NBA Draft 2011 Projections

Hey, I'm back! After an INCREDIBLE NBA playoffs and one of the best finals series any of us has seen in ages, it's time for one of my personal favorite events of the year: the NBA draft. 

Unfortunately, this year's draft is one of the weakest since probably 2000, when the only All-Stars in the first round were the overall #1 pick, Kenyon Martin and Jamaal Magloire, who went 19th. (Wait, he was an all-star? This is news to me, as well)

Fortunately, I think the players in this draft have a bit more potential than that draft. After all the very best players from the 2000 draft turned out to be Martin (definitely a below-average product for a #1 pick), Jamal Crawford, Hedo Turkoglu (who sucks now), and Michael Redd (who has been sitting on the bench with an injury for what seems like 12 years)

So in light of the overall shittiness of this draft, I'm going to do a mock of only the lottery starting from #14. Keep in mind, these are my evaluations, and are probably different from widely regarded opinion. I'm also ignoring team needs. In reality, I don't believe at all that this is how the top 14 shakes out at all, but in 5 years, looking back in retrospect, I believe these will ultimately be the top 14 players from this draft.

14. Jon Leuer - PF - 6'10" 230 lbs. - Wisconsin
NBA Role: Shooter, Rebounder

Jon Leuer? A lottery pick?? What the hell am I smoking, right? Nope, I'm not going crazy guys, this is the type of power forward that succeeds in the NBA right now. Leuer fits the profile of a stretch-4, a la Dirk Nowitzki, albeit a homeless man's version of the newly crowned finals MVP. What is a stretch-4? Leuer is a big guy who can hit perimeter shots, out to 24 feet. I could see his potential ceiling as a solid rotation player off the bench, coming in for rebounding and spotting up for jumpers. Call him Matt Bonner 2.0. He's not going to be the strongest guy down low, but his ability to hit the NBA 3 and stretch the opposing team's big man out to the perimeter will be invaluable. Don't forget, this guy averaged over 25 points a game his senior year on his way to a 1st team all-Big-10 season. Many mocks have this guy going in the 2nd round, but I believe he will have a long, successful NBA career as a role player.

13. Tyler Honeycutt - SF - 6'8" - 190 - UCLA
NBA Role: Shooter, Perimeter Defender

At this point, you might think my opinions are completely worthless, but hear me out. Obviously his biggest weakness is his lack of bulk. At a slender 190 pounds, he's not going to be banging around down low. However, other than that, there's a lot to like about this guy defensively. He's got LONG arms, plays with great effort, and has good bounce, which helped him lead the Pac-10 in blocks this past year. On the offensive end, he's more of a project. He needs to work on his ball skills so that he doesn't turn it over against the myriad of unbelievable defenders at his position in the NBA. His jumper is pretty decent, so he will at least be able to spot up and use his length to get his shot off over defenders. Normally, I would not have rated a guy like him this high, but for some strange reason, Ben Howland's players always seem to come in to the draft vastly underrated. Every Howland product has massively outperformed his estimate as a pro. This is over a period of seven years involving 13 NBA prospects, and all of them except Josh Shipp outperformed; many of them did so by wide margins. (Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Aaron Afflalo are good examples) We'll see how Honeycutt fits this model.

12. Bismack Biyombo - PF/C - 6'9" - 245 - Democratic Republic of the Congo
NBA Role: Post Defender, Rebounder

Biyombo is your typical athletic freak who is an absolute BEAST on defense and can't throw it in the ocean on offense. Make no mistake, this guy is a lottery pick based on his potential. At worst, he's Ekpe Udoh. At best, maybe Ben Wallace . . . okay maybe not that good. After all, Wallace was a multiple defensive player of the year. But still, this guy has the tools.

With a 7'7" wingspan, unreal hops, a chiseled 245 pound body at just 4.8% body fat at the combine, this guy has an NBA body, there's no question of that. He runs the floor well and finishes at the rim with explosiveness. Just don't expect him to be hitting jumpers anytime soon.

11. Jordan Hamilton - SF - 6'8" - 230 - Texas
NBA Role: Scorer, Shooter

Hamilton struggled pretty badly when he was forced to play behind 3 stars on last year's Texas squad when he was forced to come off the bench, but after the departure of Damion James and co., Hamilton managed to bring up just about every stat across the board in his sophomore year. He dropped 23.5 points a game and shot 44% from the floor, including 38% from three. While he doesn't possess the quickness to become a dominant slasher in the pros, he does have the ability to power through smaller defenders and make very difficult shots. As a result, he's likely to take some bad shots when he's in the game, although he probably will hit a few of them. The only question is, will he learn to adjust to being a role player, or will his alpha dog mentality get in the way of his talent?

10. Alec Burks - SG - 6'6" - 195 - Colorado
NBA Role: Shooter, Scorer

Burks is a smooth and versatile scorer. He has good length and athleticism and is coveted by several teams now because of his ability to create shots for himself. He is an explosive slasher with the ability to kick it into another gear on fast breaks. He has good shooting ability from mid range, but his long range jumper isn't quite up to par, evidenced by his 29% shooting from three last season at Colorado, and he occasionally has difficulty finishing at the rim. Burks has the physical tools to become a good defender in the NBA, but he's not there yet. I think once this guy puts on some weight and learns how to play, he will be a pretty effective guard on any team. I think down the road he could be a Raja Bell kind of role player. 

9. Tristan Thompson - PF - 6'9" - 230 - Texas
NBA Role: Post Defender, Rebounder

It's hard for me to put my finger on this one. On the one hand, he gets to the free throw line at an incredible rate because of his ability to get in the paint aggressively, he's an above average athlete with size and length who plays with a lot of energy. On defense, he's protects the rim with his good anticipation and timing. But on the other hand, his skill level is far from ideal. Once he gets to the free throw line, he shoots just 49% from the stripe. His jumper is equally atrocious and he's only an average finisher around the rim. Then there is the question of whether or not he has the size to play the 4 in the NBA. Whoever drafts Thompson is getting a raw product, it remains to be seen what his potential ceiling can be if he works hard enough.

8. Klay Thompson - SG - 6'7" - 205 - Washington State
NBA Role: Shooter

Thompson is a sniper with deep range and excellent size for a wing. His mechanics are impeccable, and his stats back it up, as he hit around 50% of his open attempts last year at Washington State. He also made some strides in his ball handling and passing in his junior season, which has upped his draft stock on many mock drafts substantially. Although he does have some athletic and defensive limitations, there's not a better catch and shoot guy in this draft class. He can help a lot of teams right now.

7. Brandon Knight - PG - 6'3" - 180 - Kentucky

NBA Role: Distributor, Scorer

Here is a great example of how players who do well in the NCAA tournament are overvalued on mock draft boards. I would say the majority of the mock drafts I've seen have Knight going 3rd overall to the Jazz. I won't argue with this pick, since the Jazz do need a franchise point guard, and many scouts do seem to agree that Knight is the 2nd best point guard in the draft. And he did have a 30 point game in the NCAA tournament along with two game winning shots. 

That said, he also shot a measly 33% from the floor throughout the tournament while committing 3.4 turnovers a game. That's not really the recipe for success in the pros. Can he improve? Probably, yeah. Do I think he's a franchise point guard who will someday be an all star? . . maybe. I think his upside is better than just about anyone, including Kyrie Irving, because he's a big guard, very athletic, but he's got a lot of things to learn about how to run a team. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the kid, he's got a great attitude, a ton of heart, and his basketball IQ is second to no one in this draft, but Knight is still learning how to run a team. Learning on the fly in the NBA isn't the ideal  way to do it, but there was no way he would go this high in next year's draft, so he made the right choice.

6. Kawhi Leonard - SF - 6'7" - 225 - San Diego State
NBA Role: All-Purpose Defender, Slasher

A lot of teams love Leonard, and it's easy to see why. Standing at 6'6" with no shoes, this guy has a 7'3" wingspan, reportedly one of the largest ever for a player of his size or smaller. His hands are equally freakish, and are comparable with the hands of a 7 footer. Leonard weighed at 227 at the combine, which actually ranks him heavier than most of the power forwards in this draft class, leading some to believe that he is capable of guarding the 4 at the next level. Because of these unusual physical gifts, Leonard is a very good defender just about anywhere on the floor, and is an above average ball handler for a wing. While he was not a great shooter in college, he has made some strides in that department as of late, and has been impressive in shooting workouts. I personally think this guy is the real deal, and will be an impact player. He could potentially develop into a Luol Deng type of forward. 

