Centers in the draft

[sunsfn]

I am not real happy with the centers that are in the draft this year. The european centers are so young, and some of the 7 footers are prejected as s.f. and p.f. not centers.

I do not understand that David Harrison is not even in the 2 rounds on NBA draft. He is regarded by them as the 8th best junior. I believe he was projected for the 2nd round last year and pulled his name out. Does anyone know if he is not going out this year either?

I have listed the centers that are going to be in the draft, (supposedly) and would like any comments if anyone knows about them from seeing them etc.
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David Harrison 7-0 250 C Colorado Jr.
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/davidharrison.asp
I think he will get drafted unless he pulls his name.

Pavel Podkolzine 7-5 303 C (Russia) 1985
This is a tough pick for anyone, and not one that I think the suns would pick unless they know something we do not know.


Andris Biedrins 6-11 240 PF/C (Latvia) 1986
This guy looks narrow........


Kosta Perovic 7-2 240 C (Serbia-Montenegro) 1985
This guy looks very promising but is so young. 2/85


Ha Seung-Jin 7-3 300 C (South Korea) 1985
Biggg guy! but just high school age.


Robert Swift 7-1 245 C Bakersfield, CA HSSr.
Inelgible this year for high school........maybe going to college because of that.

****** 2nd round **************
We probably do not want any of these guys, but here they are.


Rafael Araujo 6-11 260 C BYU Sr.
Senior at BYU, Ready for the NBA.? Someone must know something about this guy?


Chris Garnett 6-11 275 C Indiana Southeast Sr.
Senior in college. write-up says improving player who spent the last two summers at Pete Newlls big mans camp.


Mo Ke 6-10 227 PF/C (China) 1982
Write-up says probably play power forward in the NBA.


Sean Finn 6-11 245 C Dayton Sr.
??

Nigel Dixon 6-11 320 C Western Kentucky Sr.
??

 

[SunsTzu]

Kosta Perovic heard this guy was doing well when he was getting minutes. But hasn't gotten much PT since Nenad Kristic returned. Also he broke his hand in the past day or so and it has yet to be determined how bad he's hurt.

 

[George O'Brien]

HoopsHype lists Harrison as their #13 "Good size and mobility. Attitude needs adjustment, Not mature enough for the NBA". He is a junior at Colorado and is listed at 7'0" and 250. nbadraft.net does not even list him

Rafael Araujo is from Brazil. On another discussion board there was a guy who had seen him play and was very impressed. He is 6'11" 260 and is at BYU right now. nbadraft.net lists him as their 37th pick which is down from about a month ago.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by sunsfn
I believe he was projected for the 2nd round last year and pulled his name out. Does anyone know if he is not going out this year either?

He probably will declare but as usual who knows?
I believe that last year he didn't even consider the entering in NBA.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by George O'Brien

Rafael Araujo is from Brazil. On another discussion board there was a guy who had seen him play and was very impressed. He is 6'11" 260 and is at BYU right now. nbadraft.net lists him as their 37th pick which is down from about a month ago.

I also have read some fan reports about him and everybody liked him.
Based on his stats and the reports he seems to be similar to Okur.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by hcsilla
I also have read some fan reports about him and everybody liked him.
Based on his stats and the reports he seems to be similar to Okur.

Do we have a second rounder this year?

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Chaplin
Do we have a second rounder this year?

No, we traded it to ORL for Harvey
Araujo right now seems to be rather a late 1st rounder.

 

[slinslin]

Are you sure?

I read at some point that it was the 2005 second round pick not 2004.

 

[hcsilla]

Yes, I'm.

ORL has to give a 2nd rounder to ATL this year and they wanted to replace their own with a lower 2nd rounder.

 

[sunsfn]

slinslin said,
----------------------------------------------------
I read at some point that it was the 2005 second round pick not 2004.
--------------------------------------

Here are the deals............

