Uh oh – the Knicks have an eye for The Polish Hammer as well: “Though the Knicks likely will take a combo-type guard 
in the June 25 NBA Draft, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh will eye a center with his $5 million mid-level exception during free agency, and Orlando’s 7-foot backup Marcin Gortat is very high on his list, The Post has learned.”
Darnell Mayberry looks at how each potential draft pick fits in with the Thunder: “Harden has the potential to compete for the starting shooting guard spot from Day 1 because of his instincts for the game and ability to score. He is almost the exact opposite of current starter Thabo Sefolosha, whose impact begins on the defensive end and is a work-in-progress offensively. There are questions about whether Harden will be able to defend in the NBA. It remains to be seen if those questions have any merit, but we do know Harden would be protected on the wing with the Thunder thanks to willing defenders Sefolosha, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.” He also gave Harden a 70 percent chance of being here, Thabeet 30 and Rubio 50.
A lawsuit could be imminent for Ricky Rubio: “Plenty of chatter about the Ricky Rubio situation, with the most interesting commentary coming from the many members of the Spanish basketball industry, which are out here in full force. The news this morning about a lawsuit being planned by Rubio’s camp is apparently very true, and there was plenty of spirited discussion regarding whether his exorbitant buyout relative to his proportional contract will hold up in a Spanish court. Some cited the fact that similar cases in soccer (for example in England) had sided in favor of the players in the past, while others mentioned that Rubio’s willing acceptance of a large pay raise a few months back had nullified his ability to dispute the validity of the deal. The main questions here are-how long will such a case take to play out? How much does Joventut need the money for this upcoming season? And how much will the negative publicity from such a bombastic story hurt them down the road in terms of signing young players? Can all this be resolved in satisfactory fashion in time for the draft? This move likely ends any chance Rubio has of pulling his name out of the draft, as the damage caused by such a lawsuit would likely be too great of a rift to heal this upcoming summer.”
John Rohde on the top three picks: “If the Grizzlies choose 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 pick, it leaves 6-foot-4 point guard Ricky Rubio for the Thunder. This would seem to give the Thunder its greatest leverage. More teams are in need of a point guard, and the Thunder is adamant it has filled that position with the Russell Westbrook Project. If the Thunder is able to pick Rubio at No. 3, it could trade his rights for a proven player plus a draft pick not far down the line this year or a first-rounder next year.”
Shoals disucssing ideas on the NBA’s age limit: ”The only losers here? Someone like Kevin Durant, who wants to both play ball and pursue a degree (over the summer). The question is, would he have the same educational option available to him if he tried to go to college as a preps-to-pro player? That would depend on a lot of things, and might be an actually realistic reason for the one-and-done to exist. Derrick Rose, though? Surely he’s got some friend screwed over by city schools, and who might even be useful to him down the road if he gets a business degree.”
Jonny Flynn Q&A: “So what’s a positive situation for you? …There are a lot of them. You look at Sacramento, with Jason Thompson and Donte Green, maybe it’s there. It looks like they might want a point guard who can push the ball and run the offense and score and defend. People say that’s a team that’s been losing, but I’m not afraid of all that. I’m a guy who likes to fix something, and take something that might be a little wrong right now and make it right. That’s appealing to me. So as long as I get into a situation that’s good, it doesn’t really concern me what the team is doing right now.”
Reportedly the Knicks are trying to move David Lee: “An NBA executive said Knicks president Donnie Walsh is trying to work out a sign-and-trade for forward-center David Lee in a cost-cutting move.”
HoopsWorld has a new consensus mock draft out. Just one guy has the Thunder taking Thabeet, two going for Rubio and one Harden: “As we get closer and closer to draft night there are enough rumors swirling around to do 15 different mock drafts, none of which will likely be close to what actually goes down on June 25th. With so much contradicting information out there at some point you have to just completely disregard everything and go by where the best fits are because in the end that’s what matters the most. The Oklahoma City Thunder have shown interest in Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday, James Harden, and just about everyone other than Hasheem Thabeet. However, the 7’3″ project is exactly what the team needs and brings so many things to the table that they currently don’t have at the center position. That is why the UConn product has remained locked in at #3 and will continue to do so the rest of the way on my mock draft.”
