2008 NBA Playoffs

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No lottery luck; Blazers stay No. 13
Posted by Joe Freeman, The Oregonian May 20, 2008 17:21PM
Categories: Breaking News

The reshaping of Portland's only major professional sports franchise did not receive a (second) jolt of odds-defying lottery luck Tuesday evening.

One year after the Trail Blazers won the NBA draft lottery despite a miniscule 5.3 percent chance, the franchise learned it will pick exactly where it was projected to pick in this year's player draft: No. 13. Chicago landed the No. 1 pick, followed by Miami and Minnesota.

The lack of a surprise on Tuesday creates suspense that likely will remain until draft day. The Blazers must decide whether to trade the pick to try to land a veteran player or keep it and add another young player from a draft that has less star power than last year's.

Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard -- who has engineered nine draft-day trades the past two seasons combined -- refuses to tip his hand, but it seems possible, if not probable, that he will unload No. 13.

Although coach Nate McMillan routinely heaped praise on his players for their development and ability to learn on the fly last season, he also regularly lamented his team's youth and lack of experience. While young players like Brandon Roy (All-Star) and LaMarcus Aldridge (third in most improved player voting) carried the team statistically as they experienced growing pains, McMillan often credited veterans like James Jones and Raef LaFrentz for providing stability and leadership, traits that helped the Blazers exceed expectations by finishing 41-41.

"We were one of the youngest teams in the league this year and I think experience will help us down the road," McMillan said during the final week of the regular season. "I think we need to see what we can get, add some experience to the roster."

Combining the 13th overall pick in the draft with one or two of the Blazers' talented young players almost certainly would fetch a talented -- and experienced -- player. But Pritchard has said he won't acquire experience just for the sake of acquiring experience.

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Best of the rest
Now that the Wolves know they'll have the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft next month, will they choose a guard to help their outside shooting or a big man who can rebound and defend well to take pressure off Al Jefferson?
By Rick Alonzo
[e-mail]
Article Last Updated: 05/21/2008 12:41:55 AM CDT

Now the Timberwolves know who they won't draft.

Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley are locks to be off the board when the Wolves draft No. 3 behind Chicago at No. 1 and Miami at No. 2 following the results of Tuesday night's NBA lottery. Exactly who the Wolves will draft June 26 remains to be seen, but Kevin McHale likes his chances of getting a good player.

'It's a very deep draft,' said the Wolves' vice president of basketball operations. 'We're adding a heck of a good player to a really nice young nucleus of guys.'

Chicago won the No. 1 pick despite just a 1.7 percent chance. Some of the possibilities for the Wolves include guards O.J. Mayo of Southern California and Jerryd Bayless of Arizona and big men Brook Lopez of Stanford and Anthony Randolph of Louisiana State.

McHale said he will approach this draft pick weighing both the team's needs and the best talent available on the board. The best-player-available method seems to make the most sense for the Wolves, though, because this team won just 22 games last season. It's clear the Wolves need more talent at almost every position, the lone exception being whatever spot on the court Al Jefferson happens to be playing on any given night.

With that background in mind, it's difficult to say what the Wolves will do come draft night. They need more outside shooting to punish defenses for double-teaming Jefferson in the low post. They need a legitimate center who can rebound and defend well. And a star

point guard wouldn't hurt, either, though Randy Foye might yet become that player one day.

Mayo and Bayless would be attractive because of their playmaking and shooting abilities.

Mayo, who also offers name recognition, has an NBA-ready body (6 feet 4, 195 pounds) at shooting guard. He shot 40.9 percent from three-point range as a freshman at Southern Cal. And he also has shown he can be an effective passer.

A big knock against him might be character questions following an ESPN report last week detailing allegations he accepted cash and other improper benefits in exchange for the promise that he would sign with Bill Duffy's sports agency after leaving college.

Duffy, by the way, is a former college teammate of McHale at the University of Minnesota and in recent years has steered clients such as Marko Jaric and Mike James to the Wolves. McHale said the allegations doesn't change his opinion of Mayo, who did sign with Duffy's agency.

"If you said that every person that ever took any money in college was not going to be drafted, it'd be slim pickings," McHale said.

