Yannis' Sports Journal

NEW BLOG

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:29:33 GMT

As you guys known I've been gone for some time. I'm excited to announce that I'm going to continue writing again at thesportsoverdose.wordpress.com. Please check it out and I hope ya'll have been doing good!

Nintendo DS Lite and Mario 3 on 3 Giveaway

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:14:23 GMT

Basketball season is finally almost here and if you are anything like me you'll be counting down the hours on most nights until the games start. To help that time go by a bit faster, thanks go GolinHarris.com, I'm giving away a couple Nintendo DS Lite's with copies of Mario Hoops 3 on 3.

Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is a fun, addicting game that includes all the regulars from Mario games. They game has tournaments at all difficulty levels, a wide variety of different courts to play at, and link play so you can go head to head with a friend. If you're the type that likes high scoring, Phoenix Suns type of basketball - this is the game for you because baskets count for more as you collect coins, the scores can get incredibly high. The game play is easy to catch on to, and the characters all have some impressive special moves - including dunks that would put the Air Up There from And 1 to shame.

Christmas time is also coming around and it would make a great gift to a basketball fans of all age groups. To enter all you have to do is leave your email in a comment and check back on November 7th to see who won the drawing.

You can enter here, at Lakers.Mostvaluablenetwork.com, and Hoopsvibe.com (when they get the entry up), but can only win one.

Pittburgh's D Ends it in 4th

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:19:00 GMT

Sure Pittburgh's offense isn't at the level it was at last year, but the defense sure is. Miami managed to get the lead in the third quarter, but it was winning time in the fourth, and Pittsburgh's D sealed a week 1 victory with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Charlie Batch and Heath Miller also hooked up for an 87 yard touchdown pass as the Steelers marched on to win 28-17.

Daunte Culpepper, the worst quarterback in DaKillerKoutroupises(My fantasy team) history, had his usual disappointing performance tonight. He threw 18-37 for 262 yards, but had no touchdowns to go along with his two 4th quarter interceptions. He also got sacked two times in the fourth. Daunte shouldn't have anywhere near as bad of a year as he did last year, but Pittsburgh's D was just too much for him this week.

Ronnie Brown, who many people have high hopes for this year, had as much luck against the Steelers D as Daunte did. He managed to get two touchdowns, but had 30 yards on 15 touches, for a whopping two yards a carry. Maurice Claurett is sitting in a prison cell somewhere saying "I could run for two yards a carry against Pittsburgh, as long as I had my grey goose.".

When your quarterback struggles and you're a receiver, you usually do too. Chris Chambers and Randy McMichaels both had extremely quiet nights as Daunte was getting eaten alive.

Despite that ridiculous fumble in the red zone, Charlie Batch was extremely impressive tonight. He threw 15-25 for 209 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Ben Roethlisberger can get another weeks rest if he needs to knowing that the team is in good hands. Charlie is a smart, veteran guy who is going to go out there and get the job done. The fumble was uncharacteristic of the player he is, and he'll show that if he does need to go out there and give Ben another week off.

Willie Parker had a big night yards wise with 122 yards, but didn't have any touchdowns. After a slow start he really got going and with his speed Miami just had a tough time stopping him. Still waiting to see him get those goalline touches though.

Hines Ward, Mr. Consistent, came out with no preseason games, a less than 100% hamstring, and caught 5 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown along with his always reliable blocking. Once Big Ben gets into the feel of things his numbers should really go up, as he'll be the go to guy in an offense that will throw more than it has in the past. But as long as Batch is running the show the offense will be more running based, hence the 29 rushing attempts for Willie.

Nate Washington, the two year wide-out from Tiffin University, had a very solid game today with two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

But when it all came down to it, Pittsburgh's trademark D closed the win for them. Two interceptions, two sacks, and a forced fumble in the fourth led to a week one loss for Maimi. Miami will have Buffalo at home next Sunday, while Pittsburgh goes to Jacksonville for Monday Night football.

Rate My Fantasy Draft

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 05:46:29 GMT

Had my first and only fantasy draft for the year tonight. I studied really hard and talked to a lot of people to create a good stradegy to rebound from my terrible 2nd to last finish last year in the league. I got the 2nd overall pick, which was really like the 10th overall pick because of the 6 franchised players and two new expansion teams, so here is how my draft went, let me know what you think:

Franchise: Clinton Portis (Over Rudi Johnson)
1st: Tiki Barber
2nd: Carnell Williams
3rd: Chad Johnson
4th: Hines Ward
5th: Drew Bledsoe
6th: Chris Cooley
7th: Marc Buldger
8th: Tampa Bay Defense
9th: Donald Driver
10th: Neil Rackers
11th: Joey Galloway
12th: Philadelphia Defense
13th: Ben Watson
14th: Jeff Reid

Opa!

