Boston Celtics: NBA Draft

Cheerleader of the Day: Boston Celtics

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:43:23 -0700

Cheerleader of the Day: Boston Celtics

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we have access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. In honor of the upcoming NBA Draft, we'll be focusing on NBA dancers until the end of June!

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

NBA Draft: Answer Man #2

Adam Stanco — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:19:47 -0700

Adam Stanco answers your questions.. and the one’s you should be asking. If you have a question, send it to BasketballWriter@cs.com

Where would O.J. Mayo be drafted in this year’s draft?

(Submitted by: Todd Kapostasy of Perry, OH)

Mayo would have been battling with Mike Conley for the right to be the first point guard chosen.

In this theoretical scenario, what would really hurt Mayo is recent history.

No high school point guard has made a successful jump directly to the NBA and the only true point guard drafted out of high school was Sebastian Telfair. Telfair’s struggles on the court and with the law would have owners and GM’s thinking twice about taking a lead guard with no college experience. Especially considering some of Mayo’s off-the-court tribulations.

But Mayo is only a month younger than Conley and he has a better outside shot. Quite a few in the league question whether Mayo is a natural point guard, but he’s a born leader and seems to play better when the stakes are high (except for this year’s McDonald’s All-American game).

On draft day, the Hawks would think awfully hard about taking the 6-foot-5 Mayo, but if they passed on him, Conley would get selected ahead of him. Still, I can’t foresee a scenario where Mayo would fall out of the top ten.

You can expect Mayo and Memphis recruit Derrick Rose to have a similar battle for the honor next year.

What do you think the Celtics will do with the #5 pick? Will they be drafting or trading with it, and if so for which player(s)?

(Submitted by: Tim Hines of Waltham, MA)

Since this lottery is stocked with so many desirable prospects, the Celtics – and anyone else with picks No. 3 through No. 10 – would be foolish not to explore trade options.

However, if they keep the pick, a source inside the Celtics organization says the team is thinking seriously considering drafting Joakim Noah.

The pick makes sense. Noah’s energy and charm would be infectious for a team needing a big chemistry boost. Plus, he would team with Al Jefferson to form an imposing frontline that the franchise could build around.

But considering that the C’s lost any hope of snatching Greg Oden and Kevin Durant during the lottery and certainly won’t have Kevin Garnett on the roster either, there’s really no pick that would really thrill Boston fans. Some Celtic faithful are pining for Jeff Green or Corey Brewer, but the arrival of another wing player would stunt the growth of promising youngster Gerald Green.

Do you think a player like Roy Hibbert, who was more than likely going to be a lottery pick, truly has anything to gain by coming back to school for another season?

(Submitted by: Kenny Williams of Landover, MD)

Under the current early entry rules, Roy Hibbert is the first player to declare for the draft, find out that he is almost certainly a lottery pick, and then pull out prior to the deadline.

So you’d really have to ask him. There really is no precedence set for this situation.

But each situation is unique and Hibbert chose the path less traveled.

The 7-footer’s return, plus the addition of fabulous freshmen Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, will have Georgetown vying for their first national title since 1984.

And, judging by his recent history, Hibbert’s decision will certainly benefit him individually as a player. His improvement over the last three seasons has been nothing short of monumental and another season under John Thompson III will only enhance his ever-developing skill-set.

The earliest he probably could’ve been drafted this year is No. 4 by the Grizzlies, yet it is more likely that he would’ve gone a little later in the lottery. It would be hard to imagine him slipping past the Kings at No. 10.

Next year’s draft class is much weaker and, without any franchise centers crowding the lottery, he should be taken somewhere in the top five.

However, the move is really interesting financially. While he could jump up a few slots by going back to school, his rookie deal will also kick in one year later. So even though he might be gaining money on his first contract, his big NBA payday will be delayed.

After Kevin Durant, who is the going to be the best NBA small forward… Jeff Green, Julian Wright, Al Thornton, or Thaddeus Young?

(Submitted by: Chris Kopas of Weston, CT)

This is a difficult question to answer because each of the other prospects has serious question marks. In the end, it will come down to how hard each one works to improve his weaknesses.

What are those weaknesses? Funny you should ask…

Green doesn’t play with a burning intensity all the time. He disappears for stretches of games and doesn’t dominate offensively like a go-to-guy should. But those who have seen him at Georgetown say his seemingly lackadaisical play is just a result of the system and that he will be a standout at the next level.