Like Mayo, 6-foot-3 Bayless is a guard who would offer the Wolves a three-point threat. He can play point guard or shooting guard and has excellent athleticism. He can score — 19.7 points a game last season at Arizona as a freshman — and likes to push the tempo.

The Wolves clearly aren't afraid of drafting combo guards as they showed when they made a draft-night trade for Randy Foye in exchange for Brandon Roy in 2006.

The center position is one of the biggest weaknesses the Wolves have had in their franchise history. And the desire to give Jefferson more help down low is a reason why they might try to draft a big man.

The problem is that Beasley is the most "NBA-ready" big man in the draft, as McHale said. After that, this draft is more about potential than immediate help. Lopez and Randolph might not make much of an immediate impact for the Wolves.

Lopez (7-0, 260) has the height to work with, and McHale always has loved working with big men, teaching him some of the tricks he used in Boston during his playing days. Lopez isn't considered a stellar rebounder, but he might be the first center drafted because of his size and skills, which include the ability to score down low or step out and hit a mid-range jumper.

Randolph's stock seems to be moving up. He played high school basketball in Dallas and has drawn comparisons to another product from that area: Chris Bosh. Randolph is an explosive leaper who needs to add strength, but he's just 18 years old, so he has time to grow and mature.

The Wolves had a 13.8 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick. Instead, their history of having never improved their projected draft position via the lottery remains intact.

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Griz leave lottery with fifth pick

By Ronald Tillery (Contact)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace and his budding star, Rudy Gay, engaged in a mild argument over who should have held the Build-a-Bear that was supposed to bring the franchise luck.

After the NBA draft lottery ended Tuesday night, they both realized it didn’t matter.

Wallace and Gay agreed to look on the bright side after landing the fifth pick as the Chicago Bulls leaped over eight teams to win the right to select first — a position that will likely produce Kansas State’s Michael Beasley or University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose.

Wallace’s take?

“Rose and Beasley are in the Eastern Conference now,” Wallace said. “If we couldn’t win I didn’t want them out West. That’s the only positive. And we only lost one spot.”

As for Gay?

“It’s on us,” the runner-up for Most Improved said. “We have to get better as players, and the organization has to work its magic.”

The Grizzlies were hoping for a little hocus pocus that would have produced the first or second pick. Instead, the night became magical for the Bulls, who won the lottery despite owning a 1.7 percent chance.

Chicago vaulted from the ninth slot. The Miami Heat had a 25 percent chance of landing the top pick and fell to second. The Minnesota Timberwolves will select third.

Memphis entered the proceedings slotted at four but fell one spot once the Seattle SuperSonics — the league’s second-worst team — fell out of the lottery. Only twice have teams with the worst record won the lottery since the current format began in 1994.

“It’s a typical situation,” Griz owner Michael Heisley said when reached by telephone. “We’ve been in the lottery so much and have never gotten the No. 1 pick. It doesn’t make any sense. Last year, I said it was a screwed-up system. This year, I think it’s a screwed-up system. But I still think we’ll get a good player. This is a deep draft.”

The lottery settled the top three spots, and the remaining order was determined by team records.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t get one or two but it wasn’t catastrophic,” Wallace said. “In most of these drafts there’s no difference between four and five. I mean, Dwyane Wade went five. I can live with that. I’m glad we didn’t fall to seven. There could be a difference there.

“But we’re going to get a good player at five and another asset at 28. The drafts are never two-player drafts. I’m not devastated.”

Wallace sat sequestered in the conference room where the drawing was held. He held his breath after the first three ping-pong balls emerged.

After 11, 9 and 7 rose from the hopper, the Griz only needed the last number to be 3. Instead, it was 13 and that meant Chicago won.

“I knew I would get a great meal out of it, but I thought it was a waste of time,” said Steve Schanwald, the Bulls’ executive vice president of business operations, who represented them on stage. “I’m on top of the world. I feel great. It’s the most exciting day of my life.”

The mood at the Flying Saucer Downtown after the announcement was bewilderment and resignation mixed with a healthy dollop of anger. Fans went silent after the announcement, then many filed out before the top picks were even announced.

“Man, we got ripped off again,” said Bennie Paige, 33.

“Same thing,” added Wyatt Woodson, 47. “They don’t like us.”

“Memphis has been screwed two years in a row,” said Doug Willer, 44.

