Prospect Profile: C.J. McCollum
The FGCU Eagles were the darlings of this year's NCAA tournament but last March was Lehigh's time in the sun. The No. 15 Mountain Hawks knocked off No. 2 Duke, thanks in large part to a 30 point blowout performance from junior guard C.J. McCollum. McCollum's stock was skyhigh, but he chose to return to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for another year. Most players in his position would have taken the money and ran, but the journalism major explained his position in an article for The Sporting News.
"My family and I believe another year in college will be more beneficial for me on and off court. If I were in a situation where I needed money, I would definitely consider taking my career to the next level. But both of my parents work hard to ensure my brother and I can live comfortably, which takes away any added pressure to pursue a professional career at this time. The fact that my brother plays professionally over in Israel doesn’t hurt, either," McCollum said.
Some wondered if McCollum was costing himself a guaranteed deal by passing up the chance to go in the first round of the 2012 draft. There were also doubters for the guard when he fractured his left foot this past January. Even though the injury cost him the second half of the season and a chance to flex his muscles in the Patriot League tournament, the senior is still going to go off the board inside of the first 30 picks.
The foot injury came at a rather inopportune time as McCollum was averaging 25.7 points per contest on the year. Just as he did in his junior year, McCollum showed that he can create his own opportunities to score when necessary. There's going to be some debate over whether the 6'3" prospect can play the point guard position in part because of the amount of shots that he took for Lehigh. The reality is, however, that he was charged with scoring in bunches for his team and he has decent court vision. He doesn't project to be Jason Kidd, but he can certainly be an effective shoot-first combo guard at the next level.
On the other side of the floor, McCollum has shown that he can be an effective defender with a knack for stripping the ball away. He's also not shy about cleaning the glass and his 6.5 RPG in his last full season shows it. He'll be at a height disadvantage in the NBA, but his tenacity should help balance things out somewhat.
The biggest strike against McCollum is his overall lack of speed. He was obviously quick enough to beat defenders in college, but his lack of a fifth gear could hurt him in the pros. Regardless, McCollum finds himself in a talent-starved draft class and he's going to get nabbed in the first round despite missing the bulk of his senior season. Most mock drafts have him going mid-first round, but there's a good chance we see him work his way up to the lottery.
Jason Collins Wants To Return To Celtics
Jason Collins enjoyed his time in Boston and Celtics coach Doc Rivers never wanted to let him go, but his tenure with the C's came to an end this season when the club had to acquire backcourt help in the wake of injuries to Rajon Rondo and Leandro Barbosa. He declined to comment when asked if he wanted a buyout of his deal in order to finish his career with a contender, but said he told Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he would "definitely" consider signing with Boston next season.
"[I] might put a no-trade clause in there," joked Collins, who was traded to Washington after Chris Wilcox refused to forfeit his Bird rights to facilitate the deal. "What an honor it was to play for a great organization that has so much history. Great group of guys in that locker room. The leadership with Doc, [Kevin Garnett] and [Paul] Pierce. Nothing but good memories."
For his career, Collins has averaged 3.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG while providing tough, physical defense off the bench. The big man will be a free agent this summer after earning the veteran's minimum for 2012/13.
Though he's far from a star player, Collins is accustomed to winning in his NBA career after time with Boston and the Jason Kidd-led Nets. For his part, Rivers says that he wouldn't mind having Collins back in green and white.
D-League Moves: Machado, Baynes, Garrett
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments here..
- After signing him yesterday, the Warriors assigned Scott Machado to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a press release. Machado will be in action for the Warriors' first round series against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Wednesday.
- The Spurs announced that they have recalled Aron Baynes from their D-League affiliate. Baynes has appeared in 11 games with the Austin Toros, averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds in 26.9 minutes.
- Earlier this week, the Suns announced that they had assigned guard Diante Garrett to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League. Garrett has now been recalled from the D-League. The 6'4" guard was first assigned on January 10th to the Jam, where he averaged 15.1 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.7 steals in seven games for the Jam (five starts).
Bulls Sign Malcolm Thomas To Two-Year Deal
12:58pm: Thomas' deal has guarantee dates that can push the deal through next season, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM.
12:09pm: The Bulls announced today that they have signed forward Malcolm Thomas for the remainder of the season. Thomas originally signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on March 19th and inked a second one after that expired.
The 6-9, 225 pound forward has seen time in just two games for the Bulls and scored four points in total. The 24-year-old hasn't seen significant burn just yet, but he serves as insurance for big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. Thomas is the 15th man on Chicago's roster, meaning that there is no more room for additional signings.
King, Payton Inducted To Hall Of Fame
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that they will welcome 12 new members in September. This year's class includes Sonics star Gary Payton and Nets and Knicks great Bernard King.
Here's the complete list of 2012 inductees..
Women's Committee:
- Sylvia Hatchell (Coach)
- Dawn Staley (Player)
North American Committee:
- Bernard King (Player)
- Guy V. Lewis (Coach)
- Gary Payton (Player)
- Rick Pitino (Coach)
- Jerry Tarkanian (Coach)
ABA Committee:
- Roger Brown (Player)
Early African American Pioneers Committee:
- Dr. E.B. Henderson (Contributor)
International Committee:
- Oscar Schmidt (Player)
Veterans Committee:
- Richard Guerin (Player)
Contributor Direct Election Committee:
- Russ Granik (Contributor)
Southwest Notes: Hornets, Gordon, Spurs, Mavs
The Hornets couldn't find a deal for Eric Gordon at the trade deadline this year, but they'll probably be open to trading him during the offseason. The guard had the right to veto a deal in his first year, making it extra difficult to find a deal. Could New Orleans part ways with Gordon and others after the season? Here's more on that and other news out of the Southwest..
