Kotoch: Mock Draft 3.0: Noel to Cavaliers, Steven Adams on the rise

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With the NBA combine and draft lottery officially wrapped up, we can now update our Mock Draft to officially represent the 2013 NBA draft.

Cleveland won the lottery for the second time in three years and is primed to expedite its rebuilding effort with the first, 19th, 30th, and 33rd picks in the draft to go with tons of cap space and plenty of assets to pull off a big deal, including possibly trading center Anderson Varejao.

While in Chicago this past week, there was a lot of buzz on prospects such as Steven Adams, Reggie Bullock, Allen Crabbe, Cody Zeller and Rudy Gobert, among others. With the draft still over a month away, nothing is set in stone.

Players will continue to hone their skills as well as prepare for workouts and interviews with front offices in the hope of boosting – or in some cases, salvaging – their draft stock.

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SH Blog: Lacob promises championship at some point, Wade doubted career after surgeries

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Klay ThompsonLets talk about the Golden State Warriors.

How many people, before the season began, thought that this team could make the playoffs without a healthy Andrew Bogut anchoring its defense? If the number reads more than zero, then we have some liars in our hands because lets face it: no one thought that the Warriors would be good enough in the Western Conference if they couldn’t play defense. Without Bogut’s availability, there was no reason to assume that they would suddenly be able to get stops with a core of Stephen Curry, David Lee, Klay Thompson and a couple of rookies in the starting lineup.

Yet, that’s what happened in the first half of the season. They defended and rebounded the way winning teams would. Maybe it was fluke, because as the season went on, it all reverted back to past years, as they allowed anyone and everyone to shoot freely and attack the rim at will. They limped into the All-Star break with a five-game losing streak, and lost 10-of-13 games to fall back in the standings. It was hard-pressed to find a team that played worse defense in the second half of the season than the Warriors.

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Five reasons to feel positive about the Portland Trail Blazers

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(This is another in a series of 30 guest columns that will run in October, when optimism reigns supreme across the NBA. The theme will be “Five Reasons to Feel Positive About … ” We encourage you to follow the authors on Twitter and visit their sites. – CS)

blazers small logoPortland Trail Blazers fans had to endure one of the franchise’s worst meltdowns in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Following an epic sell-off and housecleaning, the Blazers enter this season with a new general manager in Neil Olshey, a revamped coaching staff with a single holdover in Kaleb Canales and a roster that includes eight new players.

Doom and gloom and a second season in the draft lottery are what some are projecting for these Blazers. But it doesn’t have to be all bad. Here are a handful of good reasons to feel positive about the Blazers in 2012-13.

1. Damian Lillard is ready to play

Portland’s list of point guards of the future is long. This time, however, the Blazers may have gotten it right Unlike former draftees Sebastian Telfair and Jerryd Bayless, the holes in Lillard’s game aren’t major. Telfair couldn’t shoot like Lillard. Bayless was playing out of position at the point. Lillard is a legitimate scorer, an above-average shooter with deep range, and best of all he’s a natural point guard.

In four preseason games, Lillard already has shown that he can handle the offense. He is developing a nice rhythm with LaMarcus Aldridge. And most importantly, he seems to be dealing well with the pressure of being the next great hope of the city of Portland.

Lillard still has work to do. He needs to figure out how to get engaged in the first quarter of games, he has to work on his decision-making with regards to when and where to hoist a jump shot, and he hasn’t really shown signs of being an elite defender. Lillard is going to get a hands-on lesson on how to play his position. Since he will be a full-time starter all season, watching him progress is worth the price of admission.

2. Meyers Leonard has a tremendous upside

The Blazers’ other first-round pick isn’t quite as game-ready as Lillard, but center Meyers Leonard could end up being almost as fun to watch. At just 20 years old, Leonard is still coming into his own on almost every level. For Leonard, 2012-13 will be about learning on the fly. The Western Conference is full of versatile big men, and Leonard will get the chance to match up against most of them.

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Bernucca: Three new coaches have plenty of work to do

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There are three NBA teams with new coaches for the start of the 2012-13 season, and no one is expecting any Flip Saundersof them to work miracles.

In fact, ownership and management appear to be expecting just the opposite. The Charlotte Bobcats and Orlando Magic both are undergoing massive rebuilding projects and don’t seem overly concerned with winning.

Both teams have hired inexperienced coaches with strong backgrounds in player development, which means they also have strong backgrounds in patience. It remains to be seen whether their bosses have similarly strong backgrounds in that latter category.

This isn’t high school or even college basketball, where coaching can make a dramatic difference in a team’s fortunes. The NBA has always been a players’ league, where the talent on the court almost always determines the outcome.