Blake Griffin has his lone workout yesterday: “Griffin himself was just what you’d expect. Essentially working 1-on-0 around 6-11 Clippers assistant coach Kim Hughes, he was solid on either block with either hand, going over either shoulder. Plenty of hops to spare, his head was right at the rim on several dunks, while he looked right at 6-9 in shoes. He’ll have issues with his jump shot, which isn’t anywhere near Carlos Boozer’s(notes) at this point. He falls backwards on his release, and moves as he comes down, which means the ball is always fading away with a poor rotation. It also showed on his free throws, where he missed more than he made. Still, these are simple mechanics that will be taken care of within a year, probably. Jump straight up, land in the same place. Typical big man stuff. I’m not ready to declare him a borderline All-Star in his second year, a la Kevin Durant(notes), but he’ll be right there eventually. This guy is going to be fantastic. With his frame, he reminds me of a Terry Cummings with hops, and that description should excite Clipper fans, even without taking into consideration TC’s time in Los Angeles.”
Mike Dunleavy: “Blake’s a tremendous talent, and an even better kid,” Dunleavy said. “From a character standpoint, his work ethic is off the charts. Everybody just expounds on what a great kid he is and how hard he plays all the time.”
Jordan Hill’s stock is falling, according to DX: “Jordan Hill potentially slipping into the bottom of the top-10 or even possibly slightly beyond. The talk is that the Washington Wizards’ 5th pick could very well end up being claimed by Stephen Curry (whether for them or another team trading up), and that since Minnesota, Golden State, New York and maybe even Toronto appear to be looking at other positional needs, Hill could be on the short end of the stick come draft night. ”
Earl Watson got married in Beverly Hills this weekend: “Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Earl Watson was married to actress Jennifer Freeman at the Beverly Hills home of producer Ed Weinberger. The morning ceremony was kicked off with champagne and cupcakees for the guests. Freeman wore an ivory strapless gown with gold embroidery by Kenneth Pool, and Watson wore a champagne-coloured tux by Elevee. Flowers were a large part of the ceremony, with white, cream and powder-pink peonies, roses, gardenias and, hydrangeas, as well as boxes of baby’s breath lining the aisles, decorating the ceremony.”
The Lakers have Jack Nicholson. The Bethseda Big Train have Jeff Green (h/t Daniel): “As NBA star Jeff Green watched from the Shirley Povich Field stands, the Bethesda Big Train opened their 11th season with an impressive 4-0 win over the visiting College Park Bombers. Green was on hand as a special guest for the Big Train’s “Green Out.”"
Ben Gordon is being courted by the Olympiakos: “Ben Gordon(1.91-PG/SG) is rumored to have been offered to Olympiakos by his agent and this is something that is being confirmed by a plenty of greek sports portals, redplanet.gr and gazzetta.gr to name a few. This sets a new spin on the transfer targets of Olympiakos because Ben Gordon has a british passport. That means he occupies the position of a bosman player and not of a foreign player.”
Всех пользователей женского рода поздравляю с 8 марта.
Такое можно обсудить и по аське, а не засирать страницу.
Прикольно вы пишите, такое чувство что опыта лет 40. Вы наверное журналист или проф. писатель. Ну или отличный копирайтер.
много интересных коментов, поддерживаю большинство. Спасибо автору
Как раз то что искал, большое спасибо!
Я так и думал, автор спасибо)
Спасибо) есть что то интересное))
Посоветовали мне этот блог, и видно что незря, есть все что я хотел найти.
