Re: sportstalker/insider draft preview

["John Lyell" <johnlyell@hotmail.com>]

I believe I did read that Brown did work out for the Wizards along with
Rodney White on his private workout. Nothing overwhelming. White commented
he was good, but that he outperformed him.

Since from what I have read it sounds like Rodney White has been the top
performer in workouts. Could our rumored attempts to move up to the 4-6
range  to get Gasol really be to snatch White ?

Walker, 10 & 11 for Elton Brand, Jamal Crawford and #4 which could land us
Rodney White, Eddie Griffin, Eddy Curry or Kwame Brown ?

I could definitely live with this if we can't land Nazr Mohammed.





---- Original Message -----
From: "OzerskyJA" <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 2:00 PM
Subject: sportstalker/insider draft preview


> 1. Washington Wizards
> Likely candidates: Trade, Eddie Griffin, Rodney White
> By now you've probably read that Michael Jordan is trying to trade his
first
> pick for a young point guard or multiple first round picks. Jordan has
> basically struck out on priority one. The Cavs wouldn't part with Andre
> Miller and Jordan isn't convinced that Vancouver's Mike Bibby is worth the
> top pick in the draft.
> Jordan has worked out all of the top contenders with the exception of
Kwame
> Brown, who skipped a Wizards workout June 7. Of the top picks, a source
> close to the Wizards said, Seton Hall's Eddie Griffin and high school
phenom
> Tyson Chandler had the most impressive workouts. Jordan has actually
worked
> out against Eddy Curry (they both have the same trainer) but isn't
convinced
> that Baby Shaq is more Shaq and less baby. Duke forward Shane Battier
> doesn't seem to have MJ's attention and Brown can kiss the top pick
goodbye
> -- nobody stands up MJ.
> The real sleeper for Jordan is Charlotte freshman Rodney White. White had
a
> spectacular workout in front of Jordan in LA. He put the ball on the
floor,
> shot the NBA three and exploded to the basket. Several teams walked out of
> the workout convinced that White could have a bigger impact than any
rookie
> in this draft. Jordan brought White to Washington for a private workout
and
> White hit all the high notes again. Afterward, Jordan reportedly dubbed
him
> the "Future Big Dog" in reference to Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson, who has a
> similar, if less athletic, game. Jordan began working the phones that
> afternoon, searching for a trade partner that would allow him to draft
White
> in the mid-lottery.
> Jordan is also said to have a thing for Iowa State point guard Jamaal
> Tinsley and USC guard Jeff Trepagnier. The Wizards don't have a second
round
> pick, but don't be surprised if they insist that they get a second-rounder
> in any trade so they can draft Brian Scalabrine. The USC forward had a
> fairly impressive camp in Chicago and the Wizards have had their eye on
him
> for some time.
> 2. Los Angeles Clippers
> Likely candidates: Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler
> Are the Clippers finally getting lucky? After having the best draft in
> recent NBA history last year, the Clippers are poised to score big again
> this year. The Clippers are set at the point, shooting guard and small
> forward. Former first pick Michael Olowokandi continues to improve ever so
> slowly at the center position, but the Clippers still have a huge hole to
> fill at power forward.
> Eddy Curry is great friends with Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson.
Expect
> them to lobby for Curry, and for good reason. Some scouts wonder whether
> Curry isn't better suited for the power forward position in the pros.
Curry
> has the body, athleticism and offensive prowess to make an immediate
impact
> on the Clippers without having to match up with the Shaqs and David
> Robinsons night in and night out.
> If Curry is gone, Kwame Brown, with a strong workout, may end up here.
Given
> his overall skills, physical maturity and size, he may be the perfect fit
> for the Clippers at the four. Numerous scouts and one GM who talked to
> Insider insist that Brown is the most advanced high school player to enter
> the NBA draft since Kevin Garnett. How can you pass on that?
> LA native Tyson Chandler did have all of the buzz, but several scouts
insist
> that Chandler's stock could plunge. Yes, he's a seven-footer who runs like
a
> gazelle, but his offensive skills are surprisingly limited and his
timidity
> (some say he was just saving his virginity for the NBA) raise a lot of
