[46-36]History in the Making ※ Playoffs Preview!

I really dont have a lot against him, I hate that B-Scal aint leading your team

What are you talking about! He is leading my team......in the lockerroom

B-Scal can contribute with his mere presence man

After the game, im sure Yi goes to Scal and says Nice cheering up the bench...from the reserved bench."

After the game, im sure Yi goes to Scal and says Nice cheering up the bench...from the reserved bench."

He gets the team going!!

Chapter 5 and Draft Coverage coming right up fellas, stay tuned

Chapter 5

“With the 20th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, the New Zealand Panthers Select….” Stern boldly announced “Enes Kanter from the University of Kentucky!”

“About time” Kanter thought as he finally went onto the stage to shake the commissioner’s hand, it seemed like an eternity had passed since he entered the Green Room at the start of the evening
“Well done young man” Stern said as he shook hands with Kanter “Keep your head up and show them what you’ve got to offer”
“Thank you sir” the 19 year old Turkish center replied as he got his special moment photographed

✧✧✧✧✧

Lai was frustrated, the draft was already into the second round and he just could not secure another pick to get the player he wanted.

“For him to slip this far as well, it’s going to be another steal” Lai thought to himself “I just can’t get that damn pick”

Just as he ponders his thoughts however, Adam Silver came out with the Rockets’ 38th selection. It was the prospect that Lai had been trying to get.

“Fuck, now I’m limited to dealing with Houston” Lai cursed at his bad luck and picked up the phone

Fate, though, would not abandon him. As Morey is already stacked at that position. The advantage was on Lai’s side.

Ten minutes and a whole load of talking later, Lai will come away with what he wanted; and a bit more.

✧✧✧✧✧

“and as the Lakers select Jacob Pullen with the final pick of the draft, lets sum up the evening” Stuart Scott began the conclusion wrap “Any picks or deals that jump out to you guys?”
“ABSOLUTELY!” Yelled out Stephen A Smith “When you talk about wheelin and dealin? The PANTHERS SHOCKED ME COMPLETELY”
“For those who haven’t been watching, the Panthers first traded down from the 7th pick to the 20th pick in a 7 player, 4 team massive deal that also included 5 other draft picks; which they used to select Turkish center Enes Kanter. Then they struck another multi-team deal in the second round. This time with the Charlotte Bobcats and the Houston Rockets. Sending last season’s starting center and shooting guard Darko Milicic and Marcus Thornton, along with their first round selection in next year’s draft, to Charlotte in exchange for the draft rights of the 4th overall pick Harrison Barnes, and also receiving the rights to 38th overall pick Kenneth Faried from Houston.”

“This last deal is STUPID, I tell you, STUPID!” Stephen A continued his screaming despite having a microphone “Darko Milicic played like an All-Star worthy center last season and Marcus Thornton is practically their only decent perimeter player. The Panthers are betting on the potential of Kanter, Faried, and especially Harrison Barnes alone!”
“Now, don’t get me wrong, they have an enormous upside, but the Panthers made strides last season as an expansion franchise,” Stephen A’s rant continued “But with this roster now they are taking a HUGE step backwards”
“They did add some nice young pieces in Asik, Maynor and Sefolosha” Jay Bilas pointed out
“I could care less, I could care less!” Stephen A was screaming at this point as he wrapped up his argument in a dramatic fashion “THE DEAL IS PLAIN DUMB!”

Back in the draft room, Lai shook his head in amusement as he turned off the draft coverage.

“We’ll see about that”

✧✧✧✧✧

“So you’ll take the job then?” Lai asked
“Yes, just keep in mind I’ll only be around for a maximum of two seasons, after that I’m going to handpick my successor”
“That’s fine; I trust you and your winning ways” Lai replied, “Welcome to the Panthers organization coach”
Lai stood up and extended his hand, and Larry Brown did the same; of course it was Larry Brown, he is known for turning franchises around in very short amounts of time, the 70 year old, old school head coach is exactly who New Zealand needs to lead the way.

