A LEGEND IS BORN II

[kibaxx7]

Loving the draft combine. Looks really good.

[Martti.]

Oh them poor rookies. I remember back in the day I did those things..

[kaiser_kobe]

So based on the mock draft, i was expected to be drafted by Memphis...i think they dont like drafting players overseas, so please dont draft me, haha...anyways, nice draft combine!, although i am not yet included, is there'll be some twists or what?...ill send my player request later...

[Fresh8]

NBA Draft Combine 2010: Notable Performers

PG Aaron Karl, 6’4”, 197 lbs, 22 YO, Rhode Island (Projected: Lottery)



Aaron Karl made the biggest impression on scouts during his time at the Combine. No one knew he was as good of a scorer as he showed. His jump shot and his finishing around the rim made many teams take notice. Apart from UConn’s Ray Lliach, Karl was the only PG who showed superior vision and unselfish playmaking. Coming out of Rhode Island, Karl was seen as a second round prospect but his surprise invite to the Combine has seen his stock rise. Karl should be picked in the middle of the first round.

PF Jay Gray, 6’9”, 279 lbs, 20 YO, TCU (Projected: Top 5)



Gray was brilliant on Day One where he outshone all of his counterparts in all of the drills he was put through. He was not a big part in his team’s loss in the morning scrimmage of Day Two, where many scouts in attendance expected Gray’s team to easily make the Final. His non-performance though did not leave everyone watching to change their opinion on the most NBA-ready prospect in this coming Draft. As one scout said, “Gray looked like he was cruising but you can’t look past his talent.” When questioned on why he did not step up, Gray claimed, “I didn’t want to hog up all of the attention. I wanted my team mates to shine. I didn’t step up in the end because I didn’t get the ball but that’s sport and life. It doesn’t always go your way.”

SF Herbert Horsley, 6’6”, 225 lbs, 19 YO, Seton Hall (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)

The young Horsley could not miss on both days. He beat UCLA’s Jeremy Mason in an impromptu three point shootout in between drills on day one and shot the three ball with the same accuracy during his team’s Day Two scrimmage. Unfortunately, Horsley did not show that he was anything more than a shooter. He was unable to keep up with Arizona State’s Stan Erickson, a key reason his team lost their scrimmage despite being up by a considerable margin. Horsley is still young though and is believed to have much potential. A team picking late in the first round or early in the second round could benefit from developing him; he might one day become a solid starting forward.

SF Stan Erickson, 6’7”, 234 lbs, 20 YO, Arizona State (Projected: Lottery)



Erickson is compared to Shane Battier. He does whatever his team needs done. He has a great all-around game and an excellent feel for the game. His court vision and team player attitude along with his hustle makes him hard to place in a mock draft. A struggling team may shy away from him because he is too unselfish and that sometimes leads to him becoming a non-factor in games. Arizona State can vouch for that as Erickson was frustrating to watch for one in every three games. However, that does not mean he is not talented. He could be a top 3 pick or he could be picked up in the middle of the first round. The ceiling is high for Erickson. His floor would be a tough-minded grind-it-out defensive specialist while his ceiling would be to become a Ron Artest-like All-Star talent.

C Shaun Skinner, 6’11”, 287 lbs, 24 YO, Michigan State (Projected: Lottery)

Skinner catapulted himself from being a late first round prospect into a lottery prospect. Charlotte, Dallas, Sacamento, and Memphis officials all came away excited about the Michigan State senior. They raved on about his ability to run the floor for a big man. Skinner’s soft touch around the rim made him a dangerous player to catch the ball in the low post and he held his own against stronger players like DJ Schmidt and Jay Gray. “Seeing how thin the level of talent at centre is in the NBA at the moment,” one Western Conference scout said, “Skinner might develop into an All-Star one day.”

SG Leonard Cassell, 6’5”, 223 lbs, 22 YO, BYU (Projected: Top 5)



New Jersey holds the first and third pick and it has been rumoured that they want to select Cassell with the third pick. That doesn’t make sense when they would be picking Jeremy Mason with the first pick; another player in the same position. That’s how good Cassell is and although he had a bit of an off-day during the first day of the Combine, the BYU product impressed everyone on Day Two. He is a player who can affect a game on both ends of the floor.