Not so fast, says Wallace, who cautioned that the players that have the potential to be available are worthy of more consideration.

The Grizzlies will consider a group that could include Stanford’s Brook Lopez, Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, USC’s OJ Mayo, Texas’ DeAndre Jordan, UCLA’s Kevin Love and Italian League standout Danilo Gallinari.

Indiana’s Eric Gordon, LSU’s Anthony Randolph and Kansas’ Darrell Arthur may also be invited to Memphis for workouts.

“That’s where that pick is likely to come from,” Wallace said. “Those players are likely to fall from 3-8.”

Wallace indicated that the Griz won’t rule out being aggressive with trade scenarios on June 26 when the draft unfolds.

“We’ll see does it make sense to bring back a veteran player or exercise the pick,” Wallace said. “We’re looking at all possibilities. … Look, FedExForum hasn’t collapsed. There will be NBA basketball in Memphis, and we’re going to be a better team next year.”

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NBA DRAFT LOTTERY
No luck in draw: Bobcats get 9th
Chicago wins first pick, makes Charlotte dig deeper into talent pool
RICK BONNELL

Jerryd Bayless? Anthony Randolph? D.J. Augustin? Robin Lopez?

Those are players who could be available June 26, when the Charlotte Bobcats choose ninth in the NBA draft. They're also players who fit into their obvious needs -- a point guard or a big man.

Tuesday night's draft lottery was not kind to the Bobcats. They didn't move up to a top-three pick, and since the Chicago Bulls did, the Bobcats slipped from eighth (their most likely spot in the weighted lottery) to ninth.

The Bulls ended up with the top pick, despite a 1.7 percent chance in the weighted lottery. The Miami Heat, with the league's worst record, will pick second and the Minnesota Timberwolves third.

Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said he wouldn't disregard a great player who duplicates what the team already has. But Higgins indicated they'd be better off drafting a point guard or a big man.

"If you draft a wing player, you better know you have something else you can do with your roster, maybe the trade avenue," he said after learning where the Bobcats would select.

Bayless, from Arizona, and Augustin, from Texas, are point guards. Higgins said it's a priority to address that spot because Raymond Felton is the only point guard under contract. Likewise, with Sean May's knee injury and Jermareo Davidson's inexperience, Higgins said another big man would help.

Randolph, a freshman from Louisiana State, isn't ideal. At 6-foot-10 and 200 pounds, he needs bulk and muscle to play power forward in the NBA. Lopez is the less heralded of twin 7-footers who played at Stanford.

All four of those players figure to be a consideration at No. 9, where the Bobcats will have to cast a wider net.

"If we were (picking) third right now, it would be pretty cut-and-dried between a few names," Higgins said. "Now we have to do our homework. But we'll get a good player."

Higgins said it's inevitable the Bobcats will work out more players sitting at No. 9, simply because it's so hard to predict who will be chosen in the first eight slots. Higgins would like to audition the top 15 players on the team's draft board, but he questions whether agents will allow some elite players to work out for No. 9.

Higgins said new coach Larry Brown will be heavily involved.

"Larry has seen thousands of players, thousands of games," Higgins said. "He'll have plenty of input in what we do."

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Bucks check out their options
Posted by: gwoelfel on May 20, 2008 at 11:55PM EST

BY GERY WOELFEL



The NBA Draft Lottery is history and the selection order for the 2008 draft is set — for now.

Rest assured, there are going to be a slew of changes before the June 26th draft. Several teams have already been fervorishly working the phones, laying the groundwork for potential trades. One of those teams is the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the last week, several officials from both the Eastern and Western Conferences acknowledged the Bucks have been gauging the interest other teams may have in some of their players. The most notable one is All-Star shooting guard Michael Redd.

Redd is unquestionably the Bucks’ best player, the one who would bring back the most in a trade. However, while Redd is one of the most prolific scorers in the league, some teams are reluctant to take on his sizable contract. Redd will make $15.78 million and $17.04M over the next two years, respectively.

What’s more, Redd has a player option for $18.30M for the 2010-2011 season.

Besides Redd, Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva is drawing more than a passing interest from other teams. Several teams are intrigued with Villanueva’s potential, especially considering he is only 23.

