Kristaps Porzingis

Western Notes: Wolves, Oden, Payne

May 30th, 2015 at 4:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder have a history of making draft promises to prospects, having reportedly made one to Reggie Jackson back in 2011, as well as agreeing to a unique D-League arrangement with Josh Huestis prior to the 2014 NBA Draft, Royce Young of ESPN.com writes. Chad Ford of ESPN.com noted earlier this week that there are rumblings around the league that OKC told Murray State point guard Cameron Payne that it intends to select him with the No. 14 overall pick this June. Payne as a prospect seems tailor-made for the Thunder, notes Young, since the team values size and versatility in its guards. Payne does indeed possess good size for a guard, though he’ll need to bulk up his thin frame, and with his excellent shooting ability Payne can play either guard position, the ESPN scribe adds.

Here’s what else is happening around the Western Conference:

The Grizzlies are considering bringing in oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden for a free agent camp next month, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Memphis’ current level of interest in the big man remains unclear, but the franchise is scheduled to host a free agent mini-camp in the upcoming weeks, Charania notes. Oden’s last regular season action in the NBA was with the Heat during the 2012/13 season, when he made 23 appearances for Miami.
The Timberwolves held workouts on Friday for Andre Hollins (Minnesota), Elliott Eliason (Minnesota), Jordan Mickey (LSU), Wayne Blackshear (Louisville), and Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (Twitter link).
Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders plans on attending Kristaps Porzingis‘ workout in Las Vegas in two weeks, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets.
The Thunder worked out Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Jarell Martin (LSU), and Stefan Nastic (Stanford), Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter).
Rashad Vaughn‘s scheduled workout with the Timberwolves has been moved from June 4th to June 15th, and may now be an individual showcase, Wolfson tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Porzingis, Sixers

May 22nd, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Lakers aren’t necessarily set on selecting a big man with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, which could potentially allow either Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor to slip to the Knicks, who pick fourth, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. This unlikely scenario would also depend on the Sixers selecting D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, instead of adding another big to go alongside Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, Begley adds.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks could also look to select forward Kristaps Porzingis, whom ESPN’s Kevin Pelton believes is a better fit for the team than Mudiay, who many mock drafts have linked to New York, Begley adds. “Having succeeded against far tougher competition in Spain, [Porzingis] figures to have more immediate impact, and he’s only seven months older than Mudiay. Also, I have some concerns about how well Mudiay — a poor shooter whose best attribute will probably be running the pick-and-roll — will fit in the triangle offense. There’s flexibility there, but a pick-and-roll-heavy style isn’t what [team president] Phil Jackson and [coach] Derek Fisher ideally want to play. I would take Porzingis,” Pelton opines.
The Sixers are comfortable with having the No. 3 overall pick, and believe that they can land an impact player, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “If you look at [GM] Sam Hinkie‘s draft record, you have to feel pretty good,” said Philly’s CEO Scott O’Neil. “You look at guys around the league who were drafted around there. We’ve got [Embiid] coming back. We’ve got a really improved Noel. Next year, we’ve got four first-round picks and [Dario] Saric. So you’ve got a pretty exciting story here.” Speaking of Hinkie’s draft record, you can see a full rundown of all of his past selections here.
Despite all of the mock drafts predicting that the Sixers will select Russell, Hinkie said the team hasn’t targeted any specific player yet, Pompey notes. “I think it’s too early now,” Hinkie said. “This time of year, everyone gets away to what one mock draft or another says. And other times, that doesn’t appear to be true very much. Let’s sort of see how things go.”

Pistons Rumors: Booker, Kaminsky, Lyles

May 18th, 2015 at 8:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker grew up as a Pistons fan and would relish the chance to play for them, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Booker was raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., which is approximately two hours from Detroit. It’s unlikely he will get his wish since the Pistons hold the No. 8 spot in the draft, pending the lottery results, and Booker projects as a late lottery selection. He’s currently ranked No. 13 on Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider Big Board and No. 15 on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress prospect list. The team has other pressing needs, since they already have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jodie Meeks sharing minutes at that spot.