They can probably afford Gortat short-term. Though Krstic, Collison and Gortat would be spending far more on center than any other position right now you could do that for a few years. But if somebody offers him more than 3 years that would require a bigger commitment by Presti to match as it would eat into cap space that could get scarce in 3 years.
@ KingGondo
"I bet we draft a shooter in the draft, and trade for some inside presence. If a guy can shoot in college, he can shoot in the league. If a big man dominates in college, your odds of getting a guy who makes an impact is less than 50/50, in my opinion. Let’s pick up Andersen, Lee, Harden, and call it a day!"
I totally agree with this scenerio.
If we take Thabeet, isn't he a Serge Ibanka-type project? We did that last year, right?!(What's the word on Ibanka anyhow? Is he gonna play in Summer League?)
It seems we'll take Rubio, Harden, or Curry...in that order.
I think I'd like to have The PH instead of Lee. Krysic seems to have a similar game(a big that can hit mid-ranged jumpers/10+ Rebound potential) and Gortat would be a legit NBA center-starter with some inside Defense. i.e. blocks/boards/10+points.
I have no idea if we could afford this hypothetical scenerio. Any stat-guys know if this is possible finacally?
Thanks my Thunda-brothas from other mothas!
@KingGondo
he HAS to say that he IS a point guard -
WHY?
1) He thinkis he is - and from what I've seen I believe him
2) if he convinces teams that he is - then his stock goes up . .
3) The guy is very humble - I think that even if he has to be 12th man his first year, he'd do it with a smile . . .
@Royce I think the genius of SVG's play was in the misdirection. On a team with Turkoglu/Lewis/Howard there's no reason to think that Courtney Lee was a viable threat for the Oop.
I was pumped they ran that play because moments before I was talking about how I would throw an oop to my worst (least assuming) player because the defense would never see it coming. In this instance I said they should go to Lee. Then, Courtney Lee showed exactly why you don't trust those guys. They miss.
His brother is the President of Lady Americana not the owner. I believe that one of the Mathis Bros. actually owns it.
@J.G.
That's awesome
@Royce
I'm telling you, Tramel is one of the nicest guys around. He's old school for sure. His brother taught all my bible classes. They are an extremely classy family. Berry's other brother owns Lady Americana (the mattress company).
Chas :@daniel
I completely agree with you about Green. I’m jonesin for some humble but explosive JG (not J.G., but you’re very nice in your own right)!
Right on brutha!
Green is awesome. I love what he does for the team (on and off the court). He seems to be one of the more unsung heroes of the Thunder, which I don't like. I think it's because everyone says he's playing out of position, but according to Jeff, he's not a 3, 4, 5, etc., he's just a "basketball player". He's so versatile and with his tweener size and skills - it just confuses people who want every player to be neatly compartmentalized.
His offense was solid thru most of the season, with his long range shooting dramatically improved over his rookie season. Remember the game (heck, I forget which one) where he hit, I believe, 4 treys in a row? And his dunks are the most nasty, vicious of anybody's on the team (out of nowhere... dash down the baseline, SLAM, net goes rip, opponents look at each other like 'wtf just happened?')
There was a long stretch mid-season where Jeff was quietly (!) scoring 20+ points every single game. Including 24 pts, 26 pts, 28 pts - don't even remember what his max points was (probably over 30). And his rebounding greatly improved over his rookie season. Skill and hustle, never afraid to bang it up in the middle.
But then, towards the end of the season, all the banging started to have its effect. His productivity and numbers went down. Some people went a bit sour on his ability and potential. Well, I'm having none of it. I think the guy is a future All Star. He's going to rest this summer and come back guns blazing in fall '09.
@Royce
"These games cannot be reproduced or resold without the expressed written consent of David Stern"
Oh, is that all. I'm sure ole Davey-boy wouldn't mind.
;)
On a completely different note, all is not well in Hornet-land.
www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4414
@daniel
I completely agree with you about Green. I'm jonesin for some humble but explosive JG (not J.G., but you're very nice in your own right)!
