2015 NBA Draft thread

[Guest]

Will Dawson get picked by someone hoping to that lightening strikes twice on a MSU player?

Who will the Pistons pick at #8? I'm starting to lean toward Frank the Tank....

Frank Kaminsky is not just a big man who can shoot. He's a flat out shooter.

"I hear 'guys your size,' and that doesn't mean anything to me," Kaminsky told me after the workout. "I just play one way. I count on myself to make every shot. ... It's competition within myself to make everything. It's always been that way."

Kaminsky shot the lights out in his one-on-none workout. That shouldn't come as a huge surprise to those who followed him the past two years at Wisconsin. Kaminsky shot 42 percent from 3-point range this season as a senior and 38 percent as a junior. Still, his shooting prowess caught some NBA general managers off guard.

"I knew he could shoot it," one GM told ESPN.com. "But not like that."

Kaminsky said he's always been a great shooter. As a high school freshman, he stood just 6-foot-2 and was a wing. He grew to 6-foot-6 as a sophomore. He didn't hit big-man status until his junior year, when he reached 6-foot-9. By then his coach knew what Kaminsky could do from outside and created an offense that allowed him to roam the perimeter.

Workout reports on Kaminsky, Oubre, Johnson, more NBA prospects

[Ass Dan]

I want kaminsky. His defense id's underrated because he wasn't asked to play at the rim by bo. He's a polished scorer down low, reminds me of pau gasol.

[Guest]

I want kaminsky. His defense id's underrated because he wasn't asked to play at the rim by bo. He's a polished scorer down low, reminds me of pau gasol.

And you can never go wrong having more Poles on your side.

[Guest]

EAST LANSING -- Travis Trice may not have had the chance to showcase himself at last week's NBA draft combine. But he will still be spending plenty of time in front of NBA scouts in the next few weeks.

Trice held his first team workout last Monday with the Chicago Bulls and has approximately 18 more scheduled in the coming weeks, his agent Ara Vartanian said on Friday.

The former Michigan State guard will hope to impress a team enough to hear his name called at the June 25 NBA draft.

Trice generated NBA interest during a breakout senior season, when he averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game, along with a team-high 197 assists. Spartans coach Tom Izzo has said professional interest in Trice picked up near the end of the season, when he averaged 19 points in five games en route to the Final Four.

That finish to the season didn't earn Trice an invite to the combine, which included 60 of the top draft prospects, including former Spartan Branden Dawson.

But Vartanian said team workouts, which generally have six players, provide a better opportunity for a player like Trice to showcase himself in a smaller group setting.

Former Michigan State guard Travis Trice keeping busy with team workouts leading up to NBA draft

[kingstonlake]

Will Dawson get picked by someone hoping to that lightening strikes twice on a MSU player?

Who will the Pistons pick at #8?   I'm starting to lean toward Frank the Tank....

Frank Kaminsky is not just a big man who can shoot. He's a flat out shooter.

"I hear 'guys your size,' and that doesn't mean anything to me," Kaminsky told me after the workout. "I just play one way. I count on myself to make every shot. ... It's competition within myself to make everything. It's always been that way."

Kaminsky shot the lights out in his one-on-none workout. That shouldn't come as a huge surprise to those who followed him the past two years at Wisconsin. Kaminsky shot 42 percent from 3-point range this season as a senior and 38 percent as a junior. Still, his shooting prowess caught some NBA general managers off guard.

"I knew he could shoot it," one GM told ESPN.com. "But not like that."

Kaminsky said he's always been a great shooter. As a high school freshman, he stood just 6-foot-2 and was a wing. He grew to 6-foot-6 as a sophomore. He didn't hit big-man status until his junior year, when he reached 6-foot-9. By then his coach knew what Kaminsky could do from outside and created an offense that allowed him to roam the perimeter.

Workout reports on Kaminsky, Oubre, Johnson, more NBA prospects

Did Dawson develop a mid range game in the last month and a half? Did he find a cure for the chronic aliment that makes him disappear on the court?  Did he steal Jason Kidd's handle over the past few weeks?  If so, sure.

[Guest]

Trice works out for the Celtics.

WALTHAM, Mass. — Travis Trice was the unquestioned leader of Michigan State’s basketball team this season, pacing the team in points and assists as the Spartans advanced all the way to the Final Four as a No. 7 seed.



http://nesn.com/2015/05/celtics-notes-travis-trice-looking-for-nba-niche-cs-evaluate-for-future/

[Guest]

I've seen this guy to the Pistons in a lot of mock drafts...

