The post The Dime | Dillon Brooks is Good for the League & the Suns' KD Setback appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>Josh and Kwab recap the Kings defeating the Knicks in primetime, the Draymond Green vs Dillon Brooks beef as the Grizzlies make easy work of the Warriors, and what Kevin Durant's injury means for the Suns going forward.
00:00 Start
01:46 Kings vs Knicks
11:05 Are the Sixers contenders?
20:32 Who is the 6th man of the year?
25:55 Grizzlies beat the Warriors; Brooks vs Draymond
36:50 What does KD injury mean for the Suns?
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]]>The post Ron and Dev Predict the NBA's Impact Rookies appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>One of the more interesting things to follow this season will be the trajectory and impact of the 2020 rookie class. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, first-year players have seen their time to prepare for the NBA level cut short. From the draft to training camps to preseason contests and to opening tip-off, rookies are looking at a months worth of time to get accustomed to the new level of play and their new teammates and coaching staffs.
In this piece, myself and Ronnie Flores do our best to predict which rookies will have an immediate and lasting impact throughout the 2020-21 NBA season.
Ronnie's Top Pick: Isaac Okoro | SG | 6-5 | 225 | Cavaliers
This former McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) product went a bit higher in the draft than we anticipated but with the makeup of Cleveland’s roster I expect him to have tremendous impact. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if he started at some point in the 2020-21 season.
Cleveland just needs a major upgrade defending the wing and perimeter and Okoro foots the bill with his size, core strength and activity level. His play is contagious and he’ll get starter type minutes if his shooting comes around. Cedi Osman just doesn’t defend well enough against the elites in the league to keep Okoro on the pine, while Dylan Windler is coming off an injury.
Windler shoots it well enough and will get opportunities, but Okoro will just create them with his approach. Point guard Sharife Cooper (a freshman at Auburn who may never play pending NCAA eligibility) got most of credit for the success of McEachern (the No. 2 team in the FAB 50 in 2018-19), but it’s apparent Okoro was a big reason why the team went 32-0 and is regarded as one of Georgia’s best ever.
Ronnie's Second Pick: Isaiah Stewart | PF| 6-9 | 250 | Pistons
The Portland Trailblazers drafted him, but the 2020 All Pac-12 choice will learn the NBA ropes in Detroit. We don’t think it will take him long to get comfortable because of what he brings to the table physically and mentally. Stewart, simply put, is a man and he’s a load to move. Even though the game is so perimeter-oriented nowadays, there is still a spot for a big man that goes after every rebound and sets screens that foes feel. He is a total team-first player and will pick up on what the veterans teach him about the rigors of NBA post play quickly. Does Stewart need to get better offensively? Yes. Does he need to make defenders respect him more outside 8-10 feet from the basket? Of course. But I have a hunch he’s going to get an opportunity because the Pistons likely won’t be very good. And when Stewart does get the opportunity, he’ll be ready and will eventually be a solid contributor. Rebounding always translates and Stewart led the Pac-12 in total rebounds in his only season in college. Rebounds might not win rings for the Pistons, but they’ll win the Piston’s coaching staff over and get Stewart on the floor.
Ronnie's Third Pick: Jahmius Ramsey | SG | 6-4 | 195 | Kings
Nothing is guaranteed with NBA second round picks, and that is especially true with such a short turnaround between the draft and the start of the NBA season because of COVID-19. With that being said, it’s a terrific sign for Ramsey that the Kings signed him to a three-year rookie deal, with two of them guaranteed. Ramsey has first round talent with his ability to score and knock down the perimeter shot, which he did in his lone college season at a 42.6 percent clip from three-point range. He's quite versatile and is a capable defender, too. Yes, Ramsey is going to spend plenty of time in the G League, but he’ll be ready for his call-up because the Kings could move one of their guards before the trade deadline and already like what they see in the shard-shooter from Duncanville (Texas). It’s not going to be an easy season for second rounders by any means, but of the ones near the top of the second round we like Ramsey’s chances to make a lasting impression.
Devin's Top Pick: Deni Avdija | SF | 6-9 | 210 | Wizards
Many believed heading into the draft that Avdija was a top four to five talent, and while he slipped a little from that original prediction - going No. 9 to the Wizards - the early returns are looking really good for D.C. The 6-foot-9 wing had an impressive preseason debut, scoring 15 points on 6 of 6 shooting and 3-for-3 from three-point range. Avdija looked confident and comfortable on the floor with his new teammates and that feeling of poise likely stem from Avdija's extended time playing at the highest levels of the Euro League. Avdija fits in seamlessly with the Wizards roster and his combination of size, skill and offensive versatility should mesh nicely with Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans. Avdija flashed the ability to score from all three levels of the floor from the catch-and-shoot three to an off the bounce pull and even some back to the basket skill in the painted area which all bode well for his immediate and long-term NBA future.