As talented as Wright is, he can’t hit anything outside of the paint. His intangibles will keep him in an NBA rotation, but he won’t live up to his star potential until he develops a consistent jumper.

Thornton could be the guy. He destroyed some serious competition last season, which is always a great indicator of how college studs will perform at the next level. He posted 29 points and 12 rebounds against UNC, 28 points and 9 rebounds against Florida, and 30 points and 16 rebounds at Virginia.

However, Thornton also turns the ball over far too much (2.5 tpg, compared to 0.7 apg) to be counted on as a competent small forward in the pro’s. His carelessness with the basketball will have to be remedied very soon.

Young has actually measured out smaller than he appeared to be at Georgia Tech and, if he’s going to play the wing at the next level, he’ll need to improve his ball-handling. He could be very good in a few years, but he will probably be the last player on this list to get playing time in the pros.

Overall, I expect Green to make the most immediate impact, Thornton to put up some fine numbers within a year or two, and Young – if he puts the work in – to come out on top when all is said and done.

Adam Stanco answers your questions.. and the one’s you should be asking. If you have a question, send it to BasketballWriter@cs.com

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Monday's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:29:05 -0700

Speculation season has come early this year with the Spurs mercifully ending the Finals and beginning all the draft hype sooner than usual, which is probably a relief to most basketball fans. Last week I predicted a deluge of links once the Finals ended and, unfortunately for me, I was correct. So we’ll go heavy on the links and light on the side comments today (well, I’ll try at least).

· Let’s stay with this idea that NBA fans are relieved the Finals are over so the focus can switch to the Draft, which this year, seems to garner more interest. Bill Simmons tackled the subject this week, offering some ideas to salvage the credibility of the playoffs. Ken Berger of Newsday wrote a great piece, suggesting the quicker the focus can switch to the draft, the better so fans can get this miserable season out of their memory. From 1984-1998, the NBA Finals gave fans a chance to see some of the best basketball ever played, so it’s sad to say that Simmons and Berger are right about the state of the game. This year, the Finals were the low point on an overall terrible season of basketball and, with two franchise players available, this draft is so interesting because it provides the few casual NBA fans left with the exact thing that might save the popularity of the league: a change. It’s a chance for a whole new brand of players, two that could potentially change the face of the league, to inject some life into the NBA when it needs it most. Major League Baseball had the home run chase and fans (David Stern as well) are hoping Durant and Oden will strike the same chord. It’s pretty lucky that Durant and Oden are coming into this league after one of the worst years in memory, hopefully they don’t provide the NBA with yet another disappointment.

· Portland GM Kevin Pritchard claims he is still undecided on the No. 1 pick and will have a better idea after Oden comes to Portland tomorrow and Durant visits Friday. Apparently everyone in Portland wants Oden, which is funny because up until the national championship game, the “Greg Oden is overrated” bandwagon was nearly full. Something tells me that stupid bench press carries more weight (no pun intended… I swear) than it should. Pritchard’s best quote regarding the decision: "Look at the first half of Durant's game against Kansas. Watch that game and tell me it's an easy choice." I love this guy.

· On the Durant front, Adidas and Nike are apparently in a bidding war for the young man’s services. Durant’s agent is apparently asking for something in the ballpark of 50 million but Durant is interested in going the Stephon Marbury route (with shoes, not incompetence) and offering a cheap pair of shoes so kids can afford them. He is a lock for world domination, I’m sure of it. On a sad note, Durant visited Seattle this week to get a look at his probable first NBA city. He is expected to announce his retirement shortly.

· Today marks the deadline for undecided players to announce their intentions for the draft. I’m sure the final list of draft entrants will be readily available today, but we’ll cover that Wednesday. The great Andy Katz is all over several players decisions and, more importantly, what it means to their respective college teams. In case you’re reading this before the official list comes out, here’s what we know so far:

· Dominic James is making the right choice and going back to Marquette.

· JamesOn Curry is making the wrong choice and staying in the draft. He thinks Chicago is taking him at No. 49 but not everyone is so sure. He may pull a Randolph Morris and not hire an agent at all so he could head back to school and become a free agent after the season.

· Ramon Sessions is supposedly killing his workouts and will stay in the draft.

· I, probably like most people, know little about Dominic McGuire from Fresno, but here’s a Q & A with Gary Estwick of the Fresno Bee to enlighten us all. McGuire hired an agent and is in the draft.