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 09:43:25 GMT

The intimidation factor that was such a big key to team USA's success in prior years is now completely non existent. Greece, a team with no current NBA players, went out there and dominated team USA after the first quarter and a half en route to eliminating them from gold medal contention 101-95.

Early in the second quarter Lebron James told the bench that Greece didn't know what to do. What Lebron James didn't know is that this Greece team has been playing together for longer than he's been winning bronze medals, and knew EXACTLY what they were doing. There may be a lack of NBA players on their roster, but Greece has some of the best players in Europe on their team, guys who make so much money overseas and are so famous over there that they have no desire to come to the NBA and play for less money while riding the bench.

After going down by 12 points and looking like they were in trouble, Greece inserted former Clipper 2nd round pick Sofoklis Schortsanitis and the tables turned quickly. At 6'9 and at least 315 pounds (You'll dismiss the listed 290 at first glance of him), Sofoklis combination of strength and quickness took USA's big men off guard. He quickly overpowered Brand on his way to the free throw line, and beat Dwight Howard up the court on a few occasions as he found himself open for dunks and lay ups. Along with the disruptive Greece defense, they were able to take a 5 point lead into half time.

The third quarter is when Greek coach Yannakis put his stamp on this game. The fundamentals of Greece and their ability to run the pick and roll to pure perfection led to them turning their 5 point lead into a 14 point lead at one point. Schortsanitis got into foul trouble and had to come out in the 3rd, but that's not a problem with this Greek team. They go 12 deep and can replace anyone on the floor and not miss a beat. Infact, one of their best players hasn't played an elimination game because of a cracked facial bone, yet they're still on their way to winning the gold medal. When Sofoklis came out, they didn't miss a beat.

Theodros Papaloukas really anchored the pick and roll assault with a game high 12 assists in the game. Dimitrios Diamantidis also did a good job distributing the ball and playing defense, but the star for Greece was Vasileios Spanoulis. Spanoulis, who just signed with the Houston Rockets, got to the hole at will and shot the ball incredibly well from 3 point range, even though he's not known for being much of a long range shooter. He had the big lay up with under 30 seconds to go that really ended any USA comeback hope, and sealed the greatest win in Greek basketball history.

When team USA looks back at this game, there's several things that will really stand out. First is all the missed free throws and three point shots. Greece played in a drop back zone much of the second half, but Coach K didn't have the right combination out there to score on it. Chris Paul playing more than Kirk Heinrich, who was 4-7 from the arc in just 21 minutes, wasn't the right decision. Dwight Howard displaying that he was head and shoulders above any Greek big man not named Sofoklis but only getting 13 minutes was the wrong decision. Not doing anything whatsoever to change what they were doing defensively while they were being taken to school in the second half wasn't just the wrong decision, it was the decision that cost them the game.

Coach K is a great coach, and the only coaches I may have choosen over him are Greg Poppovich and Pat Riley, but he did a terrible job against Greece. He rightfully took the blame for this loss after the game. However, had two guys been there, USA would have been able to overcome these coaching mistakes.

Those two guys are Kobe Bryant and Chauncy Billups. With those two guys, Greece wouldn't have stood a chance. The international three is like a lay up for Bryant and Billups, and they would have been the best perimeter defenders on this team along with Battier. They're also 85%+ free throw shooters, which USA really could have used against Greece. Barring any injuries, these two should be there for the qualifiers and the Olympics, which will be a much needed boost that USA will need in order to establish themselves as the best basketball team in the world.

Big 18!

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 03:21:10 GMT

Today is my 18th birthday, my first day of college, and my first day working at my new internship. I'm writing this at about 10 o'clock my time, so I've already gone through all of that stuff. Class was just like any other class on the first day, you go over the syllabus and that's about it. I was only in the office for about 15 minutes today, but got a bit of an overview of what I'll be doing (writing press releases, helping make media guides, covering sports events).