“We’ll set up a press conference for your introduction in a few days,” Lai said
“Glad to hear it, “Brown replied, “In the meantime lets talk about the team”
“I watched the draft, and I really think you should’ve picked Kemba Walker when you had the chance” Brown continued “but in the end your picks were not bad either, I like it. Have you looked at the free agent market yet?”
“Well…actually I do have a few targets in mind,” Lai said slowly “I believe I’ll need your help in the matter though”
“What have you got in mind?” Brown asked
Lai leaned over and whispered a name, at which Brown raised his eyebrows
“Yes, it is a possibility I guess; but you are asking…”
“We’re going to need those kinds of things if we are to win, no?”
“Fine, let me know when the interviews start”

✧✧✧✧✧

“Allen, I know you want to come back to the NBA; and I want to give you that chance” Lai began as he paced back and forth, “However, we have some criteria for you to follow.”
“What kinda criterias man? Y’all know I play my heart out and every game like it’s my last!” Iverson asked
Lai stopped in his tracks, turned slowly and looked straight at the former league MVP
“No egos, No complaints about playing time, No complaints about your role, a good work ethic, and be a good mentor to the young guys” Lai stated “If you can’t do that, I am afraid I can’t give you that opportunity”
Iverson went silent, and Lai waited patiently. He can wait for the answer, and he’s sure it’ll come.
“Allen, I think you understand what this represents” Larry Brown said as he walked in “I know you are capable of doing it. It’s just up to you now”
“Coach Brown!” Iverson stuttered “What are you doing here?”
“I’m the new coach of the Panthers” Brown replied “What say you give our partnership on the court another shot?”
Iverson looked over to Lai, who nodded.

“Alright, I agree” Iverson finally said “All I want to do is to get a chance to play again, and to win”
“Excellent,” Lai chimed happily and slide over a piece of paper “Your initial contract will be a one year deal with a team option for the second. If you do good on your word, we’ll reward you.”
“If not, you’ll cut me” Iverson finished it for him as he took the contract and signed on the dotted line

“It’s a deal”

Last edited by Valor on Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

BAAAAAAAARNES!!

2011 NBA Draft: Live Pick-By-Pick Analysis

6:30 EST: Welcome to live coverage of the 2011 NBA Draft, as the night unfolds we here at NBA.com will provide instant updates and analysis of the picks and any potential deals that goes through. So sit back and enjoy the show.

With the draft set to go down in a half hour, we already have had our first trade. The Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats and the Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to a deal, in which Cory Maggette heads to the Bobcats, Stephen Jackson and Beno Udrih head to the Bucks and Sac-Town reunites with John Salmons. This is the first move among what should be a whirlwind of trade reports over the next few hours.


1st Round: Lottery Picks (1-14)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers select PG Kyrie Irving (Duke)

7:38 EST: No surprises here, Irving is probably going to be a good point guard, but you don't draft somebody No. 1 because they'll be good. You draft them to seriously alter the franchise's fortunes, and Irving doesn't do that. You're taking somebody with conditioning issues and letting him learn from Baron Davis, not exactly ideal. Derrick Williams should have been the pick here.


2. Toronto Raptors select F Derrick Williams (Arizona)

7:44 EST: A no-brainer. Williams is arguably the most talented player in this draft, as his inside-outside game will prove to be a match-up nightmare. He can probably start right away for the Raptors and contribute. How much further than the bottom of the league can he take them is the question.


3. Minnesota Timberwolves select SG Alec Burks (Colorado)

7:50 EST: Got to hand it to Kahn, a better pick here would be Harrison Barnes, but Burks is actually not that much worse. Burks has NBA shooting guard size at 6'6 with an excellent 6'10 wingspan, possesses good scoring instincts and really knows how to create his own shot. However, he needs to learn to play off the ball in the pros, especially with Ricky Rubio coming over to Minnesota next season.


4. Charlotte Bobcats select SF Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

7:56 EST: You knew this was coming. Michael Jordan loves his Tar Heels but this time the pick actually makes sense despite the Bobcats just acquiring another SF in Corey Maggette. When you have the worst record in the NBA the previous season, you take the best player available and Barnes, along with Derrick Williams is arguably the most talanted player in this draft.


5. Washington Wizards select PF Perry Jones (Baylor)

8:02 EST: Great pick here by the Wizards. Jones is a super athletic forward with an enormous upside that will fit nicely next to JaVale McGee and be a nice complement piece for John Wall. It's going to be an alley-opp fest next season in DC.


