Draft Notes: Zizic, Ellis, English
Ante Zizic will go straight to the NBA upon being drafted as opposed to becoming a draft-and-stash prospect and playing overseas, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). The 6’11” center is the 21st best prospect according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft:
- Perry Ellis (Kansas) has worked out for the Bucks, Suns and Spurs in addition to participating in a Chicago pro day, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders passes along (Twitter links). Ellis will also work out for the Hawks, Kennedy adds.
- A.J. English (Iona) will work out for the Bulls, Magic and Raptors this week, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports (Twitter link).
- DeAndre’ Bembry (St. Joe’s) worked out for the Warriors and the Clippers today, Zagoria tweets.
Western Notes: Nowitzki, Ingram, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki still hasn’t made up his mind on whether he is going to opt out of his deal with the Mavericks, but he is leaning toward it and he addressed the topic on KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan (h/t to the Dallas Morning News for the transcript). “Is [opting out] best for the franchise? Just trying to find out from Donnie [Nelson] and Mark [Cuban] what’s out there, what the plan is,” Nowitzki said. “So, 100 percent, my mind’s not made up, but I’m leaning toward opting out and trying to help, and see what’s out there.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Brandon Ingram (Duke) is scheduled for a private workout with the Lakers on Thursday, sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Ingram is likely to go in the top-2, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors writes in his Prospect Profile of Ingram.
- If Chandler Parsons leaves Dallas this summer, Luol Deng would be a realistic replacement for the Mavericks in free agency, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News argues. Sefko also names Kent Bazemore, Evan Turner and Nicolas Batum as options in free agency.
- The Jazz will work out Ron Baker (Wichita State), Jordan Sakho (Spain), Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Chris Smith (Utah State), Codi Miller-McIntyre (Wake Forest), and Tyrone Wallace (California) on Sunday, per the team’s Twitter feed.
Free Agent Notes: Durant, Rockets, Clippers
Kevin Durant would give himself a better chance at winning a title if he were to leave the Thunder and join the Warriors or sign with an Eastern Conference team, Bill Simmons of The Ringer writes. Many believe that Durant will sign a two-year deal with OKC that contains a player option for year two, as was reported earlier this week.
Simmons offers an unconventional viewpoint on Durant’s impending decision. Two years ago, Durant signed a $300MM deal with Nike. At the time, he and LeBron James had the best selling sneakers among all NBA players, Simmons points out. The 2014 MVP then injured his foot and missed a significant amount of time during the 2014/15 campaign. Durant’s comeback 2015/16 season was overshadowed by Kobe Bryant‘s retirement and the Warriors’ historic 73-9 record. Now, the conversation is between Nike with James and the Jordan Brand and Under Armour with Stephen Curry, Simmons adds. Simmons argues that Durant, his representatives and Nike know they won’t be competing with the top brands unless Durant wins a ring or he leaves the Thunder and he speculates that if Nike had its way, Durant would sign elsewhere this summer.
The piece, which is must-read, is a reminder that the NBA is a business and there are several off the court factors that play into basketball decisions. Selling sneakers likely won’t be the primary force that drives Durant to stay or leave, but it’s an interesting perspective nonetheless.
Here’s more on the NBA’s upcoming free agency:
- Chris Copeland, Ray McCallum, Phil Pressey, Alex Kirk, Peyton Siva, Greg Whittington, Denzel Livingston, Chris Walker, Victor Rudd, Scott Suggs and Chasson Randle all participated in the Rockets‘ recent free agent mini-camp, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
- Russ Smith, Will Cummings, Michael Eric, Cory Jefferson, Khem Birch, Derek Cooke, Justin Harper, Scott Suggs, Malcolm Thomas and Joel Wright were among the attendees at the Clippers‘ mini-camp today, Kennedy reports in a separate tweet.
- The Mavericks can’t settle for lower tier talent in free agency, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News opines. Sekfo believes the team needs to come away with one or two of the top tier free agents, such as Dwight Howard, Mike Conley or Ryan Anderson.
Prospect Profile: Jamal Murray (Part Two)
PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Murray as the third best prospect. The 19-year-old could go as high as No. 3 to the Celtics and Ford doesn’t envision him falling past the Pelicans at No.6. That’s the spot where Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has Murray in his latest mock draft and Givony ranks Murray as the sixth best prospect.
RISE/FALL: Barring an injury to Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, Murray won’t be selected in the top-2. More likely, Murray comes off the board at No. 3, No. 5 or No.6.
FIT: The Celtics have a loaded backcourt. Yet, none of their incumbent players have the ceiling that Murray has, so he remains a possibility since Danny Ainge will be using the No. 3 overall pick with the franchise’s long-term future in mind. Trading that pick remains a possibility as well and the Sixers are a logical trade partner should they offer up Jahlil Okafor. Murray would be a nice fit for the Sixers, as one anonymous executive told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week.
