Despite the down time between NBA free agency and the Summer Olympic Games, we can always count on NBA star Gilbert Arenas to provide us with something to talk about. Recent comments made by the Washington Wizards guard, fresh off signing a new $111 million deal, imply that his eccentric ways may be coming to an end.

“I do all the crazy things I do out there [and that] is going to come to a halt,” Arenas said. “I just need to cut out some of the foolishness I do. I create hype, but some of the other stuff I know I’ve got to calm down.”

What?!? The guy gets paid and now all of a sudden he’s going to be a completely different person? Where exactly is he going with this? I’m not sure if I buy that he can change overnight, or as a fan, if I even want to believe it. That whacky personality is just part of who Arenas is, and despite his tremendous ability, his personality is primarily what draws attention. The opinion here is that when Wizards management put all their eggs in the Arenas-Jamison-Butler basket by handing out a ridiculous amount of money to retain both Arenas and Jamison this summer, it was likely discussed that this team become all about business. GM Ernie Grunfeld and coach Eddie Jordan both know that they’ve been given a team that, if healthy, can compete at a very high level and they clearly don’t want expectations to dwindle on their watch. Arenas also knows that, while his antics are all in good fun and help increase his popularity around the league, winning is the only thing that matters in the end. Until he wins at a high level, he’ll never be mentioned among the great players of his generation. Arenas, perhaps more than anybody, knows that all too well.

Having said that, the notion that Arenas will stop being himself is something that’s just extremely hard to believe. Sure, he may cut back on the late night paintballing with teammates in his own backyard, or maybe even the occasional video poker in the locker room at halftime of games, but he simply cannot get rid of the things that got him to this point in his career. Namely, constantly playing with a chip on his shoulder, firing up three-pointers from thirty feet out, or still rocking the jersey number “0″ because that’s the amount of minutes he was told he’d play at the University of Arizona. Even shouting “Habachi” in a defenders face when he rips the net on a thirty-foot three ball isn’t something he can, or should, suddenly abandon. These are staples of his game, and it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t be drawn to him as much if they suddenly went missing. It’s that rare combination of playful swagger mixed with youthful exuberance that makes him such a unique player. We all enjoyed his antics when he was cut from Team USA, followed by him saying that he’d drop “84 or 85 points” on Coach K and Duke if he could go back to college. He then proceeded to drop 54 points on Team USA assistant coach Nate McMillan and his Portland Trailblazers in an effort to further show his displeasure. Please tell me, Gilbert, that cutting out those kinds of things isn’t part of the plan.

Perhaps working teammate DeShaun Stevenson for twenty-large in a game of horse could be cut out of his routine and we wouldn’t care, but really, nobody’s getting hurt from him issuing his Arenas Express credit cards for Birthday’s, sleeping on the couch in his bedroom instead of in his California King-sized bed, or training his dogs on his treadmill. Those are just part of what makes him Gilbert Arenas, and changing those things aren’t going to get the Wizards any closer to the NBA Finals. I realize he needs to mature if the Wizards plan to take that next step, and hope that a few minor changes will do just that, but let’s just hope that he can make those changes without sacrificing the player and personality that has made the NBA game that much better.

*Send any questions or comments about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com

When the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets Tuesday night, the impact was felt on the other side of the league. That’s because the financial hopes and dreams of some of this summer’s top restricted free agents, most of which play in the Eastern Conference, suddenly came to a nightmarish end.

Atlanta’s Josh Smith, Chicago’s Luol Deng, Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor, and Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala — all restricted free agents — were receiving strong interest from the Clippers once they lost both Elton Brand and Corey Maggette on the free agent market. These players were all hoping that signing an lucrative long-term offer sheet with the Clippers would force the hand of their current team to match the offer. Instead, they’re all now in a buyers market, as the Clippers were the last team with significant cap space to offer any one of them a deal that would exceed what they‘re now likely to receive from their current franchise.

With the newfound cap flexibility the Clippers had available upon the departure of their two biggest stars, they met face-to-face with Josh Smith in L.A. last week. Ironically enough, it was on the same day Brand was introduced as the newest member of the Philadelphia 76ers. They were also planning to schedule a meeting with Okafor’s representatives, and had also expanded their list of restricted candidates to Deng and Iguodala in recent days, with the latter likely coming as a result of the Sixers stealing away Brand.

Now, each of those players will either sign a long-term deal that appears to be much less than they’d hoped for, or they can each sign the one year tender and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, with the solid crop of players hitting the free agent market next summer, not only would it be a serious risk for them to play next season without future financial security, but to also throw themselves in the free agent pool next summer, when they’re not likely to be as coveted. Perhaps the one good thing about becoming “unrestricted” next summer is that potential suiters won’t have to worry about their offer being matched.