Went and bought some lottery tickets today, thinking that because it's my birthday that I'd have some extra luck, but I spent 16 dollars and won 14, so I lost two bucks. It's been a good past year on this blog, despite my lack of updates during the summer. I'm really looking forward to the next year covering pro football, pro basketball, and collegiate basketball. But I'm warning you know, there will probalby be more Texas A&M Corpus Christi stuff here than you'd ever want to know in your life. =P

So thanks for reading this past year and a half, and all the time you'll spend here in the future. I really appreciate it.

Why aren't they signed?

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 06:04:59 GMT

Coming into the off season Al Harrington and Bonzi Wells were two of the top free agents on the market. Al's coming off of two strong seasons with Atlanta where he averaged around 17 points and 7 boards a game while Bonzi Wells absolutely tore the Spurs apart in the first round of the playoffs. Yet it's August and neither of these guys know where they are going to be playing next season.

Al's situation is pretty complicated. It's been just about a given all off season long that he'd end up back with the Indiana Pacers, but it still hasn't happened. He fired his agent to speed up the process, but Atlanta and Indiana have still yet to come to an agreement. There's a handful of other teams trying to get Al including Boston, Golden State, Minnesota, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Golden State has the best talent available, but with Atlanta's cheap ownership a deal with Indiana requiring them to not receive any contracts is too ideal for them to pass up on. With all the ties Al has in Indiana it's hard to see him not ending up there, but it just simply hasn't happen yet. There's no telling how long it will take to get the deal done. Atlanta's got plenty of other offers on the table from other teams that hasn't gauged their interest enough, so expect him to end up in Indiana, hopefully before training camp.

null

Bonzi Well's situation has been significantly more quiet than Al Harrington's. There's been very little talk about what is going to happen to him. After dominating the Spurs in the fashion he did, he expected big contract offers that just have not come. Most teams have used their Mid Level Exception, which was less than Bonzi was looking for coming into the free agency period. The Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks, the only team with the financial ability to pay Bonzi what he wants, have zero interest in the power guard.

Bonzi's options are severely limited now with Sacramento spending their entire MLE on John Salmons. Teams in the west such as Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers have interest in Bonzi, but a sign and trade would be the only option. Being conference rivals, the Kings have no desire in trading with these teams, especially for what they have to offer.

So while Al seems to be days away from finding a team, the same cannot be said for Bonzi Wells. He's a power guard who could really help a team, and by the looks of things he'll come at a price. Character issues will become a major concern if he ends up somewhere playing for less money than he wants, but he may not have a choice at this point.

Whoa, I updated

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:15:47 GMT

I don't want to say I was on vacation, because this isn't something that I need a vacation from. I guess you could just say I was on an extended leave, piled up with other responsibilities. Summer is over though, and I'm back and ready to go. Before I get started with regular updates again though I wanted to give everyone a chance to know what's been going on this summer with me, and what to expect.

The summer started off with me debating on whether or not I should bus tables again when I got a phone call from an old basketball coach of mine. He asked me to become the webmaster of his teams website, and I've been working for him all summer. The website is www.Islandersbasketball.com. IBF(Islanders Basketball Foundation) is a great organizaiton based in South Texas to help players improve their game. Just about everything I learned in basketball is thanks to Coach Wendel, who runs the organization.

The basic format of the website was already made when I got the job, but the information and articles that are there now are all done by me. I'll continue working there year-round, writing updates on how the players school season is going, and about the recruiting process that some of them are going through.

I'm still at Lakers.Mostvaluablenetwork.com as a Laker columnist, but you'll notice that once the Lakers made their free agent moves my updates have been limited. I'm going to work on getting back to the one update a week requirement that they have there, but once the season starts is when I'll really be updating there.

Hoopsvibe.com, if they haven't terminated me for lack of updates, will still be receiving all of my basketball related articles that are posted here. I'm planning on getting a bunch of those done in the upcoming weeks, but you'll be able to read those here.

For high school students school started on Monday down here. But I'm entering my freshman year of college at the University of Texas A&M Corpus Christi. I didn't post this up here when it first happened because it was around the same time my Dad became very ill, but I was interviewed by the local news station and the people at the Sports Information department caught the interview. They've put me on full scholarship to attend the university, along with an internship to work in the Sports Information department where I'll be covering all the sports for GoIslanders.com. Also, I know it's a good seven months late, but here's a link to the article they wrote on me Corpus Christi, TX - KRISTV.COM - Ray student getting early start on career in journalism. Yes, they linked to the wrong website of mine.

