CARD
24
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Cleveland Cavaliers
COLLEGE: Arizona
HT: 6-7
WT: 211
POS: SF
With the strong play of Matthew Dellavedova in the playoffs and the elite point guards in the draft all off the board, the Cavs can move on to other needs. One is a long-term sub for LeBron James. Shawn Marion and James Jones will both be gone, and Hollis-Jefferson is the one sophomore who can come in and play right away thanks to his stellar defensive abilities. If he were a better shooter, he'd be a top-10 pick. Justin Anderson, Terry Rozier and Christian Wood could all be nice picks here, as well.
PLAYER CARD
25
Christian Wood
Memphis Grizzlies
COLLEGE: UNLV
HT: 6-11
WT: 216
POS: PF
Memphis could use a dash of athleticism and shot blocking into its front court (it ranked 24th in the league in blocked shots per game last season). Wood, though raw, has a lot of potential as a rebounder and shot-blocker. If he can get stronger and more mature, he's a steal this late in the draft. The Grizzlies also might be very tempted to take Washington's Robert Upshaw here. He's a lottery-type talent with some major off-the-court issues.The feedback from teams at the draft combine was that Upshaw was too risky to take in the first round, but I could see Memphis swinging for the fences with him.
PLAYER CARD
26
Justin Anderson
San Antonio Spurs
COLLEGE: Virginia
HT: 6-6
WT: 231
POS: SF
The Spurs always seem to find value guys in the late first round, and Anderson fits that definition -- especially if they end up losing Danny Green to free agency. Anderson is another 3-and-D guy with an NBA body and athleticism. He also drew rave reviews from NBA teams in his interviews. I could see him rising much higher as we get closer to the draft if he shoots the ball well in workouts. That's the only real question with him: Was this season's elite 3-point shooting a fluke? Rashad Vaughn, Michael Frazier II and Pat Connaughton also are fits in San Antonio.
PLAYER CARD
27
Rashad Vaughn
Los Angeles Lakers
COLLEGE: UNLV
HT: 6-5
WT: 199
POS: SG
Vaughn is a go-for-guy pick. He's very young, put up good numbers at UNLV as a freshman and might be very underrated at this point in the draft (we moved him up to No. 23 on our Big Board). He could be a sort of Nick Young-type player. Yes, the Lakers already have Young, but as the rebuilding process begins, I'm not sure how much longer he'll be sticking around. Chris McCullough, Dakari Johnson and Robert Upshaw are also possibilities here.
PLAYER CARD
28
Chris McCullough
Boston Celtics
COLLEGE: Syracuse
HT: 6-9
WT: 199
POS: PF
The Celtics still need athleticism and shot blocking in their front court, and it might make sense to take a flier on McCullough here. Had he not hurt his ACL in January, he might be 10 spots higher on the board. He averaged 2.0 blocks per game as a freshman, and as he gets stronger, he'll continue to improve. The Celtics might not be able to play him for a year, but the long-term investment is interesting. Robert Upshaw and Jordan Mickey are other possibilities here.
PLAYER CARD
29
Terry Rozier
Brooklyn Nets
COLLEGE: Louisville
HT: 6-2
WT: 190
POS: PG
Rozier was the top-rated prospect to play 5-on-5 at the combine and played very well. He's a combo guard, but given his toughness and defense, he should find a home, and the Nets are as good a place as any for him to land. Deron Williams has two years left on his deal, and Jarrett Jack has one, but neither are the long-term future of the franchise. Jarell Martin and Cliff Alexander are other prospects who could fit long-term in Brooklyn.
PLAYER CARD
30
Michael Frazier II
Golden State Warriors
COLLEGE: Florida
HT: 6-5
WT: 199
POS: SG
The Warriors always are looking for shooting, especially coming off the bench. Frazier was one of the top performers at the combine and for three straight seasons shot the lights out at Florida. With time, he could develop into an important player coming off the bench for the Warriors.
PLAYER CARD

Traded picks: (1) The Lakers will send their first-round pick to the Suns if it falls somewhere from 6-30. (2) The Pelicans will send their pick to the Rockets if it falls somewhere from 4-19. (3) The Hawks have the right to swap first-round picks with the Nets. (4) The Heat will send their first-round pick to the Sixers (via the Cavs) if it falls somewhere from 11-30. (5) The Rockets will send their first-round pick to the Lakers if it falls somewhere from 15-30. (6) The Clippers will send their first-round pick to the Celtics.

nuggets do not really have a need at the 3

lol you're like a crazy twitter person

from lowe's lottery rundown:

The Suns had Alex Len behind the lectern, and he told me before the lottery that they had promised to fly him back on a private jet if Phoenix jumped into the top three. No word on whether Len found his way to the Port Authority bus station after the game.

rough go for len

loool

Guess what happens in case of a power outage that disables the machine? The league brings along a plastic basketball with a hole cut into the top, and in a doomsday scenario in which the machine doesn’t work, they would just pour the Ping-Pong balls into that container and have an official pluck them out by hand.