5. Kemba Walker - PG - 6'0" - 185 - Connecticut  
NBA Role: Distributor, Scorer

Kemba Walker probably has more doubters than believers, especially considering how high he is projected to go in this draft. I, for one, am a solid believer. His critics will point to his relatively low shooting percentages and his obvious lack of size, but I find those arguments to be overly harsh. Walker played on a UConn team which was young, devoid of play makers, and relied heavily on Walker to do much of the scoring, somewhat similar to Derrick Rose's Bulls this past year. Walker is quick, athletic, and has great decision making. Although he will be one of the smallest players ever to go the lottery, there has been precedent that players his size can succeed at this level. Allen Iverson, Chris Paul, and Ty Lawson immediately come to mind. Now, Walker has a LONG way to go to catch those guys, but I believe he can an effective point guard even with his lack of size. I think he compares most favorably with Aaron Brooks and Jameer Nelson.

4. Jonas Valanciunas - C - 6'11" - 240 - Lithuania
NBA Role: Rebounder, Post Defender, Scorer

Valanciunas is no longer being considered for a top 5 pick because of his contract situation with his European club. As it stands, the 18 year old center will be unable to secure a reasonable buyout which would allow him to play in the NBA next season. 

Skill wise . . . Valanciunas has tons of potential on paper. He has the size, length, and soft touch around the rim to be an efficient scorer down low. He has soft, sticky hands, which should allow him to be a great pick and roll screener and finisher. Last season in Europe, Valanciunas converted on an incredible 73% percent of his catches while rolling to the basket. He plays with great energy and effort, and is a great rebounder and shot blocker as a result. 

While he hasn't quite developed the back to the basket post up game which he will need to score in the NBA, he is just 18 years old and his potential has many teams intrigued even though he will probably not step on an NBA court until 2013.

3. Enes Kanter - PF/C - 6'11" - 260 - Kentucky
NBA Role: Rebounder, Scorer

Enes Kanter hasn't played a single game since enrolling at Kentucky due to NCAA violations stemming from his time with a professional club in his native Turkey. Despite that, he is an enormously coveted prospect because of his massive size and his polished offensive capabilities. 

Apart from Kanter's outstanding size, he has good mobility, with the ability to run the floor and finish around the rim in traffic. He has a reliable mid range shot and soft touch on his turn around jumper, which seems to be his go-to post move at the moment.

The only knock on Kanter is his lack of experience in playing competitive basketball. NBA Owners and GMs need to be wary of what kind of effect this prolonged absence from the game could have on his development as a player. With a potential lockout looking more and more likely, Kanter could be held out of competitive basketball for a 3rd straight year, which could really hurt his growth. Other than that, there's a lot to like about the Turkish big man.

2. Derrick Williams - PF - 6'9" - 250 - Arizona
NBA Role: Scorer, Rebounder, Shooter

In terms of efficiency, there's not a forward in this draft who can compare to Derrick Williams' 1.16 points per shot in his second year at Arizona. He is an amazingly versatile player who can put the ball on the floor, get to the free throw line, play either role in a pick and roll situation, post up, and even knock down the NBA 3 with deadly accuracy. He is powerful enough to hold his own against bigger players and athletic enough to jump with the best of them. 

Despite all of that, Williams still isn't a sure thing. Didn't all of these attributes once describe highly touted forward Michael Beasley just a few years back? Williams will need to demonstrate that he can be an effective front court player in the NBA by rebounding better, particularly on the defensive glass, and also cutting down on his turnovers by making smarter plays with he ball in his hands. Other than that, Williams is definitely a tier above everyone else in the draft other than the last guy in this post . . .

1. Kyrie Irving - PG - 6'2" - 190 - Duke
NBA Role: Scorer, Distributor, Shooter  

In a draft full of players with question marks, Kyrie Irving has none. There just isn't a safer pick this year. Irving has everything you want in a lead guard: speed, quickness, court vision, great decision making, ability to finish in traffic, athleticism, leadership ability, dedication, humility, charisma, you name it, he's got it. While none of these attributes is particularly mind-blowing, the full package when put together is truly special. Irving has the unique gift of talent which very few players are blessed with. 


With the ball in any situation, Irving makes the right play time and time again to put his team in the best position to score. Despite only having seen him play 11 college games, it's easy to see how talented he is and how much he can improve a team. He's smart, he rarely turns the ball over, he can defend opposing point guards, he is a great shooter on the catch as well as off the dribble, he's dangerous in pick and roll sets, in transition, or one on one. He has a complete game and knows how to play the point guard position. It's no wonder he's a no-brainer for the number one pick this year.


I could be a biased Duke homer in saying this, but I believe Kyrie Irving has a chance to be a top 3 point guard in the league in 2 or 3 years. I say this knowing D-Will, CP3, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, etc. are already becoming the best group of point guards the game has ever had at one time. I base this on nothing other than pure speculation and the games that I have watched, but it has been a long time since I've seen a guy do things with the basketball like this kid. Most people fall into two categories on this one: He's either got a lot of Chris Paul in him, or he's Mo Williams. I'm obviously in the former category, but I guess we'll see.

Close, but I didn't feel like writing a longer column: Jimmer Fredette, Marcus Morris, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, Marshon Brooks, Kenneth Faried, Markieff Morris

Countdown to the LeBronocalypse

By Bill Simmons

Read this article on ESPN.com

Careful; this column will self-destruct at 9 p.m. on Thursday night. I can't remember writing a column that had a shorter shelf life. Twelve hours and it turns bad like leftover sushi. Let's call this "Twenty-Three Random Thoughts Before Tonight's LeBronocalypse."

1. A few weeks after the 2008 Summer Olympics, Someone Who Knows Things told me the following rumor: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Paul became such good friends during the 2007 Olympic trials, and then during their 2008 Olympics excursion in Beijing, that they actually made a pact in China to play together. You know, like one of those pacts in a chick flick where two friends agree to get married if both of them are single when they turn 40.

As the rumor went, the 2010 free agents (LeBron, Wade and Bosh) would sign with the same team (at that point the Knicks if they created enough cap room), then Paul would join them in 2012 (or sooner). I thought this was the craziest thing I had ever heard -- so crazy, I only mentioned it once (in a November '08 column). It reminded me of being in my mid-20s in Las Vegas, gambling in the wee hours with my single high school buddies, then all of us drunkenly saying, "We should all pick one city and live there, we'd just go out and kill it every night!" Then you wake up the next morning and forget it was ever discussed. So even if the China rumor was true, that didn't mean it was actually going to happen. Or so I thought.

2. Fast-forward two summers: If LeBron says the word "Miami" tonight, does that mean the rumor was true? Or at least discussed by those guys? Because how could anyone make up something that loony? In 2008, you and I could have sat in a room for 10 hours trying to make up the craziest possible sports rumor and never come up with "Bosh, LeBron, Wade and/or Paul all made a pact in China to play together" without throwing in some improbably bizarre addendum like, "And they did so right after covering up the shooting of Jayson Williams' chauffeur." Was the rumor accurate? Did they stick to their guns? Will we ever find out the truth? Because if they did make a pact, that means …

3. Stephen A. Smith wins the Woodward & Bernstein Award for reporting last week that Wade/LeBron/Bosh in Miami was "done." I thought it was ridiculous. How could it be "done"? Bosh and LeBron were committing to an owner, president and coach without meeting any of them?

My guess at the time: Smith got word that Miami was in the lead, took it and ran with it, then hoped he was right. If he was right, he became the big winner of the summer of 2010. If he was wrong, he could always claim that he WAS right, but that something got screwed up and things changed. I busted his chops a few times on Twitter about it; when he reported one week later that Bosh might be heading for Houston, it sure seemed like Smith was talking out of his butt like Ace Ventura. But if LeBron announces Miami tonight? Then Smith is vindicated and I'm giving myself the byline "William J. Simmons" in my next column as an apology. Although …

4. I'm still not crazy about any report that says "done" unless it's definitely, 100 percent done.
Quick tangent: I like the engagement-ring corollary for all sports reporting. If a friend calls me and says "I'm engaged," I always want to know if they actually got the ring. Give her the ring, you're engaged. If not, "Let's get married" may have been something thrown out there during a drunken dinner, right after sex, during a makeup session after an argument … who the hell knows? I want to see that ring. Once you get the ring, there's no going back. You're locked in. You can get out, but it's almost impossible, and even worse, you might have a one-carat diamond whipped at you at 65 miles an hour.