6. Sacramento Kings select PG Brandon Knight (Kentucky)

8:08 EST: Another John Calipari Poing Guard taken in the lottery. There are questions about whether Knight is a true point guard or more of a combo guard, but the Kings apparently are confident he’s a good fit at the position. Knight will fit nicely alongside Tyreke Evans, who can now shift over to his more natural position as an off-guard.


TRADE
New Zealand receives: 20th Pick (Thunder), Thabo Sefolosha (Thunder), Eric Maynor (Thunder), Omer Asik (Bulls)
Detroit receives: 7th Pick (Panthers), Daequan Cook (Thunder)
Chicago receives: Rodney Stuckey (Pistons), 2012 2nd Round (Panthers), 2012 2nd Round (Pistons)
Oklahoma City receives: 11th Pick (Pistons), Richard Hamilton (Pistons), 35th Pick (Panthers)

8:10 EST: Massive four team trade sees the Panthers move down and out from the lottery (7th pick) all the way down to 20th, and add in three solid young role players in Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor and Omer Asik. The Pistons move up and grab the 7th pick and shooter Daequan Cook while offloading the deadweight contract of Richard Hamilton to the Thunder and the massive contract of Rodney Stuckey to Chicago. The Bulls get their upgrade at the two in Stuckey, who has good size, is a solid defender and can create his own shot to lighten the burden off Rose while the Thunder move up into the lottery and add a veteran that knows how to win in Richard Hamilton.

With that being said, Detroit is now on the clock for the 7th pick.


7. Detroit Pistons select PG Kemba Walker (UConn)

8:16 EST: The Pistons immediately fill in their poing guard void left behind by Stuckey with NCAA Champion Kemba Walker. Walker morphed into a 20-point scorer last season and took the young Huskies team to the national title, and should provide the scoring punch and leadership that Detroit needs.


8. Golden State Warriors select SF Jan Vesley (Czech Republic)

8:22 EST: Vesely isn't your typical European; he's super athletic with incredible length and has good toughness. Vesely needs to get stronger and develop a better back-to-the-basket game to fulfill his potential in the NBA, but he runs the floor well and finishes at the rim. At 6-11 he has excellent size and can guard multiple positions. Good pick for new head coach Mark Jackson.


9. Houston Rockets select PF Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

8:28 EST: The Rockets loves hard working big men (eg Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry), so it's not surprising to see them pick up the physical throwback power forward Jared Sullinger. Sullinger has decent size for a post player and is a solid rebounder. He also possesses a decent 12-18 foot jump shot and passes well out of the post. Good addition to the Rockets front-line depth just in case Yao goes down again (assuming Houston resigns him).


10. Indiana Pacers select PG Jimmer Fredette (BYU)

8:34 EST: Shocking pick here for the Pacers, unless they want to play Fredette at the two and spot a super undersized backcourt with the six foot nothing Darren Collison, they have some trades to do. Especially since Fredette can't play defense.


11. Oklahoma City Thunder select PF Trey Thompkins (Georgia)

8:40 EST: OKC keeps stacking the depth up via the draft, their weakest position was the power forward spot and they just filled in the hole nicely. Donatas Motiejunas could've been a better pick, but Thompkins isn't that bad either. With some development he could contribute.


12. Phoenix Suns select SG Rodney Williams (Minnesota)

8:46 EST: With Vince Carter probably not returning, the Suns filled their shooting guard void with the explosive, physically gifted Rodney Williams. He'll be a great fit next to Steve Nash and shows a lot of upside on both ends of the floor.


13. Milwaukee Bucks select SF Terrence Jones (Kentucky)

8:52 EST: After trading away Corey Maggette, the Bucks made a good pick in southpaw forward Terrence Jones to fill that void. The versatile forward will fit nicely next to Stephen Jackson and adds onto a good young core that consists of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. Development of jumper off the dribble would take his offensive stock to another level.


14. Utah Jazz select SF Kris Joseph (Syracuse)

8:58 EST: The quintessential swingman small forward, Joseph is a great athlete, with tremendous leaping abilities. However, the Jazz will have to wait a few years as he's still very raw and more of a project, with an improved outside game, he could turn into an intriguing piece for Utah.