> questions. Word around the league is that Chandler had a great workout for
> the Wizards but a terrible one in Chicago, where he was manhandled by
> DePaul's Steven Hunter of all people.
> 3. Atlanta Hawks
> Likely candidates: trade, Shane Battier, Eddie Griffin
> Atlanta's GM Pete Babcock is still insisting that he's done with the youth
> movement. If that's the case, Babcock is left with only one choice. The
> Hawks love Shane Battier's attitude and winning resume and were wowed when
> he outperformed Michigan State stud Jason Richardson in workouts. Battier
> bested Richardson in Atlanta's infamous "Superman" drills during which
> prospects keep dunking until one guy drops. However, as much as the Hawks
> love Battier, they may be forced to take a big man.
> Free-agent center Nazr Mohammed looked fantastic the last month of the
> season and may have secured a spot as the starting center. That is if he
> actually re-signs with the Hawks. Mohammed will get a lot of attention in
> the free-agent market from the Bulls, Magic and Rockets. If he decides to
> bolt, the Hawks will need another young big man to develop. If Eddy Curry
or
> Kwame Brown falls to here, he would be too hard to pass up. Big men with
> this much upside don't come along very often.
> The Hawks also are shopping the pick to teams like Boston and Houston that
> are trying to get their hands on F.C. Barcelona's Pau Gasol. This seems a
> little high for Gasol to go and so far all Boston or Houston has been
> willing to pony up is multiple first round picks. That's the last thing
the
> Hawks want. If they can land a veteran to help at the point or in the
> middle, they'd hand the pick over quicker than you can say Yinka Dare.
> 4. Chicago Bulls
> Likely candidates: Eddie Griffin, Shane Battier, Pau Gasol
> Was it just us or did Jerry Krause look absolutely constipated when he
> realized that Michael Jordan and Co. had knocked his Bulls out of a top
> three pick in this year's draft? That's sweet revenge for Jordan, who had
to
> give up the Wizards' first round pick to the Bulls last year. All of the
> scuttle has pointed out that this will likely mark the end of the Bulls
> courting of Eddy Curry. Krause had a Bulls scout at every game Curry
played
> this year, but we don't buy it.
> Krause wanted the No. 1, but he was hoping to trade it, not use it on
Curry.
> Krause's clock is about to run out on his "franchises win championships"
> rebuilding extravaganza. Last year's draft was a disaster, as was the
Bulls
> luck in the free-agent market. Things have got to change in Chicago --
fans
> are weary and it doesn't seem like they have any hope in sight. The plan,
> according to a source inside the Bulls, was to trade the No. 1 pick,
Marcus
> Fizer, Jamal Crawford, even Elton Brand, for two or three established
> veterans. Krause's primary targets? Chris Webber, Gary Payton and Allan
> Houston.
> With no No. 1 pick, Krause's master plan seems foiled again. But all is
not
> lost. There's still a chance that Eddie Griffin will slip to four. If he
> does, the Bulls will take a long look. He is the type of impact player
they
> desperately need. Bulls forward Elton Brand has been quietly lobbying for
> Shane Battier. While that makes sense on numerous levels, it could be a
> public relations nightmare. Battier is a solid player, but he's not Mr.
> Excitement. Unless your idea of excitment is a night spent sipping lattes
at
> Barnes and Noble. Besides, Brand is bland enough for the entire team.
> Another sleeper could be Pau Gasol. Remember, before Don Nelson and Geoff
> Petrie were drafting European kids, Jerry Krause was chasing Toni Kukoc.
> 5. Golden State Warriors
> Likely candidates: Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, Jason Richardson
> The Warriors remain one of the biggest mysteries in the draft. They have a
> glut of big men, a shaky shooting guard in Larry Hughes and are in
desperate
> need of a point guard. They're likely to address the point guard situation
> with their 14th pick and will likely go with the best available athlete.
> The word around the league is that the Warriors remain high on high school
> phenom Tyson Chandler. Chandler should be able to provide some athleticism
> to the Warriors at the three slot. Pau Gasol intrigues them as well. Gary
> St. Jean has let it leak that the Warriors could go with the Barcelona
star.
> However, it could be a smoke screen to entice Boston or Houston to trade
up
> for him.
> Finally, don't be surprised to see the Warriors take a long look at
Michigan
