continued.....................
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Draft Cards
Too hot? Telfair is among several top draft prospects who may be a little too hot right now. The lofty draft expectations some are putting on them don't really fit with the actual scouting reports.
Take Jameer Nelson, for example. He's having an amazing season at St. Joseph's and certainly has solidified his status as a first-round pick in this year's draft. But recent published assertions that he's a top-10 pick? I haven't heard that from one scout. Not even close. Several scouts who didn't like him at the start of the season now believe he's an NBA player. But no one is saying he'll be a dominant player in the league. His lack of size (he measured 5-10 at the Chicago camp last summer), quickness and a so-so vertical matter to GMs. I'm not knocking Nelson. I could see him rising as high as the mid-first round because of the lack of other qualified college veterans in this draft. But top 10? It just doesn't mesh with the scouting reports I've read.
The recent flurry of press for Providence's Ryan Gomes is another example. The 6-foot-7 forward has been awesome for the Friars and is pretty close to a lock for the first round if he declares. But I've yet to find a scout who can figure out how his game translates at the pro level. The fact he's added a 3-point shot to his highly developed inside game has helped his stock. But what scouts are now focusing on is what position he'll defend in the pros. He's not quick enough to guard threes and not big enough or strong enough to guard NBA fours. That's going to be an issue. Gomes has been one of the best college players in the country this year, but unless scouts find a fit in the pros, his draft stock will suffer.
The waters also seem to be cooling for 7-foot-1 Russian-Canadian high school star Ivan Chiriaev. While some scouts are still in love (and claiming he's a lottery pick), others have been turned off in recent visits. What's the issue? With the lack of competition in Canada, most scouts believe the kid is years away from making an impact on the NBA level. With the recent first-year struggles of very young international players like Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Darko Milicic, teams are taking a closer look at kids like this and factoring in whether or not they can afford to wait for them to develop.
Cooling off: There are a few players who seem to be cooling off in scouts' eyes after some pretty big preseason hype.
Gordon
Start with UConn's Ben Gordon , who is having a good, but not spectacular, season. The fact Gordon has been stuck at the two all year has hurt his progress, in some scouts' minds.
"I think he has the skills to be a point in the pros," one scout told Insider. "But I don't know that. He's a two guard right now, plain and simple. If he's going to succeed in the NBA, he's got to be a one."
Jay Williams and Kirk Hinrich went through similar problems their last year in college and still were drafted high. But the difference for both players was scouts did get to see them run a team at least one full year in school. That's never happened for Gordon, and some scouts think he should stay in school one more year and take over the point. With Taliek Brown graduating, a spot will be open for Gordon to do just that, if he wants.
The issue may not kill Gordon come draft night as teams get a closer look in workouts, but it's clearly bothering some people at the moment.
Syracuse's Hakim Warrick is also suffering from expectations that were out of control at the start of the season. Warrick has put up nice numbers (19.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg) in Carmelo Anthony's absence, but scouts are still struggling to figure out his position in the pros. He's probably a three, based on his frame and lack of strength, but his shooting touch and ball handling are still very suspect. For Warrick to climb back into the lottery, he'll have to prove to NBA scouts at workouts that he's not Darius Miles without the handle. If he doesn't, he'll still be drafted, but he'll probably slip into the mid-first round.
Paulding
Missouri's Rickey Paulding is another guy who appears to have hit rock bottom. Many scouts thought Paulding had a real shot at the lottery if he turned in a good season at MU this year. His big game against Oklahoma State notwithstanding, his numbers (15.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg on 39 percent shooting) are very disappointing and could cost him a shot at a guaranteed contract as a first-round pick come June. Some scouts believe Paulding will bounce back once he hits workouts because of his superior athleticism, but others aren't so sure. He's been accused of not playing hard all the time -- the kiss of death for most NBA scouts.
