Wednesday Insider

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NBA Draft stock watch

By Chad Ford

NBA Insider

Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, June 11

Updated: June 11

9:33 AM ET

We all should really take more time mocking mock drafts.

At this stage of the game, mocks are little more than educated guesses -- strategic placement based on whispers, innuendo and a whole lot of rock, paper, scissors.

NBA teams are fickle. The guy a GM can't live without one day is kicked to the curb the next.

Draft stock rises and falls like the volatile NASDAQ. One day you're shopping for an Escalade. The next you're cruising around in a Ford Focus.

Remember, last year at this time we had Qyntel Woods in the lottery and Fred Jones pan-handling for change in the second round.

Our Monday mock draft drew a lot of response from NBA GMs and scouts over the last two days. Based on the volume of feedback, here's a look at the guys we might have slotted too low and few guys riding a little too high.

Thursday we'll unveil our new top 15s at each position.

HIgh risers

For those of you who believe we're getting carried away with the whole "foreign invasion" thing, you might want to skip the next four paragraphs. It appears that a 13th international player could be on the verge of cracking the first round. Croatian point guard Zoran Planinic is playing to enthusiastic reviews wherever he goes. Planinic, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-8 (he recently measured 6-foot-7 in bare feet) point guard has wowed teams like the Nets, Spurs, Sonics and Bucks of late.

What gives? Planinic was considered a potential lottery pick early in the season, but a car accident wrecked most of his season. When NBA teams came calling this winter, Planinic was out of synch, spending lots of time on the bench and struggling when he did get on the court. His stock dropped into the second round. However, a string of impressive performances the last month in Croatia, where he averaged nearly a triple-double, put him back on the scene.

But it has been his workouts that have impressed teams. His surprising athleticism, lethal outside shot and knack for finding the open man have teams scrambling to get him in for a closer look. When you're 6-foot-8 and considered a "pure" point guard, teams are going to notice.

Wednesday, Planinic replaced Marcus Moore in the Bucks' big point guard workout and wowed the team with his athleticism and handle. One Bucks source claims that, based on that workout, Planinic ranks ahead of both Reece Gaines and Luke Ridnour. It's not inconceivable Planinic could work his way up to No. 14 to the Sonics, but it's more likely that, with more strong performances, he'll end up at No. 22 to the Nets or No. 28 to the Spurs.

Speaking of international phenoms, Greece's "Baby Shaq", Sofaklis Schortsanitis, is begging to impress a few folks in workouts. The good news is that "Baby Shaq" is measuring in at 6-foot-10 with shoes (6-8¾ without) and a 7-2 wingspan. That official measurement in Memphis should be enough to quell all the naysayers who claimed he was much shorter. The bad news is that his weight, 314 pounds in Memphis, is raising a few eyebrows. While teams that have seen him claim it appears to be mostly muscle (wow!), they still wonder if he'll have weight issues down the road.

Where will Big Ten Player of the Year Brian Cook go in the draft? The initial feedback I got in Chicago over the weekend was that he was in the 23-to-35 range. It wasn't easy to find a team that was convinced he was a mid-first-rounder. Most wouldn't even claim he was a lock for the late first round. However, I talked to several NBA teams on Tuesday that claim they have him ranked higher than Nick Collison, David West and Schortsanitis.

"I'm not sure how concerned we are with the 'head' issue anymore," one team told Insider. "Two months ago it was the biggest issue on the board. But as we've gone back and looked at the film, plus with our own evaluations of him, it's no longer what I'd call a red flag."

Sources inside the three teams that have already worked him out -- Phoenix, Miami and Utah -- believe he'll go anywhere from 14 to 24. Over the next two weeks, Cook is scheduled to work out in Memphis, Boston, Milwaukee, Golden State, Seattle and Phoenix.