· DeVon Hardin from Cal is staying in the draft, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Katz reported Hardin’s goal was to be in the top 20 and supposedly New Jersey has interest at No. 17 (didn’t they want McRoberts also?) and Golden State at No. 18 as well.

· Katz said draft longshots Maureece Rice (George Washington) and Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State) are heading back to school.

· Wilson Chandler appears to be staying in the draft and he just skipped a workout in Chicago. He claims it was due to injury but at the bottom of this article it says he is staying in the draft and has shut it down because Isiah Thomas, in his infinite wisdom, has promised the No. 23 pick to Chandler. Last week I read an article that Thomas promised he’d take Derrick Byars if he could. I don’t know what is going on in that man’s head but I know, given the precedent he showed last year, a ~~devastatingly awful~~ strange decision will be made.

· The most interesting draft article I read this week was from SI.com’s Luke Winn, who wrote about the incredible rise and ubiquitous presence of Internet draft services, most notably NBADraft.net and DraftExpress. It’s pretty fascinating how these sites began from such modest foundations and turned into resources that both players and NBA executives frequently consult. In a year where Joakim Noah bashed mock drafts and their “basement-dwelling creators,” Winn’s article smashes some of the preconceived notions about the Internet draft movement’s shaky legitimacy. It quickly becomes evident how serious these guys are. As far as the mock draft debate, the founders of the sites admit they are pretty unreliable at the end of the day, but Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, in one of the better quotes in recent memory, knows why: "If it was up to me, we'd just scout players and not have a mock draft at all. How am I supposed to predict the stupidity of 30 NBA GMs an entire year in advance?" He is my hero. Ryan White of The Oregonian takes his own look at the Internet’s unique way of following the draft, finding some interesting stuff regarding Portland’s pick at No. 1.

· Mike Conley (along with Daequan Cook) is staying in the draft. He worked out for the Bulls the other day and while it’s a long shot he’ll end up there, his dad wouldn’t mind it.

· Chad Ford has some rumors. It’s Insider only so I’ll just tell you what he said. Apparently the Wolves are really interested in Spencer Hawes at No. 7. I’m not sold on Hawes because nearly every power forward in the NBA is either stronger or more athletic than him, but he seems to have a lot of suitors. Only time will tell if I’m truly smarter than most NBA GMs. Ford thinks Thaddeus Young is staying in the draft, citing an interest in being in the top 20. That shouldn’t’ be a problem.

· Speaking of Hawes, he worked out for the Sixers and Celtics to pretty decent reviews.

· Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times took on the unenviable task of speaking with Sixers GM Billy King. They appear to be high on Nick Young.

· The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sekou Smith continues to lord over this draft with an iron fist, turning in another great feature, this time of Al Horford. Featured inside: Joakim Noah has something to say!

· I’ve always been interested in the effects that undecided draft entrants’ decisions have on their college’s incoming recruits. Luckily Whitelaw (not making that name up) Reid of the Daily Progress in Charlottesville has me covered with this feature on Sean Singletary and how his decision on the draft will affect Sam Zeglinski, an incoming point guard for the Cavaliers.

· It’s looking more and more like Al Horford and Brandan Wright will go, in some order, at No. 3 and No. 4 so the Celtics pick at No. 5 may be the key to the rest of the lottery. The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy takes a look at the options, which basically include a trade or any of up to eight players.

· Aaron Brooks is one of the more likable players in the draft as evident by this feature assessing his draft chances. His lack of size and his scoring mentality probably have him destined for the second round but Brooks has always been confident.

· Al Thornton has come a long way and after working out for the Celtics, Danny Ainge thinks he’s the second-best offensive player in the draft. Hopefully his long journey will contain a Sixers jersey.

· So I guess Brandan Wright, being the masochist that he is, had an incredible workout with Milwaukee Friday. The joke is once again on the hapless Bucks, who have no chance at getting him. That didn’t’ keep the local columnists, like Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, from wishing. After the recent diss from Noah, who refused to work out for the Bucks, and the defections from all their stars of the recent past, the Bucks appear to be the NBA’s least desirable franchise right now. Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hopes this offseason helps Milwaukee bring back the old days.

· Good to see some features on a few of my favorite mid-major players last season:

· When I covered Delaware and the CAA in college, one of my favorite players to watch was Loren Stokes, who is highlighted in this well-done feature from Brian Hendrickson of The Columbian. Hopefully he gets a shot somewhere.

· The Nets and Knicks worked out Jared Jordan. Isiah Thomas apparently really likes Jordan, raising the tally of players he’d like to draft to 14.

