2009 NBA DRAFT LIVE BLOGGING THE LOTTERY

1. Blake Griffin - LA Clippers

No surprise here. Clippers get a beast and should try and trade Randolph but doubt they get any takers.

2. Hasheem Thabeet - Memphis Grizzlies

Not sure he's worth the # 2 but you can't teach height. Great shotblocker but no offense, is a project.

3. James Harden - OK City

Good pick here for OK City. They get a polished scored and there really was no need for them to grab a PG when they have other needs.

4. Tyreke Evans - Sacramento Kings

Kings liked Evans all along. Surprised they didn't take Rubio.

5. Ricky Rubio - Minnesota Timberwolves

T'Wolves need a PG desperately. They get Rubio at # 5. What worries me about Rubio is can he handle the physicality of the NBA?

6. Jonny Flynn - Minnesota Timberwolves

Strange pick. Is a trade coming for either Rubio or Flynn. Seems to be..stay tuned.

7. Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors

Nelson cannot resist the run and gun style that Curry will fit right in. Good Pick at # 7. Will he actually get minutes for G State? I hope so.

8. Jordan Hill - New York Knicks

Ouch...not that Hill is a bad pick but the fact that Curry goes one slot ahead of NY kills me. Hill is a solid pick here and with David Lee rumored to be leaving as a free agent this could be his replacement.

9. Demar DeRozen - Toronto Raptors
He's a project but could develop into an All Star player. I think he does nothing this season for Toronto but three years from now he could be a factor.

10. Brandon Jennings - Milwaukee Bucks

Reminds me of Monta Ellis. He needs to develop, the time in Italy did nothing for him. Too many holes in his game to take seriously next season. Milwaukee needs help.

11. Terrance Williams - New Jersey Nets

There was a promise in place two days ago. Much better pick that Hansbrough. New Jersey is in full on rebuild mode, going to be a long year Nets fans.

12. Gerald Henderson - Charlotte Bobcats

There is a promise here in place here as well.

13. Tyler Hansbrough - Indiana Pacers

I thought Ty Lawson would be the pick.....wrong Ty. Anyway, he will be a solid role player in the league for the next 10 years. Has a chip on his shoulder don't underestimate that.

NBA Mock Draft 2.0

Going to be a wild night

Here it is :

1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin F Oklahoma

This is a no brainer for LAC (I hope). In a draft such as this Griffin is the safe pick.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet C UCONN

They could easily go with Rubio but Mike Conley picked it up last season and the Grizzlies think he is their PG of the future. They have time to develop a project such as Thabeet.

3. OK City Thunder - Ricky Rubio PG Spain

I cannot see Rubio slipping any further than this slot. Whether its OK City taking him or a trade develops. Rubio is the pick at # 3.

4. Sacramento Kings - Stephen Curry G Davidson

Assuming the Kings do not get Rubio, they take the next best thing : Stephen Curry.

5.Minnesota T'Wolves - James Harden G Arizona St

This would be a solid pick for a young team with a need for a scorer. The pieces are fitting for the T'Wolves, PG will be the focus next

6. Minnesota T'Wolves - Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse

Jonny Flynn has risen up draft boards all season long. # 6 seems about right for a player who has some holes but his strength, speed and ability to take to the rim are huge factors in his rise.

7. Golden State Warriors - Brandon Jennings PG Italy

Could be one of the steals of the draft. Jennings is not NBA ready but in year 2 or 3 the Warriors are going to be a force in the Western Conference. Jordan Hill is a strong possibility here.

8. NY Knicks - Tyreke Evans G Memphis

Upside pick here. Knicks are not in it to win this upcoming season so they can take a chance on Evans who may develop into a versatile PG/SG. He is not the Knicks # 1 choice at this point but they would be happy to have him slip to them at # 8.

9. Toronto Raptors - Jordan Hill F Arizona

Hill slips to Toronto who is ecstatic with this pick.


10. Milwaukee Bucks - James Johnson PF Wake Forest

Big time ACC banger should help toughen up this soft team


11. New Jersey Nets - DeJuan Blair PF Pitt

NJ is looking for a "beast". With Blair on the board he fits this profile.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - Terrance Williams F Louisville

Promise is in place, TWill goes to Charlotte.

13. Indiana Pacers - Ty Lawson PG UNC

I think Lawson is the pick and he'll be backing up TJ Ford until TJ's next injury. This pick will also allow the versatile Jarrett Jack to play more off the ball.

14. Phoenix Suns - Gerald Henderson SG Duke

Solid pick here for Phoenix. Henderson is not flashy but he brings defense, toughness, and some scoring ability to a team that has potential to make a deep run if the team stays in tact and everyone remains healthy.

15. Detroit Pistons - BJ Mullens C Ohio St

There may be a promise in place for the Pistons to take Mullens here. This makes some sense to me but I'm not a huge Mullens supporter. He is a long term project who really needed another year at Ohio State. With this pick Detroit is accepting the rebuilding stage of their franchise. What a great run they had though.

16. Chicago Bulls - Demar DeRozen SG USC

DeRozen slips to # 16. He had a disappointing year with the exception of the NCAA tourney. Too many question marks are what's preventing him from going higher, the talent is there but can he put it all together consistently?

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jrue Holiday G UCLA

I'm torn on Holiday. He is all over the place when it comes to scouts opinions. Is his disappointing one season due to UCLA's system? Is he the next Russell Westbrook? I was hoping he would return to UCLA and prove himself worthy of a top five pick, he'll get his chance in Philly instead.

18. Minnesota T'Wolves - Omri Casspi SF Israel


19. Atlanta Hawks - Eric Maynor PG VCU

With Lawson gone Maynor is the choice here at #19. There is talk of resigning Bibby which would allow Maynor to play a bench role and not be expected to contribute right away.

20. Utah Jazz - Austin Daye F Gonzaga

Big mystery as to what your going to get from Daye. I think with the veterans Utah has in place this would be a good fit for the versatile although inconsistent Daye.

21. NO Hornets - Wayne Ellington SG UNC

Hornets need someone who can step up and score. Ellington will get plenty of open looks and should contribute immediately.

22. Dallas Mavericks - Earl Clark F Louisville

Dallas is a team in full on middle of the pack mode. I think this pick comes down to either Clark or Casspi. I'm going with Clark as he is more NBA ready right now. Let's not forget that going into the season Clark was projected to be a top five pick. This could be a steal at # 22 for a team desperate for young talent.

23. Sacramento Kings - Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest

24. Portland TrailBlazers - Darren Collison PG UCLA

For the record I think Portland trades out of this pick. For mock draft purposes PG is the direction I assume they will take if they do not make a trade. Collison who was steady his entire career at UCLA (except in big games) could be the pick here. I projected him originally in the second round as I feel that where his value is, a first round selection and guaranteed contract seems like a reach for him.

25. OK City Thunder - Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC

Hansbrough gives this young team a solid bench contributor.

26. Chicago Bulls - Toney Douglas G Florida St

With Ben Gordon potentially leaving the CHI with the their second pick Toney Douglas is their man. Toney is a seasoned ACC combo guard who really improved his stock in his final year at Florida State. Center is also a need for the Bulls but no real options here.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Chase Budinger SF Arizona

Chase finds his way into the first round and may help the Grizzlies in a bench role. They need scoring help in the second unit, Chase may slide into that role.

28. Minnesota T'Wolves - Nick Calathes G Florida

For financial reasons the Wolves pick Calathes with the thought of him as an asset for the future.

29. LA Lakers -DaJuan Summers G Georgetown

The Lakers Championship team will be looking for bench help. With the lack of consistency from Sasha Vujacic,Shannon Brown, etc. I would expect the Lakers to go guard or combo guard with this pick. Ariza may be bolting LA as well.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Taj Gibson PF USC

The Cavs are in need of another big man. Taj Gibson out of USC is the pick. Jonas Jerebko is a scrappy forward out of Sweden who may be able to help in a year or two but in year two will Lebron still be a Cav?

2009 NBA MOCK DRAFT

This may go down as one of the worst drafts in history. I do expect there be some trade activity, mostly from teams that want to trade back or out of this draft. I do like this years crop of point guards though.

Barring trades here it is :

1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin F Oklahoma

This is a no brainer for LAC (I hope). In a draft such as this Griffin is the safe pick.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet C UCONN

They could easily go with Rubio but Mike Conley picked it up last season and the Grizzlies think he is their PG of the future. They have time to develop a project such as Thabeet.

3. OK City Thunder - Ricky Rubio PG Spain

I cannot see Rubio slipping any further than this slot. Whether its OK City taking him or a trade develops. Rubio is the pick at # 3.

4. Sacramento Kings - Stephen Curry G Davidson

Assuming the Kings do not get Rubio, they take the next best thing : Stephen Curry.

5. Washington Wizards - Jordan Hill F Arizona

Wizards have a talented team but are looking for flexibility. Trading Jamison seems to be a lock so I'm going with Jordan Hill as the pick. Harden woould also be a very strong possibility if no Jamison trade is made.

6. Minnesota T'Wolves - James Harden G Arizona St

This would be a solid pick for a young team with a need for a scorer. The pieces are fitting for the T'Wolves, PG will be the focus next.

7. Golden State Warriors - Brandon Jennings PG Italy

Could be one of the steals of the draft. Jennings is not NBA ready but in year 2 or 3 the Warriors are going to be a force in the Western Conference.

8. NY Knicks - Tyreke Evans G Memphis

Upside pick here. Knicks are not in it to win this upcoming season so they can take a chance on Evans who may develop into a versatile PG/SG. He is not the Knicks # 1 choice at this point but they would be happy to have him slip to them at # 8.

9. Toronto Raptors - DeJuan Blair PF Pitt

Blair is a boom/bust type of pick. Toronto needs a banger down low and this is the best available at # 9.


10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse

Jonny Flynn has risen up draft boards all season long. # 10 seems about right for a player who has some holes but his strength, speed and ability to take to the rim are huge factors in his rise.

11. New Jersey Nets - Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC

NJ is looking for a "beast". With Blair gone they reach for Hansbrough. I do not like the pick but I'm buying the rumor on this one. Credit to Chad Ford for the leak.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - James Johnson PF Wake Forest

MJ will be phoning this one in from the clubhouse after his second round of 18. Johnson will provide frontcourt help that will Okafor & Diaw especially.

13. Indiana Pacers - Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest

I think Teague is the pick and he'll be backing up TJ Ford until TJ's next injury. This pick will also allow the versatile Jarrett Jack to play more off the ball.

14. Phoenix Suns - Gerald Henderson SG Duke

Solid pick here for Phoenix. Henderson is not flashy but he brings defense, toughness, and some scoring ability to a team that has potential to make a deep run if the team stays in tact and everyone remains healthy.

