Olden Polynice's 2015 NBA MOCK DRAFT : Updated

It is almost June and that means the NBA Draft is fast approaching. Once again general managers will be trying to figure out the inexact science of drafting for the future of their franchises. Some will make the right picks and others won't. There are always other factors that come into play during the draft such as  deciding whether to pick the best player or picking for need. This will be one of those drafts because there isn't a clear cut number 1. Here are my picks for the 2015 NBA DRAFT

1. Minnesota - Karl Anthony Towns - don’t really think he will be great, decent hands, not an elite athlete, will be a decent rim protector, and won’t be able to hold his position on the low block against NBA players. Unfortunately he reminds me of Michael Olowokandi and you know how that turned out.

2. Lakers - Jahlil Okafor - Great hands, terrific footwork, needs to get into better NBA shape, not a great athlete, played kind of soft in college on defense because was afraid to get into foul trouble. He should be able to score right away in NBA because of solid wide base and footwork.

3. Philadelphia - D'Angelo Russell- They need a point guard badly, even if they win the lottery they should still draft him. Great handle, good shooter, great passer, and great vision. Not a great athlete but will be successful because of his high skill level and basketball intelligence.

4. New York - Emmanuel Mudiay - He reminds me of Tyreke Evans too much but nice size and good athlete but can’t shoot.

5. Orlando- Mario Hezonja-  If they don’t draft him at 5 they are fools. They need shooting badly. He can shoot 3’s and is an elite athlete. He’s a better Klay Thompson who can dribble.

6. Sacramento- Justise Winslow- will be a solid player. He makes plays to help you win on defense and by getting the 50-50 balls. Not a great handle or shooter. They need someone who will do the little things without the ball to win games.

7. Denver- Stanley Johnson- NBA body, decent athlete, can’t create his own shot. Will be a good corner 3 shooter because of good shooting mechanics. Will be an excellent defender because of his size and strength.

8. Detroit- Kristaps Porzingis-  could go higher if a team had the balls (literally and figuratively) Stretch 4 who can shoot with range and can score inside. 7' 1" who can run the floor and block shots. Perfect compliment to Andre Drummond unlike Greg Monroe who will leave by free agency.

9. Charlotte- Devin Booker- 3 point shooter with decent size, not a great athlete. They need 3 point shooting desperately.

10. Miami- Frank Kaminsky- Center who can space the floor with shooting and score on the low block. Reminds me of a better Ryan Kelly of the Lakers.

11. Indiana- Myles Turner- Center who can shoot outside and score on the post. Good shot blocker but don't know if that will translate to the NBA because of his awful lateral movement. If he didn't run like Warren Martin he would be drafted top 3 because of his size and shooting.

12. Utah- Sam Dekker- They really should trade the pick because they have so many young guys who will be fighting for playing time. Dekker could be used to play the stretch 4 position because of his size and 3 point shooting. Will play the 3 spot in the NBA. Great athlete who can be timid at times.

13. Phoenix- Willie Cauley-Stein- shot blocker who doesn’t rebound for his size and athletic abilities. Canít shoot, canít post up, has trouble finishing anything that is not a dunk. Body contact throws him off balance. Poor man’s Tyson Chandler.

14. Oklahoma City- Tyus Jones- Can shoot it, take it to the basket and find the open man. knows how to play, great attitude. Always makes plays to win games. Great free-throw shooter. Will end up finishing games with Westbrook.

15. Atlanta- Trey Lyles- Can shoot from mid-range and post up some. Decent athlete. Can play the stretch 4 position and put it on the floor and drive.

16. Boston- R.J. Hunter- Wing shooter, who will shoot better in NBA because of less attention unlike in college. Not a great athlete. Can handle and shoot off the dribble. The Celtics need a shooter.

17. Milwaukee- Bobby Portis- undersized power forward, decent mid-range shooter nothing special. JJ Hickson type.

18. Houston- Cameron Payne- Little lefty, who is crafty, can shoot the 3, nice handle, and quick. When I watched him play he had great attitude and was in control. May move up the board.

19. Washington- Kevon Looney- Power forward, not a great athlete was being compared to Kevin Durant early on by somebody named Dick Vitale. Silly comparison. Can’t shoot from deep. He will get you some offensive rebounds. Built like Dean Garrett.

20. Toronto- Justin Anderson- Will be a tough defender, strong muscular and athletic. Becoming a better shooter. On the right team with a good coach could become another Jimmy Butler but that won’t happen in Toronto.