The problem the Clips likely found in the whole ordeal, as always in the restricted game, was forecasting which offer would be most likely to go unmatched. In other words, they decided to make the trade for Camby rather than wait it out and see if their offer was matched. They were really playing against themselves, so they could make one offer at a time, but it’s understanding why they didn’t put themselves through that ordeal. So they went with a solid veteran who is coming off one of the better year’s of his career, and one whose contract will expire in 2010 — just in time for the much anticipated LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh sweepstakes. Not that they have a real chance at any one of those players, but at least that leaves some hope alive for the fans for the next two seasons.
Plus, it makes the Clippers a whole lot better in the meantime.

As ESPN’s Marc Stein points out, Camby isn’t nearly the offensive force Brand is — and will turn 35 in March — but he’s coming off a career season in which he averaged 9.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.61 blocks for the Nuggets. They also gave up nothing of significance (option of swapping second round picks in 2010) for a player who will instantly upgrade their roster as long as he can remain in good health. It’s a homerun for the Clippers and every GM with a top tier restricted free agent should be sending the Clippers front office a box of cigars as a result.

“I think this is a very good addition for us, especially since we’re getting a player who can really help us without having to give up a player in return,” general manager Elgin Baylor said. “With him playing alongside [Chris] Kaman, I think we will have a pair of excellent interior defenders and that will make us a formidable team.”

*Send any questions or comments about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com

When former University of Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings announced his intension of spending a year playing professional ball overseas instead of collegiately for Lute Olsen, everybody appeared to have an opinion — including us. However, despite what you may think, I was actually really glad one of the country’s top prep players finally decided to start earning a paycheck rather than spending a year in college, whining about the NBA’s age limit.

Jennings, rated the top high school player in the country by Scouts Inc., is a Los Angeles native who spent the past two seasons playing ball at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, which is widely considered one of the best prep programs in the country. However, when he failed, after multiple attempts, to receive a qualifying standardized test score to play collegiately next season, the opportunity to make an immediate six-figure salary in Europe became rather appealing. He’ll avoid the NBA’s one year college requirement by playing for the Rome-based Pallacanestro Virtus Roma in the Italian league next season before becoming eligible for the 2009 NBA Draft.

Now I realize that some consider Jennings a “trailblazer” and a “pioneer,” after becoming the first prep star to choose the European route, but I’m certainly not one of them. I also don’t consider him to be brave, confident, or original, mainly because he decided to head overseas as a last resort, perhaps without fully the realizing the pros and cons of doing so. I’m glad, however, that those who’ve complained about having to attend college for a year, or have argued that the age-limit prevents kids such as Jennings from making a living, now know that there’s another way. If these kids, and those advising them, are so fixated on “getting paid” rather than attending classes and having to live on scholarship money, then there’s another way of making that happen and still eventually making it to the NBA.

One of the primary reasons I love this move is because, although it’s a risk, he’ll likely become a better player while playing against older, more experienced, and fundamentally sound international professionals rather than playing against student-athletes in the NCAA. Don’t get me wrong, I love college basketball as much as the next guy, but he’d have to juggle basketball and academics if he went that route. By going overseas, he’ll be able to spend more time working with coaches and improving that long-range jump shot that seems to be the one missing piece in his rather complete game. Perhaps more importantly, he won’t be the big-man-on-campus for a year. Instead, he’ll have to earn his keep, consistently work on his game, and mature on and off the court if he plans to see significant playing time. That should drive him to become a more NBA-ready player by the time he’s drafted, which is the one of the primary goals behind the age-limit.

“It’s a gamble, a big gamble,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. Syracuse coach Jim Boehiem seemed to agree when he talked about how difficult the transition could be from high school to the Italian league.

While I certainly agree that going overseas for a year isn’t for everybody, I’m not sure I completely agree with what consensus opinion about Jennings situation. Several NCAA coaches have pointed to the fact that there are multiple risks in doing so, like potential injury or lousy play, but I firmly believe Jennings can make this thing work in his favor. After all, isn’t there a risk of potential injury and lousy play on the collegiate level as well? Plus, despite being just short of 19 years old, Jennings has been on the NBA radar for over two years now. That being said, do you really think having a rough year in the Italian league would sway a GM from drafting him in the first round? A player with his skill package, elite athleticism, and basketball intelligence is a virtual lock to go first round, if not lottery, as long as he’s got a pulse. Even then, some GM’s in the league have a track record of drafting guys without one.

All joking aside, even if he does destroy his sky-high draft stock, he could end up signing a multi-year contract with a buyout in Italy, which would give him future financial security and the ability to make himself eligible for the NBA at a later date. If he were to make himself eligible for the NBA Draft, but somehow fall to the second round, he could play his way to an even higher second contract, much like Gilbert Arenas and so many others have done. The bottom line is that he’ll be set either way, even if he his draft stock were to take an unforeseeable dramatic hit.