Devin's Second Pick: Malachi Flynn | CG | 6-1 | 185 | Raptors
Flynn was one of college basketball's most dynamic scorers during his redshirt junior season at San Diego State. The 6-foot-1 combo guard is a crafty and confident scorer and playmaker off the bounce who has deep and consistent NBA range on his three point shot. Toronto is a great fit for Flynn as he can learn the ropes of the professional game from seasoned veteran Kyle Lowry and also model his game after one of the game's bright young guards in Fred Van Vleet. The purpose of this story is about the opportunity for immediate impact at the NBA level, and with Flynn's ability to play both on or off the ball as a creator and scorer, he should see plenty of action off the bench with the Raptors in his first season. In his first two preseason games, Flynn scored nine and 17 points, respectively, against the Hornets in just under 20 minutes of action in each contest.
Devin's Third Pick: Payton Pritchard | PG | 6-2 | 190 | Celtics
There are few players who were drafted to a better fit than Pritchard to the Celtics. The gritty floor general who spent four years running a high-level program at the University of Oregon brings that steadiness, toughness and high IQ feel for the game that will fit well with what Brad Stevens does in Boston. Pritchard is known for his tenaciousness on the defensive end and ability to create for others in both the transition and half-court settings while not turning the ball over - evidenced by his career 2.3-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in college - but his offensive repertoire often gets overlooked when breaking down his game. Pritchard averaged 20.5 points per game in his senior season for the Ducks and shot 41.5 percent from three and 82.1 percent from the free throw line. To me, Pritchard has the offensive maturity and competitiveness on the defensive end to be a viable back-up point guard from game one and beyond.
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]]>The post 2020 NBA Draft Winners appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>We’re fairly certain some of the late first round picks will develop into quality players over some of the higher picks towards the back end of the lottery. It happens in nearly every draft and we think the sleepers will what this particular draft will be remembered for a few years down the line.
In this piece Ronnie and Dev make their three picks for which franchises came out in the winner's column on draft night.
Ronnie's Winners
Sacramento Kings - Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa St.) was an excellent pick at No. 12 because he’s a point guard with size and was likely the best available player from pick No. 9 until the kings nabbed him. He can push De'Aaron Fox or play alongside of him. The Kings also got Robert Woodard II (Mississippi St.) at No. 40 and he’s a top-tier athlete and can handle the rigors of guarding wing players. At No. 43, the Kings picked up Jahmius Ramsey (Texas Tech), one of the better our shooters in the draft. If Ramsey can develop into a reliable catch-and-shoot backup, then the Kings just picked up three excellent pieces for their future.
Golden State Warriors - In terms of the actual draft, the Warriors might be the biggest winners because they got the player most physically ready to contribute in this draft. Sure, the Warriors lost when it was revealed Klay Thompson will be lost for the 2020-21 season with a torn Achilles, but that just makes the selection of James Wiseman (Memphis) that much more important. Stephen Curry will be 33 this season and Thompson will be 31 and they simply won’t be able to win in the manner in which they did forever. Every dynasty has to adjust to stay relevant and Wiseman has a good chance to be the most impactful player in this draft. Even if Wiseman reaches 75-80 percent of his max ceiling, he’ll still be better than nearly everyone in this draft. After being unable to trade this pick for a top-tier veteran, the Warriors made the right move.
New York Knicks - Knicks’ fans are desperate for any good news or a winning piece, and they likely had their prayers answered in Obadiah Toppin (Dayton). Toppin may not the upside of Wiseman, but he was the best player in college basketball last year and the safest bet to be a contributor right away of any player drafted. It was surprising to see him drop this far, unless you overvalue upside and some teams did in bypassing Toppin. He’ll have plenty of opportunity in New York and if any player in this draft can help the Knicks steer the ship in the right direction, he was the player. Could he be the next Amar’e Stoudemire? That’s a stretch but his ceiling is higher than what many teams valued it at.