PG Corey Brady, 6’4”, 196 lbs, 21 YO, Ohio State (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)



Corey Brady has an unorthodox jumpshot but that did not stop him from claiming the mantle of being the best player on Team Four. Brady showed his court smarts and passing ability as his team won their first scrimmage of the day to advance to the finals. He took a bit of a step backwards as he went scoreless and made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes in the final. Brady will be a great addition to a contending team that wants a steady playmaker to come off the bench.

C DJ Schmidt, 7’1”, 286 lbs, 22 YO, Washington State (Projected: Lottery)



Schmidt might sneak into the Top 5. His performance at the Combine proves that he has been improving but he is still not a strong enough offensive player. He is one of the best rebounders and inside defenders in this Draft but there are worries about whether he would be a liability on attack. He has a problem with fumbling the basketball and although he is very strong, he does not know how to use it when he has the ball in the low post.

SG James Carter, 6’6”, 225 lbs, 23 YO, UCLA (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)

James Carter is a lottery talent but his big mouth and poor attitude have him looking like he will slip into the middle of the first round. That’s not bad for the team who takes a gamble on him because Carter is an NBA-ready swingman who could become an All-Star. His athleticism fuels his electrifying play on both ends of the floor – when he feels like it. “The problem with Carter is that he blames his team mates when he is the one who isn’t trying,” one person said, “If he had his head screwed on right, he could be picked first instead of Jeremy Mason.”

PG Ray Lliach, 6’1”, 186 lbs, 21 YO, University of Connecticut (Projected: Top 5)

Lliach solidified his position as a Top 5 talent at the Combine. Scouts had nothing but good things to say about the player who led UConn to the NCAA title in his sophomore season. His passing, ball handling, and court vision was exceptional. He knew exactly where other players were so that he could deliver crisp passes. He could shoot the ball and a good defender off the ball. This player rivals Germany’s Chris Hova as the best PG in the upcoming draft.

PF Bruce Jamieson, 6’10”, 262 lbs, 20 YO, Minnesota (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)

Jamieson was a revelation to scouts and team execs during the Combine. He is a solid player who thrives on his technical ability. Lack of athleticism does not limit him on the defensive end as he was able to place himself in good positions for rebounds and always made it tough for his opponents to get shots off. On offence, he was patient with the ball and played with smart and cautious shot selection. Jamieson is reportedly being targeted by the Timberwolves as they believe the Minnesota native has the tools to become a solid role player and enforcer.

[Fresh8]

For those who can improve their rookies, do not forget that you have only 24 hours to do so. Anyone who sends me a request after this deadline will not be considered.

For more info, click here

[Skills]

Lol, great job with the draft combine recaps. My jackass attitude had me laughing. I can't imagine what would happen if I ended up on the Kings with Chara. Too bad it's unlikely

[Its_asdf]

I think I've already said this before, but the times when your association/dynasty is nearing the draft is always the most fun to write about in my opinion because of all the scouting reports and analysis that you can do on a player. Loved reading every player's profile.

[kibaxx7]

I see "improve their rookies", so, can I wait to improve mine? (I'm in the next draft class)

[hova-]

Nice rookie reports. The pics are really looking good. Cant wait for the draft.

[Fresh8]

Thierry, unforutnately I have decided that in fairness, you can't improve an undrafted player's rating. Your points will go towards your draft stock. So the more points you have, the higher your rookie is going to be projected. When I said rookie, I was meant to say users with a virtual player in the 2010 Draft!

Its_asdf, writing the Draft Combine was such a bore. I started to run out of things to say for some players and it realy showed in some of the 'profiles'... but thanks for the compliment.

Hova, only a few days until I post the Draft.

[Fresh8]