In other draft news concerning the Pistons:

Frank Kaminsky interviewed with the team during the draft combine as it tries to determine whether he could replace power forward and unrestricted free agent Greg Monroe, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. Kaminsky termed the Pistons’ interview “laid back” and asked how he could fit into their system, Mayo continues. Kaminsky, ranked No. 14 by Ford and No. 10 by Givony, is a better outside shooter than Monroe and that enhances his appeal, Mayo adds.
Kaminsky is just one of the big men on the Pistons’ radar, Terry Foster of the Detroit News reports. They are also looking at Trey Lyles and Myles Turner and could trade up for Kristaps Porzingis to fulfill their desire for a power forward that can stretch the floor, Foster adds.
President of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy should emulate his predecessor, Joe Dumars, when it comes to evaluating lottery picks, Ellis examines in a separate piece. Dumars recovered from his disastrous decision to select Darko Milicic with the No. 2 overall pick in 2003 and drafted Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Caldwell-Pope with his lottery picks in recent years, though he denied the new regime a lottery pick last year when it had to be shipped to the Hornets to fulfill a prior trade obligation, Ellis continues. Van Gundy and his staff get their first chance to make a lottery selection next month.

Draft Rumors: Porzingis, Wood, Dawson

May 15th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

At least one GM is among the multiple executives who believe Latvian power forward Kristaps Porzingis has a shot to be drafted as highly as No. 2, reports Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The head of basketball ops for another team said that he’s a “lock” for the top five and that it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go within the top three, adding that he’d draft him in front of Jahlil Okafor, the Duke center who occupied the top spot in projections for most of the season. The 19-year-old is No. 5 in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings and No. 8 with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Here’s more as draft rumors kick into high gear:

Christian Wood, a power forward out of UNLV, is hoping to follow in Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s footsteps as a ball-handler with unusual height and length, Howard-Cooper writes in the same piece. The Bucks intend to interview Wood, Virginia small forward Justin Anderson and others today, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Both the DraftExpress team and Ford go in depth on the measurements from the combine, with Ford, in his Insider-only piece, noting that most top prospects sized up well and that this year’s draft class is among the longest groups in memory in terms of both height and wingspan.
Michigan State power forward Branden Dawson has interviewed with the Wizards, Clippers and Pelicans at the draft combine, as he told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis, in the same report, adds Stanley Johnson, Frank Kaminsky and Rashad Vaughn to the list of prospects with whom the Pistons have spoken.
Terry Rozier met with the Pistons, too, as well as the Mavs, Suns, Knicks and Spurs, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
The Sixers, Lakers, Cavs and Bucks have interviewed Cameron Payne, Kyler also tweets. Payne spoke with our Zach Links recently about his draft prospects.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds the Hornets and Warriors to the list of teams speaking with Rakeem Christmas (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Pistons, Draft, Knicks

May 4th, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy and GM Jeff Bower are in Spain to evaluate potential lottery picks Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis, Terry Foster of the Detroit News reports. Detroit currently holds the No. 8 pick in the draft pending the results of the lottery and is seeking forwards who can stretch the floor, Foster continues. Hezonja could help the Pistons at small forward, a spot that was shared by aging veterans Tayshaun Prince and Caron Butler during the second half of the season. Porzingis has a good catch-and-shoot game, according to Foster, and could replace power forward Greg Monroe, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

In other news around the league:

The NBA will hold its draft at the Nets’ Barclays Center for the third consecutive year next month, league sources informed Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The June 25th event has been hosted by the Nets for five consecutive years, including two years at the team’s previous home arena, the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The focus of the draft will be on Brooklyn’s crosstown rival, the Knicks, since they have the second-best chance to get the top pick through the lottery, Bontemps points out.
The Knicks will have anywhere from $19.1MM to $26.7MM in salary-cap space this summer, according to the latest projections by Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The disparity is mainly due to the cap hold on Alexey Shved, who could receive a qualifying offer of just over $4.1MM.
Tony Parker and Spurs teammate Boris Diaw are among 24 players named to France’s preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2015, Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Parker and Diaw have indicated they plan to participate in the event, which will be held in September, McCarney adds.