In a recent interview with The Journal Times, Bucks general manager John Hammond said the one position he would like to "address’’ is small forward. Desmond Mason and Bobby Simmons are the Bucks’ current small forwards and both are coming off pedestrian seasons.

Hammond could find a potentially good forward in the draft with the team’s eighth overall pick. There is also increasing speculation small forward Ersan Ilyasova, whom the Bucks selected in the second round of the 2005 draft and who spent this season playing for FC Barcelona in Spain, will return to the Bucks next season.

Hammond could also acquire a veteran small forward via a trade. There are a surprising glut of talented small forwards who could be dealt, including Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, Miami’s Shawn Marion, the Clippers Corey Maggette, Sacramento’s Ron Artest, Washington’s Antawn Jamison and Chicago’s Andres Nocioni.

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CAVALIERSGilbert
Gilbert is driven to win
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter

Many Cavaliers fans have developed a sense of urgency when it comes to an NBA title before LeBron James becomes eligible for free agency in two years.

Owner Dan Gilbert also shares that urgency but winning is not just about James.

"I don't know if [winning] could be any less in this or ganization no matter who is playing on the team," Gilbert said. "There's no one I've ever questioned here who has more of a drive to win more than these guys [players, coaches and front office] that I've seen here."

That drive, however, was not good enough as the Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs after a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday. Gilbert, who addressed the media on a conference call Monday, still feels the sting of that loss.

"The season ends so suddenly for you," said Gilbert, about the loss to the Celtics.

"You don't believe it's going to end and all of a sudden you wake up the next morning and it's over."

The quest, however, for a championship is not over for the Cavs. After a break, Gilbert said he will meet with General Manager Danny Ferry as they look to improve the team.

"We're all together and we believe we're all going to work this summer to put us in a better position next spring," Gilbert said.

The Cavs can put themselves in a better position in several ways. They will have three expiring contracts in Damon Jones, Joe Smith and Wally Szczerbiak and they have the 19th pick in next month's draft. Unless Eric Snow retires or gets an medical exemption, he also has an expiring contract. Right now, the Cavs don't have much flexibility to sign an impact free agent but that could change.

Gilbert did not go into detail on how the team would improve.

"It all comes down to this, if 12 parts of the game were better, you still could've lost Game 7," Gilbert said. "You have to make sure the means justify the end. . . . Whatever we do, we have to put ourselves in the best position to win in Game 7."

One particular way the Cavs could better their position is within their offensive scheme. The Cavs offense was often predictable with James, the team's best scorer, at the top of the key while his teammates were in stationary positions. Discussions of bringing in an offensive-minded assistant or changing the offense are all possibilities.

"We'll look at that and I'll leave that up to the basketball experts on how to do it," Gilbert said. "The one thing I'll be driving is that we make sure we're getting better no matter what obstacles are in our way."

Overall, Gilbert said he was happy with the season and the deal that brought in Szczerbiak, Smith, Ben Wallace and Delonte West made the team better.

"It was another year of experience for [coach] Mike Brown and another year of experience in the playoffs for LeBron," Gilbert said. "There was better team chemistry than we had last year. . . . All things being equal, we were closer [to a championship]. One or two little things go differently in the Eastern Conference [semifinals] and anything happens from there."

Gilbert disagreed with Commissioner David Stern's comments about the over-the-top pyrotechnics that have stalled games and reduced the Cavaliers-Celtics series in Boston to a fog in the first quarters. The smoke was so bad in Boston it triggered Wallace's allergies and West may have also had an allergic reaction that affected his left eye.

But Gilbert said the fireworks should be addressed case by case.

"The NBA itself awarded us with one of the top awards for game presentation," Gilbert said. "You can't take a broad brush. In Boston, they may have had a role in Delonte's and Ben's [allergic reactions]. They had pyrotechnics on the floor and you could see the [fog] well into the second quarter. Our stuff is way high up and you can't see any smoke after the games. You can't take a broad brush because one situation is negative for players."

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May 21, 2008, 11:38PM
NBA PLAYOFFS
Allen trying to find shot
Celtics guard hit only 31 percent, in single digits 10 of 15 playoff games

Associated Press


BOSTON — The Boston Celtics expect Ray Allen to rediscover his shooting touch before the Big Three becomes the Big Two and championship No. 17 becomes a pipe dream.

