his is actually the thing that's been driving me crazy all series. Bad calls happen, but the refs have been pretty consistently whistling calls after shots miss. I've noticed it more on the Heat, but that is almost certainly a combination of them driving more and my own confirmation bias. I can live with a bad call, but call it or don't. Whistling a foul two or three seconds after it occurs and the continuation shot has missed is unacceptable.

I would have guessed you work at a Big and Tall Mens Wear with all the mentions of the big men. I mean, everybody has to buy furniture, but specialty clothing would increase the odds your customers were giants.

"Hi, I'm Thurl Bailey. In my 15 seasons in the NBA, I spent a lot of time on the bench, so I know the importance of a comfortable place to sit...."

With Rondo, I think the drive is off. The one advantage he does not have is quickness. If he drives on Rondo I think there's a very good chance of an offensive foul call, and the Heat don't need Rondo winning the game at the line with basically no time left.

Who do people see as the #2 pick? I haven't decided yet.
I do like the depth this year - there's a number of interesting dudes currently tabbed to go mid-first, late-first, early-second...

They need more foundational building blocks, and I think they would be better off taking a bigger risk.

Maybe Richard Jefferson with defense.

If he drives on Rondo I think there's a very good chance of an offensive foul call, and the Heat don't need Rondo winning the game at the line with basically no time left.

I don't normally believing in trading down from #2 but - yeah - I would too.
hoopshype / nbadraft.net has them taking Barnes, which seems like a bad joke. I've otherwise mostly seen MKG there, also Robinson (draftexpress) - who seems like a safe choice.

I don't normally believing in trading down from #2 but - yeah - I would too.
hoopshype / nbadraft.net has them taking Barnes, which seems like a bad joke. I've otherwise mostly seen MKG there, also Robinson (draftexpress) - who seems like a safe choice.

As others have noted, offensive fouls don't result in free throws.

Isn't MKG sort of perfect for Washington or Sacramento, teams that could use athletic players who don't demand the ball but can get out on fast breaks?

If you had a gun to my head and I had to pick at #2, I guess I would try to grab Andre Drummond or Thomas Robinson. I like Drummond, but I am worried about his ability to score.

But I can say this without reservation: If any kind of wrong-doing was ever proven in terms of lottery rigging, I would be done.

I like Drummond, but I am worried about his ability to score.

I am worried about his ability to score.


When was the last time that worked out? Not being facetious.

Dwight Howard had no offensive game when he was drafted. Of course, some may say he still doesn't. Either case, that's probably the comp Drummond's people want out there.

When was the last time that worked out? Not being facetious

Dwight Howard had no offensive game when he was drafted. Of course, some may say he still doesn't. Either case, that's probably the comp Drummond's people want out there.

That's not a bad list, tship, thanks for posting. I admit I somehow missed Connecticut this year (live in Georgetown territory so usually see a lot of the Big East). Was Drummond just an open dunk/put back kind of guy? Or did he show flashes?

I hate drafting SF's, as it takes a lot for a SF to be an impact player in the NBA.

One really valid source of concern for Drummond: Cannot shoot FT's. Like to a scary degree that will retard his development.

2010: Two out of three

Just on this I'd avoid him in the draft. We've seen a lot of dreadful free throw-shooting big men play in the league, and guys who are that level of atrocious from the line are either great (Shaq, Wilt) or bit players at best. (Ben Wallace is the one outlier.) Also, no player who's hung around for 1500 FTAs has shot worse than 41.4% (Wallace) from the line, and Drummond didn't even get to 30% last season. It's unacceptable. I don't care how athletic he is, unless you're looking to draft as the #2 pick Chris Dudley, you can't draft Drummond.

You missed Derrick Favors. I think he's done better on offense than expected.

Well .... again I feel like I'm his agent here, but he only took 88 FTs. In addition, poor FT shooting is probably one of the easiest things to work with a guy on and have them improve. I feel like it's likely that he could improve up to around 60% within two years (as I'm assuming he'd be willing to work on it).

The things he did do he did because he's big and can jump high, but he has no basketball skills to build on.

The things he did do he did because he's big and can jump high, but he has no basketball skills to build on.

You guys are giving me flashbacks with this stuff. It's...horrible.

Again, he's really nothing like Thabeet. He's three or four years younger than Thabeet was when he came out.

Again, he's really nothing like Thabeet. He's three or four years younger than Thabeet was when he came out.

Again, the worst thing about him is that he doesn't have any kind of jumper--including at the charity stripe. But the good news is that he can add that if he's willing to work.

When he did receive the ball with his back to the basket, Drummond was generally ineffective in post-up situations, converting just 22 of his 68 (32%) field goal attempts this season according to Synergy Sports Technology.

If all a guy has is athleticism, he's a late-round project, not a lottery pick. I wouldn't bet my house that he'll fail in the NBA, but I'd be willing to bet my car or something.

That's fine. I was jokingly responding to Hombre's description which does in fact sound very much like Thabeet. I haven't seen him play, so I'll stipulate that your client is nothing like Thabeet.

And Thabeet coming out of college was considered a smart guy with a good motor and serious work ethic.

Saving for next year.

But if this were true, you wouldn't see all-time All-Star type players like Shaq, Wilt and Russell hovering around 55% for their careers. Drummond, when he gets drafted, will be arguably the worst FT shooter in the history of the NBA.

I presume it is going to be MKG unless Drummond makes a push. Beal has also been a high riser. I want to wait until after the combine on June 8 before I make any final judgments.

