2013 NBA Draft Preview - Who's Stock Is Up? Who's Stock Is Down?

Even though the 2013 NBA draft is still 2 months away, most teams are already deep in their player evaluations. Private workouts may elevate or depress a players draft stock. Below is a list of players on the rise and drop. Plus, a couple of dark horse risers. These list show which player currently have momentum up or down the draft board.

On The Rise

Giannis Adetokoubo The 18 year old Greek phenom is no longer a secret. He is 6' 10" and listed as a point guard, but will more likely play small forward in the NBA. The only thing holding Adetokoubo from being a top 10 pick (currently #11 on nbadraft.net) is that he missed last month's Nike Hoop Summit because of passport issues. Regardless, he is young, skilled, and oozes potential, three things that NBA GMs love. He won't last very long on draft day.

Final Draft Estimate: #8 - Missing the Nike Hoop Summit may have cost him a top 5 spot. I expect many GMs to throw smoke screens about Adetokoubo to keep his value from rising too far.

Good Team Match: New Orleans - The Pelicans need a swing forward and can wait for Giannis to develop. Plus, a Davis, Adetokoubo, Vasquez core may be special.

CJ McCollum - McCollum was a highly rated player coming into the 2012/13 NCAA Men's Basketball season. After fracturing his foot in early January, he left the collective consciousness of the NBA draft evaluators, at least from the minds of the online mock draft experts. On some draft boards, his stock fell into the late teens/early 20s. 

The times have changed. He is healthy again and back on the NBA radar and his stock has recovered. He is currently listed at #13 on nbadraft.net. He is a plus-scorer, but unfortunately labeled as a combo-guard because of his lack of height. The 'combo-guard' label may keep him out of the top 10, but he is one of the better offensive players in the draft. If during one of his private team workouts, he can channel his inner Stephen Curry then he could go anywhere from 5-10.

Final Draft Estimate: #9 - McCollumis older and more experienced than many of the players in the top 10. A team needing a sure thing at SG, but is not picking high enough to select Ben McLemore, may snap up McCollum.

Good Team Match: Detroit Pistons - The Pistons need a good scoring SG for the soon-to-be post Stuckey era.
 
Dennis Schroeder  - Everything is lining up for Schroeder to make a huge leap up the draft board. First, he dazzled at the Nike Hoop Summit. (via Hoops World) Secondly, the top point guard on the board, Marcus Smart, opted to stay in school for another year. Schroeder is currently listed at #23 on nbadraft.net. He's a bit skinny, but is only 19 years old. With a couple of strong workouts, he should be able to hit the backend of the lottery.

Final Draft Estimate: #11 - Teams may end up choosing between Schroeder & Michael Carter Williams.

Good Team Match: Sacramento - The new owners of the Kings will likely make big changes. I love Thomas, but the Kings could use a starting quality point guard.

Sergey Karasev - Karasev is another player who cemented his first round pick status as the Nike Hoop Summit, (via City League Hoops). He is a plus shooter and has decent size. Given that the NBA game revolves more and more around the 3 point shot, that alone should catapult Karasev from #24 (currently on nbadraft.net) to early/mid teens.

Final Draft Estimate: #15 -I don't think he'll go much higher. He has the normal Euro-issues; not ready to play NBA defense and not physically strong enough. Plus at 6' 7", he's about 2 inches short of ideal SF height.

Good Team Match: Philadelphia - The 76ers are a mess, but are normally very good talent evaluators. They have a big need of someone that can shoot the 3 ball. Jason Richardson is injured and old. NickYoung and Wright are free agents. Thad Young and Turner don't shoot the 3 well.

***Updated 05/04/13*****

Dario Saric - It seems that I missed the boat on Saric. I will chalk this wiff up to not enough coffee. For a great read, check out Chad Ford's insider article on Saric.

Final Draft Estimate: #6 - He's already listed at #16 on nbadraft.net. If the GMs quoted in Ford's article are accurate then Saric should easily end up in the top 10.

Good Team Match: New Orleans - The Pelicans seem to be set at all positions except sf. Saric seems like a good fit.

Heading In The Wrong Direction

Shabazz Muhammad - Shabazz's draft stock is falling like a rock. The former potential #1 overall pick missed a few games at the beginning of his freshman year because of eligibility issues. Once he was on the court, his play was just solid. To cap things off, his father lied about his age. If you haven't heard, he's 20, not 19. I don't really understand what the big deal is. He has a semi-full year of college ball to judge him by. I personally don't think that a year in age should effect his stock, but then again, I am not a NBA GM.