Had Smith said, "I learned tonight that Miami is the prohibitive favorite to get all three; someone would have to go back on their word for this not to happen," then it played out the way it had, he would have been the NostradamuSAS of this thing. But he tried to get engaged without the ring. Still, he gets a partial credit for sniffing it out. Nobody else had the Miami scenario. And if Smith DID have accurate intelligence and it WAS done, then that means the guys panicked and concocted every event these past eight days -- every waffle, every leak, every extra meeting -- just to throw us off the scent.

Did they willfully snooker the general public? Four red flags indicate they may have (assuming LeBron signs with Miami, of course).

5. Red Flag No. 1: Wade and Bosh (who have the same agent, by the way) hired documentary crews to follow them around. As any reality-show junkie knows, if there's no drama, you have to manufacture it. Well, how could a free-agency documentary (or reality show, or web series, or whatever they do with this footage) have drama if both guys decided where they were going weeks ago? You'd have to center it around Wade's upcoming divorce, or Bosh struggling to decide whether to stay with his girlfriend or hook up with those gorgeous half-Cuban, half-who-the-hell-knows models that only exist in South Beach. And neither guy would ever do that. So what works? Indecision. Meetings. More meetings. A lot of "agonizing." If this footage ever sees the light of day, I bet the acting is worse than your average episode of "The Hills." You wait.

6. Red Flag No. 2: Wade's second visit with Chicago (the old "I really might do this, look, I'm meeting with them again!" trick) was a textbook reality ploy. Look, I've logged my fair share of reality TV over the years. It's one of my vices, along with gambling, Sour Patch kids, Sly Stallone movies and unprotected sex in hotel saunas. (Fine, I made that last one up.) If I were producing Wade's documentary, I would have told him, "After we meet with the Bulls, let's leak information that you want to meet them a second time, and that you want to be closer to your kids post-divorce, then after the meeting we'll shoot a scene of you walking along Lake Michigan deep in thought like you're deciding what to do. Just trust me. It will be great TV." That's what you do when you fake reality. And that second Chicago meeting sure seemed fake.

(Also helping this theory: Multiple teams -- that's right, multiple -- believe Wade went through the free-agency process partly to spy on Miami's competitors for Pat Riley. And if he did? Savvy. Why not? Did you ever think an NBA free-agency period would include the word "spy"? That would have been the wackiest thing that happened this summer if Darko Milicic, Channing Frye, Amir Johnson and Drew Gooden hadn't signed for a combined $114 million on the same day Atlanta offered Joe Johnson $120 million to thank him for leading the Hawks to a four-game sweep in Round 2 in which they were outscored by 25 points per game.)

7. Red Flag No. 3: Wade is 28 years old and just finishing a bitter divorce. He's earned max money for exactly three years and doesn't have a second payday looming in 2016 like Bosh and LeBron do. As we learned with Antoine Walker and Allen Iverson, "wealthy" superstars are never quite as wealthy as we think. Walking away from a sixth guaranteed year in Miami (and no state income tax) when he's battled serious injuries in the past? No way. This was his one chance to bank as much money as possible. It was always going to be Miami.

8. Red Flag No. 4: Bosh clearly wanted to emerge from this summer more famous than he was. I know this because he hired his own documentary crew. Because he made an "Entourage" cameo last month. Because someone who attended one of Bosh's free-agent meetings told me that Bosh was considerably more concerned with his camera crew than hearing the team's pitch. Because he asked his Twitter followers where he should play next year -- a slap in the face to everyone in Toronto who supported him these past seven years -- and because I attended two different 2010 Lakers games at which Bosh inexplicably walked a complete lap around the court while holding hands with his girlfriend, like someone who just wanted to be seen. And it worked. You see a 7-foot basketball player strolling 0.02 miles an hour around a basketball court, you're going to notice them.

If you want fame, then attaching yourself to Wade and/or LeBron in a major market is the way to go. That's what Bosh did. Orlando's Stan Van Gundy even hissed yesterday that Bosh followed Wade around for two weeks like a "lapdog." Doesn't sound like someone who ever seriously considered anywhere but Miami. Add those four red flags together and it's pretty clear, in retrospect, that Wade and Bosh never seriously looked elsewhere. You know, because any time you can play in a city with such rich basketball tradition, you have to do it. It's hard not to get inspired during the national anthem when you see Rony Seikaly's number in the rafters.

9. If one more person refers to Bosh as a "superstar," I'm going to scream. His résumé: seven seasons, 11 career playoff games, one second-team All-NBA selection, never played in a big game in his life other than the gold-medal game of the 2008 Olympics. Now he's fleeing frigid Toronto for South Beach, no state income tax, Dwyane Wade, max money and the playoffs … and this makes him a "superstar"? Did we really drop our standards that low?

Look, I need my NBA superstar to sell tickets, generate interest locally and nationally, singlehandedly guarantee an average supporting cast 45-50 wins, and potentially be the best player on a Finals team if the other pieces are in place, which means only LeBron, Wade, Howard, Durant and Kobe qualify. There's a level just a shade below (the Almost-But-Not-Quite-Superstar) with Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Roy, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. (Note: I think Derrick Rose gets there next season.) Then you have elite guys like Bosh, Gasol and Amare Stoudemire who need good teammates to help them thrive … and if they don't have them, you're heading to the lottery.

You know what we call these people? All-Stars. Although if LeBron picks Miami, we have to call Bosh something else: "lucky." On a good team, he could absolutely thrive like Pau Gasol did on the Lakers, although he's not as sure a bet because Gasol played in so many big games overseas before the Lakers stole him. (Bosh had the opposite experience: He's never played in a Sweet 16, a Game 7 or even Round 2 of the NBA playoffs.) Hearing Bosh referred to as a "superstar" these past few weeks left me with the same face Jake had on Monday's "Bachelor" special when Vienna wouldn't shut up and kept undermining and emasculating him. If Chris Bosh is your third-best player, you're in tremendous shape. Just don't think you can win a title with a 228-pound big man who doesn't block shots and grabs 10 rebounds a night. You need more help than that. Which brings us to …

10. Let's say LeBron signs with Miami. Can you even make the Finals with LeBron, Bosh, Wade and nine minimum-salary guys? Because that might be next year's team … and if that's what happens, the answer is "no effing way." You don't win titles just because of your top three. That belittles the meaning of guys like Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Steve Kerr, John Paxson, Brian Shaw … you could go on for hours naming role players who swung a title. The 2008 Celts lucked out by getting James Posey, Eddie House and P.J. Brown for practically nothing; Miami wouldn't have that luxury this summer, not with so many role players jockeying for contracts one year before the possible lockout. Nobody is taking less money to showcase themselves for a summer that might not happen. Even if Miami could spin Michael Beasley for a fourth guy (say, Trevor Ariza), that's still not enough. They'd need one more rebounder, point guard, a 3-point shooter and a center. Good luck.

11. Another problem: You realize how many minutes these guys would log on a three-man team? 42-44 minutes for 100 games … and if anyone missed an extended stretch of games, then that would put even more pressure on the other two. Crazy. No way they win more than 50, especially with teams gunning for them every night. We've also never seen two perimeter superstar alpha dogs coexist for an NBA title -- not even when Jerry West and Elgin Baylor teamed up with Wilt Chamberlain against the aging Celtics in 1969. LeBron would have to accept becoming Mega-Pippen to Wade's Jordan. (Yeah, right.) Even during the final quarter of the 2008 gold-medal game, when everyone on the American team was staring at each other wondering who was going to step up against a red-hot Spain team, there were a few minutes of tentative, "I don't want to step on anyone's toes here" basketball before Kobe said "Screw it, get out of my way" and took over the key portion of the game.

