2008 Draft Day Live Blog

June 26, 2008 at 5:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

[2:10pm]
Ah yes, the gem of the NBA offseason is upon us. Rumors have been circulating for days now, and the “don’t believe everything they tell you” rule is already in effect. Yesterday the news outlets were reporting the deal that sent Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the 17th overall pick. Well, early this morning there were reports that the deal didn’t go down. Then, just hours ago, O’Neal himself confirmed the deal, showing a great amount of respect for Pacers’ president, Larry Bird, saying “We both agreed that the
timing was perfect. His focus on getting them (the Pacers) to a level where they
can grow and start to be competitive was tremendous.”

[2:23pm]
Reports out of the east say the the Bucks and Nets are close to a deal involving Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian. The move is said to send Jefferson to Miluakee for Yi and forward, Bobby Simmons. A Fox Sports headline suggests that the deal could be a step in the Nets’ pursuit of LeBron James.

[2:30pm]
Well, here’s the craziest rumor thus far: TheLakersNation is reporting the rumor that the Heat and the Lakers are engaged in talks that would send Lamar Odom to Miami for the #2 pick in the draft (likely Michael Beasley), Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount. The deal could shore up the Lakers sticky situation at SF, however a rookie fix might not be the answer.

[2:48pm]
More Lakers rumors involve a deal with Seattle for their early second round pick. The Lakers are reportedly interested in IUPUI point guard, George Hill. Hill, who is touted as an early second round pick is “a very smooth offensive player that is able to score from anywhere on
the court relying on his finesse and fundamentals … Has tremendously
efficient shooting percentages: 55% FG, 45 % 3PT and 81% FT … Fills
the stat sheet in all categories with 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3
assists, and 1.8 steals per game … He’s long and lanky which enables
him to play bigger than his actual size,” according to NBADraft.net.

[3:01pm]
Just some quick trade news via the AP:

1. The Hornets have agreed to send their first-round draft pick,
   the 27th overall, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash that could
   help New Orleans add a key free agent to a rising young squad
2. The Nuggets traded the 20th pick to the Bobcats on Wednesday in exchange for
   a future, protected first-round pick. The Bobcats, who also hold the ninth pick
   on Thursday, may now get a chance to address needs at center and point guard.

[4:04pm]
Oh Yeah, I love the draft day buzz. The television coverage has just begun, and Van Gundy is already laying down the fail. Man, I sure miss Chuck. Nevertheless, the Bulls are on the clock… just around 25 minutes until the pick, and they have just confirmed that they will be selecting Rose. This means the door is open for that outlandish rumor that would send Beasley, Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount to the Lakers in exchange for LO. Still though, RUMOR.

[4:32pm]
Stern is getting the boo treatment. The party is starting. The Bulls are officially on the clock… even though we already know what’s going to happen.

[4:37pm]
“With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.” Good choice. This was a tough choice for the Bulls, and in my opinion they made the right decision. Not only was Beasley’s maturity in question, but Rose’s performance in the tourney had to be hard to turn down. …Plus he’s a local kid. Expect big things from this kid.

[4:40pm]
Soo, the Heat are on the clock. Now lets see if the LO rumors have any validity.

[4:43pm]
Alright, the Heat just took Beasley, despite the rumors of a possible OJ Mayo surprise. As of now, the LO to Miami rumors were just rumors. I’ll be staying on top of it though.

[4:48pm]
The Wolves just selected good old OJ Mayo, making this the first draft ever to feature three freshmen as the first three picks. Bilas says Mayo is the most NBA-ready player in the draft, and I think I’d agree. There’s a lot of hate out there for Mayo, but his game might translate better to the NBA than everyone thinks.

[4:55pm]
The Sonics took Russell Westbrook. Love this guy. It will be interesting to see if he can fit in at PG… and if he can, the Westbrook/Durant backcourt is going to be a force.

[5:02pm]
K-Love to the Grizz. Love has expressed his desire to play in Memphis, and… well, he should fit in well there. Kevin has bulked up significantly, and cut out a lot of fat with some wonder diet. I really like Love’s potential.