The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals and took a 1-0 lead over the Detroit Pistons without much scoring from Allen, an eight-time All-Star closing in on 20,000 career points. In Boston's 88-79 victory on Tuesday night, Allen had just nine points — none of them on outside shots.

"I've scored a lot in my career," Allen said after staying late, as usual, to practice his jumpers at the Celtics' practice facility in Waltham on Wednesday. "But it's good to be in this position, where I'm not going to let it" affect the rest of the game.

The Celtics acquired Allen on draft day last summer to start the offseason overhaul that led to the most dramatic turnaround in NBA history. With Allen and mainstay Paul Pierce in the fold, Kevin Garnett agreed to the unprecedented 7-for-1 trade that completed their conversion from a 24-58 record in 2006-07 to an NBA-best 66-16 this year.

The three All-Stars invited comparisons to the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, who won the last of Boston's league-record 16 titles in the 1980s. But as the playoffs heat up this time, Pierce and Garnett are carrying the scoring load with little help from Allen.

From the last game of the first-round series against Atlanta to the first game against Detroit, Allen is averaging nine points on 31 percent shooting. After scoring in single-digits only six times during the regular season, has done it five times in 15 playoff games, including an 0-for-4 in Game 1 against Cleveland — his first shutout since he was a rookie in 1997.

"Ray's a part of the Boston Celtics, and the Boston Celtics are winning," Garnett said, dismissing the idea that Allen needed emotional support. "I'm sure it's not his first shooting slump, and it's definitely not his last.

"So I don't have any sympathy for Ray Allen. I think he's playing great basketball."

The Celtics wasted no time trying to get Allen involved in Game 1, running a play for him on the very first possession; he missed. Allen missed another jumper but the next time down kicked it out to Pierce for an assist and then drove to the basket for a layup.

Before the quarter was over, he would add an emphatic dunk that left him swinging from the rim to avoid the players below him.

But he also fired up an air ball on a 3-point attempt and hasn't made one of those in three games.

"I'm not worried about it. I'm really not," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We're winning games, and Ray's making plays."

In fact, none of the Celtics would express a concern about Allen's slump — "if you want to call it that," Garnett said.

And none of the Pistons would consider the prospect of leaving Allen open and challenging him to beat them.

"Ray is a good shooter and he's going to shoot the ball, no matter what," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

"I don't treat him what he's done over the week; I treat him what he's done over his career."

Detroit guard Richard Hamilton wouldn't even wait for the end of the question before shaking his head, emphatically, "No."

"You can never think that he's going to keep missing," he said before Detroit practiced at Emerson College's downtown gym on Wednesday. "If you start leaving him open, he can get hot."

Chauncey Billups returned Tuesday night after missing two games and most of a third in the conference semifinals against Orlando with a strained right hamstring. But the Detroit point guard, the MVP of the 2004 NBA finals, scored nine points with just two assists and two turnovers.

"It's difficult getting back out there. It's not like I'm just getting out there in a regular season game."

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May 22, 2008, 1:27AM
Newsmakers
Flopping is all the rage

Chronicle News Services

Shaquille O'Neal rarely gets excited about anything that transpires on the basketball court, but mention one word and he'll become very animated.

Flopping.

"Cowards flop," O'Neal said.

O'Neal and others calling players cowards for flopping usually falls on deaf ears, because more and more players are using the tactic, especially during the playoffs. There's not a quarter that goes by in which a defender doesn't act as if he has been smashed into, flying backward and landing on his back ... only to look up with a smile as the referee makes a charging call.

The ploy has reached a level that the NBA is being compared to soccer, where flopping reached near-epidemic proportions during the 2006 World Cup. NBA commissioner David Stern has said he doesn't like players flopping on the court, and the league will review the rule this summer.

For now, however, players such as the Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher will continue falling backward, sometimes at the slightest touch. For players like the 33-year-old Fisher, who is neither quick nor physically imposing in comparison with many league stars, flopping can be one of the few defenses remaining.

Vlade Divac wasn't the first to use the flop, but the move reached a new level of awareness during his matchup with O'Neal when the Sacramento Kings and the Lakers faced each other during the 2002 Western Conference finals. The 7-1, 260-pound Divac simply couldn't defend the much stronger 7-1 O'Neal — listed at 330 pounds (but likely weighing more) at the time — using normal strategies.