Texas A&M's Antoine Wright was another product of high expectations and poor execution. His 13.4 ppg on 36 percent shooting this year are a major disappointment after a stellar freshman year. At least he has the ability, after being hyped by some as a lottery pick this year, to go back to school another two years.
Head scratcher: Christjan Drejer's decision to dump the Gators and play professionally in Spain could come back to haunt him.
Let's be clear, though: His signing with Euroleague champs F.C. Barcelona wasn't the dastardly deed college scribes made it out to be. How many of you would be willing to work for free when someone was offering you millions to work at one of the top organizations in the world? Drejer made the same type of decision college coaches make almost every year. When does personal advancement and a big fat contract outweigh personal loyalty to a university? Drejer came to the same conclusion most college coaches do. He followed his passion and the money. If coaches are allowed to dump their recruiting classes at will, they should keep quiet when a player makes the same decision.
With that said, no one's clear how this will affect his draft stock. Drejer was seen by many scouts as potential mid-first-round pick before he left Florida. He's likely to get even less playing time for the Euroleague champs, who are stocked at just about every position. Playing against the likes of Dejan Bodiroga, Gregor ****a, Anderson Varejao and Juan Carlos Navarro every day in practice isn't a bad consolation prize, however. Drejer is signed with Barcelona through the 2004-05 season, but he does have a buyout figure should he decide to enter the NBA draft.
This is probably a wait-and-see situation.
Splitter, Perovic out?
Two top international big men -- Tiago Splitter and Kosta Perovic -- may miss the 2004 draft, after all. Neither has an NBA buyout clause in his contract, and there already is evidence from their teams -- Tau Ceramica and Partizan, respectively -- that they do not want to let the players out of their deals this season.
Perovic is the most pressing. Partizan owner Vlade Divac -- yes, that Vlade Divac -- is telling NBA teams that, with the loss of Nenad Kristic to the Nets this summer (his agent confirms Kristic will play for the Nets next season), he doesn't want to give up Perovic for another year or two. Perovic wants to declare for the draft this year, and his representatives are trying to work out a compromise. If Vlade sticks to his guns, it's highly unlikely a team would be willing to draft Perovic in the lottery without assurances he'll be in the NBA next season.
Splitter's agent is still flirting with putting him in the draft, but limited playing time this year combined with no NBA buyout have them leaning toward keeping Splitter out of this year's mix. Splitter drew rave reviews from scouts after a strong performance on the Brazilian national team last summer, but he has struggled to crack Tau's rotation this year.
-------------------------------------------------------
Peep Show
NBA Insider
Friday, February 27
Los Angeles Lakers: If Mitch Kupchak was the self-proclaimed "Most Dominant Player Ever" on this particular team, he'd have Shaq taking notes from him on how to keep his mouth shut and not get beat on their home floor by a team missing its all-star starting center and all-star starting power forward. "I don't think comments like that are professional," Kupchak said in the Los Angeles Times after Shaq said that he could do a better job as general manager of the Lakers. "It certainly can be handled in a different way. I would hope for more professional behavior. Personally, it's not important to me whether somebody likes me or our coach or each other. What's important is they're professional and they're professional in their job." But Mitch is Mitch and Shaq is Shaq and these are, after all, the Lakers. "You have to write part of it off to Shaquille being Shaquille," he said. "I'm sure there's a degree of frustration there, also&. It's been a rough year. We're all a little edgy."
Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge is accepting the fact that he may be the most hated man in Boston these days. "What do you want me to say?" Ainge told the Boston Globe. "I take full responsibility for things that happened this year . . . I can't expect everybody to understand. It doesn't matter. If they cheered me with a team that wins 44 games every year, that means nothing. Significant changes needed to be made to be where we need to be . . . I know that I'm not on an island. The people I work for understand each and every transaction, although I can't sit here and say I thought we'd be 11 games under .500."