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes that the Hornets will have options this summer. Kyler expects the Hornets to re-start talks on deals as soon as the season ends with Gordon but possibly other roster veterans like Ryan Anderson and Robin Lopez.
- Former NBA player Trajan Langdon is now a scout for the Spurs and combing the D-League for its best talent, writes Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside. Langdon has experience at every level of basketball, having also been a college star and a standout in Europe.
- Baylor women's basketball star Brittney Griner is ready to take Mavs owner Mark Cuban up on his offer of an NBA tryout after the WNBA season, writes Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. The 6'8" center will be the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA draft April 15th.
Central Notes: Cavs, Scott, Maggette, Rose
Last night, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving was asked if he'd be disappointed to see coach Byron Scott go and essentially issued a no comment. Scott is definitely on the hot seat as the season comes to a close, but will he survive? Here's more on that and other notes out of the Central..
- Scott could be hanging on to his job with his fingertips, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (on Twitter). While many people are weighing in on whether Scott should keep his job, the only opinions that truly matter are those of Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. However, they're not saying anything publicly either. If they make a move, Finnan suggests that Nate McMillan and Stan Van Gundy would be strong candidates.
- Tom Van Riper of Forbes released a list of the NBA's most overpaid players and ranked the Pistons' Corey Maggette sixth. Van Riper notes that Maggette has never played a full 82-game season in his 14-year career and even though he can score, he has career averages of 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 45% shooting. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony is at the very top of the list, which is especially surprising given his recent play.
- Derrick Rose still isn't ruling out playing this season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The guard also says that playing on a minutes limit wouldn't bother him.
Odds & Ends: Scott, Irving, Nowitzki, Gordon
There's a lot of concern over Danilo Gallinari's season-ending injury, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post doesn't think it puts much of a dent in the Nuggets' playoff chances. Most Hoops Rumors readers believe the Nuggets had no chance of a title anyway, though our readers picked Denver as the most likely "Cinderella" team to make the NBA Finals this year. Here's more from around the Association..
- When asked whether he supports Byron Scott and would be disappointed if he were fired, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving said he did not want to address the topic at this time, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Scott is one of many NBA coaches perceived to be on the hot seat after the season and a lack of support from Irving could hurt his case.
- Dirk Nowitzki reiterated his desire to stay with the Mavericks, but also says that he wants to play for a championship again in his final couple of years, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- The Hornets will probably still be open to trading Eric Gordon this summer, sources tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer gives his take on end-of-season awards with the final night of the regular season just 10 days away. Not surprisingly, he has LeBron James winning his fourth MVP award in five years.
- Kobe Bryant says that he doesn't want to play point guard just to extend his career, but he has looked awfully good doing it, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Week In Review: 4/1/13 – 4/7/13
Here’s a look back at the week that was on Hoops Rumors..
- Zach Randolph is likely to exercise his option for 2014/15. The 31-year-old is still a consistent double-double threat but hasn’t been quite the same since his MCL injury.
- No surprise here, but Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza will opt in for 2013/14.
- Grant Hill is likely to retire at the end of this season. Hill, who signed with the Clippers last July, didn’t appear in a regular-season game until January due to a bone bruise to his right knee.
- Jay-Z announced that he is becoming an agent in the NBA as well as MLB. Becoming an agent means that the rapper has to give up his stake in the Nets.
- The Rockets think they can make space for Dwight Howard.
- Jerry Stackhouse might call it quits, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
- Alex Poythress is returning to Kentucky. You can keep up with the players who are entering the 2013 draft with our Early Entrants tracker.
- The Suns and Lon Babby agreed to a new two-year pact.
- Dirk Nowitzki says he’ll be happy to recruit for the Mavs this summer.
- The Grizzlies signed guard Keyon Dooling. Memphis also had their eye on Jonny Flynn and others.
- The Bobcats signed Jannero Pargo for the season.
- The Nets signed Kris Joseph to a 10-day deal.
Hoops Links: Wall, Beal, Smith, Nets, Celtics
On this date in 2001, the Rockets defeated the Hawks, 110-97, to become the first NBA team in 18 years to sweep an entire division. The Rockets won all 16 games against the Central, becoming the first team to sweep a division since the 1982/83 Lakers swept all 12 of their games against the Central Division.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- The Dribble Drive unveils their united basketball development plan.
- Hardwood Paroxysm says you should still be excited about John Wall and Bradley Beal.
- Red94 reminds you why Greg Smith in the starting lineup is a good thing.
- The Brooklyn Game asks if the Nets should be tanking.
- Celtics Life wonders if the C's finally found a backup one-guard.
- Blog A Bull asks if the Bulls have left it all up to Derrick Rose.
- True Sports Blog looks at John Wall's breakout season.
- Pounding The Rock goes fraternizing with the enemy.
- The Basketball Post breaks down Wichita State's Final Four run.
- A Wolf Among Wolves says tanks but no tanks.
- Rufus On Fire is enthused about Tyrus Thomas.
- Behind The Buck Pass breaks down the assist distribution in Milwaukee.
- Utah Sports Net discussed Enes Kanter's injury on their latest podcast.
- 3SOB searches for the Grizzlies believers.
- Bright Side Of The Sun wonders if Lindsey Hunter's defense is too aggressive.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.