It's rare, but there are some players that dramatically improve over time. K Malone only shot 48% from the line his rookie year, but improved to 60% his second season, 70% in his 3rd, and then shot between 75-79% for most the rest of his career (74% career FT). It can happen.

I can't remember anymore if you are right about this being the perception at the time, but the good motor and work ethic stuff turned out not to be the case in the NBA.

It's rare, but there are some players that dramatically improve over time. K Malone only shot 48% from the line his rookie year, but improved to 60% his second season, 70% in his 3rd, and then shot between 75-79% for most the rest of his career (74% career FT). It can happen.

Saving for next year.

So what you're saying is that Drummond needs to start taking 35 seconds between free throws?

Hey, whatever works. He needs to mumble whatever it was that Malone used to always say to himself before free throws too.

He needs to mumble whatever it was that Malone used to always say to himself before free throws too.

Malone's always the example used for "guy who improves dramatically." He's the exception, not the rule.

First, it's worth noting that there is a slight aging curve to free throw percentage. Players tend to improve by about 0.7 percent per season up through age 27 or so. The peak for free throw percentage is an extended one, as players don't really drop off consistently until age 32. Even then, the decline phase for free throw shooting is gradual. The other skills tend to give out long before free throw shooting, as illustrated by Bob Cousy's shooting in the movie Blue Chips.

On the plus side, the players who made these improvements did tend to maintain them. The average player who improved by a statistically significant amount went from shooting 68.7 percent to 78.7 percent (precisely a 10-percent improvement) and shot 76.0 percent in year three.

A couple of superstar power forwards serve as the poster children for improving at the line. Chris Webber made the second-biggest leap in standardized terms, going from 45.4 percent during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season (when free throw shooting was down around the league) to 75.1 percent in 1999-00. Webber had never previously made more than 60 percent of his free throws, but he only dropped below 70 percent once during the next seven seasons.

The experience of Webber and Malone should serve to inspire players working tirelessly in the gym. At the same time, a handful of examples do not set reasonable expectations. In general, history tells us that players are who they are at the free throw line, which is worth remembering the next time you complain about missed free throws.

(especially the NBA thread empire, which taken as a whole is the coolest thing I have ever read on the internet).

Some Sixers-related news:

1. Doug Collins is staying
2. As expected, Lou Williams will probably exercise his option. He wants a long-term deal.
3. Elton Brand also wants a long-term deal, and is willing to renegotiate.
4. Rumors that Rod Thorn is considering retirement. Who knew the guy was still working?

A lot of Sixers fans take out their frustrations on Lou and want him gone. The problem with Williams is he ends up with the ball a lot in crucial situations, as STEAGLES has noted many times, the Sixers had an unbelievably horrific record in close games, and a lot of those losses ended with Lou shooting a long 3 when down 2 or dribbling down to 1.5 seconds before making a bad pass or shot.

To me that says a lot more about the state of the Sixers than Lou Williams. You can't compare him to a starting SG let alone Kobe or Dwyane Wade -- Williams is a guy who plays 25-28 mins a game and provides instant offense off the bench and he's really good at that role. Granted, he's probably going to want a lot more money, and if some team wants to throw a huge contract his way and make him a starter, good for him. But definitely a guy I'd like to have back at a reasonable contract.

That said, with Collins coming back, it's probably not ideal to have all three of Williams, Turner and Iguodala returning.

Elton Brand has been a warrior and a really nice player over the course of his career. It seems he wants to finish his career in Philly. Unfortunately, signing him to some 2-3 year extension seems like a bad idea unless it's on a super team-friendly deal. Amnesty him, trade his expiring contract or get him back well below market value. Anything else would probably be a disaster.

While Lamb did show progress in some areas as a sophomore and was the team's leading scorer, his team's disappointing season will likely be a concern to scouts, as Connecticut's team chemistry appeared to be very poor, and Lamb didn't do much to alleviate some of the questions we've outlined previously regarding his questionable shot selection and passive demeanor on the court.

However, with backcourt mates Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier also looking to take their turns creating off the dribble and taking plenty of ill-advised shots, Connecticut's offense looked very ugly at times, with Lamb often alternating between disappearing for stretches and taking bad shots trying to assert himself in the offense.

Lou Williams - one question I wish had a more definitive answer with him is: how good is he on D? Reports vary widely.

Lamb can be a bit sheepish.

Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson was interested in the possibility of joining the Magic's front office for the past few days but bowed out late this afternoon, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Magic CEO Alex Martins was formally presented on Wednesday with a scenario involving Jackson by Sam Vincent, who played for the Magic and Jackson. Ultimately, however, the former coach will be re-joining the NBA with an unknown club in an unknown capacity.

[2273] NYK can't buy a pick because they used their money to get rid of Roger Mason and/or Ronny Turiaf in that deal with the Wiz.

I have not seen any solid reports. Joshua Casey posted a rumor that Kupchuk was going to Portland and that Phil was taking his talents back to the Lakers in a front office role. See Link

Are you sure? I thought the Post said last week they had $4 million or so to spend on it? I wouldn't be surprised if they were wrong.

Steals: Thunder 14, Spurs 2
Turnovers: Thunder 7, Spurs 21

What in the hell went on in this game?????

Only teams under the cap can renegotiate a contract, and the salary in the then-current season can be increased only to the extent that the team has room under the cap (and cannot increase the player's salary beyond the maximum salary). A renegotiation can only be used to provide a salary increase -- players can't take a "pay cut" in order to create more cap room for the team.