Kristaps Porzingis looks like a bust.

Just look at him. He looks like hand-pulled noodles, like an emaciated Dolph Lundgren as Drago. Good old Dolph never got to be much more than Drago, and from first glance, it’s unclear if Porzingis will be much more than what he appears to be: a bust.

Thank god teams don’t draft players based on first glances. Right?

Porzingis’s body is a cliché. It is as long as the list of preconceived notions it has come to represent. His body is a manifestation of that anxiety warning us that history is going to repeat itself — and no one ever says “history repeats itself” and means it in a good way. This is the Manic Pixie European Draft Prospect your cynical sports fan friend told you about. You watch the highlights and it’s hard not to like what you see. But then it happens. The ghosts of Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Darko Milicic, and Jan Vesely join hands and form a flat circle before you. They whisper in your ear: Zinger’s next.

Who Is Kristaps Porzingis?

[Guest]

Trice still getting a few looks...

Joe Rexrode retweeted
Zach Libby ‏@ZachLibby 5m5 minutes ago
Zach Libby retweeted Michael Scotto
Another NBA workout for MSU's Travis Trice.

Zach Libby added,
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Sources: Clippers brought in Dez Wells, Travis Trice, Wesley Saunders, Chasson Randle, Matt Stainbrook and Brad Waldow for a workout today.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

I honestly don't know or have the effort to put into researching into the Pistons and who they should take and shit. Not yet. Maybe after the Finals. Wake me up when Green has a ring and is ready to come back to the mitten.

[Guest]

No. 7 seed Michigan State upset a number of teams this spring on its way to a Final Four appearance thanks in large part to the play of forward Branden Dawson. Throughout his career at Michigan State, Dawson has been a key cog on the team, ascending from a ~20 minute per night player to a starring role. Now, after earning his degree, Dawson is turning his attention to the NBA. Dawson spoke with Hoops Rumors last week about his collegiate career and how his skill set will translate at the next level.

Q&A With Michigan St. Forward Branden Dawson

[Guest]

Jeff Goodman Mock Draft 5.0

8
Justise Winslow
Detroit Pistons
COLLEGE: Duke
HT: 6-6
WT: 222
POS: SF

Analysis: Stan Van Gundy will celebrate if Winslow, the versatile wing who helped lead Duke to the national title, is still on the board. He needs a wing with size, and while Winslow didn't quite measure up, he can guard multiple positions and brings no shortage of toughness to the table.

[Guest]

NBA draft notes: Sam Dekker logs off, but watching Pistons

Sam Dekker says he has cut down social media usage leading up to the June 25 NBA draft.
The Wisconsin small forward would rather be ignorant of the rumor-mongering that really doesn't mean anything.
But he is aware that the Detroit Pistons acquired power forward Ersan Ilyasova from the Milwaukee Bucks last week.
The move signals the Pistons, with the No. 8 pick, will likely be looking to fill the gaping roster spot at small forward.
And Dekker, who worked out for the Pistons on Saturday in Auburn Hills, hopes to be considered for that pick.
"I'm not on the social media during this process as much because it's a bunch of people that don't know what they're talking about, but you see some of the stuff," Dekker said. "I see they got Ilyasova, a former Buck, so I saw him play a lot. It's exciting to see that maybe they are looking at a guy at (small forward) and that's somewhere I'm comfortable and maybe I showed them stuff today and showed them stuff in the past that they would be confident with a pick like that."

[Guest]

Who’s That Guy? Future Lottery Pick Mario Hezonja!

What’s the worst-case scenario? Imagine Bostjan Nachbar’s game with Kobe Bryant’s attitude.
What’s the best-case scenario? Imagine Klay Thompson’s game with Kobe Bryant’s attitude.

Right now, most sites are projecting him to the Pistons at no. 8, in part because of his connections to Arn Tellem, the new vice-chairman of the franchise. Whether it’s Detroit or somewhere else, sliding in the draft will allow him to land in a better situation — less pressure to save everything on his own, and more chances to win early. These external factors are important to root for, because Hezonja is too ridiculous to not be great.

[Guest]

AUBURN HILLS -- Branden Dawson would love to be in Justise Winslow's position. He isn't, and for that, the former Michigan State standout accepts fault.

It may not be that simple. When Dawson and Winslow worked out against each other Tuesday for the Detroit Pistons, who have the No. 8 pick in next week's NBA draft, it was their third head-up competition in seven months, including NCAA champion Duke's Final Four win over the Spartans in April.