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The Phoenix Suns traded forward Robert Archibald to Orlando in exchange for a conditional 2005 second-round draft pick today.


The trade is the second deal the Suns and Magic have pulled off in the last four days. Phoenix previously acquired forward Donnell Harvey from Orlando in exchange for a 2004 second-round draft pick on Dec. 23.

 

[frdbtr]

Rafael Araujo 6-11 260 C BYU Sr.
Senior at BYU, Ready for the NBA.? Someone must know something about this guy?

BYU lists him as 6-11 and 280 this year. By the end of the year, he will be in the first round. Maybe in the teens in the first round. This guy is a horse. He has good fundamentals and is getting double and triple teamed every game, and still is averaging 21 pts and 11 rebounds.

Last night he had a 6'9" guy on him and was being doubled by a 7'0" guy and got 24 pts and 9 rebounds.

 

[sunsfn]

I found this article on Araujo.
-------------------------------------------
BYU's Araujo living the American dream
By Dick Harmon
Deseret News sports columnist


It may be 6 a.m. and walls in student housing may be wafer thin, but when BYU center Rafael Araujo rises to work out, shower and shave, he's got rap music blaring, his head is bobbing back and forth to the bass and he's dancing and twirling around the apartment as if it's a music video and he's the star.
This ritual is something his wife, Cheyenne, wakes up to in the adjoining bedroom. It's why she wakes up laughing, even if neighbors may be annoyed.
Araujo's boundless enthusiasm and energy to start the day is not only funny, it's inspiring.
Even in a foul-plagued performance in Laramie on Saturday, big Araujo showed his intensity in scoring 17 with 7 rebounds in 24 minutes of BYU's win over Wyoming.
Hoffa, as he's called, is 6-foot-11, 265 pounds. When he arrived from Brazil to play basketball at Arizona Western three years ago, he had just $5 in his pocket. He spoke no English. His biggest fear was he would spend a lazy day and cheat himself out of the American dream — if you work hard enough, anything is possible including a career in the NBA.

Cheyenne Araujo cheers on husband Rafael at the Marriott Center in a recent game. Araujo scored 17 points and had seven rebounds in win over Wyoming.

Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
"There's no way I can't get it, if I work hard enough, right?" Hoffa often asks his wife.
"This is America, right? If you work hard, you get it, right? This is why I love America is because if you work for it you can make it, heh? It's why I love this country. You can't say that about other places but this is America. You can be anything, right?"
Cheyenne feeds his faith but says, "the bigger they are the harder they fall. He's afraid to fail.
"He's such a big man, yet he's so soft and gentle heart. You want to see him succeed because he believes this is the land of opportunity and he's so driven and so positive and works so hard."
The exception to Hoffa's exuberance may be game days. The night before, he's serious as a heart attack. He goes over all his moves and that of his opponent. When asked in the morning how he slept, he answers: "Terrible."
Work and drive is in Hoffa's blood. His father is an attorney in Sao Paulo who studied to be a judge and now works on overseas contracts while teaching mathematics and physics at a local high school.
Araujo's mother, Neuza, does everything. She operates an insurance real estate business and owns a little shop and restaurant. One day when Hoffa and Cheyenne were walking past Victoria's Secret in a local mall, Hoffa said: "Hey, my mom makes lingerie."
Cheyenne, who grew up in San Diego, is learning Portuguese as Hoffa increases his English vocabulary. Working to understand each other through cultural differences is something she calls an "adventure" because Araujo is so different from American men she's known. He's great on manners, respect and honor. He formally calls his mother Senhora and his father Senhor and here he addresses people as "ma'am" and "sir."
Cheyenne met Hoffa at Arizona Western where she played volleyball. Hoffa just arrived from Brazil on a basketball scholarship. One day a Brazilian teammate invited Cheyenne to join her in the cafeteria and meet a few of the Brazilian basketball players. It was one of those cheesy romantic moments. "As soon as I looked into his eyes, something happened," remembers Cheyenne. Eleven months later, they were married.
A Mormon, Cheyenne was pleasantly surprised last August when two LDS missionaries, natives of Brazil, knocked on her door. Hoffa was away in Indianapolis playing for the Brazilian National Team in the World Championships. But upon his return, Hoffa agreed to take formal discussions with missionaries. Still non-LDS, Hoffa accompanies his wife to church in an LDS Portuguese ward in Orem each Sunday in an effort to learn of his wife's beliefs and give support as a husband.
Hoffa sets aside one night a week so he and Cheyenne, who works at Gold's Gym corporate offices in Orem, go out. Often the date is the movies. Last week it was "Lord of the Rings." Most nights, Hoffa relaxes by playing video games like PlayStation's NBA Street Ball. Together they enjoy Tech and Tag, pairing up and fighting other cyber teams. When Hoffa cooks, his favorite dish is rice, beans, steak and eggs.
"He cooks it all up and mixes it up together. It's wonderful. I love it.
He's a great cook," says Cheyenne.
He misses his family in Sao Paulo, five time zones and a 15-hour flight away. "He tells me I'm the only family he has. It's hard not to just pick up the phone and call his parents or brother. He misses that contact. He's bonded with teammate Travis Hansen because they're a lot alike and play the game the same."
In short, Cheyenne loves her pick as companion. "No man has ever treated me the way he does."
In the meantime, for Hoffa, it's on to Fort Collins for a Monday clash with the Rams. Cheyenne can't wait for his return, the morning rap dance; later, the steak, beans and eggs over rice.
As Senhora Araujo, Cheyenne's never been happier.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,455030574,00.html