"He was the father of flopping," said New Orleans forward Peja Stojakovic, a teammate of Divac's in Sacramento. "He knew when to flail and not to flail."

Flopping has become more prevalent since the league implemented a series of rules designed to create more offense. Many defenders say it's nearly impossible now to prevent a player from getting to the basket without fouling.

"Man, a lot of guys in this league could get an Oscar," Denver guard Allen Iverson said. "It is an art."

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LAKERS CENTER ANDREW BYNUM HAS SUCCESSFUL KNEE SURGERY
May 21, 2008

NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today in New York, it was announced today by the team.

The procedure, which took 30 minutes and was performed by Dr. David Altchek, consisted of removing some cartilage debris and smoothing some rough spots on the underside of the kneecap.

Bynum is expected to make a full recovery by the start of training camp.

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Contract negotiations under way to extend Scott's contract
Posted by John Reid, The Times-Picayune May 21, 2008 3:53PM

Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower said Wednesday that negotiations have started to extend Coach Byron Scott's contract.

Hornets owner George Shinn, President Hugh Weber, Scott and Bower met with the media at the New Orleans Arena to discuss the team's offseason plans and their successful season that ended Monday night with a 91-82 Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Although Scott is seeking a new contract, Shinn said the team's top priority is signing star point guard Chris Paul to an extension. Contract talks for Paul will start July 1 and if no agreement is made this summer he will become a restricted free agent after the 2008-09 season.

Bower had discussions with Scott's agent, Brian McInerney, by telephone Wednesday morning, but no agreement was reached. Both sides said negotiations will continue.

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Paxson cautions fans against Rose-y assumptions

May 21, 2008

BY JOHN JACKSON Staff Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times

Immediately after the Bulls defied the odds and came away with the No. 1 pick during the NBA’s draft lottery Tuesday night, it was assumed — by media, fans and even a few league insiders — the choice would be Memphis point guard (and Chicagoan) Derrick Rose.

Not so fast, general manager John Paxson cautioned Wednesday.

He said he and his staff will take a long look at both Rose and Kansas State forward Michael Beasley before making any sort of evaluation of which player would be the best fit for the Bulls.

“I know people get on television and write today that the Bulls should do this… That’s not what we do,” Paxson said. “We have until [draft night] June 26 and we’re going to go about the process early and, hopefully, make the right the decision. “That game is for everybody on the outside looking in. That’s not our game. Our game is evaluating it the proper way, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Paxson said Beasley, a 6-10 power forward, is simply too good to dismiss at this point. Beasley averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in 31.5 minutes this season as a freshman.

“He’s really, really talented,” Paxson said of Beasley. “He scores the ball as easily as any young player that’s went into the college game in a long, long time. Again, people just want to make assumptions, that’s fine. We’re going to look at them both in depth and make a decision.” Complicating matters is the fact that both players would fill voids on the Bulls roster. They need a playmaker like Rose and a scoring big man like Beasley, but Paxson believes he can fill one of those voids by other means.

“It’s looking around the league and seeing that maybe there’s a way to address one of those needs through a trade and then addressing the other through this pick,” he said. “That’s part of the next five weeks or so.”

Although he has interviews with four candidates — Tyrone Corbin, Jeff Hornacek, Dwane Casey and Chuck Person – this week, Paxson doesn’t feel any pressure to hire a coach before the individual workouts and interview with the players, or even before the draft.

“I don’t think that’s a be-all and end-all,” he said. “I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary that that happens because ultimately I’m going to make the call on it with a lot of input from my staff. I honestly don’t think it’s necessary.

“I know it was a no-brainer last year for Seattle picking [Kevin Durant] with the second pick, but they didn’t hire P.J. [Carlesimo] until July 3. In a perfect world, I’d love to have a coach in place right now and a staff, but I don’t think it affects anything we’re going to do over the next month.”

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Paxson cautions fans against Rose-y assumptions

May 21, 2008

BY JOHN JACKSON Staff Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times

Immediately after the Bulls defied the odds and came away with the No. 1 pick during the NBA’s draft lottery Tuesday night, it was assumed — by media, fans and even a few league insiders — the choice would be Memphis point guard (and Chicagoan) Derrick Rose.

Not so fast, general manager John Paxson cautioned Wednesday.

