A LEGEND IS BORN III

[Fresh8]

Seattle Win Number 1 Draft Pick

July 20, 2010

SEATTLE (AP) – Trading for draft picks paid off big time for the Seattle Stealth as they were the huge beneficiaries of the NBA Lottery. The Stealth will select ahead of all the other 29 teams in the League on Draft night as well as hold the tenth overall pick in the first round.

Seattle Stealth Head Coach Will Sit was praised for his vision whilst he worked in the Stealth front office; the first pick was originally the Detroit Pistons'. It came in the deal that landed the team C/F Rasheed Wallace in exchange for SF Jeff Green.

The tenth pick was also acquired in a deal; the Toronto Raptors would be most upset that they even thought of offering Luis Scola along with the draft pick for veteran SG Raja Bell in the middle of last season.

Sit stayed modest in his assessment of the team holding two lottery picks, “It’s all luck. Two seasons ago, I never thought that Detroit would be as bad they are right now. A lucky deal. As for the Raptors deal, all I can say is that I had no hand in that.” Sit also said that it was up to the front office not to let the picks go to waste, “At the end of the day, we can pick two players so we need to pick the right ones for our team.”

It’s a bit scary to think that coming off a seven game series against the Sacrament Kings in the Western Conference Finals last month, the same team will be adding at least one high caliber player to their roster.

Read More…

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Wallace Retires From NBA

June 28, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – Rasheed Wallace officially announced his retirement from the NBA today. The 37 year old centre/forward played 17 years in the NBA after a college career at North Carolina. Selected as the fourth overall pick by the Washington Bullets, Wallace made a name for himself during his two stints with the Portland Trailblazers (96-97 till 03-04) and the Detroit Pistons (04-03 till 10-11).

Wallace explained why he decided not to extend his career, “I saw myself being able to play another one or two seasons but I’ve already done everything I could have done in my career.” Wallace won a championship with the Pistons in 2004, as well as gaining infamy for his short fuse by racking up plenty of technical fouls over the course of his career, and his extraordinary persona off the court. Wallace joked at the press conference, “We have this running theme at Stealth practice and it’s about all the guys coming to challenge me for my crown in the NBA’s Top 50 players. I always won so they call me Mr Top 50. I’m glad I’m retiring as one of the fifty greatest NBA players. “

Wallace retires with career averages of 14.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.3 bpg in 1270 games played. He started 1094 games over the course of his career. Last season, he averaged career lows of 7 ppg, 2.6 rpg in just 16.7 mpg after taking a bench role for Seattle. Wallace was an important member of the Stealth side that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Sheed will take a position on Head Coach Will Sit’s staff. Sit was happy that his sixth man was happy to stay with the club, “I was taken aback by the fact that he wanted to hang the jersey up but very pleased that he’s accepted a spot on my coaching staff. His experience is invaluable and leadership is unquestionable.”

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Wu Jao Works Out For Seattle

July 5, 2010

SEATTLE (AP) – Maryland PG Wu Jao has worked out for the second time in front of the Seattle Stealth coaching staff, fueling speculation that he should be heading to Seattle for his NBA rookie season. The 6’3” mixed American-Chinese player took questions from reporters after the workout and explained that he had been granted leave from the Chinese National team in their preparations for the upcoming London Olympics.

“I need to be back straight after the Draft though,” Wu states, “The team wants me to be there to prepare for the Games. I’m very excited about that.” He worked out alongside fellow Chinese teammate Leo Lai, a player that the Stealth is looking at possibly drafting later on in the Draft with their tenth selection. The 6’6” SG also impressed the team’s coaching staff and the Stealth are understood to be looking for a backup for starting SG Reshawn Tyson.

Wu Jao has been a heralded NBA prospect since he made his debut for the Chinese national team in 2010 at the World Championships in Turkey. He has since played two seasons at Maryland in the NCAA and has created a reputation for being a fearless and lightning-quick scorer. If Jao is to be drafted by Seattle, he would join Chinese national teammate Mingyu Li.