21. Dallas- Kelly Oubre- SF 6'6" atheltic lefty Frosh out of Kansas. Highly acclaimed out of high school but did not live up to expectations. Had a bad season shooting the 3.

22. Chicago- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson- They need an athletic wing defender to give Jimmy Butler rest. Can’t shoot or dribble to save his life. Will always be a role player unless he learns how to shoot.

23. Portland- George De Paula- Teen age Brazilian point guard who is 6’ 5” with a 7 foot wingspan. Not an explosive athlete. Moves around like Brandon Roy. Looks like he can be a good shooter with his form. He’s a team player with good vision and likes to make the extra pass.

24. Cleveland- Christian Wood- 6’ 11” long athletic power forward. Can handle and has the potential to be a stretch 4. Needs time to develop. Really talented. A steal if he last this long.

25. Memphis- Robert Upshaw- 6’ 11” shot blocker with some issues. Got kicked off 2 college teams. If he can stay clear of trouble he could be the next Dikembe Mutombo.

26. San Antonio- Cedi Osman- 6’ 8” small forward. Athletic and can shoot.

27. Lakers- Jerian Grant- Versatile guard from Notre Dame. Nice Athlete and decent shooter.

28. Boston- Olivier Hanlan- point guard from Boston College. Can score and has nice size. Will be a better pro once he is playing with better teammates.

29. Brooklyn- Delon Wright- Combo guard who makes plays to help you win. Needs to be more aggressive and assertive. Nice defender, not a great athlete. Negative is he is already 23 years old.

30. Golden State- Marc Garcia- Spanish shooting  guard. 6’ 6” Smooth and long. Will most likely stay in Europe since he is only 19

Olden Polynice 2014 MOCK DRAFT

The 2014 NBA Draft is on Thursday and it may be the most intriguing draft of the last 30 years. The eerie similarities to the 1984 draft is uncanny. Back then we had Akeem Olajuwon ( later became Hakeem) going #1 to Houston from Nigeria. This year we have Joel Embiid from Cameroon as the likely number one pick. The '84 draft had a very good center named Sam Bowie from Kentucky drafted ahead of Michael Jordan. His career injuries are well documented. This year we have Joel Embiid from Kansas. Bad back as a freshman in college and recently had foot surgery. Always a red flag when young players are getting injured. The '84 draft had of course the legendary Michael Jordan  and this year we have, well I guess thats the end of the similarities. This years draft has plenty of intrigue with the aforementioned Embiid and as many as 3 other players who could be chosen number one even before Embiid's surgery. Here is my top 10 list and my take on this year's draft. It's not an exact science as we have seen over the years, especially in 1984.

1. Cleveland --  Jabari Parker, PF , Duke  / He is the most NBA ready out the draft. Can play small                                    
                                                                     forward and also stretch 4

2. Milwaukee -- Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas / Very Athletic player. Tremendous upside. Could be
                                                                              number 1 pick as well                                                                                

3. Philadelphia -- Dante Exum, PG, Australia / Tremendous athlete, not great shooter yet but has
                                                                            mechanics. hunger for greatness. Upside

4. Orlando -- Marcus Smart, PG Oklahoma St / Very good player that is physically ready for NBA.
                                                                             intense competitor.

5.Utah Jazz -- Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky / physical specimen that can score around the basket and
                                                                        able to step out to 15 ft and face up. Another player with
                                                                        foot issues but he is a top 5 pick.

6. Boston -- Joel Embiid, C, Kansas / Celtics will not let him get past them. He is the number 1 pick
                                                             and will be very good. Steal of the draft after he heals.

7. Lakers -- Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona /  Very Athletic leaper similar to Blake Griffin. Other option
                                                                    trade pick to 76ers and move to 10 and pick Zack Levine

8. Sacramento -- Noah Vonleh PF, Indiana / Long athletic forward with upside. Chris Bosh type

9. Charlotte -- Doug McDermott, SF, Creighton / Great shooter and mentally tough player. Slow but
                                                                               knows how to play.

10.Pliladelphia -- Zach Levine, SF, UCLA / May be best athlete in draft. Lots of potential.

Joel Embid's injury threw a wrench in this draft but if he was a number one pick before he should still be. Cavs are fearful after the Anthony Bennett pick last year. Neither the Celtics or Lakers will let him get past them. Jabari Parker lucks out and becomes top pick. He will be a 20-25 points per game scorer similar to Carmelo Anthony. Wiggins could be best to come out this draft if he was more hungry and passionate. He will be Robin to Batman. There are some very good players that will definitely help teams. Nik Stauskas and Rodney Hood are top 10 talents.