He said he and his staff will take a long look at both Rose and Kansas State forward Michael Beasley before making any sort of evaluation of which player would be the best fit for the Bulls.

“I know people get on television and write today that the Bulls should do this… That’s not what we do,” Paxson said. “We have until [draft night] June 26 and we’re going to go about the process early and, hopefully, make the right the decision. “That game is for everybody on the outside looking in. That’s not our game. Our game is evaluating it the proper way, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Paxson said Beasley, a 6-10 power forward, is simply too good to dismiss at this point. Beasley averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in 31.5 minutes this season as a freshman.

“He’s really, really talented,” Paxson said of Beasley. “He scores the ball as easily as any young player that’s went into the college game in a long, long time. Again, people just want to make assumptions, that’s fine. We’re going to look at them both in depth and make a decision.” Complicating matters is the fact that both players would fill voids on the Bulls roster. They need a playmaker like Rose and a scoring big man like Beasley, but Paxson believes he can fill one of those voids by other means.

“It’s looking around the league and seeing that maybe there’s a way to address one of those needs through a trade and then addressing the other through this pick,” he said. “That’s part of the next five weeks or so.”

Although he has interviews with four candidates — Tyrone Corbin, Jeff Hornacek, Dwane Casey and Chuck Person – this week, Paxson doesn’t feel any pressure to hire a coach before the individual workouts and interview with the players, or even before the draft.

“I don’t think that’s a be-all and end-all,” he said. “I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary that that happens because ultimately I’m going to make the call on it with a lot of input from my staff. I honestly don’t think it’s necessary.

“I know it was a no-brainer last year for Seattle picking [Kevin Durant] with the second pick, but they didn’t hire P.J. [Carlesimo] until July 3. In a perfect world, I’d love to have a coach in place right now and a staff, but I don’t think it affects anything we’re going to do over the next month.”

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Agent: Melo the Man in Denver
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 05/22/2008 12:19:21 AM MDT

on't look for Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony to be traded. Calvin Andrews, Anthony's agent, told The Denver Post that the Nuggets "informed me that they're not shopping Melo."

Anthony has been a target for criticism after the Nuggets flamed out in the first round of the postseason for the fifth consecutive season. New Jersey inquired about trading for Anthony, but Andrews said chatter around the league that Melo might be moved is not accurate.

"Carmelo Anthony is their guy," Andrews said Wednesday, relaying what Nuggets' management told him. "There are no plans to trade Melo. Melo will be in a Denver uniform next year. They're not entertaining trades for Melo. It's not even in the cards."

Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien, who is Denver's designated trade negotiator, declined comment.

Anthony has four years left on his contract.

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A DRAFT LOTTERY
TheStar.com | Sports | Raptors happy with outcome
Raptors happy with outcome

GM Colangelo has several options at his disposal after Bulls land top selection in draft
May 22, 2008 04:30 AM
Doug Smith
SPORTS REPORTER

Now that the NBA draft lottery is out of the way, the shopping can start in earnest for the Raptors.

And from the school of "one team's misfortune is another team's opportunity," there are those within the organization who think things worked out just swimmingly Tuesday night.

Chicago winning the right to the No.1 pick in the June 26 draft, knocking the favoured Miami Heat down to No.2, was "not a bad thing," according to one voice within the Toronto hierarchy.

The scenario the Raptors envision is:

The Bulls, who have soured completely on Kirk Hinrich as their point guard, take Memphis' Derrick Rose, a Chicago product represented by an agent with close ties to the Bulls organization, with the No.1 pick.

That leaves the Heat to decide whether they want Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley and, if they do, Miami will still be in the market for an accomplished point guard, something Toronto has in T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon.

No one from the Raptors was talking in specifics yesterday, but the chance to move either Ford or Calderon could net someone like power forward Udonis Haslem in some kind of package deal.

And with the way general manager Bryan Colangelo likes to think, there's even a likelihood he'll ask about the availability of the No.2 pick in some kind of blockbuster trade.

There is no doubt teams covet Calderon, a restricted free agent, in some kind of sign-and-trade transaction and there's also no doubt the Raptors have fielded several calls about him. And Ford, according to league sources, has plenty of marketability around the league as teams see him as a starter with a manageable contract that pays him slightly more than $8 million a season for the next three.