Read More…

[|)e8*]

Lucky SOB!

PS Forever is an awesome song

[Fresh8]

Lucky SOB!

PS Forever is an awesome song

Yeah, De8 got great taste in music.

[Martti.]

Damn you lucky bastard.

[Valor]

Either draft me with the number 1 pick, or not at all

[Fresh8]

Damn you lucky bastard.

You and Coach Payton and the Grizz are fucked. Stealth gonna be hella awesome.

Either draft me with the number 1 pick, or not at all

Sorry. Ain't happening.

Wow 1st and 10th pick . That should add some nice depth to your roster.

Yeah man. Much needed depth. Sheed retiring and team getting older so looking to add talent to the backcourt... loaded in frontcourt though with Bogut, Akonnor, Scola, Lee, Wilcox.

[kibaxx7]

Wow 1st overall pick! Great job man!

[Fresh8]

Updated: June 20, 2012
Wu Jao Should Be A Lock At Number One
Has Impressed Scouts Since Appearing On The Scene
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wu Jao with the crossover move in a scrimmage against a fellow draft prospect

By Woody Hannes
ESPN.com Writer

The 2012 NBA Draft class will be headlined by Chinese prodigy Wu Jao (Last name Wu, First name Jao. Yes, it’s a little confusing). The 6’3” PG, who played at Maryland for two years, is ready to make the jump to the pro game and will use all of his collegiate and international basketball experience to make a successful transition. The ultra-quick scoring point man now looks like a lock to be selected with the first pick after it was drawn by the Seattle Stealth…

Jao is shaping up to be the first PG to be taken first since the 2008 Draft in which Chicago’s Derrick Rose was the top pick. The 2009, 2010 and 2011 produced some talented players at the same position but Jao is like a whole different specimen. He could be a once in a lifetime player at his position.

The Nets’ Barney Steele (2009 pick) gives you a damn good all-around player who works hard on both ends of the floor. It’s only a shame that he doesn’t have a game that makes you go ‘wow’. Steele could be described as ‘rather unspectacular’ or to be a bit more harsh; ‘boring’. The Clippers’ Ray Lliach (2010 pick) brings a veteran’s feel for the game and in running his team. The Clippers became relevant again thanks to him. Having been successful on the college stage as well as the NBA stage hasn’t really meant much for Lliach though as he is nowhere near the top of the NBA ‘popularity charts’. Then you come to the second overall pick of the 2011 Draft, Ricky Rubio. The Spanish sensation is exciting to watch for his amazing vision and near-impossible passes but his lack of scoring touch really doesn’t help him when it comes to labeling him an All-Star guard.

All three of the aforementioned players, as well as the other talented young point guards in the NBA today, are great. But as I said earlier, Wu Jao is a whole different predicament.

The comparisons to Allen Iverson have been around since he first came onto the basketball scene at the 2010 World Championships in Turkey. A surprise addition to the Chinese National Team, Jao was instrumental in helping lead the Chinese deep into the tournament. They ended up winning a silver medal and although Yao Ming led a loaded frontcourt - Jao was the one wowing the fans with his play.

Jao’s handles and quickness were clearly overwhelming for his more experienced and seasoned opponents. (As a matter of fact, Jao’s crossover on Carmelo Anthony forced him to fall over and was an overnight hit on Youtube after the China-USA gold medal match) His fearlessness is something that many players envy. He is not scared to fail whilst trying to win the ball game. “I am taking that last shot ten times out of ten. I’m not scared of missing because there’s always a chance it will go in,” Jao says in an interview after missing the shot that would have sent his Terrapins into the Sweet Sixteen earlier this year. He doesn’t care what people think and that is a quality all of the all-time greats possessed.

Jao’s father is Asian and his mother is a Caucasian. His parents met whilst his mother was working in the American consulate in Shanghai and his father was there as an English interpreter. Jao never had an ‘English’ name; his parents opted to give him an Asian name (Strangely, Jao explains that his name is a Thai name). He is always asked if he would choose a Western name for himself but has always made it clear that he has never thought about changing it. “I like my name,” Jao states, “It’s different. It’s where I come from - growing up where and how I grew up is what shaped me. I wouldn’t change my name because that’s changing a part of me.”