TRADE
Philadelphia receives: Brandon Rush, 2012 1st round Pacers
Indiana receives: 15th pick, Andres Nocioni

9:00 EST: The youth-filled Pacers continue to stock up on talent, adding forward Andres Nocioni and grabbing the Sixers’ 15th overall pick in exchange for seldom used guard Brandon Rush as well as their 1st round pick for next season. The first round pick is mind-bogging and doesn’t seem to be a very wise move on Larry Bird’s part, as the Pacers will probably miss the playoffs again, but the impact awaits to be seen.

2011 NBA Draft: Live Pick-By-Pick Analysis

1st Round: Mid-Late Round Picks (15-30)

15. Indiana Pacers select SG William Buford (Ohio State)

9:04 EST: They gave up a guard in Brandon Rush, now they draft one back in Ohio State’s William Buford. Buford is a 6-5 two guard that has good athletic ability and possesses a pretty jumpshot with excellent form and developing range. In addition, he shows solid fundamentals and a willingness to work at it which should allow him to become a strong defender as his body matures. Good addition to the backcourt depth of the Pacers.


16. Orlando Magic select SF Kyle Singler (Duke)

9:10 EST: With Singler the Magic adds another proven Duke product. Singler is a 4-year starter who was an impact player at Duke as soon as he put on the uniform; With a 6-9, 228 lb frame, he has good size for the SF spot and has an effective jumpshot to go along with a high basketball IQ. His defense does need work and he has much less of an upside then even other seniors, but he should be able to contribute to the Magic right away.


17. San Antonio Spurs select PF Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania)

9:16 EST: Legit seven footer with range to boot. Just one major knock on Motiejunas – he has no rebounding capability whatsoever. Grabbing fewer than five rebounds per game in the Italian Serie A league isn’t exactly going to translate to good play in the much more physical NBA. The Spurs need a legit center to place alongside Duncan, not a power forward that is softer than butter.


18. New York Knicks select Josh Selby (Kansas)

9:22 EST: His attitude was poor his freshman year, but he has the type of talent that could lead to being a good starter down the road. He should have been a top 15 pick, but teams were wary of reports that he is an a-hole. If he can put it all together, he could end up being a huge steal.


TRADE
Denver receives: Antonio McDyess
San Antonio receives: Chris Andersen, 49th pick

9:25 EST: The Spurs strike once again with another shrewd deal. McDyess and Andersen pretty much bring the same thing to the table, but Andersen is younger and they get another pick to boot. McDyess has pretty much got a maximum of 2 seasons left in the tank, and Denver is just looking like they are waiting for him to retire to save money.


19. Denver Nuggets select PF CJ Leslie (Ohio State)

9:28 EST: A 6'9 freshman with tremendous athleticism, Leslie’s length, athleticism and leaping ability allows him to get high above the rim and make plays on the ball at its highest point, leading to many tip ins and putbacks on the offensive glass with his terrific hands. Perhaps the Nuggets were not simply doing a salary dump afterall. Leslie will fill in nicely into the shoes that “The Birdman” has left behind.


20. New Zealand Panthers select C Enes Kanter (Kentucky)

9:34 EST: How did this guy fall all the way to 20th? Kanter is certainly a gamble, but no matter what happens he’s an absolute steal at number 20. He’s the type of prospect that NBA teams have a difficult time acquiring outside of the draft. A legit 6-11 in shoes, with a solid 7-1 ½ wingspan and a 9-1 ½ standing reach; He possesses a terrific frame, carrying 259 pounds with just 5.9% body fat. While not a terribly explosive athlete, he's a mobile player with solid agility who can get up and down the floor fairly well and displays good body control around the basket. In addition, Kanter has good, soft hands along with a solid shooting touch, both around the basket and has range that drops out to 18 feet. He’s still too much of a project to have much impact, but a few years and this 19 year old could really make a difference for the Panthers.


21. New Jersey Nets select SF Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA)

9:40 EST: Tyler Honeycutt earned a well-deserved reputation as the draft’s biggest tease because he has all the tools you want in an NBA small forward, yet his production at UCLA never matched his potential. The 6-foot-8 forward has a long wingspan, a smooth jump shot and uncanny vision for a player his size. If he could give a consistent effort on defense and cut down on his high-risk passes, the Nets have drafted a valuable asset.