Divac
Sacramento Kings: Vlade Divac was thinking about retiring after this season until he saw a line forming outside his door to offer him more money. "Are you kidding?" Kings president Geoff Petrie told the Sacramento Bee. "Absolutely. Vlade is the heart and soul of this team. It's hard for me to imagine him playing anywhere else because of our style of play, the fixture that he is within the organization and community. And the fact that, with all the injuries, he has always been there for us, always. We will be the first in line." For free agent Vlade, it's a win-win situation. "That is the way I feel now," said Divac, who will earn $12 million this season. "The last couple weeks I have been feeling great. I was talking to (wife) Ana about this. If the money is even close to what I would get somewhere else, I stay here. But if it's big difference -- if (the Kings) offer me $2 million and someone else offers me $4 million -- I would have to leave. But I would love to come back to Sacramento. This is my city. I am comfortable here. My family is comfortable here. I just hope I don't get any crazy offers and have to leave."
Atlanta Hawks: Dion Glover had seen enough. Not only was he playing for one of the worst teams in the league he wasn't even playing anymore. So he asked to be released and the Hawks granted his wish leaving the team with only eight players. "He wishes it could've worked out in Atlanta," agent Brian Dyke said in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We felt it was time for a fresh start elsewhere." The Hawks have now had 23 different players on their roster for the season.
Detroit Pistons: Center Mehmet Okur will miss the next five games due to back spasms that have placed him on the injured reserve list. "His back just stiffened up on him," Pistons coach Larry Brown said in the Detroit News. Okur has been battling the condition for the last three weeks and seemed to have it under control until the spasms flared up again Wednesday night.
Williams
Toronto Raptors: When it rains in Toronto, it pours. Now, Alvin Williams will be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee today. "That hurts us big time," Raptor coach Kevin O'Neill said Thursday night. "It just never ends, does it?" If you haven't been keeping track, the Raptors are already without the services of Vince Carter and Jalen Rose. "It's frustrating not being able to play and for me it's frustrating because it's been three years," Williams said. "I've had everything, you name it. Surgery, MRIs, X-rays, acupuncture, treatment; right now, it's just not responding to anything."
-------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Draft Cards
Too hot? Telfair is among several top draft prospects who may be a little too hot right now. The lofty draft expectations some are putting on them don't really fit with the actual scouting reports.
Take Jameer Nelson, for example. He's having an amazing season at St. Joseph's and certainly has solidified his status as a first-round pick in this year's draft. But recent published assertions that he's a top-10 pick? I haven't heard that from one scout. Not even close. Several scouts who didn't like him at the start of the season now believe he's an NBA player. But no one is saying he'll be a dominant player in the league. His lack of size (he measured 5-10 at the Chicago camp last summer), quickness and a so-so vertical matter to GMs. I'm not knocking Nelson. I could see him rising as high as the mid-first round because of the lack of other qualified college veterans in this draft. But top 10? It just doesn't mesh with the scouting reports I've read.
The recent flurry of press for Providence's Ryan Gomes is another example. The 6-foot-7 forward has been awesome for the Friars and is pretty close to a lock for the first round if he declares. But I've yet to find a scout who can figure out how his game translates at the pro level. The fact he's added a 3-point shot to his highly developed inside game has helped his stock. But what scouts are now focusing on is what position he'll defend in the pros. He's not quick enough to guard threes and not big enough or strong enough to guard NBA fours. That's going to be an issue. Gomes has been one of the best college players in the country this year, but unless scouts find a fit in the pros, his draft stock will suffer.
The waters also seem to be cooling for 7-foot-1 Russian-Canadian high school star Ivan Chiriaev. While some scouts are still in love (and claiming he's a lottery pick), others have been turned off in recent visits. What's the issue? With the lack of competition in Canada, most scouts believe the kid is years away from making an impact on the NBA level. With the recent first-year struggles of very young international players like Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Darko Milicic, teams are taking a closer look at kids like this and factoring in whether or not they can afford to wait for them to develop.
Cooling off: There are a few players who seem to be cooling off in scouts' eyes after some pretty big preseason hype.
