:: Official NBA Draft Thread - June 26, 7PM EST ::

[dade b0y]

You can't find one quote from Pat Riley himself saying such, my man.

Everything that's been out there has been nothing but crap media speculation. Typical pre-draft blunders. Once the Bulls/Heat private pre draft workoutsare concluded in a wekk with Rose and Beasley, this will all die off soon.


And for the talk of Riley passing on Beasley because of his goofball personalilty. I certainly don't buy it. And willl go as far as saying it's reallylaughable to be honest. A few years ago, Riley drafted a former prison immate, and a young man by the name of Caron Butler. Pretty well known story now.Coming up he was highly drug and gang affiliated. That ended up working fine. Best lottery pick the Heat ever made in the Riley era not named Dwyene Wade. Iseriously doubt he'd pass on Beasley because he got kicked out of highschool for being a prankster. Seriously alot of reaching going on with this stuff.June 26th can't come soon enough.

 

[bigmike23]

bulter and beasely are 2 different things. butler cleaned up his act with his 3 years in at UCON and everyone new that. beasely has acted the same way sincemiddle school and shows no signs of changing

 

[streethoopkilla]

does anyone know when and where can i get tickets?

 

[q46tothee]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

bulter and beasely are 2 different things. butler cleaned up his act with his 3 years in at UCON and everyone new that. beasely has acted the same way since middle school and shows no signs of changing

yup....Butler and Beasley are 2 totally different things...Butler used his time at UConn to not only get better at hoops, but he also rehabilitated hisimage. Dude came into the league as a mature, young man. You can't say the same things about MB. If BBallah is right, Beasley going #3 in the draft maybe more of a reality.

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

bulter and beasely are 2 different things. butler cleaned up his act with his 3 years in at UCON and everyone new that. beasely has acted the same way since middle school and shows no signs of changing

Butler also served time for selling crack. Mike is a little immature...and doesn't have a jail record. Good call.

 

[q46tothee]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

bulter and beasely are 2 different things. butler cleaned up his act with his 3 years in at UCON and everyone new that. beasely has acted the same way since middle school and shows no signs of changing

Butler also served time for selling crack. Mike is a little immature...and doesn't have a jail record. Good call.

here goes captain save-a-beasley again....

dude was merely pointing out that Butler reformed his image while at UConn. Beasley has shown no signs of growing up.....Obviously doing a bid for cracksales at 14 is a wee bit different than some of the things that Mike has done. But, you'd be a fool to think that there aren't ANY red-flagsconcerning Mike Beasley with the draft approaching.

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by Q46totheE

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

bulter and beasely are 2 different things. butler cleaned up his act with his 3 years in at UCON and everyone new that. beasely has acted the same way since middle school and shows no signs of changing

Butler also served time for selling crack. Mike is a little immature...and doesn't have a jail record. Good call.

here goes captain save-a-beasley again....

dude was merely pointing out that Butler reformed his image while at UConn. Beasley has shown no signs of growing up.....Obviously doing a bid for crack sales at 14 is a wee bit different than some of the things that Mike has done. But, you'd be a fool to think that there aren't ANY red-flags concerning Mike Beasley with the draft approaching.

Cute...

I would hope he would reform his image with one year of post grad school and 2 years of college...thats almost 4 years removed from high school. Mike is ayear younger than every freshman in this draft...so once again...I fail to see the correlation. At the end of the day...they're two different individualswith two different situations. If you wanna eat up everything the media is throwing you...fine...have at it...but at the end of the day the kid aint never beenin any real trouble in his life. Being a prankster and joking around all of sudden became "red flags" because of his status as an athlete. If any GMwants to pass on the dude because he plays "too much"...thats their loss. But yet everyone on the OJ Mayo bandwagon can just dismiss his portray as acertified %$% hole since his HS days...chasing down refs and throwing the ball in the stands...he also got detained by police for being with some folks who hadsome green...let alone him being damn near 2 years older than everybody else...and all of a sudden he's a hot commodity. All that stuff about Mike smokinghis non sense...what he does in his own time is his business. At the end of the day he's as clean as a whistle with the law.

 

[bballah3]

Mike is a year younger than every freshman draft...
No he is not...he lied about his age and let him get away with it

I remember two years ago when the kid was a year older than everyone in the class

Unless he was ##$+*@@ with everyone and their momma in the AAU circuit to make himself older....which I wouldnt put past him.