[5:06pm]
Here’s the Knicks pick… They picked the Italian guy. Boos everywhere. Danilo Gallinari was the Euro League rising star of the year last season, and Bilas seems to be in love with him… He’ll be fun to watch. Plus, Coach D’Antoni and the kid’s dad are buddies.

[5:13pm]
The Clippers just took Eric Gordon from Indiana. Good move. I was thinking they would (stupidly) go for Lopez, but, clearly their C and PF dudes are locked down. Nice addition for LAC.

[5:17pm]
Here’s the Bucks’ pick. Woah. They went with Joe Alexander. Alexander is a great SF out of West Virginia, but I was thinking the Bucks were going to go with Brook Lopez having just dealt Yi Jianlian to the Nets. Interesting.

[5:24pm]
Oh man. The Bobcats passed up on Brook Lopez as well. DJ Augustin. Everyone was saying they were going to pick big, but instead, went with one of the smallest guys in the draft. New Jersey is on the clock, and Brook Lopez is going to be a present if they take him.

[5:27pm]
Lopez is turning into the Matt Leinart of the draft. NBADraft.net projected Lopez to go fourth to the Sonics. He’s got to be sweating.

[5:30pm]
There it is. Lopez to the Nets with the 10th pick. The crowd appears to approve. What a steal. Lopez is a tough guy with a 7′5″ wingspan. I’m going to slow down the updates for now. I’ll keep you posted with any big news… and of course the highly anticipated Lakers’ #58 pick. NBADraft.net has JR Giddens (6′5″ 208lbs. SG) out of New Mexico going there. You might remember GIddens as a transfer from Kansas.

[7:13pm]
Huge addition for the Hornets just now. Darrell Aurthur out of Kansas sunk to the 27th pick after suspicion of a kidney issue. He stated that his last blood tests came back clear, and that he’s 100%. Crazy.

[10:01pm]
Well, tonight was quite the night. Trades EVERYWHERE. I spent five hours in front of the TV tonight, and I must say, not until the middle of the second round did I get bored. The Lakers had the 58th pick, and they took Joe Crawford, a 6-4 213 shooting guard out of Kentucky. Crawford averaged 18ppg and was 4th in the SEC in scoring. The tape on him that I saw looked more indicative of PG play, though I haven’t seen much. I did notice a ton of driving layups/dunks. Crawford shouldn’t have trouble making the team (probably a J-Critt type role), come November.

Here’s his full scouting synopsis courtesy of NBADraft.net writer Derrick Brownson:

Strengths: Athletic player, who plays bigger than his 6-4 size because
of a great vertical leap. Known for his athletic driving lay ups and
highlight film dunks … Has became a team leader and has made himself
more assertive especially on the offensive end in his senior season …
Has shown steady growth in his 4 year stay at Kentucky … Has
flourished under Billy Gillispie and became the face of Kentucky
basketball this season and one of the main reasons why Kentucky has
elevated it’s play down the stretch … Versatile player who is good at
many things but not necessarily great at one … Has begun to live up
to the potential he showed coming out of college in his past two years
… Has solid form on his jumpshot and great potential to be a very
good shooter … Above average passer for a 2-guard who is a solid off
the ball player with solid driving and shot creating abilities …
Plays with heart and works hard on both ends of floor, has shown solid
court sense and team leadership skills, he doesn’t try to force plays
that aren’t there … Unselfish player, putting the team above himself
… Could become a solid NBA player with right team/situation … Most
likely at best will become valuable role player on next level … With
solid workouts/camp performance has possibility to become a 2nd round
pick.

