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DX: Athletic testing data from Chicago released. The measurements leaked earlier this week and now the vertical, agility, and strength info is out as well. Jonny Flynn had the highest vertical (40"), DeJuan Blair's hops/quickness looked solid, and Austin Daye tested out about as poorly as possible.
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WSSP: John Hammond talks draft. The Bucks' GM isn't letting much slip, and the only guy he even mentions by name is Stephen Curry (in reference to his shooting performance at the combine). Hammond is joining Jeff Weltman at the workouts happening in Minnesota today and tomorrow, where Daye, B.J. Mullens, Jeff Teague and Gani Lawal are the notable names competing in 3-on-3. Jonathan Givony reports:
The early buzz from the first day was that Omri Casspi may have helped himself more than any other prospect, as he showed a great combination of athleticism, competitiveness, and skill-level. Austin Daye had a sub-par day apparently, being able to create his own shot almost whenever he pleased, but being incapable of finishing plays due to his poor physical strength.
Gani Lawal showed potential, but also looked far from being a finished product, while B.J. Mullens really struggled at times against Utah’s Luke Nevill, looking disinterested in what was going on on the court, and appearing to be at least a few years away from being able to play significant minutes in the NBA. -
Billy McKinney and Dave Babcock in Oakland for mega-workout being. While Hammond and Weltman are in Minnesota, the other half of the Bucks' scouting braintrust is across the country watching four workouts over two days featuring six players each. Among the players in Oakland are Daye, Mullens, Teague, Lawal (all pulling double-duty) as well as Darren Collison, Terrence Williams, Sam Young, Jeff Pendergraph, Chase Budinger, and Patty Mills.
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JS: Hammond not discouraged over draft. A bit more from Hammond, who's probably feeling pretty lonely in arguing for the strength of the '09 draft class. In reality it's probably equal parts politicking (never speak poorly of your own assets) and salesmanship (GMs have to hep sell tickets, too).
"We found ourselves doing that a little bit, even in Chicago," Hammond said. "We'd say, 'We like this guy a little more.' But we know this is part of the ebbs and flows, and there's no finality until draft day."
- ESPN: Chad Ford's 2009 NBA Mock Draft, Version 3.0. Until now, Arizona PF Jordan Hill has been usually landing in mock drafts' top 3-5, but Chad Ford's latest suggests Hill could freefall to the Bucks if Washington passes on him at five. Hill might not have the superstar potential you'd want in a top three pick, but at 10 he looks like pretty good value. Jonathan Givony mentions Dallas could also be interested in trading up for Hill at the Wizards' spot.
The Bucks will jump for joy if this scenario happens. Hill is a top-five talent, but if the Wizards pass, he may slip here. None of the other teams are really after a power forward. Hill would be a godsend for the Bucks. They face losing both of their free agents -- Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions -- this summer due to financial constraints. That loss could leave them wide open at both the point and the 4. If Hill is gone, they'll try to find the best player among DeJuan Blair, Flynn and Earl Clark.
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ESPN: Chad Ford Chat. Ford briefly mentioned the Bucks in the context of the Pacers' interest in DeJuan Blair. For more on Blair, check out our feature.
The Bucks and Nets would have to pass on him. If they did, I think the Pacers would grab him. Blair showed to be a pretty decent athlete at the combine. He had a 33 inch vertical and a lane agility score that beat Austin Daye and DerMar DeRozan.
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ESPN: D.R.A.F.T. Initiative. ESPN is kicking off an in-depth study of the draft, and it's probably not going to inspire much hope for us Bucks fans.
There isn't a Mike Piazza or a Tom Brady lurking in the late rounds, because there are no late rounds. Crunch some numbers, as ESPN researcher Tom Haberstroh did, and the draft could easily do with more downsizing. Beyond the first five picks, the quality falls off rapidly. Beyond the first 10, the selection process is a proverbial crapshoot. Actually, it's not that proverbial; teams drafting after the fifth pick are quite likely to pick a crap player and look back on it while using closely related linguistic variants of the word "shoot."
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BUCKS.com: Michael Redd Inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
- JS: Del Harris retiring
Filed under:
Tuesday Notes: Hammond speaks, athletic testing out, more mocks up
By
Frank Madden
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