Lol hey uh grab that trash can over there now draw the NBA logo on it with that sharpie ok dump all the balls in and get somebody big to shake it up, ok we are good lottery is back on fellas

they shd do it like that every year except live on stage

towns straight blowin minds http://www.kentucky.com/2015/06/03/3882548_ex-cat-towns-puts-full-range-of.html

cauly-stein staying 3 years at kentucky is a major red flag imo

― lag∞n, Tuesday, May 19, 2015 4:38 PM (2 weeks ago)

wait, why is this?

Too much time subsisting solely on Taco Bell.

kentucky is a one and done factory if u cant get out of there in one theres something wrong w u

i think i would feel good about taking cauley-stein... it was hysterically embarrassing that notre dame guarded him with 6' 5" shooting guards in the elite 8 and he couldn't score any points, but i don't see how he's not the next deandre/drummond type player

idk i dont ever seem him being that good of a basketball man, i cld see him being useful especially on D but i cld also see him being a quasi bust

i dunno he's huge and athletic and i think the nba understands how to use those kinda guys now -- basically just have them roll to the rim every play and throw 5 or so alley oops a game.

maybe 5 or 10 years ago a team picks him and tries to force post play on him but i feel like in the post-tyson chandler NBA he has a clear role that will allow him to succeed

thats def the ideal role for him, whether he can grow into it idk, i get strong doesnt understand basketball vibes from him,

i mean obvs there have been other guys like him who didnt have a great feel for the game and succeeded anyway through determination and superior physical gifts but a lot of them just turn out to be sorta meh

i guess he shot really well and from distance in his recent private workout, i don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better or worse

cauley-stein? or are you thinking of towns

cauley-stein http://www.kentucky.com/2015/06/04/3884011_ex-cat-cauley-stein-assessed-as.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&rh=1

bizarre

i remain skeptical

yeah exactly

perfect

https://twitter.com/ryenarussillo/status/608110159207002112

classic

goink

may they and the heat and lakers make bad decisions forever and ever amen, always and in perpetuity, to the hoops gods we pray

porzingis trending

in which woj relates the struggle of porzingis to overcome the (justified) stigma attached to (countless examples of) euroballers in the draft (being overrated and resulting as busts) http://sports.yahoo.com/news/meet-the-euro-prodigy-who-seems-unlike-the-flops-who-came-before-him-193427860.html

Feel like dudes like that who just watch game tape and want to work out at 3 am are never busts, if he were American coach k or calipari would be blathering about his work ethic 24/7

Dude should get some sleep.

he does seem legit but i was more thinking, porzingis bro there are reasons why people have these fears (although at the same time i dont understand him worrying about the "soft" perception, its more that the milicics of years past were space cases and the bargnanis were incompetent, etc)

like, i'd be surprised if anyone thought milicic was soft, for example, and be curious how long they remained healthy if saying that to his face lol

zingis played a srs role with good results in the 2nd best league in the world, hes totally not a euro man of mystery, if anything his results from last year are more bankable than one and done college dudes and like a million times more than mudiays partial season in china

someone done a harden mixtape on przingis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjZnIE-V0KY

just readin some draft coverage and

C Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein isn't a human and should become an elite rim protector.

i feel like if they were ever able to make a robot NBA player it would be an elite rim protector that has trouble developing any semblance of a post move

true i'm not counting it out

hezonja we don't believe you u need more people https://twitter.com/maxrappaport/status/612701818431348736

he is prob better than messi tho

well he didn't specify what he was better than messi at so he can't be wrong about that at least, true

assumed he was talking abt basketball

seeing as how messi doesn't play that professionally if at all I don't think that makes much sense to say, bc maybe messi is really awful and like idk luke babbitt is also better than him but forget it jake it's eurotown I suppose

top four picks seemed locked in at towns okafor russell porzingis in some order

I'm still not convinced this Porzingis is anything but some kind of Polish sausage.

played a very good season in the 2nd best league in the world, is tall athletic and skilled

Porzingis seems overly deliberate to me, and I don't really believe the jumper

but obviously you have to take him top 10, there's a lot of tools there and if he puts on muscle he might go from seeing deliberate to seeming quick.

he does seem legit but i was more thinking, porzingis bro there are reasons why people have these fears (although at the same time i dont understand him worrying about the "soft" perception, its more that the milicics of years past were space cases and the bargnanis were incompetent, etc)

― slothroprhymes, Tuesday, June 16, 2015 8:50 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

like, i'd be surprised if anyone thought milicic was soft, for example, and be curious how long they remained healthy if saying that to his face lol

― slothroprhymes, Tuesday, June 16, 2015 8:51 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Bargnani's bustitude is 100% a lack of dedication and work ethic. Porzingis isn't really even close to Bargnani from a talent level.

