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5th March, 2010 - 7:00 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: 32 Fearless Predictions For The 2011 NFL Draft
The draft is less than a week away. Draft boards from teams are essentially set and are now being carefully guarded. Here are some predictions for what we'll see next week. Some are serious, some are fun, and less than five will probably come to fruition.
TEAM RANKINGS: Euroleague Top 16 Power Rankings
Barcelona, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Maccabi, Madrid and Siena enter the Top 16 phase as likely contenders to win the 2011 Euroleague.
STANDING 10: Non-National Games Of The Week (1/17-1/23)
The Knicks make three appearances this week, along with several from Blake Griffin and the Clippers.
MOCK DRAFT: 2010 NBA Mock Draft, Version 5.0
An interesting week of prevalent deception is nearly over and the actual picks are hours away. Hundreds of hours have been spent watching the 60 players that 30 teams hope will improve their club in the coming years.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn?t overlooking Orlando?
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Andrew Perna
We are roughly three-fourths of the way through the 2009-10 season and most believe that the Rookie of the Year race is all but over. After a strong run by Brandon Jennings in the first month of the season, Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry as the clear leaders to take home the hardware.
The three guards are 1-2-3 on this list, but a strong lot of forwards are creeping behind them with six more weeks left in the regular season.
Using RealGM Executive Editor Christopher Reina?s Floor Impact Counter scoring system, I?ve ranked rookie in terms of total FIC this season.
All statistics are through Thursday March 5th?s action.
1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento - 20.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 707 FIC
I?m a big fan of Stephen Curry, but if I had a vote, 'Reggie Evans' would be scribbled down in permanent marker even with 20 or so games remaining this season. While his numbers appear to have peaked in December, he still averaged 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds in February. That would be stellar for a 10-year veteran.
2. Stephen Curry, Golden State - 15.6 points, 5.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 667 FIC
Curry has fully entered his name into the ROY conversation, leapfrogging Brandon Jennings, thanks to strong efforts in January (19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds) and February (21.5 points, 7.3 dimes and 5.3 boards). He has stumbled out of the gate in March, but that shouldn?t linger.
3. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee - 15.9 points, 6.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 583 FIC
Jennings? Rookie of the Year hopes have faded fast (I?ll resist a hair joke), but he?s still an All-Rookie Team member (assuming we can go with a three-guard attack). His shooting percentages have fallen in each month, but he has become a better distributor and his poor passes aren?t as plentiful.
4. Taj Gibson, Chicago - 8.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.21 blocks and 479 FIC
Gibson has become relevant since Christmas, supplanting his status well ahead of fellow rookie James Johnson on Chicago?s depth chart. Without his strong play, the Bulls wouldn?t have traded Tyrus Thomas and they would be missing Joakim Noah (foot) even more.
5. Omri Casspi, Sacramento - 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 461 FIC
Casspi is nothing if not consistent. His scoring average has changed by just one-tenth of a point (his rebounds have spiked) since December, when I last reviewed the rookies. There has been talk of him hitting the rookie wall and while his shot looks tired, he has still been a great contributor.
6. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota ? 13.7 points, 4.4 assists, 1.06 steals and 456 FIC
Flynn hasn?t had much of a problem scoring at the professional level, but he still needs to refine his point guard skills. Evans and Curry, with point guard skills that were doubted heading into the draft, have better assist-to-turnover numbers than the former Syracuse guard.
7. Darren Collison, New Orleans - 10.5 points, 4.8 assists, 10.2 steals and 432 FIC
Collison?s ascension was made possible by Chris Paul?s knee injury. Somehow, I think Jeff Bower will find minutes for the rookie even when All-Star point guard returns.
8. DeJuan Blair, San Antonio - 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 410 FIC
Blair?s numbers have increased as the season has progressed, as have his minutes. He?ll get some votes, but he won?t win Rookie of the Year honors because he?s averaging just a touch over 18 minutes per game. He exploded on Jan. 13 against the Thunder (28 points and 21 rebounds), but he has actually looked better in shorter stints.
9. Jonas Jerebko, Detroit ? 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 410 FIC
The 39th overall pick last June, Jerebko is still hovering around the outside edge of some radars because of Detroit?s struggles and the little fanfare surrounding the Swede leading up to the draft.
10. Ty Lawson, Denver - 9.0 points, 3.3 assists, 51% shooting and 390 FIC per 40
Lawson is dealing with a shoulder injury right now, but has played important minutes for a title contender. He started a handful of games when Chauncey Billups was injured and averaged 19 points and 7.2 assists on 57% during a five-game run as a starter.
11. James Harden, Oklahoma City ? 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 355 FIC
Harden is going to be a seasoned pro early on. He?s getting significant minutes for a young team, while also playing during important stretches for a playoff contender. He can go off as well; he?s scored 20 or more points on three separate occasions.
12. Marcus Thornton, New Orleans - 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 326 FIC
Thornton is the microwave of this draft class, with more food being reheated lately than earlier in the season. He averaged 18.8 points in February, despite missing most of four games. He has scored more than 20 points in five of New Orleans? last six contests. Not bad for a mid-second round selection.
13. Wesley Matthews, Utah ? 8.4 points, 47% shooting and 283 FIC
Undrafted out of Marquette, Matthews has been this year?s unlikeliest rookie success story. Jerry Sloan has shown faith in him, 22.3 minutes per game, and he?s rewarded the Hall of Fame coach with solid production and a capable replacement for traded guard Ronnie Brewer.
14. Chase Budinger, Houston - 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 279 FIC
Budinger has been up-and-down this season, but he hit an upswing last month when he reached double-figures in scoring in six consecutive games that bridged the All-Star break. He has the makings of a good career shooter as well, hitting 63-for-176 from three-point land.
15. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City - 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.12 blocks and 268 FIC
Ibaka?s impact has been rather significant on a maturing team in Oklahoma City. His minutes have steadily increased as the season has worn on and he has rewarded coach Scott Brooks with two double-doubles in the team?s last three games.
Best of the Rest:
16. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto ? 8.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 233 FIC
17. Terrence Williams, New Jersey ? 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 227 FIC
18. Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia ? 6.2 points, 2.8 assists and 225 FIC
19. Eric Maynor, Oklahoma City - 4.4 points, 2.9 assists and 224 FIC
20. David Andersen, Houston ? 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 223 FIC
21. Sam Young, Memphis ? 6.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 194 FIC
22. Wayne Ellington, Minnesota ? 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 189 FIC
23. Jon Brockman, Sacramento - 3.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 180 FIC
24. Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis - 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.16 blocks and 167 FIC
25. Dante Cunningham, Portland - 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 164 FIC
26. Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana ? 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 150 FIC
27. Austin Daye, Detroit ? 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 145 FIC
28. A.J. Price, Indiana ? 6.9 points, 1.8 assists and 141 FIC
29. Derrick Brown, Charlotte ? 3.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 116 FIC
30. Jeff Teague, Atlanta ? 3.0 points, 1.7 assists and 115 FIC
If you?d like to see the full list of rookie rankings, please click this link.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: APerna7.
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