@J.G.
That's pretty cool. I sent Berry Tramel an email a couple months ago and he got back to me within the hour. Frankly, I was a bit shocked. Most of the time, you send an email out knowing you're not going to get a response, but you just hope maybe the read it.
daniel :@Joe
“I’ve got about 30 games saved on the DVR”
damn, you’re wiser than I and me combined. care to take my money by saving to DVD and posting them on ebay? or would that be, like, not legal?
These games cannot be reproduced or resold without the expressed written consent of David Stern.
The Oklahoman is an easy target. But tell me of another newspaper or media outlet that does any more to interact with their customers? Live blogs for almost all of the Thunder games, OU and OSU football; and generally with the sportswriters and their sports editor.
@Pennington
I actually exchanged emails with Darnell about his description of Harden's weakness as an "average athlete" and he was fully aware of Harden's combine results however he told me he was basing his analysis off of how Harden looked in the the games Harden actually played in instead of non-game situations like the measured combine tests.
Long story short, he agreed that the semantics of the article might have been used a bit differently but that he has not seen Harden utilize his apparent athletic gifts in a game situation, just like Brandon Roy was criticized for before entering the league. So it seemed like he didn't mean to imply that Harden did not possess above-average athleticism, but that he did not showcase or efficiently utilize that athleticism in the run of play.
So Darnell is certainly up-to-speed on everything, but just described Harden based primarily off of game footage and not the workout based results, even if the article could have been taken as misleading, ill-informed or dated (a la, before the combine).
On the flip side, Darnell responded promptly and poignantly to each email discussion I sent, thanked me personally for holding him accountable for the words he writes and was very, very appreciative of the feedback and the support that the Thunder fans show.
All in all, my respect for Mayberry has gone up because of this...even if I would have chosen a different set of words for the article. :)
If we take Curry, it will be as a backup point or as a SG. If you're a rookie coming into the league, you don't say "I plan on playing point guard." You play wherever the team that drafts you feels like you fit in best. If Presti is convinced that Curry will be a sharpshooting SG with the ability to distribute, it's hard for me to imagine Steph, in all his humility, creating a ruckus.
I bet we draft a shooter in the draft, and trade for some inside presence. If a guy can shoot in college, he can shoot in the league. If a big man dominates in college, your odds of getting a guy who makes an impact is less than 50/50, in my opinion. Let's pick up Andersen, Lee, Harden, and call it a day. :)
@daniel
Well, it would be certainly be illegal, but as long as there is no paper trail...
I really enjoyed the percentage chances and expected boost from draft picks. I know some people here are high on Curry, but I thought the blurb was pretty accurate. He's going to have a huge transition in just about every aspect (teammates, style, role, opposition). Also, are we ready to move Westbrook off the ball for a guy that seems to excel more in taking shots than setting them up? I would move Westbrook for Rubio, but even I have to admit that it would take someone spectacular for me to take that risk. Westbrook, Durant, and Green have the majority of our shots spoken for. Harden opens the court for them and alleviates pressure from Westbrook. Rubio doesn't need shots and can make our big 3 even better. Curry needs shots and would force Westbrook to learn another new position while another rookie plays the point.
@Pennington
I completely agree. Even Barry Trammel today on the animal was suggesting that the Thunder draft Jordan Hill, which is looking more and more like a bad idea.
Traber finally brought up "the camp" as he called it, at which Harden performed better than expected. Its only been over for almost a week and they are just now cluing in to it...
We do have to cut our local guys some slack though. They have covered the NBA from afar and have never really covered the drafting and FA markets with any depth. They just reported the "big splash" trades with very little originality (just regurgitating the national guys). Hopefully within the next couple years they will create some relationships and find some sources that will give them some actual note worthy insight.
But for now, we have the Daily Thunder crew!!!