15. Detroit Pistons - BJ Mullens C Ohio St

There is a promise in place for the Pistons to take Mullens here. This makes some sense to me but I'm not a huge Mullens supporter. He is a long term project who really needed another year at Ohio State. With this pick Detroit is accepting the rebuilding stage of their franchise. What a great run they had though.


16. Chicago Bulls - Demar DeRozen SG USC

DeRozen slips to # 16. He had a disappointing year with the exception of the NCAA tourney. Too many question marks are what's preventing him from going higher, the talent is there but can he put it all together consistently?

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jrue Holiday G UCLA

I'm torn on Holiday. He is all over the place when it comes to scouts opinions. Is his disappointing one season due to UCLA's system? Is he the next Russell Westbrook? I was hoping he would return to UCLA and prove himself worthy of a top five pick, he'll get his chance in Philly instead.

18. Minnesota T'Wolves - Ty Lawson PG UNC

The rebuilding of the T'Wolves backcourt continues with the seasoned PG out of UNC. I like the pick to bring in an experienced player who should be getting major minutes right away. Injuries with Lawson are a concern but to me this is a solid pick.

19. Atlanta Hawks - Eric Maynor PG VCU

With Lawson gone Maynor is the choice here at #19. There is talk of resigning Bibby which would allow Maynor to play a bench role and not be expected to contribute right away.

20. Utah Jazz - Austin Daye F Gonzaga

Big mystery as to what your going to get from Daye. I think with the veterans Utah has in place this would be a good fit for the versatile although inconsistent Daye.

21. NO Hornets - Wayne Ellington SG UNC

Hornets need someone who can step up and score. Ellington will get plenty of open looks and should contribute immediately.

22. Dallas Mavericks - Earl Clark F Louisville

Dallas is a team in full on middle of the pack mode. I think this pick comes down to either Clark or Casspi. I'm going with Clark as he is more NBA ready right now. Let's not forget that going into the season Clark was projected to be a top five pick. This could be a steal at # 22 for a team desperate for young talent.

23. Sacramento Kings - Omri Casspi SF Israel

After filling their backcourt need with Stephen Curry the Kings turn their attention to another need, scoring from the SF position. Can he step up right away? Probably not, but an intriguing prospect for the Kings future plans.

24. Portland TrailBlazers - Darren Collison PG UCLA

For the record I think Portland trades out of this pick. For mock draft purposes PG is the direction I assume they will take if they do not make a trade. Collison who was steady his entire career at UCLA (except in big games) could be the pick here. I projected him originally in the second round as I feel that where his value is, a first round selection and guaranteed contract seems like a reach for him.

25. OK City Thunder -Terrence Williams G/F Louisville

TWill is a solid pick this late in the first round. He does a lot of things to help but does not stand out in one particular area. Why does OK City take him here? I think he fits the backup SG/SF perfectly on this young team and his defense should get him on the floor rather quickly. OK City is building and this is going to be a fun team to watch next season.

26. Chicago Bulls - Toney Douglas G Florida St

With Ben Gordon potentially leaving the CHI with the their second pick Toney Douglas is their man. Toney is a seasoned ACC combo guard who really improved his stock in his final year at Florida State. Center is also a need for the Bulls but no real options here.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Chase Budinger SF Arizona

Chase finds his way into the first round and may help the Grizzlies in a bench role. They need scoring help in the second unit, Chase may slide into that role.

28. San Antonio Spurs - Derrick Brown F Xavier

The SF position is a concern for the Spurs and Brown may be able to come in and at least seize a backup role right away.

29. LA Lakers -DaJuan Summers G Georgetown

The Lakers Championship team will be looking for bench help. With the lack of consistency from Sasha Vujacic,Shannon Brown, etc. I would expect the Lakers to go guard or combo guard with this pick. Ariza may be bolting LA as well.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Taj Gibson PF USC

The Cavs are in need of another big man. Taj Gibson out of USC is the pick. Jonas Jerebko is a scrappy forward out of Sweden who may be able to help in a year or two but in year two will Lebron still be a Cav?

2009 NCAA Tournament - Players To Watch

I just want to wish all of you good luck in your brackets this year. While your winning or losing check out some of the top talent in this years tourney :

PG:

Eric Maynor VCU
Ty Lawson UNC (out for 1st rd)
Jrue Holiday UCLA
Jonny Flynn Syracuse
Jeff Teague Wake Forest
Jeremy Pargo Gonzaga

SG :

Demar Derozen USC
James Harden Arizona St
Tyrese Rice BC
Willie Warren Oklahoma
Tyreke Evans Memphis (PG?)

SF :

Terrence Williams Louisville
Kyle Singler Duke
Earl Clark Louisville
Gerard Henderson Duke
Lee Cummard BYU

PF :

Blake Griffin Oklahoma
DeJuan Blair Pitt
Jordan Hill Arizona
JaJuan Johnson Purdue
Tyler Hansbrough UNC
James Johnson Wake Forest

C :

Hasheem Thabeet Uconn
BJ Mullens Ohio State
Jeff Pendergraph Arizona St
Josh Heytvelt Gonzaga
Chris Johnson LSU

All Star Draft Update

Halfway through the NCAA season there are two contenders for the #1 pick in the draft :

Blake Griffin - Oklahoma Maybe the best athlete in the draft. Has a superb inside game. Explosive dunker, has an incredible vertical leap. On top of all that he is a rebounding beast. I do not see any scenario where he does not go # 1 overall. This is a can't miss prospect.

Hasheem Thabeet - UCONN Hasheem certainly made the right move in staying in school. He is a gamechanger like no other in the NCAA on defense, offense comes and goes. Major improvements have been made throughout his UCONN career and continued progress in reaching full potential justifies a draft selection in the top two.

JaJuan Johnson Anyone?

Sleeper alert : JaJuan Johnson from Purdue.

As I mentioned in my mock draft post back in June :

13. JaJuan Johnson F/C - Sophomore Purdue : Should be a double double machine in the Big Ten in his second season. Was a project coming into Purdue but has increased muscle and has been coached to have more of an impact on the defensive end. Very raw but his potential is what gets him drafted in this spot.

The #13 ranking was higher than anybody ranked him before the season. Now I have heard from two sources that he has started to generate legit interest in that range and could go higher. Keep an eye on this kid and don't forget who had this info first.

Will Rajon Rondo go down as the best player in the 2006 NBA Draft?

Rajon Rondo and the 2006 NBA DRAFT:

Look, I know its early to look back on a draft but I am going to do it anyway.

The first pick made was also the first international player to go # 1 overall : Andrea Bargnani. So far, you can certainly question that pick but the draft overall at least at this point will be looked at as one of the weaker drafts in recent memory.

In my opinion there is one exception :

Rajon Rondo : Phoenix must be kicking themselves right now as there couldn't have been a better fit than Rondo playing in the fast paced Phoenix offense.The Suns essentially sold this pick to Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics at # 21 and without hesitation Rondo became the pick. There was definetely some risk involved here for Boston as Rondo's college career was a rocky ride on the court due to consistency and player role issues and off the court due to a embattled relationship with Coach Tubby Smith. The biggest negative regarding Rondo was his outside shooting prowess. At the time NBA GM's were looking for that zone busting three point shooting point guard, not your old school play maker type. Guards selected before Rondo included:

Brandon Roy at # 6 who is a top notch SG for Portland

Randy Foye at # 7 who is more of a combo guard,and has battled injuries

JJ Redick at # 11 NBA quality shooter and not much else

Thabo Sefolosha at # 13, combo guard not a gamebreaker, selected too early.

Ronnie Brewer at # 14, good pick; defensive standout and will be one of the best players in this draft.

Quincy Douby at # 19, good scorer in NCAA, not so much in the NBA due to strength and not being able to hold his own defensively has cut his minutes.

So as you see, theres only one guard that you can make an argument that his draft selection justifies itself and that's Brandon Roy. Ronnie Brewer, although a solid NBA guard is simply not an outstanding player by any means.

Now, for the forwards and centers drafted before Rondo, there are two standouts :

LaMarcus Aldridge # 2, once again here's another quality NBA player but being worthy of the # 2 pick is questionable.

Rudy Gay at # 8, is now coming into his own as a player. In fact I would put him in the top three players in this draft and anyone who doesn't think so is crazy.

So now back to Rondo, who I'll remind you was picked at # 21. Was there really 20 players picked ahead of him? Seriously? There are some truly gruesome picks in this draft for sure and NBA GM's have been known to be total morons but come on now.

The top three in the 2008 Hindsight NBA Draft would go something like Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo. Wait, Rajon Rondo? But he can't even consistently shoot free throws why would he be drafted in the top three? Well, there is a mostly forgotten art in today's NBA and that is hustle. Hustle and raw talent combined with the motivation to be a better player is the mix that makes up Rajon Rondo. You want twenty point scorers who are plentiful (right now there are 31 players above 20 ppg)then draft Roy or Gay. I'll gladly take Rondo over either of those players any day. A great defensive point guard is a rare commodity these days and one that can slash and make plays going to the hoop is even more in demand. Now, is Rondo a great shooter, not by any means. The key is that he is working hard at it and it is consistently improving while at the same time Rondo knows his limits. He takes shots in the flow of the offense like a traditional point guard and drives when he can. His # 1 priority is finding the open man, almost to a fault. Rondo is what a PG should be. He's a winner and should make his first All Star roster this season.

It has to be noted that Rondo happens to play with three future Hall of Famers in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. That will make life easier for any young PG, right? Wrong! Sure, those players can make Rondo look better than he is but the fact is that without Rondo the Celtics team suffers almost like the Lakers without Kobe. It's hard to imagine one player especially a young PG who can make that much of a difference to a veteran team. There is also immense pressure when playing with a talent like Garnett who is not afraid to get in your face when you make a mistake. Rondo was able to handle whatever has been thrown at him in his young career and I am going out on a limb here and saying that he will go down as the best overall player in the 2006 NBA Draft.

TOP 15 NBA PROSPECTS IN NCAA

With the start of the NCAA season, here are my top 15 NBA prospects in the NCAA. This is a very early look at how the top half of the draft will look

1. Blake Griffin F Oklahoma
2. Hasheem Thabeet C Uconn
3. James Harden SG Arizona St
4. BJ Mullens C Ohio St
5. Damar DeRozen SG USC
6. Jrue Holiday G UCLA
7. Earl Clark F Louisville
8. Tyreke Evans G Memphis
9. James Johnson PF Wake Forest
10. Ty Lawson PG North Carolina
11. Austin Daye F Gonzaga
12. Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse
13. Stephen Curry PG Davidson
14. Al-Farouq Aminu SF Wake Forest
15. Gerald Henderson G Duke

Team USA vs Spain - 8/16

Just a quick note for those who have not had a chance to see Ricky Rubio in a live game today versus USA will be a good matchup. Check NBC for live feed from game, this one might actually be close. For Portland fans Rudy Fernandez should be playing as well.