On Tuesday, we will take a look at a different trio of coaches who were hired during last season and will be running their first training camps with their respective teams. Below, we have an in-depth look at the three men who have more thorough introductions to make when camps open next week.

bobcats small logoMIKE DUNLAP, CHARLOTTE: There were more than a few folks whose response was “Who?” when owner Michael Jordan and GM Rich Cho decided to hire Dunlap ahead of more established names such as Jerry Sloan and Nate McMillan or a long-time assistant such as Brian Shaw. But none of those bigger names appeared totally committed to the huge climb back to respectability that Charlotte is facing. The Bobcats were a laughingstock last season (let’s not forget they are beginning this season with a 23-game losing streak and have a roster with plenty of promise but no idea how to win.

Bobcats coachMaybe that makes Dunlap a good choice for this group, which has eight players 26 or younger. Virtually all of his background is in the college game, save for a two-year stint as a player development assistant with Denver from 2006-08. And his only Division I experience as a head coach came last year, when he replaced cancer-stricken Steve Lavin at St. John’s midway through the season.

Dunlap has an older hand on his staff in Brian Winters, who has been an NBA head coach with Vancouver and Golden State and a WNBA head coach with Indiana. He has been scouting the last four years. The rest of the staff is younger assistants Rick Brunson and Stephen Silas and Dan Leibovitz, a long-time college coach who is at the NBA level for the first time.

IMMEDIATE GOAL: Nov. 2 vs. Indiana, Nov. 3 at Dallas, Nov. 7 vs. Phoenix, Nov. 9 at New Orleans. Those are the first four games for the Bobcats, who have to win one of the above games to avoid breaking the record for the longest losing streak in NBA history. (Cleveland lost 26 straight in the 2010-11 season.) Dunlap will repeatedly say last season is last season, when Charlotte finished 7-59, the worst winning percentage ever. But the losing streak will be a constant reminder of last season — until it ends.

LONG-TERM GOAL: Dunlap needs to prove he is an NBA head coach – for his sake and for Jordan’s, who has the awful Leonard Hamilton hiring on his record and will be similarly raked over the coals if this one turns out badly. After that, it’s development, development, development. Over the next two years, Gerald Henderson, Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffery Taylor have to play until they foul out or drop from exhaustion. The Bobcats have three first-round picks in the next two years and get huge cap relief in the summer of 2014. If Dunlap can have Charlotte up to 30 wins by then, the plan will be working.

blazers small logoTERRY STOTTS, PORTLAND: Smart hire or retread? Stotts has a fantastic resume as an assistant, riding shotgun on George Karl’s strong squads in Seattle and Milwaukee and Rick Carlisle’s championship in Dallas. But when given the reins in Atlanta and Milwaukee, he hasn’t fared well (115-168). It seems like he’s been around forever, but at 54 he is actually younger than Dunlap.

New Blazers coach Terry Stotts

Late in the interview process, Stotts was brought in by new GM Neil Olshey. Stotts was chosen over interim Kaleb Canales, who appeared to be the favorite at that point. He certainly was the favorite of owner Paul Allen and alpha dog LaMarcus Aldridge, and keeping Canales as part of Stotts’ staff (along with Jay Triano, Kim Hughes and David Vanterpool) may have been done to appease Allen and Aldridge while maintaining some continuity.

IMMEDIATE GOAL: Here’s why Stotts is a better choice than Canales. The Blazers don’t have a single player over 30 and five rookies on their roster, which has very limited postseason experience. This team needs to learn how to win and took a step back last season, missing the playoffs after three straight appearances. Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard are rookies who likely will be starting at the two most important positions. Stotts has been around the block and should provide some emotional stability to a potentially excitable group.

LONG-TERM GOAL: This one’s tricky, because Stotts has to find the balance between player development and staying competitive enough to keep himself employed and to keep Aldridge in Portland. Aldridge is his seventh season, and he still has three years left on his deal. But he has labored in a level of obscurity and has yet to get out of the first round while the team is being retooled around him. Stotts has to have Portland back in the postseason no later than 2014.

magic small logoJACQUE VAUGHN, ORLANDO: Vaughn spent 12 years as a backup point guard, a position that often provides a direct path into coaching. He played for NBA Finals teams in Utah and San Antonio. Some of the guys he played behind include John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Tony Parker. Some of the coaches he played for include Jerry Sloan, Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich. He spent three seasons as a player and two as an assistant in San Antonio, where his approach left an impression on Rob Hennigan, then a member of the Spurs’ front office and now the Magic’s GM.

As a player, Vaughn was a consummate professional. As an assistant, he was said to be very detail-oriented and committed to player development, a quality the Magic will need greatly over the next couple of years.

