NBA Draft Dumpster Diving: Small Forwards

Now we have seen certain things about this draft class. Ricky Rubio may be sliding down the list. There is no center worth drafting. None. Charlie Villanueva may be the guy who the Bucks keep over Sessions. Blake Griffin’s first season needs to be written by Bret Easton Ellis.

But there are bargains and people that will go undrafted on this list that play the three that are going to make a good impact in the pros. It’s not as superstar rich as the one, but then again? You’ll be in good hands if you take one of these players.

Honorable Mention: Josh Carter (Texas A&M), Micah Downs (Gonzaga), Wes Matthews (Marquette)

6. Lee Cummard BYU
6′7″ 185

His only question is how long can his hustle overcome his lack of athleticism? Because even though he wore down toward the end of his senior season? He has a salad bar of skills. A great shot, great court vision, good handles, and a great passer. He also generates a good number of rebounds and blocks for a swingman.

5. Tasmin Mitchell LSU
6′7″ 235

I would not be surprised if he decides to go back to school, but he just might be ready now. He’s got a scrappiness that can change the culture of a defense. He has the rebounding skills and power that can have him play the four. And he is fast enough to play out on the wing. He goes right well and has a good mid-range game. He finds seams in zones. He will be a solid starter.

4. Milenko Tepic KK Partizan
6′8″ 198

His strength comes from his point forward ability. He distributes very well. He’s fundamentally sound and has good court vision. He has good shot selection and his jumper is improving. He doesn’t have great man-to-man defense skills, but a tall guy that runs the floor brings glory.

3. Tyler Smith Tennessee
6′7″ 210

His shot is shaky. He does lack some awareness. And he’s a little bit of a tweener. But athletic versatility is an eminently draftable quality, and that’s not all Smith brings to the table. His transition game is strong. He’s an active defender. And he’s great at starting the break with an outlet pass. If he brings his handles? He’ll be a strong starter.

2. Jonas Jerebeko Angelico Biella
6′9″ 210

Forget the offense. Forget the fact that he vibes tweener. He’s a lockdown stopper. He brings blocks, boards, steals, and an ability to stay with the majority of athletes. You draft him? You’re getting two things. Defense, and a ready made nickname. Jonas Jerebeko IS the Swedish Chef.

1. Omri Casspi Maccabi Tel Aviv
6′9″ 215

Here’s a theory. Considering how the Magic have seemed to shock the world, a player like Casspi may find himself getting into round one. He has decent handles and a range that does extend out beyond the arc. But his strength? It’s his athleticism. He uses both his height and athleticism to lock down on defense. There are some questions here, but he’s a man with experience on one of the great Euro teams and he still has upside. He will not fall beyond the 38th pick. And if he gets there? San Antonio wins the draft.

So, you know what? I’ll look at the power forwards. And after that? You’ll just have to read my blog or follow my twitter.

EV Peavy Japanesey…

Okay, let’s talk Jake Peavy. It all depends on the package the Padres would accept. Because you know what? The Brewers have no pitching prospects. They have names on a list. And if you consider that the Brewers history with pitchers is a dark one? (Outside of Sheets and Gallardo? They have received little from pitching prospects.) If the package is something along the lines of Jeremy Jeffress, Jonathan Lucroy, Alexandre Periard, and/or Evan Anundsen?

You have to at least consider it. I’m not saying you have to go for it. It precludes you from keeping Mike Cameron and he has been quite valuable as a Brewer. In fact, with some of the players hitting arbitration? You may not be able to keep the Fresh Prince of Bread and Candy either.

I’m not as bullish on the Brewers going after Peavy as I was for the Crew to bring Sabathia in. Sabathia was a well-dressed maniac on a contract drive, and you could get him for one big name. Peavy would have gone to the Sox for three. I’m not sure that I want to lose Gamel or Escobar for it.

Story time with The Grand National Championships…

Funny story, I was asked last June to be link buddies with Slam Online. It’s true. Someone in the Nets organization liked a post I did and sent me something they overheard. And I scopped Adrian Wojanarski. Really.

I was still not depressed by the tremendous fuck-up that I made by going to Blogger yet. It explains things. I had fire and piss and vinegar. Instead of this ennui that for which I have now. But you know what?

I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. The first post that got linked, was my list of top 25 free agents in the NBA for that season. If perfect is the enemy of done, this was the exception that proved the rule. I made several mistakes and several bad calls. In effect, it was roundly mocked, and deservedly so.

Why am I going off and giving you a “cool story, bro?” Because let’s be honest. My largest blogging mistake, and I have made a few. It was not nearly as incompetent as the way an NBA crew runs the game. Imagine if the Cavs went up 2-1? What would the moment that changed the game have been?

Gold star if you thought about Howard’s clean block of James that turned out to be a three shot foul. Not to say that the Cavaliers don’t have larger problems than the fact the referees want to control the game with an iron fist. But this has the potential to be a fanmaking series.