Well, at some point, Wade and LeBron will have one of those 2008 Spain moments … but what happens if both guys say "Screw it, get out of my way?" You need to have a special type of mentality to want that moment; that's why Scottie Pippen melted down in that 1994 Bulls-Knicks playoff game, because Phil Jackson had spent that entire year building him up and making him think "We can win without Jordan, you're just as good, we can DO THIS," then designed the biggest play of the season for someone else. It was a slap in the face. Pippen reacted terribly, but still, don't you want him to be pissed there? Isn't that what being an alpha dog is all about? Don't you need a special level of swagger and confidence to carry that load every night? And once you reach that level, doesn't it become impossible to share the spotlight with someone else? Of course …

12. Maybe LeBron knows that he isn't wired that way.

Maybe he wants to be an unselfish creator like Magic or a do-it-all wingman like Pippen. Maybe he has too much Doctor J in him, as I theorized after Game 6. Maybe he believes that if Wade carries the crunch-time load, it will free LeBron to do LeBron things and average a triple-double every game without having that burden of "I've gotta create every shot for us in the final four minutes." Maybe he thinks it's his best chance to win. And if so …

13. I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him. Don't you want to find the Ali to your Frazier and have that rival pull the greatness out of you? That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their teams. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done. Hell, that's what Kobe would have done.

In May, after the Cavs were ousted in the conference semifinals, I wrote that LeBron was facing one of the greatest sports decisions ever: "winning (Chicago), loyalty (Cleveland) or a chance at immortality (New York)."

I never thought he would pick "HELP!"

14. LeBron joining Wade after his 2010 playoffs flameout, in my opinion, is like Conan O'Brien getting kicked in the teeth by NBC, then overreacting and forming a late-night version of "The View" with Chris Rock, Adam Carolla and Jeffrey Ross over trying to create his own show somewhere else. (Note to Carolla and Ross: Don't get excited, it's only a hypothetical.) Total cop-out. The move of someone who, deep down, doesn't totally trust his own talents any more. And maybe he doesn't.

15. What should LeBron do? Pick Chicago. That's where the rings are. The fact that he didn't say to Bosh, "Come to Chicago with me, we'll play with Rose and Noah and win six titles together" was the single most disappointing outcome of the summer. That team would have been a true juggernaut with pieces that actually complemented each other, unlike this pickup-basketball situation that's brewing in Miami. Even with Boozer there in Bosh's place -- and I think he's a great fit for them, with or without LeBron -- it could still translate to multiple titles, because Rose could have been the best second banana since Kobe in 2001.

Just know that Kobe would have caught a whiff of those rings and gone to Chicago. Same with Jordan. Same with Magic and Bird. Chicago had the biggest competitive advantage of anyone: room for two max guys along with an under-23 franchise point guard and one of the only elite defender/rebounder big men in basketball. How can you care about winning and NOT go to Chicago?

16. I need to make that point a second time: How can you care about winning and NOT go to Chicago? Unless …

17. LeBron picks New York. Ballsiest move. Fulfills his "global icon" wishes, puts him in the best possible basketball city, allows him to live a relatively normal life in our biggest city, gives him the biggest possible challenge (saving basketball in New York) and the biggest possible reward (going down in history as the guy who saved basketball in New York). I wouldn't love the thought of him crushing Cleveland for a similarly shaky situation, but if he spun it the right way, you could talk me into it. And here are the words I'd want to hear:

"Bringing New York a championship -- and doing it in the biggest city in America, in the best arena to play basketball -- would mean more to more people than anything else I could do as a basketball player. It's a challenge I could not resist."

Say that and I'm signing off. Anything less … no.

18. I ruled out the Knicks last week after details trickled out about LeBron's comical New York meeting, which sounded like a "Saturday Night Live" sketch because of Donnie Walsh being in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace (he just had neck surgery), and James Dolan being James Dolan. Now the Knicks are gaining momentum thanks to the "He's coming!" buzz that drove MSG's stock price up 6.5 percent Wednesday. Where did this buzz come from? As far as I can tell, nowhere. But there's buzzing. You have to believe me. My BlackBerry practically blew up yesterday with e-mails from sports-industry friends with "KNICKS???" in the subject heading.

If he spurns them, then suddenly we're looking at the most disastrous decade in the history of New York sports -- first the Layden Era, then the Isiah Era, then Donnie Walsh spending two years gutting the team so he could spend $100 million on a guy with a bad knee and a bad eye who hasn't played defense in six years. Do you realize the Knicks will have given away top-ten lottery picks in 2004, '06, '07, '09, '10 and, potentially, '11 and '12 without making the playoffs or landing one superstar? How is that even possible?
(Important note: The fact that David Stern stuck Rod Thorn in New Jersey, Walsh in New York, David Kahn in Minnesota and Stu Jackson in Vancouver has to be added to his Wikipedia page. Like, right now. He's the Pied Piper for putrid GMs.)

19. I always thought the goal was winning rings. That's what Russell, Bird, Magic and Jordan taught us. That's what I grew up believing. But sports are different now. You're a brand as much as an athlete. In the past 72 hours, with the suspense building for his announcement, LeBron created a Twitter account, launched his own website and agreed with ESPN on a one-hour live selection show that, incredibly, was the exact same idea that a Columbus reader named Drew had in my Thanksgiving '09 mailbag … but I thought he was kidding. Now I think he's Nostradamus. Or even NostradamuSAS.

Drew from Columbus looked into the future, and here's what he saw: A world in which it was totally conceivable that an NBA superstar would sell an hour-long show in which he picked his next team and tainted his legacy in the process. I played along and pushed a "Bachelor"-type setup ("The LeBrachelor!") in which LeBron whittled 29 teams down to six, then four, then two, then one over the course of six episodes. Hell, have him hand out roses. Why not? It's not like this would actually happen, right?

20. Seven months later, it's happening. I can't wait to watch for the same reasons I couldn't turn away from OJ's Bronco chase or the Artest melee: it's Car Wreck Television. If LeBron picks anyone other than the Cavaliers, it will be the cruelest television moment since David Chase ended "The Sopranos" by making everyone think they lost power. Cleveland will never forgive LeBron, nor should they. He knows better than anyone what kind of sports anguish they have suffered over the years. Losing LeBron on a contrived one-hour show would be worse than Byner's fumble, Jose Mesa, the Game 5 meltdown against Boston, The Drive, The Shot and everything else. At least those stomach-punch moments weren't preordained, unless you believe God hates Cleveland (entirely possible, by the way). This stomach-punch moment? Calculated. By a local kid they loved, defended and revered.

It would be unforgivable. Repeat: unforgivable. I don't have a dog in this race -- as a Celtics fan, I wanted to see him go anywhere but Chicago -- but LeBron doing this show after what happened in the 2010 playoffs actually turned me against him. No small feat. I was one of his biggest defenders. Not anymore.

And here's where I really worry, because I don't think LeBron James has anyone in his life with enough juice to hurl his or her body in front of the concept of "I'm going to announce during a one-hour live show that I'm playing somewhere other than Cleveland." It's the best and worst thing about him -- he has remained fiercely loyal to his high school friends, but at the same time, he's surrounded by people his own age who don't stand up to him and don't know any better. Picking anyone other than Cleveland on this show would be the meanest thing any athlete has ever done to a city. But he might. Assuming he's not malicious, and that he's just a self-absorbed kid who apparently lost all perspective, that doesn't make him much different than most child stars who became famous before they could legally drink -- or, for that matter, Tiger Woods. That's just the way this stuff works. Too much, too fast, too soon. You don't lose your way all at once; just a little at a time. Then one day you look up and there's a TMZ photo spread with 15 of your mistresses, or you're agreeing to stab an entire city in the heart on a one-hour television show.

(When Kevin Durant announced his own five-year, $86 million extension with an endearingly simple tweet yesterday, we all had the same thought: "Now that's how it's done." Pretty sad that an NBA star stood out for being humble and only caring about basketball.)

21. I don't think LeBron will pick Cleveland for the simple reason that he didn't want to meet with Tom Izzo a few weeks ago. If he was staying, he would have wanted to meet someone who may have been his next coach. He didn't care. That tells me he's gone. But what do I know?

22. I think he should pick Chicago, and if not the Bulls, then New York. But I live in a dream world where NBA superstars only care about winning titles and/or playing in the biggest basketball cities with sophisticated fans and tons of history. The truth is, New York might not mean anything to LeBron, just like college football recruits don't care about Notre Dame any more. He isn't old enough to remember Frazier's Knicks, or Bernard's Knicks … hell, he's barely old enough to remember Ewing's Knicks. And he might be too egotistical to follow Jordan in Chicago, like it was the sloppy seconds of NBA cities or something. But what do I know?

