2011 NBA Draft Thread

[mgent]

Marc Stein reporting that Houston are trying to trade J.Flynn already. One day after acquiring him.

So they traded the pick mainly to dump Brad Miller more than to acquire Flynn.

I hate to say it but we probably could've used Brad Miller.

Apparently his injury issues are so bad they anticipate insurance potentially covering a portion of his contract.

Yeah I think i thought it was hilarious that him and JO were the only good centers in FA last year.  Talk about a lose-lose.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Players drafted from the Congo: 2.
Players drafted from North Carolina: 0.

Pretty cool.

Ater Majok is the best player to ever be drafted in the NBA having averaged 2.8ppg in the Australian League the previous season.

Biyombo and Ngombo? I think they're from different Congos. Biyombo is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo while I think Ngombo is Ibaka's countryman, from the Republic of Congo (or Congo-Brazaville).

Do you know why teams pick these guys? Because they can keep their rights even if they don't sign them this season. While college players will either demand a contract or a release to go to some other team training camp.

Ah, thanks for pointing that out, wasn't paying close enough attention. Tommy Point.

Also, I suspect you're exactly right. That, and there's plenty of evidence that a fair number of these young men can contribute. I was surprised by how quickly Eyenga rose through the ranks since being drafted as a late 1st back in 2009.

Ater Majok may be a lost cause though. (But then so are plenty of this year's NCAA crop.) Exciting time to be fan.

[Who]

Except Targuy Ngombo is actually Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, a soon-to-be 27-year-old forward who apparently duped everyone on his way to hearing his name called by Adam Silver on Thursday night.

Ngombo was first brought to the mainstream's attention by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express earlier in the week when he mentioned there was a good chance that the Congolese native could get drafted out of Qatar (stay with me now). Timberwolves scout Pete Philo apparently discovered Ngombo and convinced Kahn he was worthy of a draft pick while assuming the small forward was only 21 as it says on his NBA.com page.

New revelations have shown that Ngombo is actually 26, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Qatar's roster on the FIBA website in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics in London. This makes Ngombo ineligible to be drafted according to both Givony and ESPN's John Hollinger.

Link

[rondohondo]

Except Targuy Ngombo is actually Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, a soon-to-be 27-year-old forward who apparently duped everyone on his way to hearing his name called by Adam Silver on Thursday night.

Ngombo was first brought to the mainstream's attention by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express earlier in the week when he mentioned there was a good chance that the Congolese native could get drafted out of Qatar (stay with me now). Timberwolves scout Pete Philo apparently discovered Ngombo and convinced Kahn he was worthy of a draft pick while assuming the small forward was only 21 as it says on his NBA.com page.

New revelations have shown that Ngombo is actually 26, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Qatar's roster on the FIBA website in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics in London. This makes Ngombo ineligible to be drafted according to both Givony and ESPN's John Hollinger.

Link

bwahahahahaha

just more proof that kahn is a freaking moron.

I think Rubio is going to be a huge bust as well

[Eja117]

I heard a name called a hair and a joke...am I correct?

I still think this is one of the funniest comments of the night...tp

[CaptainJackLee]

Except Targuy Ngombo is actually Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, a soon-to-be 27-year-old forward who apparently duped everyone on his way to hearing his name called by Adam Silver on Thursday night.

Ngombo was first brought to the mainstream's attention by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express earlier in the week when he mentioned there was a good chance that the Congolese native could get drafted out of Qatar (stay with me now). Timberwolves scout Pete Philo apparently discovered Ngombo and convinced Kahn he was worthy of a draft pick while assuming the small forward was only 21 as it says on his NBA.com page.

New revelations have shown that Ngombo is actually 26, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Qatar's roster on the FIBA website in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics in London. This makes Ngombo ineligible to be drafted according to both Givony and ESPN's John Hollinger.

Link

Hilarious. If the pick is nullified, will they still send the money to Dallas?

[Overrated]

[Edgar]

where are some grades?
I want to see some of this year ranking of the "experts"
Any links please??

[The Walker Wiggle]

Do you know why teams pick these guys? Because they can keep their rights even if they don't sign them this season. While college players will either demand a contract or a release to go to some other team training camp.                                                                                                               

I'm not really buying that for a few reasons. One is that you see teams with positions of need drafting these guys. That's just silly. If you need help now then rather than throw away the pick you can take a player that has actually accomplished something.

Well, EJA, will it make you feel better to know the Lakers anyway didn't throw away one of their picks? To the contrary, the L.A. front office comes out seeming quite savvy. Here's the story from Mark Deeks' draft diary - a masterwork of the finer draft details.

The truth is, the Lakers didn't want him either. Instead, they just scored themselves a free pick. The only person to know, see or like anything about Maduabum before he came to the Jam was Masai Ujiri, Denver Nuggets GM. As a Nigerian native himself, and a former head of the NBA Basketball Without Borders Africa program, Ujiri has many African connections. Therefore, despite the complete nothing that Chu Chu has done so far, Ujiri clearly believes there is something to be tapped into. It is he who got Chukwudiebere to America, him who got him into the draft process, him who wanted to sneak him through it so that he could be free to develop his own project. But the Lakers spoiled it by taking him. And so Denver had to trade a future second round pick to the Lakers to get his boy back.