The rest of the lottery held pretty much true to form, which again leaves the guard-rich Raptors, who also have a collection of players with expiring contracts to add to any deal, anxious to see what opportunities present themselves.

The Seattle SuperSonics, already among the youngest teams in the league, may be enticed to deal the No.4 pick, but there will be several teams chasing that pick if it's available.

It's impossible to predict now how the rest of the lottery will unfold – teams haven't even started working out prospective picks – but the thought is Minnesota may need a centre to go along with power forward Al Jefferson, and look to Stanford's Brook Lopez. Or the T-Wolves could opt for USC's O.J. Mayo to improve their backcourt.

Memphis at No.5 is an uncertainty. The Grizzlies seem set at point guard and on the wings but could use a big man.

The immediate speculation is that the Knicks, with the No.6 pick and a point guard (Nate Robinson) who has the kind of quickness new coach Mike D'Antoni likes, would be intrigued by Italian forward Danilo Gallinari.

If D'Antoni is enamoured of Robinson and Jamal Crawford as a potent offensive backcourt, the likelihood of drafting Gallinari increases.

But even if the Raptors are able to get nothing accomplished by trading with a lottery team, they have all kinds of options with their own pick, No.17 in the first round.

Colangelo and his staff are whittling down an extensive list of potential selections to a manageable number.

There are about a dozen big men and an equal number of wings and guards who are likely to be available at that choice, giving the braintrust plenty of names to consider.

All of this is dependent on what transpires ahead of them, but Toronto could have a choice of big men like JaVale McGee of Nevada, Mareese Speights of Florida, France's Alexis Ajinca or Georgetown's Roy Hibbert.

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Mike D'Antoni has Italian tie to draft

By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, May 21st 2008, 7:35 PM

The only thing worse for the Knicks than losing the opportunity to draft Derrick Rose is knowing that the Memphis point guard is sure to end up with an Eastern Conference rival.

Chicago, which scored a stunning upset in winning Tuesday's NBA draft lottery, is expected to select Rose with the first pick. If the Bulls pull off another upset and take Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley, Rose will land in Pat Riley's lap with Miami picking second in the June 26 draft.

In either case, Rose will be off the board when the Knicks are on the clock. But even with the draft's premier player gone, there figures to be a quality guard available at No.6. If either USC's O.J. Mayo or Arizona's Jerryd Bayless falls past the fifth pick, Knicks president Donnie Walsh and new coach Mike D'Antoni will have a tough decision on their hands.

Of the two, Bayless is regarded as the better point guard prospect although both he and Mayo seem more suited to play shooting guard. Indiana's Eric Gordon should also be available.

None of the three is a no-brainer, which creates several scenarios for Walsh. With Stephon Marbury entering the final year of his contract and both Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson equipped to play in D'Antoni's up-tempo system, the Knicks may look to acquire a point guard - perhaps Toronto's T.J.Ford - via a trade or through free agency. The Raptors are hoping to re-sign Jose Calderon, who like Ford would prefer to start.

The Knicks would love to get their hands on Calderon, but Ford is probably the more realistic option of the two.

If the Knicks don't draft a guard they could opt for Danilo Gallinari, a 6-9 small forward who is playing in his home country of Italy.

He has the skills to thrive in D'Antoni's system. Gallinari's father, Victorio, played with D'Antoni in Italy.

"That was my roommate and teammate for eight years, so obviously there's a connection," said D'Antoni, who also coached in Italy. "But at the same time, I don't know where the scouts are or what Donnie has in mind, so I guess in the next three weeks we'll figure that out."

A Phoenix Suns executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, predicted that the Knicks will draft Gallinari, who is regarded as the best international prospect in the draft.

D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix featured many prominent foreign-born players, including Steve Nash (Canada), Boris Diaw (France) and Leandro Barbosa (Brazil).

"Mike is in love with his abilities," the executive said of Gallinari. "That would seem to make the most sense."

Gallinari has drawn comparisons to Toni Kukoc. He's being touted as a hustle player with big-time offensive skills who can play either forward position.

Walsh is not ruling out trading the pick, which would be a way for the Knicks to rid themselves of large a contract.

Walsh will try to package the pick with either Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry, which would create cap space for the summer of 2010 when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade become free agents.