The piling-on continues. He's now labeled as; not a great athlete, a volume shooter, a tweener, and doesn't make anyone else on his team better. He's still listed at #9 on nbadraft.net, but is one bad workout from falling to the late teens.

Final Draft Estimate: #19 - Every year a player or two slip out of the lottery to the end of the first round. Last year it was Sullinger and Perry Jones III. This season, Shabazz is heading in that direction. Given the weakness/flatness of the draft, I don't expect him to fall much beyond the late teens or early 20s.

Good Team Match: Chicago - If anyone can get Shabazz to play NBA D, it's Thibodeau. Plus, if Shabazz is really #1 overall talent, he'll make a great match with Rose.

Cody Zeller - Zeller was thought to be a top 5 pick in last year's draft. He may still go top 10 in this years draft. However, Zeller lacks the upside of some of the other young players in the draft. Most GMs try to hit home runs with top 10 picks. Zeller is more of a ground-rule double.

Final Draft Estimate: #12 - He won't fall to far, but he will be overtaken by a few draft board risers.

Good Team Match: OKC - The Thunder could use the help up front and Zeller may be solid enough to be the 2nd or 3d big off the bench.

Gorgui Dieng  - Dieng had a very good run during the NCAA tournament. His stock pop'd a little. However, after the glow of March Madness faded, reality set back in. He's a little to small to play center and not skilled enough to play power forward.

Final Draft Estimate: #30 - I expect he'll be passed up by teams selecting higher upside players.

Good Team Match: Spurs - If he has a NBA level game, coach Pop and the Spurs will be able to develop it.
  
***Updated 05/06/13*****

Alex Len - Len broke his foot and will be out 4-6 months per HoopsWorld. This is really bad timing for Len. ACL injuries are one thing, but broken/fractured foot bones for 7 footers are another. Just ask Yao Ming.

Final Draft Estimate: #15 - I expect a semi-Sullinger fall.

Good Team Match: Utah - The Jazz already have a good young core of bigs, so Len won't be under a lot of pressure as a rookie. The front office is a patient bunch and won't rush Len back before his foot is ready.

Dark Horses Risers

Livio Jean-Charles - Nike Hoop Submit MVP. He has great size and scoring ability. Currently listed at #40 on nbadraft.net.

Final Draft Estimate: #31 - High second round pick on a high potential player.

Good Team Match: Bobcats - The Cats need shooting and Jean-Charles meets the criteria.


Mouhammadou Jaiteh - He played well at the Nike Hoop Submit. He is currently list at #49 on nbadraft.net. He is the second youngest player currently declared for the 2013 NBA Draft. At 6' 11'', 250lbs, and a solid frame, he looks like an NBA center. If he can dunk over a chair, who knows how high he will go!

Final Draft Estimate: #25 - A solid developmental pick for a playoff team.

Good Team Match: Pacers - Any good player development organization would be fine.

Norvel Pelle - Pelle is not currently listed on nbadraft.net, but was the top rated high school center in 2011. There's not much data on Pelle, so private team workouts will mean everything for him. As long as he still has game, I expect a GM to use a #2 on him.

Final Draft Estimate: #60 - Just getting drafted would be a huge move for Pelle.

Good Team Match: Spurs, Pacers, or Celtics - Any good player development organization would be fine.

Dark Horse Droppers

Ben McLemore 

Yep, I mentioned him earlier in reference to McCollum's draft position. I expect McLemore to be taken in the top 5. However, ever since he was mentioned as a potential #1 over pick, he has failed to live up to the billing. Fair or unfair, his game has shrank under the weight of heightened expectations. He;s a couple of mediocre to bad workouts away from falling to the end of the lottery. This may not be a bad thing since expectations on him will be much less.

Final Draft Estimate: #9 - His slide would stop as soon as he hit the Pistons.

Good Team Match: Pistons - For the same reasons as McCollum. The Pistons need a good scoring SG for the soon-to-be post Stuckey era.