The Wolves have a talented young core and Murray’s shooting would impeccably complement Andrew Wiggins‘ and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ interior games. Minnesota can’t consistently play Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio on the perimeter if it wants to improve in the win column because the trio simply doesn’t possess the long-range shooting necessary to evoke fear in opposing defenses. Smart coaches will let their players sag off these guys and allow them to fire away from downtown. Adding Murray to the equation changes the dynamics. Having a competent shooter on the floor would allow Wiggins to have more room to drive to the basket, a skill he excelled at during his sophomore season in the NBA, even with the team’s poor spacing.
If the team drafts Murray, it can consider moving on from Rubio with the hopes that either Murray or LaVine can develop into a full-time point guard. Minnesota could simply keep Rubio and grant Murray the time to develop into that role. Even if Murray doesn’t become the point guard he believes he can be, he would make a great partner in the backcourt to Rubio or LaVine because of his tremendous shooting ability and I speculate that he doesn’t fall past the Wolves at No. 5.
The Pelicans probably hope he falls to No.6, as they could use Murray the most out of the aforementioned teams. Eric Gordon is a free agent this summer and they may bring him back if the market softens on him, but the Gordon-Jrue Holiday–Tyreke Evans combination never really took off as a result of injuries and overlapping skill sets. Adding Murray would address a problematic area for New Orleans: the back-up point guard spot. Holiday has seen his fair share of injuries since arriving in Louisiana. When he’s unable to play, the offense sputters. Murray would give the Pelicans a nice option at the point should Holiday miss more time in the future or if the team decides to move on from Holiday all together.
FINAL TAKE: Murray may be the best shooter in the draft and in a league where the 3-point shot is being stressed more and more, he should provide immediate value to whichever team drafts him. His floor seems to be a Jamal Crawford-type player who is best suited for a second unit. However, he has the potential to be a star. Whether or not he can play the point guard position full-time and improve on the defensive end will determine his status in the league.
(For Part One of our Jamal Murray Prospect Profile, click here)
Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Dragic, Craig
Hassan Whiteside has a real chance of receiving a max contract this summer, as one scout told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Whiteside’s offensive ability is a major reason why he will be able to command such a deal. “He is a much better version than [Bismack] Biyombo. He can score. You’re not playing four on five,” the scout told Winderman.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- If the Heat are going to trade Goran Dragic, the team will likely need at least one first-round pick in return, Winderman speculates in the same piece. Miami gave up two future first-rounders in order to obtain Dragic last season.
- Dan Craig, who previously served as the coach of the Heat’s D-League affiliate, will join Erik Spoelstra’s staff as an assistant coach, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald passes along.
- The Wizards need to find a third big man who can play with both Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Standig names Ersan Ilyasova and Mirza Teletovic as low cost options.
Prospect Profile: Jamal Murray (Part One)
OVERVIEW: Jamal Murray was the 45th best player of his high school class, according to RSCI’s rankings last year. Murray, an Ontario native, spent part of his summer playing for the Canadian national team and he helped bring home a silver medal to his country during the 2015 Pan American Games. After that experience, and a freshman campaign at Kentucky, in which he averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, Murray finds himself near the top of most draft boards.
STRENGTHS: Murray served as Kentucky’s go-to scorer during his lone season playing for John Calipari. His 538 shot attempts were the most in the SEC last season and the 10th most in the nation. His impressive shooting was a major reason why he was able to dominate that role. Murray shot 50.2% from the field and 40.8% from behind the arc. He was particularly effective coming off screens, shooting 56.0%, as Jonathan Givony of Draft Express details.
He dazzled teams with strong showings during workouts. During a recent workout, in which Chad Ford of ESPN.com attended, he made 25 3-pointers from various spots on the court during a two minute drill. That’s a testament to his shooting accuracy and his sneaky quick release. Don’t be surprised if he wins a 3-point contest over the course of his NBA career.
Murray has the ability to constantly get to the basket and once he’s there, he finds ways to score. He’s not the most athletic prospect, so you won’t see him posturing many defenders as he scores. Instead, he uses a variety of crafty moves to get his shot off. He possesses a nice floater and he used the backboard at Tim Duncan-like rates during his time in college.
The jury is still out on whether he can play point guard full-time in the NBA. Murray believes he can and there’s no reason he couldn’t lead a second unit at the point given his tremendous ball-handling skills. He’s drawn comparisons to Brandon Roy and C.J. McCollum and if he reaches his potential, he can be the type of player that a team can build around.
WEAKNESSES:
His court-vision and decision making are areas of concern and improvement in those areas will likely dictate whether or not he can develop into a starting point guard in the league over the long-term. He struggled with setting up teammates in college, netting only 2.5 assists per 40 minutes, and his 2.7 turnovers per 40 minutes should be alarming to NBA front offices. He didn’t start at point guard at Kentucky, but those figures suggest he will have issues should he be placed into that role.
Murray has some work to do on the defensive end. Even with a 6’7″ wingspan, he doesn’t project to be a lockdown defender. He’ll likely need to be paired with a strong defender in the backcourt for a team to form a winning combination at the top of the key. That’ll be an easier feat if he can develop into a starting-caliber point guard given that shooting guards typically carry more size and should have the ability to cover the opposition’s best guard.