23. Before I heard that tomorrow's announcement was taking place in Greenwich, Conn., I would have bet anything on Miami … as well as my next column having the byline "William J. Simmons." The Greenwich thing threw me for a loop. I am still picking Miami. Cautiously. Then again, what do I know?
(Actually, I do know one thing: By going for 24 thoughts instead of 23, I have to nail only six of them to win the LeBronocalypse MVP. Let's go one more.)

24. The goofiest part of these past few weeks: The way media people have been speculating in a way that seems like a cross between learned information and opinion, except we're never really sure what's real and what's conjecture. Thanks to Twitter and the 24/7 news cycle, the lines have been blurred completely. Chuck Klosterman thinks the true hero of the LeBron saga is Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter who cranked out articles and Tweets by the boatload -- never speculation, always facts, always backed up by sources, and there were a couple of times when he made you wonder, "Wait a second, is Windhorst hiding under a table in LeBron's office right now?" Maybe he was.

Sifting through the various reports and tweets, trying to figure out fact from fiction, glancing at my BlackBerry every 15 seconds to see if anyone e-mailed me … that's what I'll remember from the LeBronocalypse more than anything else. And also, who knew anyone could keep a secret for this long in the Twitter/TMZ Era? Even yesterday, when I was batting around LeBron theories with my buddy Connor, we were breaking down the Greenwich thing and had this exchange:

-- Connor: "Greenwich, that's nine minutes from the Knicks' practice facility. That has to mean something."
-- Me (thinking): "Maybe they KNEW it was nine minutes from the Knicks' practice facility, so they put it there to throw people off the scent."

I mean … what the hell kind of sporting event is this? It's like college signing day crossed with JFK's assassination. LeBron's team wanted to keep people talking and promote his website, and really, that's what happened. The man nearly exploded Twitter and melted ESPN. He transcended free agency, the World Cup, everything. He will draw a massive television audience tonight; he's the only professional athlete who could have pulled that off.

What a week for LeBron's brand. I just hope he remembers to wipe the blood off the knife after he pulls it from Cleveland's back.

2010 NBA Mock Draft Final Update

Read this article on Bleacher Report

The NBA season has come to an end, and the draft is almost upon us. Last time, we focused on how the NBA draft combine affected player rankings, but this time, we will take a look at groups of players who may be somewhat interchangeable within a certain range of picks, as well as individual players who have risen or fallen in the rankings.

DeMarcus Cousins in particular has been falling in several notable mock drafts. NBADraft.net currently has him at #7, while DraftExpress has him at #6. If you are confused, trust me, I'm right there with you.
His critics tend to point out that he lacks maturity, or that he's a loose cannon, or that he's uncoachable. Okay, sure, there are a few things that he can work on, but come on . . . let's face it, everyone is pretty immature when they are 19 years old. I'm 24, and I still get into the occasional scuffle on the basketball court in pick up games at the local YMCA. Basketball is a physical and emotional game, it's just the way it is.

Why don't we just take a step back and realize how rare a player Cousins is. First off, he has an NBA body. The guy is a monstrosity of the human race. He's 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan and weighs in at 290 pounds, and despite that, he can make surprisingly quick moves around the post to find scoring opportunities. Cousins is a natural post scorer, and is by far the most polished big man in the draft.

Cousins averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds at Kentucky, winning the distinction of the SEC Freshman of the Year over the likes of his own teammates John Wall and Eric Bledsoe. He was THE best big man in college basketball last year.

So he's a little emotional on the court. I'm okay with that. I like my big guy to be a little mean. Honestly, would you rather your center be a soft spoken, quiet, unassuming nice guy, or would you rather have a big, mean, physical guy who scares away small children at a glance? I'll take the bad dude. The paint area in the NBA is no place for wimps.

Will Cousins pick up a good deal of technicals? Probably quite a few, but that didn't stop Rasheed Wallace from becoming an NBA champion. Does he need to lose a few pounds? Yeah, he's a little overweight, but that didn't stop Shaq from becoming an NBA champion.

I think we just need to take a deep breath and realize that a player like DeMarcus Cousins doesn't come along every draft. He's not eh most athletic guy, but he's got a wonderful post game for a player his age, and his size is unmatched by anyone else in this draft. There's no way he falls out of the top 5, and anyone who tells you otherwise is just wrong.

So now that I'm done ranting, lets look at my final rankings. I've broken down the first round into five separate tiers, and several notable players have moved around since my 2nd edition. Take a look . . .

Tier 1

1. John Wall
2. Derrick Favors
3. Evan Turner
4. DeMarcus Cousins
5. Wesley Johnson

These are my surefire top 5 picks. The only difference from my previous edition is that I moved Wes Johnson to #5 up from #6. These players will go on to have good to great NBA careers as eventual starters and post solid numbers year after year. John Wall has the potential to be one of the best point guards of his generation, Favors and Cousins should become two of the most dominant scoring big men in the league, and Turner and Johnson will both be valuable wings for the next decade. Turner being the versatile guard/forward who can do a little bit of everything, and Johnson being the athletic lockdown defender who can shoot from range. Anybody who drafts in the top 5 can rest easy knowing they took a good impact player. Barring injuries, you can take that to the bank.

Tier 2

6. Greg Monroe
7. Ekpe Udoh
8. Al-Farouq Aminu
9. Paul George
10. Ed Davis
11. Luke Babbitt

Now these are the players who can make or break a championship caliber team. Where the first tier guys were all surefire impact players, here we have 6 guys who could either be really awesome, or just some decent contributors, who may or may not be in a starting lineup in a few years. The best prospect here is clearly Monroe. He has the physical attributes which suggest that he could one day be one of the most dominant forwards in the league. The only question mark in his game is his somewhat passive demeanor. He needs to compete harder.

As I have mentioned several times before, I absolutely love Ekpe Udoh, he's just such a unique prospect, and I think he will have a brilliant career if he can polish his perimeter skills and smoothly combine that with his size and athleticism.

Paul George is by far the biggest mover since the first edition of this mock. The ultra-athletic 2 guard from Fresno St. is a strong finisher and has a good jumper as well. However, his ball handling is somewhat suspect and is currently the biggest weakness that he must improve upon.
Babbitt, as I see him is a better version of Kyle Korver. He's more athletic, can play a little defense, is much better off the dribble, and is every bit as good of a spot up shooter as Korver was coming out of college.

Tier 3
12. Xavier Henry
13. Gordon Hayward
14. Cole Aldrich
15. Patrick Patterson
16. Avery Bradley

This next group of players should mostly become very good role players, with the decent chance that one of them could become a star. Henry has been quietly creeping up the rankings for a long while, and it's about time he got his due. He's a great spot up shooter who can play good, physical defense. He must become more attack-oriented if he wants to hit that next level.

Hayward and Patterson are both pretty versatile options. Patterson is a bit undersized for a 4, but has enough of a shooting stroke to make defenses respect him. Hayward's magnificent ball handling skills make him a very difficult guy to match up with, but he will have a hard time learning to play defense against NBA forwards.
Bradley should become an instant offense off the bench guy kind of like J.R. Smith or Nate Robinson, but I don't see him developing as a strong defender anytime soon.

Aldrich fell quite a few spots since last time because I just don't see the real selling point for taking him in the top ten other than his rebounding. Sure he's big, but can he guard Dwight Howard or Chris Bosh? I just don't know.

Tier 4

17. Eric Bledsoe
18. Hassan Whiteside
19. Kevin Seraphin
20. Daniel Orton
21. James Anderson
22. Damion James
23. Jordan Crawford

The new face here is Jordan Crawford, the outstanding guard out of Xavier. He's athletic and is one of the best scorers in the draft class. He made a name for himself in this year's NCAA tournament, scoring 32 points in an overtime loss to Kansas State. He can catch and shoot and is great at finishing in the paint. Just ask Lebron James, who Crawford famously dunked on. However, Crawford has a lot of trouble drawing fouls, which limits his efficiency.

Tier 5

24. Elliot Williams
25. Devin Ebanks
26. Solomon Alabi
27. Dominique Jones
28. Quincy Poindexter
29. Gani Lawal
30. Stanley Robinson

I have cooled off a bit on Solomon Alabi, because he is just so similar to Hasheem Thabeet. He's big and long, but he really needs to bulk up, otherwise, I don't see him contributing in a big way immediately.