In the end, the journey will be well-documented, and the year overseas will pose a variety of up’s and down’s. But in the end, Jennings will be the better for it. It’s not like Jennings was ever planning on playing for Arizona for more than a year anyway. He would have been using the school to get to the NBA as quickly as possible. He’s not alone either, and whether he likes it or not, he’s now become the poster boy for prospects who want to “get paid” in favor of attending freshman orientation.

*Send any questions or comments about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com

The Philadelphia 76ers signing of Elton Brand, among several other moves that have been made by various teams during the first month of the NBA off-season, has suddenly made the Eastern Conference formidable once again.

While we all know that the Western Conference is still far superior, the East may have as many as ten playoff caliber teams next season. That’s a huge improvement from years past, and makes the conference as good as we’ve seen in quite some time.

The Boston Celtics, fresh off their dominant Finals performance, and the Detroit Pistons, who have played in six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals, are still the upper echelon in the East. However, several teams in the conference, Philadelphia included, who are good enough to challenge in the playoffs next season. Perhaps more importantly, the Eastern Conference is looking at multiple playoff teams that are deep with young, supremely talented rosters that will likely be around for quite awhile.

The Celtics will certainly be the favorites to win the conference again next season, with all of the big three returning along with nearly everybody else from this season’s title team. Rajon Rondo is one of the smartest point guards in the league and will only get better now that he’s gained confidence in his ability to play on the biggest stage. Free agent James Posey appears that he could be headed elsewhere this summer, but they could still match any offer for his services, and even with out him they should still have more than enough talent and depth to continue competing at an extremely high level. You do have to wonder if they’ll be as hungry as they were last year and is their age will eventually catch up to them, but they’re still going to be the favorite early on. Also, now that they no how to win and have the confidence to do it, perhaps that will be an advantage heading into next season.

Depending how the team reacts to new head coach Michael Curry, and what they do with their roster the rest of the summer, the Pistons could once again be serious players in the playoffs next year. They didn’t do much with their draft picks and, because of their cap space, won’t be players in free agency, but they’re at the top of the league in terms of talent, experience, and team chemistry. Last year’s rookie, Rodney Stuckey, also looks as if he’ll be a solid player for the future. However, they still probably need to make a trade or two if they really want to take a step closer to an NBA title next season. That being said, they’re still incredibly talented and have loads of playoff experience, so they’ll likely be right there in the mix late in the playoffs next season.

As John Hollinger points out, the Sixers have the talent to win a playoff series or two next season, but won’t likely be title contenders for at least another year, when their roster has time to gel together and the young guys have further developed. That being said, Philadelphia fans have to love the position their team is currently in. Having a 29-year old Brand as their cornerstone, along with a solid veteran point guard in Andre Miller, and several young athletes such as Thaddeus Young, Andre Iguodala, Louis Williams, and Samuel Dalembert, the Sixers are in a strong position to be power players very quickly. Iguodala, who is already a serious player, and Young, who is going to be unbelievably good, will both get to move back to their natural positions with the arrival of Brand. As Hollinger writes: “moving Young to small forward means moving Andre Iguodala to shooting guard, which takes care of the other problem in the Sixers’ starting lineup. Willie Green moves to the bench and soaks up the minutes vacated by the trade of Rodney Carney, Louis Williams stays in his sixth-man Microwave role behind Andre Miller at the point, and everybody lives happily ever after.” Now if the team can just find a shooter, or two, they could be downright scary in the East next year.

The Magic have taken a step forward each of the last three seasons and there’s plenty of reasons to believe that they’ll take another step next season. The emergence of Dwight Howard as arguably the best big man in in the game is only one reason. The solid play of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis is certainly another, and the acquisition of free agent defensive stopper Mickael Pietrus from Golden State is yet another. Pietrus should be able to fill the void the Magic had at the two-guard position last season, and finally give them somebody who can guard LeBron and D-Wade. They still have some depth issues in the frontcourt, but that didn’t seem to be too big of an issue last season, so they should be okay for now. For a team that won 52 games last season, it appears that even bigger and better things could be coming their way.

The Raptors made two huge moves this off-season that will likely pay immediate dividends. First, they traded away a package that included oft-injured point guard T.J. Ford to the Pacers for Jermaine O’Neal. It was a risky move because O’Neal had such a horrible season this year as he was banged up with multiple injuries. But, by all accounts, he’s returned to form and his now close to 100%, which would instantly make Toronto a big-time player with a starting frontcourt of him, Bosh, and either Jason Kapono or Jamario Moon. The move also paved the way for Jose Calderon to re-sign with the team now that he has the starting point guard position all to himself. All in all, the Raptors really look as if they’ve greatly improved their roster for the immediate future. If O’Neal really does return to his old self, he and Bosh would be a devastating frontcourt combination.