Chapter 21

Marv Albert read from his script, “Game One of the Western Conference Finals between the Seattle Stealth and the Portland Trailblazers. What an amazing night this will be and I know that it will be a close series as well! Let’s go courtside to Craig Sager. Craig, what have you got for us tonight?”
Craig Sager, dressed in yet another ugly three-piece suit, had a giant grin, “I’m here with the general manager of the Seattle Stealth Will Sit. Will, how do you feel about your team’s chances?”
Sager stuck the microphone into Sit’s nose and Sit looked a bit bothered before replying, “We’re at home and if we get a good start to this series, I think we have what it takes to make the NBA Finals.”
“Before the season began, not many guys were giving your team a chance. Did you believe your side would make it this far.”
“Look Craig, I would be lying if I said I believed this team would get this far. On paper, I did not honestly believe that we could have even made it into the playoffs. The Western Conference is so tough to play in and we had a few good win streaks during the season that really put us in great advantage to make it into the playoffs.”
“And who do you believe is your key player? You have two All-Stars in Kevin Durant and Jason Kidd. David Lee is a rising talent and Brad Miller is a solid big man who has been an All-Star. Who is the key?”
“Obviously it is Kevin. Kevin is just a phenomenon player. He scores in any way you could imagine. What I want to see from him, and I think I do echo what George Karl wants, is for him to involve his team mates as well as work on the boards. Other than that, Kevin is our man.”
“Kevin’s injured, will that slow him down?”
“He’s a competitor; he will give it his all.”
“Thanks Will Sit for your interview.”
“You’re welcome Craig.”
“And it’s back to you Marv Albert,” Sager nodded into the camera lens.
“And that was Craig Sager, dressed like an ‘Oompa Loompa’, talking to Seattle GM Will Sit,” Albert recapped, “Reggie Miller is here to share his opinions too. Reggie, how big is the match up between Brandon Roy and Kevin Durant going to be?”
Miller answered, “I think the main matchup is between Durant and Greg Oden. They want to prove who is the better pick from their Draft.”
Marv Albert and Reggie Miller were the commentators for the Western Finals and talked about how impressive the Stealth had been but also mentioned how good Portland could be. The atmosphere in the arena was electrifying as Seattle had not been this far since the 1990s. All that did not matter though as Portland outplayed the home side. Portland went on to win Games 1 and 2.

With their backs against the wall, Seattle needed to step up in the third game of the series. The team was practicing away from home as the series shifted to Portland. Durant was not happy with the play of rookie shooting guard Reshawn Tyson. The veteran players agreed with Durant; Brad Miller and Jason Kidd had spoken to Head Coach George Karl at length about his choice of starting Tyson. Karl was not swayed by the opinion and spoke to Tyson at the end of a long practice session.
“Son, I don’t know what’s going on,” Karl said, “But you need to play your game.”
Ty was disappointed himself and was not going to make any excuses, “Coach, I’m ready to play a big role for this team.”
Karl patted him on the back, “Don’t fail me. Tomorrow night we have a big game.”

Game 3 came and went slowly. The game was close throughout and came down to the final quarter. With the game on the line, Tyson had a chance to help his team win the third game. Kevin Durant was fuming as Karl drew up the play for the kid.
“We’ve done this a lot in practice,” Karl shouted, “Kevin has the hot hand so Portland will be on him from the start. We want the ball going somewhere where we will get a good look. Ty, this is your chance.”
Ty smiled and jumped up. Adam Morrison and Jeff Green gave him high fives as Sebastian Telfair came over to give him a fist bump. Durant glared at Tyson as he returned to the floor. The Portland crowd was raucous and booing at every moment a Seattle player touched the ball. It was cutthroat playoff basketball. Ty couldn’t remember the last time a coach had drawn a play for him; it was probably in his college season with the Heels. He wasn’t going to this chance get away. He ran onto the court to join the others on the floor. Durant whispered something to his defender Travis Outlaw who signaled to Brandon Roy. The ball was passed in to Jason Kidd and Outlaw and Roy stuck on Durant. Kidd spotted Ty and launched the ball towards him. Ty caught it wide open but it did not last long as Roy was right in front of him, forcing Ty into a rushed shot. The ball did not make its target.
No! Ty thought to himself. Luckily, David Lee scored after gathering the offensive rebound. The damage was done though as Karl yanked Ty off the floor and replaced him with Morrison. Morrison was the unlikely hero as he hit a clutch shot and made the game-saving steal. Ty was devastated and stared blankly at the locker room ceiling after the game. In the home locker room, a stunned Blazers team got a ribbing from Nate McMillan before being dismissed.
“So what did Durant say to you?” Steve Nash asked Outlaw, in reference to that important inbounds play.
Outlaw looked around and discreetly replied, “He told me the play was for the rookie.”
Nash figured that it all made sense now, “That’s how Brandon got up on him so fast. He knew where it was going.”
Outlaw nodded.