If the Lakers want Hansbrough or Lighty, as Fraschilla wanted them to, they still can. They can sign them once they go undrafted. But by taking Chuck, and immediately giving him away, they got themselves a free second round pick, a pick which may well be higher, and/or in a better draft. It cost them nothing except a shot at the next four guys picked. It was a shrewd if potentially irrelevant piece of business.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Except Targuy Ngombo is actually Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, a soon-to-be 27-year-old forward who apparently duped everyone on his way to hearing his name called by Adam Silver on Thursday night.

Ngombo was first brought to the mainstream's attention by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express earlier in the week when he mentioned there was a good chance that the Congolese native could get drafted out of Qatar (stay with me now). Timberwolves scout Pete Philo apparently discovered Ngombo and convinced Kahn he was worthy of a draft pick while assuming the small forward was only 21 as it says on his NBA.com page.

New revelations have shown that Ngombo is actually 26, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Qatar's roster on the FIBA website in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics in London. This makes Ngombo ineligible to be drafted according to both Givony and ESPN's John Hollinger.

Link

Hilarious. If the pick is nullified, will they still send the money to Dallas?

I missed this yesterday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ complications in the NBA draft never seem to end.

After the Timberwolves agreed to send guard Jonny Flynn in a package to the Houston Rockets for Brad Miller and the 23rd pick on Thursday, the trade hit a snag on Friday when the Rockets’ team doctors raised issues with Flynn’s hip injury.

To keep the deal from falling apart, Minnesota sent a 2012 second-round pick to the Rockets, league sources said. The issues wouldn’t have kept Flynn off the court, but did raise some concerns for the long-term. Whether Minnesota had been forthcoming with the information prior to the trade is unclear.

[wiley]

I like the Bobcats draft.  The idea was to trade and tank to get better picks in the future.  I think they'll win almost as many games next year as they did this......

I believe in Biyombo.  He and Thomas can do some great things on defense.....I don't know how long til Biyombo gets serious playing time, but it won't be all that long imo.

A solid SF in Tobias Harris

A great young PG in Walker.....imo he'll take the job from Augustin before after at most one full year....

Gerald Henderson a year older

And Maggette to make the money work....

Basically, they should be in the lottery next year and get a great player, most likely a great offensive player, to add to a nice offensive backcourt in Walker/Henderson and defensive frontcourt in Biyombo and Thomas (who knows if they'll be on the floor together, but it'll all workout, or they can trade Thomas for an offensive stud)

Draft grade A imo...

[Eja117]

Do you know why teams pick these guys? Because they can keep their rights even if they don't sign them this season. While college players will either demand a contract or a release to go to some other team training camp.                                                                                                               

I'm not really buying that for a few reasons. One is that you see teams with positions of need drafting these guys. That's just silly. If you need help now then rather than throw away the pick you can take a player that has actually accomplished something.

Well, EJA, will it make you feel better to know the Lakers anyway didn't throw away one of their picks? To the contrary, the L.A. front office comes out seeming quite savvy. Here's the story from Mark Deeks' draft diary - a masterwork of the finer draft details.

The truth is, the Lakers didn't want him either. Instead, they just scored themselves a free pick. The only person to know, see or like anything about Maduabum before he came to the Jam was Masai Ujiri, Denver Nuggets GM. As a Nigerian native himself, and a former head of the NBA Basketball Without Borders Africa program, Ujiri has many African connections. Therefore, despite the complete nothing that Chu Chu has done so far, Ujiri clearly believes there is something to be tapped into. It is he who got Chukwudiebere to America, him who got him into the draft process, him who wanted to sneak him through it so that he could be free to develop his own project. But the Lakers spoiled it by taking him. And so Denver had to trade a future second round pick to the Lakers to get his boy back.

If the Lakers want Hansbrough or Lighty, as Fraschilla wanted them to, they still can. They can sign them once they go undrafted. But by taking Chuck, and immediately giving him away, they got themselves a free second round pick, a pick which may well be higher, and/or in a better draft. It cost them nothing except a shot at the next four guys picked. It was a shrewd if potentially irrelevant piece of business.

That stuff comes back to bite you sometimes. You take my guy. I take yours. Since the lakers had 4 2nds they probably thought they could get away with it.

[Army_of_One_Nation]

Except Targuy Ngombo is actually Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, a soon-to-be 27-year-old forward who apparently duped everyone on his way to hearing his name called by Adam Silver on Thursday night.

Ngombo was first brought to the mainstream's attention by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express earlier in the week when he mentioned there was a good chance that the Congolese native could get drafted out of Qatar (stay with me now). Timberwolves scout Pete Philo apparently discovered Ngombo and convinced Kahn he was worthy of a draft pick while assuming the small forward was only 21 as it says on his NBA.com page.

New revelations have shown that Ngombo is actually 26, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Qatar's roster on the FIBA website in anticipation of the 2012 Olympics in London. This makes Ngombo ineligible to be drafted according to both Givony and ESPN's John Hollinger.

Link

bwahahahahaha

just more proof that kahn is a freaking moron.

I think Rubio is going to be a huge bust as well

Rubio's not doing too bad, right now.