JS: Brandon Jennings will be part of tour in India
After touring China last summer, Brandon Jennings will once again be promoting NBA hoops abroad, this time in the cities of Mumbai and Pune in India. We can debate Jennings' game until the cows come home, but it's pretty cool to see a Milwaukee Buck player not named Yi Jianlian developing a global brand, no?
Ford: Tristan Thompson to Bucks in Mock 1.0
Dan writes: Chad Ford has the Bucks taking Tristan Thompson, a 6'8" PF from Texas with the 10th pick. I'm not real hot on this pick, or really anybody whose "skill level isn't particularly high on the offensive end." Plus it seems dumb to pick any PF other than a sure-fire star right after Sanders. I'm much more excited about the picks flanking Milwaukee: Kawhi Leonard (#9 to Charlotte), Terrence Jones (#11 to Golden State), and Alec Burks (#12 to Utah). As a side note, doesn't this seem like the most unpredictable draft in years?
Frank adds: Like Arizona's Derrick Williams, Thompson doesn't have prototypical PF size (6'8.5", 235 pounds) but makes up for it with motor (nearly half his eight rpg on the offensive end), length (7'2" wingspan) and athleticism (2.4 bpg). However, unlike Williams he's a rather raw talent despite being a year older than most other freshman (he turned 20 in March). While he's great at getting to the line in spite of his lack of polish (7.3 fta in 30 mpg), he made just 48.7% of his free throws last season and he's Canadian. For what it's worth, DX has him 15th on their board.
Woelfel: Irving is cream of draft crop
Gery Woelfel recently polled seven NBA officials about the draft's top prospects and got some interesting results. Aside from the unanimous selection of Kyrie Irving as the top pick, Derrick Williams only barely edged Euro big men Enes Kanter and Jonas Valanciunas for the second spot.
Other notes: Carlos Delfino plans to once again play with the Argentine national team this summer and Kelvin Sampson remains in the hunt for the vacant Rockets head coaching gig.
Bucks.com: '71 Bucks celebration video
Jim Paschke highlights the 40th anniversary of the 1971 championship team, including some locker room footage from way back in the day.