22. Cleveland Cavaliers select C Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania)

9:46 EST: How did this one fall so low as well? Valanciunas shows the instincts and aptitude to develop into a solid starting center. He needs to get stronger and refine his post skills, but he fills a serious need for Cleveland and will be a good fit next to Kyrie Irving. He won’t contribute a lot at first, but he doesn’t need to as the Cavs still have Anderson Varejao to man the middle.


23. Portland Trailblazers select PG Maalik Wayns (Villanova)

9:52 EST: Wayns is 6'1 point guard who is just as fast with the ball in his hands as he is without it, and uses his quickness and excellent handle to change directions and breakdown the defense, whether its in the half court or in transition. Wayns is comfortable shooting off the dribble, which is good, but his offensive efficiency in the half-court needs to be refined. Probably will be taken under the wing by veteran guard Andre Miller and be developed for a few seasons before making an impact of any kind.


24. Atlanta Hawks select SF Chris Singleton (Florida State)

9:58 EST: The Hawks adds another great defensive player in Singleton. Singleton was the last man standing in the green room, meaning he was a huge steal at this point in the draft. At 6-9, he can defend anyone from shooting guards to power forwards. He's not a very good shooter, and will never be the type of player who creates his own offense, but he can defend with the best of them. With the likes of Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich and now adding Chris Singleton, look for the Hawks to be one of the top defensive teams next season.


25. New Orleans Hornets select PF Willie Reed (St Louis)

10:04 EST: With Jason Smith hitting the Free Agent Market, the Hornets did good on adding a promising prospect with the 6-9 forward Willie Reed. Reed runs the floor very well and shows good quickness at the PF spot, and at the same time possesses a developing 15 foot jump shot while having a good touch around the basket as well. He’s still pretty raw and will need development, but with one of the better face-up power forwards in David West on the roster, he’s in a perfect learning environment.


26. Dallas Mavericks select PG Nolan Smith (Duke)

10:10 EST: Kyrie Irving’s toe injury was a crushing blow to Duke’s title chances last season, but in some ways it was a blessing for Nolan Smith. The senior finally had the opportunity to prove he can run the team as a true point guard, an area in which he showed improvement despite occasionally being turnover-prone. Smith is an improving shooter, a capable defender and a solid finisher at the rim, but the biggest question with him is whether he can get by NBA defenders off the dribble. With JJ Barea testing free agency, Smith is a good addition to the backcourt depth of Dallas.


27. Chicago Bulls select SG Travis Leslie (Georgia)

10:16 EST: The Bulls were weak at the Shooting Guard spot last season, and they are making use of every opportunity to solidify that spot. Leslie is amongst the top physical specimens in this draft class, with rare athleticism, length and strength at 6-4. He’s a good aggressive defender that’s very active and plays the passing lanes well, which should allow him to fit in the Bulls’ system fairly easily. However, the knock on his game is that he has absolutely no three point range.


TRADE
Washington receives: Anthony Tolliver
Minnesota receives: Sam Young, 36th pick

10:17 EST: The Wolves add another pick and sends away one member of their cluttered up frontcourt while the Wizards add a decent contributor off the bench.


28. Boston Celtics select SF Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt)

10:22 EST: The Celtics add an excellent athletic perimeter defender in Jeff Taylor, who has great length and size at the small forward spot. On offense he is very adapted at drawing contact and getting to the line, which should help the Cs in giving more space to Ray Allen and co. Taylor is still very inconsistent with his shot, and has no three point range, but appears to have untapped potential and playing with three future hall of famers should help draw that out.


29. Chicago Bulls select SF Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State)

10:28 EST: This one could be the biggest steal of the draft. Kawhi Leonard has good length, freakishly large hands and the ability to defend and rebound as well as any perimeter player in this draft. If his jump shot improves in the next few years, Leonard will be one of the best players from this draft. If it remains a liability, he’ll have to buck the odds to get consistent playing time despite an inability to consistently hit a wide-open mid-range shot.