I don't think anyone really knows what happened with Milicic. Wouldn't surprise me if it was drugs all along. He was a 17 year old starting and producing in Europe who had all the physical tools you could ask for and then he showed up in Detroit and had trouble converting wide open dunks.

lol ainge tried to trade smart and the 16th and 28th picks for noel and the 3rd pick

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CIM8mpDWUAAdCps.jpg

does he ever sleep? i just picture notebooks, whiteboards and crumpled papers filled with trade scenarios scattered throughout his house.

he only concocts trades, goes to the office to make the occasional formal calls and goes to mormon church

If you put your hand over his mouth in that pic he looks like he's in deep emotional anguish.

now is the time when we watch draft xpress souting breakdowns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWOjHoJ-U6A

seems like zingis is skilled but not really a natural baller, a lot will depend on exactly how good his shooting is if hes just an ok shooter he cld end up a pretty meh player but if he is a great shooter he cld be v valuable, he is very skinny but young he will put on some weight but he doesnt have a big frame and needs to get a lot stronger, can he learn to attack the close out and make the right read, seems like he wld benefit from playing on a team thats p structured offensively, dont think theres any way id take him over towns-russell-okafor

exactly how I feel about him: not a natural player.

And the jumper is kinda weird.

I thought that defensive lowlights video was unpersuasive tho, he mostly just looked overeager and only got roasted by much smaller players pretty far outside the paint.

last I checked DX was holding firm with having him 10th on their big board.

yep still ranked 10

I will admit that his workout was pretty dope as far as workouts go. It fomented some admiration from me.

Actual exchange today:

Me: "If you could go to dinner with any 3 people...?"
Porzingis: "Rihanna, Beyonce and Jay-Z—like a double date."

Love him, draft him

haha nice

https://twitter.com/fskpart3/status/613818362456637440

frank going for meme status, savvy marketing team

he's memeable

i'm pretty high on kaminsky tbh, would like it if the pacers take him

seems like a backup to me

he projects like a poor mans kevin love but i think he'll be good enough to start

chad ford on the lowe post said that mario hezonja's primary NBA comparison player is...

...J.R. smith

lololol

Kris Porzingis says NYK is best organization in NBA. Also can handle spotlight in NY. Did pro day in LV, visited NY: pic.twitter.com/VUqY3InNex

— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) June 24, 2015

hah

anyone know at what time does the actual clock start for Minny?

today is the day one of the very best days for nba

http://i.imgur.com/pUu4WOY.png

lol where is that snipped from

chad ford mock draft

he has the celtics taking sam dekker at 16 which wld not upset me

good pick at 16 but i hope they trade up

yeah obvs id prefer as much sweet trade action as possible

i think dekker should go way higher than it seems like he's going to go

it seems like teams clearly prefer stanley johnson over him now, which i'm not so sure about

dekker's shot needs a lot of work that's what worries me about him

its not terrible or broken he cld prob become a passable nba shooter w/o too much trouble, hes got size, can create off the dribble seems like the type of player who cld end up being better than you expect based on his college play

yeah with his athleticism and off the ball game if he can shoot even like 36% from three he'll be a really good player. just seems like a pretty safe pick to me but he also has some upside.

I don't like his hair cut.

rookie hair

Chad Ford (1:28 PM)

Hold on a second ... phone call.

lol love draft day

wolves set on towns apparently, that team has maybe the best collection of young talent ever?

durant, westbrook, harden, ibaka RIP

that was p good ur right

knicks are totally tryna fall back to get frank kaminsky

lolllll

starting to almost feel bad for knicks fans

http://espn.go.com/photo/2012/1110/la_u_phil-jackson_mb_576.jpg

today is the day one of the very best days for nba

Merry Hoops Christmas everyone

starting to almost feel bad for knicks fans
― lag∞n, Thursday, June 25, 2015 1:11 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Never

some things transcend sport

they can be happy they aren't the nets

the nets are just boring and mediocre rather than an absolute garbage fire fueled by outdated thinking and misplaced/unearned exceptionalism, i dont think theyre that happy theyre not the nets

yeah but they sell out that arena on the regular and i dont even know any nets fans.

i like the Barclays tbh it's just sad there even when the team is doing ok

kinda want to take a nap until this thing starts . getting f5 fatigue atm

http://streamable.com/rf3i?t=14.2

lmao

lol

@haralabob
Ya Chad Ford definitely updates his a lot, including after the players have played a few seasons in the NBA.

Ha I was just thinking about that last night while listening to his pod w Lowe, he was saying something about the next level skill for draft writers being projecting what a guy could be and I was like yup it's p easy when you can go back and "project" after they've been in the league a few years

I like ford but that's some goofy ass shit, just be like ok only the Spurs knew kawhi was gonna be that good or w/e

its really weird he wld do that considering his rankings are "reported" ie theyre what team staff tell him theyre thinking not his own opinion

chad ford on the lowe post said that mario hezonja's primary NBA comparison player is...