· Jamaal Tatum is one of the better defensive guards I have seen in awhile and apparently NBA teams are taking notice. Whoever drafts him is getting a lot of value.

· I’ve heard next to nothing about the Clippers pick at 14 but they seem to be looking for a point guard. Acie Law and Javaris Crittenton worked out for the Clips Wednesday. They must not be optimistic that Shaun Livingston will locate his left knee any time soon.

· Oh, and Yi Jianlian has a blog on NBA.com. The entire concept baffles me. I know bloggers don’t get a lot of credit but I will say this of them. They speak fluent English. That seems to be a prerequisite. Yi Jianlian, breaking the ethnic barrier of blogging. Maybe our government ccan learn from the blogosphere and repair our poor relationship with China.

Wow, that was exhausting. Back with hopefully much less on Wednesday.

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Monday's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:44:37 -0700

I am still catatonic from the vicious emotional shift that occurred after switching from the heart-stopping suspense of The Sopranos series finale to the soul-crushing disappointment of the NBA Finals last night. The body isn’t meant to endure such abrupt contrasts in entertainment value. Thank God for the internet, which once again provided instant rejuvenation through its own brand of suspense and half-truths: NBA Draft links, free of charge (well, at least for ESPN Insiders).

· I was all set to not have Greg Oden be the lead item of this edition but then something life-changing happened. I found out that Greg Oden has a blog. It’s hosted by something called Yardbarker, which seems fairly hack-ish but somehow hosts blogs from Oden, Angels pitcher John Lackey and a few scrubs, one of which is named Chris Henry but is not the Chris Henry I had hoped for (I had the prison pen pal joke all loaded up). Anyway, something tells me these Yardbarker fellas must have been involved with this photo and blackmailed the future Hall of Famer into doing this, but it’s interesting nonetheless. His latest entry is essentially a glorified yearbook message but for the most part, Oden is a pretty well-spoken, interesting and witty guy. I am all for athlete blogs (especially when they are not idiots and are Gilbert Arenas) so despite the oddity of it all, Mr. Oden has gained a reader. A lot has been said of Oden’s stoic nature and his elderly visage but from what I’ve seen and read of him lately, he seems like a pretty regular kid. And if you think you are seeing a different side of Greg Oden, it’s because you are. Within this well-done feature by Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star, we learn that Oden has hired a “media coach” to help him convey his personality to the public. Oh, and his coach was in American Pie 2, so he’s in ~~well-lubricated~~ good hands.

· Like an overshadowed younger brother, Joakim Noah isn’t too fond of this whole, “I’m not the best player anymore” thing and has been enjoying the presence of tape recorders in his face as he hits the workout circuit. At a workout in Charlotte he told reporters that he thinks mock drafts are a “complete joke” (Somewhere Chad Ford is locked in a room sobbing into a pint of Haagen Daaz). The weird thing is that Noah is probably right. He is a deranged lunatic, but right. Despite what the media thinks, mock drafts mean nothing, the opinions of NBA front offices do. Joakim Noah, voice of reason. If his war against mockers was not enough, Noah also felt like attacking his fellow potential draftees, possibly Yi Jianlin, after a workout in Chicago. He went off about players avoiding workouts against their peers and Yi has only been conducting private workouts. Spencer Hawes was in the workout, so it appears he is the only one safe from Noah’s wrath. In summation: Joakim Noah hates mock drafts and Yi Jianlin. He certainly picks his enemies wisely. Oh and he seems to have taken a liking to Chicago. Charlotte? Not so much.

· Speaking of Noah, he and his fellow Gator draftees helped out EA Sports with its player motions for NBA Live ’08. I can only hope this means that all players in the game will celebrate lay-ups by screaming and trying to swallow the camera.

· Really well-done piece from Jake Curtis of the San Francisco Chronicle on the new NBA age-limit rule and its affects on college and the NBA. I’ll go ahead and make this the section designated for well-written articles and add this piece, from the Portland Business Journal of all places, on the financial gains that come from winning the draft lottery. Here’s a sneak peek: it helps.

· Back to Yi for a second. He’s really not working out against other players and has opted instead to prove himself against chairs. Brett Edwards at the AOL Fanhouse has the link and the fantastic quote from Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who attended the workout. Reports indicate Joakim Noah thinks the chair is a coward as well.