30. Los Angeles Lakers select PG Shelvin Mack (Butler)

10:34 EST: With Derek Fisher gone, the PG spot is up for grabs on the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. While Steve Blake probably has the biggest chance of getting it, it never hurts to add depth and competition at their weakest spot. Shelvin Mack has been a solid tournament performer for three years and should be a good fit for the Lakers.

2011 NBA Draft: Live Pick-By-Pick Analysis

2nd Round

31. Charlotte Bobcats select C Fab Melo (Syracuse)

32. Cleveland Cavaliers select SF Chris Wright (Dayton)

33. Minnesota Timberwolves select PG Malcolm Lee (UCLA)

34. Toronto Raptors select PF Mason Plumlee (Duke)

TRADE
Houston receives: Jonny Flynn
Minnesota receives: Brad Miller

10:37 EST: The Wolves need another big and the Rockets needed an upgrade at the point. Done deal. Jonny Flynn will be expected to start immediately over Kyle Lowry and give the Rockets a boost in that backcourt that they needed ever since trading away Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic; while the Wolves obtain the veteran savvy center in Brad Miller.


35. Oklahoma City Thunder select PF Marcus Morris (Kansas)

36. Minnesota Timberwolves select Malcolm Delaney (Virginia)

37. Sacramento Kings select PG Corey Fisher (Villanova)

38. Houston Rockets select PF Kenneth Faried (Houston)

39. Golden State Warriors select SF Elias Harris (Gonzaga)

40. Indiana Pacers select PF Renardo Sidney (Mississippi St.)

41. Phoenix Suns select SG Iman Shumpert (Georgia Tech)

42. Detroit Pistons select PG Demetri McCamey (Illinois)

43. Milwaukee Bucks select PF John Henson (North Carolina)

44. Philadelphia 76ers select SF Wesley Witherspoon (Memphis)

45. Utah Jazz select PG Chris Wright (Georgetown)

46. Orlando Magic select SF DJ Kennedy (St. Johns)

TRADE
Bobcats receive: Darko Milicic (New Zealand), Marcus Thornton (New Zealand), 2012 1st Round Panthers (New Zealand)
Panthers receive: Draft rights to 4th pick Harrison Barnes (Charlotte), Draft rights to 38th pick Kenneth Faried (Houston)
Rockets receive: Draft rights to 31st pick Fab Melo

11:15 EST: The Panthers engage in yet another multi-team deal, this time sending last season’s starting shooting guard and center in Marcus Thornton and Darko Milicic, alongside their first round pick in next year’s draft, to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for the draft rights to Charlotte’s 4th overall pick Harrison Barnes of North Carolina, and at the same time getting the rights to Houston’s 38th overall pick, power forward Kenneth Faried of Morehead State. The Rockets in return obtain draft rights to center Fab Melo, who was drafted 31st overall by the Charlotte Bobcats. This comes at a surprise given the level of production that Milicic and Thornton brought to the Panthers last season, but it should pay off in the long run as Barnes has potential to be a star in the league and Faried is a hard working rebounder despite being somewhat undersized at the power forward position. Though, giving up their first round selection, which is probably another lottery pick, is not the smartest decision.


47. San Antonio Spurs select SF Chandler Parsons (Florida)

48. New York Knicks select SG LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor)

49. San Antonio Spurs select SF Mindaugas Kuzminskas (Lithuania)

50. Oklahoma City Thunder select SG Durrell Summers (Michigan St.)

51. New Jersey Nets select PF Kevin Jones (West Viginia)

52. Los Angeles Clippers select SG Jordan Hamilton (Texas)

53. Portland Trailblazers select PG Kalin Lucas (Michigan St.)

54. New Orleans Hornets select C Keith Benson (Oakland)

55. Atlanta Hawks select SG Scotty Hopson (Tennesse)

56. Dallas Mavericks select PF Lavoy Allen (Temple)

TRADE
Dallas receives: Rudy Fernandez (Portland), Draft rights to 19th pick CJ Leslie (Denver)
Denver receives: Andre Miller (Portland), Draft Rights to 26th pick Nolan Smith (Dallas)
Portland receives: Raymond Felton (Denver), Draft Rights to 56th pick Lavoy Allen (Dallas)

11:46 EST: The 56th pick was more or less made for the Blazers, as this deal has been in the works for the past half-hour or so. The Mavericks receive a young talent in Rudy Fernandez and a more competent backup for Dirk Nowitzki in Leslie, who is an athletic freak that just goes after offensive rebounds. The Nuggets and Blazers practically swap point guards that produce the same, except Portland gets a bit younger at that position.