Eastern Notes: Magic, Celtics, Middleton

May 2nd, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic‘s biggest need heading into the 2015 NBA draft is for a rim protector who can also stretch the floor with his shooting, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Two players who could fill that need, and who Orlando could look to select in the first round, are Kristaps Porzingis or Willie Cauley-Stein, Robbins notes. While Porzingis may have a higher ceiling, the Magic’s need to win now may predicate the team targeting the more NBA-ready big man in Cauley-Stein, the Sentinel scribe adds. Orlando had hoped it found the stretch-four it was seeking when the team inked Channing Frye to a four-year, $32MM contract last summer. But Frye only notched averages of 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in his 75 appearances for the team in 2014/15.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Nets have not picked up the team option on assistant GM Bobby Marks‘ contract for 2015/16, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The deadline to do so was May 1st, though the team could still elect to extend Marks’ deal once other offseason personnel decisions have been made, Mazzeo adds.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is looking forward to what he hopes is a productive offseason for the franchise, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes. When asked what he was most excited about this summer, Stevens responded, “I like the draft. I think it’s a fun thing to watch guys, to come in to learn, to meet them in interviews, to talk to them. I know a lot of them or at least a lot about them. And then free agency, we didn’t get a chance to experience it much last year because we didn’t have any [salary cap] space. And we knew that. We made a couple of calls but really we didn’t have any chance, because we didn’t have very much money available.“
Khris Middleton, coming off of a season where he averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds, both career highs, is likely in line for a hefty pay raise this summer. The Bucks can make the 23-year-old a restricted free agent if they tender him a qualifying offer worth $2,725,003. For his part, Middleton hopes to re-sign with Milwaukee this offseason, Matt Velazquez of The Journal Sentinel writes. “I got here, nobody really knew what to expect,” Middleton said. “We had a terrible season, then this year I feel like we found our foundation of what we can be and what we can become. I feel like we have a great young team going in the right direction. Would love to be a part of that here.“

And-Ones: Porzingis, Bjelica, Stevens

April 22nd, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Projected 2015 lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis indicated that he withdrew from last year’s draft because he felt he wasn’t yet ready to compete in the NBA, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype relays. “As soon as I declared for the draft, I knew that I wanted I to stay one more year in Spain to get better,” Porzingis said. “Now looking back I think we made the right decision. I had a bad start of the season – individually and as a team. I could have played much better, but I think I have improved my consistency and I have picked it up since the bad start of the season. This season has been tough, but I want to say thanks to coach [Scott] Roth for the work he did with me in Seville. I have a lot of respect for him as a coach and I wish him the best.” The seven-footer also indicated that he no longer had doubts regarding entering the NBA, Sierra adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter links), two assistant coaches who will be in play this offseason for available head coaching vacancies are the Pacers‘ Dan Burke, and the Hawks‘ Kenny Atkinson.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has his team ahead of schedule in its rebuilding process, which is a testament to his abilities as a leader, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Stevens stressing unselfishness and creating opportunities for teammates appeals to Boston’s players, Zillgitt adds. “All these guys are in the NBA for a reason, and they’re really, really good at something,” Stevens said. “If you can separate yourself at being one of the best at the things you do well, then you always have a spot where people are going to value you. It just makes sense to a be a superstar in your role.”
Former NBA GM and current coach of the Turkish club Eskişehir Basket Brad Greenberg has high praise for Wolves‘ draft-and-stash pick Nemanja Bjelica, David Pick of Basketball Insiders writes. While Greenberg believes Bjelica is ready to play in the NBA, he’s not sure if the big man will head to the U.S. to play in the near future, Pick adds. “Can Bjelica be on an NBA team? Sure. Will he? I don’t know,” Greenberg said. “Like all high-level Euroleague players who make a lot of money overseas, it has to be a situation that makes sense financially, and where he gets an opportunity to play. Europeans don’t want to give up something that is comfortable, good and financially rewarding for a ‘what if?’ situation. Bjelica is talented enough to be in an NBA gym and not look out of place. That’s for sure.”

2015 NBA Draft Prospect Power Rankings 5.0

April 17th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is a little over two months away and underclassmen are still in the process of declaring their intentions for June’s big event. Front offices and scouting departments throughout the NBA are hard at work trying to determine which players they will pin the future of their franchises on, and Hoops Rumors will be doing the same all the way up until the draft. Here are my current top 20 players in descending order with last month’s ranking in parentheses:

1 (4) Karl-Anthony Towns-PF/C (Kentucky/Freshman)

-7’0″, 250 pounds

–DraftExpress Rank: No. 1

–ESPN Rank: No. 1

–Stats: 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. .566/.250/.813.