...J.R. smith

lololol

― slothroprhymes, Thursday, June 25, 2015 1:30 AM (19 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hezonja so much bigger tho. There's really not many guys like him. Maybe Gallinari before the back surgery, but Gallo isn't nuts.

looks like I was wrong last year when I mocked people for saying Kaminsky would be a top 10 pick, sry

Kelly Oubre reminds me of Todd Day

he shdnt be tho xp

hezonja is a wildcard seems like hes not in the top tier mix just cause ppl think hes insane lol

right, but a lot of the insane shit he's doing is stuff MJ or Kobe would do so there's intrigue about it

like that story about him watching the dunk contest and then doing all of Lavine's dunks the next day in practice, I fucking love that

he also did a coast to coast windmill dunk with .3 seconds left in a playoff game his team won by 30

lmao

as far as insane behavior goes I'm much more concerned about Cauley-Stein changing his middle name to trill, or Dario Saric hiring a shady local mercenary group to be his talent agency

those are both red flags for sure

tho tbf its rare to come out of the former yugoslavia and not be in some way associated with a least one criminal paramilitary group

my favorite story about stuff like that is when Gilbert Arenas successfully dared Richard Jefferson to tell NBA combine interviewers that his lifetime ambition was to be an "international super pimp"

looooool

same

we really need a 20k word grantland oral history of the draft

I'm rooting for Hezonja for a million reasons but certainly one reason is that we need arrogant pieces of shit at the top of the game, it spices things up. We don't really have many Reggie Millers or Rick Barrys in today's game, and even Kobe has kind of just become a serial killer instead of a troll.

feel like some crazy shit is gonna happen with these free agents out there, Sacramento management civil war and all

no one knows what Uncle Phil is gonna do

rooting for phil to do something so crazy and awful knicks fans just quit once and for all

it feels like a lot of things are lining up so that tonight is kinda crazy, if it goes chalk i'm going to be very sad

feel pretty confident we experience at least one absolutely batshit thing

I feel like as long as phil doesn't trade the pick it won't be crazy

the Kings situation is something I can't really fathom

Karl is so close to getting 11 million dollars for 4 months work

george karl promises to not mettle in personnel decisions before hes hired, george karl mettles in personnel decisions is the most predictable progression possible

can't wait for sportswriters to look mournfully into the camera as they say their pal George got a raw deal yet again

its like an hour out from the draft right? so excite

if Karl gets fired I really hope he makes a "snakes in the grass" tweet of some sort

idk if George knows what twitter is tbh

just fire up an account for one post imo

Is the draft discussion gonna be in here or the NBA OFFSEASON thread?

if karl is fired he will have to be content with his fifteen mill

here

https://ton.twitter.com/1.1/ton/data/dm/614199057377046531/614199057431576576/GRJrBHoT.jpg

sounds ridiculous to me but u know how philly loves assets, wld obvs trade the entire team for okafor / welcome him with open arms

also la will prob take him

just fired up a dedicated woj twitter tab

nice, very nice

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 5h5 hours ago
Knicks keep pursuing deals to move out of No. 4 spot and back in lottery, league sources tell Yahoo.

luh u phil

win-now mode, v good

Guys I'm in a panic the Wolves are gonna do some weird Wolves shit like sell the first pick for cash considerations and the rights to a Euro instead of taking Notorious K.A.T. hold me

word is theyre locked in on towns but i will pray for u just to be sure

let's get weird folks

the universe is cold and indifferent

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 47s48 seconds ago
Now let’s watch a ton of trades wipe out everything ...

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 3m3 minutes ago
Every team in pursuit of Frank Kaminsky understands: It has to leap over Charlotte at No. 9.

draft fever!

the universe is cold and indifferent

time bends us towards chaos: the nba draft

okafor is wearing a theater usher uniform and is extremely nervous?

towns seems smart-mature-chill

twolves are my new bandwagon team

the bobcats should send michael jordan to a casino in thailand for a month starting in mid may

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CIYFZGlXAAAZPZj.jpg

*plays an electroclash album on my ipod*

Our local sports radio station put together a "highlight" reel of Stern announcing Wolves draft busts of the last 30 years

lmao nice

lol wait phil's plan is to not draft a big guy bc they'll just sign LMA or Love in July okay cool plan

fool proof plan imo

what the heck zingis is wearing the usher jacket too

fraschilla says porzingis is 7'2, supposedly looked 4 inches taller than towns in the lineup, is there secret measurement info

chad ford said 7'1" in socks 7'2" in shoes, for whatever that's worth

that's pretty crazy if true, would change things

lol at them finding a place for frank in this draft commercial

I saw Zinger listed at 7'1 in places but if he's 7'1 in bare feet then he's a really rare prospect. Maybe TOO tall.

dirk pt2

I'm trying to think of the last power forward that tall who worked out

...its happening...

GRATS SOTA GREAT PICK

jay williams just called zach lavine adam lavine

Feels good man

yung wolves might could be solid next year if not quite ready just yet

Wolves have too many players

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 1m1 minute ago
The Lakers will select D'Angelo Russell with the No. 2 overall pick, league source tells Yahoo Sports.

ooooo

c h a o s r e i g n s

pretty baller pick imo

is it weird that i don't want spoilers posted itt :-)

man if hinkie even picks okafor

I like it

looking for a trade here

russell looks great but passing on a sure thing center is iffy imo

Idk he's sort of a sure thing Al Jefferson

al jefferson is his floor prob

Hinkie should pick Porzingis, he might be 7'4 now

the lakers did something relatively smart I don't even know how to comprehend this

Lol Hinkie

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 2m2 minutes ago
The Sixers will select Jahlil Okafor with the No. 3 pick, source tells Yahoo

welp

okafor is obv a good player but...of all the things the sixers need, a low post scorer is not it

he's an asset!