57. Boston Celtics select SG Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia)

58. Miami Heat select PG Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas)

59. Chicago Bulls select SG Justin Hurtt (Tulsa)

60. Los Angeles Lakers select PG Jacob Pullen (Kansas St.)

12:05 EST: and that concludes our live coverage of the 2011 NBA Draft, thanks for tuning in everybody!

I want give a big shoutout to The X and Sit, who’s in-depth draft coverages are what inspired me and where I drew bits and pieces from to produce this long draft recap!

Last edited by Valor on Fri Jul 08, 2011 4:57 am, edited 3 times in total.

BAAAAAAAARNES!!

That was fast How would you rate my draft day acquisitons, coach, and the first free agent?

BAAAAAAAARNES!!

That was fast How would you rate my draft day acquisitons, coach, and the first free agent?

Im loving the draft day deals. Your taking a BIG risk w/ the Barnes trade (due to trading you future 1 rd pick) but you got a steal in Kanter and nice pick ups w/ Asik, Mayor, Sefolosha, Faried, and ALLEN IVERSON! Nice Coaching pick up too. If anyone can tame AI its Coach Brown.

Iverson/Sefolosha/Barnes/Yi/Kanter lineup?!

I like the deals, especially picking up Barnes, and stealing Kanter.

Barnes - I just love him, can't wait to see him in the NBA. I tried to swing a deal in my Heat association to get him using LeBron, but I couldn't find a deal to benefit both sides equally. He'll average 25 in the NBA in no time.

Kanter - At 20, definitely a steal. As he claimed he was the best player in the draft. And if anything, an upgrade over Milicic for sure.

Asik - He has jumped into my rotation and has stayed there. A very good rebounder.

Sefolosha - I see you're rounding up players with a connection to the Bulls. I've always liked him, the way he keeps starting in front of 'The Bearded One' in OKC shows what he's all about.

Maynor - I like him, should be a good PG for you. Will he start?

Overall I your moves, I'll start the 'Barnes for All-Star 2012!' campaign today.

BAAAAAAAARNES!!

That was fast How would you rate my draft day acquisitons, coach, and the first free agent?

Im loving the draft day deals. Your taking a BIG risk w/ the Barnes trade (due to trading you future 1 rd pick) but you got a steal in Kanter and nice pick ups w/ Asik, Mayor, Sefolosha, Faried, and ALLEN IVERSON! Nice Coaching pick up too. If anyone can tame AI its Coach Brown.

Iverson/Sefolosha/Barnes/Yi/Kanter lineup?!

Cheers man, high risk high reward - lets see what I end up with Lineup isn't set yet but that could be a possibility

I like the deals, especially picking up Barnes, and stealing Kanter.

I was shocked to see Kanter drop to me, didn't hesitate to pick him up immediately

Barnes - I just love him, can't wait to see him in the NBA. I tried to swing a deal in my Heat association to get him using LeBron, but I couldn't find a deal to benefit both sides equally. He'll average 25 in the NBA in no time.

Kanter - At 20, definitely a steal. As he claimed he was the best player in the draft. And if anything, an upgrade over Milicic for sure.

Asik - He has jumped into my rotation and has stayed there. A very good rebounder.

Sefolosha - I see you're rounding up players with a connection to the Bulls. I've always liked him, the way he keeps starting in front of 'The Bearded One' in OKC shows what he's all about.

Maynor - I like him, should be a good PG for you. Will he start?

Overall I your moves, I'll start the 'Barnes for All-Star 2012!' campaign today.

It's up in the air whether I'll start Barnes or Battier, Kanter or Asik, Iverson or Sefolosha (all offense vs defense questions), Maynor should be starting over Smush but we'll see
Might be too early to call the All-Star campaign though, he ain't Blake Griffin or Yao Ming

You got yourself a steal in Harrison Barnes and Enes Kanter, nicely done. But you mentioned the Rockets acquiring Jonny Flynn, how is he an upgrade over Kyle Lowry? There's a reason Flynn played a backup role in Minnesota.