NBA Vegas Summer League - PreLeague All Vegas Team

Vegas Summer League rosters & schedule in post below. The Orlando Summer League is also underway (Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green killed it) but Vegas is where the best summer NBA action is.


Here is my first team PreVegas Team, expect strong performances from this group :

OJ Mayo PG Grizzlies - Is going to light up this league; no question. MVP favorite. Needs to work on PG skills here.

Eric Gordon SG Clippers - Should put up plenty of points in this style of play

Al Thornton F CLippers - Old man Thornton will prove his future worth as a good NBA player starting next season

Darrell Arthur PF Grizzlies - Not a lot of power in this forward but in terms of this team he should be one of the best rookie players in Vegas. Slipped in the draft due to health concerns.

Amir Johnson F/C Pistons - Numbers will not jump out at you due to the style of play but he is certainly one of the best big men here.

Second Team :

Mike Conley PG Grizzlies - Another promising player in the Grizzlies future. We will see how much he has improved his game and what his health status is.

Rodney Stuckey G Pistons - Second year player showed flashes during the playoffs as a poor mans DWADE. More minutes next season and sixth man role await for Stuckey.

Thaddeus Young F Sixers - Another second year player who will see plenty of increased minutes next season. Sixers have big plans for him and have brought him along slowly. Can play in the post but his game is mid range, his improved strenght will help him immensely next year.

Kevin Love PF Wolves - Should put up solid numbers here, look for more rebounds and assists than scoring.

Spencer Hawes C Kings - Very athletic C, has to rebound the ball a lot better for his size. Offensively, Hawes has the goods and has looked to have bulked up since last season.

Now, here are some other players worth following in the Vegas Summer League.

Mike Taylor PG Clippers - Only one game in, but look for Taylor to make a push for a roster spot next season. You may or may not remember him last season playing for Idaho in the NBDL. (Character issues/Kicked off team at Iowa St.)Fast scoring guard, can create offense for himself but by no means is a polished PG product.

Anthony Randolph F Warriors - I expect him to put up numbers here in Vegas but once the season starts you will not hear anything about him. Randolph is a project and Don Nelson known for burying rookies on the bench.

Louis Amundson PF Warriors - One of the best players in last years Summer League, will bang and put up double doubles here.

2008 NBA Summer League Rosters - Vegas

Get NBATV and Also Check Out NBA.com for streaming video of these games.

Nuggets

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country Exp.
6 Elton Brown F 6-9 255 Virginia R
7 Jamon Gordon G 6-3 212 Virginia Tech R
0 Taurean Green G 6-0 177 Florida 1
8 Mike Hall F 6-8 230 George Washington 1
11 Bobby Jones F 6-7 215 Washington 2
1 Dahntay Jones G/F 6-6 210 Duke 5
2 Keith Langford G 6-4 215 Kansas 1
3 Chris Lofton G 6-2 200 Tennessee R
5 Jelani McCoy F/C 6-10 245 UCLA 8
9 Curtis Sumpter F 6-7 225 Villanova R
13 Sonny Weems G/F 6-6 203 Arkansas R
10 Jeff Varem G/F 6-6 245 Washington State R

Pistons

NO PLAYER POS HT WT COLLEGE/COUNTRY BIRTHDATE NBA EXP.
6 Alex Acker G 6-5 185 Pepperdine 1/21/83 1 year
28 Arron Afflalo G 6-5 215 UCLA 10/15/85 1 year
23 Derrick Allen F 6-8 238 Mississippi 7/17/80 R
7 Will Bynum G 6-0 185 Georgia Tech 1/4/83 1 year
34 Ryvon Coville F 6-9 250 Detroit 3/1/84 R
20 Kentrell Gransberry F/C 6-9 270 South Florida 8/1/85 R
25 Amir Johnson F 6-9 210 Westchester HS (Los Angeles) 5/1/87 3 years
44 Trent Plaisted F 6-11 245 BYU 10/20/86 R
35 Cheikh Samb C 7-1 195 Senegal 10/22/84 1 year
14 Walter Sharpe F 6-9 245 Alabama-Birmingham 7/16/86 R
12 Marcus Stout G 6-4 195 Fordham 6/20/86 R
3 Rodney Stuckey G 6-5 205 Eastern Washington 4/21/86 1 year
8 Deron Washington G/F 6-7 210 Virginia Tech 12/12/85 R

Warriors


NO. PLAYER POS HT WT BORN FROM YRS
. Louis Amundson F 9-Jun 225 12/7/1982 UNLV 2
18 Marco Belinelli G 5-Jun 192 3/25/1986 Italy 1
11 Dion Dowell G/f 7-Jun 205 6/11/1985 Houston R
35 Richard Hendrix F 9-Jun 255 11/15/1986 Alabama R
31 Rob Kurz F 9-Jun 232 3/5/1985 Notre Dame R
12 Reggie Larry F 6-Jun 225 10/20/1986 Boise State R
28 Jamaal Moore G/F 6-Jun 195 7/6/1983 Rice R
25 Anthony Morrow G 5-Jun 210 9/27/1985 Georgia Tech R
21 DeMarcus Nelson G 4-Jun 200 11/2/1985 Duke R
4 Anthony Randolph F 10-Jun 205 7/15/1989 LSU R
10 Mykal Riley F 6-Jun 185 7/14/1985 Alabama R
33 Tamar Slay G/F 8-Jun 220 4/2/1980 Marshall 3
23 C.J. Watson G 2-Jun 175 4/17/1984 Tennessee 1
32 Brandan Wright F 9-Jun 205 10/5/1987 North Carolina 1
6 Ian Young G 3-Jun 200 9/27/1981 Auburn R

Rockets

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Country NBA Exp.
0 Aaron Brooks G 6-0 161 1/14/85 Oregon 1
3 Russell Robinson G 6-1 205 1/24/86 Kansas R
5 Donté Greene F 6-9 222 2/21/88 Syracuse R
6 Gustavo Barrera G 6-5 180 4/7/85 Uruguay R
7 Dijon Thompson G/F 6-7 195 2/23/83 UCLA 2
10 Maarty Leunen F 6-9 220 9/3/85 Oregon R
13 Mark Tyndale G 6-5 210 1/4/86 Temple R
15 Joey Dorsey F 6-7 268 12/16/83 Memphis R
19 Mike Harris F 6-6 240 6/15/83 Rice 1
25 Lanny Smith G 6-3 194 10/30/84 Houston R
30 Joseph Jones C/F 6-9 255 3/21/86 Texas A&M R
33 Loren Woods C 7-2 260 6/21/78 Arizona 6


Clippers

# Player POS HT WT BORN FROM YRS. PRO
32 Koko Archibong F 6-8 215 10/5/81 Pennsylvania R
20 Nick Fazekas F 6-11 235 6/17/85 Nevada 1
23 Eric Gordon G 6-3 222 12/25/88 Indiana R
7 Brandon Heath G 6-4 198 3/01/84 San Diego State R
6 DeAndre Jordan C 6-11 250 7/21/88 Texas A&M R
9 Dustin Salisbery G 6-5 205 10/19/84 Temple R
4 Mike Taylor G 6-2 166 1/21/86 Iowa State R
12 Al Thornton F 6-8 220 12/07/83 Florida State 1
31 Darryl Watkins C 6-11 258 11/08/84 Syracuse 1
3 Marcus Williams F 6-7 207 11/18/86 Arizona 1

Grizzlies

No. Player POS HT WT DOB School/Country 07-08 Team
15 Alan Anderson G/F 6-6 220 10/16/82 Michigan State Vitrus Bologna (Italy)
00 Darrell Arthur F 6-9 225 3/25/88 Kansas Kansas (NCAA)
5 Malick Badiane C/F 6-10 240 1/1/84 Senegal Saint Vallier (France)
6 Steve Burtt, Jr. G 6-1 190 3/7/84 Iona Ashkelon (Israel)
11 Mike Conley G 6-1 180 10/11/87 Ohio State Memphis Grizzlies
3 Javaris Crittenton G 6-5 200 12/31/87 Georgia Tech Memphis
25 Ebi Ere G 6-5 215 8/3/81 Oklahoma Brisbane (Australia)
32 O.J. Mayo G 6-5 200 11/5/87 USC USC (NCAA)
23 Aaron Pettway F 6-10 240 1/4/80 Oklahoma State SIG Strasbourg (France)
50 Brent Petway F 6-8 205 5/12/85 Michigan Idaho Stamped (NBDL)
19 Hector Romero F 6-4 225 1/3/80 New Orleans Polaris (Spain)
1 P.J. Tucker F 6-5 225 5/5/85 Texas Hapoel Holon (Israel)

Timberwolves

Player - Position (Height, Weight) College
Blake Ahearn - G (6-2, 190) Missouri State
Corey Brewer - F (6-9, 185) Florida
Dan Coleman - F (6-9, 225) Minnesota
Vincent Grier - G (6-5, 200) Minnesota
Pooh Jeter - G (5-11, 175) Portland
Longar Longar - C (6-11, 234) Oklahoma
Kevin Love - F (6-10, 255) UCLA
Drew Neitzel - G (6-0, 180) Michigan State
Chris Richard - F (6-9, 255) Florida
Bryce Taylor - G (6-5, 200) Oregon

Hornets

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College NBA Exp.
12 Hilton Armstrong C/F 6-11 235 11/11/84 Connecticut 2
0 Brandon Bowman F 6-9 223 10/15/84 Georgetown 1
4 Bobby Brown G 6-2 175 9/23/84 Cal-State Fullerton None
8 Derrick Byars F 6-7 230 4/25/84 Vanderbilt None
34 Ndudi Ebi F 6-9 200 6/18/84 None 2
1 Adam Haluska G 6-5 210 11/16/83 Iowa 1
35 Dalron Johnson F 6-10 215 6/27/81 UNLV 2
25 Larry Owens F 6-7 210 1/8/83 Oral Roberts None
55 Shaun Pruitt F/C 6-10 245 11/22/85 Illinois None
44 Courtney Sims C 6-11 245 10/21/83 Michigan 1
5 Filip Videnov G 6-5 205 6/12/80 Western Kentucky None
11 Frank Williams G 6-3 212 2/25/80 Illinois 3
32 Julian Wright F 6-8 225 5/20/87 Kansas 1