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by bballah3

Mike is a year younger than every freshman draft...

No he is not...he lied about his age

Whatever dude...I'll go on the knowledge I have and you can go on yours...Mike doesnt turn 20 until next year. The rest of those dudes are 20 or turn20 this year.

remember two years ago when the kid was a year older than everyone in the class

Since you know so much...you know Mike was held back a year at IMG and then placed back in his right class (07) when he went to Riverdale.

 

[north dade represent]

The Heat have to go with Beasley at 2, unless they can trade the pick straight up for an all star caliber player like Boozer.

 

[pharelfor3]

I like the idea of the heat and grizz swapping pics

 

[bballah3]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

remember two years ago when the kid was a year older than everyone in the class

Since you know so much...you know Mike was held back a year at IMG and then placed back in his right class (07) when he went to Riverdale.


You really love Beasley dont you? I dont know what you're trying to say with that...two years ago when I started to get to actually get to know the kidhe was just finishing...I mean, getting kicked out of Oak Hill
But seriously.....check his list of high schools...Bowie High School (Bowie, Maryland), National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Maryland), The Pendleton School (a section ofthe IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida), Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, Maryland), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia), and Notre Dame Preparatory School(Fitchburg, Massachusetts).

Now how in the hell do you attend SIX schools in FOUR years? You have to be either mentally challenged or a major problem.


http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-32-257/What-Brand-of-Crazy-is-Michael-Beasley-.html

What Brand of Crazy is Michael Beasley?

May 30, 2008 6:11 PM

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel:

Pat Riley was seated in the first row of the balcony Friday at the Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports, so it was difficult to get close enough to hear if that grinding sound was the Heat president gnashing his teeth. Below, Michael Beasley was having fun, kidding around on a side court with a few wild shots while other draft prospects were fighting for their pro lives. As a few top prospects joined the workout, Beasley remained alone. The former Kansas State power forward said he took the wrong bus over, was waiting for his assigned group. All the while, he joked with players, smiled, carried himself as without a care in the world. Considering he is viewed as either the most-talented player in this draft or one of them, why shouldn't the kid be having fun? It is, after all, a game. Yet high above, there sat Riley. And while Riley hates nothing more than people trying to read his emotions, it is difficult not to get this read: Michael Beasley is not Pat Riley's type of player. We're not talking skills here, just personality.

That's the thing with Beasley. He's certainly some kind of goofball. A harmless nut? Perhaps.

But nutty, for sure.

And in a world where a fair percentage of players don't make it for some reason or another, goofiness could count, I would think, as a red flag. I am not sure Michael Beasley has "embraced the challenge."

Eli Saslow of the Washington Post wrote a big article about then high-schooler Michael Beasley. A year later, I still remember this part:

"Me and Tywon Lawson had a competition at the beginning of the school year about who could sign their autograph the most around the school," Beasley said, referring to a teammate who now stars at North Carolina. "And I don't lose at anything, man, so I walked around with one of those Sharpies and signed graffiti everywhere. Every day, they were cleaning my name off water fountains, ceilings, desks, offices -- whatever. I just thought it was funny."

Oak Hill Coach Steve Smith blamed Beasley's poor behavior on simple immaturity. "He's really a good-hearted kid," Smith said. So, with two weeks left in the school year, Smith offered his star player one final chance: He told Beasley that, to be invited back to Oak Hill, he needed to impress administrators with flawless end-of-year behavior.

Two days later, Beasley signed his name in black ink on the principal's truck, Smith said.

"He'll definitely try your patience," Smith said. "You look at him physically and he's a full-grown man, and you think he's going to make good decisions all the time. But a lot of times, he just didn't."

At a practice here in Fitchburg last month, Barton gathered his players to give them a scouting report on an upcoming opponent. In less than 24 hours, the team played one of its most important games of the season. Barton stood still, with a basketball under his right arm, and talked quietly. "Pay attention, 'cause this is important," Barton said. His players leaned in to listen. Then Beasley started shouting.

"Hey coach, pass the ball!" Beasley yelled. "Come on, coach. You're being a ball hog, yo. Pass it. I'm open."

Teammates laughed, and Barton shook his head.


You read that, and you think: What a nut!

Especially if you have already read coach Dan Barto's account of the time when he lived with Beasley for Beasley's freshman year of high school. One tidbit:

There were many nights were I would come back from work and he would be doing his homework just five feet from the television with and empty container of 30 wings. The best part was the he sometimes would be wearing 3-d sunglasses watching Sponge Bob Square Pants.