2013 NBA Playoff Rolling Wrap Up - Round 1

Heat 4 - Bucks 0

The Bucks were scrappy. The Bucks played hard. The Bucks were swept. Miami needed a first round test and the Bucks were the perfect team. The Bucks have a young and talented front court, plus two elite scorers in the back court. They pushed Miami just enough to make them work. Miami has been on Spring Break since their 27 game win streak ended. They needed to get their edge back because they will have a much tougher test in round 2. Mission accomplished.

The Bucks now enter a transitional year as their entire back-court rotation of Jennings (restricted), Monta (opt-out), and JJ Redick are likely free agents. If the they fail to retain 2 of these players then the 8th seed and 4 game sweep by the Heat is little consolation to their fans after the team flipped 20 year old and super talented Tobais Harris to Orlando.


Spurs 4 - Lakers 0

I was completely wrong about this series. I expected the Lakers size to give SA fits. However, the Lakers were beaten worse by the Spurs than Chael Sonnen was by Jon Jones Saturday night. The Lakers completely embarrassed themselves. To further LA's misery, for the first time in more than a decade, the Lakers future is very murky. Howard resigning is not a given per Yahoo. Gasol doesn't fit into the D'Antoni system and may be traded. Nash couldn't stay healthy. Kobe is injured goods. The rest of the team is just old, injured, or both. Needless to say, I am both delighted by their downfall and petrified that they'll end up with Wiggins or Parker in the 2014 draft.

On to the Spurs.... Unfortunately for America, the Spurs will be matched up with either the Nuggets or more likely the 3-1 series leading Warriors. The Spurs and their coach Gregg Popovich will undoubtedly scheme and game-plan all the fun out of the series. Assuming the Warriors finish off the Nuggets, Stephen Curry will be trapped, beaten, and suffocated all series, but that's a story for another day. For now, the Spurs will get some rest while they wait for round 2.

Warriors 4 - Nuggets 2

What a fun series to watch! I have no allegiance to either team and enjoy the way both teams play. I repeatedly tweeted that I wanted this series to go 7 games, but game 6 made up for the non-game 7. Lee's 87 seconds seemed to inspire the Warriors. Curry & Bogut came up big. The Warriors have a bright future for sure. I will post my thoughts on the Spurs matchup soon.

On a side note, Stephen Curry has entered my own personal favorites list. I am an East coast guy, but I am more than happy to stay up late to watch him play. The kid is truly that special.

The loss to the Warriors should not stain a very good season by the Nuggets. They are well coached and have a very deep and talented roster. What they seem to lack is a true elite player. An MVP calibur & top 50 HOF type, e.g. Dirk, Nowitzki, who can put the team on his back when the chips are down. In this way they are built better for the  regular season than the playoffs. 

The 2004 Detroit Pistons are the only championship team that I can think of which did not have an elite player. However, they had a HOF coach in Larry Brown and were super defensively. George Karl is comparable to Brown, but lack the championship success that Brown had, (1988 NCAA title with Kansas & 2004 NBA title with the Pistons) Plus, defensive teams do better in the playoffs than offensive teams like the Nuggets.

Regardless, the Nuggets future is very bright. I don't see a bad move on Masai Ujiri's GM record. Perhaps Ujiri will be able to trade for an elite player or Lawson will develop into one. Personally, I believe Lawson may end up as a top 5 point guard. He seems to have all of the tools and the right personality. Time will tell.

Knicks 4 - Celtics 2

After falling behind 0-3, the Celtics finally were able to put back to back full-game efforts together. Jeff Green played like an All-Star, KG throw back the clock 4 years, The Jason Terry that all Celtics fans hope for, finally made an appearance. Unfortunately, the good feelings and competitive play only last two games. The Knicks took care of business last night, driving the final nail into the Celtics coffin. IMO, major changes are in store the Boston this off-season. For more on the Cs, read It's Over Because It's Over.


For the first three games, the Knicks were very impressive, both defensively and offensively. They left their collective guard down on the veteran Celtics and the Cs took advantage. I chalk this semi-letdown as a learning experience. However, they can not afford the same sort of lapses against the Pacers.


Memphis 4 - Clippers 2

Chris Paul was the best player in the series, but the Grizzlies had the next best 3... or 4. Z-Bo, Gasol, and Conley all played near the tops of their games. Tony Allen was also very good on both ends of the court. It became painfully clear that no one outside of Paul can consistently create his own offense. Griffin is getting there, but he's not there yet. The Clippers are deep, but most of the rotation players are old low ceiling veterans; Billups, Odom, Barnes, Willie Green, Grant Hill, and Caron Butler. This type of roster configuration wins a lot of regular season games, but struggles in the playoffs.