Gordon
Start with UConn's Ben Gordon , who is having a good, but not spectacular, season. The fact Gordon has been stuck at the two all year has hurt his progress, in some scouts' minds.
"I think he has the skills to be a point in the pros," one scout told Insider. "But I don't know that. He's a two guard right now, plain and simple. If he's going to succeed in the NBA, he's got to be a one."
Jay Williams and Kirk Hinrich went through similar problems their last year in college and still were drafted high. But the difference for both players was scouts did get to see them run a team at least one full year in school. That's never happened for Gordon, and some scouts think he should stay in school one more year and take over the point. With Taliek Brown graduating, a spot will be open for Gordon to do just that, if he wants.
The issue may not kill Gordon come draft night as teams get a closer look in workouts, but it's clearly bothering some people at the moment.
Syracuse's Hakim Warrick is also suffering from expectations that were out of control at the start of the season. Warrick has put up nice numbers (19.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg) in Carmelo Anthony's absence, but scouts are still struggling to figure out his position in the pros. He's probably a three, based on his frame and lack of strength, but his shooting touch and ball handling are still very suspect. For Warrick to climb back into the lottery, he'll have to prove to NBA scouts at workouts that he's not Darius Miles without the handle. If he doesn't, he'll still be drafted, but he'll probably slip into the mid-first round.
Paulding
Missouri's Rickey Paulding is another guy who appears to have hit rock bottom. Many scouts thought Paulding had a real shot at the lottery if he turned in a good season at MU this year. His big game against Oklahoma State notwithstanding, his numbers (15.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg on 39 percent shooting) are very disappointing and could cost him a shot at a guaranteed contract as a first-round pick come June. Some scouts believe Paulding will bounce back once he hits workouts because of his superior athleticism, but others aren't so sure. He's been accused of not playing hard all the time -- the kiss of death for most NBA scouts.
Texas A&M's Antoine Wright was another product of high expectations and poor execution. His 13.4 ppg on 36 percent shooting this year are a major disappointment after a stellar freshman year. At least he has the ability, after being hyped by some as a lottery pick this year, to go back to school another two years.
Head scratcher: Christjan Drejer's decision to dump the Gators and play professionally in Spain could come back to haunt him.
Let's be clear, though: His signing with Euroleague champs F.C. Barcelona wasn't the dastardly deed college scribes made it out to be. How many of you would be willing to work for free when someone was offering you millions to work at one of the top organizations in the world? Drejer made the same type of decision college coaches make almost every year. When does personal advancement and a big fat contract outweigh personal loyalty to a university? Drejer came to the same conclusion most college coaches do. He followed his passion and the money. If coaches are allowed to dump their recruiting classes at will, they should keep quiet when a player makes the same decision.
With that said, no one's clear how this will affect his draft stock. Drejer was seen by many scouts as potential mid-first-round pick before he left Florida. He's likely to get even less playing time for the Euroleague champs, who are stocked at just about every position. Playing against the likes of Dejan Bodiroga, Gregor ****a, Anderson Varejao and Juan Carlos Navarro every day in practice isn't a bad consolation prize, however. Drejer is signed with Barcelona through the 2004-05 season, but he does have a buyout figure should he decide to enter the NBA draft.
This is probably a wait-and-see situation.
Splitter, Perovic out?
Two top international big men -- Tiago Splitter and Kosta Perovic -- may miss the 2004 draft, after all. Neither has an NBA buyout clause in his contract, and there already is evidence from their teams -- Tau Ceramica and Partizan, respectively -- that they do not want to let the players out of their deals this season.
Perovic is the most pressing. Partizan owner Vlade Divac -- yes, that Vlade Divac -- is telling NBA teams that, with the loss of Nenad Kristic to the Nets this summer (his agent confirms Kristic will play for the Nets next season), he doesn't want to give up Perovic for another year or two. Perovic wants to declare for the draft this year, and his representatives are trying to work out a compromise. If Vlade sticks to his guns, it's highly unlikely a team would be willing to draft Perovic in the lottery without assurances he'll be in the NBA next season.