SUNS

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Team Yrs
16 Rod Benson F/C 6-10 225 10/10/84 California R
10 Justin Cage G/F 6-6 225 6/26/85 Xavier R
4 Taquan Dean G 6-4 190 8/6/83 Louisville R
12 Jiri Hubalek F/C 6-11 225 11/25/82 Iowa State R
14 Ekene Ibekwe F 6-9 220 7/19/85 Maryland R
17 Jared Jordan G 6-2 187 10/14/84 Marist 1
15 Robin Lopez C 7-0 255 4/1/88 Stanford R
11 Ivan McFarlin F 6-8 232 4/26/82 Oklahoma State 1
8 D.J. Strawberry G 6-5 201 6/15/85 Maryland 1
29 Alando Tucker G 6-6 205 2/11/84 Wisconsin 1
2 Marcus Vinicius F 6-8 225 5/31/84 San Carlos (Brazil) 2
3 Judson Wallace F/C 6-10 220 12/31/82 Princeton R

KINGS

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate From Years Pro
8 Quincy Douby G 6-3 175 05/16/1984 Rutgers 2
16 Zabian Dowdell G 6-3 190 09/10/1984 Virginia Tech R
0 Patrick Ewing Jr. F 6-8 240 05/20/1984 Georgetown R
43 Noel Felix F 6-9 225 10/04/1981 Fresno State 1 (SEA, 05-06)
31 Spencer Hawes C 7-0 245 04/28/1988 Washington 1
20 Justin Hawkins F 6-7 204 05/18/1985 New Mexico R
24 David Johnson G 5-10 170 06/15/1983 Napa Valley CC R
18 Darnell Jones G 6-4 210 04/29/1983 Mesa College R
25 Marcus Malone G 6-5 215 09/07/1986 Houston R
10 Bo McCalebb G 6-0 180 05/04/1985 New Orleans R
41 Juan Palacios F 6-8 245 05/12/1985 Louisville R
35 Patrick Sanders F 6-6 205 08/27/1985 UC Irvine R
7 Sean Singletary G 6-0 185 09/06/1985 Virginia R
34 Jason Thompson F 6-11 250 07/21/1986 Rider R
40 Darian Townes F-C 6-10 250 07/31/1984 Arkansas R
30 Matt Walsh F 6-6 190 12/03/1982 Florida R
22 Shelden Williams F 6-9 250 10/21/1983 Duke 2

2008 NBA Summer League - Info & Schedule

Rosters coming soon............

The 2008 NBA Summer League Presented by EA SPORTS will be held from July 11-20, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion on the campus of UNLV. Teams participating in this summer's league include:

Charlotte Bobcats Minnesota Timberwolves
Cleveland Cavaliers New Orleans Hornets
Dallas Mavericks New York Knicks
Denver Nuggets Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit Pistons Phoenix Suns
Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers
Houston Rockets Sacramento Kings
Los Angeles Clippers San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers Toronto Raptors
Memphis Grizzlies Washington Wizards
Milwaukee Bucks

Schedule :

2008 NBA Summer League Game Schedule: DATE TIME TEAMS LOCATION
July 11 4:00 PM ET Philadelphia vs. Golden State COX Pavilion
July 11 6:00 PM ET New Orleans vs. Memphis COX Pavilion
July 11 8:00 PM ET LA Lakers vs. Detroit* COX Pavilion
July 11 10:00 PM ET Dallas vs. LA Clippers* COX Pavilion
July 12 4:00 PM ET Toronto vs. Sacramento COX Pavilion
July 12 6:00 PM ET Charlotte vs. LA Clippers COX Pavilion
July 12 8:00 PM ET Philadelphia vs. Denver COX Pavilion
July 12 10:00 PM ET Memphis vs. Milwaukee COX Pavilion
July 13 4:00 PM ET Charlotte vs. New Orleans COX Pavilion
July 13 6:00 PM ET Dallas vs. Golden State* COX Pavilion
July 13 8:00 PM ET Memphis vs. LA Lakers* COX Pavilion
July 13 10:00 PM ET Detroit vs. LA Clippers COX Pavilion
July 14 4:00 PM ET New York vs. Cleveland* COX Pavilion
July 14 6:00 PM ET Toronto vs. Denver COX Pavilion
July 14 8:00 PM ET Washington vs. Portland* COX Pavilion
July 14 8:30 PM ET Phoenix vs. Houston Thomas & Mack Center
July 14 10:00 PM ET Dallas vs. Minnesota* COX Pavilion
July 14 10:30 PM ET San Antonio vs. Memphis Thomas & Mack Center
July 15 6:00 PM ET Detroit vs. Milwaukee COX Pavilion
July 15 8:00 PM ET Philadelphia vs. LA Lakers* COX Pavilion
July 15 8:30 PM ET San Antonio vs. New Orleans Thomas & Mack Center
July 15 10:00 PM ET Sacramento vs. Portland* COX Pavilion
July 15 10:30 PM ET Charlotte vs. Golden State Thomas & Mack Center
July 16 4:00 PM ET San Antonio vs. New York* COX Pavilion
July 16 6:00 PM ET Sacramento vs. Dallas* COX Pavilion
July 16 8:00 PM ET Philadelphia vs. Washington* COX Pavilion
July 16 8:30 PM ET Minnesota vs. LA Lakers Thomas & Mack Center
July 16 10:00 PM ET Memphis vs. LA Clippers COX Pavilion
July 16 10:30 PM ET Cleveland vs. Houston Thomas & Mack Center
July 17 4:00 PM ET Dallas vs. Detroit* COX Pavilion
July 17 6:00 PM ET New Orleans vs. LA Clippers COX Pavilion
July 17 8:00 PM ET Toronto vs. Philadelphia COX Pavilion
July 17 8:30 PM ET San Antonio vs. Phoenix Thomas & Mack Center
July 17 10:00 PM ET Portland vs. Minnesota* COX Pavilion
July 17 10:30 PM ET Denver vs. Milwaukee Thomas & Mack Center
July 18 4:00 PM ET Phoenix vs. New York* COX Pavilion
July 18 6:00 PM ET Charlotte vs. Detroit COX Pavilion
July 18 8:00 PM ET Cleveland vs. Washington* COX Pavilion
July 18 8:30 PM ET LA Lakers vs. Toronto Thomas & Mack Center
July 18 10:00 PM ET Sacramento vs. Golden State* COX Pavilion
July 18 10:30 PM ET Houston vs. Denver Thomas & Mack Center
July 19 4:00 PM ET New York vs. Charlotte* COX Pavilion
July 19 6:00 PM ET Golden State vs. Toronto COX Pavilion
July 19 6:30 PM ET LA Lakers vs. Denver Thomas & Mack Center
July 19 8:00 PM ET Washington vs. Houston* COX Pavilion
July 19 8:30 PM ET Minnesota vs. Milwaukee Thomas & Mack Center
July 19 10:00 PM ET Portland vs. Phoenix* COX Pavilion
July 19 10:30 PM ET New Orleans vs. Cleveland Thomas & Mack Center
July 20 4:00 PM ET Minnesota vs. New York* COX Pavilion
July 20 6:00 PM ET Phoenix vs. Washington COX Pavilion
July 20 6:30 PM ET Milwaukee vs. Cleveland Thomas & Mack Center
July 20 8:00 PM ET Portland vs. New Orleans* COX Pavilion
July 20 8:30 PM ET Sacramento vs. Houston Thomas & Mack Center

2009 NBA DRAFT - MOCK DRAFT! - LOTTERY AND MORE.......

Here is a quick glance at some of the top NBA prospects that are returning or will hit the college game in '09.(With the exception of Spain G Ricky Rubio.) The theme of this draft will be the amount of quality sophomores that will be drafted. Although, similar to this season there will be plenty of one and done freshman. The general consensus is this will be a weaker draft than 2008. Just a quick note, I've never been a quantity blogger and the delay in posts was not planned but my interest in hoops has not faded and I will continue to deliver the best unbiased NBA Draft info. Thanks for all the emails and concerns.

1. BJ Mullens C - Freshman Ohio St : Legit seven foot centers simply do not last long when it comes to the NBA draft. Mullens has been on scouts radar for a long time and his one year at Ohio St will more than likely solidify his standing as one of the top 3 picks in the draft. Should be one of the best rebounders in the nation and put up 12-14 pts a game as well.

2.Ricky Rubio PG - Spain : Think of Manu Ginobli as a PG. Has the same fearless, slashing type of game and is an all around pest on defense. Is one of the best players in the top Euro league, will contend for the # 1 pick in the draft. Does not possess great size or strength,may have problems defending the bigger guards in the NBA. Here are a couple YouTube vids for those who havent had a chance to see him play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqLGzkhRHN8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueL9046BDxQ&feature=related

3. Blake Griffin F - Sophomore Oklahoma : Strong, multi dimensional F who if healthy will be a first team All American for Oklahoma. Will be in the mix for the top 3 pick in the '09 draft. Good inside/outside player, does not force shots, can play within an established offensive system and put up consistent numbers. His recovery from the MCL will be a key. More effort on the defensive end is expected of Griffin this season.

4. Earl Clark F - Junior Louisville : Should be the first Junior considered (unless Thabeet jumps ahead,) # 4 may be high for Clark who really has not had a consistent full NCAA season. I see Clark improving his offensive game this season while playing on one of the top teams in the country. Clark is an absolute beast on the boards and at the very least is ready for defense and rebounding at the NBA level. As a focal point for Pitino this season expect an array of double doubles and plenty of drooling scouts courtside.

5. James Harden SG - Sophomore Arizona St : Expect a big second season from Harden in the PAC-10. Had a well rounded freshman season and showed his accurate 3 pt shooting and ability to rebound at the G position. Not the best athlete but finds ways to get er done.

6. Demar DeRozan SG - Freshman USC : USC fans may be mourning the loss of OJ Mayo after only one year but the mourning will stop the night of Midnight Madness when many will get there first look at Demar. Quite frankly the best athlete that will be in the '09 draft. If any of you saw Bill Walker play in high school you can get a good mental picture of the athleticism here. Great in transistion, will score on aggresive drives to the hole has good size and NBA ready body right now. Can he consistently hit the three and be an effective ball handler within an NCAA offense?

7. Haseem Thabeet F/C - Junior UCONN : Defense, Defense, Defense. I don't know how Calhoun convinced Haseem to come back for his Junior season but its going to help him immensely in his transition to the NBA. He came into UCONN as raw as sushi and still is, but you can see how much he has improved each season that makes you think of how good this guy can be. His range offensively is still limited but thats not what will get him drafted this high. He is the best big man defender coming out in '09 and if his rebounding improves he will be top ten pick. Any scoring is a bonus but 8-10 points a game is not out of the question in the NBA for Haseem

8. Patrick Patterson F - Sophomore Kentucky : Had a good first season in Lexington. Was one of the top prospects coming into 2008 but needs to improve his outside play to get drafted this high. Can score from the post with ease at the NCAA level, in the NBA not so much. He will need to add muscle to continue with the current skill set he has now or work hard to improve his outside shot. I think he will do both and be one of the top players in the country next season.