Devin's Winners
Denver Nuggets - Fresh off of an appearance in the NBA Bubble Western Conference Finals, Denver added two young pieces to an already well-balanced roster. The Nuggets selected Zeke Nnaji out of Arizona with the 22nd overall pick. Nnaji, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, is an athletic, long and physical 6-foot-11 forward who showed flashes of inside-out scoring ability and defensive versatility in his one season in Tucson. Nnaji, if he turns out to be as good as Denver expects, could soften the blow of losing Jerami Grant to Detroit in Free Agency. Denver made a clever trade to acquire a second first round pick which they used to select 6-foot-5 guard RJ Hampton with the 24th pick. Most know Hampton as a highly-regarded high school player who opted to go to New Zealand for a season instead of playing collegiately. That move may have hurt Hampton's draft stock, but the talented playmaker has great size and feel for the position and Denver will pair him with Jamal Murray who will show him the NBA ropes.
Charlotte Hornets - The Hornets landed the most talented and highest-upside player in the draft in 6-foot-7 point guard LaMelo Ball. Ball was definitely the most polarizing and talked about player in this Hornets' draft class - and rightfully so - as he could potentially be a franchise-changing pick if his talent and skill-set translates well to the NBA level. Aside from Ball, which was a no-brainer selection, the Hornets made two solid second round picks taking Vernon Carey Jr. out of Duke and Grant Riller out of Charleston. Carey was a highly-touted high school prospect whose five-star resume and production at the college level kind of went under-the-radar. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound center averaged 17.8 points and nearly nine rebounds per game, providing a thin Charlotte front-court with some depth and long-term upside if Carey can become a consistent face-up perimeter shooter. Most people were probably wondering, "who?", when Riller's name was announced, but the four-year college player was a big time scorer at Charleston and a guy who can stroke the three-ball similar to Brooklyn's Joe Harris. If Riller can shoot it at a high 30 percent or low 40 percent clip at the NBA level, that pick will be of tremendous value.
Washington Wizards - Most scouts, mock-drafters, NBA personnel didn't think that Deni Avdija, the top international prospect in the draft, would slip past the sixth pick because of his size, all-around guard skill-set and experience playing at a high level overseas, but luckily for the Wizards, the 6-foot-8 19 year-old fell into their lap. Avdija, as mentioned above, has great ball skills, a high passing IQ and the ability to finish around the basket with either hand. The biggest question for Avdija at this point in his development is how well his shot translates to the NBA three-point line. Washington's other pick of the night was a second rounder in which they snagged Cassius Winston out of Michigan State after a draft day trade with Oklahoma City. The former Spartan was one of the most reliable true point guards in college basketball last season, but his lack of explosiveness scared teams off enough for him to be a late second round selection. Winston brings with him a breadth of experience in one of the best college conferences and is a proven leader in big game situations. With John Wall potentially wanting out of D.C., Winston could be a guy who could provide valuable minutes at the point guard spot.
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]]>The post Why Not? Ron and Dev Predict NBA Draft Lottery (Picks 10-14) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>With the 2020 NBA Draft date of Nov. 18 swiftly approaching, we wanted to take a deeper dive into this year's crop of talent. The winner among the losers on NBA Draft Lottery night was the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team with the third-worst regular season record was awarded the first overall selection.
The Golden State Warriors, who are looking to get healthy and return to their winning ways, will pick second, the Charlotte Hornets third, with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out the first five selections.
This will be one of the most unique NBA Drafts on record due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is the draft delayed by five months, NBA front offices will be making picks with far less real-time evaluation because of the cancellations of many conference tournaments and last season's NCAA Tournament. Another interesting aspect of this draft is NBA scouts and front office personnel will not be able to evaluate prospects in a live draft combine setting, but rather a virtual one taking place at regional sites.
In this piece, myself and Ronnie Flores do our best to predict which players the lottery teams will select based on fit and team needs. Check out our selections in a three-part series, beginning with picks No.'s 10-14 below.
14. Boston Celtics (from Memphis)
Ronnie’s Pick: Precious Achiuwa | PF | 6-9 | 225 |Memphis | Freshman
Why: The Celtics have done a good job in the draft and on are the cusp of being the best team in the East, so whoever they bring in would be fighting to become a rotation player. Achiuwa has a chance to do that because he brings energy to both ends of the floor and is a hellacious rebounder. The brass will be taking a long look at North Carolina’s Cole Anthony, but the Celtics don’t need perimeter scoring more than they need front court depth. Achiuwa fits the bill.