The Cavaliers may have taken a slight step backwards last season, but they have a solid veteran rotation and the talent to compete at a high level again next season. They also appear to have the pieces in place to at least challenge in the Eastern Conference, like they have for the past two seasons now. For the second straight season they’ve stayed quiet in terms of off-season roster moves, but give LeBron even a decent supporting cast and we’ve seen the amount of damage he can do. They’re not currently on our list of title contenders, but they’re probably only a move or two away from getting there. We know they have the assets to make something happen if they need to, once again, at mid-season. At the very least, they look like a playoff team that could create some problems for the top tier teams in the conference.

Now that the Wizards have brought back both Jamison and Arenas via the free agent market, they’re committed to the team they have for a number of years moving forward. Let’s hope they can stay healthy, because the last time those two, along with Caron Butler, where all three healthy at the same time they had the best record in the conference. That was a few years ago, but each of those three have been selected to the All-Star game at least once within the past two years, and the supporting cast keeps getting deeper and more experienced. In terms of talent and team continuity, they’re one of the best in the conference as long as they remain dedicated after the signing those huge contracts and they can keep themselves healthy and hungry. That’s going to be the key for this group moving forward because those new contracts are basically untradable now.

Assuming the Hawks can bring back restricted free agent Josh Smith, and perhaps find a taker for Josh Childress via a sign-and-trade, the Hawks should be in a fantastic position to build upon their success of this past season. They have an exciting young nucleus with young, with experienced veteran leaders (Mike Bibby, 30, and Joe Johnson, 27), and a few youngsters that are just waiting to breakout into stars (Smith, 23, and Al Horford, 22). Their draft pick went to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson trade, but they’ll either bring back Smith or use the cap space to bring in a combination of free agents such as Emeka Okafor and Andris Biedrins or Daniel Gibson. Although losing Smith (quite possibly my second favorite player next to Deron Williams) would be devastating, they’re probably in a good position either way.

Many considered the Bulls to be among the best in the conference at this time last year, but we all know how that turned out. The fact that they flopped this season doesn’t mean they don’t have the talent to get back to playing at a high level. Now that they have a supremely talented, albeit young, point guard running the show, perhaps that will go a long ways toward getting back on the right track. Rose will likely struggle at first, as Deron Williams did at the beginning of his rookie year, but he’ll eventually be a fantastic player. If they can find a taker for Ben Gordon, whose a restricted free agent, they could get some decent value in return via a sign-and-trade. They’re probably a few years from once again being considered one of the best in the conference, but they have the pieces in place to eventually making that happen.

The Heat won an NBA title just two years ago and, though they were horrible last season, there’s reason for excitement once again in Miami. Not only will they likely have Dwayne Wade back healthy next season, but they have a new energetic head coach, who is likely to get better results from the one that was simply coasting through last season. Those two things alone would likely add 10-15 wins next season. However, they also now have the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award in Michael Beasley, an All-Star caliber forward in Shawn Marion, and a second round pick in Mario Chalmers that looks like he’s ready to start at the point. It’s doubtful that the Heat would go with two rookies in the starting lineup, which makes Chalmers a valuable spark-plug off the bench. If they believe Marion will opt out of his contract next season, they could either trade him at mid-season for a nice package of players or simply use the cap room to be players in next summers free agent market. Either way, they have the pieces to get back to the playoffs as soon as next season.

Also look for teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana pacers, both of whom made moves to improve their teams this summer, to be much better next season as well.

*Send any comments or questions about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com

We’ve evaluated the 2007 NBA Draft and given you our Potential Draft Steals, so now let’s take a moment and look at which players are most likely to be considered a “bust” five years down the road.

As much as NBA fans hate to admit it, there are several disappointments in every draft. Players who are selected higher than their eventual career production are generally considered a draft “bust.” Because of the fact that, collectively, players are getting younger and younger each year — and because it takes some players longer to develop than others — there’s an unwritten rule that says that a player must be in the league for three years before he can be labeled as such.

Players such as DerMarr Johnson (selected No. 6 overall in 2000), Dajuan Wagner (No. 6 overall in 2002), Kwame Brown (No. 1 overall in 2001), and Rafael Araujo (No. 8 overall in 2004) are just a few named that have been given that label over the past few years. The three-year rule would mean that Andrea Bargnani, the top overall selection in 2006, essentially has one year to prove himself before he’s in danger of being tagged with the dreaded label.

On that note, TMB would like to release our top five potential draft busts, 2008 edition. Before we start, let’s take a quick look at the rules. First, for a player to be eligible, he has to be a first rounder selection, no question about it. The reason is because second round selections aren’t handed millions of dollars in guaranteed money before actually playing in a real game. First rounder’s, however, are. Plus, the higher a player is drafted, the higher the likelihood that the team drafting him is passing on a player that could be much better down the road. Case in point is the 2006 draft, when Atlanta drafted Shelden Williams when players such as Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo, among others, where still on the board.

The higher a player is drafted player, the stricter the standard to which the player will be judged. A guy who is drafted in the twenties won’t be held to the same standard as a top five or even top ten pick. Therefore, even if a player drafted in the twenties spends all three years in the D-League, he still may not be as big of a bust as a top five pick who rides pine for three years.