> State's Jason Richardson. They passed on Vince Carter, and though
Richardson
> isn't Carter he could be a nightmare for opposing teams when on the floor
> with Jamison. If the Warriors can convince Hughes to take over some point
> guard duties, that may be the way they go.
> 6. Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies
> Likely picks: Jason Richardson, Pau Gasol, DeSagana Diop
> The Grizzlies are in the center of the trade talk storm. Like the Nets,
they
> are drafting from a coveted position and have more immediate needs than
this
> draft can satisfy. The Grizzlies are still sold on Michigan State guard
> Jason Richardson, but have been receiving tantalizing offers from Boston
and
> Houston to trade down in the draft. Both teams are after Pau Gasol and it
> wouldn't be at all surprising to see Gasol land here.
> Richardson would give the Grizzlies an explosive Vince Carter-like athlete
> to pair in the backcourt with Mike Bibby. The Grizzlies have explored
> trading Michael Dickerson and would need someone to replace him. The
> Grizzlies also are taking a second and third look at DeSagana Diop. Diop
has
> dropped on most draft boards because of his rawness and questions about
his
> injured foot. But no one disputes that if Diop keeps up with his current
> learning curve (he's played organized basketball for only four years) he
> could surpass Eddy Curry as the draft's best center. Of course that's how
> the Nets thought about Yinka Dare.
> 7. New Jersey Nets
> Likely picks: Jason Richardson, Rodney White, DeSagana Diop
> Byron Scott has been on record as saying that the Nets need a shooting
guard
> as insurance in case Kerry Kittles never gets his bits together.
Richardson
> is the obvious choice here. Depending on what Vancouver and Golden State
do,
> he may very well fall all the way to 7. However, Washington is dangling
> Richard Hamilton in hopes of prying the pick away from the Nets to take
> Rodney White. The Nets like White too, and if they truly plan to get rid
of
> Keith Van Horn, he would be a formidable front court mate for Kenyon
Martin.
> As far as Diop goes, the Nets may have had their fill of raw African
centers
> after Yinka Dare and Soumalia Samake.
> 8. Cleveland Cavaliers
> Likely picks: Rodney White, Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol
> Conventional wisdom has Arkansas' Joe Johnson falling to the Cavs here.
The
> Cavs are in desperate need of athleticism in the backcourt and Johnson
seems
> to have the right combination of height, athleticism and shooting ability.
> However, sources have told us that Johnson has been tanking workouts and
is
> falling in the draft.
> The Cavs might be better served grabbing Rodney White or Tyson Chandler,
but
> both could very well be gone. If no one trades up for Gasol, he could
> quietly slip to the Cavs. Cavs GM Jim Paxson loves Gasol, but if he drafts
> him here he'll have to wait another year. Is he willing to do that?
> 9. Detroit Pistons
> Likely picks: Rodney White, DeSagana Diop, Loren Woods
> The Pistons are said to be infatuated with Rodney White. They too are
trying
> to move up in the draft, but their logical trading partner, the Vancouver
> Grizzlies, won't have anything to do with them after Detroit screwed
> Vancouver out of the 18th pick this year.
> Diop, who is said to be falling, could be had here. Of course, he would do
> nothing to stem the losing ways of the Pistons, but in a few years he
might
> be worth it. Loren Woods is putting on weight and an NBA source told
Insider
> that Woods may now be their most likely target. They love his athleticism
> and the extra 20 pounds he's put on this summer.
> Likely picks: Pau Gasol, Michael Bradley, Troy Murphy
> We know the Celtics want Pau Gasol, and there is still a chance he could
> fall here. They have tried to trade up the last few weeks, but right now
> they can't find any takers.
> The next best thing for the Celtics will probably be 6-11 Villanova
forward
> Michael Bradley. Bradley has been sizzling in workouts. What scouts like
> about Bradley is his ability to hit the jumper and then go inside and
bang.
> Lots of prospects can bang, but can't play on the perimeter. Others can
play
> on the perimeter but won't go down low. Bradley does both well and that
has
> the Celtics drooling. Besides, he is one of the few prospects that can
play
> immediately.
> Troy Murphy also has turned a lot of heads. He's dropped weight, put on
> muscle and has had impressive workouts. But Bradley seems to hold the edge
> in the Celtics' eyes at the moment.
>
>