So that pretty much covers what's been going on with me. My goal is to start writing about three or four times a week. Once Bonzi Wells and Al Harrington sign NBA free agency is pretty much done other than training camp fodder pick ups, so I'll go division by division talking about what teams did. I'll definitely look to incorporate more football this year than I did last year as well. Appreciate everyone who has stuck around through my writing dryspell, which is now over. ;)

Grading the 2006 draft

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 08:15:05 GMT

Whew, what a crazy draft! With over 15 deals being completed, it was tough to keep up on whose going where. 24 hours later though, things have died down and we'll be enduring some calm before the storm as teams will be able to talk to free agents in another 24 hours. Here's the grades on teams picks solely on who they got in the NBA Draft, not current NBA players they received:

Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani and PJ Tucker.

Analysis: After giving up 104 points per game, and a potential defensive stopper in Rudy Gay available, justifying the Bargnani pick is difficult. Bargnani doesn’t have the ability to play center anytime within the next three years at least, which is another position they Raptors needed to address. If they try to ship out Villanueva, then the pick makes some sense. PJ Tucker is a nice late pick up and gives them another perimeter defender along with Graham, making missing out on a versatile defender like Gay a little easier to stomach.

Grade: C+

Portland Trailblazers: Lamarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez, and Joel Freeland.

Analysis: Portland was by far the most active team last night, making a ridiculous 6 deals. As far as the draft goes, can’t argue with the talent they got. A few years from now, Aldridge will likely be a 15/10 guy, but he’s going be splitting time with Zach Randolph for many years to come, unless they find a taker on him. Roy’s a surprising pick, considering they’ve got Juan Dixon and top 5 pick Martell Webster that play the same position. Fernandez, considering they got him for cash, is a nice pick up and will battle for some of the minutes at the point guard spot. Freeland’s coming off of bagging groceries three years ago, and will likely need at least the same amount of time before he’s ready to come over.

Grade: B+

Charlotte Bobcats: Adam Morrison and Ryan Hollins.

Analysis: Charlotte gets their scorer and marquee player in Adam Morrison. His intensity, work ethic, and desire to win at all times will make him a starter likely from day one. His defensive issues will be overshadowed some by the presence of Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor in the back court. Ryan Hollins is a nice pick up and with some work in the weight room could become a player in the rotation as a shot blocking specialist.

Grade: A-

Chicago Bulls: Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Selofosha.

Analysis: Not really sure what’s going on in Chicago. Tyrus is a great athlete with very good upside, but he measured in at 6’7 without shoes at the combine and has very little back to the basket skills. Their need was for a low post scorer, and Aldridge would have been perfect alongside Chandler. They dealt for 3 small forwards on the night after already having two good ones in Luol Deng and Andreas Nocioni.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks: Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones

Analysis: On a team stockpiled with small forwards, going with two big men was a good move for Atlanta. However, they still need a point guard, but at 5 taking Marcus Williams or Rajon Rondo was a bigger stretch than taking Shelden Williams. Jones is a nice prospect that will need to put on some weight, but will be a nice back up on a team with a lack of big men. Shelden may have been a stretch at 5, but he’s a solid pick whose impact will be felt immediately.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Timberwolves: Randy Foye, Craig Smith, and Loukas Mavrokefalidis.

Analysis: After passing up on Foye, who seemed to bet the better fit for a team about to lose their starting point guard, the Wolves turned right around and swapped Roy for Foye. Foye’s the type of scoring guard that will be able to help Minnesota right away. Craig Smith is an undersized banger who will have to work to stay in the league. Loukas is a big guy who will likely stay overseas for a few years.

Grade: B

Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowlry, and Alexander Johnson.

Analysis: They may call him the logo, but after this draft they should start calling him the thief. Getting Rudy Gay, and most likely Stromile Swift for Shane Battier is flat out robbery. His drafting hasn’t been too great since coming over to Memphis, but this one will definitely improve his track record. Gay’s a top three talent and has plenty motivation after slipping down to eight. Kyle Lowlry is a nice tempo pushing PG and Johnson is a nice young four with good upside.

Grade: A+

Golden State Warriors: Patrick O’Bryant and Kosta Perovic

Analysis: They wanted to get bigger, and that’s what they did in this draft. O’Bryant is a young 7 footer with good rebounding and shot blocking ability. He’s also a very good athlete, meaning he’ll fit right in with the up tempo style that Golden State wants to play. Perovic is a 7’2 center limited to mostly garbage buckets, but GS will retain his rights as plays overseas.

Grade: B

Seattle Supersonics: Saer Sene, Denham Brown, and Yoatem Halperin.