Portland wound up losing Game 4 at home to Seattle but finished the Stealth off in the next two games. Both games were blowouts. The Blazers proved no match for the Celtics in the Finals though. Will Sit and George Karl conducted exit interviews with the players before sending them off on holidays. Most of the interviews were positive and Sit used them to try to gauge the interest of whether some of his players would be back on new contracts. Brad Miller was a major proponent of not wanting to sign onto a new deal while Adam Morrison had changed his tune and requested to stick around in Seattle. Sit was stuck on whether to tinker with his roster or not in the upcoming Summer and he sought the opinions of his star players.
He asked Kidd, “What do you think?”
Kidd had replied, “I’m not getting younger. I want to win now. Keep the team intact and try and get some older guys.”
“Where do you think we need to go from here?” Sit asked Durant in their interview.
“We need a real shooting guard,” Durant answered, “Tyson does not cut it.”
Sit nodded, “I want to make a run at a good player but that would be at the expense of Sebastian, Brad, Adam, and Trevor. Do you think it’s worthwhile?”
Durant thought for a moment, “I think it is. You need to build for the future. I don’t mind playing with someone like Joe Johnson.”
Sit smiled, “Thanks for your thoughts. I want you to feel like a part of the team and as our leader, I want to give you as much opportunity for your input as possible.”
Durant shook Sit’s hand and thanked him. He had a long summer of rehab ahead of him. Sit had to decide now whether to resign his players or risk losing them and making a run at another star player. The front office was split in which way to go. If they resigned all of their players, they could use the mid level exception to bring in a veteran. The team had, after all, come this far but Sit still thought it was a bit of a fluke.
“I’m not confident that we’re a playoff caliber team every year,” he explained to Karl, “If we were at that kind of level, I would definitely resign everyone.”
If the team did not resign the players and missed out bringing in a very good player, the roster would be even more gutted.
“And I don’t want to lose half of my roster,” Sit said, “This is going to be a hard decision.”
Sit knew that if he was going for the big catch, he would be trying to sign one player; Joe Johnson.

[Valor]

man...Durant is even more of a jackass then he was before, killing his own team...that's a new low

great story, but i don't like the Joe Johnson decision...i think he's not worth Telfair, Miller, Morrison and Trevor added up together, no where near their value, if you are gonna get an impact player, try not to give up that many of your core rotation

[Martti.]

Better starting 5 < Deep bench in my opinion.

You keep making Durant look worse and worse I didn't hate him before this dynasty, but starting a bit now
James Harden will live in terror in Oklahoma City.

[puttincomputers]

would it not be interesting if the team suddenly found out what durant did? or even the media? say a certain writer who was the first on the Benny Hinn story? hhmmmmm....

[kibaxx7]

you can't improve an undrafted player's rating. Your points will go towards your draft stock. So the more points you have, the higher your rookie is going to be projected.

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know.

I hate KD even more right now. He just can't help the other team.

[Lamrock]

haha Kevin Durant is an asshole. I don't like the idea of sacrificing your bench for an overrated shooting guard. Tyson is too good for that - you should sign a discount veteran 2 for the MLE instead.

[homicide1550]

Lovin' the updates Sit.. Man you really make us hate Durant, that's how good of a writer you are.. Just noticed a little typo, you typed "Marc Albert" instead of Marv..

[Its_asdf]

writing the Draft Combine was such a bore. I started to run out of things to say for some players and it realy showed in some of the 'profiles'... but thanks for the compliment.

Really? I don't know, I guess I'm sort of a draftexpress junkie and I find studying/analyzing future prospects to be a pretty interesting aspect of basketball.

[Mark.]

Trade Durant, Trade Durant, Trade Durant. What a dong bag! Get rid of him, he ruins your team on and off the court, I hope his career goes down in flames.

[Fresh8]

Durant is my SF of the future!

[Fresh8]

Reebok EuroCamp 2010


Australian Jeremy Mason In The All-Star Game

Most of the top international prospects in the upcoming NBA Draft participated in a one day camp in front of NBA and European basketball scouts, coaches, and staff. The one main absentee was Purdue and Philippines SF Kenneth Dela Cruz, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the past month. Estonian PG Ray Lliach also decided not to make the long trip to Barcelona and stayed in the United States to continue trying out for NBA teams. Australian SG Jeremy Mason impressed everyone by taking time out of his own busy schedule to make it to the camp.