Towns has officially declared himself eligible for the 2015 NBA draft and it was likely an easy decision for him to make. The talented big man has overtaken Jahlil Okafor as the player projected by most experts to be selected No. 1 overall. This ascent is more about what Towns has shown scouts and executives, and less about what Okafor has not. Towns possesses a much higher upside than Okafor, and his athleticism is far superior as well. The big man’s stats were negatively impacted by Kentucky’s depth and platoon system, but he showed more than enough to make NBA personnel drool at the thought of adding him to their squads.

2 (1) Jahlil Okafor-C (Duke/Freshman)

-6’11”, 272 pounds

–DraftExpress Rank: No. 2

–ESPN Rank: No. 2

–Stats: 17.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .664/.000/.510.

While Okafor could still easily be the No. 1 overall selection in June, his lack of explosive athleticism and defensive limitations has opened the door for Towns to usurp him as the alpha of the 2015 draft. Okafor is still one of the most offensively polished big men to come along in quite some time, which should make any team that nabs him very happy. The big man is likely to produce earlier in his career than Towns, but he will also likely plateau quicker.

3 (3) D’Angelo Russell-SG/PG (Ohio State/Freshman)

-6’5″, 176 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 4

-ESPN Rank: No. 4

-Stats: 19.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 5.0 APG. .449/.411/.756.

No player has improved his draft stock more than Russell since the beginning of the college season. The lefty didn’t have a great NCAA tournament, and his lack of explosiveness was exposed by fellow draft prospect Rondae Hollis-Jefferson during Ohio State’s loss to Arizona. This quieted the Russell as the possible No. 1 overall pick talks a bit, but the versatile guard is almost assuredly a top four selection. When choosing between him and Emmanuel Mudiay, teams will need to weigh Mudiay’s higher ceiling and superior athletic skills to Russell’s excellent outside shooting and intangibles. I’m rating Russell higher because of his ability to play both guard spots, and him being the better known prospect right now around NBA circles. However, things could change rapidly when individual workouts begin and Mudiay is able to show off his wares. You can check out my expanded profile on Russell here.

4 (4) Emmanuel Mudiay-PG (Guangdong)

-6’5″, 200 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 3

-ESPN Rank: No. 3

-Stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 6.3 APG. .493/.321/.586

Mudiay, despite barely having played in months due to an ankle injury, is still considered the most physically talented guard in the draft. Not playing college ball didn’t hurt Dante Exum prior to the 2014 draft, and Mudiay is a more NBA-ready prospect than he was, and it wouldn’t be a complete shock for him to go No. 1 overall, depending on the team selecting first and its needs (ie: the Sixers). The young guard also demonstrated great maturity during his time overseas, something not likely lost on NBA executives. Mudiay is almost sure to dazzle in his pre-draft workouts, and he’ll definitely be selected in the top five.

5 (8) Justise Winslow-SF (Duke/Freshman)

-6’6″, 221 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 5

-ESPN Rank: No. 6

-Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG. .486/.418/.641.

Winslow cemented himself as an early lottery pick with his stellar play during the NCAA tournament. For much of the season there wasn’t much separating the numerous wings slotted to enter June’s draft, but Winslow has finally overtaken all the rest. His physical skills are tantalizing and he appears to have just scratched the surface on his ample talent. Winslow’s a player who could easily sneak into the top three depending on how the draft lottery shakes out. The wing also may just become the jewel of the class of 2015 in a few short seasons.

6 (5) Willie Cauley-Stein-C (Kentucky/Junior)

-7’0″, 244 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 6

-ESPN Rank: No. 7

-Stats: 8.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. .572/.000/.617.

Cauley-Stein’s decision to return to Kentucky for his junior season has paid off handsomely for him. He is an absolute defensive monster, and can step into an NBA rotation immediately. The big man is still limited offensively, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. I project Cauley-Stein to produce similar numbers to Tyson Chandler, which isn’t a bad thing at all. While he may be close to his ceiling as a prospect, the big man is easily the most NBA-ready in the entire draft. If the Knicks fall out of the top three selections in the draft I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them nab Cauley-Stein with their pick.

7 (7) Kristaps Porzingis-PF (Baloncesto Sevilla)

-7’0″, 220 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 8

-ESPN Rank: No. 5

-Stats: 10.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.9 BPG. .560/.328/.750.