Bomani Jones: the hinkie era is gonna be a dude who keeps throwing his scrabble hand back, hoping for a seven-letter word with a q in it.

Woj sez he will not be traded by hinkdog

which means nerlens totally will

oh man this is bad karma a death announcement before phillys pick

so i know wojo don't make stuff up but charlotte really a lock to take kaminsky at 9???

sounds believably jordanesque

i've always been blithely pro-hinkie but this is kind of farcical

is Porzingis 7'3 yet

might have a deal for noel already in place?

russell wldve been perfect for philly too

Porzingis'll never make it, ESPN says his eyes are too soft

russell would've been so perfect for them too, much love to the lakers tonight for that at least. like if i was mitch confirming the likelihood that hinkie wouldn't be able to resist taking okafor despite yknow what his team actually looks like would been a pro swotting it out

can i just say lmao hinkie

yeah they probably were hoping for russell

Noel isn't injured so that hurts his value for hinkie

I bet you the knicks are trading down now, eventually

all the picks being spoiled by wojo minutes in advance is really hilarious and pointless

was also kinda looking forward to okafor being as close to an aaron rodgers type nfl draft slide as i can recall, even if it would've only been to like #6 at most

Hinkie must've seen those ankle x-rays and thought "jackpot"

all the picks being spoiled by wojo minutes in advance is really hilarious and pointless
--lag∞n

yea I stopped looking at twitter

Spoilers are awesome

boo you people

What if..... You had a whole team of 7 foot players?? You could just dominate the paint

woj is already on to the 6th pick lol

all the picks being spoiled by wojo minutes in advance is really hilarious and pointless

― lag∞n, Thursday, June 25, 2015 11:58 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

why can't we fix this, in the NFL too

literally a kid crying

lol knicks fans thank u for being u

woj spoils the draft specifically because he has a vendetta against espn

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 25s26 seconds ago
I think Porzingis will be a star in New York. More elite GM's believe in his talent than any other player in this draft.

2-3 years away says fran

the rare woj opinion tweet

i'm so happy this happened

Every Woj tweet is an opinion tweet. There are no sources, he's just a good guesser

yeah pretty well established that Zinger was going top 5, no matter what xp

this guy seems ok to me

i can't find my post where i said this was going to happen

fran is a good in game analyst/color man but lmao @ his saying phil jackson is earning his money by this pick

that interview was pretty dope

literally a kid crying

― J0rdan S., Thursday, June 25, 2015 5:02 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol knicks fans thank u for being u

― lag∞n, Thursday, June 25, 2015 5:02 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this was so great, i live for this moment every year

jalen is coming off like a dumbass

:] xp

I still feel like they're trading Zinger but I'm trying to process the reality of him being 7'1 in bare feet

wojo reporting sixers to trade noel to celtics for a 2019 first rounder

damn

god Jalen you suck

i'm ok with that

Weird without Simmons Hysteria

"hezonga"

haha jay williams has literally no concept of zingas game just said hes not sure hes gonna be doing all that dancing with the ball in the nba, watch a draftxpress video bro comn this is yr job, prob thought he was talking abt hezonja lol

yaaasssssssssssssss I like nerlens he's def raw but can defend real well and scoring is improving

I forgot that hezonja would be in spain for the ACB finals right?

jalen has a weird obsession with winslow

gotta be honest, when i listened to that ford-lowe pod i kinda missed simmons being there to throw out batshit scenarios

good pick for orlando, fills a need even if hes insane

the magic feel so irrelevant to me and my life, i propose we contract bobcats and magic

Mario an easy pick for the magic with them cutting Harris loose and Zinger off the board

Shame on ESPN for not having an alleyoop in that highlight mix

love hezonja on the magic

i can't tell if the magic are very intriguing or deeply boring

John Schuhmann ‏@johnschuhmann 38s39 seconds ago
Calipari had moved to Lyles' table after the Towns pick. Just got up to sit closer to Cauley-Stein's table.

xp I think they'll be the most improved team in the league, Vaughn was terrible

elfrid payton, vucevic, gordon, hezonja.... is this exciting or the east coast jazz

yeah wario hezonja on that team, magic are a 30 for 30 in the making

Magic should be fun if shambolic

still think that non shooting backcourt cant possibly work

such a weird collection of players. hezojna looks perfect for them though.

Oladipo could figure it out

elfrid payton, vucevic, gordon, hezonja.... is this exciting or the east coast jazz

― J0rdan S., Friday, June 26, 2015 12:12 AM (25 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the jazz play defense!

Vucci could figure it out

Oladipo could figure it out

― Hikikomori Povich (tsrobodo), Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:13 PM (30 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i mean one of them fine but those two guys together no

the magic were a lot of fun to watch last year, horrible defense and massive fantasy stat lines

where are the crazy trades im here for the insanity

lolololol

VIVEK

oh my god

jesus

i'm higher on cauley-stein than most anyone but how can he play with cousins??