Vaughn outlasted fellow finalists Michael Curry and Lindsey Hunter in an exhaustive multi-interview process that was not completed until free agency was well under way. He actually was hired while Dwight Howard was still on the roster, but his hiring was clearly a move toward a future without the superstar. This is Vaughn’s his first head coaching job, and he is making somewhat of a leap as he was several rungs down on Popovich’s staff, behind Mike Budenholzer and Don Newman.

IMMEDIATE GOAL: Vaughn shouldn’t have any problems getting the roster’s attention; eight players have been around long enough to have actually played against him – and therein lies the problem. The Magic clearly have started rebuilding. However, they do not have the ideal roster for a rebuild as there are a handful of veterans who are expecting to play. Vaughn has to figure out what his rotation is, likely with some input from Hennigan.

For example, how much does Al Harrington play ahead of rookie Moe Harkless? Right now, the question is moot as both forwards are expected to miss training camp due to injuries – Harrington with a knee and Harkless with a sports hernia. Other youngsters who could have their playing time and learning curves compromised are rookie Andrew Nicholson (by Glen Davis), youngster E’Twaun Moore (by Arron Afflalo and J.J. Redick) and point guard Ish Smith (by Jameer Nelson).

Vaughn’s ability to effectively game-plan, work matchups and draw up late-game plays also will be under scrutiny as he has never done this before. There will be times where he will have to rely on his youngish staff of Wes Unseld Jr., James Borrego and Brett Gunning. The Magic might have been better served with one older, experienced assistant.

LONG-TERM GOAL: Expectations aren’t very high for the Magic this season – or next season, because the extra first-round picks acquired for Howard don’t start showing up until 2014. Vaughn needs to capitalize on those low expectations and use every available moment to develop a new team identity in the post-Dwight Howard Era, one that demands a no-nonsense approach, attention to detail and patience.

TOMORROW: Coaches conducting their first training camps with their teams.

Chris Bernucca is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Wednesday and Sunday during the season. You can follow him on Twitter.

SH Blog: J.R. Smith expects championship, Shaquille O’Neal calls out Dwight Howard again

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As some of you may know, the site was down on Monday due to GoDaddy issues, but we’re back to fill you in on some relevant NBA news. See what Knicks guard J.R. Smith expects from his team this season, what Dwight Howard has to do to earn the respect of Shaquille O’Neal, what Dwyane Wade thinks of his jump shot and more below.

Speaking of Wade, be sure to check out what he thought when Steve Nash was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and more in Chris Perkins’ column.