KU point guard Kirk Hinrich is pulling away from the competition as the second-best point guard in the draft. Hinrich's workout reviews have been solid to stellar everywhere he's gone. A source inside the Bucks claims that Hinrich worked out better than any other point guard they've had in. If the Bucks pick a point guard at No. 8, and T.J. Ford already is off the board, it looks like Hinrich is the guy. Hinrich's competition -- Luke Ridnour, Reece Gaines and Leandrinho Barbosa -- have all gotten mixed reviews. Of the three after Hinrich, Gaines seems to have the buzz right now, followed by Barbosa.

The rumors that Phoenix is already in bed with Yugoslavian forward Zarko Cabarkapa at pick No. 17 won't go away. Insider first reported the talk last week with a rather big caveat -- the rumor got started when Cabarkapa left the U.S. after only two workouts (the Suns and Lakers) and headed back to Yugoslavia. His representatives claimed a family medical emergency forced him to return and that he'd be back and working out again soon. While all that is checking out, two more independent sources are claiming Phoenix has told Cabarkapa he won't slip past 17, and the Lakers have told him he won't slip past 24. These type of things are impossible to nail down. Phoenix is denying it. Cabarkapa's agents are denying it. But there is an unusual amount of buzz coming from this one. Let's watch who Cabarkapa works out with when he returns. If it is only teams above 17, his draft stock is well on the rise. And by the way, assuming Planinic and Cabarkapa don't push out any international players, that's now 14 who could go in round one.

Western Kentucky's Chris Marcus was medically cleared to play after a physical during the Chicago pre-draft camp. Obviously there are still major question marks about his health, conditioning (he weighed 334 pounds in Chicago) and long-term future, but it's probably a given that someone will take a chance on him now in the second round.

Nose divers

Oregon's Luke Ridnour has gotten some pretty mixed reviews over the past week. While teams like his shooting touch and his innate feel for the game, concerns about his quickness, toughness and ability to play defense in the NBA are lowering his stock a bit. Two teams that have worked him out claim they like him, but don't project him to be much more than a back-up point in the NBA -- especially for the first two or three years. Of course, that's what they said about Steve Nash in 1996.

You would have thought David West's stock would go through the roof after he measured 6-9¾ with a 7-foot-4½ wingspan in Chicago. However, several teams claim they haven't been impressed with his workouts. He's shot the ball poorly and just hasn't worked out as well as some of the other top power forwards in the draft. Will he slip into the second round? Right now I think there's a good chance of that.

France's Boris Diaw is also struggling to maintain all the goodwill he earned earlier in the year. Diaw was recently named the French League MVP. Several teams are struggling to figure out whether Diaw is just soft or whether he's just playing in the wrong system. The NBA likes big point guards, but many feel that at 6-foot-9, Diaw may be a little too big. The Warriors and Wizards were over there recently, but they went to see Mickael Pietrus, not Diaw. The Bulls will be there this weekend, but again, they aren't going to see Diaw. That's his biggest problem. Diaw's game doesn't jump up and grab you like Pietrus' does. You have to be watching him closely to pick up on all of the little things he does. The other night he had nine points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in a Pau Orthez victory. That's a nice stat line, but not one that immediately jumps up and grabs you. It's not unheard of to think that Diaw ends up slipping down to the mid-to-late 20s.

Workout news

Grizzlies: Pavel Podkolzine worked out against San Diego's Jason Keep and Louisville's Marvin Stone on Tuesday. Grizz assistant coach Tony Barone said it was important to get Pavel in to see how he worked out with other people. "It was just shooting drills," Barone said of Podkolzine's Chicago showcase. "So you don't see anything. We wanted to see him against big bodies. ... All of these guys were physical, and they banged each other. That's what we wanted to see." Sofoklis Schortsanitis also worked out in an earlier session. Brian Cook will be in Memphis today.

Bucks: The team worked out Kirk Hinrich, Zoran Planinic, Reece Gaines and Luke Ridnour on Tuesday. According to a source with knowledge of the workout, Hinrich had the best performance of the day, followed by Planinic. Gaines also worked out OK; Ridnour struggled. The Bucks will have another interesting workout today when Podkolzine works out against 7-7 Slavko Vranes and 7-footer Maciej Lampe.