But in the end, Saslow (watch Saslow talking about Beasley) and Barto agree that there is a serious aspect to Beasley, and he, on some level, wants to figure this out and maximize his potential.

Here's to hoping he can figure that out in the glare of the NBA's bright lights.

 

[lnmymind]

Great...you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

Again...the fact remains...he was held back and then placed BACK in his correct grade when he switched schools...he is still younger than every freshman in thedraft.

So Im still trying to see what point you made?

 

[bballah3]

This whole post has been on if Beasley is crazy or not....and if the Heat are seriously thinking of passing on him.



I'll go with what Mike himself told me two years ago on the age thing

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by bballah3

This whole post has been on if Beasley is crazy or not....and if the Heat are seriously thinking of passing on him.



I'll go with what Mike himself told me two years ago on the age thing

I could care less if anyone thinks he's crazy or not...my thing was how are we comparing him to a dude who sold crack and served time for it?

 

[tmay407]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Again...the fact remains...he was held back and then placed BACK in his correct grade when he switched schools...he is still younger than every freshman in the draft.

If he's considerably younger than the other freshman in the draft, it would be because they're older than they should be, not because Beasley isyounger. The typical sophomore in college (which Beasley would be considered as) was born anywhere from July-August of '88 to May-July of '89.Beasley's listed birthday is January 9, 1989 (I can't believe I'm 7 days older than he is), which would fall right in line with the typicalsophomore in college.
And besides, what the hell freshman (other than Mayo and Greene) are you looking at that is considerably older than Beasley? All ofthe freshmen in the draft are 19 years old, with the exceptions of Mayo and Greene, who are both 20. He's 3 months younger than Rose, 5 months younger thanBayless, 4 months younger than Love, a whopping 2 weeks younger than Gordon, and 6 months younger than Jordan. But by golly, let's keep up with the talk ofhow Beasley is sooooo young!

And for the record, no he's not younger than every freshman in the draft. Anthony Randolph and Kosta Koufos are both younger. Beasley is 6 months olderthan Randolph is (Randolph is still only 1, and about 6 weeks older than Koufos.

 

[lnmymind]

Potential Lottery Picks Highlight Second Day of Workouts
By Matt Rochinski and Malinda Murray
bobcats.com
June 9, 2008
http://www.nba.com/media/bobcats/flvplayer.swf

Matt Rochinski / bobcats.com

Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown talks to the six
players brought in for their draft workouts



[img]http://www.nba.com/media/bobcats/07/tools_print.gif[/img]



Video - Day 2 | UPDAED - Workout Gallery | Draft Central

Charlotte's preparation for the 2008 NBA Draft continued Monday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Time Warner Cable Arena with WestVirginia's Joe Alexander, Syracuse's Donte Greene, Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr., Memphis' RobertDozier, UNC-Greensboro's Kyle Hines and UCLA's Luc Mbah a Moute all participating in draft workouts with theBobcats.

Joe Alexander is an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBADraft and has seen his stock rise as of late, with many mock drafts projecting him to gosomewhere in the lottery. He earned First Team All-Big East Honors, as well as Honorable Mention All-American by The Associated Press as a junior in 2007-08after leading West Virginia in scoring (16.9 points, ranked eighth in the Big East), rebounding (6.4), and blocked shots (1.5, eighth). He currently rankseighth on West Virginia's all-time leaders for blocked shots (99). Has scored in double figures in 48 career games.

Donte Greene is also an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBADraft after playing one year at Syracuse. He is currently projected to be a potential late lottery pick or go somewhere in the middle of the first round.Greene earned Second Team All-Big East honors and was named to the league's All-Rookie Team after leading the Orange in scoring (17.7 point, ranked fourthin the Big East) and ranking second in rebounding (7.2). He also placed fifth in the conference in blocked shots (1.6). His season total of 620 points ranks asthe second-highest for a freshman in Syracuse history, behind Carmelo Anthony.

Patrick Ewing Jr. received the inaugural Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2007-08 after averaging 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8assists for the Hoyas. The son of former Georgetown and New York Knicks great and NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in twoseasons at Georgetown after transferring from Indiana following his sophomore season in 2004-05.