On that note, let’s get to the picks …

RUSSELL WESTBROOK - OKLAHOMA CITY CYCLONES [#4]
Position: CG
Size: 6-3 190
Age: 20
Analysis: ESPB NBA Draft guru Chad Ford called Westbrook a “[g]reat pick for the Sonics,” and said he “has a chance to be a better version of Rajon Rondo.” As much as I like Westbrook as a prospect, I just don’t buy it. While I absolutely love Westbrook’s combination of explosiveness, athleticism, and defensive prowess, there are plenty of reasons to doubt. He’ll never be a true point guard like Rondo, and early in his career he won’t have that same group of veterans showing him the ropes like Rondo has had. “Russell Westbrook is a role player who probably is a sixth man on a good team,” one GM told Chad Ford before the draft. “Westbrook is athletic, fast and plays defense, but a top-10 pick? I don’t see it.” Honestly, I’d be a bit surprised to see Westbrook struggle at the next level, but there’s simply no way he’ll end up being one of the top four players in this draft class.

JASON THOMPSON - SACRAMENTO KINGS [#12]
Position: PF
Size: 6-11 245
Age: 22
Analysis: It may not be fair to put Thompson on this list because I haven’t seen him play as much as some of the other players, but I won’t be the only one that is shocked if Thompson ends up killing it at the next level. I agree with Ford’s assessment that “there [were] much better players on the board” when the Kings were selecting. If they really needed a power forward, Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur were both on the board, and in desperate need of a point guard, it’s looking more and more like everybody missed the boat on Mario Chalmers. This could be the Shelden Williams pick of the draft. Sorry, kid.

ANTHONY RANDOLPH - GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS [#14]
Position: PF
Size: 6-10 197
Age: 18
Analysis: I’ve been as high on Randolph as just about anyone, but his combine results at the Orlando pre-draft camp quickly changed my mind. He’s young enough to change those things and still develop into a solid NBA player, but they drafted the same kind of guy last year when they selected Brandan Wright, whose another super-athletic, yet thin, freshman forward with loads of potential. Word on the street is that they’ll try to use one of them at the three, but based on what we’ve seen from each player, that’s an experiment that will likely blow up in their face.

ROBIN LOPEZ - PHOENIX SUNS [#15]
Position: C
Size: 7-0 245
Age: 20
Analysis: Despite the fact that several observers were moving Lopez up their draft boards and implying that he could end up being better than his brother Brook, we decided to keep him in the late first round in our Mock Draft. It appears, however, that we weren’t the only ones who were skeptical about him, as another prominent GM told Chad Ford, “can you name the last time a guy who averaged five rebounds per game in college was suddenly labeled a ‘rebounder’ in the draft? Robin Lopez is a backup, not a lottery or mid-first-round pick.” He has very little offensive game, his rebounding numbers were average, yet he was practically a lottery pick? I’m going on record as to say that he’ll be a decent player, but certainly not an impact player in the NBA.

JaVALE McGEE - WASHINGTON WIZARDS [#18]
Position: C
Size: 7-0 245
Age: 20
Analysis: We were among the last ones to finally concede to the fact that McGee was a legit first round prospect, and there are several reasons for that. He has size, length, athleticism, and a solid jump shot, but he’s soft as tissue paper and looks as if he’s light years away from contributing. He’s probably worth the risk this late in the draft, but there were several other big men available that appear to be less of a gamble and seem to fit what the Wizards are looking for. Mark me down as someone whose not sold, and as someone who’d be shocked if he ever put it together and became a regular rotational player in the league.

*Send any comments or questions about this post to ajohn135@gmail.com

Now that the much anticipated NBA Draft has come and gone and summer league games have begun, let’s take a moment to look at a few players that may have slipped through the cracks on draft night.

As we did last year, this is our best guess at which players are most likely to be steals from this year’s draft class. We’re proud to admit that at least one of our five selections from last year, Sixers forward Thaddeus Young, looks as if he’ll be a draft steal. We have no comment at this time on the other four players.

Well, the masses wanted it again this year, and now they have it. Few people actually write about draft steals or sleepers before they’ve even seen a certain player in an NBA uniform, but what can I say — we like to be different.

This isn’t a list of which players will have the best rookie season, and it isn’t a list of which players will be perennial All-Stars. It’s simply which players were likely selected lower than their production will be at the next level. For example, Thaddeus Young went #12 to Philadelphia last year, but based on his production as a rookie and his potential for continued growth, that’s probably too low. In five years he’ll likely be considered one of the top five players from the 2007 draft class.