Analysis: Saer Sene makes himself a top 10 pick after averaging 3 points for his team and one good performance at the Nike camp. With Robert Swift and Johan Petro already on the team, this pick makes little sense. With guys like Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney, and Thabo Selofosha on board, it makes even less sense. Sene’s years from being ready, and Seattle shouldn’t have picked him. Denham Brown is a nice scorer who could work himself into the rotation in a year or so. Haleprin, like many of the 2nd round picks from overseas, likely doesn’t come over for a few seasons.

Grade: F

Orlando Magic: JJ Reddick and James Augustine.

Analysis: After all the bad back talk and DUI issues, JJ Reddick’s stock doesn’t take a dip at all. Even with Houston liking him at 8 a few months back, this was likely the highest he was going to go. He’ll be able to get himself plenty of open shots on a team with young big men Darko Milicic and Dwight Howard. This was the best situation for JJ, and he should thrive. Augustine may have the athleticism and size to stick with this team for at least a year until Fran Vasquez comes over.

Grade: B

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets: Hilton Armstrong, Cedric Simmons, and Marcus Vinicius.

Analysis: Getting their guy Armstrong at 12, thought the Hornets may go with a SF at 15, but they went big again. They needed help down low, and Simmons and Armstrong will definitely bring that. Alongside Chris Paul they’ll find themselves with lots of scoring opportunities, and with the bulk of the low post touches going to David West, they won’t be counted on for much low post scoring, which works out well for them. Marcus is a tall and talentedperimeter scorer, but his defense needs a lot of work.

Grade: A-

Utah Jazz: Ronnie Brewer, Dee Brown, and Paul Millsap.

Analysis: They didn’t get a center, but they did get a guy they were high enough to nearly trade up for in Ronnie Brewer. Brewer’s not the shooter that Utah needs, but he is a very versatile and tough player who should contribute right away. Dee Brown will be very comfortable playing behind his former college teammate and with his experience and quickness should earn some minutes. Millsap is a undersized beast on the boards, who could help make up for some of the rebounds Carlos Boozer gets if he’s traded.

Grade: A

Philadelphia 76ers: Ronnie Carney, Bobby Jones, and Eden Bavcic.

Analysis: They wanted to get better defensively, and they did. Not sure if they got any better in any other areas though, as Carney is nearly a mirror image to Andre Iguadala, and Bobby Jones is such an offensive liability it’s hard to see him staying on the court. Either way, big changes are on the horizon for Philly. Bavcic is basically an unknown 6’11 project that Philly basically

Grade: B

Indiana Pacers: Shawne Williams and James White.

Analysis: Obviously the Pacers have no intention of making a pitch to keep Peja Stojakovic. Shawne is a young great prospect, but word is has some attitude problems. White’s a high level athlete, but needs some bulk and fine tuning on his offensive game. Shawne was taken a bit high, and they gave up a nice young power forward prospect and two future first rounders for James White, which is overpaying.

Grade: F

Washington Wizards: Oleksiy Pecherov and Vladamir Veremeenko.

Analysis: With both of their picks Washington went international with guys who don’t really fit a need or have an NBA ready game. They passed up too many guys who were more NBA ready.

Grade: F

Sacramento Kings: Quincy Douby.

Analysis: They get a back up point guard and one of the best shooters in the country. Quincy Douby has a lethal shot out to three point range, but just at 175 lb frame. His ability to put on weight is in question, and he could have some durability issues with the physical play in the NBA.

Grade: B-

New York Knicks: Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins.

Analysis: Coming into the draft, I knew that there wasn’t much the Knicks could do to help the mess that is their current team. Little did I know that Isiah Thomas would go out and take Renaldo Balkman, who would have been available in the second round, unless rumors of Suns liking him are true. Mardy Collins is a solid combo guard, but it’s unlikely he gets minutes in a crowded back court.

Grade: C

Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe.

Analysis: Rondo was the point guard the Celtics were highest on, so getting him for cheap at 21 is a great move.Leon Powe is a possible late round gem that will replace Al Jefferson nicely if he is indeed moved. The Telfair deal wasn’t a great one, but getting their guy at 21 makes up for it some.

Grade: A-

New Jersey Nets: Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, and Hassan Adams.

Analysis: Getting the best point guard in the draft at 22 is probably not something the Nets thought they’d be able to do. He’s got some off the court issues, mainly in the stomach area, but he’s a great pick. Boone’s got a big body, defensive mindset, and good hands, which should get him playing time in New Jersey as long as they don’t give him the ball and expect him to score. Hassan Adams is a great athlete, fitting right in with New Jersey’s running attack.