Weaknesses: Undersized at the shooting guard position on
the next level, although his athleticism helps to compensate … Must
learn to value the basketball, and cut down on turnovers better …
Since he’s not really great at one thing, he would need to find right
the fit with a team that values what he brings to the table and could
possible run 3-guard system at times for him to flourish … Might be
better off for his career in the long run to play in Europe for couple
years (ala Charlie Bell) to develop certain skills that are needed at
the NBA level … Still needs to learn how to get teammates involved
better … To his credit, he has shown maturity since freshman year and
hasn’t been involved in any issues since … Has never really shot a
terrific percentage from 3-point range or free throw (though it’s
solid) and can be streaky, as shown when he scored 28 points against
Houston and then scored just 5 against a lesser Tennessee Tech team …
Plain and simple just needs more developing in his overall game and
find a specialty to become valuable in the NBA …

Notes: Was a
highly ranked (top 25) player coming out of High School along with
Renaissance (MI) running mate Mailk Hairston … Originally committed
to University of Michigan but changed his decision to be a part of a
freshman class that included Rajon Rondo, and Randolph Morris … Had
issues his freshman year under coach Tubby Smith and considered
transferring but was ultimately talked out of it … [NBADraft.net Page]

*ALL TIMES PACIFIC

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It’s Never Too Early to Start Talking About Next Season

June 19, 2008 at 1:39 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Sure the Lakers just got clowned, but these nuggets that I found (via The Lakers Nation), only one day after the hideous 39-point loss, may instill some hope among the optimists out there.

First, Andrew Bynum on contracts:
In an interview toward the end of the regular season, Bynum said he
wanted to stay with the team and did not necessarily expect a maximum
contract extension of about $80 million.”I just want to be a Laker,” he
said. “As long as they treat me right, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t
have to be max [money] for me. I just want to be able to live
comfortably and take care of my family.” [LA TImes]

And second, Sasha on coming up short:
“Next year, especially with
Andrew and the same group, we won’t be short two games like we were
this year; I can guarantee you that,” Vujacic said. “We are going to
work really hard. Personally, I’m going to work myself really hard in
the gym all summer. We want to win it. We lost our first (NBA) Finals,
and I think we have a lot more to go.” [OC Register]

There’s also been a lot of talk about Ron Artest coming over, however he has made statements that suggest otherwise. I think the Lakers should consider pursuing him. He is going to be able to play a position (SF) that Lamar will need time to get adjusted to with Bynum coming back, with better efficiency, and most importantly, better consistency.

Finally, Phil Jackson, who is under increasing scrutiny (cough. after being out-coached by Doc), made these comments about the future during Tuesday’s press conference: “We have to get some players if we’re going to come back and repeat, to have that kind of aggressiveness that we need.”

There’s a lot of talk already. It’s going to be a long off-season.

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I Can’t Say I Didn’t See This Coming

June 10, 2008 at 12:01 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Of course Lakers fans would lash out on Paul Pierce’s pseudo heroics in game one. It’s been beat into the ground by columnists across the nation, but thanks to the marvelous photoshopping of a supposedly-anonymous Lakers fan, this one takes the cake:

Paul Pierce’s new Jersey? [The Lakers Nation]

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“Rivalries are born, but they never die”

June 6, 2008 at 11:16 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Just when we were getting sick of the split-screen "there can only be one" commercials, the NBA slapped us across the face with this piece of art:

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Lakers vs. Celtics Series Preview

June 4, 2008 at 4:09 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Welcome to the greatest thing to happen to the NBA in years.

The conspiracy theorists got their wish as the #1 seed Lakers and the #1 seed Celtics clinched into the finals to make for the perfect storm of playoff basketball. Two of the most storied franchises in sports meeting in the finals for the first time since 1987. A lot of things have changed since 1987 (gasoline sold for around $1.15 a gallon… that’s enough evidence), but the rivalry remains the same. Back in 2000, ESPN ranked it the the #2 "rivalry we wish still existed." Well, It’s back. The importance of this rivalry spans generations, going back to their first meeting in 1959, and the subsequent six meetings in the 1960s.

This rivalry is so huge, that even I know a detailed history of it. I was -2 when the Lakers and Celtics last met in the finals, though thanks to some keen storytelling from my father and seemingly endless hours of programming on ESPN Classic, I know the history… I know the pageantry. I think it’s the pageantry that puts it over the top. With the rivalry on the brink of dormancy in 1989, Electronic Arts released one of the greatest video games of all time–’Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs.’ What other rivalry has an entire video game devoted to it?

Enough about the past. Though history is there, these are two completely different teams trying to write their own page in the book.

The Celtics had a much tougher route to the finals, requiring seven games with both Atlanta and Cleveland. However, after not winning a single road game in the first or second round, the Celtics managed to grab two in Detroit… Something that closes the door to the "they can’t win on the road in the playoffs" thoughts. The Lakers did away with a sluggish Spurs team in five, much to the surprise of some.

The Lakers got back a key piece to the puzzle in that Spurs series; Trevor Ariza. While Trevor didn’t get much action in the conference finals (four points in around nine minutes total), the week of rest was the best possible thing for Trevor’s return. “I hope he’s going to have an opportunity to play,’’ Phil Jackson said. “He can help us.’’ Ariza then stated “I can’t say what the situation is or will be, but I know when the time comes, I’ll be ready.’’

The matchups are going to be what makes or breaks this series for either team. The Lakers main concern is going to be containing the Celtics big three. No surprise there. The LA Times is reporting:

Derek Fisher will guard second-year point guard Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant will start out on Ray Allen, but the frontcourt is somewhat unsettled.

Pau Gasol probably will start out on Kevin Garnett, and Vladimir Radmanovic probably will draw Paul Pierce, though this is the type of series where defense-minded forward Trevor Ariza could get more playing time, presumably against Pierce. [LA Times]

I know it won’t happen, but I figure the Lakers would be better off sliding Kobe to the three to defend Pierce, bringing Sasha Vujacic into the lineup to guard Ray Allen. Having Vlad Rad guard Pierce doesn’t seem too productive… unless, like the story suggested, they can get Trevor Ariza involved at that level.

Time for all the fun stuff:

The Celtics have won both matchups with the Lakers in the regular season. One being the "short-shorts" misstep, and the other being a 13 Lakers loss in late November. Since I’ve made the "post-Gasol acquisition era" a bit of a trend, I’ll add that the Lakers have not seen the Celtics since the acquisition of Pau . Pau, however did see the Celtics on January 4 as a member of the Grizz. Pau got contained rather well, only scoring 12 points and pulling down eight rebounds.

In the
regular season, the Lakers scored 108.6 points per game and allowed
101.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 3rd of 30 and a
defensive rating at 5th of 30. The Celtics scored 100.5 points per game
and allowed 90.3 points per game with an offensive rating at 9th of 30
and a defensive rating at 1th of 30.

Series Schedule: (2-3-2)
Game One
Thursday - 6/5
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Two
Sunday - 6/8
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Three
Tuesday - 6/10
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Game Four
Thursday - 6/12
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Five
Sunday - 6/15
Celtics @ Lakers
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Six
Tuesday - 6/17
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00 - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

*Game Seven
Thursday - 6/19
Lakers @ Celtics
6:00pm - ABC
Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy

Player Playoff Averages:

(LAL)
Derek Fisher - 10 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 APG
Kobe Bryant - 31.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.8 APG
Vladimir Radmanovic - 8.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.5 APG
Lamar Odom - 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.9 APG
Pau Gasol - 17.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.2 APG

(BOS)
Rajon Rondo - 10.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG
Ray Allen - 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Paul Pierce - 19 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.1 APG
Kevin Garnett - 21.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
Kendrick Perkins - 7.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.6 APG

Keys To The Series:
The Lakers should look to take advantage of the 2-3-2 format of the NBA finals by winning one of two in Boston either Thursday or Sunday. The Lakers have yet to lose a game at home this season, so I’m going to assume they won’t have trouble winning all three next week. The challenge is going to come in Boston, and it’s most likely going to come down to what Celtics team shows up to play. The experts are overwhelmingly picking the Lakers to win the series, but I wouldn’t be too quick to write off the Celtics… especially after closing out their series with Boston so strong. In the end, I say Lakers in five if they win one of the first two games, if not, Lakers in seven.

Regardless of what happens, this series is going to hit home with Lakers and Celtics fans in a way that hasn’t happened since the late 80s. Buckle up. This is going to be a fun one.

Additional Reading:
Playoff Central [Lakers.com]
LA Times Lakers Blog [LA Times Lakers Blog] - Inside info, audio and updates
Game Notes (PDF) [Lakers.com]
Game Notes (PDF) [Celtics.com]

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