I think Elliot Williams is a steal at this point in the draft, as I believe he is one of the best on ball defenders in this class.

Gani Lawal has been underrated by most mocks in my opinion. He has an NBA body and is capable of scoring in bunches.

NBA Finals: Grades

Well, the Lakers did it. They won it playing some of the best defense I've ever seen that particular team play, and were able to score just enough points to hold off the Celtics, who were down their biggest, most physical interior defender and rebounder. (Kendrick Perkins) Still, even without Perkins, the Celtic's couldn't hit a shot. I mean, their offense was basically give Paul Pierce the ball and clear that side of the court. That idea worked in 1 game this whole series (game 5), what made them think it was going to work in game 7 after it had been failing all game long? Not quite sure. In Boston's defense, they played unbelievable defense on Kobe Bryant. I mean, wow, Kobe got like 3 or 4 good looks all game long. Unfortunately, Ron Artest decided to start hitting shots and everyone on the Lakers squad grabbed about 30 rebounds each. I like the way they grade players after World Cup Games, so I'll do the same for this NBA Finals series.

Kobe Bryant: A

27.1 PPG
8.0 RPG
3.9 APG
40.5 FG%

Not one of Kobe's most efficient playoff series offensively, but that was to be expected with Boston's defense which often involved double or triple teaming him. From a leadership standpoint, Kobe got a little too hot-headed in game 5 when he basically stopped trusting his teammates and tried to do everything himself. (Including playing defense) However, there is no doubt that he is the Finals MVP because no other player in the series played harder or wanted it more than Kobe. You could just tell he gave it all on every play, every loose ball, every rebound. He was ultra intense for the entire series, and that's what you have to love about him.

Rajon Rondo: B+

13.6 PPG
6.3 RPG
7.6 APG
45.4 FG%

From my perspective, Rondo was clearly the second best player in this series. He had a couple of off games, but was still THE most important player on offense for the Celtics. A huge part of their offense relied on fast break scoring, and no player was more instrumental to scoring on the fast break than Rajon Rondo. Also, like Kobe, Rondo played his heart out, never took a single possession off, and he played brilliant defense, keeping his hands active and creating numerous turnovers and fast break opportunities.

Paul Gasol: B+

Gasol was nearly unstoppable in the series, scoring and rebounding at will. This time around, Boston's physical defense was not an issue, and Gasol emerged as the best, most consistent big man in the series. He also came up big in the 2nd half of game 7, when his team needed his offense the most. Very, very impressive series from the Spaniard.

Paul Pierce: B-

I'm just put it out there that Paul Pierce is probably my least favorite player in the NBA. I've never seen a guy who flopped/acted/complained more. Say what you want about Kobe, but at least the guy doesn't act like he got hit by a truck every time he draws contact. Pierce was held in check most of the series by tough defense from Ron Artest, but still managed to get to the free throw line about a bazillion times in true Paul Pierce fashion. While he was one of the leading scorers for Boston, in the end, they needed much more out of him. He just didn't deliver.


Glen Davis: B-

Big Baby was surprisingly efficient, scoring the ball on many post up situations. He showed major hustle and tenacity to grab all kinds of loose balls and rebounds all over the place. However, he was lost trying to guard Pau Gasol, a match up where his lack of height really hurt him.

Ron Artest: B-

As much as I have criticized Artest through the season, I've got to admit at this point that the Lakers could not have pulled this off without him. Had they kept Trevor Ariza, they would have had no answer for Paul Pierce. Pierce is too strong for a player like Ariza, and the bullish Artest basically shut the Truth down for 6 out of 7 games. Not only that, Ron-Ron validated his entire season with the Lakers not once, but twice: first in the pivotal game 5 against the Suns at home by hitting the last second putback to win the game, and then again, hitting the go ahead three pointer in the final minute to put the Lakers up by 4 against the Celtics in game 7. Artest gets a B- however because of his questionable shot selection and decision making on offense.

Kevin Garnett: C+


K.G. was surprisingly consistent on offense, other than in game 2, when he was limited by foul trouble. He beat Gasol in face up situations time and again and also converted on several tough jumpers. Unfortunately, K.G. was terrible on the boards. He grabbed 4 or fewer rebounds in 3 games in the series and only got more than 6 in 1 game. In game 7, Garnett only came up with a paltry 3 boards, allowing the Lakers to dominate the offensive glass all night long.

Derek Fisher: C+

Everytime you think Fish is done, he just hits another big shot. He inching closer and closer to Robert Horry territory at this point, although he will need a few more game winners to seal the deal. At any rate, the Lakers probably don't win game 3 without Fish's absurd 11 point outburst in the 4th quarter, and his 4th quarter go ahead three pointer to tie the game in game 7 after coming back from a painful looking leg injury was just incredible. One of the most clutch players I can think of in recent memory.

Lamar Odom: C-

It took Odom until game 6 to actually show up. And it always boggles me how the he isn't a 20-10 guy every year. He's got huge size, amazing athleticism, and ball skills like a guard, but he's just so passive and soft it makes me cringe. But anytime Odom gets double digit rebounds, its almost a guaranteed Lakers victory.

Ray Allen: D

After an all-time performance in game 2, Ray never recovered. I would go as far as to say that the Celtics lost this series because of Ray Allen's ineffective shooting from the perimeter. Outside of game 2, Ray went 4 for 30 from three point range. OUCH. 0 for 13 in game 3 was an absolute killer. That was such an important game for the Celtics to win, and Allen was nowhere to be found.

So basically, Boston's Big 3 came up short. Rondo was the star of the team throughout the playoffs, and even the fact that the team is still known for the "Big 3" is laughable. Kobe and Gasol were brilliant, and the Lakers role players Artest and Fisher came up with big shots when it mattered most. Congrats to the Lakers on their 16th championship.

2010 NBA Mock Draft Update

Read this article on Bleacher Report

A lot has happened since my previous mock draft a month ago, most notably the NBA Draft Combine. The NBA draft combine doesn't get nearly as much coverage as the NFL draft combine, mostly because it's a much worse predictor of future success in the pros. While plenty of football players can be effective without ever needing to actually touch the football, thus making their physical abilities more important, NBA players need skills a combine cannot cover to be good pros. How fast is a player with the ball? Can he pass? Does he understand defensive rotations? Can he change speeds effectively? Can he shoot? You get the idea.

The difference between "combine" ability and basketball abilities is often pronounced. It doesn't matter how fast a player can sprint; it's how fast he can sprint while dribbling. (There is the semi-famous story of Marquis Daniels outracing Leandrinho Barbosa to corroborate this.) It's not how high a player can jump that makes a good rebounder; often, it's how quickly he can jump that matters. It's not about strength at the basket; it's the ability to concentrate after taking contact. (Kevin Durant couldn't lift the bar at the combine; he made around 70% of his shots at the rim last year.)

That being said, the results of this year's combine are in, and some of them only reinforce what we already suspected, but some players, such as Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, and Avery Bradley are really moving up various draft boards.

Last time, I compiled several mocks into one meta-draft. This time, I will give you my take on it, based on both team needs and player talent.

1. John Wall, G 6-4 Washington Wizards
Previous Ranking: 1
Nothing different here, Wall was brilliant as ever at the combine, sporting a ridiculous 6-9 wingspan as well as the fastest 25 yard run (3.1 seconds) and a 43 inch vertical. So yeah . . . Wall is the #1 pick, and he will be a Wizard. If anyone says differently, they are wrong.

2. Derrick Favors, F/C 6-10 Philadelphia 76ers
Previous Ranking: 3

3. Evan Turner G/F 6-7 New Jersey Nets
Previous Ranking: 2

Just about every mock on the planet has Evan Turner going #2. That's just fine, I have no problem with that, but if I am Ed Stefanski, GM of the 76ers, I'm taking Favors. Here's my logic: Turner is talented, there's no question about that. He is a phenomenal prospect as a guy who can play all three perimeter positions. However, there are many talented wings in the NBA, including Andre Iguodala, the star of the 76ers. Although Turner is a bit taller, he compares favorably to Trail Blazers star Brandon Roy in terms of his (relatively) modest athleticism (34.5 inch vertical) and build (6-8 wingspan), but shows the same kind of craftiness and smart instincts that Roy is famous for.