Just like the NBA Draft Combine, the players participated in a number of drills before coaches decided on the top ten players and split them into two teams to play out an ‘All-Star Game’ to end the camp. The two teams are as follows:

Green Team:

C Andor Garay, 6’11”, 258 lbs, 22 YO, Hungary (Projected: Second Round)
PF Mingyu Li, 7’, 245 lbs, 20 YO, China (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)
SF Igor Chugainov, 6’6”, 222 lbs, 19 YO, Russia (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)
SF Rok Javanovic, 6’6”, 227 lbs, 23 YO, Slovenia (Projetced: Second Round)
SG Jeremy Mason, 6’7”, 234 lbs, 22 YO, Australia/UCLA (Projected: Top 5)

Red Team:

C Sebastiao Carlos, 7’, 291 lbs, 21 YO, Brazil (Projected: Second Round)
PF Lambros Papadopoulous, 6’10”, 272 lbs, 23 YO, Greece (Projected: Mid-Late First Round)
SF Jorge Fernandez, 6’6”, 236 lbs, 22 YO, Spain (Projected: Second Round)
SG Felix Mendez, 6’7”, 204 lbs, 21 YO, Argentina (Projected: Second Round)
PG Chris Hova, 6’1”, 207 lbs, 23 YO, Germany (Projected: Top 5)

Despite the absence of a true PG, the Green Team came out on top with Jeremy Mason leading the way. The Indigenous Australian SG handled all of the playmaking duties and worked hard at getting all of his team mates involved. He hit the three pointer that won the game and his showing should have him guaranteed of being drafted first overall by the New Jersey Nets in two weeks time.

Chugainov showed uses his athleticism on the defensive end and likes to convert spectacular dunks on the fast break but if the youngster wants to succeed in the NBA, he will need to work on his jumper. Li showed off his outside touch with a big three pointer to open the game while Garay showed a deft touch in the paint with the ball. Slovenian forward Javanovic looked slow and sloppy; many experts believe he should stay in Europe as his game does not suit the NBA style.

In contrast for the Red Team, Chris Hova did not impress anybody. He showed that he is a flashy dribbler and passer, getting past multiple defenders with behind the back, between the leg dribbles, and crossovers. He also had a number of no-look passes that hit his targets perfectly but Hova failed to step up late in the All-Star Game. He also seemed to shoot his side out of the game when he knows that he is not the strongest finisher out on the floor.

Greek Papadopoulous showed off his soft hands in the low post and was great on the offensive glass. He scored twice after grabbing the offensive rebound. The CSKA Moscow player and Greek national team reserve has seen his draft stock rise slowly in the past few months and this camp helped him more in that department. Carlos used his size well to deter opponents from making forays into the paint. A former beach volleyball player, Carlos showed off his vertical leap by spiking the ball into the stands. Felix Mendez and Jorge Fernandez both looked out of place and dazed by the pace of the game. The two swingmen were the Achilles heel of the Red Team and don’t look like they could ever be effective NBA players.

At the end of the camp, Papadopoulos seemed to make the best impression. China’s Mingyu Li also helped himself make a strong bid to lottery teams to take a gamble on him while Jeremy Mason may have cemented himself as the top selection of the Draft. Chris Hova actually hurt himself but some people may forgive him as he is in the middle of negotiations with his current team to get out of his contract.

[hova-]

Woohoo, did not impress anybody? Now that is tough. Ya'll be suprised about my playmaking ability.

Good recap, still can't wait for the draft!

[Fresh8]

Thanks man. Last mock Draft out tonight and then I will post the Draft results soon!

[Fresh8]

2010 Mock Lottery

2010 Mock Draft | 2011 Mock Draft | Create Mock

Updated: 25/06/10 11:11 pm

1. New Jersey (via New York) – Jeremy Mason, SG
2. Milwaukee – Jay Gray, PF
3. New Jersey – Leonard Cassell, SG
4. Toronto – Chris Hova, PG
5. Charlotte – DJ Schmidt, C
6. Chicago – Ray Lliach, PG
7. LA Clippers – Bradley Emerson, SG
8. Memphis – Stan Erickson, SF
9. Dallas – Kenneth Dela Cruz, SF
10. Sacramento – Shawn Skinner, C
11. Philadelphia (via Utah) – James Carter, SG
12. Golden State – Manfred Nissley, SG
13. Phoenix – Donnie Meyers, C
14. San Antonio – Leo Chase, PF

Click For 2010 Mock Draft | 2010 Draft Board

[Martti.]

12. Golden State – Manfred Nissley, SG

Reminds me of my Heat.