CHICAGO — Every NBA draft has its unknowns, names full of intrigue and potential, boom-or-bust players who can make general managers look like a genius or help get them fired.
From the high-major studs to the European imports, all hoped to increase their stock this week at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine. And all things considered, perhaps the most enigmatic player in the gym was Norvel Pelle.
Standing nearly 6-foot-11 in shoes, with over seven feet of wingspan and a 9-foot-1 inch standing reach, Pelle certainly looked the part of an NBA prospect. Though only 207 pounds, you couldn’t help but notice his raw athletic ability. The upside was obvious. To read more of this story, click here
CHICAGO – Count two former Syracuse players among those who would love to see the ACC Tournament come to Madison Square Garden.
“It would be great having the conference tournament there,” former Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams said at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine. “The Garden is a great place to play. It would help us [Syracuse] a lot. There would be a lot of Orange there.”
CHICAGO – The past college basketball season and ensuing months certainly could have gone better for Shabazz Muhammad.
First, the NCAA ruled Muhammad ineligible for the season just days before UCLA’s first game for receiving improper benefits. The ruling was voided after three games, but the cloud of an NCAA suspension still hovered over his head.
Next, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Muhammad failed to reach the lofty, arguably unrealistic expectations placed on him during his collegiate tenure. He quickly slid down from the top of draft boards and is currently projected at No. 10 on DraftExpress.com.
Projected No. 1 overall pick Nerlens Noel weighed in at 206 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and immediately took some heat as a result.
Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, weighed 222 pounds at the combine and the ESPNU crew wonders how Noel will be able to post up and defend NBA big men at that weight.
Can his frame handle much more weight?
“I’m 206, I can post up,” Fran Fraschilla said on ESPNU, adding that he didn’t think Noel is the consensus No. 1 pick. To read more of this story, click here
Nerlens Noel is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft next month, but he says he’s not thinking about that too much at this point.
“I really don’t pay too much attention to that,” the 6-foot-10 Noel said Monday on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike.” “My main focus is just rehabbing and working hard down there in Birmingham, Ala….and just really staying focused on that.
“I’m not too much into the high draft picks and stuff. That’s really my main focus, is getting back on the court.”
Anthony Bennett will undergo rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday and won’t participate in the drills at the Chicago Draft Combine next week, his agent, Mike George, confirmed to SNY.tv.
“He’ll do the interview part and everything but he’ll miss the workouts,” George said by phone.
“He’ll be back for training camp so that’s why we decided to do it earlier.”
The NBA Draft is slated for June 27 and DraftExpress.com projects the 6-foot-7 Bennett as the No. 3 pick behind Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore.
Bennett averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in his only season at UNLV.
Bennett, Noel (ACL) and Alex Len (left ankle surgery), projected as the No. 7 pick, will all miss the workouts in Chicago and summer league with injuries.
The Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets would both strongly consider trading the rights to the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, according to SheridanHoops.com.
“Sources around the NBA have told SheridanHoops that if the Orlando Magic or New Orleans Hornets win the lottery, they both would be strongly inclined to trade the pick to whichever fellow lottery team wants to pay the most for the right to draft Nerlens Noel.
Here is the list of players from U.S. colleges and post-graduate institutions who have applied for early entry into the 2013 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday, June 27, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Four ties among teams that finished the 2012-13 NBA regular season with identical records were broken today through random drawings to help determine the order of selection for the 2013 NBA Draft, which will be held on Thursday, June 27.
The drawings were conducted earlier today in New York City by Jason Cahilly, NBA Executive Vice President, Strategy and Chief Financial Officer, and Dan Rube, NBA Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. The tiebreak process was overseen by Denise Pelli, a partner in the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.
The results of the drawings:
· Detroit (29-53) won a tiebreaker with Washington.
· Philadelphia (34-48) won a tiebreaker with Toronto.
· Houston (45-37) won a tiebreaker with Chicago and the L.A. Lakers; L.A. Lakers then won a tie-breaker with Chicago.
· L.A. Clippers (56-26) won a tiebreaker with Memphis.
Below is the order of selection for the 2013 NBA Draft, as well as the number of chances for teams in the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery, to be held on Tuesday, May 21. To read more of this story, click here
By JEREMY WOO
By DAVE SPAHN
Projected No. 1 overall pick Nerlens Noel weighed in at 206 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and immediately took some heat as a result.
Anthony Bennett will undergo rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday and won’t participate in the drills at the Chicago Draft Combine next week, his agent, Mike George, confirmed to SNY.tv.
Here is the list of players from U.S. colleges and post-graduate institutions who have applied for early entry into the 2013 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday, June 27, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