Devin’s Pick: Jalen Smith | PF | 6-10 | 225 | Maryland | Sophomore
Why: I can see Boston going in multiple directions with this pick, because when you look at the Celtics roster, there’s not a specific area of need they need to fill. With Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart occupying the guard positions along with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward on the wing, if Boston keeps this pick I can seeing them adding some more front court depth as current starter Daniel Theis is fills more of a glue-guy type of role. Smith, if available would be a nice choice here of proven production at a high college level with plenty of tools to build on at the NBA level. Smith was a double-double machine for the Terrapins during his sophomore season, averaging 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and his 2.4 blocked shots per game were good for second in the Big Ten Conference. Smith shot 36.8 percent on just under three attempts per game from the college three point line, which makes me think he could be a potential two-way impact guy as a rim protector and versatile scoring option at the five, which is very reminiscent of Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.
13. New Orleans Pelicans
Ronnie’s Pick: Saddiq Bey | SF | 6-8 |215 | Villanova |Sophomore
Why: The Pelicans have some terrific offensive pieces and could shore up their defensive prowess, and Bey foots the bill. If he earns minutes on the floor because of his defense (which would be a tremendous value at this spot), he is a good enough spot-up shooter to keep defenses honest and compliment Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Devin’s Pick: Saddiq Bey | SF | 6-8 | 216 | Villanova | Sophomore
Why: This will be another interesting pick come draft night as the Pelicans have a host of young talent on its roster to go along with the veteran leadership of Jrue Holiday and J.J. Redick. New Orleans has nine players aged 24 years or younger and we didn’t get to see the full extent of what the youth movement looked like due to Zion Williamson missing time due to injury and the stoppage of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking strictly at roster need, three-point shooting is always of value, especially when your best long distance shooter (Redick) is heading toward his 36th birthday. I think Bey fits in nicely here because of his size, length, athleticism to go along with his 45.1 percent three-point shooting clip as a sophomore at Villanova.
12. Sacramento Kings
Ronnie’s Pick: Patrick Williams | PF | 6-8 | 225 | Florida State | Freshman
Why: The Kings’ front office is in transition and after some draft gaffes in recent years, they want to get this pick right. This isn’t a particularly loaded draft, but Williams has the potential to stick because of his frame, foot speed and long-term defensive ability. There are some terrific wing defenders in this draft, and the Kings can’t afford to swing and miss badly. Williams didn’t produce at a high level offensively in his lone college season, but the Kings need a shot in the arm not someone jacking up shots.
Devin’s Pick: Aaron Nesmith | SG/SF | 6-6 | 215 | Vanderbilt | Sophomore
Why: For me, this is a best available pick type of situation for the Kings. The point guard spot is locked up with De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic (if he re-signs) will see the majority of the time at shooting guard, while Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes will continue to see the minutes in the front court and Sacramento needs a reliable piece that can come in and help right away. The best available guy at No. 12 could be Nesmith out of Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-6 wing brings versatility on the offensive end as evidenced by his above 50-percent shooting clip from both two and three-point range to go along with his 82.5 percent success rate from the free throw line. Nesmith played only 14 games last season due to injury, and while that’s a small sample size to draw from, his scoring feel on the perimeter and has some defensive versatility upside with his frame.
11. San Antonio Spurs
Ronnie’s Pick: Aaron Nesmith | SG/SF | 6-6 | 215 | Vanderbilt | Sophomore
Why: The Spurs will take a long look at Florida State’s Patrick Williams and can only hope Isaac Okoro (Auburn) falls this far. He likely won’t, so Nesmith is a terrific value pick because he can really shoot the deep range shot and complement the talented backcourt players the Spurs already have. It will be enticing to pick up a defensive-oriented forward, but passing up an offensive talent the likes of Nesmith will be too difficult to pass up.
Devin’s Pick: Patrick Williams | PF | 6-8 | 225 | Florida State | Freshman
Why: This is the first time in a long time (23 years to be exact) that the Spurs will draft in the lottery, so San Antonio will have to rediscover this uncharted territory. As most know, this franchise has a rich history in drafting an unknown international player, stashing him, and bringing him over at the perfect time to help them on a championship run. Could that happen again this year? Sure, but for the purposes of this “mock lottery” let’s pick a player for Pop & Co. The reason I go with Williams here is because San Antonio could benefit from adding some athleticism and energy to its front court. The one-and-done forward out of Florida State fits that bill quite well with his explosive leaping ability, mobility in transition and ability to finish with through and above contact in the paint. Williams didn’t put up eye popping numbers during his only college season, averaging 9.2 points and four rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game and needs some work to refine his all-around offensive skill set. Where better to do that than with the Spurs who happen to have one of the best power forward’s the world has seen on its coaching staff.