After impressing scouts at the World Championships, Jao continued with his exceptional play in the NCAA. Spending his entire childhood in China; Jao finally made the trip overseas to the States when he attended Maryland for his freshman year. He averaged 18.8 ppg in his first year and came back the following to average 21.3 ppg. “The kid can flat out score,” fellow lottery prospect Washington’s Liam Washburn said, “Did you see him score 41 points in the tourney against us?” Heralded Duke prospect Eric Smith also voiced his admiration for the Chinese PG, “When Maryland played us earlier in the season, I remember seeing this guy. He was just so quick on the court; he was like a blur on the court. All of the guards on my team had trouble keeping up with him without tripping over themselves.”

Never regarded as a surefire lottery pick, Jao cemented his spot near the top of 2012 mock drafts after a sizzling 35 point performance against North Carolina in the ACC championship game. In that 63-56 win, Jao carried his team from the start to the end. “Just an amazing performance from a phenomenal player,” Tar Heels Coach Roy Williams said, “I have not seen such a player like him on the college scene in a long time. Especially for his size.”

A solid two year college career and workouts boosted Jao’s draft stock heavily. Then the biggest shock in his yet-to-begin NBA career came on the night of the Draft Lottery where the Seattle Stealth won the first overall pick. In desperate need of a quality point guard to fill Jason Kidd’s shoes, everyone is expecting Jao to be packing his bags to join Kevin Durant and Reshawn Tyson. Even Jao insinuates that he feels like he is headed to Seattle, “They wanted Ricky Rubio last year but they didn’t trade up for him. I hear that Jason (Kidd) is only playing one more season. I feel like I’m going to a certain ball club that everyone keeps talking about.”

Many international players have found it hard to make it big in the NBA. Take, for example, Chris Hova of the Toronto Raptors. Formerly touted as a top pick himself, the German PG has struggled to break into anything more than a reserve role for the Raptors. Last season was a shock to the system for Ricky Rubio. The 6’4” guard struggled to score against other NBA players and those troubles don’t look like they will go away any time soon. However, Wu Jao could be different because his skills and athletic qualities are more attuned to the NBA game than Hova’s and Rubio’s.

The Seattle Stealth know that they will be getting someone special and it seems almost certain that they will select Jao with the number 1 pick. For Jao, it is the perfect situation because he will be spending a year studying under the wing of the legendary Kidd. It would be anticipated that Jao would take over as the Stealth’s starter the following season. For the Stealth, they get a talented and gifted guard who can score and handle the basketball. They also get a player who has a World Championship on his resume as well as an Olympic Games after he plays for China in London in one month time. Tell me what other player in this Draft can boast about credentials like that?

[kibaxx7]

Kidd will be a great mentor for Jao.

[dare]

Wow your damn lucky having the 1st pick, sucks Sheed's gone now the the whole team would be serious. Jao in your team is nice but he maybe another enemy of Durant.

[hova-]

Wow, congratz on the number one pick. That Sheed trade really pays off. Trading draft picks is usually not my thing as I never progress to more than one draft when I play, but you really showed how to use picks via trades. Wu Jao seems to be the man, still I would have loved an Euro guy to be the man.

[The X]

Is Jao a NLSC-er? If so, please don't pick him. NLSC-ers should not go that high

[Fresh8]

Is Jao a NLSC-er? If so, please don't pick him. NLSC-ers should not go that high

Wu Jao made his first appearance in A Legend Is Born II. Click here. And here.

Clever huh?

However, must make it clear this was not planned as I had no idea Detroit would become so shit... I only wanted their first rounder out of principle that Jeff Green was young and rising star while Sheed only had handful of years left in him. Too bad most of the Pistons left in free agency (Z Randolph went to your team) and the Pistons sucked big time. Wow... investing in draft picks is awesome!