Splitter's agent is still flirting with putting him in the draft, but limited playing time this year combined with no NBA buyout have them leaning toward keeping Splitter out of this year's mix. Splitter drew rave reviews from scouts after a strong performance on the Brazilian national team last summer, but he has struggled to crack Tau's rotation this year.
-------------------------------------------------------
Peep Show
NBA Insider
Friday, February 27
Los Angeles Lakers: If Mitch Kupchak was the self-proclaimed "Most Dominant Player Ever" on this particular team, he'd have Shaq taking notes from him on how to keep his mouth shut and not get beat on their home floor by a team missing its all-star starting center and all-star starting power forward. "I don't think comments like that are professional," Kupchak said in the Los Angeles Times after Shaq said that he could do a better job as general manager of the Lakers. "It certainly can be handled in a different way. I would hope for more professional behavior. Personally, it's not important to me whether somebody likes me or our coach or each other. What's important is they're professional and they're professional in their job." But Mitch is Mitch and Shaq is Shaq and these are, after all, the Lakers. "You have to write part of it off to Shaquille being Shaquille," he said. "I'm sure there's a degree of frustration there, also&. It's been a rough year. We're all a little edgy."
Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge is accepting the fact that he may be the most hated man in Boston these days. "What do you want me to say?" Ainge told the Boston Globe. "I take full responsibility for things that happened this year . . . I can't expect everybody to understand. It doesn't matter. If they cheered me with a team that wins 44 games every year, that means nothing. Significant changes needed to be made to be where we need to be . . . I know that I'm not on an island. The people I work for understand each and every transaction, although I can't sit here and say I thought we'd be 11 games under .500."
Divac
Sacramento Kings: Vlade Divac was thinking about retiring after this season until he saw a line forming outside his door to offer him more money. "Are you kidding?" Kings president Geoff Petrie told the Sacramento Bee. "Absolutely. Vlade is the heart and soul of this team. It's hard for me to imagine him playing anywhere else because of our style of play, the fixture that he is within the organization and community. And the fact that, with all the injuries, he has always been there for us, always. We will be the first in line." For free agent Vlade, it's a win-win situation. "That is the way I feel now," said Divac, who will earn $12 million this season. "The last couple weeks I have been feeling great. I was talking to (wife) Ana about this. If the money is even close to what I would get somewhere else, I stay here. But if it's big difference -- if (the Kings) offer me $2 million and someone else offers me $4 million -- I would have to leave. But I would love to come back to Sacramento. This is my city. I am comfortable here. My family is comfortable here. I just hope I don't get any crazy offers and have to leave."
Atlanta Hawks: Dion Glover had seen enough. Not only was he playing for one of the worst teams in the league he wasn't even playing anymore. So he asked to be released and the Hawks granted his wish leaving the team with only eight players. "He wishes it could've worked out in Atlanta," agent Brian Dyke said in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We felt it was time for a fresh start elsewhere." The Hawks have now had 23 different players on their roster for the season.
Detroit Pistons: Center Mehmet Okur will miss the next five games due to back spasms that have placed him on the injured reserve list. "His back just stiffened up on him," Pistons coach Larry Brown said in the Detroit News. Okur has been battling the condition for the last three weeks and seemed to have it under control until the spasms flared up again Wednesday night.
Williams
Toronto Raptors: When it rains in Toronto, it pours. Now, Alvin Williams will be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee today. "That hurts us big time," Raptor coach Kevin O'Neill said Thursday night. "It just never ends, does it?" If you haven't been keeping track, the Raptors are already without the services of Vince Carter and Jalen Rose. "It's frustrating not being able to play and for me it's frustrating because it's been three years," Williams said. "I've had everything, you name it. Surgery, MRIs, X-rays, acupuncture, treatment; right now, it's just not responding to anything."
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