@Joe
"I’ve got about 30 games saved on the DVR"
damn, you're wiser than I and me combined. care to take my money by saving to DVD and posting them on ebay? or would that be, like, not legal?
I lost a lot of respect for the Oklahoman, based on Darnell's draft analysis. He talked about Harden being a sub par athlete. YOUGOTTABEKIDDINGME! Did he read the combine result?
I've got about 30 games saved on the DVR; most of the wins and a few of the close losses that were entertaining like the Denver fiascos and the first Phoenix game. I haven't started re-watching them yet, but I will.
This year's finals is 2 3 2, so I actually think Orlando has a decent chance to tie this thing up or take a lead. They are good at home. Now, to win all three and also a game six or seven in L.A. is a different matter.
Presti was willing to give Tyson Chandler 11 mil for two more seasons, he isn't going to be afraid to pay what he needs to for Gortat if he truly deems him a starting center upgrade for us. I don't think Detroit will pony up because they have other holes to fill. They only have Rip, Stuckey and Tayshaun as starters under contract. Dumars has a lot of holes to fill and he is going to need all his money to get it done at a high level as he has mentioned he wants to do (Boozer or Gordon).
@KingGondo
While I would be happy with signing Boozer, I am really, really starting to like the idea of a sign and trade with the Knicks for David Lee. I have speculated previously that smoothing the way for such a move was the real motive behind swapping Wilcox for Rose (GIVE them a decent, cheaper substitute for Lee and generate some good-will before the negotiations get started). Too me he looks like a younger Collison with better hops. I wonder if 6 yrs, 40 million with 10 mill his first year would be doable. That would certainly keep his contract reasonable when we go to re-sign our other young guns.
@Royce
luckily, i still have the season-ending win over the Clips saved.
Sucks that FSOK didn't put it HD. Bastards.
Carlos Boozer is on Jim Rome right now, he seems very humble and very soft-spoken, which wasn't what I expected.
As to criteria he's looking for in the team he signs with, he mentioned wanting to win a championship, but he said the main thing is that he "wants to be happy."
Time to have Joe Smith give Booz a call. If you can have fun during last season, imagine how much fun it'll be watching this young team grow and progress toward the playoffs.
(And this is all assuming, of course, that the Thunder are in the market for Boozer.)
interesting discussion - who's moving up, who's moving down:
www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/15445014
most every poster declares OKC is on the rise - even a playoff sleeper (cross fingers)
one guy notes "the only way is up for the Thunder" (ouch, true)
@tmt
Very, very true. From that angle, the game is much more enjoyable.
Royce :@daniel
...and the ESPN game against the Hornets (also crappy to watch).
Yeah, but it is the last one for P.J. and the beginning of the Brooks era...
dag-nabbit! bigtrain.org updated their site and yanked the Green info and photo... and no link to the previous info (I hate when sites do that)
well, here's the photo for those who missed it:
www.bigtrain.org/published/dat/green_pic.jpg
@Royce
I rewatch the last game of the season every so often, usually when I have some housework to get done. I don't really care that the Clippers totally mailed it in or not, it's probably the best game I could have saved to watch in terms of the "Just wait til next year!" factor.
@daniel
That's really not a bad idea at all. I'd definitely enjoy it.
I have two games still on my DVR. Opening Night (which is a crap game to watch) and the ESPN game against the Hornets (also crappy to watch).
Here's an idea. Let's have KSBI (or someone else) rebroadcast the 23 winning games in full (say one game per week). Or even throw in a few losses that were nevertheless very close and exciting.
Ack, I shoulda taped some of those games. Doh!
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
"I’m more upset that October is still so far away"
Ugh, you said it. Summer detox is killin me. Why can't NBA seasons last 10 months? (just kidding, I guess).
Maybe summer leagues will give me something to look at. Cmon, throw me a crumb. I'm dyin' heauh!