T-Wolves: Rick Rickert, Jerome Beasley, Tommy Smith, Marquis Estill, Chris Thomas and Mo Williams worked out for the team on Tuesday. What was the T-Wolves' take on hometown boy Rickert? "He's just not quick enough to defend small forwards in our league," Rob Babcock, the Wolves' vice president of player personnel, told the Pioneer Press. "The big question you ask is, 'What position is this player going to defend in the NBA?' When you ask that question you say, 'He's got to defend the power forward.' " The Wolves will have Mario Austin, Matt Bonner, Ron Slay and James Lang in today.

Bulls: The team worked out Nick Collison, Maciej Lampe, David West and Luke Walton on Tuesday. Collison and Lampe reportedly both worked out well. The team will bring in Keith Bogans and Mo Williams today; Dwyane Wade and Luke Ridnour on Thursday; T.J. Ford on Friday and Kirk Hinrich on Saturday. Great, just what the Bulls need -- another point guard.

Celtics: Russian forward Viktor Khryapa, Matt Bonner and Brandon Hunter were in Boston on Tuesday. Brian Cook will be in town on Thursday.

Pistons: Brazilian point guard Leandrinho Barbosa and University of Detroit guard Willie Green are working out today.

Nets: Croatian point guard Zoran Planinic will be in New Jersey today.

Lakers: Yugoslavian two guard Alexsandar Pavlovic worked out in L.A. on Tuesday.

Knicks: Pavel Podkolzine and Maciej Lampe will work out with the Knicks on Thursday.

Nuggets: Marquette's Dwyane Wade is scheduled to work out for the Nuggets on Saturday in Denver. Carmelo Anthony will visit the Nuggets on Saturday and work out Sunday. Darko Milicic is tentatively scheduled to visit June 18-19.

Rumors: Terrell Brandon on the move?

By Chad Ford

NBA Insider

Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, June 11

Updated: June 11

9:38 AM ET

Brandon

Point guard Terrell Brandon hasn't played an NBA in 17 months, but the T-Wolves still believe he has major trade value.

Why? Because Brandon is expected to call it quits this summer due to a knee injury. That means his $11.1 million salary will come off the books completely in February of 2004.

For a team trying to clear cap space by the end of the year to avoid luxury-tax penalties, that's huge. Timberwolves VP Kevin McHale claims he already has spoken to more than one team about a trade involving Brandon.

"I'll be very surprised if we don't get something done," McHale told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "But I've been surprised before. I think the odds of us being able to do something are very good. But I've said a million times, I may want to make a deal, but if you don't want to, I can't fly to your city and beat you into it."

While McHale wouldn't disclose which teams he has talked to, he appears confident one of them will pull the trigger.

"We have enough teams that have interest," he said. "There is enough interest on our part that we should be able to work out something."

That's a huge revelation for T-Wolves fans. McHale also acknowledged that the team is currently in talks with Kevin Garnett about a contract extension. Garnett has publicly stated that he'd like to wait to sign an extension until he sees what the Wolves do this summer.

It sounds like McHale is taking him seriously. What could the T-Wolves get for Brandon's expiring contract? Insider has been poking around for the past few weeks, trying to sniff out a deal. Here are the most likely possibilities.

1. Brandon to the Wizards for Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner

Jerry Stackhouse

Guard-Forward

Washington Wizards

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

70 21.5 3.7 4.5 .409 .878

Why would the Wizards do it? Washington is looking to clean house after Michael Jordan's exit. The team thought Stackhouse would opt out of his deal this year. However, Stackhouse knows he probably won't be able to get more than the $6.5 million he's already due. The move would give the Wizards around $20 million in cap room next season to lure a major free agent to Washington to play alongside young players like Kwame Brown, Brendan Haywood and Jared Jeffries.

