NBA Cancels Summer League as Lockout Looms Now the new coach won't be able to evaluate his draft picks or Monroe, JJ and White in game situations....
Means there is no hurry now to get a new head coach if your worried about the money, so to me this will show where the new owner stands on money. If we have a new coach in place by shortly after the finals are over he's serious about winning.... if he waits till the new CBA is done to find a coach then profits are a bit more important.... Really bummed about the summer league being done away with as I was looking forward to seeing if White was worth anything or not. besides a new couple rooks along with JJ and how he's recovering.
Why are they canceling the SL when the season isn't even over yet??? Aren't they already negotiating? ...If not - WHY!!!??? The 2 sides need to get this (expletive) straightened out!
Positioning and getting attention. And above all, the seriousness of the situation. Stern is a political animal and Hunter has some huge disadvantages. This going to be a blood-bath; with either the Union getting up and mending some broken bones, or we setup monthly visiting rights in the hospital.
Joe Dumars: Stuckey is no PG Pistons' draft pick trickier than usual after withdrawals | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Did Joe Dumars actually make this observation or is Vince Ellis hoping that Dumars finally made this observation?
Doug Gottlieb (ESPN) top 9: 1. Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke: Great mix of all the attributes that make a premier point guard. Tremendous feel, especially on ball screens, and does have a middle game. It is still difficult to tell whether he is Chris Paul or Brevin Knight, safe to say he is in between the two. A solid starting point guard in a league in which a point guard can quickly bring you back from the dead. 2. Enes Kanter, PF, Turkey: A legit big-time face-up 4 who can bang and dominate down low. Though he lost a year of game competition, the way he dominated at the Global Games, the agility he has shown and his vast skill set get you excited. Might be older than listed. 3. Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas: He has a spectacular combination of timing, skill, athleticism and feel as a shot blocker/rebounder. Like so many skilled big men, he thought he was a face-up 4 until college, but his lack of any sort of jumper keeps him at the 5. Can handle the ball and is a very good worker in the weight room. He needs more time in the gym to fix his J. 4. Chris Singleton, F, Florida State: Lockdown defender with 3-point range and, though he is a late bloomer on offense, he is ready-made for the NBA with the versatility needed to defend the 2-3-4 positions. Also showed great toughness and a desire to play by returning from a broken foot, whereas many would have shut it down and not risked the NCAA tournament. 5. Jan Vesely, PF, Czech Republic: Athletic big man who has played at a high level in Europe. Should be able to start right away and will play well in an up-tempo ball-screen type of offense. Not the shooter that Euro bigs normally are, but also a far better athlete than most Euro bigs. 6. Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State: Obviously a tremendous rebounder and athlete who can defend his position. In a draft with so many unknowns, Faried will be in the league 10 years, most of it as a starting power forward. He has a great body and is unrivaled in-game work ethic. 7. Derrick Williams, PF, Arizona: Late bloomer who some think has some ability to be a 3, but that seems to be a reach. Freak "Blake Griffin" type of finishing skills with far superior shooting touch. Below average low-post scorer who faces up against bigger opponents and scores mostly in transition, on open jumpers, drives and a ton of free throws. Starter, not likely to be an All-Star or a go-to player on an NBA team. Late development makes upside harder to project. 8. Tobias Harris, F, Tennessee: Big and skilled with a professional-style game, Harris should continue to climb draft boards as scouts see his body developed quite well in his one college season. He is a little soft and not terribly comfortable in the low post on offense, but he does have some skill down there to score at the low block. At 6-foot-8 he has to be a 3 in the NBA, and I believe he can be, though he played face-up 4 to this point. 9. Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky: A scoring lead guard with plenty of upside, Knight can run a team and can also take and make the big shot. His game should translate very well as he struggles when people get into him. No hand checking in the NBA should make his game more efficient. Knight does not go left well and needs to continue to improve his range, but he is a very sound mid-range jump shooter.
I won't be sold until I hear that he's growing every day and we're gonna have to build a new arena for him. One with taller entryways to accommodate his growth spurts.
Yea, his draft board is quite different than every other draft board. He either has no clue or is a mad genius.
It makes me a little ill to advocate for any Euro big after the Darko debacle, but this Vasely kid can play a bit. He runs the floor. He can really play above the rim; he throws down, blocks shots. He doesn't have a lot of offensive skill, but he can contribute. If you like JJ, then you would like this kid.
Unfortunately none of the Euro bigs expected to land in the lotto will be at the Chicago camp next week... If I'm not mistaken they can still pull out of the draft (diff date than college kids).
We have to the follow the Darko Principle established circa 2003....If you can't see them workout with collegians, don't draft them.
Should be the number one pick and he would be my first pick. But hey, let those astute other GM's pick from the herd instinct...just drops him further down (probably no less than the 3rd pick). I see two possible (with the right development) Brandon Roy types (remember he went #6) and one we could have as a great 3 with our seventh. The other might drop into the second round.