George Karl is gonna love coaching a guy named Trill!

thought the kings already had a center

that's like the worst front court spacing imaginable

isn't cauley-stein gonna need surgery also, like that's why bird had hinted he was backing out of his earlier 'max player' love?

Why is Woj designated scoop haver?

nbadraft.net had cauley-stein going 14th, luv u vivek

now, here's an interesting team team: d'angelo russell, ben mclemore, a small forward, julius randle, willie cauley-stein

Brian Robb ‏@CelticsHub 2m2 minutes ago
Now is the time for Celtics fans to be on watch for a move. Celtics have the assets to strike in this range of the lottery.

watches

man if the suns really are desperate to get in front of charlotte so they can draft frank i facilitate that desire if i'm detroit

boogie has to be about to be traded if they took willie

isn't cauley-stein gonna need surgery also, like that's why bird had hinted he was backing out of his earlier 'max player' love?

― balls, Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:18 PM (31 seconds ago) Bookmark

chad ford was talking about this on the zach lowe podcast. apparently WCS had ankle surgery in high school or something and a plate was inserted, but it wasn't done right. so at some point he's going to have to get the plate reset and whatever but it's not seen as a chronic injury. but he'll have to be out 6-8 months at some point.

wcs makes no sense here

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 1m1 minute ago
Among scenarios Celtics and Hornets have been discussing, sources say, is potentially swapping Boston's No. 16 & 28 for Charlotte's No. 9

is stauskas a total bust?

good shot of vivek gesticulating confidently in the war room

if muiday goes here maybe winslow slips to the heat *_*

man if kaminsky goes ahead of winslow i swear

Stauskas and mclemore both look like busts yeah xp

i predict wcs bust too

can jalen lose his job mid-draft, he's unbelievably weird a fit here

bilas noting willie is a bad rebounder, v encouraging

so what's the bust % on mudiay

rip ty lawson era

i still think WCS is the next drummond/denadre. if he's just a pick and roll crasher on both ends who can also protect the rim and catch alley oops i don't see how he doesn't become a really good player.

but with demarcus idk how that happens.

i feel like this is a great pick

mudiay was a top 2 prospect prior to this, he's gonna be way better than the 7th best player in this draft

Drummond and Deandre are really rare athletic specimens tho

i feel like he's john wall-ish... altho john wall has a very high character, idk anything about mudiay

if he's just a pick and roll crasher on both ends who can also protect the rim and catch alley oops i don't see how he doesn't become a really good player.

― J0rdan S., Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:23 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

idk catching and finishing on the pnr is a real offensive skill its not easy

is he anywhere near as fast as wall?

yeah cauley-stein isn't exactly as athletic as them but if he can "guard 1-5" as they say then to me he's right in the mold of the pick and roll era nba center

mudiay def hurt his stock by going to china and getting injured

Wall has a high basketball IQ and is a very accurate passer

i'm watching w/o audio - any spec on why winslow has kinda slid? is it just how the draft has played out/needs etc? or were ppl really that freaked he was half an inch shorter than they thought?

xpost - true, dude was a lock for top 3 most of the year

wall is also the fastest man in the world

yeah i mean, i don't think he's gonna be as good as john wall. just... wall-ish.

stan!!!!!!!!!!!!

(van gundy)

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 4m4 minutes ago
The Charlotte Hornets have multiple trade scenarios in play with the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft, league source tells Yahoo Sports.

michael jordan three-quarters through his second bottle of wine

stan by stan

it would be seriously absurd if the heat get winslow

can this guy store off the dribble at all

score*

gonna be so are you fucking kidding me if the heat get winslow. that shoulda been the hawks pick.

digging the khaki pants tho

DX had winslow 7 and stanley 8

cool baller mom

kinda missing simmons on this draft not gonna lie

RealGM ‏@RealGM 3m3 minutes ago
Teams not trusting the perimeter shooting of Justise Winslow.

need his absurd homer bullshit

heh i know this won't happen but how funny would it be if the kings trade boogie AND fire karl

stanley johnson's mom should be running a team

yeah this telecast sucks w/out simmons, no one else will embrace the absurdity

im cool w no sports guy

jay williams is so bland

simmons would flip silas a bunch of shit too, that was always pretty good

let the absurdity speak for itself

they really should have JVG here but i guess he just doesn't know enough about college ball

Twitter freaking out about woj going silent for over 7 minutes

hornets are taking frank

lol xp

the hornets are so funny

they really should have JVG here but i guess he just doesn't know enough about college ball

― J0rdan S., Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:34 PM (42 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

cld just watch some draftxpress videos, wld know more than jay williams

lol and like immediately after wojo reports the heat will select justise winslow

grats heat they shd send thank u notes to the kings and hornets

kaminsky has bust-face

seeing some stuff about charlotte reports being inconsistent I'm in transit did they televise the frank pick?