(For Part Two of our Jamal Murray Prospect Profile, click here)
Community Shootaround: Sixers’ Offseason
After several years of tanking, the Sixers finally landed the No.1 overall pick during last Tuesday’s draft lottery. Now, they are faced with a critical decision that will shape the franchise for years to come. Coach Brett Brown said the team isn’t leaning toward any particular player, but the decision will likely come down to Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, whom Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors profiled earlier today. Many believe Simmons will be the pick and although he has the ball handling skills to play in the backcourt, he’s likely best suited at the power forward position.
Drafting Simmons would add to an already full frontcourt. The team expects to have Joel Embiid healthy and ready to play by the beginning of the 2016/17 season and it will likely have Dario Saric coming stateside to play his rookie season in Philadelphia. Despite all the turmoil Jahlil Okafor endured this season, he’s looks to be the team’s best player. Okafor clearly needs to play the center position, as does Nerlens Noel, who will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason. Finding minutes for everyone may prove to be a chore next season. So that leads us to tonight’s topic: How would you handle the team’s situation? Should the Sixers draft Simmons or Ingram with the No. 1 overall pick? Would you trade away one of the team’s big men and if so, which one and for what?
Let us know what you would do if you were sitting in GM Bryan Colangelo’s chair (likely the ergonomic office chair that Sam Hinkie left behind). Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Danny Ainge On The Celtics’ Offseason
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge recently sat down with Dan Roche of WBZ-TV on his radio show to discuss the team’s offseason plans. The entire transcript is a must-read, and we’ll pass along a few highlights:
On the Celtics’ overall philosophy this offseason:
“Ownership would like to see something happen faster and I know my coaches and players want to see something faster. I’ve been in their positions and I get it, I want to see something faster too. But I have to protect us from doing something irrational from doing something that gets us a little bit better.”
On the No.3 overall pick:
“I can’t talk about any players in particular, but a player that is going to take time to develop or a player who may not come to the NBA for a year or two, if we feel he’s the best player we have to take him. We can’t let a player slip by us just because it doesn’t fulfill our immediate satisfaction, or the objective for the fans to see someone exciting. We have to pick the best player under any circumstance. There are too many examples of really good players that fans haven’t been excited about. When Kristaps Porzingis was drafted by New York, fans were booing all over the place and we didn’t understand. When I was in Phoenix and we drafted Steve Nash, we were booed.”
On adding a rim protector:
“I’m always leery of saying what we need because you don’t just go find a good rim protector, because you lose something. We were the fourth-best defense in the NBA without a rim protector. Sometimes you get a rim protector and it hurts your offense. We have some good players, but I think we have to add a few more.”
And-Ones: Diallo, English, Telfair
Cheick Diallo has worked out for the Hawks today, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors mentioned Diallo as a first round possibility in Atlanta’s Offseason Outlook. Atlanta has the No. 21 overall pick in addition to two second-rounders.
Here’s more on the upcoming draft
- A.J. English has worked out for the Lakers , Zagoria reports (Twitter link). The Iona product will work out for the Clippers on Wednesday and the Mavs on Thursday
- Malik Newman will work out for the Knicks on Tuesday, Zagoria reports (Twitter link). Newman previously worked out for the Bucks and Nets.
- Coach Rick Pitino told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link) that he expects Chinanu Onuaku to remain in the draft.
- Makai Mason will withdraw from the draft and return to Yale, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.
- Ethan Telfair, the brother of former NBA player Sebastian Telfair, has withdrawn from the draft and will return to Idaho State, Goodman tweets.
- The Kings will work out Venky Jois, Nick Faust, Mamadou Ndiaye, Mike Tobey, Codi Miller-McIntyre and Anthony Beene on Tuesday, reports James Ham of Comcast SportsNet (Twitter link).
Draft Notes: Ingram, Maker, Briscoe
One league executive told Chad Ford of ESPN.com that Brandon Ingram’s future in the NBA will be at the shooting guard position. “Back when the Pacers used to play Paul George at the 2, I felt like that was his best position,” the executive told Ford. “I feel the same way about Ingram. That’s where he can be devastating and his lack of strength won’t come back to haunt him. If he becomes a superstar, I think it will be because he developed the ability to play that spot.” Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors profiled Ingram earlier today.
- Thon Maker will play the five spot as he develops in the league, one anonymous GM tells Ford, as he writes in the same piece. Ford speculates that the Celtics, Nuggets, Sixers and Suns may look to draft the Australian. All four of those teams have multiple first round picks.
- Most scouts aren’t optimistic about Perry Ellis’ chances of hearing his name called on draft night, though some have him going in the second round, Ford adds in the same piece.
- Isaiah Briscoe has worked out for the Wolves today, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets. Briscoe will also work out for the Hawks on Tuesday, Zagoria adds.