  • J.R. Smith expects big things from from the Knicks this season, according to Marc Raimondi of New York Post: “The Knicks want a ring and “nothing less,” according to JR Smith. The mercurial guard said as much to NYPost.com at a fashion event this weekend. When asked what fans could expect from the Knicks this season, Smith said frankly, “a championship.” “Nothing less,” Smith said. “If we settle for anything less, we already start off losing.” Smith also called out some of the top contending teams in the NBA in the interview, saying the Knicks will beat any of them. “Lakers, Heat – whoever,” Smith said. The Heat won the title last year and added Ray Allen, while the Lakers have brought in Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. As long as the Knicks have Smith, though, they’ll be the league leaders in trash talk and eccentricity.”
  • Shaquille O’Neal had a conversation with Rachel Whittaker of The Times-Picayune about Dwight Howard, the rumors of him playing in Mexico and more: “What was your reaction to Dwight Howard being traded to the Lakers? ”I don’t have a reaction. You have to care to have a reaction. I’ve got businesses to run. I always tell people that in order to step in my shoes you have big shoes to fill. For him, he’s going to have to at least win three to get people’s respect.” How do you feel about a big center like Howard following your same path to the Lakers following four years with the Magic? ”I’m flattered, if you want to put it like that.” Is there any truth to the reports that you’ll be playing games in the Mexican League next month? ”No truth to that. It’s kind of unfortunate that so-called experts have to get their sources from the Internet. It’s backwards. Especially like when people from ESPN know me and they can call me and ask me, but somebody else said it so they want to be the first to report it even though it’s not true. However, we could talk, but nobody has contacted me.”
  • Michael Jordan has realized his failures and will hand basketball operations over to Rich Cho. Completely. Matt Moore of CBS Sports has details, from ESPN the Mag: “Obviously, I’m a competitor,” Jordan said this summer when asked about the Bobcats’ 7-59 season. “I never want to be in the record books for failure.” But he is. And what’s more, to get off this already unlikely path, there comes word that Jordan has taken the most unexpected turn of all during the past year: In order to win basketball games, Michael Jordan has removed himself from the equation. He’s promised his front office staff that he’ll let them do their jobs without his shadow looming over their war-room marker boards. More unlikely still, he’s handed over the reins of the Bobcats to a next-generation GM, armed with high-level metrics, to do for Charlotte what he helped do for Oklahoma City – and in doing so, salvage Jordan’s flagging basketball reputation. Michael Jordan, whose claim to ownership stems almost solely from his inability to admit defeat as a player, has, if only by his actions, admitted defeat as president. The dinosaur is making himself extinct.”
  • Patrick Ewing passed up on the opportunity to coach a D-League team, from Frank Isola of New York Daily News: “Patrick Ewing, who for years has been passed over for coaching positions with the Knicks, recently turned down an opportunity to become head coach of the club’s D-League team, the Daily News has learned. Although Ewing is out of work after he was not retained by Orlando, the ex-Knicks great, who interviewed for the Charlotte Bobcats’ head coach position in June, would prefer to work in the NBA. Ewing has previously worked as an assistant coach with the Wizards, Rockets and Magic but has never been offered a job with the Knicks despite numerous openings over the years. The Knicks currently have a vacancy on their coaching staff but Mike Woodson is expected to hire LaSalle Thompson. It is unclear as to why the Knicks have refused to reach out to Ewing, especially since the club has former Knicks Allan Houston, John Starks, Herb Williams, Larry Johnson and Walt Frazier all under contract.”
Free agent forward Dominic McGuire has reached agreement on a deal with the Toronto Raptors, league sources tell Y! Sports.
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  • Dwyane Wade discussed the issue with his jump shot with Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun Sentinel: “In the wake of a season where he felt his jumper got away from him, Wade said upon further review it was not as much about how he was shooting the ball as how he was going through that motion. Now, with training camp three weeks away, he believes he has a grasp on the situation. ”I have one of the best mid-range shots in the league,” he said. “But, obviously, when you have different injuries, it makes you change a little bit. So it’s just about getting back to that comfort of it and finding out where you are now. ”My midrange game is very important to me. The biggest thing is coming out of my pull-up without losing the ball and just making sure it comes through my hand the right way. When it comes to my shot exactly, I don’t have a bad shot. There’s other reasons why I come up short a lot. So it’s just trying to work the kinks out.”
  • James Dolan apparently wants Isiah Thomas to return to the Knicks for a position, but Thomas isn’t quite ready, according to Isola: “The one person standing in the way of Isiah Thomas officially returning to the Knicks is Isiah Thomas. According to a source close to the former Knicks president, Thomas and Garden chairman James Dolan have had numerous discussions about a position in the organization, but Thomas has been reluctant to accept the job offer. “Isiah is very close with Jim Dolan but he’s told me that he’s not ready to jump back into the NBA just yet,” said the source, who was with Thomas on Friday at the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Mass. “There’s this perception out there that Isiah is desperate to get back, but that’s false. I think it will eventually happen but just not now.”
  • Blazers general manager Neil Olshey discussed the importance of leadership from LaMarcus Aldridge, from Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge: “I’m ecstatic. It’s great. It was a little tough for awhile. The gym was empty after free agency and summer league. We had a great day today. We had about eight or 10 guys in here today. They got to play some full court. We’ve got a great coaching staff. The guys have been on the court active every day working guys out. All the young guys are excited. LaMarcus [Aldridge] did a great job, he’s a real leader. He’s the one who orchestrated these voluntary offseason workouts so I’m excited about him kind of taking over the locker room and being a solid voice of leadership for the young guys.”
  • Andray BlatcheAndray Blatche will sign with the Nets, but it won’t happen immediately. Fred Kerber of New York Post has the story: “The Andray Blatche to the Nets’ move, a sensible and logical act, is expected to happen. It’s just going to take a little longer than it previously appeared. Blatche, the talented 6-11 power forward who was amnestied by the Wizards, has other business that needs to be addressed first before he could or would make any official agreement, explained his agent, Andy Miller, who still sees the 9.9-point career scorer as a good fit for the Nets. Blatche likely will agree sometime this week to report to the Nets — there are options, but every indication says Brooklyn. Previously, it appeared he might have signed as early as last week.”
  • Doug Collins expects forward Thaddeus Young to come off the bench for him, but Young desires otherwise, from Kurt Helin of NBC Sports: “Thaddeus Young should be on your “Sixth Man of the Year” watch list. He averaged 12.8 points and 5 rebounds a game for the Sixers last year and this season he could bring a surge of athleticism and scoring when he enters the game for the Sixers. Except he doesn’t want to be on your watch list — he wants to start. At the three.
  • Barry Jackson of Miami Herald has an update on Chris Bosh and Josh Harrellson: “Chris Bosh is adding bulk (six pounds of lean muscle) to prepare for the rigors of playing a full season at center…. The Heat is still giving thought about whether to sign former Knicks centerJosh Harrellson, who worked out for them the past week.”
  • Have you seen the official trailer for NBA 2k13? If you haven’t, watch it here because it looks pretty sweet.

Door is open for Isiah Thomas to return to Knicks

Kupchak humble about Lakers