9.Ty Lawson PG - Sophomore North Carolina : Ok, so we know he likes to get his booze on and probably blew his chance to get drafted at # 20 to the Nuggets but another year(and probable NCAA championship) will not hurt Lawson. NBA execs love speed from the PG position and Lawson gives you that and more. Can score but needs to improve consistency from 3 and his defense is OK not great.

10. Austin Freeman SG - Sophomore Georgetown : Highly touted recruit out of the Greater DC area. Will have more responsibilty next season to show his game. Great scorer, can finish around the hoop as well as step out for the three ball. More minutes will result in NBA teams coming around on him. Needs to measure at least 6-4.

11. Darren Collison PG - Senior UCLA : Floor general for one of the top programs in the country. Expect a huge season from him, really had a chance to get drafted high in '08 but will be back for another run. Look for first team All American honors and an improvement in outside shooting.

12. Brandon Jennings PG - Freshman Arizona : Look for Jennings to help fill the departure of Bayless. Will not start right away but will contribute to a more steady Wildcat team from day one. Can distribute the ball to key scorers and can play the transition game. I'm not expecting big numbers though as from what I have seen he looks to be a little undersized and may not be ready right away offensively. He will declare and be one of those players who should return for a second season. We will see.

13. JaJuan Johnson F/C - Sophomore Purdue : Should be a double double machine in the Big Ten in his second season. Was a project coming into Purdue but has increased muscle and has been coached to have more of an impact on the defensive end. Very raw but his potential is what gets him drafted in this spot.

14.Nick Calathes G - Sophomore Florida : Very Active guard who is one of the more versatile players in the NCAA. Closer to 6-4 not the 6-6 listed on the Gator web site. Has good ball handling, can play PG for stretches but more of a 2 guard. Is a slasher, will be extremely effective at driving and dishing and running the pick and roll in the NBA.


That is the lottery as I see it right now. Now here are a few more names for you to research and tell me I'm crazy for not putting in the top 14!

Austin Dave F - Sophomore Gonzaga - Has really improved since he arrived on the Gonzaga campus. I think what you'll see this season is 18 points and 8 boards on a consistent basis. His size is really intriguing, if he can bulk up I would move him up a couple of spots.

Chase Budinger SF - Junior Arizona : Smooth forward with good size (height, not weight). Will float around in an offense and takes his looks when available. Not a dominant player. Great athlete, not a white stiff although he looks like one. HAs a chance to be the man in Zona next season, keep an eye out for him to move up a bit.

Stephen Curry G - Sophomore Davidson : Looks 12 years old and does not have ideal size by any means but is the best player in the NCAA. Many big time coaches are killing themselves over not taking a chance on this kid. NBA scouts are not yet sold on Curry because of the size/strength issue but he has heart, is a winner, and is the best pure shooter in the '09 draft. Good genes from long time NBA veteran Dell Curry doesn't hurt. Can he play the PG? If JJ Redick can get himself drafted (After a DUI, never less) Curry can and will also. Look for him to go in the 18-24 range.

Jrue Holiday PG - Freshman UCLA : One of the nations most sought after recruits stays close to his roots and lands at powerhouse UCLA. I'm not sure at this point what to expect in terms of minutes and what his role will be since Collison returned for his senior year. He can play the 2 guard well but what I think will get him in the lottery will be his ability to be a top PG. 2 years at UCLA will get him there.

Kyle Singler F - Sophomore Duke : Had an uneven first season at Duke. Admittedly needs to improve both on the offensive end and defensive end. Not a game changer but quietly fills the stat sheet. Plays like a Euro. May be a rotation player in the NBA if he can show ability to defend in the post and expand his game. Expect him to stay at Duke post '09, if not he should go in the 15-18 range.

Tyler Hansbrough PF - Senior North Carolina : Psycho T will be one of the few seniors taken which does not fare well for the senior class as a whole. We have all seen what he can do at this point so I wont bore you with the details. Will be a late first round pick to a top playoff team.

Tyrese Rice G - Junior Boston College - Scoring combo guard can heat up and take over a game offensively. How effective will he be in the NBA is the question? His size is an issue and is not a PG by any means. Will be a late first rounder.

Tyreke Evans SG - Memphis
Jerome Jordan C - Tulsa
Al-Farouq Aminu SF - Wake Forest
Nayal Koshwal PF - Depaul
Damion James SF - Sophomore Texas
Gerald Henderson G - Junior Duke
Jordan Hill PF - Arizona
Jeremy Pargo PG - Gonzaga
Omri Casspi F - Israel

Time For NBA Draft Talk

2008 NBA Mock Draft - Lottery Picks

Could be another strong draft depending mainly on how the incoming freshman class develops. Ranked in order of potential draft position. Here's my take :

1. Michael Beasley F Kansas St. - As you probably saw in the McDonalds game he is a great athlete with good size, and one of the most versatile players in the draft. Should step in immediately and make a difference for Kansas St. Can play inside and out, tends to play outside a little too much. Looks forced at times.

2. Derrick Rose PG Memphis - Should be one of the top PG's in the NCAA next season. Truly a do it all type of PG. Can shoot although improvements needed, attack the hoop, and create for teammates. Has good size as well. Going to do a lot of damage in Conference USA next season.

3. Darrell Arthur F Kansas - Will be the man next year for the Jayhawks. If his midrange/outside game improves and he shows the ability to play the 3 then he could go this high in the draft. Still needs to bulk up but I'm predicting a drastic rise in his stock over the season.

4. Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Pulled out of the 2007 draft, would have gone top ten no question. Still has a ways to go and decided he would be a much more NBA ready prospect after another season as a Hoya. I don't think he has a ton of upside but his size and abilities on both sides of the ball are NBA material. Good basketball IQ and passing skills are also bonuses for a big man.

5. OJ Mayo G USC - Should be one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA in his one season at USC. Has a scorers mentality almost to a fault. Has been known to play out of control and has developed some bad habits. There are also minor character concerns with him as well. On talent alone he may be one of the top three players in the draft but i can see him falling in the 5-10 range.

6. Chase Budinger F Arizona - Tremendous all around player should a little bit of everything in his first season at Arizona. Top athlete with great size although thin frame. Solid shooter from the outside keeps improving. Scouts will be looking to see if he is the type of player to take over games. He has the talent but can he do it?

7. Kevin Love F UCLA - Tough smart PF who should be a premier player in the PAC-10 next season. UCLA is already a loaded team Love solidify s the frontcourt and makes them a strong favorite going into the season. Love is a very unselfish player think of Luke Walton but with much more talent offensively. Could go top 3 depending on the type of season he has against top NCAA talent.

8. DeAndre Jordan C Texas A&M - Going to a situation where he gets major minutes right away. He can hold his own defensively against anyone but his offensive game is still developing. Good rebounder, shot blocker, will add strength as season progresses.

9. Hasheem Thabeet C UConn - NBA teams love upside and Thabeet has a ton of it. The best shot blocker in the country, may be the best defensive player overall in the country. Has great size/length, coming back to UConn was a very smart decision as his offensive game is brutal. If he can make the same type of offensize progress Sean Williams had at BC then he goes this high.

10. Tywon Lawson PG UNC - Should be the second PG chosen after Rose. Made a good decision staying another year at UNC. Mainly needs to work on his shooting, the PG skills are already there. His size may hurt him at the next level.

11. Eric Gordon SG Indiana - Gordon is already a top SG prospect. What to watch for this season is his ability to play PG. Due to his size that is his projected NBA position. He will be picked somewhere in the late lottery unless he has an outstanding season and shows he can play PG.

12. - Devon Hardin C Cal - One of the top center's in the NCAA. Had his name in the 2007 NBA Draft but wisely pulled out. Hardin must show other all around skills besides dunks/layups. Weak shooter.

Players to watch :

Wayne Ellington F UNC
Chris Lofton G Tennesee
Marcelus Kemp G Nevada
DJ Augustine PG Texas
Tyler Hansborough F UNC
Darren Collison PG UCLA
Ron Steele PG Alabama
Brook Lopez C Stanford
Tyrese Rice G Boston College

2007 NBA Summer League Rosters

BOSTON CELTICS

57  Lance Allred   C   6-11  270  Weber State
46  Pat Carroll   G/F 6-5 190  St. Joseph’s
11  Glen Davis   F   6-9 289  Louisiana State
59  Torin Francis  F   6-11  252  Notre Dame
58  Andreas Glyniadakis C   7-1 280  Greece
5   Gerald Green  G-F 6-8 200  Gulf Shores Academy
0   Leon Powe   F   6-8 240  California
13  Gabe Pruitt  G   6-4 170  Southern California
12  Allan Ray   G   6-2 190  Villanova
9   Rajon Rondo  G   6-1 171  Kentucky
36  Sergio Sanchez  G   6-3 207  Spain
49  Brandon Wallace  F   6-9 203  South Carolina




CHICAGO BULLS

No.     Name                      Pos     Ht       Wt         Born            College/Country             2006-07 Team

2        Thabo Sefolosha          G       6-7      215       05/02/84      Switzerland                         Chicago Bulls
3        Justin Cage              F       6-6      225       06/26/85      Xavier                                   Xavier (NCAA)
6        Filiberto Rivera         G       6-2      175       09/28/82      UTEP                                   Quakenbrueck (Germany)
8        Boo Davis*               G       6-3      190       12/07/82      UW-Milwaukee                  Givat Shmuel (Israel)
11       Andre Barrett            G       5-10     173       02/21/82      Seton Hall                           Chicago Bulls
13       Joakim Noah              F       6-11     232       02/25/85      Florida                                 Florida (NCAA)
14       Richard Lesko            F       6-9      210       02/21/81      Illinois-Chicago                 Kosice TU (Slovakia)
15       Martynas Andriuskevicius C       7-2      240       03/12/86      Lithuania    Chicago Bulls
17       Keith Gayden             F       6-8      215       12/15/83      Duquesne                           Elgin Racers (IBL)
20       JamesOn Curry            G       6-3      190       01/07/86      Oklahoma State                Oklahoma State (NCAA)    
22       Erik Daniels             F       6-8      214       04/01/82      Kentucky                             Angelico Biella (Spain)
24       Tyrus Thomas             F       6-9      215       08/17/86      Louisiana State                  Chicago Bulls
25       Jackson Vroman           F/C     6-10     220       06/06/81      Iowa State                           G. Canaria (Spain)
30       Caleb Green*             F       6-8      225       07/10/85      Oral Roberts                       Oral Roberts (NCAA)          
31       Thomas Gardner           G       6-5      225       02/08/85      Missouri                              Verviers-Pep. (Belgium)
34       Aaron Gray               C       7-0      270       12/07/84      Pittsburgh                            Pittsburgh (NCAA)               
45       Lance Williams           F/C     6-9      274       06/19/80      DePaul                                Turow (Poland)
54       D’or Fischer             C/F     6-10     247       10/12/81      West Virginia                      Oldenburg (Germany)




CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Player    Pos.   Ht.   Wt.  Birthdate   College   Yrs Pro 

Alan Anderson    G/F  6-6   220  10/16/82   Michigan State   2
Bobby Brown     G   6-2   175  9/23/84  Cal State Fullerton   R
Elton Brown    F  6-9   255  9/9/83  Virginia   R
Kevin Burleson   G   6-3   205  4/9/79  Minnesota   1
Steve Burtt    G   6-1   185  3/7/84  Iona  R
Jermareo Davidson    F  6-10   230  11/17/84   Alabama   R
Justin Doellman    F  6-9   210  2/3/85  Xavier  R
Jared Dudley     F  6-7   225  7/10/85  Boston College  R
Raymond Felton   G   6-1   198  6/26/84  North Carolina  2
Brock Gillespie   G   6-0   170  4/26/82  Rice   R
Ryan Hollins    C   7-0   230  10/10/84   UCLA  1
Jackie Manuel    G/F  6-5   189  3/29/83  North Carolina   R
Adam Morrison    F  6-8   205  7/19/84  Gonzaga   1
Gabe Muoneke    F  6-7   243  2/7/78  Texas   R
Rick Rickert     F/C  6-11   235  2/11/83  Minnesota   R
Tamar Slay    G/F  6-8   220  4/2/80  Marshall  3
Ayinde Ubaka    G   6-4   200  2/9/85  California   R
Luke Whitehead    F  6-6   220  2/9/81  Louisville   R
Jawad Williams   F  6-9   218  2/19/83  North Carolina   R






CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

NO  PLAYER POS HGT WGT BIRTHDATE FROM DRAFT NBA YR

2  Yannick Bokolo G 6-2 180 6/19/85 France ‘04 R  
18  Denham Brown  F 6-6 220 1/6/83 Connecticut ’06 R
6  Shannon Brown  G 6-4 211 11/29/85 Michigan State ’06 1
46  Ryvon Covile  F 6-9 250 3/1/84 Detroit ’07 R
50  Terence Dials  C 6-9 260 6/15/83 Ohio State ’06 R
1  Daniel Gibson  G 6-2 194 2/27/86 Texas ’06 1
27  Dwayne Jones  F/C 6-11 251 6/9/83 St. Joseph’s ’05 2
44  Boniface N’Dong  C 7-0 205 9/3/77 Senegal ‘99 1
39  Kevin Pittsnogle  F 6-11 250 7/30/84 West Virginia ’06 R 
54  Darius Rice  F 6-10 215 10/16/82 Miami ’04 R
26  Dijon Thompson  F 6-7 195 2/23/83 UCLA ‘05 2
41  Romeo Travis  F 6-7 220 12/10/84 Akron ’07 R
29  P.J. Tucker  F 6-5 225 5/5/85 Texas ’06 1
30  Matt Walsh   G 6-6 200 12/2/82 Florida ‘05 1

HEAD COACH Melvin Hunt 
ASSISTANT COACHES Chris Jent, Bryant Moore, Vincent Collet
Nenad Trajkovic, Brad Holland, Dale Osbourne
ATHLETIC TRAINER Mike Mancias
STRENGTH & COND. COACH Ken Sneed




DALLAS MAVERICKS

No. Name Pos   Ht.  Wt. Birthdate   College

13  Maurice Ager   G 6-5 202   2/9/84   Michigan State
10  Eddie Basden G 6-5 215   2/15/83   North Carolina-Charlotte
54  Brandon Bass F  6-8 240   4/30/85   LSU
11  Jose Juan Barea  G 6-0 175   6/26/84   Northeastern
30  Warren Carter F  6-9 220   4/23/85   Illinois
7   DeSagana Diop C 7-0 280   1/30/82   Oak Hill Academy HS
32  Leonardo Dos Santos  F  6-11  230   10/6/84   Brazil
33  Nick Fazekas   F  6-11  235   6/17/85   Nevada
45  Caleb Green F  6-8 238   7/10/85   Oral Roberts
2   Jamon Gordon   G 6-3 212   7/18/84   Virginia Tech
21  Pops Mensah-Bonsu   F  6-9 240   9/7/83   George Washington
20  Jared Newson   G 6-5 215   9/26/84   Tennessee-Martin
9   Renaldas Seibutis  G 6-5 180   12/25/85 Lithuania  
23  Reyshawn Terry F  6-8 232   4/7/84   North Carolina
24  Clay Tucker   G 6-3 195   6/14/80   Wisconsin-Milwaukee   




DENVER NUGGETS

No.   Player   Pos.   Ht.   Wt.   School   Exp.
8  Will Blalock  G  6-0  205  Iowa State  1
32  Coleman Collins F  6-9  235  Virginia Tech  R
6  Ruben Douglas  G/F  6-4  195  New Mexico  R
11  Dontaye Draper  G  5-11  180  College of Charleston  R
35  Matt Freije  F  6-9  245  Vanderbilt  2
17  Axel Hervelle  F  6-8  230  Belgium  R
24  Mark Karcher  G/F  6-5  215  Temple  R
5  Jelani McCoy  F/C  6-10  245  UCLA  7
30  Lamond Murray  F  6-7  236  California  12
34  Larry O’Bannon  G  6-4  200  Louisville  R
4  Curtis Sumpter  F  6-7  225  Villanova  R
55  Nikoloz Tskitishvili  F  7-0  225  Republic of Georgia  4
22  Von Wafer  G  6-5  210  Florida State  2
0  Dajuan Wagner  G  6-2  195  Memphis  4




HOUSTON ROCKETS

No.     Name     Pos.      Ht.    Wt.    Birthdate     College/Country/H.S.  NBA Exp.

0     Aaron Brooks     G    6-0    161 1/14/85     Oregon R
32    Drake Diener      G    6-5    200      12/19/81     DePaul R
8     Lior Eliyahu  F    6-9    225   9/9/85     Israel    R
3     Andre Emmett    G    6-5    230 8/27/82     Texas Tech 1
22    Carl English  G    6-5    205   2/2/81     Hawaii  R
19    Mike Harris   F    6-6    240 6/15/83     Rice     1
2     Jeff Horner    G    6-3    185   8/1/83     Iowa     R
33    Antanas Kavaliauskas    C  6-11    237   9/9/84     Texas A&M      R
14    Carl Landry   F    6-9    248 9/19/83     Purdue R
12    Ron Lewis    G    6-4    200   7/7/84     Ohio State  R
15    John Lucas   G  5-11    165      11/21/82     Oklahoma State      2
23    Ivan McFarlin     F    6-8    240 4/26/82     Oklahoma State      1
21    Brad Newley       G    6-7    201 2/18/85     Australia     R
20    Steve Novak       F  6-10    220 6/13/83     Marquette   1





INDIANA PACERS

No Player   Pos Ht   Wt Birthdate School Last Played for
22 Andre Brown   F   6-9  245 5/12/81 DePaul Seattle (NBA)
32 Kyle Davis   C   6-10 235 6/3/82 Auburn Dodge City (USBL)
8  Ronald "Boo" Davis  G   6-3  190 12/7/82 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wisconsin-Milwaukee (NCAA)
0  Gio. Diamantopoulos  G/F 6-5  190 2/15/80 Greece CSK VVS Samara (Russia)
18 Desmon Farmer  G   6-5  220 10/7/81 Southern California Tulsa (NBADL)
55 Kenyon Gamble  C   7-0  230 5/9/82 Tuskegee Minot (CBA)
5  Stephen Graham  F   6-6  215 6/11/82 Oklahoma State Sioux Falls (NBADL)
20 Dan Grunfeld  G   6-6  220 2/7/84 Stanford Stanford (NCAA)
24 David Logan   G   6-1  175 12/26/82 Indianapolis SKS Polphamra-Pakmet Starogard (Poland)
54 Anthony Myles  F   6-9  245 10/16/82 Xavier DongGuan New Century (China)
2  Andre Owens   G   6-4  200 10/31/80 Houston Anaheim (NBADL)
3  Marque Perry  G   6-1  200 1/18/81 St. Louis Banvitspor (Turkey)
17 Kasib Powell  F   6-7  215 3/18/81 Texas Tech Spartak, St. Petersburg (Russia)
21 Kareem Rush   G   6-6  215 10/30/80 Missouri Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania)
12 Jamel Staten  F   6-6  225 8/00/83 Mankato State Minnesota (ABA)
4  Shawne Williams  F   6-9  225 2/16/86 Memphis Indiana (NBA)
9  Guillaume Yango  F   6-9  240 1/31/82 Pacific Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Italy)




LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

2007 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS NBA SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

# Player   POS HT  WT   BORN   FROM 2006-07
34 Mohamed Abukar   F 6’10" 229  1/1/85   San Diego St.  San Diego St.
22 Brandon Bowman  F 6’ 9"  223  9/15/84   Georgetown  Bakersfield (NBDL)
10 Will Conroy   G   6’2"   195  12/8/82   Washington  Clippers  
40 Paul Davis    C   6’11" 270  7/21/84   Michigan State   Clippers
2  Guillermo Diaz  G   6’2"   185  3/4/85   Miami CEZ Nymburk (Czech Rep.)
20 Mike Gansey   G   6’4"   205  12/21/82 West Virginia 
25 Jared Jordan  G   6’2"   187  10/14/84 Marist Marist
35 Chris Kaman   C   7’0"   265  4/28/82   Central Michigan  Clippers
15 Daniel Santiago   C   7’1"   256  6/24/76   St. Vincent  Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
31 Amara Sy    F 6’8"   240  8/28/81   France  ASVEL Villeurbanne (France)
55 Ivan Radenovic    F 6’10" 244  6/10/84   Arizona  Arizona
12 Al Thornton   F 6’8"   220  12/7/83   Florida State Florida State