Two games that literally came down to the last moment, and on a holiday Sunday, we all know people are watching. This probably had good ratings at least through the first first two 15 minute markers. But as the Brewers got beat down? I had no other option. I went to a game where it was essentially threes and fouls, most of them for even considering playing defense on LeBron.

Unwatchable. I mean, these are supposed to be the referees that are the cream of the crop, right? And they call a game with 86 free throws. It’s days like this where I wish I stayed not watching basketball.

I suppose I should explain myself, yeah?

You see. I live in Wisconsin. I was born and raised in Wisconsin. This means my basketball fandom is inexorably tied to two things. Nellieball and the George Karl era. You see, like most sports fans of the 80’s, I grew up watching sports with my dad. Juan Nieves means a whole lot more to me than he means to you, unless you are indeed Juan Nieves or a member of the Nieves family. In which case welcome.

But that’s Brewers baseball. And we will inevitably return to that subject on my twice as popular twitter account as well as here. But Basketball is why I’m here right now. And I have to tell you? I hate the Lakers. Hate the Lakers.

But you know what? The Nuggets have Professional Rick Barnes as their coach. I know, not an Earth-shattering take. But like the Texas coach, Karl always has talented teams that inevitably lose one or two levels before they were supposed to. (Like the 2000-2001 Bucks? They were supposed to take the pin me, pay me JOB to the Lakers if George Karl used proper end of gsme logic.)

But you know what? Karl is somuch worse at coaching. He campaigns for chemistry poisons. (I mean, who trades for Anthony Mason? It happened 8 years ago and I’m still baffled.) He feuds with decent human beings. (I would not be surprised if he starts feuding with Billups, he did feud with Ray Allen). I’m telling you this to warn you Denver fan.

I want you to win. I want you to go to the finals. But you need to hire Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern to kidnap him before he lets a third inbounds play cost you the series.

Briefly on George Karl.

Did you know I hate George Karl? It’s true! He broke my basketball team. He could not co-exist with a rational human being in Ray Allen. So you know what he does? He trades him for Gary Payton.

Nobody likes Gary Payton outside of the Pacific Northwest.

That takes the corp from the uncrowned JOB squad to the Lakers in 2001, and blows the shit up. My team never recovers. Larry Harris becomes general manager. Dan Gadzuric makes 34 million dollars.

And all this because George Karl doesn’t have Glenn Robinson inbound the ball instead of taking the shot. I’m a little drunk right now. I want George Karl dead.

I’m not a man who’s going to roll out and say I saw Michael Jordan play.

I always thought he was a ballhog. Now, what that says about me as a five or six year old is something for the ESDM-IV to decide. But you know what? I saw true greatness tonight.

 

I'm know I'm not the most original take on this matter. But that was one hell of a shot. But you know what? it encourages the team to play like crap. Because then LeBron will kick it into Legend mode and save the day.

 

They were up by 23. Don't forget that.

 

And before we forget, the Magic have shown a mental toughness you never thought they had. They have the next two at home. And they have the Turk, who inexplicably gets left open. (As twitter me said: You can't leave a man that ugly that open!)

 

Let's not call it Iconic just yet. Unless the Cavs take the next two in Orlando? It is not a shot that belongs to the ages.

 

It will just merely be critically acclaimed. 

Embedded video from CNN Video

See. That shot was magical.

To the Congressional Candidate who just decided to follow me on Twitter.

I can't follow you.

 

It's not you, it's me. I can't vote in your district. It's not even that you and I belong to different parties. You seem like a sane Republican, and corruption is corruption. My vote could have been won if I was in your district.

 

But why are you following me, Timothy Burns? Clearly, you are a successful businessman while I am hanging on to my twixt years with every ounce of my body. I am merely a man who makes puns combining Blackstreet Lyrics with former Basketball players. I like unintentional comedy, so if it was my following of Chuck Grassley, I apologize. Like the inevitable segment on Monday Night Raw in which a wrestler representing the Los Angeles Lakers will beat down a wrestler representing the Denver Nuggets. (Likely Mark Jindrak representing Chris Andersen. It is sad that I know that.)

 

My mentality does not make you money. I am a man sidetracked by trifling things. I see something shiny or bouncing and…

 

It is what it is. I am sure that you will find plenty who love you on Twitter. It is just that I cannot follow you.

 

I am too busy engaging an Alabaman on the debate of who is in the bottom end of the Los Angeles Lakers Top 5 greatest of all time. 

 

Good luck, Mister Burns.

In Doug we Trust…

Back during the days of building the Brewers, that was the mantra. Dougie Baseball is a canny trader. And he was able to get good value from the assets that he received. Even when fans didn’t believe that he got enough? He got enough. (Remember the haul for Carlos Lee? He made it work. Tim Gunn style.)