Winslow was here because it is uncertain that he will go within the first seven picks. If he had a guarantee, he wouldn't have been. But European prospects Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis may have leapfrogged him on some key draft boards.

Dawson likely was here as a candidate for summer-league and free-agent consideration rather than the Pistons' second-round pick at No. 38 overall.

From McDonald's All-American to scuffling for a draft slot four years later, Dawson said he hampered his own development.

"I might have developed my game a lot more if I just had that mindset of just coming in and just working hard," he said. "But coming out of high school I thought that everything was a joke. I wasn't working hard, wasn't focused. So I think if I had a different approach, I think things would have been different."

MSU's Branden Dawson, Duke's Justise Winslow among 4 working out for Detroit Pistons

[Ass Dan]

AUBURN HILLS -- Branden Dawson would love to be in Justise Winslow's position. He isn't, and for that, the former Michigan State standout accepts fault.

It may not be that simple. When Dawson and Winslow worked out against each other Tuesday for the Detroit Pistons, who have the No. 8 pick in next week's NBA draft, it was their third head-up competition in seven months, including NCAA champion Duke's Final Four win over the Spartans in April.

Winslow was here because it is uncertain that he will go within the first seven picks. If he had a guarantee, he wouldn't have been. But European prospects Mario Hezonja and Kristaps Porzingis may have leapfrogged him on some key draft boards.

Dawson likely was here as a candidate for summer-league and free-agent consideration rather than the Pistons' second-round pick at No. 38 overall.

From McDonald's All-American to scuffling for a draft slot four years later, Dawson said he hampered his own development.

"I might have developed my game a lot more if I just had that mindset of just coming in and just working hard," he said. "But coming out of high school I thought that everything was a joke. I wasn't working hard, wasn't focused. So I think if I had a different approach, I think things would have been different."

MSU's Branden Dawson, Duke's Justise Winslow among 4 working out for Detroit Pistons

This is very annoying to read

[Guest]

Well try this version then......

MSU's Dawson looks at Pistons workout as a challenge

He also saw the opportunity to impress against Winslow, but he wanted to impress against the others as well. Dejean-Jones is a 6-6 guard and Trawick a 6-5 guard.

"It's a huge opportunity, but it's not just him, being that he's a lottery pick," Dawson said. "It's with whomever. When you come into these workouts you don't know who's in it. You just have to go out and play hard against whoever."

Dawson, 22, said this was his eighth visit to an NBA team. He also had visits with Phoenix, Boston, the Clippers, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Milwaukee and Minnesota.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Dawson.. Eye roll

[Floyd Robertson]

This thread might set a Swill record for view:post ratio, currently 275:1.

[Guest]

Chad Ford's latest mock:

Chad Ford Mock Draft 7.0 Towns still goes No. 1 to Wolves, but Sixers take Porzingis at No. 3

8
Sam Dekker
Detroit Pistons
COLLEGE: Wisconsin
HT: 6-9
WT: 219
POS: SF

Everyone in the league has Mario Hezonja pegged here for the Pistons. And if he falls to eight, it's likely he'll be the pick. However, if he's off the board, don't be surprised if the Pistons select Dekker a few spots higher than other NBA teams have him. He had a terrific workout there on Saturday, shot the lights out, and is more NBA ready than several of the wings. The Pistons also have a huge hole at the three. Stanley Johnson and Devin Booker will be other options for Detroit.

[Guest]

Devin Booker's eye for the rim appeals to Pistons

Auburn Hills — Devin Booker learned about "The Grind" at an early age from his father Melvin, a professional basketball player who bounced around the world playing the game he loved.

The Grind was sometimes getting to the gym two hours before practice and staying two hours afterward.

The Grind for the dad was playing for 13 different teams in four countries.
And The Grind was sitting at his dad's knee and learning the game, professionalism, and how to grow into a man.

The Grind is why Booker visited the Pistons Thursday morning for a pre-draft workout. And The Grind is a reason Booker, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, is expected to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft next Thursday, perhaps by the Pistons, who covet shooters.

[Guest]

Rico Beard ‏@RicoBeard 8m8 minutes ago
Rico Beard retweeted Detroit Pistons
#Spartan Travis Trice working out today. A possible 2nd round pick for the @DetroitPistons

[Guest]

Niyo: Van Gundy shooting for the stars in this draft

Auburn Hills — The Pistons draft board isn't set, but it will be soon.
And once it is, the pressure's off, Stan Van Gundy insists.