You got yourself a steal in Harrison Barnes and Enes Kanter, nicely done. But you mentioned the Rockets acquiring Jonny Flynn, how is he an upgrade over Kyle Lowry? There's a reason Flynn played a backup role in Minnesota.

In 2K, he's an upgrade

Damn, Kanter and Barnes. Pretty f'cking awesome. Nice trades to go with it. Playoff season coming

Great, great selections! I would have get Kemba like Coach said if I've given the chance, but I love the Barnes pick!

Nice work. Not sure what you took you longer, the recap of the draft or working out that four team trade

Great picks man!
In my game, Kanter has been great!

Damn, Kanter and Barnes. Pretty f'cking awesome. Nice trades to go with it. Playoff season coming

Hope so, if I missed them it would be terrible since I gave up my first

Great, great selections! I would have get Kemba like Coach said if I've given the chance, but I love the Barnes pick!

Larry Brown loves point guards Kemba's good but I don't want to wait a few years in mediocrity until he develops (as most PGs need a few seasons to blossom)

Nice work. Not sure what you took you longer, the recap of the draft or working out that four team trade

Haha Cheers X, I'll say it was pretty even, which says a lot about the difficulty of orchestrating such a trade

Great picks man!
In my game, Kanter has been great!

Thanks man, I hope he'll be great here too

Really sweet additions for the Panthers Both Barnes and Kanter can make a difference for you. Keep it up, bro!

Your a trading master! You got real lucky with Kanter & then trading for Barnes was great.Plus I think you could do things with Sefelosha. I'm thinking playoffs. Also glad Kyrie actually went to the Cavs.

Really sweet additions for the Panthers Both Barnes and Kanter can make a difference for you. Keep it up, bro!

Cheers man, I hope they can lol, as you know drafts only generate 50s-high 60s players Hope they develop well and make an impact!

Your a trading master! You got real lucky with Kanter & then trading for Barnes was great.Plus I think you could do things with Sefelosha. I'm thinking playoffs. Also glad Kyrie actually went to the Cavs.

Haha thanks for the praise I lucked out with Kanter for sure, and playoffs would be the goal this season for sure!

Panthers Name Larry Brown Head Coach



Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown has agreed to a two year contract to coach the New Zealand Panthers.

New Zealand will be Brown's 10th NBA coaching stop. The 70 year old former point guard is the only coach in history to win
a NCAA championship, ABA championship, as well as a NBA championship.

Considered one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, Brown has an all-time record of 1275-965 in his coaching
career.He was named the NBA's coach of the year in 2001 and enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Coach Brown is famed for his ability to turn teams around into winning squads in realtively short amounts of time, and the
Panthers, in their second season in franchise history, will look for Brown to guide them to their first playoff appearance
this season. Brown last coached the Charlotte Bobcats between the years 2008-2010, in which he led them to the
franchises' first ever playoff appearance in 2009.

Brown has already finalized his coaching staff, with the head assistant being former NBA player and current NBA TV
analysis Eric Snow.

In related news, several other coaching changes have also been made around the league and are listed below.


Notable Coaching Changes

Charlotte Bobcats: Ervin Rooks (Head Coach)
Los Angeles Lakers: Mike Brown (Head Coach)
Utah Jazz: Tyrone Corbin (Head Coach)
Utah Jazz: Jeff Hornacek (Assistant Coach)
Golden State Warriors: Mark Jackson (Head Coach)
Washington Wizards: Jackson Page (Head Coach)
Houston Rockets: Roderick Meekins (Head Coach)
Detroit Pistons: Brendan Lynch (Head Coach)
Denver Nuggets: Willis Armstrong (Head Coach)
Sacramento Kings: Earl Cannon (Head Coach)
Toronto Raptors: Clarence Singleton (Head Coach)
Toronto Raptors: Alex English (Assistant Coach)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Flip Saunders (Head Coach)

Good to see Hornaceck back with the Jazz and Saunders in Minnesota
Great job in acquiring Larry Brown as Head Coach! Hope to see a fruitful season!