Now on to this year’s selections …

BROOK LOPEZ - NEW JERSEY NETS [#10]
Position: C
Size: 7-0 260
Age: 20
Analysis: Lopez will probably never be a superstar, and his defense and rebounding leave a lot to be desired, but he’s likely to be better than several players drafted ahead of him. He was considered a “safe pick” according to ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, and ESPN draft guru Chad Ford says that Lopez was “a very solid pick at No. 10.” Besides Dwight Howard in Orlando, the Eastern Conference doesn’t have a a slew of dominant big men, and Lopez ability to score in the low post should immediately make him better than half the starting center’s in the conference.

DARRELL ARTHUR - MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES [#27]
Position: PF
Size: 6-9 215
Age: 20
Analysis: This is an easy one, as long as Arthur’s health concerns prove to be less serious than most teams that passed on him had originally anticipated. He was a top-15 talent in his draft class, yet slipped all the way to No. 27 because of a kidney issue that, according to him, checked out fine in Washington D.C. the day before the draft. If he is indeed as healthy as he and everybody in his corner is saying he is, then the Grizzlies have themselves one heck of a player who’ll likely be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Chad Ford believes he has the potential to be an Antawn Jamison type of player in the league.

MARIO CHALMERS - MIAMI HEAT [#34]
Position: PG
Size: 6-1 190
Age: 22
Analysis: Once thought to be a mid-first round selection, national championship hero Mario Chalmers was one of the players who surprisingly plummeted into the second round on draft night. Heat president Pat Riley was as so surprised that Chalmers had slipped so far in the draft that he attempted to buy the No. 27 pick from Portland, but instead ended up sending two first-round picks and $2 million to the Wolves in exchange for Chalmers. During the first two summer league games in Orlando, however, Chalmers was playing like the Heat starting point guard position was his for the taking.

CHRIS DOUGLAS-ROBERTS - NEW JERSEY NETS [#40]
Position: SG
Size: 6-7 205
Age: 21
Analysis: Douglas-Roberts is another player, like Chalmers, who has had one of the most driven performances of the sumer leagues this summer, while putting up huge numbers. Usually, summer league breakouts players don’t show continuity into the regular season, but CDR has the talent and desire to be a rotation player in New Jersey next season and beyond. “A chip on my shoulder is an understatement,” huffed Douglas-Roberts, who took advice from Nets star Vince Carter throughout Wednesday’s game. “I’m going to have to play like this my whole career. It was sort of a blessing in disguise by me going 40th. I’m seeing a lot of teams this week that passed on me, and I get to slap them in the face a little bit.”

BILL WALKER - BOSTON CELTICS [#47]
Position: SG - SF
Size: 6-6 220
Age: 20
Analysis: Celtics Executive of the Year, Danny Ainge, has had success drafting injury-prone second round players with serious talent (Leon Powe), and he struck again with Walker when he bought the pick from the Washington Wizards. Most considered Walker a lock for the first round, and perhaps even a mid-first rounder, before he once again injured his left knee. Walker will likely never be a superstar, thought he has the ability, but he’ll at least be a solid rotation player down the road. That’s saying a lot for a guy whose draft position would suggest he’d spend his career in the D-League.

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Only a week after agreeing to terms with one of the leagues top free agents and appearing to be one of the NBA’s off-season winners, the Los Angeles Clippers are now in a state of shock, and find themselves the victims of free agent market rather than the beneficiaries. As if Clippers fans didn’t already have it hard enough.

According to ESPN senior writer, Marc Stein, the Clippers franchise cornerstone, free agent forward Elton Brand, and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million. The deal would obviously spurn the Los Angeles Clippers much anticipated hook up with Brand and Clipper-to-be Baron Davis.

Though the Sixers cannot formally sign Brand until Tuesday at Midnight, sources say they were able to secure Brand’s verbal commitment because of several factors. First, they were able to reach an agreement in principal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a trade that would send forward Rodney Carney, center Calvin Booth, and a future first-round draft pick to the Wolves without sending having to take back any salary in return. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the Sixers will receive a future second-round pick in return.

The propsed trade will shave nearly $3 million off the Sixers’ payroll next season and increase what was already substantial salary-cap space, positioning them to sign Brand offer Brand an even sweeter deal. Exact figures are expected to be available later Tuesday evening when the league reveals next season’s salary-cap figure.

Secondly, “Elton wants to go East,” according to one of Stein’s sources close to the situation. He’s always maintained that he enjoys playing and living in Los Angeles, but playing in the eastern Conference is likely to benefit his individual performance and he’ll be able to play in a conference that is much less established. Both leave the door wide open for his immediate impact to be felt.

As Stein points out, Brand is the proven power player Philadelphia clearly lacks on an otherwise promising roster that won many admirers as last season progressed. His arrival to the Eastern Conference quickly makes the Sixers one of the best teams in the conference and makes himself a strong candidate to make his third All-Star game appearance next season. The move would also move him much closer to his New York City area family right as he and his wife are expecting their first child.