Turner is a great, there's no doubt about it, but how many times are you going to find a physical specimen like Derrick Favors? Physically, Favors is a combination of Dwight Howard and Al Horford. at 6 foot 10, 245 pounds and he measures almost the same as Howard at his draft combine (6-10, 240). Skill-wise, he's a long way from Evan Turner, but you draft on potential. Favors could be one of the most dominant players in the league in 2 or 3 years. He has a 7-4 wingspan and a 36 inch vertical. He will almost certainly be a double digit rebounder at some point in his career and has all the physical tools to be a dominant scorer. I think he has the potential to become the next Amar'e Stoudemire if he develops his mid range game a bit further.

Basically, it comes down to whether you want a super athletic big man or a versatile wing. Wings are a dime a dozen in the NBA. Guys like Favors come along maybe once every 3 drafts. You have to take favors. He's honestly a better prospect than Blake Griffin was last year.

The Nets have the easiest job ever, take whoever the 76ers didn't. You really can't go wrong with Turner or Favors.

4. DeMarcus Cousins, C 6-11 Minnesota Timberwolves
Previous Ranking: 4

The T-Wolves aren't really hurting for a center, but they really kind of have to take Cousins at this point. In many other drafts, Cousins might have gone #1, but there just happens to be a glut of talent at the top of this one. Similar to my argument for Favors, dominant big men just aren't that easy to find, and Cousins fits the bill in every way. He's not a world class athlete, but it really doesn't matter because he is a massive guy who will inhale rebounds and score in the post. Biggest question here is how he will respond to being on a struggling team. It was all fine a dandy winning 30+ games at UK on a loaded roster, but will he keep quiet on a 20-30 win team in Minnesota?

5. Greg Monroe, F/C 6-11 Sacramento Kings
Previous Ranking: 9

Okay, I don't care how many people disagree with me here, but to me, Greg Monroe should not go past the top 5. This guy is basically a young Lamar Odom with better passing and inferior ball handling. It is insane how much everyone is underrating this guy. HELLO . . . HE'S 6-11, AND ULTRA SKILLED. He's not an incredible athlete or a great defender, but he's a hard worker with great passion for basketball, and I think the defense will come. Monroe has the size and length to be a NBA power forward, he's super unselfish and has the ability to create shots for himself. What more do you want in a top 5 pick?

6. Wesley Johnson, F 6-8 Golden State Warriors
Previous Ranking: 5

With Johnson, the Warriors can get exactly what they need: an athletic, versatile wing who brings it on defense. Johnson is extremely productive and efficient. With players like Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Corey Magette, Anthony Randolph, and a healthy Andris Biedrins around him, Johnson could help transform the Warriors into a winning team.

7. Cole Aldrich, C 6-11 Detroit Pistons
Previous Ranking: 7

The Pistons need a solid big guy in the middle, and that's exactly what Aldrich gives them. I did want to put Ekpe Udoh here, but I just couldn't justify it, as Udoh is not a true center like Aldrich is. The great thing about Aldrich is that you know exactly what you are getting, and sometimes, that is a very good thing in the crap shoot that is the NBA draft.

8. Ekpe Udoh, F/C 6-10 Los Angeles Clippers
Previous Ranking: 12

I really, really like Udoh. I think he is going to be very good. He has great size, length and athleticism. He is quite versatile, with the ability to face the basket, hit the mid range jumper, and is a pretty good passer as well. Having just traded away one of the best post defenders in the league in Marcus Camby, the Clippers could pick up Udoh and not drop off too much. Udoh is a fierce shot blocker and with Blake Griffin and Chris Kaman could form one of the best front courts in the league.

9. Al-Farouq Aminu, F 6-8 Utah Jazz
Previous Ranking: 6

I like this pick for the Jazz. I tend to think Aminu is a bit overrated in most mocks, but I do agree with most that he has huge upside, and he is exactly what the Jazz need: a versatile wing who can defend and brings a variety of tools offensively that Deron Williams can utilize to great potential. He will, however need to develop more as a perimeter player with the Jazz's abundance of post options. (If Boozer sticks around)

10. Ed Davis, F 6-9 Indiana Pacers
Previous Ranking: 8
Davis continues to drop down the rankings. If only he had gone last year, he would have been a top 3 pick. But still, he offers a good skill set and defensive intensity. He has great hands and is effective on the glass.

11. Gordon Hayward, F 6-8 New Orleans Hornets
Previous Ranking: 16

Yes, I'm serious . . . Hayward is is just so skilled. He's also deceptively athletic. Find me another 6-8 guy who can handle the ball and shoot like Hayward. He would be a great weapon for Chris Paul to utilize.

12. Patrick Patterson, F 6-8 Memphis Grizzlies
Previous Ranking: 14

I like Patterson. He's big, he's athletic, he's got an NBA body, and he can shoot. If he started rebounding like he's capable of, he'd be invaluable to any NBA team out there.

13. Luke Babbitt, G/F 6-7 Toronto Raptors
Previous Ranking: 23

Babbitt is one of the biggest movers here. He's not very athletic, but he's an incredible left-handed shooter who went 89% from the free throw line and 41% from three last year in college. He's also quite skilled and has the ability to create separation for himself to get off his shot. He has the potential to become instant offense for any team, and at 6-7 could at least bother people on defense.

14. Donatas Motiejunas, F 7-0 Houston Rockets
Previous Ranking: 13

Good skilled big man who is quite athletic and can play down low in the post or face up on the perimeter. The Rockets could use him as a change of pace guy from Luis Scola and Yao Ming, bringing in a guy who can run on the break and create mismatches on offense.

15. Paul George, F 6-7, Pvs: 18
16. Avery Bradley, G 6-3 Pvs: 22
15. Daniel Orton, F/C 6-10, Pvs: 15
16. Xavier Henry, G/F 6-6, Pvs: 13
17. Eric Bledsoe, G 6-2, Pvs: 20
18. James Anderson, G 6-6 Pvs: 17
19. Hassan Whiteside, F/C 7-0 Pvs: 10
20. Solomon Alabi, C 7-1 Pvs: 21
21. Kevin Seraphin, F/C 6-9 Pvs: Unranked
22. Larry Sanders, F/C 6-9 Pvs: 19
23. Damion James, F 6-7 Pvs: 24
24. Stanley Robinson F 6-8 Pvs: 25
25. Devin Ebanks F 6-9 Pvs: 26
26. Lance Stephenson G/F 6-6 Pvs: Unranked
27. Elliot Williams G 6-4 Pvs: 28
28. Quincy Poindexter F 6-7 Pvs: 27
29. Armon Johnson G 6-3 Pvs: 30
30. Gani Lawal F 6-9 Pvs: Unranked

Not Much Happening . .

So, I know I haven't posted much lately, and its mainly because there is nothing exciting happening in sports right now. But still, when the headline of sportscenter is some guy I never heard of accusing Lance Armstrong of taking PEDs, you know its a slow news day. The NBA playoffs are officially a wash. Boringest postseason in basketball EVER. Lakers-Celtics finals  . . . . I'm soooooo excited . . . not.

Yep, it's gonna be slow around here until the NBA draft and when NBA free agency heats up. I'll probably also try to cover the World Cup, since that's pretty exciting stuff. But for the most part, baseball sucks, and I hate it. Why can't basketball season be during the summer and football season be during the winter? That way, we can have decent sports coverage year round. But no, baseball has to have a monopoly on the summer. Suck it, sports fans.

Alone in Cleveland

The sweet sound of a Ray Allen swish sounded more like the dull thud of medieval guillotine on Thursday night. The singed twine definitively executing the season of dreams of the Cleveland Cavaliers and effectively began the nightmare for Cleveland fans dubbed The Summer of Lebron. But the Boston Celtics on Thursday night did more than simply defeat the Cavaliers in round 2 of the 2010 Playoffs. They may have pushed the biggest piece in the free agency puzzle out of its believed position, thus, scrambling all the other pieces around too. The Celtics may have altered the very landscape of the NBA for the next decade or so because of the manner in which they dealt that defeat.