It took a while for Memphis to readjust after the trade of Rudy Gay. Perhaps, they adjusted quickly, but didn't turn it on until they were down 0-2 to the Clippers. Either way, they have a legit shot at making the finals. The best news for any Memphis fan is that Z-Bo is playing like a man possessed.

Thunder 4 - Rockets 2

The Thunder won the battle, but lost the war. It's difficult believing that OKC can beat Memphis, the Spurs (assuming a win over the Warriors), and the Heat without Westbrook. However, there may be 2 silver linings. If Reggie Jackson can hold his own against Conley and Parker (assuming the Thunder beat the Griz) then the decision on whether to keep or resign Kevin Martin becomes very easy. Secondly, if KD can rise to the occasion and carry the team on his back against the giants of Memphis and the wily veterans of San Antonio then it will be a huge step in this super star journey.

The Rockets lost the battle, but won the war. Kevin McHale has the Rockets playing a fun high scoring brand of basketball. If you combine this with Harden's coming out party, Texas's having no income tax, and the general depth of young cheap talent on the roster then Houston will be a prime destination for the league top players free agents. However, if your name is Jeremy Lin, don't get too comfortable... The Curious Case off the Houston Rockets Point Guards

The rest of the series updates will be added as soon as they come to a conclusion.

It's Over Because It's Over

The Celtics championship run which started during the 2007 draft when the Cs traded the #5 pick (Jeff Green) + (Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and a 2008 2nd round draft pick) to the Seattle SuperSonics for Ray Allen and Glen Davis, effectively ended last summer when Ray signed with the Heat. It’s very fitting that Ray provided the bookends to the latest Celtics dynasty. He was the most under appreciated of the “Big Three”. Paul Pierce was the heart and Kevin Garnett was the backbone. Ray was the… well it’s difficult to define, but something changed when he left the team. Like many fans, I deluded myself into thinking that Ray could be replaced by some combo of Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, and Courtney Lee. It quickly became clear that none of these replacements could provide what Ray did. Even without Ray, there was still hope that fans could cling to. The Celtics would recover from their slow start, start playing Celtics basketball again, and make another deep run. However, when Rondo tore his ACL, everything changed.

I expect Rondo to make a return from the injury quicker than most. However, even if he plays 82 games next season, it won’t be at the same level. Although a player may return from an ACL tear in 6-9 months, it normally takes 18-24 months for a player to regain his previous form. There are exceptions, but not many.  If you compound Rondo's ACL injury with both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett being a year older, contending for a title next season isn’t realistic. I believe Ainge realizes this to.

For the past 3 seasons, there have been trade deadline rumors that Ainge was trying to break up the Pierce, Garnett, and Allen combo. This year was no exception, although with just Pierce and KG. What is really telling is that the only move Ainge made was to acquire another young combo guard in Jordan Crawford for a reserve center (Jason Collins). The current Celtics roster is stacked with combo guards. Why did he trade Collins for guard when the real team need was more big men, not less? The Celtics also chose not to sign veteran big men Chris Andersen nor Kenyon Martin. Instead signing three NBA washouts, who were playing ball in the China Basketball Association (CBA).  I believe the reason is that Danny Ainge also considers the current title run over. He added these 4 players for Spring tryouts, not to help with the 2013 playoffs.

Maybe I am reading too much into the tea leaves, but I don’t think so. I expect major changes to the team this off season. It’s difficult to say how Ainge will approach these changes. I assume that he’ll first try to reload by acquiring a second under 30 player to pair with Rondo. Perhaps work some sort of sign & trade deal for Josh Smith (like the deadline rumor) or another young star player of the same caliber. The free agent crop is thin this offseason and there will be a lot of competition for Smith, CP3, and Howard. More likely, the Celtics will make deals to put themselves into an advantageous position for the historic 2014 draft and offseason. I am not saying that the Cs will tank next season, but if Pierce and KG are wearing different uniforms next season and Rondo takes his timing coming back from the ACL injury (post 2014 All Star break time frame), I will not be surprised.