Why would the Wolves do it? Stackhouse would give the Wolves a lethal scoring threat alongside KG and Wally Szczerbiak. The Wolves were forced to move Szczerbiak and Garnett out of position this past season. This move allows the team to move them back to small forward and power forward, respectively, and concentrate on a point guard in free agency. You think they could lure Gary Payton with a lineup of Stackhouse, Wally, KG and Rasho Nesterovic? That's some serious firepower. Laettner is just a throw-in for cap purposes. Both Stackhouse's and Laettner's deals expire after the 2004-05 season.

2. Brandon to the Heat for Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones

Shooting Guard

Miami Heat

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

47 18.5 4.8 3.7 .423 .822

Why would the Heat do it? Jones' big contract takes away the team's flexibility in the summer. The Heat are eyeing Dwyane Wade and Mickael Pietrus with their No. 5 pick, and neither player fits if Jones is still on board. The move would put the team at about $18 million under the cap for the 2004-05 season.

Why would the Wolves do it? Jones has struggled the past two seasons in Miami being the main man. But when he slides into a supporting role, his value shines through. He's a strong defender, has great size for the position, and he can shoot the ball. He'd be a major upgrade at the two for the Wolves and would allow Szczerbiak and Garnett to move back to their respective positions. The bad news is Jones' deal doesn't expire until after the 2006-07 season.

3. Brandon and Marc Jackson to the Bulls for Jalen Rose and Dalibor Bagaric

Jalen Rose

Guard-Forward

Chicago Bulls

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

82 22.1 4.3 4.8 .406 .854

Why would the Bulls do it? Because they haven't been in love with Rose's attitude since Jay Williams came on board last season. The move would put them at around $10 million under the cap for the summer of 2004. It would also give them the flexibility to start signing some of their upcoming free agents like Jamal Crawford, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry to extensions at the end of the year.

Why would the Wolves do it? Because they like Rose and think he'd be a nice fit alongside Garnett and Wally. While no one's sure whether there are enough shots in the world for all three of these guys, they'd be potent offensively. The bad news is Rose's contract doesn't expire until after the 2006-07 season.

4. Brandon and the No. 26 pick to the Cavs for Ricky Davis and Michael Stewart

Ricky Davis

Guard-Forward

Cleveland Cavaliers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

79 20.6 4.9 5.5 .410 .748

Why would the Wolves do it? They made a tender offer to Davis last season, but the Cavs quickly matched. Davis would give the team a big-time scorer and a guy who's proved he can pass.

Why would the Cavs do it? Cap room and chemistry. Davis, LeBron James, Dajuan Wagner and Darius Miles won't be able to co-exist on the same team. The Cavs may be able to get a better deal, but this is the only one that can give them the $15 million in cap room they'll need during the summer of 2004 season to get a dominant low-post player to play with LeBron.

5. Brandon to the Grizzlies for Stromile Swift and Jason Williams

Stromile Swift

Forward-Center

Memphis Grizzlies

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

67 9.7 5.7 0.7 .481 .722

Why would the Grizzlies do it? I know Jerry West will pick up the phone and claim this doesn't make his team better, but sometimes addition by subtraction is the way to go. Yes, they lose a promising player like Swift, but they already have Pau Gasol, and he's going to dominate the minutes in the paint. The good news is they get Williams' terrible deal off the books and can start looking at $15 million in cap room for the summer of 2004. Mike Miller's new deal will eat up some of that room, but at least the Grizzlies would be a lot closer to clearing enough space to make a run at Kobe in 2004. As for a replacement at the point, West already believes Earl Watson is the answer.

Why would the T-Wolves do it? It's an interesting proposition. Swift is starting to show the promise of a No. 2 pick. A front line of Swift, Garnett and Nestrovic would be tough to handle. And as much as people rail on Jason Williams, he has improved. A lineup of Williams, Wally, KG, Swift and Nesterovic would be fun to watch. But remember, the Wolves will have to turn around and find a way to sign Swift in free agency next summer, and they'll be stuck with Williams for the next five seasons.