Grade: A

Cleveland Cavaliers: Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson, and Ejike Ugboaja.

Analysis: The Cavs did a great job in this draft, getting a good point guard prospect who can hit jump shots, and a high level athlete who can also shoot the ball. These two players should immediately contribute to the Cavaliers, who lacked shooter this season. Odds are this is the only night that Ogboaja’s ever associated with the NBA again.

Grade: A

Los Angeles Lakers: Jordan Farmar and Danilo Pinnock

Analysis: Not only do the Lakers get a local guy at 26, but they get the first true point guard they’ve had in awhile. He’s a high basketball IQ guy, and as Luke Walton’s proved, they’re very valuable in the triangle. He’ll have to work on his outside shooting, but Farmar is a nice pick up for the Lakers. Pinnock likely stays in the NBDL in hopes that he can become a stopper at the one while working on his terrible outside shooting. The Lakers also traded their 51st pick, Cheick Samb, to the Pistons for Maurice Evans, who will be Devean George’s replacement.

Grade: B

Dallas Mavericks: Maurice Ager

Analysis: Ager’s a pure scorer, and Dallas could use that. He’ll come in and likely fill in the role of scorer off the bench that Finley would have been in had he not been cut. It’s very likely that he sees some good minutes during his rookie campaign.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets: Steve Novak and Lior Eliyahu

Analysis: Trading Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift from a team that needs athleticism just makes zero sense. Not much the Rockets could do to redeem themselves after that move, even though Novak is a very good shooter and Eliyahu is a nice prospect.

Grade: F

Los Angeles Clippers: Paul Davis and Guillermo Diaz

Analysis: With no first round picks, the Clippers made out surprisingly well in this draft. Paul Davis is a solid big man who will give some good hustle and rebounding with the occasional jump shot. Diaz is basically a bigger Nate Robinson, and he’s always fun to watch.

Grade: B+

Milwaukee Bucks: David Noel and Damir Markota

Analysis: Noel’s a great athlete with good defensive abilities and experience. He’s got an outside chance to make the team. Markota is a 6’10 shooter with an impressive touch from 3 point land and should be given the chance to earn a spot in training camp.

Grade: C

Detroit Pistons: Cheick Samb and Will Blalock.

Analysis: Samb’s got some nice leaping ability for a 7 footer, but he’s 220 lb and has no offensive skills. The chances of him making it in the NBA anytime soon are not very good at all. Will Blalock though is a steal at 60, don’t be surprised if he makes the team.

Grade: C+

My Mock Draft

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 08:26:43 GMT

I was all the way at pick 28, with about a paragraph on each pick as to why I think the player should be picked there, and my computer crashed. I don't feel like retyping it all, so I'm going to go down pick by pick with no explanation. In my draft grades I'll explain why I felt the player I chose for them would have been a better choice.

1. Toronto Raptors - Rudy Gay
2. Chicago Bulls - Lamarcus Aldridge
3. Charlotte Bobcats - Adam Morrison
4. Portland Trailblazers - Andrea Bargnani
5. Atlanta Hawks - Brandon Roy
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Randy Foye
7. Boston Celtics - Tyrus Thomas
8. Houston Rockets - Shelden Williams
9. Golden State Warrios - Patrick O'Bryant
10. Seattle Supersonics - Ronnie Brewer
11. Orlando Magic - Rodney Carney
12. Oklahoma City/New Orleans Hornets - Cedric Simmons
13. Philadelphia 76ers - Marcus Williams
14. Utah Jazz - Saer Sene
15. Oklahoma City/New Orleans Hornets - Hilton Armstrong
16. Chicago Bulls - Thabo Sefolosha
17. Indiana Pacers - JJ Reddick
18. Washington Wizards - Rajon Rondo
19. Sacramento Kings - Mardy Collins
20. New York Knicks - Shannon Brown
21. Phoenix Suns - Jordan Farmar
22. New Jersey Nets - Alexander Johnson
23. New Jersey Nets - Ryan Collins
24. Memphis Grizzlies - Kyle Lowlry
25. Cleveland Cavaliers - Daniel Gibson
26. Los Angeles Lakers - James White
27. Phoenix Suns - Guillermo Diaz
28. Dallas Mavericks - Shawne Williams
29. New York Knicks - Joel Freeland
30. Portland Trailblazers - PJ Tucker