LOS ANGELES LAKERS

NAME    POS   HT   WT   BIRTHDATE   SCHOOL
Jav.Crittenton  G  6-4  198  12/31/87  Georgia Tech
Ebi Ere  G  6-5  215  8/3/81   Oklahoma
Jordan Farmar  G  6-2  180  11/30/86  UCLA
Brandon Gay  F  6-8  220  8/8/82   USD
Jeff Graves  F  6-9  275  9/30/81  Kansas
Ralphy Holmes  G  6-4  190  7/5/79   Cal State Fullerton
Dalron Johnson  F  6-9  210  6/27/81  UNLV
Coby Karl  G  6-5  216  3/6/83   Boise State
Bryson McKenzie C  6-10  230  6/19/83  Northern Illinois
Andre Patterson F  6-7  217  5/12/83  Tennessee
Jabari Smith  C  6-11  250  2/12/77  Louisiana State
Larry Turner  C  6-11  240  12/29/82  Tennessee State
Rodney White  F  6-9  230  6/28/80  UNC Charlotte

SUMMER LEAGUE COACHES: Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara), Brian Shaw (UCSB)
ATHLETIC TRAINER: Chip Schaefer (Utah)





MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Player   Pos.    Height  Weight  Birthdate       College Year    NBDL    Year(s)
Anthony Coleman F       6-11    215     10/06/82        Long Beach St.  ‘05     Bakersfield     06-07
Noel Felix      C       6-9     225     10/04/81        Fresno State    ‘03     N/A     N/A
Lynn Greer *    G       6-2     175     10/23/79        Temple  ‘02     N/A     N/A
Arthur Johnson  C       6-9     255     12/20/81        Missouri        ‘04     N/A     N/A
Randy Livingston G      6-4     209     04/02/75        Louisiana State ‘98     Idaho   06-07 
Damir Markota * F       6-10    225     12/26/85        Croatia ‘06     Tulsa   06-07
Chris McCray    G       6-5     192     5/27/84  Maryland        ‘06     Dakota  06-07
David Noel *    F/G     6-6     230     02/27/84        North Carolina  ’06     N/A     N/A
Ramon Sessions  G       6-3     190     04/11/86        Nevada  ’07     N/A     N/A   
Awvee Storey    F       6-6     225     04/18/77        Arizona State   ’02     Asheville       01-02
Billy Thomas    G       6-5     220     12/23/75        Kansas  ’03     Asheville       04-05
James Thomas    F       6-8     245     11/22/80        Texas   ’04     Roanoke 04-05





MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

No.      Player               Pos.     Ht.      Wt.            Birthdate          College                           Yrs.
3        Luke Anderson     G        6-6      205           10/01/82             Minnesota State Mankato   R
40       Ryan Bowen         F        6-9      218            11/20/75            Iowa                                   7
22       Corey Brewer        F        6-9      185             03/05/86           Florida                               R
44       Greg Brunner        F        6-7       245            06/15/83           Iowa                                  R
24       Mateen Cleaves   G        6-2       210            09/07/77           Michigan State                  6
4        Randy Foye        G        6-4       210            09/09/83           Villanova                           1
14       Quinton Hosley   G/F      6-6       210            03/25/84           Fresno State                    R
32       Rashad McCants  G        6-4        226            09/25/84          North Carolina                   2
25       Chris Richard        F        6-9        255           12/25/84           Florida                             R
11       Luke Schenscher   C        7-1        265            12/31/82          Georgia Tech                    2
1        Craig Smith           F        6-7        250            11/10/83         Boston College                 1




NEW JERSEY NETS

NO      NAME    POS        HT   WT  DOB        FROM       YRS.

8    Hassan Adams        G     6-4  220 6/20/84  Arizona   1
20       Terrence Crawford   F      6-6  230 2/4/82     Oklahoma State   R
45       James Cripe     C     6-10        255 5/3/84     Northern Kentucky       R
43       Josh Davis         F      6-8  215 8/10/80  Wyoming       3
6    Robert Hite        G     6-2  184 1/12/84  Miami (FL)     1
50       Brandon Hunter         F      6-7  266 11/24/80        Ohio       2
31       James Maye      F      6-7  209 1/29/81  North Carolina (Greensboro)    R
14       Tommy Smith     F      6-10        215 12/4/80  Arizona State        2
2    Curtis Stinson   G     6-3  215 2/15/83  Iowa State     R
10       Jamaal Tatum    G     6-1  168 9/9/84     Southern Illinois  R
40       Nick VanderLaan      C     6-10        265 10/27/79        Virginia  R
44       Matt Walsh         F      6-6  195 12/2/82  Florida
11    Marcus Williams        G     6-3  205 12/3/85  Connecticut  1
51       Sean Williams   F      6-10        235 9/13/86  Boston College    R

Head Coach:   Lawrence Frank
Assistant Coaches:    Bill Cartwright,  Tom Barrise, Pat Sullivan



ORLANDO MAGIC

No. Name     Pos. Ht. Wt. Date of Birth Last Team/College

40 James Augustine   F 6-10 235 2-27-84  Orlando Magic/Illinois
6  Stephen Barber   G 5-10 160 1-14-80  Albuquerque NBDL/UT-Arlington
52 Mike Bell    F 6-9 225 8-11-82  Vigo Spain/Florida Atlantic
25 Damone Brown   F 6-9 200 6-28-79  Sioux Falls NBDL/Syracuse
44 Anthony Fuqua   C 6-11 225 2-16-83  Austin NBDL/UT-San Antonio
41 Charles Gaines   F 6-7 235 10-15-81 Joventut Spain/Southern Miss.
13 Marcin Gortat   C 7-0 240 2-17-84  Koeln Germany/NA
2  Kevin Kruger   G 6-2 185 5-1-83  UNLV/UNLV
22 Torrell Martin   G 6-5 200 2-13-85  Winthrop/Winthrop
18 Milovan Rakovic   F 6-10 250 2-19-85  Mega Ishrana Serbia/NA
7  J.J. Redick   G 6-4 190 6-24-84  Orlando Magic/Duke
11 Tony Skinn    G 6-1 175 2-8-83  Clermont France/George Mason
3  Loren Stokes   G 6-3 175 11-12-83 Hofstra/Hofstra
23 Jeff Varem    F 6-6 245 7-16-83  Tulsa NBDL/Washington State






PHOENIX SUNS

No. Player   Pos.   Ht. Wt. Birthdate From NBA Exp
2   Marcus Banks  G  6-2 200 11/19/81 UNLV 4
11  Cameron Bennerman  G  6-4 205 5/8/84 North Carolina State R
12  Michael Bradley  F  6-10 225 5/18/79 Villanova 5
3   Terrell Everett  G  6-4 188 6/30/84 Oklahoma R
9   Otis George  F/C  6-9 240 5/7/82 Louisville R
8   Ron Hale   F  6-8 220 11/5/77 Florida St. R
5   Adam Hess   G/F  6-7 220 4/4/81 William & Mary R
4   Melvin Sanders  G/F  6-5 210 1/3/81 Oklahoma St. 1
6   D.J. Strawberry  G  6-5 201 6/15/85 Maryland R
10  Pape Sow   F/C  6-10 250 11/22/81 Cal State-Fullerton 3
7   Alando Tucker  F  6-6 205 2/11/84 Wisconsin R
13  Eric Williams  C  6-9 265 3/26/84 Wake Forest R

HEAD COACH: Mike D’Antoni
SUMMER LEAGUE HEAD COACH/ASSISTANT COACH: Phil Weber
ASSISTANT COACHES: Alvin Gentry, Dan D’Antoni, Todd Quinter
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: Aaron Nelson




PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

#      Name                Pos    Ht      Wt    NBA Yrs         Birthdate      From

12      LaMarcus Aldridge   F/C     6-11   245       1              7-19-85       Texas
18      Rick Apodaca          G     6-3     190       R              1-7-81         Hofstra
40      Chris Ellis           F     6-9     250       R              3-5-84         Wake Forest
41      Joel Freeland         F     6-10   225       R              2-7-87         England
4       Terrance Green        G     6-3     212        R              1-10-81       Nevada       
0       Taurean Green         G     6-0     177        R              11-28-86     Florida
31      Zendon Hamilton       C     6-11   254      6              4-29-75       St. John’s
28      Petteri Koponen       G     6-4     195       R              4-13-88       Finland
6       Stefano Mancinelli    F     6-8     214      R              3-17-83       Italy
2       Josh McRoberts        F     6-10   240      R              2-28-87       Duke
52      Greg Oden             C     7-0     250      R              1-22-88       Ohio State
11      Sergio Rodriguez      G     6-3     168       1              6-12-86       Spain
8       Martell Webster     G/F     6-7     233       2              12-4-86       Seattle Prep HS (WA)

Head Coach:   Nate McMillan (North Carolina State)
Assistant Coaches:   Dean Demopoulos (West Chester), Maurice Lucas (Marquette)
Monty Williams (Notre Dame), Bill Bayno (Sacred Heart)





SEATTLE SONICS

No.      Name             Pos.     Ht.       Wt.      Birthdate         From                           2006-07 Season

2     Zabian Dowdell       G        6-3       200       9/10/84             Virginia Tech                Virginia Tech
5     Jermaine Jackson     G        6-5       205       6/7/76               Detroit Mercy               BC Kyiv
11    Brandon Heath        G        6-4       200       3/1/84               San Diego State           San Diego State
12    David Jackson*       G        6-5       210       9/21/78             Oregon                         NBDL
14    Julius Hodge         G        6-7       210       11/18/83            North Carolina State      Den/Mil//NBDL
15    Mickaël Gelabale     G/F      6-7       215       5/22/83             France                          Sonics
18    Mouhamed Sene        C        7-0       230       5/12/86             Senegal                         Sonics
22    Jeff Green           F        6-9       235       8/8/86               Georgetown                  Georgetown
23    Olu Famutimi*        G        6-5       220       2/21/84             Arkansas                      NBDL
27    Johan Petro          C        7-0       247       1/27/86             France                          Sonics
33    Ronnie Burrell       F        6-9       220       7/21/83             UNC-Greensboro          France
35    Kevin Durant         F        6-9       215       9/29/88             Texas                           Texas
44    Elton Brown*         F/C      6-9       250       9/9/83               Virginia              NBDL
45    Kenny Adeleke        F        6-9       245       2/10/83             Hartford                       Israel
45    Quinton Hosley*      G/F      6-6       210       3/25/84             Fresno State                  Fresno State
50    Ryvon Coville*       F        6-9       250       3/1/84               Detroit Mercy               Detroit Mercy
50    Antywane Robinson    F        6-8       220       7/12/84             Temple                         NBDL

Coaches:     Ralph Lewis, Bryan Gates
Assistant Coach/Dir. Of Video Scouting:       Walt Rock