More bang for your bucks: Stauskas, Hood, Cleanthony Early, Shabazz Napier, Jarnell Stokes

The dream will become reality on Thursday for these young men but they are all feeling the business side of basketball already. I wish them well.

Olden Polynice
8th pick 1987 NBA Draft
15 year NBA veteran
            

LOCKED OUT The Sequel

After a long absence I am back to share a few thoughts with all of you about the latest news in the NBA. The league just locked out its players on July 1 and this is going to be an interesting summer to say the least. I recently heard a reporter say that the lockout is not really an issue unless it affects game played. I beg to differ sir. This lockout will affect the league now and later. I was on the negotiating committee back in 1998 when we had the last lockout. It affected us from day 1 and beyond. Players that have year round payments wont get paid and they will start complaining like Kenny Anderson did after losing $5.8 million dollars once the lockout took effect or when Patrick Ewing famously said "we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money too". The union should have a gag order this time around just in case. Remember we didn't have Twitter, YouTube and Facebook or the other social media accesses we have now. I honestly don't know if it is a good or bad thing. Teams are not allowed to contact players at any time during lockout so all summer activities are cancelled during lockout. The lockout is about more than money my friends. Everyone always focuses on the money aspect but this is not about money. If it was just about money there would not be a lockout because the league makes enough money. This is about EGOS. This is about Commissioner David Stern imposing his will and the owners imposing their will, Billy Hunter imposing his will, the Agents imposing their will and the Players hopefully imposing theirs. Remember, the NBA was the last major sport to not have a work stoppage until the 1998 debacle. Commissioner Stern took pride in not having a work stoppage under his watch. (Food for thought #1: Stern makes between $20-$30 million dollars a year in salary, with or without a lockout). The owners want what they couldn't get the last time, a salary cap, cost certainty and more control over the players. Whether hard or flex, a cap is still a cap. No other business in the world has cost certainty which is knowing how much you are spending and profiting in advance. After what LeBron James and Chris Bosh did last summer along with other free agents , the owners are upset. How dare you leave my team after your contract expires and I no longer own you? (Food for thought #2: Most, if not all the owners are billionaires, and were before they got into the NBA. Finances unaffected by lockout). Billy Hunter is the head of the players union and has been since he replaced Charles Grantham in 1998. He too has some demons to exorcise since the last lockout. He has done a decent job in my opinion as far as going toe to toe with Stern and not being afraid, similar to Grantham. (Food for thought #3: Hunter was and is still an attorney. he is still getting paid during lockout. Although that has been a question raised by several players). The Agents have a lot at stake, actually about 7 of them represent majority of players. Most people believe they are behind all of this madness. I know i believe it. In 1998 it was a group led by then super agent David Falk that almost destroyed the players union. (Food for thought #4: the agents don't suffer because they have other clients in other sports plus most usually get payment in advance). The players are at fault too. In 1998 we couldn't get guys to show up for meetings because they honestly did not care until it affected their money so I at least applaud the players today for being more involved and unified. The lockout is only going to affect the middle and lower tiered players. The stars will get their money and have enough to last them during the lockout. I remember Michael Jordan at a meeting saying " Do what is best for the lower tiered guys because I will get my money, no matter what we do". He was so right. Ironic how he is an owner now going against some of the guys he was aligned with 13 years ago. (Food for thought #5: The players are really the only group that are solely dependent on the NBA and doesn't receive payment during lockout). So while everyone is imposing their will the NBA is losing out on capitalizing on one of the best seasons ever. The owners are claiming that they are losing money but that's not really true. I have always asked the question "if an owner is paying someone $100 million dollars in salary, how much is the owner making"? The last time I checked people were lining up to buy teams in the NBA. They are not lining up to lose money. Some teams are struggling financially but it's only because they have bad management and make bad business decisions. Now these owners want a nearly $1 billion dollar refund from the players. So if they do get a refund, how will this money be divided. I am never going to criticize any player for getting paid. You are usually worth what the market will bear, but I will criticize a team for negotiating against itself and giving a player a large contract they didn't have to give and then complaining about it. You have to remember also that many general managers were players and have past working relationships with agents so a lot of favors are being done. For example, Warren LeGarie was a player agent on record but now he represents general managers and coaches as well as run the Vegas Summer League. How in the world is that possible. Again, this is not about money. It has never been about money. Remember this is not a player strike but an owner imposed lockout. I know sports is about winning but there are no winners during a lockout.

MAN UP!!!!!!!!