 

[sunsfn]

I found some more info on him.

He sounds interesting...........
------------------------------------------
Men's Basketball Athlete Profile - Rafael Araujo


Center
6-11, 280, Sr.
Sao Paulo, Brazil /Ariz. Western College

At BYU
SUMMARY: Araujo is an MWC Player of the Year candidate ... He enters his second season at the Division I level with NBA-caliber potential ... He came to BYU after being one of the top-10 junior college players in the country, earning second-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2001-02 at Arizona Western College, where he averaged 17.9 points and 10.7 rebounds ... He was third-team All-MWC as BYU's top rebounder (8.9) -- second among MWC players -- and third-leading scorer (12.0) last year ... He was second in steals (1.4 spg), third among all league players in MWC games ... A skilled and athletic center, he has the ability to be a dominating rebounder and top scoring threat ... He can both power and finesse with his size and strength and improving skill development ... He runs the floor well and has range on the perimeter ... He played on the Brazilian National Team at the 2002 World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis ... Considered top performer at the 2003 Pete Newell Big Man Camp in Las Vegas ... He has career Division I highs of 31 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 5 steals.

SENIOR - (2003-2004): SUMMER TOUR IN AUSTRALIA: Araujo averaged 14.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.3 apg and 1.8 spg in 20.2 minutes.

JUNIOR - (2002-2003): Araujo was third-team All-MWC as BYU's top rebounder (8.9) and third-leading scorer (12.0) ... was second in the MWC in rebounds ... led BYU in scoring in nine games and has reached double-digit points in 18 games ... had double-digit rebounds in 13 games ... was second on the team in steals (1.4) and ranked third among all MWC players in thefts in league games ... after a tough outing in his first game of the year, BYU's big center showed his vast potential -- he was named MWC Player of the Week Dec. 30 after his 24 points and 17 rebounds at USF, also coming up with 3 steals, and then recorded game highs of 17 points and 7 rebounds on 8-11 shooting vs SUU ... followed that up with two double-doubles the next week: 19 points (8-11 shooting) and 11 boards vs. Pepperdine and 11 points (4-5 shooting) and 14 rebounds vs. Oklahoma St ... scored a career-best 31 points on 13-16 shooting at AFA, also adding 9 rebounds and a career-high 5 steals ... led BYU with 22 points and 15 rebounds vs. UNLV ... had a team-leading eight double-doubles and was one point or rebound from four other double-doubles, including 31 points and 9 rebounds at Air Force.