Today, while everybody is stunned at Kenny Williams rolling up and trying to grab Peavy? The Brewers snuck under the radar and got something nice for what’s essentially free talent. A.K.A. Tony Gwynn Jr. for Jody Gerut. Why is this trade so good for the Brewers? Well…

1) We were offering Tony Gwynn for nothing in April.

Tony Gwynn Jr.’s skill set is twelve for ten cents. Good speed, solid defense, not a great amount of patience. Otherwise? They’d be starters. He was faster? He’d basically be Joey Gaithright. In short. He was not worth saving. So, he went on waivers. Nobody claimed him.

San Diego could have had him for nothing. But they didn’t. They gave up…

2) A guy who is having a shlimazel of a May.

There’s a statistic called Batting Average on balls in play. People are expected to hit somewhere between .290 and .310. Gerut was slightly unlucky in April (.280), but guess what his may number is? .179. He’s hitting .223 right now. It won’t stay that way.

He’s moving to a more neutral park as well. He could do a Raul Ibanez season if he was healthy enough to get 500 at bats. That won’t happen in Milwaukee without a slump or something akin to tragedy. But there is a reason why he will not lack for playing time in Milwaukee.

3) He is a lefty bat.

The Brewers are built to mash lefties. That’s just science fact. Outside of the Fresh Prince? There’s not a lefthanded bat to be seen. Until now.

He could bring 250 high quality plate appearances to Milwaukee’s already high-powered offense.

Not earth-shattering. But it’s a way to help replace Weeks’ offensively.

10 Things I Know About the Movies

I have other interests besides sports, you know. I like movies. I like awesome video games, (and Awesome Video Games). I also like you, the loyal reader who isn’t here for the photos of attractive women. But here, I like movies. And I have to tell you. I know who killed the Western.

It stems from 3:10 to Yuma. I loved 3:10 to Yuma. Mister Patterson loved 3:10 to Yuma. No one else seems to have.

Disappointing? Yeah. The movie was awesome. But because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean I can’t understand it.

America’s taste in movies has been retarded. And blame Joel Silver for that.

Joel Silver created the unwritten rule that every ten minutes there had to be a whiz-bang aces hot action sequence. You open fast. The inciting incident has to be faster. Minute 21 has to rock. And so on, and so on.

And when Cokehead superproducer and tag team partner CSI magnate Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer ran with this premise? It was Katie bar the door. Whiz bang action and medicore storytelling would rule the day!

And movies became a whole different animal.

This killed the Western. Even an action based Western such as the modern day 3:10 to Yuma could not have a gunfight in every ten minutes. They are built for inherent tension building toward the end. Maybe there’s heat at minute 10, 30, and 55, but it’s all about the end. It’s all about that last sequence.

The Western is not about awesome at minute 70. It’s High Noon and all that shit.

Sad, really. A good genre dies because we can’t be patient.

Blake Griffin is dead.

Not even dead serious about going to Krustyland. If he goes to the Clippers? His career is over. The Clippers are the organization that the Bengals use to feel better about drafting the coach-fighting running back. They either draft a bust like Michael Olawakandi or break the frontman for Danny and the Miracles.

You know what? That’s okay. I have five reasons why Olympiacacos or however you spell it is no option for you.

1) You have an opportunity to learn from the best.

You think I’m joking? I am not. Who’s the 4 coming off the bench? That’s right. Zach Randolph. You know what Zach Randolph does? Everything you’re not supposed to do.

And I don’t want you to get confused. Don’t do anything Zach Randolph does. But you’re the rookie. You’re fresh meat. You will get cornered. He may bring Baron Davis with him. You can either do two things.

Avoid the veteran influence? But that’s boring. You should…

2) Kill Alex Acker just do watch him die.

The veterans would be entertained by this murder of a D-Leaguer. And you would be left alone as the “crazy” guy. Z-Bo wouldn’t murder. Unless somebody scuffed his nikes.

3) Willing flesh.

I know, corn-fed ladies probably threw themselves at you two-by-two as you went through the Big 12. But come on. This is L.A. If you’re man enough for a sillicate? You will have your choice of attractive wimmens. You know that song from Kanye’s first album? Not the one where he’s Jesus? The one with Vida and the violin lady?

That’s all about you, Blake Griffin. Go all Robert Evans in the club scene. It may not solve all your problems. But it will feel good. And in the Bret Easton Ellis Dystopia that is your life as a Clipper? It will help you get by.

4) You can ignore your coach.

This isn’t college. Dunleavy isn’t going to make you run laps if you don’t run his play. In fact? You could probably get his ass fired if you want to. Why?

5) You have the organization by the balls.

Danny Ferry was once a top prospect. IT’S TRUE! He was supposed to be drafted by your LA Clippers. But they could not sign him. He was all NONONO. He fucked off to Europe. He wasn’t that good.

But he did not have to play for the Clippers. And you don’t have to either.

Trust the fuckhead. He’ll save your career.