Porzingis is a likely top five pick, but I still remain unimpressed with his game. He has excellent athleticism, and is a talented three-point shooter, but Porzingis hasn’t necessarily dominated in European competition, which raises all kinds of red flags with me. There have been plenty of European players who have entered the league with high expectations based on their physical skills, only to turn out to be draft busts. Porzingis is a project with an extremely high upside, but I would think twice about taking him in the top five. My first instinct was to rank him outside the top 10, but it’s almost assured that some team will take a gamble on him near the top of the draft. Porzingis is being compared to Nikola Mirotic by some scouts, though I don’t believe he has the same level of polish that the Bulls rookie had at the same age.

8 (6) Stanley Johnson-SF (Arizona/Freshman)

-6’7″, 237 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 9

-ESPN Rank: No. 11

-Stats: 13.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 SPG. .446/.371/.742.

Johnson is an absolute man-child with an NBA-ready body and excellent strength. He reminds me a bit of Larry Johnson (no relation), though he is nowhere near as polished on the offensive end as the elder Johnson was coming out of UNLV. Where the freshman will be selected is still a bit of a puzzle. As far as wings go in this draft: Winslow is more athletic and has a much higher upside; Mario Hezonja’s outside game is more highly regarded; and Kelly Oubre is also rated as a superior outside shooter, with his upside also projected to exceed that of Johnson’s. I still like Johnson’s chances to be a lottery pick, but he’s the most likely of my current top 10 to slide lower in the draft.

9 (9) Kevon Looney-PF (UCLA/Freshman)

-6’9″, 220 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 20

-ESPN Rank: No. 10

-Stats: 11.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 0.9 BPG. .470/.415/.626.

Looney’s production tailed off toward the end of the season, though his mediocre NCAA tournament numbers can be attributed to him dealing with the effects of a facial fracture that he suffered during the PAC-12 tournament. The freshman is a bit of a tweener, similar to Aaron Gordon a year ago in that respect, but he has a far more polished offensive game than Gordon did at Arizona last season. Looney’s potential as a player is off-the-charts, but he’ll need to find an NBA position in order to carve out a place in a rotation for himself. He’s a player that could be looked back on as a steal if he slides toward the middle of the draft.

10 (11) Myles Turner-C (Texas/Freshman)

-6’11”, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 12

-ESPN Rank: No. 9

-Stats: 10.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG. .455/.274/.839.

Turner is a project, but he’s one who could pay dividends for a patient team. He’s a good scorer with range out to the three-point line, but he lacks aggressiveness. Turner is a solid shot blocker, but he needs to improve as a rebounder if he wants to be more than just a rotation player in the NBA. There are also some legitimate concerns regarding his knees due to his odd way of running. Big men tend to break down faster than players at other positions, so long-term health is a definite concern with Turner. The big man isn’t as talented as Okafor and Towns, nor is he as polished as Cauley-Stein, but if a team is looking for a potential late lottery steal whose upside compares with LaMarcus Aldridge, then Turner could fit the bill. Patience will be required with the 19-year-old, and some serious D-League time will be needed during his rookie season. You can check out my expanded profile on Turner here.

11 (10) Mario Hezonja-SG (Barcelona Regal)

-6’7″, 200 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 7

-ESPN Rank: No. 8

-Stats: 8.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .475/.406/.739.

Hezonja is a projected lottery selection, but I’m not sold on his long-term future in the NBA. He’s a possible draft-and-stash pick, which could benefit him since he needs quite a bit more development before making the jump to the NBA. Hezonja is very athletic and can light it up from the outside when he’s “on,” but he’s a poor defender, which doesn’t help his value. He also isn’t putting up eye-catching numbers overseas, which doesn’t bode well for his NBA fortunes. There have also been some red flags raised about his attitude, ability to accept coaching, and overall maturity. These concerns could serve to lower Hezonja’s draft stock around the league.

12 (12) Kelly Oubre-SF (Kansas/Freshman)

-6’6″, 204 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 13

-ESPN Rank: No. 12

-Stats: 9.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG. .444/.358/.718.

Oubre’s draft stock has taken a hit since the beginning of the season when he was a projected top 5 pick in this year’s draft. The swingman has shown growth since the beginning of the campaign, but he’s still far too inconsistent a player for my liking. Oubre would benefit immensely from another year in school, and he’d likely work his way into the top seven picks in 2016 if he did return to Kansas. But with Oubre declaring his intent to enter this year’s draft, that is now a moot point. Oubre needs quite a bit of polish, but he is a talented defender who can nail three-pointers quite well. Players like that can usually find consistent work in the NBA, which makes Oubre worth the gamble toward the end of the lottery. You can check out my expanded profile on Oubre here.