When the Golden State Warriors realized that Brand was headed to Philadelphia, if anywhere, they quickly moved to Plan B, which was agreeing to terms with the other Clipper free agent, Corey Maggette. That leaves Los Angeles without arguably their top two players from last season, with Baron Davis as a consolation prize. That’s really not that bad, but given his age and his history with injuries, it’s safe to say that they’re in a worse position going forward unless they can use the rest of their cap space on either Emeka Okafor or Josh Smith. Since both are restricted free agents, it’s very possible that each of their respective teams would match any offer.

If they’re able to get someone to take their money, they could be in good shape, but they’d also have to overpay to make it happen. No team in Los Angeles should be overpaying to get players to sign with them, and in this case, it doesn’t even appear to be an option.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3480923&categoryId=2459788

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It’s now official: an NBA franchise will be in Oklahoma City next year. It’s actually been official for a few days now, but I decided to wait until the dark cloud had been removed before I sat down to share some thoughts about it.

Let me ask this question to Clay Bennett: how is taking a business, any business, from Seattle to Oklahoma City good for it’s long-term future? I doubt taking a $300 million business from a top fifteen market for a top fifty market translates into a profitable long-term financial venture. Sure, the first couple of years the arena in Oklahoma City will be full, merchandise sales will of course be high, and the excitement will probably feel like the move was right thing to do. However, as the losses pile up and the tickets become too expensive for people living in one of the tougher economic areas of the country, home attendance and overall team interest will start to dwindle.

As much as I love college football, anytime the big draw in the state is NCAA football’s Oklahoma Sooners, that simply can’t bode well for a business of this magnitude. In a ESPN.com poll taken from Wednesday, over seventy percent of the voters said they’d rather pay to go to an Oklahoma Sooners football game than watch the former-Sonics play. That’s pretty bad, and it’s telling of the type of long-term reaction this franchise is looking at unless they are able to become a playoff team in the ever-so-tough Western Conference.

I mean seriously, how do they plan to attract free agents to Oklahoma City? How do they plan to retain their own players once they become free agents? What could possibly be their selling point? There’s no viable angle. Even the Utah Jazz think that Oklahoma City will be a tough draw for free agents, especially when they’re currently one of the worst teams in professional basketball. How do they plan on marketing a player like Kevin Durant, will likely be one of the leagues biggest stars before he’s eligible to test the free agent market? Do they really think that Durant will stay in Oklahoma City in favor of markets like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles? Maybe if they were halfway decent they could imagine him staying, but not when the current state of the team is light years away from being competitive.

Without getting into the building of the new arena thing, I simply cannot fathom why anybody would want to leave Seattle in the first place. Of course, we all know Clay Bennett bought the team with the intention of moving it back to his hometown, though he now denies that, it still doesn’t make much sense. Doesn’t he have people on his staff advising him of the financial risks that are at stake? Seattle, by all accounts, is probably one of the best sports towns in the United States, and taking basketball away is not only a bad thing for the city and fans of Seattle, but a bad thing for the NBA. Several NBA players have recently said that Seattle is one of their favorite cities on the schedule and that they’ll miss playing there.

I suppose the only good thing that came possibly come of this whole thing is that the team name and colors were left behind for a future franchise. That’s probably not much for Sonic fans, but that leaves the doors open for professional basketball to return when that didn’t seem likely just a matter of weeks ago.

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Message to all those Cavaliers fans out there: as if you weren’t already paranoid enough about LeBron leaving once he becomes a free agent, judging from his comments earlier this week, we might as well start the countdown until he leaves. After all, he sure isn’t putting an end to the speculation that he could end up playing in New York in 2010.

Responding to speculation that he’ll sign with either the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets when he becomes a free agent in 2010, James said that he will remain committed to the Cavs as long as they remain committed to winning an NBA title. Though that may be the case, he sure isn’t acting and talking as if he’s ruled out the possibility of relocating to the city that has the ability to make him into an even bigger star, and a city that has been waiting for a basketball star of his caliber since Patrick Ewing left town. Asked if he could understand why fans from the Knicks or the Nets might be pumped at the prospect of him going there, James said “they have a right to dream about it, I can’t take that away from them.” Well, pretty big of you to let them dream about you LeBron, I’m sure they really appreciate that.

He then went on to say that New York was is favorite city (his hometown of Akron, Ohio, came in fifth behind Washington, D.C., Dallas and Los Angeles), and that Brooklyn was his favorite borough in the city, as he took part in a one-day USA Basketball media blitz. Brooklyn just happens to be where the Nets are expected to be playing, with a brand new area, in 2010. “Brooklyn is definitely a great place here in New York City, and some of my best friends are from Brooklyn,” James said. The fact that his close friend, hip hop artist Jay-Z, happens to own a small piece of the Nets makes the speculation that much more legit.

The Nets also made a major financial move on draft night to further position themselves to make a maximum contract offer to LeBron in the summer of 2010, by shedding Richard Jefferson’s contract when they dealt him to Milwaukee for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. If New Jersey chooses to trade Vince Carter for a combination of players whose contracts expire before the summer of 2010, it will have more than enough room to offer James a maximum salary.