They did not just beat the Cavs. They demoralized the Cavs to the point where the Cavs themselves no longer believed they could compete with the Celtics. That is the ultimate defeat, not only on the court but in the mind, and I’m sure Lebron saw this. He realized his teammates were mentally defeated, that his coach couldn’t compete (panicking in Game 5 with Daniel Gibson and continually underplaying athletic bigs Hickson and Varejao) with the opposing coach, that to win this series he would have to enter a realm of super-human capability that even he was not capable of entering. And seeing all this Lebron, well, he realized he was on his own, and he gave up. He quit on his team just like they had quit believing in themselves. The symbolic moment of this cataclysmic cascade of events for Cavs fans came in the waning moments of the elimination game. As the final minute ticked down and Mike Brown was screaming at his team to foul or do anything, but nothing happened. The Cavs just stood around watching Rondo or Allen dribble away their championship aspirations. And when a team mentally checks out, and a star quits on them, and everybody loses trust in everybody else at such an important moment, well there is no turning back for that team, that is a moment which changes everything.

There is always that line, that invisible, abstract but amazingly obvious line that you know never to cross without massive repercussions. We know this line with our friends, professors, teachers, parents..etc. As in you knew never to call your mom an idiot and when you finally accidentally/purposely did, things would always be just a little bit different because in that moment something had fundamentally changed. So to with 2010 Cavs. You don’t lose trust in your teammates the way Lebron did and go back to them. Lebron, in this series, saw his team as group as what they truly are: a rag tag group of players rashly assembled and heavily dependent on him. A group of players mentally owned by the Boston Celtics and in this moment Lebron stopped trying for them, knowing they could never help him win a title. It’s the only explanation for his complete lack of interest in the last two games. He passed the ball away emotionless, watching his teammates struggle and fail because they just weren’t good enough, skilled enough, and most importantly mentally strong enough. But this wasn’t a vengeful Lebron, like Kobe a couple of years ago when he refused to take a shot to teach his team a lesson and have them come back to him begging him to play like he wanted to. No, this passive Lebron was more like a parent realizing for the first time that their kid was never going to be what they wanted him or her to be. This was a sad Lebron who seemed to just realize that these guys around him were not good enough, no matter how hard they tried and no matter how hard he wanted to believe that they were. And when you realize that, you can’t ever go back to way things were. Before Boston I’m sure Lebron genuinely thought that he could lead this group to a championship. But Boston’s defeat of Cleveland opened up Lebron’s eyes. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins showed Lebron what a real team can do, and Lebron has realized to get one of those, he will have to leave Cleveland. And Lebron's leaving Cleveland will change everything.

The Epic Saga of LeBron James

Read this article on Bleacher Report

Sigh.

What can you say about LeBron James that hasn't already been said in every outlet of sports media?

He is clearly the most talented and dominant athlete in basketball. He is known as "The Chosen One," "Akron Hammer," "L-Train," or simply "King James." Anybody with that many nicknames is surely an all time great. He is a surefire future hall of famer, and there is no reason for anyone to believe his legacy is on the line. He still has a decade of basketball to play

LeBron was supposed to bring a championship to the cursed city of Cleveland, whose sports teams had not won a title in any major sport since 1964. Just to put that in perspective, here's a short list of things that happened in 1964:

Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali and defeated Sunny Liston to win his first heavyweight title.

The Beatles song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was the number one single.

"My Fair Lady" won best picture at the academy awards.

"Bonanza" was the number one show on television.

My point? 1964 was a long time ago. Cleveland is a city where sports fans are constantly tortured by near misses in nearly every sport. It's happened so often that they actually have names for every specific occurrence. "The Fumble," "The Shot," and "The Drive" are just a few of the incarnations of the Cleveland sports curse (not to mention the 1997 World Series).

Pretty soon, we are going to have to come up with a name for the LeBron situation.

First of all, if LeBron James leaves for another team, I have absolutely no doubt that he instantly becomes the greatest sports pariah of all time in Cleveland. Any time he returns to that city, he will be absolutely despised and reviled beyond his wildest imagination.

Is that justified? Absolutely not. Those fans don't seem to remember that LeBron basically carried the Cavs to the playoffs every year with almost no supporting cast to speak of, including an NBA finals appearance in 2007. He entertained them at every home game with his unbelievable athleticism and talent. He gave them some of the best and most exciting years of his career.

Is it his fault the Cavs haven't won it all yet? No.

Every single year the Cavs were knocked out of the playoffs, we said "Well, LeBron can't be blamed, he played lights out, he just had no help." That is true. I can't remember a single year where LeBron didn't bring it almost every play of every game.

Game five against the Celtics this year was the first time I saw LeBron not being LeBron. The guy literally has had like two or three bad playoffs games in his career, and you are insane if you are going to blame him for this defeat.

Why not blame some of the people who deserve it?
I'm pointing the finger at Mike Brown. He deserves to fired.
The biggest advantage he had against the Celtics was athleticism. During the regular season, the Celtics had a terrible time matching up with Hickson-LeBron-Moon-West-Williams or even Hickson-LeBron-Varejao-Williams-West.

Bill Simmons noted in his column on ESPN.com: "In a Feb. 25 game in Boston, Hickson-LeBron/Moon-Varejao-West-Williams turned a 78-77 deficit into a 101-86 rout in just eight minutes. They blew the Celtics off the court."

Instead, he played Shaq all series even though he got killed on pick and rolls every time, was nonexistent on help defense and fast breaks, and clogged up the lane on offense; which limited LeBron to jump shots much of the time.

Hickson sat on the bench nearly the entire series and Moon, Brown's best perimeter defender, who also barely played, was guarding Ray Allen or Paul Pierce instead of Rondo; who continually killed the Cavs with his drives to the basket.

Mike Brown is terrible at creating favorable matchups. The only reason he is even an NBA head coach is because he has the best player in the world and he gets carried to 60-win seasons. The Cavs said they are keeping Brown this year, and I predict that he's gone by this time next year. LeBron should have just been Player-Coach, Bill Russell style.

How about Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, and Shaq? These guys were brought in to help LeBron, not stand around and expect LeBron to take over and win a title for them. Mo figured it out in the first half of game six, but then everyone just gave up in the last two minutes of the game. Pathetic.
Shaq is not a good player. I'm sorry, but he's terrible. He needs retire.

LeBron has every right to pursue free agency. As cliche as it may sound, it's a free country. You can't force him to stay in Cleveland. He wants to win a title, and it's becoming more and more obvious that it will not happen there.

As a LeBron fan, I want to see him in the finals competing for a championship. For that to happen, I think he has to leave.

At any rate, all signs point to his departure. It is obvious from his body language and from the way his teammates played the last two minutes of game six that he is gone.


Wherever LeBron ends up, he will contend for championships every year. He will pick the best situation for long term championship contention. Personally, I believe that destination is Chicago. Some think it is New Jersey or New York.

Regardless, whatever LeBron James does this summer, it will have a ripple effect across the league that will affect its direction for the next decade.

It is a little sad, but I think I am actually more excited about this off season than the playoffs right now.
With all the free agent signings and potentially one of the deepest drafts ever, it is sure to be an interesting shift in the struggle for NBA supremacy. I can't wait.

Grant Hill

The Suns are quickly becoming my personal favorite team in the playoffs. It's just hard to root against guys like Grant Hill and Steve Nash, who are basically octogenarians in today's NBA, but beyond all explanation, are still getting it done. Check out this block, is this really the work of a 37 year old??



And just a little refresher course on Mr. Hill . . in case the young folks don't remember what we was like in his prime (I know the resolution sucks):



Just for clarification, in case it was too fuzzy, on that last dunk, he definitely crossed the s*** out of Dan Majerle and then calmly proceeded to posterize Alonzo Mourning. Humiliating all-time defensive greats was just another day on the job for Grant Hill back in the day. At the height of his career, he was a triple double machine. He was a 6'8" guy who had unworldly hops, sick handles, played ridiculous defense (he still regularly guards the other team's best player at age 37), he was fast a hell and was more than capable of playing four positions including point guard.

Oh yeah, by the way, he currently leads the suns this postseason in rebounding.

His game is so smooth and effortless, it makes you a little disappointed that the best player in the league now has a game about as visually appealing as the city he plays for. (For the slow readers out there, yes, I just ripped on Lebron and Cleveland) Anyways, to me, Grant is a hall of famer. I just don't know anybody who ever came through the league who was just such an intelligent, honest, unselfish, good guy, and was just so much fun to watch. It is literally a tragedy that his best years were taken from us by a chronic ankle injury.

On a final note, if the Suns beat the Spurs and Robin Lopez finds a way to return from his back injury and effectively reintegrate himself into the team . . . I dunno if the Lakers can win that series the way the Suns are playing right now . . . It will be interesting.