Robert Dozier is an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft after helping lead Memphis to the 2008 NCAA Championship game, where theTigers eventually fell to Kansas. He started 75 of 111 career games in his three years with Memphis and currently ranks as the seventh all-time leader inblocked shots in school history with 167. Dozier averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds (ranked seventh in C-USA) and 1.8 blocked shots (fifth) in his junior seasonwith the Tigers.

Kyle Hines finished his four-year career at UNC Greensboro as the all-time leader in scoring (2,187), rebounding (1,047) and blocks (349).He was a 2006-07 All America Honorable Mention selection by The Associated Press and the Southern Conference Player of the Year, while also being honored as afour-time All-SoCon First Team selection. Hines ranked second in the Southern Conference in scoring (19.2 points) and first in rebounding (9.1) and blocks(3.1) in his senior season.

Luc Mbah a Moute is also an early entry candidate to the 2008 NBA Draft after helping guide UCLA to the 2008 Final Four, where the Bruinsfell to Memphis. He earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 and Honorable Mention All-Defensive Team honors as a junior in 2007-08 after averaging 8.8 points and6.0 rebounds (tied for 11th in the Pac-10). Mbah a Moute started 106 of 107 games he played in and currently ranks 15th all-time on UCLA's careerrebounding list with 775 boards.

Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown, Alexander, Greene, Ewing Jr. and Hines all spoke with the media following the workout.

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Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown

(On the workout)
It was good. This was a great group with a lot of talented kids.

(On Joe Alexander)
The last part of the Big East season he had a couple of high 30-point games. I think in three or four of the last games, he set career highs in some real goodcompetitive games. He's athletic off the charts. He reminds me a lot of Bobby Jones athletically. He can really run and jump and he shoots the ball prettygood. I think people probably recognize that. When he was tested in Orlando, a lot of his testing was pretty impressive.

(On how difficult it might be for a freshman like Donte Greene to transition to the NBA)
It's always hard when you have limited experience, especially somebody like him. I was telling him today that he's played and guarded big guys hiswhole career and now he's probably going to be a small forward in the NBA at 6-10. He's got to guard LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant), Carmelo (Anthony)and people like that. It's going to be an adjustment, but he's highly skilled and he's a real good kid that wants to get better. I can see whypeople have him projected high. Somebody with that size and length and the ability to handle the ball and shoot the ball, it's a very hard combination tofind.

(On if Patrick Ewing Jr.'s NBA pedigree has had an influence)
I don't think that means anything. He's here because he's shown the ability. He played on a great team at Georgetown. He was an important part oftheir success. He's a high energy kid that can defend. He respects the game. I think he'll be in the league. He's athletic and long. I think he candefend his position pretty well.

(On why he places such a high emphasis on teaching during workouts)
I told them all I want to find out who wants to learn. I want them to leave here and feel like we cared about them and tried to help them get better. Obviouslyyou're not going to be able to draft everybody and you hope they have a good experience with you and then someday down the line and we're in a positionto get them, hopefully they feel good about the Bobcats and what we've done.

(On if he looks at how quickly players are able to absorb concepts)
Not so much their ability to absorb, but just the fact that they care enough to want to do it right. We all don't learn at the same pace, but as long asguys try to listen and do what we ask them to do, that's important to me. We have to coach them up now. We get a lot of kids who are young and don'thave the chance to play four years in college, so I think it's vital you have a group that wants to get better and kids that are motivated to learn. I feelgood about it. I know a lot of kids say that we might not work them as hard, but the fact that they know we're trying to teach them is important to us.

(On Kyle Hines)
I can't believe a New Jersey kid goes to UNCG (laughter). We were really impressed with him in Orlando and then I looked at his career and he's hadunbelievable stats. He's been consistent. He's made All-Conference four years. I like him. He tries to defend and he tries to do all the little things.I'm glad he came here.

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Joe Alexander • 6-8 • 230 lbs. • Forward • West Virginia • Junior

(On how the workout went)
It went really well. It was really different because Coach Brown does a lot more coaching instead of just strictly the drill work I've had in my otherworkouts, but it went well.

(On if working out with six players makes the workout more difficult)
It makes it more difficult from a learning standpoint because you have to pay attention more because he's not always talking to you as an individual,he's talking to other guys. If you just stay focused, it's not that hard.

(On why his stock in the draft seems to be rising)
I've always been a sleeper because not many people have seen everything that I can do. Not a lot of coaches have been able to evaluate me in workoutsituations. Now that that's happening, people are recognizing that I have guard skills, that I can dribble and shoot and do things they didn't knowabout.