· There are a lot of rumors about the Celtics trading the No. 5 pick, with one completely asinine scenario being basically Shawn Marion for the No. 5 pick straight up. Only if Steve Kerr’s intends to make his first move as Suns GM his last.

· Because this column involves reading an emotionally straining amount of NBA Draft content, I have a pretty good idea of which guys are the best at sifting through the BS. Here are some that recently stood out.

· Chad Ford is the best. With his ESPN resources he probably should be, but he is the best nonetheless. This week, he turns in a pretty great piece on the validity of draft workouts and some rumors, which include the groundbreaking news that Glen Davis is, in fact, fat. Ford’s stuff is for Insiders only but considering what he has to offer, any cost that doesn’t involve a piece of your soul should be seen as a bargain.

· I know he’s old news, but Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune is always all over this league. He’s got some trade options and draft buzz for us.

· Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is one of the best NBA beat writers I’ve read this year and I think his family should be concerned about his enthusiasm for this draft. He’s got a really good blog and turns in a solid feature on the Hawks No. 3 pick du jour, Brandan Wright. Can someone get Smith an NBA team to cover?

· There’s too many reporters that excel at this draft stuff to mention them all but one in particular slipped through the cracks until now. Bethlehem Shoals at the AOL Fanhouse alerts the world of NBA draft expert Lauren Anderson, who just so happens to be a former Playmate. There is no truth to the rumor that Doug Gottlieb is considering a boob job.

· Some notes on prospects making the workout rounds:

· In a match-up I would love to see, Corey Brewer and Al Thornton worked out against each other for the Celtics.

· Jason Smith continues to be this year’s Chris Kaman (unknown mid-major center who is way under the radar), working out in relative anonymity for the Knicks and Nets.

· Aaron Gray has slimmed down, to the point where scouts are now describing him as sloth-like instead of the previously used term, glacier-like.

· Ramon Sessions and Marcellus Kemp are still trying this draft thing out, but most are waiting for them to go back to Nevada.

· For some reason Jeff Green still doesn’t know if he should be in this draft. Teams are coming to DC to watch him because he doesn’t have an agent to pay for the travel expenses. This just seems like a genius plan to save a few dollars. Is being a top 10 pick really not enough anymore? I blame Hibbert.

Boston Celtics: NBA Draft Team Needs

Jon Teitel — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

NBA Draft: Boston Celtics

Record: 24-58, 5^th in Atlantic

Draft Picks: 5^th, 32^nd

Team Needs: Starting center, which will allow Al Jefferson to become a dominant power forward. A healthy shooting guard, unlike Tony Allen last year. Better shooting in general (as only 3 of their 10 players who averaged 6+ PPG last year shot better than 44% from the field). Veteran leadership for all the youngsters from Paul Pierce.

Who Should They Draft? Spencer Hawes, Nick Young, Marcus Williams, Arron Afflalo

Draft History Since 2000

2006 - Randy Foye (7), Rajon Rondo (21), Leon Powe (49)

2005 - Gerald Green (18), Ryan Gomes (50), Orien Greene (53)

2004 - Al Jefferson (15), Delonte West (24), Tony Allen (25), Justin Reed (40)

2003 - Troy Bell (16*), Dahntay Jones (20*), Brandon Hunter (56)

*- Traded for Marcus Banks & Kendrick Perkins

2002 - Darius Songaila (50)

2001 - Joe Johnson (10), Kedrick Brown (11), Joe Forte (21)

2000 - Jerome Moiso (11), Josip Sesar (49)

Links: NBA Draft | NBA Teams | Mock Draft | Draft History

Unsubstantiated Speculation: Today's NBA Draft Rumors

Jason Tomassini — Fri, 25 May 2007 12:41:46 -0700

There seems to be an unusually high amount of fallout from the NBA Draft Lottery the other night. I’m assuming part of it is because of Durant/Oden and another part of it is Spurs/Jazz/Cavs/Pistons (although last night’s horrible officiating should help detract the talking heads from the lottery for a second). The majority of the reactions fell into two categories. The first: Hooray, we beat the lottery, our franchise is saved! The other: The lottery screwed us, the lottery sucks, our franchise is doomed for the next 30 years. There was really nothing in between.

On with the links…

· ESPN’s Henry Abbot a.k.a. TrueHoop went boldly where no blogger had ever gone before: an actual event. He was behind-the-scenes at the lottery and just so happened to change the course of history for his beloved Blazers. Speaking of blogs, Bethlehem Shoals at Free Darko wrote this piece for the AOL Sports Fanhouse. With everyone complaining about Oden and Durant’s exile to the Northwest, he argues that this draft in itself will rejuvenate the league because there are finally some prospects with name recognition.