While the Knicks too are attempting to position themselves for the summer of 2010, when LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh are all likely to be testing the free agent waters. However, they’d need to shed a few large contracts before then.

He also said that Madison Square Garden was is favorite arena to play in and called Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, who has been coaching him with Team USA, “one of the best coaches we have in our league.” You’d also have to assume that D’Antoni has likely been in LeBron’s ear at least a little bit during summer practices about the possibility of relocating to the place where LeBron can be marketed on more of an international level.

Not only is he not putting an end to the speculation, but he’s absolutely loving it. Cavalier fans might as well start the clock on his time in Cleveland because it’s looking more and more like his time there will be short lived. Unless Cavs GM Danny Ferry can pull of a Mitch Kupchak miracle and somehow bring a guy like Dwight Howard out of Orlando for Ben Wallace and Shannon Brown, it’s difficult to imagine seeing him in Cleveland past the summer of 2010. He’s not acting and sounding like a guy who wants to be there, and both teams in New York will likely have enough money under the cap and enough complementary players in place to persuade him to relocate.

“My friendship was way before Jay was part-owner of the Nets, and I loved the Garden way before I got to the NBA,” James said. “For some reason when I get to the Garden I always play well, so they want me to do it 41 games instead of just two nights a year.”

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When the Golden State Warriors won 48 games this past season, yet failed to make the playoffs, they became the best lottery team in league history. However, with the verbal agreement the Los Angeles Clippers have made with former-Golden State point guard Baron Davis, look for them to replace the Warriors as one of the most exciting borderline playoff teams out West.

While some will tell you that Davis suddenly decided to opt out of a contract that would’ve paid him over $17 million next season simply because of his desire to relocate to his hometown of Los Angeles — think again. This move was all about money. Davis didn’t like the extension offers Golden State was offering, and knew that his hometown Clippers not only had the money, but would be willing to pay Davis substantially more than what he could get by staying in Golden State. Had he waited until next summer to test the market, more high profile player would be on the market, and he’d be a year older and would probably have significantly less value on the open market. He’s also coming off a season where he played in all 82 games, which is a rarity in his case, and he put up very solid numbers across the board. This was the time for him to get the most money on the open market and he knew he could return to Los Angeles in the process.

Davis is also in the movie business, and runs summer basketball camps and a charity basketball game with fellow Los Angeles natives Paul Pierce and Gilbert Arenas, so the move made additional sense from that standpoint. Over the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Davis has made no secret of his desire to play in his hometown near the film industry. The money, however, was still the deciding factor in his decision, according to those close to the situation. Davis’ representatives and the Warriors front office recently held negotiations on a long-term contract extension, but Golden State’s offer was apparently lower and shorter than what the Clippers were willing to pay.

The deal the Clippers and Davis have agreed to, which cannot be signed until July 9th, is reportedly worth $65 million over five years. The Warriors reportedly offered a four-year contract worth roughly $50 million.

With Davis on board, and free agent Elton Brand supposedly looking to return to the Clippers, that could be a formidable duo for the next five years. ESPN.com senior writer Marc Stein is also reporting that Brand was pushing for the team to sign Davis and is willing to sign for less money to not only get Davis signed, but help add additional talent to surround him with. The potential of Baron Davis and Brand, with Chris Kaman, Cuttino Mobley, Al Thornton, and rookie Eric Gordon as complimentary players has to be appealing to Clipper fans. Then you have to watch and see if Shaun Livingston can revitalize his career and if DeAndre Jordan is going to be a legitimate player in this league. That’s probably not a group that will get you to the NBA Finals, but it’s a likely playoff team if they can stay healthy, and at least they’d be fun to watch and competitive.

Signing Davis will mean that the Clippers will likely have to renounce the rights to free agent Corey Maggette, who was hoping for a sign-and-trade during the offseason. With his rights renounced, a sign-and-trade is no longer an option for Maggette, who could surprisingly end up in a Celtics uniform next season. Though Philadelphia can offer him more money, as long as Josh Smith decides to re-sign with Atlanta, Boston could actually be a better situation for him. They’ve already made him an offer, and because of the of the fact that a sign-and-trade may no longer a possibility, few teams have the cash to give him a lucrative deal. The Celtics, on the other hand, can offer him the mid-level exception and a change to bolster a team that is already considered to be a title contender next season. That could work out nicely for both parties.

Look for the Warriors to make a max offer to Washington Wizards free agent Gilbert Arenas. If they can’t pry him away from the Wizards, which seems unlikely at this point, they could unfortunately be back to rebuilding.

Signing Davis to a big contract could also hurt the long-term future of the Clippers, especially if he has trouble staying healthy. However, if everything goes as planned, and Davis and Brand are both healthy and wearing a Clippers uniform next season, the Lakers won’t be the only exciting team in Los Angeles.

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