13 (-) Sam Dekker-SF (Wisconsin/Junior)

-6’9″, 230 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 15

-ESPN Rank: No. 15

-Stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 APG. .525/.331/.708.

Dekker’s play during the NCAA tournament boosted his draft stock mightily. Prior to March’s big dance, the 20-year-old was a projected mid-to-late first-rounder, and now he’s a potential lottery pick. The forward brings a lot of versatility to the court, and could be valuable as a stretch four off of the bench in the NBA. I’m taking his late season excellence as an outlier, and expect Dekker’s NBA performance to be more in line with the player who only shot 32% from deep the last two seasons. Dekker also carries the dreaded tweener tag, and will likely struggle on defense no matter which forward spot he mans. As a mid first-round pick I like Dekker, but don’t be blinded by a few excellent performances in March as to his true ability level.

14 (18) Jakob Poeltl-C (Utah/Freshman)

-7’0″, 230 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 11

-ESPN Rank: No. 14

-Stats: 9.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. .681/.000/.4.

Poeltl’s play cooled off after a strong start to the season, but he did impress with his play against Okafor in the NCAA tournament. There were, and perhaps still are, concerns about Poeltl being able to hold his ground in the post against bigger, more athletic players. But the freshman gave Okafor fits, and in the process cemented himself as a mid first-rounder. Poeltl hasn’t declared for the draft yet, and is reportedly considering returning to Utah for another season. The seven-footer could definitely use more polish, so another year in college would be a wise move for his long-term development. The Austrian could be a lottery pick next season if he resists the lure of NBA money this year.

15 (17) Frank Kaminsky-C (Wisconsin/Senior)

-7’0″, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 10

-ESPN Rank: No. 13

-Stats: 18.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. .547/.416/.780.

Kaminsky isn’t likely to become a star in the NBA, nor even an effective starter. But he’ll be able to contribute on the offensive end immediately for whichever team selects him. Kaminsky reminds me quite a bit of the Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk offensively, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Unfortunately, he also shares Olynyk’s weaknesses as a rebounder and defender. As a mid first-rounder, Kaminsky would be a solid pick, though he will have a limited ceiling thanks to his athletic shortcomings.

16 (13) Devin Booker-SG (Kentucky/Freshman)

-6’6″, 195 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 17

-ESPN Rank: No. 18

-Stats: 10.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.1 APG. .470/.411/.828.

Booker has certainly come on since the beginning of the season, and he made a name for himself during conference play for Kentucky. He is by far one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire draft, and he has remarkable shot selection for a player his age. Booker isn’t a freakish athlete though, which makes him more of a one-dimensional threat. But with the NBA placing a premium on players who can stretch the floor, that could aid Booker and possibly sneak him into being a lottery pick.

17 (15) Bobby Portis-PF (Arkansas/Sophomore)

-6’11″, 242 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 18

-ESPN Rank: No. 16

-Stats: 17.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. .536/.467/.737.

Portis emerged as a potential mid first round pick since the beginning of the season. The big man isn’t an elite athlete, but he’s good enough to have a solid NBA career if he improves his defense and footwork in the post. Portis prefers to launch jump shots rather than mix-it-up in the paint, but with the NBA falling in love with stretch fours, this isn’t necessarily the negative it used to be when profiling big men. I’ve become more enamored with him as a player lately, and as a mid first-rounder he’ll be a good value pick, though he’ll need D-League seasoning before he’ll be ready to step into an NBA rotation.

18 (20) Tyus Jones-PG (Duke/Freshman)

-6’1″, 184 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 21

-ESPN Rank: No. 23

-Stats: 11.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG. .417/.379/.889.

The 18-year-old Jones has shown remarkable poise as a freshman, and he reminds me quite a bit of Tyler Ennis, another player I was extremely high on heading into the 2014 draft. Jones lacks elite athleticism, needs to work on his outside shot, and won’t be ready to play significant minutes his rookie campaign. But his court vision and basketball IQ will make him a valuable rotation piece in a couple of seasons. Jones’ turnover rate had increased significantly since conference play began, but he still displayed remarkable on court leadership for a freshman. Jones is the type of player whose value doesn’t always show up in the box score, and he is overshadowed by Okafor and Winslow on a talented Duke squad. But this kid has the potential to be an effective pro, and a mid first round gem for a patient team.