RAD Playoff Thoughts

• In a NBA world where a team needs 3 all star level players to contend for a championship, do the Rockets already have 2 of the 3 in Harden and Parsons? Harden is one for sure. After watching Parsons this season and two games in the playoffs, I think he is really special. If he was selected 8th instead of 38th, would we view him differently?

• I really thought the Lakers would beat SA. It's still early, but the Lakers look bad. Plus, both Parker and Ginobili are playing well. Still, the Lakers size presents problems for the Spurs. If either Gasol or Howard can raise their game then they become very dangerous. The Lakers need to win both games in LA or they can start planning their offseason golf trips.

• The Celtics/Knicks series is playing out exactly how I predicted. The Cs can’t keep up with the Knicks offensively in the second half of their games. I expect Boston to win a game at home, but the series should be over after game 5.

• I wish the Golden State/Denver series was the best of 15.

• I wish the Brooklyn/Chicago series was the best of 3.

• The Bucks play hard and are scrappy. With their size, they match up well against the Heat. However, the Heat’s D seems to be able to shutdown both Monta and Jennings at will.

• The Clippers are taking care of business. Stealing a game in Memphis would likely turn a 7 game dog fight into an easy 5 game series.

• The Pacers are a much better team than Atlanta. It’s nice to see former Celtics draft pick and slam dunk champ G$ (Gerald Green) come up big during the playoffs.

Mkogav Site Notes

I am feverishly working on my second full length article on rookie player development issues. It will be up in another day or two.

I will also be changing the design and the layout of the blog. Gray cookie-cutter style is not cutting it!

Stay tuned!

Mk

Circular References Of The NBA Coaching World

While updating the "In Memoriam", post, a pattern emerged. It's a little like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but more Circular rather than having a direct root descendant.

Follow the logic:

2000 Byron Scott replaced Don Casey as head coach of the Nets
2004 Lawrence Frank replaced Byron Scott as head coach of the Nets
2008 Mike D'Antoni replaced Isiah Thomas as head coach of the Knicks
2010 Byron Scott replaced Mike Brown as head coach of the Cavs
2011 Mike Brown replaced Phil Jackson as head coach of the Lakers
2012 Mike D'Antoni replaced Mike Brown as head coach of the Lakers
2013 Mike Brown is rumored to be replacing Byron Scott as head coach of the Cavs
2013 Phil Jackson is rumored to be replacing P. J. Carlesimo as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets

Conclusions?

1. At some point in the future, Lawrence Frank is destine to be the head coach of the Cavs

2. Byron Scott will be the next head coach of the Lakers

3. The NBA coaching carousel is just one big insestual cluster %$#@#$.

Initial Thoughts On The NBA Playoffs

• Miami’s 27 game winning streak ended about 3 weeks ago. Since then, LBJ, Wade, and Bosh have been on an extended Spring Break. I expect it will take a game or two for the Heat to get back into the zone. The Bucks stealing game 1 or 2 in Miami, may be the best thing for the Heat.

• It takes 16 playoff wins to capture the NBA title. I would be surprised if the Heat’s final record is any worse than 16-5. My official guess is 16-3.

• Both the Knicks and Celtics are good defensive teams. IMO, this series will be decided late in the 3d and 4^th quarters of each game when scoring is most difficult. During these times, especially in the last 5 minutes of the game, the Celtics won’t be able to match the Knicks offensively. Both Carmelo and J.R. Smith can create their own shots and can score from anywhere on the floor. The only Celtics that fit the same description are Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. The Knicks defense will key on Paul, making it very difficult on him to consistently score. I only listed Jason Terry here because he has a history of being able to carry team offense. However, he has not shown this ability during his brief tenure with the Celtics. Knicks in 5… sigh.

• Three of the past four years, the Spurs have made a quick exit from the playoffs. Last year was the exception, not the rule. They are built for the regular season.  Lakers in 6.

•  The Lakers are primed for a deep playoff run…. seriously. OKC, Memphis, and the Clippers are all on the other side of the bracket. Denver or Golden State are a much easier second round matchup.

•  I believe a good way to figure out which team will win a given series, is by taking the team with the best player. Picking the “best player” is subjective and may be effected by injuries. However, in most cases the “best player” is obvious. Let’s see if my theory holds water.