Lee missed that driving finger roll AND the alley oop. Both at crucial moments of the 4th quarter.
I think that pretty much sealed it for the Lakers. I was pulling for Orlando, but I'm not terribly upset. I'm more upset that October is still so far away.
Everybody is calling Stan Van Gundy a genius for that play, but I remember OKC running that little lob play twice this last year, both nearly working perfectly.
I'm glad I'm not Courtney Lee today.
@KingGondo
I don't see us going after Lee...Lee is a 4 playing well in a system. He's also going to want a lot of money.
@Bob
That's the funniest thing I've ever read on this site.
@Clark Matthews
The Pistons will have a good shot at him. AI's contract is up and they won't resign him. I don't know if they want to get into bidding wars because they want to stay open for free agency next year.
Also, I don't see us overpaying for Gortat. I hope we get him, but at a great price too.
Jeff Green at a youth baseball camp. Another insight into a player's personality and interests. Wish someone would post more pics of him signing autographs (the one they do show is great, though).
I'm suffering a Jeff Green drought. He doesn't tweet and there have been few stories about him lately. I'm sure he just wants to relax and let his banged up body do some healing this summer. That's fine. He's become just about my fave Thunder player (and that's saying something on a team full of great guys). Outstanding player and great person to boot. We're lucky.
Yeah, asking the Magic to take 4 out of 5 is probably too much, even with 3 at home. At least the Lakers will be losing Odom next year, and Kobe will be a year older.
This will be a fascinating off-season--probably the first big fire sale in NBA history, and the Thunder are in great position to add some nice players. I guarantee that Presti has been on the phone with the Knicks, inquiring about Lee and what they would be willing to give up for the 3rd pick.
oh man, Orlando should have won game 2... they blew it! crap! (pardon my belgian)
"Earl Watson got married in Beverly Hills..."
and he can stay there, too
One of the reasons I've always disliked the Lakers - they are ground zero of Hollyweird and LA's ultra-fake, botox culture. Not the fault of the players, of course, but I still can't stand the flurry of "stars" (quotes very intentional) around Laker games. What rubbish.
Orlando probably has too big a hill to climb now. But maybe they'll still pull it off. Good luck superman (bring your kryptonite with ya)
@Bob
I think he's referring to each player's individual chance of landing in OKC, not the total chance that the Thunder will take Harden, Thabeet, or Rubio.
But yeah, the Oklahoman and Sports Animal guys should read Daily Thunder. They have no idea about what kind of chatter is happening--they just wildly speculate ad nauseam about the chances of getting Blake, and about "Thabeet and Jordan Hill" being at the top of OKC's list. Give me a break.
@Bob
I'm pretty sure Darnell was doing the %'s on an individual player's basis instead of all of them together under an equal 100% umbrella (for example, Rubio is literally a 50/50 possibility: Either he's picked at 2 or he's not, and if he isn't then the Thunder would probably pick him at the very least to trade him for the player they want and another asset). Also, if Rubio's taken at 2, then Harden (I'd hope) is more than just 70% odds wise of being on the Thunder, but Rubio being taken or not would factor into Harden's % for sure.
But yeah, a little odd to have a good old 235% chance umbrella under all of those draft picks instead of, you know, having them all add up to 100%. :)
I don't know if Darnell Mayberry is a basketball expert but he is clearly not a mathematical one...
I think a lot of teams are going to have Gortat on their radar, but how many are set up to offer him any more than the mid-level exception?
On a totally unrelated note, recently I was visiting with my 93-year-old grandmother who's in a nursing home these days. She's given up the soap operas she watched for years, but told me that she's started watching the NBA. "Those boys can shoot that basketball from anywhere and make it," or words to that effect. And, no, she still has her mind about her.
Maybe the NBA will do one of those "Where ______ happens," though I don't know how well "Where old ladies in nursing homes become NBA fans because "As the World Turns" got too racy happens" will play on the coasts.