"Draft night itself should be pretty easy," the Pistons president and coach said Monday at his final predraft news conference. "Hopefully my biggest decision on that night is, 'Do I have the chicken or the beef?' "



Well, here's hoping they don't go the chicken route, opting for a safe pick — not that there really is such a thing in the NBA draft these days — if there's a risk worth taking.
If Croatia's Mario Hezonja is still available at No. 8, with some teams frightened away either by his passport or his comport, the Pistons absolutely should jump at the chance.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

I trust Van Gundy.. but I'm hoping he doesn't go that darko route.

[Travis of the Cosmos]

I trust Van Gundy.. but I'm hoping he doesn't go that darko route.

Xenophobist.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

I trust Van Gundy.. but I'm hoping he doesn't go that darko route.

Xenophobist.

When it comes to NBA drafts.. I will forever be haunted. Can you blame this Pistons fan?

[Guest]

I trust Van Gundy.. but I'm hoping he doesn't go that darko route.

Jay Bilas ‏@JayBilas 9m9 minutes ago
Since Yao Ming was drafted No. 1 in 2002, 19 international players were Lottery Picks, none were ever All-Stars. H/T ESPN Stats and Info.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

I trust Van Gundy.. but I'm hoping he doesn't go that darko route.

Jay Bilas ‏@JayBilas 9m9 minutes ago
Since Yao Ming was drafted No. 1 in 2002, 19 international players were Lottery Picks, none were ever All-Stars. H/T ESPN Stats and Info.

see, travis?

[Travis of the Cosmos]

Jay Bilas ‏@JayBilas  9m9 minutes ago  
Since Yao Ming was drafted No. 1 in 2002, 19 international players were Lottery Picks, none were ever All-Stars. H/T ESPN Stats and Info.

see, travis?

The only reason that 6th overall pick in 2008, Danilo Gallinari wasn't an all star was because xenophobes like you wouldn't vote for him.

[Guest]

Dawson's maturity could carry him to pro hoops career

Branden Dawson had the accolades coming out of high school.

Considered one of the top small forwards in the class of 2011, Rivals.com pegged him as a top-20 player. He played in the McDonald's All-American Game was a third-team Parade All-American out of Gary, Ind.

A 6-foot-6, athletic prospect, big things were expected when Dawson signed with Michigan State.

But here he is, two days before Thursday night's NBA draft and Dawson, 22, faces the very real prospect of not hearing his name called.

After a recent workout with the Detroit Pistons, Dawson looked inward for reasons his career at MSU didn't pan out as he had hoped.

"I might have developed my game a lot more if I just had that mindset of just coming in and just working hard," he said at the Pistons practice facility. "But coming out of high school, I thought that everything was a joke.

"I wasn't working hard, wasn't focused. So I think if I had a different approach, I think things would have been different."

Dawson admitted to balking at MSU coach Tom Izzo's tough guidance, saying he was "ready to transfer after just a few games." But the relationship got better over four seasons.

[Herbie Green]

That is the thing. If Dawson used his elite athleticism to become a hustle guy he would find a role on an NBA team.

[Guest]

NBA analysts lukewarm on chances for Dawson, Trice

Michigan State's Branden Dawson and Travis Trice likely will not be picked in Thursday's NBA draft, even at the tail end of the second round. But that doesn't mean that they lack fans among draft pundits.

ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford said in a conference call today that Dawson could get drafted, especially after "consistently" shining while guarding elite prospects in predraft workouts. Ford said that Dawson, a 6-foot-6 athletic small forward, specializes in defense and could make an NBA team because of that ability.

[Guest]

Sounds like Towns is going 1st and Kaminsky would be there for the Pistons but they're not going to take him.   I think that will be a mistake.

[CORNER BLITZ]

Sixers love them some big men

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Lol at the Knicks !!!

[CORNER BLITZ]

Lol at the Knicks !!!

That little kid trying to get a reaction video and his dad telling him to boo the pick lol

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Who will the Pistons get

[Guest]

Pistons can take Winslow!

[Guest]

Denver takes Mudiay so Pistons can go Winslow/Kaminsky/Johnson....of that group I want Winslow but didn't think he would be there.

[Guest]

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 1m1 minute ago
With the eighth pick the Detroit Pistons select Stanley Johnson. With Justise Winslow on the board. First big mistake of the night.

[Other Teams Pursuing That]

Wut

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