     Matchup            Best Player    Pick      Win/Loss
     Heat vs. Buck      LBJ            Heat
     Nets vs. Bulls     Deron William  Nets
     Pacers vs. Hawks   Paul George    Pacers
     Knicks vs. Celtics Carmelo        Knicks
     OKC vs. Rockets    KD             OKC
     Clips vs.Griz      CP3            Clippers
     Nuggets vs. GS     Stephen Curry  GS
     Spurs vs Lakers    Howard         Lakers

In Memoriam

Now that the NBA season is over, a number of coaches and GMs will soon be let go, fired, canned, and/or run out of town. This running summary is my attempt to remember each in some small way.

• Doug Collins will not return as coach of the Sixers next season, David Aldridge on Twitter IMO, Collins is a good coach and a better commentator. This season's debacle was not his doing. The famous 'Andrew Bynum blowing' gif tells you everything that you need to know about the 2012/13 Philadelphia 76ers.

• Byron Scott was fired as coach of the Cleveland Cavileres, Akron Beacon Journal. It's very fitting that both Collins and Scott were fired/resigned on the same day. Collins was fired from the Bulls in 1989. After struggling for a few years, the Bulls put together a core featuring young Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, and Horace Grant, finishing with a 47-35 record and a trip to the ECFs. Collin was replaced by Phil Jackson and the rest is history. Byron Scott managed the post-LeBron Cavs as well as can be expected. Like the 1988/89 Bulls, the Cavs have also put together a talented young core of Kyrie Irvin, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters. While it's not Jordan, Pippen, and Grant, it's still pretty good. Is it a coincidence that Phil Jackson is again looking for a new job?

• Lawrence Frank was fired as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, Mark Stein on Twitter. I don't have much to say about Lawrence Frank, except that in January of 2004, he replaced Byron Scott as head coach of the Nets. It only seems fair that Scott replaces him in Detroit.

• Lance Blanks was fired as GM of the Phoenix Suns, ESPN.  After reviewing Blanks record on Basketball Reference, I can't say that he was terrible. His two worst moves were the Beasley signing and giving up Dragic, a #1, and the rights to Nikola Mirotic for Aaron Brooks. The Brooks trade was exceedingly atrocious. However for the most part, he did a semi-passable job as GM. His biggest sin may be timing. He is the GM who tore down the playoff team and traded Nash to the Lakers. 

• Mike Dunlap was fired as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, CBS. Michael Jordan & Co. canned their first year head coach for reasons that are not clear: "As an organization, it was decided that we needed to make a change with the head coach position" - president of basketball operations Rod Higgins. Let me translate this for you, "Whoops! We f@!$ed up and hired the wrong guy!?!?  He's terrible! Who knew? Can we get a mulligan?" I have to assume that Dunlap was either completely overwhelmed by the position, he clashed with management, or he beat Jordan in a game of H.O.R.S.E

 .

• David Kahn was/will be fired as President Of Basketball operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves (FOX) Poor David Kahn has been dumped on by every media outlet across the country. Bill Simmons did a nice piece on how badly Kahn screwed up the 09 draft. Still,with a healthy Kevin Love, Rubido (two years removed from his ACL injury), and a resign Peković, the Wolves could be fighting for a playoff spot next season.

• Jim Boylan was fired as interim head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. His final record was a less than stellar, 22-28. IMO, the 22-30 is a bit misleading. The Buck were locked into the 8th seed very early and had little motivation during their remaining ~15+ games. In addition, Boylan solidified the rotation, which was something that Scott Skiles could/would never do. The consistent rotation helped Ersan Ilyasova restore his confidence after losing it as a result of Skiles constant lineup changes, minutes fluctuation, and DNPs. On the Downside, Boylan clashed with Jennings. A head coach needs to have some authority, but the NBA is a star  driven league. The stars almost always win the coach vs. player battles, unless the coached is established and backed by the team's veteran players . In this case, Boylan was too new and Jennings is one of the vets on the team. Boylan also never played Tobias Harris. This always confused me. It was clear that the kid had talent. In the handful of games that Harris started at the beginning of the season, he did well (statistically) in limited minutes. After Skiles left the team, Harris did miss some time due to an injury, but racked up DNPs when healthy. Couldn't Boylan find 10-15 minutes a game for Harris? Perhaps those few minutes per game would have somehow kept Harris in Milwaukee? My condolences to the Bucks fans out there. Making the playoffs as an 8th seed and a 4 game sweep by the Heat is pyrite return on flipping Harris to Orlando.

<more updates as news breaks>