(On what position he will play in the NBA)
Initially I'm going to be a three and then after that, depending on my improvement I hope to branch out to other positions as well.

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Donte Greene • 6-11 • 226 lbs. • Forward • Syracuse • Freshman

(On the workout)
I heard around the league that it's definitely a teaching workout. Coach Brown is a Hall-of-Fame coach and one of the greatest coaches in the NBA, sohe's going to teach young guys like myself how to play things and what's going on. Especially me, coming from Syracuse and never playing a lot of zone,he helped me out on the defensive end and let me know a few pointers here and there. It was a good workout overall.

(On his workouts so far)
This is my third workout. I was in Phoenix last week and Milwaukee. It's more hands on, definitely more hands on. Coach (Brown) is a little bit more intoit and there's lot more direction. You definitely have to pay attention, but it was definitely a good workout though.

(On the difference between the workouts)
The Phoenix workout was more of conditioning. Milwaukee, there was some teaching, but not as much as here. Milwaukee was more of paying attention to specificdirection and seeing how well you can respond to someone telling you what to do and going out and performing. Here there is definitely a lot of teaching, butit was good though.

(On what position he expects to play in the NBA)
Primarily a three, but occasionally a four. It depends on what team we're playing that night and who's guarding who.

(On what he feels like his strengths are)
I feel like my shooting for my size. I'm a 6-10 small forward who can shoot, put it on the floor, who also has a post game. I try to come with an overallgame and definitely show that. My athleticism (is a strength). People sleep on my athleticism a lot, but I feel like I'm a very athletic player for my sizeand I'm just trying to work at it and get better.

(On what other workouts he has scheduled)
After I leave here, I do the East Coast thing, New Jersey and Philly and then I fly west to Sacramento, Portland, Golden State and the Clippers.

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Patrick Ewing Jr. • 6-8 • 240 lbs. • Forward • Georgetown • Senior

(On the workout)
It was good. We got a lot out of it. Coach (Brown) teaches a lot in his workouts and you have to take it and use it as much as you can.

(On if having Coach Brown so involved was surprising)
It didn't shock me because that's how Coach Thompson is too. I'm kind of used to it. It helps you learn faster.

(On if having a father who had a Hall-of-Fame career has had an affect on him)
I feel like it's helped a lot to be honest with you. Being around this environment and knowing what it takes to get here, I think it's helped alot.

(On what he knows about the Bobcats)
I know a little bit about them. I know some of the players. I know all the Carolina boys that are on the team. I don't know much about the way Coach Browncoaches, but I would expect to see a different team next year. Hopefully if I'm here, we'll get a lot of wins.

(On what he could bring to the team)
My versatility. I feel like I'm able to do a lot of things on the court. I don't look to score 20 points a game, but I do what I can to help the teamin other ways.

(On his workouts)
I've done the Pistons and the Bulls. They are all tough. You have to work hard in all of them because you are trying to impress so hopefully they will pickyou. I felt like having those two under my belt helped me prepare more for this one.

(On if he had any message for Dell Curry after his son Stephen helped knock Georgetown out of the NCAA Tournament)
I told him (Dell Curry) to tell Stephen (Curry) that I didn't appreciate how he handled our guards in the second half. Steph's a good player and heproved himself throughout the whole season. The way he played in the tournament spoke volumes about his game because that was one of the first times he was onthe national stage like that. He played big in all the games. Our game wasn't the first big game he played in. He definitely knew how to rock us to sleepin the first half and then take over in the second half. He did a great job of it.

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Kyle Hines • 6-6 • 230 lbs. • Forward • UNC Greensboro • Senior

(On being a local product and being able to work out with the Bobcats)
It's great feeling. As you can see, I'm a local kid that comes in here. I'm big fan of the Bobcats. Mr. Curry over there, I played in the sameconference as his son, so it's a good opportunity to come through and show these guys what I can do.

(On how he felt he did during the workout)
I thought I did well. I just wanted to go out there and try to compete and try to play hard and just show them that I can play a little bit too.

(On Coach Brown teaching during the workout)
It's just an honor to be taught by one of the greatest coaches of all time and to come in here and just take away some knowledge that he's going tobless us with. It's definitely an honor.

(On his plans if he doesn't get drafted)
If I don't get drafted, I'm going to try to get with a summer league team. If I play well in summer league, hopefully I'll get invited to trainingcamp, but if I don't get invited to training camp, I'll definitely look at overseas options.