ya

drafting tyler zeller, noah vonleh and frank kaminsky in consecutive years is just a blatant signal that you don't know what you're doing

comparing kaminsky to ryan anderson :-(

kaminsky has bust-face

― Clay, Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:37 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm

sad trombones in charlotte

Will jalen ever compare a white person to a black person

Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 2m2 minutes ago
The Indiana Pacers are looking hard at Texas center Myles Turner -- and shopping Roy Hibbert hard on the trade market, sources tell Yahoo.

we need trades!

hoping winslow falls to 11

fox sports 1 should just run a ticker of wojo's twitter feed at the bottom of their screen to really fuck w/ espn. maybe they already do, who knows.

aw man was kinda hoping that turner would last to the hawks though bobby portis looks good too

drafting tyler zeller, noah vonleh and frank kaminsky in consecutive years is just a blatant signal that you don't know what you're doing

― J0rdan S., Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:37 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

NBA on ESPN ‏@ESPNNBA 13s13 seconds ago
3rd straight year the Hornets drafted a versatile big man from the Big Ten:
• 2013: Cody Zeller
• 2014: Noah Vonleh
• 2015: Frank Kaminsky

lol

frank is so not a tank tho

if u guys got drafted what would be on the inside of yr jacket

weed

frank's face looks like stonehenge

VOLT GREEN

winslow was prob a bit overrated after the tournament but this feels like something that would only happen to a charmed franchise

weed a good if controversial choice

heat lucked out

winslow lucked out too

:/

Whiteside makes it an easy call for the heat really

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh 5m5 minutes ago
Heat exec on Justise Winslow falling to them at No. 10: "Wow." They thought he'd go No. 4 to Knicks.

heat getting whiteside and winslow like this is not fair, i call for an investigation

yeah no whiteside maybe you take turner but that was a total no brainer

History is littered with mediocre players that people could not believe slipped to the 7-13 range

B osh
E
N
G
H eat
A
Z
I nvestigate

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nba/charlotte-hornets/article9117713.html

lmao

The Heat apparently don't read mock drafts

wldnt be surprised

i love that the pacers are gladly throwing hibbert out on the street

to be fair to the heat it's probably worthless to read mock drafts when you're picking the 30s for four straight years

to be fair to the heat it's probably worthless to read mock drafts when you're picking the 30s for four straight years
--J0rdan S.

v subtle #humblebrag

shannon couldn't even come up with a second question for this guy

yeah that was the most worthless interview ive ever seen

11. Myles Turner | 6-11 | 240 | C | Texas | 19

Can he run correctly? This will decide the kind of career Turner will have.

this does not inspire confidence

Pacers drafting Hibbert 2.0. I thought Portis was a better prospect tbh

hahaha omg xp

haha yeah a lot of stuff abt how he was being "taught to run" this summer

wonder how low campaign is gonna go

i remember being excited about dante exum

exactly 365 days ago today

is he still alive? who knows

delly > exum

lyles will probably good, he seems like a good athlete

exum cld still be good! he was a teen

lyles has a cute sister good sign

utah has been such a wasteland for players since the d will era

utah has the stifle tower!

yeah lyles/gobert is another concerning spacing fit probably

not ashamed to admit i rewound to check out sister xp

did calipari just spoil a pick

h8 u cal get outta here

or is he just saying that they should pick him now

god i love cal

Ty Lawson said on a live stream that he's going to sacto

huh

Player interviews are so boring. Only benefit is seeing their pocket square up close.

Ohm Youngmisuk ‏@NotoriousOHM 12s12 seconds ago
Jahlil Okafor on how Sixers will make it work drafting three big men in a row: "I don't know. It's not my job to figure it out."

tru

Ty Lawson said on a live stream that he's going to sacto

― Matt Armstrong, Thursday, June 25, 2015 6:00 PM (1 second ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

how suicidal did he sound

The Jazz have depth at every position, BPA all the way

makes sense cuz of karl but i read that vivek would rather die than make a deal with d'alessandro/malone

Remember when all the Kings articles said d'alessandro and Malone didn't like each other and then Pete immediately hired Malone

cal knew that was happening

this seems like a sensible pick

Remember when all the Kings articles said d'alessandro and Malone didn't like each other and then Pete immediately hired Malone

― Matt Armstrong, Thursday, June 25, 2015 9:02 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

ziller wrote today that pete 100% was trying to drive a wedge between malone and the front office

yeah i like booker

tho what is on his pocket

booker's suit choice makes me feel like the suns promised him, v coordinated

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo 4m4 minutes ago
The Bucks have acquired Raptors guard Grievis Vasquez in a trade, a source told Yahoo.

zzzzz

man trey lyles sister really is cute as hell

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo 4m4 minutes ago
The Bucks have acquired Raptors guard Grievis Vasquez in a trade, a source told Yahoo.

k

man trey lyles sister really is cute as hell

― balls, Thursday, June 25, 2015 9:08 PM (56 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it was worth rewinding

they gave up a (protected) first for him! xp

wow

can this guy shoot

he can dress

i guess this guy is the new reggie jackson

let's see if bobby portis is wearing volt green

payne looks small

6'1" no way.

i guess they feel like they don't need a starter right now

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo 4m4 minutes ago
The Bucks have acquired Raptors guard Grievis Vasquez in a trade, a source told Yahoo.