Brandon deal in the cards

Greg Johnson / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Are the Nets getting a fair shake?

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Wednesday, June 11

Updated: June 11

9:38 AM ET

The former Rod Thorn spent 14 years as the NBA's vice president of basketball operations overseeing, among other things, referees in particular and officiating in general.

The current Thorn has spent the last three years as the New Jersey Nets president and general manager and had this to say about the referees in particular and officiating in general during the NBA Finals.

Thorn

"In my three years here, I have complained about the officiating two times," Thorn said to the N.Y. Times. "I just don't do it. But to me, you can't just sit idly by without voicing something. You're derelict in your duty as an officer of a team if you just sit by and don't say anything."

Chances are pretty good that, in both cases, Thorn is just doing his job while referring, in particular, to the fact that the Spurs have gotten to the free-throw line 88 times in the last three games while the Nets have gotten there only 58 times. In general, he'd probably like to reference the fact that during the regular season, the Spurs averaged a 5.6 more free throws per game than their opponents. In the playoffs, they've averaged nine more free throws per game than their opponents. Against the Nets, they're averaging 10 more free throws per game their counterparts.

"When I'm looking at what's happening on the court, we drive to the hoop as much as they do, but they're getting a lot more calls when they go to the basket than we are," Thorn continued in the N.Y. Times. "Nobody goes to the basket harder and with more authority than Kenyon Martin, and he's only shot 12 free throws in all three games. If they want to call it loosely, I'm fine with that. But do it on both ends. It can't be that way on one end and not that way on the other. It's not like we're Dallas and we're a jump-shooting team."

Thorn could point out that, during the regular season, the Nets averaged 26.7 free throws per game to their opponents' 23.6. But against the Spurs, they're getting only 19.3 free throws per game while San Antonio is getting 29.3 per game after averaging the same 26.7 per game during the regular season.

That's right. Both teams averaged 26.7 free throws per game during the regular season. And before this series started, they were both very close in free throws per playoff game with the Nets getting to the line 29 times per game and the Spurs getting there 31.6 times per game.

Of course, both coaches had something to say about the subject.

"My personal opinion is something that I see with the officiating," Byron Scott said in the Newark Star Ledger. "I mean, we've been a team all season long that's gone to the free-throw line a ton of times. In this series, it's been two to one (against us) it seems like. And to me, I think a lot of that has to do with the officiating."

To which Gregg Popovich responded later on in the same article:

"I don't think (officials) have anything to do with it. I think you create your own opportunities by being aggressive and I think whenever you start to think about officials being part of something, you're going down the wrong road. It's not an issue with us. If you make it an issue, I think your focus gets a little bit off course."

As did Stu Jackson, who replaced Thorn in the NBA front office.

"The officiating in this series needs no comment," Jackson said in the Times piece. "It has been excellent. I think there's a certain amount of gamesmanship involved and I can appreciate the organizational coordination between Rod and Byron. That's why they're as successful as they are."

It is also fact that the Spurs, as they are constituted now, have almost always shot more free throws than their opponents.

This year during the regular season, they shot 5.6 more per game. Last year, they shot 7.3 more. The year before that, they shot 8.3 more. The year before that, they shot six more. And the year before that, when they won their first title in 1999, the shot 5.4 more free throws per game.

Even against the Los Angeles Laker last year in the playoffs, as the three-time champs were on their way to a 553 to 471 free-throw advantage during the playoffs, the Spurs shot 23 more free throws in their conference semifinal matchup in which the Lakers won four games to one.

The difference, this year, is that the Nets don't seem to be getting their calls.

When the two teams met during the regular season, the team with the most free-throw attempts won. The first time, the Nets shot 28 free throws to the Spurs' 24 and hometown New Jersey won, 91-82.

Later on in the year, the Spurs shot 24 free throws to the Nets' 21 and hometown San Antonio won, 92-78.

