2018 NBA Draft: June 21

[Tom Nolette]

NBA Draft: Looking back at unranked misfires

The 2018 NBA Draft tips off Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. While there will be no shortage of players who were highly ranked in high school that hear their names called, history also tells us that players who didn't finish inside the Rivals150 will also be taken in the first round.

Usually, somewhere in the neighborhood of four players who weren't ranked as high schoolers will be taken in the first round. So, I decided to look back at the 10 biggest rankings misses relative to draft position of the last 10 years. Some of these guys came through high school during my Rivals.com tenure, some preceded me. But, I did see them and with the benefit of hindsight I can't help but wonder if myself, coaches or the recruiting industry should have seen what was coming or if there was just no way to know

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com ... d-misfires

[Tom Nolette]

Clyde Frazier touts Porzingis, makes Knicks draft request

Walt Frazier joined forces with probable No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton on Monday at a pop-up shop across the street from Barclays Center — site of Thursday night’s NBA draft.

A new run of Puma Clyde sneakers are back, and the company, in its bid to plunge back into basketball, has added the versatile center as its top endorser.

The University of Arizona one-and-doner is expected to be selected No. 1 by the Suns. While Frazier interviewed Ayton on stage during a ceremony and told him to carry on the Puma tradition for another 40 years, the Knicks legend later told The Post he still believes 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis should have the more noteworthy career.

https://nypost.com/2018/06/18/clyde-fra ... =flipboard

[Tom Nolette]

Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III usher in new era for Puma basketball; Jay-Z named Puma creative director

Puma ushered in a new era on Monday when it announced the signings of Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III, two of the top five projected picks in Thurdsay’s NBA Draft.

Puma, which hasn’t featured an NBA player since Vince Carter 20 years ago, also announced that Jay-Z would serve as the company’s creative director
Ayton’s deal will be a four-year, multi-million dollar contract, Nick DePaula of ESPN reported, while Bagley’s deal is reportedly five years and in the neighborhood of Kevin Durant’s seven-year, $60-million deal with Nike in 2007.

Ayton, who could become the first Bahamian taken No. 1 since Mychal Thompson in 1978, joins the company’s list of notable Caribbean clients such as Rihanna and Usain Bolt.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2018/06/19/dean ... asketball/

[Tom Nolette]

Al Ward
@AWProductions_
DeAndre Ayton @DeandreAyton Projected #1 in #NBADraft2018 and just signed with Puma. @ArizonaMBB #AWPro
video https://twitter.com/AWProductions_/stat ... 4711061504

[Tom Nolette]

As one-and-done rule nears end, 2020 players’ interest in draft rises

... Most NBA insiders contend that Venable’s words may have proven to be prophetic after the independent Commission on College Basketball, led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, presented recommendations to the NCAA to help it clean up the sport back in April.

One proposal was the call to do away with the one-and-done rule.

Experts believe that the 2020 class will have the option to go to the NBA out of high school.

“That’s amazing that she’s probably gonna be right,” said Todd, who is ranked No. 3 overall in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25 for 2020. “But, then again, she has that gift. I learned to listen to my mom a long time ago. It’s weird to think that I could have the option to go to the NBA in two years year.”

http://usatodayhss.com/2018/one-and-don ... -nba-draft

[Tom Nolette]

USA TODAY HSS
Verified account
@usatodayhss
Arizona guard Rawle Alkins is back with a blog letting fans in on what the pre-draft process has been like for him. https://usat.ly/2JM9JK5

[Tom Nolette]

Luka Doncic seals up title with Real Madrid, set to head to New York for NBA draft

... The green room is a staging area near the draft podium where players, families and associates await NBA commissioner Adam Silver to call their names upon selection.

The list of college players who will be in the room: Arizona's Deandre Ayton; Duke's Marvin Bagley III; Michigan State's Jaren Jackson Jr.; Texas' Mo Bamba; Alabama's Collin Sexton; Oklahoma's Trae Young; Duke's Wendell Carter; Missouri's Michael Porter; Villanova's Mikal Bridges; Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; Michigan State's Miles Bridges; Kentucky's Kevin Knox; Texas A&M's Robert Williams; Miami's Lonnie Walker; Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo; Texas Tech's Zhaire Smith; Boston College's Jerome Robinson; Boise State's Chandler Hutchison; and UCLA's Aaron Holiday.

Doncic is slated to go third overall to the Hawks in ESPN's latest mock draft; ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the point guard has emerged as the leader on Atlanta's draft board.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2384 ... wins-title

[Tom Nolette]

The all-time NBA draft — the best pick from every slot

... Here's a look at The Best of The Best — the top all-time NBA picks in each of the top 30 draft spots. The best No. 1 overall pick, the best No. 2 overall pick ... and so on.

One note: This doesn't include the territorial selections that were used through 1965, which ruled out Wilt Chamberlain.

The list of top picks in each of the 30 draft slots:

1. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
Arguments for the best-ever overall pick could and should be made for LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, among others. When in doubt, give it to the man who has more points than anyone who ever played the game and who mastered perhaps the most difficult shot to guard in NBA history.

2. BILL RUSSELL
You didn't know Bill Russell was a No. 2 overall pick? Jerry West was too, and he's The Logo for goodness sake, but the 11 rings make Russell the call here. Also, it's time to lay off Portland. Sam Bowie wasn't the biggest "oops" pick of all time. Si Green was picked before Russell in 1956.

3. MICHAEL JORDAN
The easiest pick of them all. Except for Portland in 1984, when the Trail Blazers took Bowie No. 2 ahead of MJ. OK, now it's really time to lay off Portland.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celt ... every_slot

[Tom Nolette]

Philadelphia 76ers
Verified account
@sixers
1-on-1 with @TexasTechMBB guard @zhaire_smith following his pre-draft workout. #Summer76
Pres. by @NewEraCap » http://sixe.rs/y996

[Tom Nolette]

NBA Draft Rumors: Celtics Aggressively Trying To Get Into Top 10

...The Celtics currently owns just one selection in the draft — No. 27 overall. But if Danny Ainge has his sights set on a particular player expected to go early, the C’s president of basketball ops. has a slew of assets to offer in his quest to move up, from a plethora of young (and cheap) talent to a hoard of future picks.

What Ainge would have to surrender in a trade to wiggle his way into the Top 10 remains a mystery. Boston currently own the 2019 first-round picks of the Sacramento Kings (No. 1 overall protected, would convey to 2019 Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick), the Memphis Grizzlies (Top 8 protected in 2019 and ’20 before becoming unprotected in ’21) and the Los Angeles Clippers (Top 14 protected in 2019 and ’20, would become 2022 second-round pick).

With a relatively deep draft class this year, Ainge may want to cash in on the uncertainty that surrounds the Kings pick next year. But it will probably cost him a lot more than just a draft pick.

Terry Rozier is the most likely trade candidate on the roster, given he has one more year on his deal at $3 million before hitting restricted free agency in the summer of 2019. Trading away Rozier would mean Boston is focused on re-signing Marcus Smart, who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2018/06/20/c ... p-10-pick/