zzzzz

― Clay, Thursday, June 25, 2015 6:07 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo 4m4 minutes ago
The Bucks have acquired Raptors guard Grievis Vasquez in a trade, a source told Yahoo.

k

― J0rdan S., Thursday, June 25, 2015 6:08 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

j0rdan do you have me killfiled

"There is no ceiling for Cameron Payne." - Cameron Payne

lol no

xp

;)

hawks are def gonna need some wing help

rj hunter is gonna get way underdrafted imo

it should be said that this is an amazing draft for haircuts

oubre traded to wiz, hawks get 19 and two future second rounders

I like oubre's style

oh wow... can oubre play the 3? that's interesting

"basketball illiterate"

wall, beal, porter, oubre is a really young backcourt

lol

I like his insaaaane irrational confidence

"whoever gets me is getting a jewel"

ok i love kelly oubre

HIS SHOES

I don't watch enough cbb to know what's up with frank kaminsky can someone explain the deal, I just started watching

Hawks must think dekker will be available

I am 100% on board with oubre now

at SF the celtics have "Cap Space"

I don't watch enough cbb to know what's up with frank kaminsky can someone explain the deal, I just started watching

― juice college (agent hibachi), Thursday, June 25, 2015 6:22 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he has the worst case of bust-face i've seen in a few years

Mushroom shaped hair so popular.

Seeing the pile of future celtics assets still makes me a little dizzy

please take sam dekker

I don't watch enough cbb to know what's up with frank kaminsky can someone explain the deal, I just started watching

― juice college (agent hibachi), Thursday, June 25, 2015 9:22 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he had a great year but hes also a senior who sucked his first two years in college and has bust face

http://www.nbadraft.net/files/players/FrankKaminsky.gif

"michael jordan thinks i can be a franchise center"

rozier! danny...

James Ham ‏@James_Ham 5m5 minutes ago

Ty Lawson: "I'm going to Sacramento, bro." (Then hits the hookah)

Dekker needs mushroom hair.

so many guards up in the bean

what the heck celtics

rozier and smart could be a pretty nasty backcourt

means somebody on the way out, has to

he's so little

rozier & it2 would be the smallest backcourt since the 60s

jay keeps saying he can guard, maybe he's strong but everyone is bigger than him

I wasn't totally sold on dekker tbh, liked his shooting but that only got really good late in the tournament

that's an "isiah thomas will not be here beyond next season" pick right?

SHUSH

yeah prob xp

i'm not totally sold on anybody at this point in the draft but dekker would have filled more of a need for them

I'm confident ainge can turn four point guards into a couple more draft picks an expiring contract or two and one mediocre point guard so don't worry guys

i feel like every team in the nba could use a wing player like dekker

bucks should take rj hunter

who the hell is this

does jalen know dion waiters is bad

ouch compared to waiters

rockets should take dekker as redemption for losing chandler parsons

Ainge doubters smh

danny makes mistakes too! he is a person (prob with mormon magic powers)

He makes some really good picks and some really bad picks occasionally but I believe despite my sarcasm

dekker and houston makes so much sense to me

yup

so my takeaway is white bball players go to wisconsin

after playing brewer and terry so much in the playoffs they desperately needed a young wing, and he'll be really good going up and down

Harden should give him hair tips.

jalen's scouting is quite black and white

so my takeaway is white bball players go to wisconsin
--Clay

otm

he could def fill a brewer role pretty early on

hawks trading their pick to the knicks

hardaway!

def not resigning carroll then huh

I do not like the player the knicks are taking dude

:(

xpost

so my takeaway is white bball players go to wisconsin

― Clay, Friday, June 26, 2015 1:39 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Only the whitest
http://giant.gfycat.com/PersonalHugeDove.gif

oh my

why don't you like grant matt?

anyone wanna tell me stuff about hardaway?

THE KNICKS GOT A FIRST ROUND PICK FOR TIM HARDAWAY JR?

honestly he looks like an nba player to me, i've never really figured out why he hasn't been good. but his last two seasons have been such wastes.

as usual the big winner in the nba draft is God aka The Good Lord and his Blessings

seems like a fresh start candidate xp

can't shoot, old, broke his leg twice xp

yeah balls it's a bummer but just not worth dropping the cash for a guy like him. much respect for dmc tho.

can't shoot, old, broke his leg twice xp

― Matt Armstrong, Thursday, June 25, 2015 9:49 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

thanking u, v. helpful

yeah i can't blame them or him

yeah i don't like grant either. he's a real competitor but i don't think he's going to score in the nba. i don't see him being able to finish at the rim.

idk who delon wright is but letting rj hunter's shooting fall this far is fucked up to me

tyus jones is gonna be >>>>> jeran grant imo

phil is actively talking himself into this

dang i just noticed that grantland is tweeting out goldsberry shooting charts for every player

terry rozier can't shoot or finish apparently https://twitter.com/Grantland33/status/614243481658261504

wow that is cool, except the rozier one that is not cool

that phil interview was ... ... something

justice winslow is the perfect rockets player https://twitter.com/Grantland33/status/614232513712652289