19 (14) Jerian Grant-PG (Notre Dame/Senior)

-6’5″, 185 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 16

-ESPN Rank: No. 21

-Stats: 16.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 6.7 APG. .478/.316/.780.

Grant had himself a heck of a season, and may just be the best all-around point guard in the draft. His age (22) may work against him a bit, such is the NBA world we live in nowadays. But his combination of size, skill, and leadership makes him a solid mid first round selection. Grant needs to improve on his jump shot consistency, and despite his 16.8 PPG average, is more of a pass-first point man at heart. He’ll definitely need to bulk up to be able to defend NBA guards, but whichever team nabs him in June will be getting a very solid player. A veteran team in need of a solid backup would do well to snag Grant. The Bulls perhaps…..

20 (16) Montrezl Harrell-PF (Louisville/Junior)

-6’8″, 243 pounds

-DraftExpress Rank: No. 23

-ESPN Rank: No. 24

-Stats: 15.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG. .566/.243/.597.

It was surprising to see Harrell return to Louisville for his junior season, but the move will likely reward him with a higher draft selection than he would have garnered in 2014. There’s a lot to like about Harrell’s game, but he’s another of those tweeners. He’s neither a true power forward nor a classic small forward, but Harrell can score from almost anywhere on the floor and has a high motor. He’s also a very good rebounder and a physical defender. But Harrell lacks a defined NBA position (ie: Derrick Williams and Thomas Robinson), which could end up lowering his draft stock as well as his ceiling as a player.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kristaps Porzingis To Enter NBA Draft

April 15th, 2015 at 7:53pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis will declare for the 2015 NBA draft, his agent Andy Miller, told Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). The 19-year-old is a projected lottery pick, with Ford ranking him as the No. 5 overall prospect and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slotting him at No. 8.

Many NBA scouts and executives opine that Porzingis is the most gifted international player to come along in the past five years, Ford notes. “He’s an athletic, super-skilled seven-footer who can do everything well,” one GM told the ESPN scribe. “I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain, only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol but plays with that same fluidity. I’ve been asking my team since then: Are you sure he’s not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?”

Another long-time international scout told Ford, “He’s my favorite player in this draft. I keep telling my staff: This one is not like other international players. He’s the real deal. He’s special in all the ways a player can be special. He just needs to get stronger. That’s it. He’s going to be a big-time pro.”

Porzingis is averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and is shooting 33% from 3-point range in 21 minutes per contest for Baloncesto Sevilla in the Spanish ACB. His numbers are superior in Eurocup play, with the big man logging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting 46% from beyond the arc.

Central Notes: George, Mohammed, Pistons

April 10th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Paul George is looking at the remaining games on the Pacers‘ schedule as a “test drive” to see how well he has recovered from the devastating leg injury he suffered last summer while scrimmaging for Team USA, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. “That’s exactly what it is [a test drive], it’s just seeing where I’m at and then getting ready for more rehab this summer and getting ready to build off these last couple of games of the season,” George said. “It’s been tough. There were days when I told myself I wanted to shut it down and get ready for the summer. But it’s great having the staff that we have here to push me here and keep my going. I’ve had days when I’m sure they hated me. And I hated them. But we got through it and they did a great job with being in my corner.”

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

Veteran big man Nazr Mohammed has been making his presence felt on the Bulls with his vocal leadership, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Mohammed’s spark and guidance was integral in snapping Chicago out of its stupor after a terrible second quarter against the Heat last night when the Bulls were outscored 33-12, Friedell adds. “I think you got to be accountable and you got to play for each other,” guard Aaron Brooks said. “I think one thing that Naz brought up was you’re letting your teammate down when you’re not getting back or you’re not helping. You’re not letting the coach, you’re not letting the fans. You’re letting your teammate down, and you got to have your brother’s back.” The center is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Pistons are likely to target a forward in the first round of this year’s NBA draft, David Mayo of MLive.com opines in his weekly mailbag. Detroit currently is in line for the No. 8 pick, according to Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings. Potential targets at that spot for the team could include Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson, and Frank Kaminsky, Mayo notes.
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy hopes to go to Spain after the NBA season ends to get a first-hand look at guard Mario Hezonja and power forward Kristaps Prozingis, both of whom are projected top 10 picks this year, Mayo adds.

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