(On if he thinks he did well enough to open some eyes)
I hope so. I just went out there and played hard. I've been working hard during these past three or four months. I'm just trying to play hard andhopefully I opened up some eyes.

(On if playing in Charlotte would be the best case scenario)
I love Charlotte. I've only been here three or four times, but every time I come here, I love the city. I was telling all my teammates back in Greensborothat I would love to be here and move here. It's a great town.

(On the other workouts he has scheduled)
I have Boston and San Antonio and I think I have the Wizards.

(On this experience)
It was a great experience all the way from Portsmouth to the barnstorming to Orlando and now these workouts. It's a great experience. In Greensboro,we're kind of a smaller school, so we don't get a lot of exposure. We don't get a lot of these opportunities, so for me to come here and live outthis experience, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I'm definitely going to try to make the best of it.

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[al3xis]

Joe and Pat workin out together

..

But yet everyone on the OJ Mayo bandwagon can just dismiss his portray as a certified %$% hole since his HS days...
This befuddles me as well.

IDK about Beasley as a person, the kid can just flat out play. And not in a selfish, knucklehead way.

 

[bigmike23]

what the hell did OJ do the be a %#*$#$@ since highschool? people do interviews with him and say he is a good kid most of his problems have been blowing upbecause of who he is when it was small problems

 

[al3xis]

Yeah, the thing to me is all these little stories on Beasley, are small problems too.

People tend to over analyze things come draft time in the NBA and NFL....Although I can't blame them with the way some athletes end up being...

I just think to say...well, he's a goofball.....that absolutely is not a good enough reason to not take him #2...when he clearly is the best playeravailable.

I mean, he had to have been serious at some point to develop the skills he has, imo.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

I think Mia is making excuses in the event that they don't draft Beas....

 

[cj003]

how you gonna say riley hates goofballs when he had shaq on his team?

 

[lnmymind]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Shipp out of draft, to return for senior season at UCLA[/h1]
Associated Press

Updated: June 10, 2008, 10:46 PM ET

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LOS ANGELES -- UCLA's Josh Shipp has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to the Bruins for his senior season.

The guard declared himself eligible in April on the final day underclassmen could enter the draft, but did not hire an agent, which allowed him to back out under NCAA rules.

"I am glad I went through this process, " Shipp said in a statement Tuesday. "But at the end of the day, I wanted to come back and make another run for the championship. We've been close three times and a goal of mine is to win the NCAA championship."

Shipp averaged 12.2 points and 3.2 rebounds during UCLA's run to its third consecutive Final Four. The Bruins lost to Memphis in the national semifinals.

After going through hip troubles in his first two seasons, he started a school-record 39 games and led the Bruins in 3-point field goals.

"I expect him to have his best year as a Bruin, and not just because of his talent, but because this is the first summer in the last three that he can focus on his game as opposed to having to rehab from hip surgery," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

Three of Shipp's teammates entered the draft: freshman Kevin Love, sophomore Russell Westbrook and junior Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

But Shipp's return will give the Bruins three senior starters with Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya also returning.

"I think that with Josh, Darren and Alfred we have a great core group of seniors," Howland said. "This will be the first time in the last three seasons that we have had more than one."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

So much for all that nonsense about him definitely not going back to school...

 

[shannonscrooks]

So much for all that nonsense about him definitely not going back to school...

Thank God for all of that inside info...

Who has played well and who has struggled one week into team workouts? Getting reliable info isn't easy. NBA agents often pick up the phone and call immediately following workouts, saying something to the effect of, "My client kicked someone else's client's butt in the workouts." NBA GMs and scouts aren't much better at this point. They tend to say they like everyone -- partly out of fear of offending the prospect's agent and partly because they don't want to show their hand this close to the draft. The other source of information is the players themselves. While they usually tend to overstate how well they personally played in a workout, they can be pretty accurate about how the other players in the gym performed. So while the information that follows shouldn't be taken as 100% fact, I've tried my best to filter out the garbage and get the best possible read on the situation. Here's what we're hearing: [h2]The Hot List[/h2]

Alexander​

Joe Alexander, F, West Virginia
Alexander had workouts in Milwaukee and New York, and both went well. His toughness and shooting ability have made quite an impression.
I originally thought Alexander would struggle to crack the top 10 because of his lack of big-time experience, but now I can see how Alexander would appeal to coaches who like toughness (Scott Skiles) and coaches who like athletes who can get up and down the floor (Mike D'Antoni). We've had Alexander at No. 13 for a while, but it's entirely possible that he finds his way into the middle of the lottery.