Before BYU
(BRAZILIAN NATIONAL TEAM): Played against NBA and other professional players on the Brazilian National Team at the 2002 World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis.

(ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE): One of the top-10 junior college players in the country and considered among the top big men ... earned second-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2001-02 ... as a sophomore led Arizona Western to a 28-3 record and No. 6 national ranking before losing in the finals of the NJCAA Region 1 Tournament ... scored 17.9 points and grabbed 10.7 rebounds for the Matadors while shooting 57 percent from the floor, 28 percent on threes (14-49 from three-point range) and 67 percent from the line ... was second-team all-region as a freshman in 2000-01 and a first-teamer and region MVP as a sophomore ... coached by Kelly Green.

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Padre Anacleto High School.

Personal
Born in August 1980 ... a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil ... parents are Tadeu and Neuza ... has one brother ... wife named Cheyenne ... enjoys playing soccer and big fan of Brazil's 2002 World Cup Champions ... dean's list student at Arizona Western ... recreation management major.

 

[George O'Brien]

I suspect he would be getting a lot more attention if he was at Duke.

Last year the Suns made a last minute trade to get Barbosa. The absence of a second round pick is not an issue if there is someone the team wants that's available.

Right now it looks like the Suns will end up with something in the range of a #10 and a #15. My favorite scenerio would be to trade the Sun's earlier pick and the Cleveland pick to Cleveland for their pick this year. (Right now it's in the top 3).

Then I would trade the second pick for an unprotected pick next year and perhaps pick up an early 2nd rounder if there is somone like Araujo worth taking at that spot. As a second rounder, the Suns could ask him to play in Europe for a year to get experience.

 

[SunsTzu]

We can't trade our 1st rounder until S.A. gets the one we owe em. We can draft someone and trade their rights but it will depend a lot on whos available and what teams want who. Plus we tried trading the Cavs pick plus our #9 to get their #6 the year we got Amare, I can't see them taking 10 + future pick for a top 3 pick if that where the teams end up.

 

[sunsfn]

George said.........
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Then I would trade the second pick for an unprotected pick next year and perhaps pick up an early 2nd rounder if there is somone like Araujo worth taking at that spot. As a second rounder, the Suns could ask him to play in Europe for a year to get experience.
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I do not think Araujo would go back to europe to play, he is a senior and has come over here specifically to play basketball and get ready for the NBA.

He may be a good pick-up late 1st or 2nd, but that would require some doing, although it could be done.

I am beginning to think we should get a 6' 11" or 7' guy and not a 7' 3" guy that can not move around.

Last night Ming looked really bad on tv. This is probably just this game, but if you watch him he is clumsy at times. Ming also is one of the best players at that height. Not many have his coordination.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by SunsTzu
We can't trade our 1st rounder until S.A. gets the one we owe em. We can draft someone and trade their rights but it will depend a lot on whos available and what teams want who. Plus we tried trading the Cavs pick plus our #9 to get their #6 the year we got Amare, I can't see them taking 10 + future pick for a top 3 pick if that where the teams end up.

Good point. (Just because it was my favorite didn't mean it was good. )

As it was, the Cavs screwed up by not doing the deal in 2002. Wagner would have dropped to #9 (possibly later). Most people had them pegged to take Butler.

The brutal truth is that the Suns may never get to use that pick (in my lifetime at least). It was hard to screw up the LeBron pick, but otherwise their first round picks have been pretty awful:

2002 - Wagner ahead of Nene and Stoudemire
2001 - Diop ahead of JJ, Richard Jefferson, Troy Murphy, and Zach Randolf
2000 - Jamal Crawford (whom they traded to Chicago for Chris Mihm) on the 8th pick.
1999 - Andre Miller (they later traded him for Darious Miles)
1998 - No pick
1997 - Derek Anderson (he had a couple of forgettable seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Clippers)

It looks like they are deliberately trying to keep from making the playoffs so they don't have to give up their pick.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by SunsTzu
We can't trade our 1st rounder until S.A. gets the one we owe em.