WASHINGTON WIZARDS

PLAYER                HT       POS.     BIRTHDATE   FROM/SCHOOL        LAST TEAM

Shagari Alleyne       7-3       C          1/16/84            Manhattan                    Manhattan
Brian Chase           5-9       PG       10/8/81            Virginia Tech               Los Angeles (NBDL)
Mike Hall             6-8       F          5/5/84              George Washington     Washington Wizards
Jared Homan           6-9       F/C       6/3/83              Iowa State                    Athens (Greece)
Lee Humphrey          6-2       G         4/26/84            Florida                         Florida
Dominic McGuire       6-8       F          10/20/85          Fresno State                 Fresno State
Aaron Miles           6-1       G         4/13/83            Kansas                         Pau-Orthez (France)
Oleksiy Pecherov      7-0       F/C       12/8/85            Ukraine                        BC Kyiv (Ukraine)
Kevinn Pinkney        6-10     F/C       10/20/83          Nevada-Reno               Bakersfield (NBDL)
J.R. Pinnock          6-4       G         12/11/83          George Washington     Arkansas (NBDL)
Leon Rodgers          6-7       F          6/2/85              Northern Illinois          EiffelTowers(Holland)
Kyle Visser           6-11     C          10/19/85          Wake Forest                 Wake Forest
Jameel Watkins        6-10     F          8/2/77              Georgetown                 Dongbu (Korea)
Nick Young            6-6       G/F      6/1/85              Southern California     Southern California
Derrick Zimmerman     6-3       PG       2/2/81              Mississippi State          Air Avellino (Italy)

Head Coach:                           Eddie Jordan
Assistant Coaches:                  Mike O’Koren, Tom Thibodeau, Phil Hubbard, Wes Unseld, Jr.
Athletic Trainer:                     Eric Waters
Assistant Athletic Trainer:     Ernest Eugene
Strength & Conditioning:       Drew Cleary

2008 NBA Mock Draft - Lottery Picks

Could be another strong draft depending mainly on how the incoming freshman class develops. Ranked in order of potential draft position. Here's my take :

1. Michael Beasley F Kansas St. - As you probably saw in the McDonalds game he is a great athlete with good size, and one of the most versatile players in the draft. Should step in immediately and make a difference for Kansas St. Can play inside and out, tends to play outside a little too much. Looks forced at times.

2. Derrick Rose PG Memphis - Should be one of the top PG's in the NCAA next season. Truly a do it all type of PG. Can shoot although improvements needed, attack the hoop, and create for teammates. Has good size as well. Going to do a lot of damage in Conference USA next season.

3. Darrell Arthur F Kansas - Will be the man next year for the Jayhawks. If his midrange/outside game improves and he shows the ability to play the 3 then he could go this high in the draft. Still needs to bulk up but I'm predicting a drastic rise in his stock over the season.

4. Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Pulled out of the 2007 draft, would have gone top ten no question. Still has a ways to go and decided he would be a much more NBA ready prospect after another season as a Hoya. I don't think he has a ton of upside but his size and abilities on both sides of the ball are NBA material. Good basketball IQ and passing skills are also bonuses for a big man.

5. OJ Mayo G USC - Should be one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA in his one season at USC. Has a scorers mentality almost to a fault. Has been known to play out of control and has developed some bad habits. There are also minor character concerns with him as well. On talent alone he may be one of the top three players in the draft but i can see him falling in the 5-10 range.

6. Chase Budinger F Arizona - Tremendous all around player should a little bit of everything in his first season at Arizona. Top athlete with great size although thin frame. Solid shooter from the outside keeps improving. Scouts will be looking to see if he is the type of player to take over games. He has the talent but can he do it?

7. Kevin Love F UCLA - Tough smart PF who should be a premier player in the PAC-10 next season. UCLA is already a loaded team Love solidify s the frontcourt and makes them a strong favorite going into the season. Love is a very unselfish player think of Luke Walton but with much more talent offensively. Could go top 3 depending on the type of season he has against top NCAA talent.

8. DeAndre Jordan C Texas A&M - Going to a situation where he gets major minutes right away. He can hold his own defensively against anyone but his offensive game is still developing. Good rebounder, shot blocker, will add strength as season progresses.

9. Hasheem Thabeet C UConn - NBA teams love upside and Thabeet has a ton of it. The best shot blocker in the country, may be the best defensive player overall in the country. Has great size/length, coming back to UConn was a very smart decision as his offensive game is brutal. If he can make the same type of offensize progress Sean Williams had at BC then he goes this high.

10. Tywon Lawson PG UNC - Should be the second PG chosen after Rose. Made a good decision staying another year at UNC. Mainly needs to work on his shooting, the PG skills are already there. His size may hurt him at the next level.

11. Eric Gordon SG Indiana - Gordon is already a top SG prospect. What to watch for this season is his ability to play PG. Due to his size that is his projected NBA position. He will be picked somewhere in the late lottery unless he has an outstanding season and shows he can play PG.

12. - Devon Hardin C Cal - One of the top center's in the NCAA. Had his name in the 2007 NBA Draft but wisely pulled out. Hardin must show other all around skills besides dunks/layups. Weak shooter.

13. L.R. Mbah a Moute F UCLA - Lot of potential here reminds me of Jeff Green. Has good size, still developing most of his skills. His progress this season will determine what kind of prospect he will be. Tends to disappear during games, still raw.

Players to watch :

Wayne Ellington F UNC
Chris Lofton G Tennesee
Marcelus Kemp G Nevada
DJ Augustine PG Texas
Tyler Hansborough F UNC
Darren Collison PG UCLA
Ron Steele PG Alabama
Brook Lopez C Stanford
Tyrese Rice G Boston College

2007 NBA Draft Grades.....Winners/Losers

Work in Progress...........There is a lot to be settled regarding trades after July 1st but here's a hint: Portland is a Winner. There past two drafts have been just outstanding, every GM and owner in the league should take notice of how Portland does bu$ine$$.

Also working on posting the Summer League rosters. Be interesting to see where Bobby Brown, Mustafa Shakur, Brandon Health, etc............end up

I'll have my 2008 NBA Top Prospects up Soon................

2007 NBA Mock Draft Final

Draft night is here, there should be plenty of action.

1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.

2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.

3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.

4. Memphis Corey Brewer G Florida Horford or Conley would be ideal but Brewer is one of new GM Chris Wallaces' favorites.

5. Boston Joakim Noah F Florida Boston needs players that can play now and Noah really impressed the C's during workouts. Hate this pick by the way.

6. Milwaukee Jeff Green F Georgetown Jeff Green, one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. This pick will probably be traded at somepoint, I'm thinking to Golden State.

7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick. They like Jeff Green but he should be gone by now.

8. Charlotte Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside pick here, I think they would love to take Noah as this team is already too young. Charlotte has #22 as well.

9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.

10. Sacramento Yi Jianlian F China Yi wants to play on the West Coast, he gets his wish with Sacramento. They have other needs but Yi at 10 is not quite the riskas say #5 going to the Celtics and with this pick they have a valuable trade asset.

11. Atlanta Acie Law PG Texas A&M Atlanta has guaranteed that if they still have this pick Law is their man.

12. Philadelphia Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference. Philly needs to take the best player available and Thornton is it. Bonus is he can play right away.

13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.

14. LAC Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need with Livingston's future in doubt. Crittendon is a legit PG with good size and a huge upside but should have played one more season at GT.

15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.

16. Washington Julian Wright F Kansas Washington needs help in the frontcourt so best Wright is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft..

17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.

18. Golden State Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a center combo of Biedrins and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.

19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.

20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.

21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.

22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.

23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here to either cook or Wilson Chandler. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.

24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.

25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.

26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.

27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.

28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.

29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.

30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.

Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
Wilson Chandler Depaul
Stanko Barac (Celtics have a rumored promise in place here)
Jared Dudley Boston College
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Dominc McGuire F Fresno St.
Jared Jordan PG Marist
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Aaron Brooks G Oregon
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany

2007 NBA Draft Green Room Invitees

**Scroll Down For Mock Draft V.2**

Here is the official list from the NBA. No big surprises unless you see Thaddeus Young or Javaris Crittendon sneaking in.

Corey Brewer (Florida)
· Michael Conley (Ohio St.)
· Kevin Durant (Texas)
· Jeff Green (Georgetown)
· Spencer Hawes (Washington)
· Al Horford (Florida)
· Yi Jianlian (China)
· Acie Law IV (Texas A&M)
· Joakim Noah (Florida)
· Greg Oden (Ohio St.)
· Rodney Stuckey (Eastern Washington)
· Al Thornton (Florida St.)
· Brandan Wright (North Carolina)
· Julian Wright (Kansas)
· Nick Young (USC)

2007 NBA Mock Draft V2.0

Version 2. Less than a week away is the 2007 NBA Draft, a final mock will be delivered Wednesday and updated Thursday.

1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.

2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.

3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.

4. Memphis Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside here and with Gasol potentially leaving Wright makes a lot of sense here.

5. Boston Corey Brewer G Florida Horford would be ideal but Brewer would immediately make Boston's starting backcourt of Rondo and Brewer one of the best defensively in the East.

6. Golden State (From Milwaukee) Yi Jianlian F China I think Chancey Billups may end up in Milwaukee so Conley is not the pick here and a trade to the Warriors is a strong possibility for Jason Richardson. Yi would like to play on the West Coast and Golden State is rumored to be high on him.

7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick.

8. Charlotte Joakim Noah F Florida Charlotte has a track record of taking proven NCAA talent and Noah would bring endless energy and winning attitude to a franchise in need.

9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.

10. Sacramento Jeff Green F Georgetown Conley would be #1 on the Kings wish list but instead Jeff Green one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. The selection of Green makes the inevitable departure of Ron Artest a little easier.

11. Atlanta Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need so don't count out Conley wearing Hawks red somehow next season. The alternative is Crittendon a legit PG with good size and a huge upside.

12. Philadelphia Julian Wright F Kansas Philly needs help just about everywhere on the roster so best player available is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft.

13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.

14. LAC Acie Law PG Texas A&M With Livingston's career in doubt a PG is the obvious choice for the Clips. Although Law is more of a combo guard he should fit nicely in the same backcourt with Sam Cassell.

15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.

16. Washington Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton would enable the Wizards to trade Antawn Jamison and free up some cash to hopefully sign Arenas. Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference.

17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.

18. Milwaukee (From Golden State) Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a frontcourt of Bogut and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.

19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.

20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.

21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.

22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.

23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.

24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.

25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.

26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.

27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.

28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.

29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.

30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.

Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)

DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Jared Jordan PG Marist (Boston rumored to be interested in 2nd round)
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton (stock rising)
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC (Stock Rising)
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany