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20th June, 2010 - 11:44 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.
PLAYER RANKINGS: 2010-11 NBA Player Rankings Through Dec. 14th
Now that more than a quarter of the season is in the books, we don't have many aberrations in the player rankings as Pau Gasol, Kevin Love, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and LeBron James comprise the top-five.
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 Christopher Reina
After a better than even expected Finals and with an extremely hyped free agency distracting us since the middle of May, the week of the 2010 NBA Draft is finally upon us.
Regardless of the depth of high quality talent, there is no night on the NBA calendar that features as much intrigue and all 30 teams scrambling to improve like the draft.
I will be delivering updates and reports here on RealGM and on my Twitter account (@CR_Reina) between now and draft night.
G. Kentucky
John Wall is a truly transcendent talent with his combination of natural feel for the game, court vision and incredible athleticism. Wall should be the most immediately exciting rookie since LeBron James and possibly also its best.
GF. Ohio State
Even without the accidental preview on their web page, all indications are strong that Turner will be Philadelphia's pick.
F. Georgia Tech
In the Derrick Favors vs. DeMarcus Cousins debate, I prefer the latter, but the former is a better fit with Brook Lopez and represents a safer choice.
F. Syracuse
Given Minnesota's current roster, Johnson is the prudent pick and his ability to shoot from the perimeter, make plays in transition and is also very well suited for the Triangle if they continue attempting to run it.
C. Kentucky
The Kings are capable of being scary good as quickly as 11-12 with Tyreke Evans and Cousins as the centerpieces and excellent complementary pieces in Carl Landry and Omri Casspi.
FC. Georgetown
Monroe's versatility to play multiple positions and be an excellent passer from the high post should mix well with the unorthodox power forwards in Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright (if they remain with the team), as well as small forward Corey Maggette who frequently plays down low.
C. Kansas
The Pistons are in need of a legitimate center and Aldrich gives them a solid two-way big with his shotblocking and enough of an offensive repertoire to make opposing bigs defend him.
SF. Nevada
More than anything, the Clippers need a wing with size and Babbitt is the surest thing that fits the description. Whether it is this offseason or next, this franchise is expecting to get a legitimate All-Star, so a player with as much versatility as Babbitt will fit in regardless.
F. Wake Forest
If we were to judge purely on talent, Aminu would easily be a top-five pick, but he lacks the killer instinct necessary to maximize his pure gifts. He is a tweener in much the same way as Andrei Kirilenko and he could fill in nicely as his successor.
PF. North Carolina
As I mentioned in my preview of the Pacers, the decision to ignore the depth of point guards last summer is adversely affecting their outlook this year. They are attempting to shop the pick for a point guard, but if they retain it, I think a face-up power forward like Davis is the best value.
FC. Baylor
The Hornets may be unable to afford to keep David West beyond the 10-11 season, which would make the need for a power forward all the more necessary. Udoh has been criticized for being an older prospect, but that is of course a benefit for the Hornets who are pressing to contend now.
G. Kansas
A coherent draft strategy from the Grizzlies has been difficult to get our head around, but Henry fits a need and the strength of his character would be very appealing to this franchise.
GF. Fresno State
George has the potential to be an excellent fit beside DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors have a need at small forward, which will be his natural position.
C. Marshall
The Rockets have so many picks over the next few years that Daryl Morey may as well take some high risks and Whiteside is certainly one of those.
F. Kentucky
Patterson is a good fit for Milwaukee's system and should be able to contribute immediately.
PF. Kentucky
The Wolves have struggled to find the right kind of bigs to play beside Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, but Orton's latent talent and big body should be a complementary fit.
G. Oklahoma State
Anderson wouldn't be my first choice for the Bulls here, nor my own, but his ability to hit open 3-pointers makes him a much better fit given the presence of Derrick Rose and possibly a superstar to be named than a wing like Damion James or Stanley Robinson.
PG. Kentucky
The Heat will presumably upgrade at power forward and drafting a high potential point guard with a proven ability to play off the ball and also play very good defense would make him a perfect in the backcourt beside Dwyane Wade. Avery Bradley also fits the preceding description, but I see Bledsoe as having the kind of toughness Pat Riley finds desirable.
PG. Texas
The Celtics clearly are set at point guard for the next decade in Rajon Rondo, but this pick makes all the sense in the world for the following three reasons: The cupboard is completely empty behind Rondo at point guard, Bradley has the kind of perimeter jumper to play off the ball beside Rondo and he is the best player on the board at this point, which is something Danny Ainge never shies away from.
F. Connecticut
In terms of all-around game and potential to be more than marginally above average, I wouldn't rank Robinson in the top-30 of this class, but he has a couple specialized skills that makes him a great fit for Gregg Popovich's system.
C. Florida State
Considering all the offense the Thunder already have, a defensive big like Solomon Alabi would be an exemplary fit.
PG. South Florida
Because of the upheaval of Portland's current front office situation, along with the depth they have at just about every position, getting an accurate feel for their plans has been difficult. Jones is a high character guy that has become common for the Blazers, plus his ability to play both the point guard and shooting guard positions makes him capable of playing with any of their current guards.
PF. KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
Bjelica has a good combination of size, skill and athleticism. He is one of those European players that can be either the screener or the ball-handler in pick situations.
FC. Cholet Basket (France)
Seraphin is a big body post player with good agility relatively speaking, giving the Hawks something they don't already have.
GF. Butler
The draft range of Hayward is vast, but this is probably the latest he gets selected. His ability to work off of the dribble can translate to the NBA, but there is unquestionable uncertainty about how good he can truly become.
SF. Texas
The Thunder need a lot more toughness on the wing and James will absolutely bring that in an archetypal enforcer role. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green have enough offensive skill flanking him that his weaknesses will be almost completely mitigated.
G. Oklahoma
If he ever becomes the Willie Warren we saw during his rookie season again, this will become the absolute steal of the entire draft.
PF. Virginia Commonwealth
Sanders should fill an NBA niche off the bench, but I don't see him developing into much more than that. The Grizzlies are thin behind Zach Randolph and he also would upgrade the club on the defensive end.
G. Mississippi
The Magic obviously need improved ballhandlers and White certainly has a good handle. He isn't a great shooter, but I think he can develop into the type of perimeter shooter the Magic covet.
F. Washington
The Wizards are filled with question marks on the wing and Pondexter is a safe selection at this point in the draft and he could develop into a strong secondary scorer.
Second Round
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SG. Cincinnati
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FC. CB Gran Canaria (Spain)
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G. Xavier
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F. West Virginia
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F. Georgia Tech
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G. Maryland
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F. New Mexico
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F. Iowa State
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G. Nevada
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C. Tulsa
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F. Seattle
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C. Texas
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G. Memphis
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C. Duke
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F. Clemson
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F. UTEP
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F. Louisiana-Lafayette
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F. Mississippi State
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G. Alabama
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F. Oklahoma
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F. Miami
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G. Michigan
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C. Rutgers
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G. Duke
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F. Notre Dame
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F. Louisville
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G. Kansas
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SG. Virginia
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C. Radford
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F. Marquette
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