[Fresh8]

2012 Mock Lottery

2012 Mock Draft | 2013 Mock Draft | Create Mock

Updated: 23/06/10 10:17 pm

Pick. Team – Name, Position (NBA Comparison)
1. Seattle (via Detroit) – Wu Jao, PG (Allen Iverson)
2. Houston – Ifeayi Ndiaye, PG (Chris Paul)
3. Indiana – Albano Spagnoletti, SG (Stephen Jackson)
4. Chicago – Eric Smith, PF (Chris Bosh)
5. Minnesota – Janis Kalnins, C (Andrew Bynum)
6. Phoenix – Darnell Love, PF (Dirk Nowitzki)
7. Denver – Frederick Lampley, PF (Marcus Camby)
8. Milwaukee – Earl Doyle, SG (Deshawn Stevenson)
9. Philadelphia – Gus Webb, PF (Antawn Jamison)
10. Seattle (via Toronto) – Leo Lai, SG (Andre Iguodala)
11. Charlotte – Marc Oliver, PG (Chauncey Billups)
12. LA Clippers – Jake Williamson, C (Ben Wallace)
13. Dallas – Liam Washburn, SF (Lamar Odom)
14. San Antonio – Senso Rancati, SG (Richard Hamilton)

Click For 2012 Mock Draft | 2012 Draft Board

[|)e8*]

I hope you draft Thierry aka Mr.Spaghetti

[Valor]

Draft me, and have me be the super sub off your championship team

EDIT: Actually, draft me and trade me to Chicago with a draft night deal

[Fresh8]

I hope you draft Thierry aka Mr.Spaghetti

He doesn't fit in my plans unfortunately. Too raw of a product. I want to win now.

Draft me, and have me be the super sub off your championship team

Well, you're projected to come to me. So who knows?

[|)e8*]

Wait a sec...Wu Jao is Valor?

[Valor]

Wait a sec...Wu Jao is Valor?

nope, Wu Jao is another player (i think generic)

as for me

10. Seattle (via Toronto) – Leo Lai, SG (Andre Iguodala)

[Alpha_]

Valor's Leo Lai? hmm.. hehe

[kibaxx7]

I hope you draft Thierry aka Mr.Spaghetti

He doesn't fit in my plans unfortunately. Too raw of a product. I want to win now.

A comparation to Stephen Jackson is not what I was hoping but 3rd in the mock, that's huge.

[puttincomputers]

how sweet is that man! i once had picks 2, 5 and 6* in the same draft!
*did some dbf editing as it was proven in my game that miami cheated and had a ref signal that a half court shot went in that never came close and as a result my guys lost their fighting edge and lost the game. so the commissioner of the league awarded us their first round pick!

[Fresh8]

Valor's Leo Lai? hmm.. hehe

Yes, Valor is Leo Lai.

I hope you draft Thierry aka Mr.Spaghetti

He doesn't fit in my plans unfortunately. Too raw of a product. I want to win now.

A comparation to Stephen Jackson is not what I was hoping but 3rd in the mock, that's huge.

Who were you hoping for? I'm pretty sure Lamrock wasn't expecting Lamar Odom.

how sweet is that man! i once had picks 2, 5 and 6* in the same draft!
*did some dbf editing as it was proven in my game that miami cheated and had a ref signal that a half court shot went in that never came close and as a result my guys lost their fighting edge and lost the game. so the commissioner of the league awarded us their first round pick!

But it was my expert moves that got us two lottery picks so I'm the better GM

[dare]

WTF the 1st and 10th pick? I know it's in X-box but man it looks like you cheated

[Fresh8]

WTF the 1st and 10th pick? I know it's in X-box but man it looks like you cheated

I didn't cheat.

The 1st pick came from 2 seasons ago. The 10th pick came from last season from a deal that was offered to me by the game that got rid of Raja Bell. Lucky because I had traded away my draft picks in earlier deals.

It's like in real life when teams trade for picks and they turn out to be really good ones, are they cheating?