· As we get into reactions from around the league, the first logical stop is the sullen emotional wasteland that is Boston right now. The Distraught Celtics Fan poster boy is ESPN’s Bill Simmons, who writes this entertaining but certainly melodramatic column the day after the lottery. He rightly points out that looking back, since the Celtics didn’t get in the top two, the tanking was a disgrace to the game rather than a viable strategy to improve. As for the organization, the Boston Herald chronicled the Celtics front office’s half-hearted attempt at the Put on a Happy Face game. The co-owner says the draft is deep. The GM says they could explore a trade (hopefully one that goes better than the Telfair deal last year). And the ~~captain of the sinking ship~~ coach just seems mostly confused. Oh and the local columnist, Tony Massarotti, is pissed at the NBA, the lottery and probably the sport of Ping Pong in general.

· After taking time to bask in the glory that is another Celtics disappointment, let’s take on the significantly less fun task of feeling happy for the winners. Look no further for unbridled enthusiasm than the Blazers own GM Kevin Pritchard (amongst my favorite people of this draft already), who was downright giddy after the lottery. If not because of Greg Oden, then because this means he will be employed in the near future. John Canzano writes an excellent piece about how the pick will change the franchise not from a bottom line perspective, but from the perspective of the true fans that have stood by the team during all the turmoil. By the way, in regards to the idiotic notion spewed by the ESPN analysts about Portland being a playoff contender next year do me a favor. Look at the eight teams in the Western Conference playoffs this year and tell me who the Blazers could be better than next year. Thank you.

· The Seattle Times caught up with the Sonics newest “chucker” as Doug Gottlieb called him Tuesday. If anything, this article just further cements the fact that Kevin Durant is going to be a freaking superstar. From his game to his outlook on the NBA, it’s a sure thing, mark it down. Art Thiel of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes the obvious, that the Sonics now have a legitimate chance to stay in Seattle because of some silly Ping Pong balls. Gotta love the NBA.

· Perhaps lost in the shuffle is Atlanta, which keeps its pick and now have No. 3 and No. 11. Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be angry if they don’t pick Mike Conley. To which I say, “What the f***?” Mike Conley is a good point guard, he is NOT the third pick of the NBA Draft. Just because the Hawks, in their glorious ineptitude, passed on Deron Williams and Chris Paul, doesn’t mean they should compound the mistake by reaching for Conley. Of all the teams that stunk last year, they actually have a chance to become good because of this draft. They should try to trade down and get Conley and a big man, but they will screw it up because they are the Hawks.

· Everyone knows this already but Hibbert is going back and Green is going pro. Hibbert would’ve been a bust of a top ten pick but he still would’ve been in the top ten. Good for him to realize he’s not ready but all that does is save the job of the GM who would’ve wasted their pick on him. It’s bittersweet I suppose.

· In other news, Minnesota has an NBA franchise and Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune uses this opportunity to declare he is none too pleased with it. If you are wondering how the Wolves will use their pick, Reusse has an answer: poorly.

· Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times writes this meandering critique of the lottery process itself. Somewhere in there he hits an interesting point. If the NBA runs the lottery to avoid tanking, then they are essentially awarding franchises a savior based on blind luck. If they change it, tanking prevails. I’m not sure what the solution is, but I think we’ve reached a low point in sports when one of the important topics is how to draw Ping Pong balls out of a big wheel. John Jackson, also of the Sun-Times, points out that if Eddy Curry didn’t beat the Bulls with a tip-in on the last day of the season, the Bulls (via the Knicks), would’ve had the same odds as Portland to win the lottery. If they find a way to get Horford or Brandan Wright they still might be the Eastern Conference favorites next year anyway.

· Stephen A. Smith departs from his usual medium of analysis — screaming — for this Philadelphia Inquirer column on the Sixers gloomy outlook sitting at No. 12. For some reason, Philadelphia is being touted as all that is right amongst the NBA’s losers for not tanking games and ending up at No. 12. I do not share the same feeling. They won three more games than Portland. The Blazers are getting Greg Oden, we are getting Spencer Hawes. It wouldn’t have hurt to lose a few down the stretch there. Pride doesn’t always get you to the playoffs, luck does.

· Oh, and no one in Memphis really cares about NBA basketball.