10. Phoenix Suns
Ronnie’s Pick: Killian Hayes | PG | 6-5 | 215 | France | PRO
Why: The Suns ended the season on an upswing and hope to keep the positive momentum going with a home run at this spot in the draft. The Suns will likely look to the backcourt with someone who can play on the ball and be effective off it. Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky) will get a look at this range, but Hayes has terrific upside and there won’t be tons of pressure for him to perform right away. If Hayes can learn the NBA game from Ricky Rubio and be a complement to Devin Booker, this would be a terrific spot for him.
Devin’s Pick: Killian Hayes | PG | 6-5 | 215 | France | PRO
Why: The Suns need to show they are committed to building a long-term backcourt around superstar guard Devin Booker in addition to providing a true point guard who can operate out of ball screen action with stud power forward De’Andre Ayton. Hayes might be the perfect successor to Ricky Rubio at the point guard position in Phoenix. The 18 year-old lefty plays with a high basketball IQ, great vision and decision-making out of the pick and role, and knows how to use angles and changes of speeds to get into the paint. Just imagine a high ball screen with Hayes and Ayton with Booker spotting up on the wing. That’s tough to guard. Hayes does need to get better as a three-point shooter to keep defenses honest in those ball screen situations.
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]]>The post Who Else Gets Annoyed When the Kings' Announcer Says "If You Don't Like That, You Don't Like NBA Basketball" appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>During the 4th quarter of the Kings win over the Raptors on Sunday, DeMarcus Cousins threw down a big dunk that DeMar DeRozan wanted nothing to do with. If you were watching the game on the Kings broadcast then you got to hear the Kings play by play announcer, Grant Napear, say "if you don't like that, you don't like NBA basketball!"
I did like the dunk and I do like NBA basketball but sometimes I just want to yell STFU at Grant for saying it every single game! ?Then I think how cool it is that he's been saying it for 27 years (2 years longer than Cousins has been alive) with the same great organization. I then thought about other announcers I love, like Kevin Harlan, legends like Marv Albert and the late great Chick Hearn. Then I thought about how unappreciated play by play announcers are - yes, even Tommy Heinsohn when he's going off on LeBron - and how important they are to?not only?being the voice of the NBA but being the voice of NBA history and many of the it's greatest moments.
I then told myself to STFU after telling Grant to STFU. With that said, hearing him say his trademark quote when it's against one of my favorite teams is like hearing nails on a chalkboard.
Oh well, I guess I can deal with it. Thanks Grant for being part of the reason why I like NBA basketball.
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]]>The post Tyreke Evans "In My Own Words" Awesome Inspirational Video; Level 4 In Association w/ Ballislife appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>It started out with making mixes on Ballislife and now longtime family members & friends at Level4.tv have put together an awesome short little piece on Tyreke Evans. "A strong family and love for basketball helped former NBA Rookie of the Year and current Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans stay out of trouble and realize his dream of playing in the NBA."
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]]>The post Demarcus Cousins Dunks All Over Jason Maxiell! Poster! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>Demarcus Cousins with the nice fake, drive and dunks all over Maxiell!
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]]>The post Tony Bennett & Chicago West Side Pro-Am All-Stars shut down the gym vs. Osiris Eldridge & stacked South Side Team of Pros appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>For the first time in recent memory, the visiting South Side All-Stars (from Time 2 Shine Pro-Am Summer League) faced off against Chicago’s West Side All-Stars (from West Haven Safe Summer League) at Phoenix Military Academy on Chicago’s West Side.
As you will see, the lineups were stacked and the atmosphere was electric.
The South Side Team featured #7 Osiris Eldridge (NBDL), #11 Bobby Simmons (Clippers), Dexter Williams (Kings), #2 Jeremy Pargo (Grizzlies), as well as #10 Jerome Randle (Cal) and #6 Stefphon Hannah (Missou). But it was the undersized home team (West) who won big. Standouts included #3 David Bailey (Loyola), local favorite #5 Tony Bennett (Bradley), #4 Sherron Collins (Kansas), #2 Emmanuel Little (Euro Pro) and #8 Tyrone Kent (Toldeo) who was on fire throughout the game.
The West Side (Orange uniform) won by a final score of 103 – 71.
Thanks to Commissioner Lefty B. Boyd and everyone at West Haven Safe Summer League.
Special note: League finals are THU 8/16 at Chicago's United Center (free admission).
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