Hickson​

J.J. Hickson, F, NC State
It shouldn't come as a huge shock that Hickson has wowed a few people in early workouts -- he's a very skilled big man who has an NBA body. Plus, he had an excellent freshman season.
"He's just incredibly strong for his age," Suns GM David Griffin said of Hickson after he worked out for the Suns. "He has a naturally thick body. He can bang on the perimeter, and he's also got a pretty quick face-up game." We've had Hickson pegged in the 20s for the past several months, but I'm starting to hear more buzz that he could move into the teens if he continues to have strong workouts. Hickson has worked out for the Suns, Sixers, Sonics and Blazers so far.

White​

D.J. White, F, Indiana
It was surprising that White skipped the Orlando predraft camp, but it appears that move isn't hurting him. He has worked out for the Nets, Magic and Wizards and has more than held his own against some of the more heralded big men prospects in the draft -- Darrell Arthur and Marreese Speights.
He measures well at 6-foot-9 in shoes with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and he's tested very well in some of the athletic drills. And while talk of a four-year senior being hot is odd these days, remember that White is still just 21 years old -- only a few months older than O.J. Mayo.

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[h2]The Not List[/h2]

Lawson​

Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina
Lawson had a couple of very good workouts in Cleveland and Indiana. And he had an impressive Orlando predraft camp. But then he got busted for driving after consuming alcohol (he's underage). At a time of year when teams are super sensitive to character issues, this won't help his cause.
How can a team like the Pacers (who had him in to workout against D.J. Augustin) take him now after all of the legal nightmares the team has endured recently with its players? On top of that, Lawson twisted an ankle in a workout with the Wizards on Monday.

McGee​

JaVale McGee, F, Nevada
McGee is long and athletic. But it's not a good thing when the best praise he gets from those who have seen him work out is, "You can't teach height." That's usually code for: "He stinks, but he's big." McGee got a lot of buzz this year after an excellent performance against North Carolina. And his basketball pedigree -- his mom played in the WNBA -- and perimeter skills helped justify the hype. However, his so-so numbers at the combine and lukewarm reviews from his workouts have several GMs wondering if he's worth a mid-first-round selection.

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• A number of top international prospects are in Treviso, Italy, performing in front of NBA scouts at the Reebok Eurocamp. ESPN's Fran Fraschilla is in Italy covering the camp and will have a full report later. But through the first few days, I've spoken with a couple of scouts who have attended the camp. Here's what we're hearing about the top players there:

Ibaka​

Serge Ibaka, F, Congo
Most NBA teams got a good look at Ibaka at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he played well against some of the top high school players in the country. But he didn't blow anyone away.
He has good size and is an explosive leaper, but the rest of his game is still raw. He doesn't have the strength or inclination to play in the paint, but he also lacks great quickness, limiting his ability to guard small forwards. And for someone who likes to play on the perimeter, he isn't a dead-eye shooter. As a physical prospect, Ibaka is very interesting. But as a basketball player, he still has a lot of question marks. Ibaka played well on the first and third days of Eurocamp, but he struggled at other times. He's a likely late-first-round pick if he stays in the draft. Nicolas Batum, G/F, France
Batum, who once was considered a potential lottery pick before a so-so year in France, played in a game Monday in an effort to create some draft buzz. He shot 6-for-18, and 1-for-7 from 3. I don't think that was the impression he was hoping to make. Goran Dragic, G, Slovenia
A number of scouts love Dragic. He's a big point guard with good athleticism, but his lack of a perimeter game and his so-so court vision have kept him out of the first-round talk. According to scouts, he played well in a private workout Sunday and again in game action Monday. Omer Asik and Semih Erden, C, Turkey
With their team in Turkey failing to clear them for 5-on-5 play, Asik and Erden showed up to play in a workout. While both players are big and athletic, there is an interesting split among scouts about who's the better prospect. Asik is raw on the offensive end. Erden is more polished, but has a reputation for being immature. • Later this week, we'll have an in-depth look at the top international prospects in the draft and examine their waning influence at the top of the draft.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by CJ003

how you gonna say riley hates goofballs when he had shaq on his team?

And the mastermind of smoking marijuana Lamar Odom. I think right now Riles is just taking calls, listening and will make the best move for his team.Whether or not it is by drafting Beasley.