So fans can listen to coaches and the league argue about style of play and home-court advantage as the media reports quotes in general and statistics in particular because the best thing they can come up with while two teams are averaging only 87.5 points per game while ratings slip 38 percent below what they were last year is how many more free throws one team shot than the other.

"Once you start complaining about the officiating, you set your team up for a fall," Thorn said to the Times. "I don't say anything to the players because I don't want them thinking that if we don't get a call, we're not getting the fair end of the stick. They've just got to play through that. But I think it is discouraging when they're attacking the rim and not getting the same calls as the other team. It's discouraging."

Complaints on Officiating Take a More Serious Tone

Chris Brussard / New York Times

Scott wants refs to close gap at line

Brad Parks / Newark Star-Ledger

Ratings plunge for NBA, NHL finals

Eric Fisher / Washington Times

Peep Show

By Terry Brown

NBA Insider

Wednesday, June 11

Updated: June 11

7:58 AM ET

Houston

New York Knicks: The New York Times is reporting that Allan Houston had arthroscopic surgery performed on his right knee. It was considered a routine procedure to clean out the knee and will require that the guard be on crutches for only six weeks. He should be back in action well in time for training camp in October.

Milwaukee Bucks: Tiger Woods made it loud and clear for anyone interested. He doesn't know if Michael Jordan is interested in buying the Milwaukee Bucks but he certainly isn't."No truth," Woods said in the Journal Sentinel. "Zero. (None) from my end. I don't know about (Jordan's) end. But none from my end." Rumors had been circulated that the two were forming a group to purchase the team after Jordan was fired by the Wizards' Abe Polin.

Boston Celtics: Antoine Walker may have some trouble of his own when contract negotiations come around but for now he's sticking with his man Vin Baker. ''I think it's going to be fine for us,'' said Walker in the Boston Globe. ''I think the biggest thing is the coaches and the organization have got to put him back in the fray. When you think about building this team, you don't really hear his name. I think that they've got to understand that they've got to put him back in his place. Obviously, he's got to earn it. Hopefully, the fans welcome him back the way he needs to be welcomed back because he can be a big addition to our team. Vinnie can play at a very high level. We can definitely use the big body.'' Baker has had a history of problems starting in Seattle and continuing with his completion of an alcoholic rehab program recently.

Atlanta Hawks: Steve Smith and Kevin Willis may play for the San Antonio Spurs but their hearts still belong to the Atlanta Hawks. And both are hoping that after their playing days are over, they'll join Dominique Wilkins in the front office. "It's a realistic dream," said Willis in the Journal-Constitution. "I talk to 'Nique during the summer, and I can see the pain in him because I know him too well. His heart is aching, because he knows he should be doing something at a different level than he's at right now."

Knicks' Houston Has Knee Surgery

Staff / New York Times

Tiger squashes rumors of plans to purchase Bucks

Bob Wolfley / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Cooking up Baker support

Shira Springer / Boston Globe

Hawks' future may lie in past

Terence Moore / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[Packfill]

I guess you can add Planinic to the list of players the would fit the Hawks back court needs - i.e., tall athletic guy with a handle, defense and passing skills. Depending on how the draft falls, Gaines, Pavlovic, Diaw, and Planinic are all options at 21.

[Traceman]

Who knows how good any of these foreign guys are that we've never seen. Other than Millic, I wouldn't be 100% certain that ANY of them are going to be very good NBA players but that being said, MANY of them could be very good. I guess this is what GMs and scouts get paid for. They actually get to see these guys play. All we have to go on is what the press reports about these guys.

[DJ_Money]

It's all very interesting...

...but when are we going to hear about the Hawks working out some of these players? All we've looked at so far is some guys who, at best, are late 2nd Rounders.

Jay? Got any info for us?

[HawkTodd]

I think one reason they can make them all seem great to us is because we havent had a chance to see them play thus not be able to draw our own conclusions. Unlike college players in the US that we have a chance to see play in person or on tv and then can notice their flaws and thir strengths, the foreigners are all new to us and the info we get on them is he-say.

Go Hawks,

Todd