I wrote this a few years back and i am reposting it again because it is still relevant today. Most of these N.B.A. players need to MAN UP.  I don't know when the NBA became so soft but it did happen. It has become commonplace for guys to miss games for broken fingernails. Okay maybe not fingernails but pretty close. I respect Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and a few other tough minded players. Unfortunately there are too many players that are not tough minded. Back in the good old days most of us rarely missed practice let alone games. Today i see guys missing game after game for minor issues. I know not everyone has the same pain threshold but it seems that most of these players don't know the difference between hurt and injured. I can still see Isaiah Thomas running up and down the court on one leg, John Stockton having his broken nose reset on the bench during a timeout and continuing to play or Michael Jordan playing with the flu. Personally, i have played with all sorts of injuries including breaking my hand on December 28, 1992 and being told it was the worst possible break to have since the bone had rotated and that i was done for the year. I had surgery the next day and returned to the lineup on January 25, 1993. I often wonder how long players today would sit out with the same injury. I was speaking with A.C. Green just yesterday and we both wondered sarcastically what a hamstring injury was. Who today can play through injuries and pain like A.C. Green night in and night out. The NBA and its teams have made it easier for players than back in the days with beautiful private planes, luxury hotels, shorter training camp schedule and less physicality yet the players are hurt more. Notice I did not write injured. They sit out now for every little thing. Its become more WNBA than NBA. I shouldn't disrespect the WNBA like that.  Hey guys just man up and play. We used to say if its not broken then you can play. I don't think that's the saying nowadays. The saying now is probably more like what the late Wayman Tisdale(RIP) used to say jokingly "if you feel a tingle, sit on the sideline and mingle".

THE NBA'S 3 G'S ( Gilbert, Guns and Gambling)

Well Commissioner David Stern just handed Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas an indefinite suspension from the NBA for his illegal gun possession case. It was only a matter of time before that happened, but Gilbert helped speed the process along with his flippant and carefree attitude. He showed total disrespect to his profession, his teammates/co-workers, his organization, the law and the Commissioner as well. I feel that the last straw was not his fingers drawn like guns in Philadelphia before the game but calling Commissioner Stern "mean". It was as simple as that. Stern was just in his suspension of Arenas. I didn't always agree with Stern when i played and still don't agree with some of the things he does as Commissioner but I and every other sensible player that played knew never to call him names, joking or otherwise. He like any other person has an ego and this situation was already bad to begin with. It involved gambling debts and guns. Those are 2 major issues in the sports world. The NBA is still recovering from the Tim Donaghy situation and here comes this whole mess. I don't want to get into the racial issues because stupidity is stupidity in any color. I also don't want to hear that He brought them to the arena to keep them from his kids. DUHH. Gilbert, you signed a $111 million contract. I think you can afford a gun safe. He was trying to save his butt with that excuse but if he really wanted to save himself he should have kept quiet and stayed off camera. He showed no remorse for the whole situation and that is the biggest mistake an athlete or anyone can make. I hope he learns a lesson from this whole incident. Its going to be costly in so many ways. It reminds me of the movie Frankenstein. When you create a monster you have deal with the actions of said monster. The Wizards and the NBA created a $111 million monster.

2009-2010 NBA Season Preview

Another NBA season is upon us and it is set up to be a banner year full of hope and optimism. Yeah right. Every year teams start out with a positive outlook for the new year but as always the end result is the same. The good teams ( Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics, Spurs, etc.) are good and the bad teams (Clippers, Grizzlies, etc.) are bad. Granted the good teams will lose games and they might even lose to the bad teams but the key component at the end of it all is winning the championship. The good teams have a chance of winning the title whereas the bad teams dont have a chance in hell of winning. They just round out the field. They sell the fans a hope and a dream but even they know they won't win. It undoubtedly will be a great year considering all the changes. The Lakers added Ron Artest to the mix and that means Kobe Bryant wont have to guard the other teams best player unless he wants to. Translation: fresh legs on offense. The Cavaliers added Shaquille O'Neal. He is still better than any center in the league except Dwight Howard and Yao Ming. Translation: Pick you poison. The Celtics added Rasheed Wallace. He is one of the best players in the game. Inside and outside game. Translation: more options and firepower. Lots of movement during the off season. The Magic lost Hedo Turkoglu but traded for Vince Carter. The Spurs got Richard Jefferson. So this is shaping up to be an interesting year. My money is on the big boys to win the title. The other contenders are in a rebuilding mode such as the Pistons, Heat and Suns. The rest are doing what they do best. Selling a Dream.