Actually after the NYK-trade we can.


"As a result of Stepien's ineptitude, teams are now prevented from making trades which might leave them without a future first-round draft pick in consecutive years.

....

In addition, teams are required to have only a first round pick, and not necessarily their first round pick. So teams may trade away their own future picks in consecutive years if they have another team's first round pick in one of those years."

Larry Coon's FAQ

Since we DEFINITELY will get NYK's 1st rounder which means we won't stay without a 1st rounder this year not even if we trade our own 2004 1st rounder, we are allowed to trade our 2004 1st rounder.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by sunsfn

I do not think Araujo would go back to europe to play,

Back?
He is from Brazil.

 

[SweetD]

Kosta Perovic looks realy good!

Kosta Perovic
Birthdate: 2/19/85
NBA Position: Center
Ht: 7-3
Wt: 240

NBA Comparison: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Strengths: Huge. Towers over opponents. Has soft hands and is excellent at putting back missed shots. A very good passer out of the post. Works his tail off on the court...A decent shot blocker, because of his gigantic size. Nimble on his feet and seems to really love the game. Has a very big upside.

Weaknesses: Has a very limited offensive game. Points come off putbacks and short jumpers. Needs to really develop a back to the basket game to become effective. Kosta also depends on his height for rebounds and not positioning...footwork overall needs work. Defensively everything is based off his size. Over time he will learn the nuances of the game and become much more effective. Notes: Seems to get better with every game. Looks intelligent and most of all "You can't teach height."…If he develops an offensive game, watch out.

You must be registered for see images

 

[elindholm]

I do not think Araujo would go back to europe to play

Back?
He is from Brazil.

What, are we all learning our geography now from TNT's "Inside the NBA"?

 

[SunsTzu]

Originally posted by hcsilla
Actually after the NYK-trade we can.


"As a result of Stepien's ineptitude, teams are now prevented from making trades which might leave them without a future first-round draft pick in consecutive years.

....

In addition, teams are required to have only a first round pick, and not necessarily their first round pick. So teams may trade away their own future picks in consecutive years if they have another team's first round pick in one of those years."

Larry Coon's FAQ

Since we DEFINITELY will get NYK's 1st rounder which means we won't stay without a 1st rounder this year not even if we trade our own 2004 1st rounder, we are allowed to trade our 2004 1st rounder.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by elindholm
I do not think Araujo would go back to europe to play

Back?
He is from Brazil.

What, are we all learning our geography now from TNT's "Inside the NBA"?

Actually, it gets pretty confusing. Lampe was born in Sweden, grew up in Poland, and played in Spain. I can just imagine some drunken fan shouting, "why don't you go back to where you came from?"

"Where's that?"

 

[sunsfn]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by sunsfn

I do not think Araujo would go back to europe to play,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back?
He is from Brazil.

WHOOPS!!!!


--------------------------------------------------
George said,
-----------------------------------
Lampe was born in Sweden, grew up in Poland
---------------------------

Actually, he was born in Poland and grew up in Sweden.

 

[brasilsunsfreak]

Dude, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejão can be centers, even though they don't REALLY have an NBA body just yet.

I like Tiago Splitter A LOT! I think hes a good post player, he turned 19 20 days ago. The info in nbadraft.net is 2 years old, I remember reading it for the first time a while ago. Ever since, hes gotten much stronger (about 40 pounds of muscle) but is still young. He will be a PF/C.

I hate it a bunch of 7 foot Europeans want to play SF. Your 7 feet tall!! Play center! Soon, centers will be an extinct kind.