LAS VEGAS -- The Portland Trail Blazers announced Friday that second-round pick Patty Mills, a gifted guard from St. Mary's, fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during a Thursday night summer league practice. It's just the latest blow to the talented guard, who was once tabbed a lottery pick just a few months ago.
Mills, who might be fighting for a roster spot or perhaps headed to the NBDL, will be examined again later today, but the injury likely means that he'll be sidelined for the entire NBA Summer League, losing the chance to make an impression.
Mills excelled for Australia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was once considered a likely first-round pick, but he dropped to 55th overall in last month's draft. He could eventually be a gem but it is uncertain how long he will miss.
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an NBA Draft pick. The day of reckoning has also arrived for some 9,000 mock drafters, who desperately try to get it right even though no one ever could on a consistent basis.
And, if I may, a word about the recent backlash against mock drafts from the key mock draft writers. The major draft experts from ESPN and DraftExpress told the New York Times last week that they hate mock drafts. But the mock draft is like their version of a test. It's too arbitrary, too black and white. It creates an impossible task. But thems the breaks when you're in a field in which performance matters. If Chad Ford didn't have to put out a mock, he could forever avoid criticism, basically. It's his job to analyze and predict the draft. How could we judge his efficacy without looking at his mock the morning after? It's like Amar'e Stoudemire telling everyone he hates to rebound. (Oh wait ...)
I love mock drafts! You'll find my final version after the jump.
As we roll on toward the 2009 NBA Draft, FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller turn their attention toward the players who deserve the hype. Previous draft debates focused on Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet.
Ziller: At the end of our last debate, you asked who I thought deserved more hype. That is, of course, a tricky question, considering the entire draft is built on hype. In fact, the role of the media (professional, semi-pro and amateur) is often to debunk hype. As many have ruminated, it's highly unlikely the next Amar'e, Maravich, Wade and Dikembe are really in this draft.
Mock drafts are fun, but if you want the real inside scoop on who's expected to be a high draft pick, you need to see the list of the players the NBA has invited to the draft. Generally speaking, it's limited to players the league has been assured will go in the top half of the first round.
There are always exceptions, but ever since Rashard Lewis awkwardly hung around until the second round, the league has done a respectable job making sure no one gets too embarrassed. The league hasn't yet released an official list, but thanks to some sleuthing by DraftExpress, we know at least 16 players have been extended invitations, although only 13 have confirmed their attendance. Keep reading for the full list:
The Minnesota Timberwolves might not have had the best regular season in 2008-09, but they're sure going to be a factor come the NBA Draft on Thursday.
New president of basketball operations David Kahn has five picks to use, including three in the first round. Minnesota has the Nos. 6, 18, and 28 picks in Round 1, and two more in the second round.
Will Kahn use all of those picks to drastically remake the T-Wolves' roster, or might he package a couple of picks or three in order to land a veteran difference-maker? More on the Northwest Division after the jump.
Some things figure. The Southwest Division is considered the NBA's toughest – or at least it is by some – so it's no wonder most of the teams in it aren't involved at the top of the draft.
One team isn't involved at all. But the Memphis Grizzlies – selecting at No. 2 – in some ways will dictate the direction of the thing. Will the Grizz take Ricky Rubio or not? That's the big question.
Over the next six days, we'll take a look at each team's needs heading into the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 25.
First up, the NBA's Pacific Division:
Golden State Warriors
Picks: No. 7 (first round); none in second round. Needs: A true point guard; a decision-maker/passer/high basketball IQ type, and it wouldn't hurt to have another big body up front. Possibilities: Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans (pictured), Jordan Hill. Put it into the equation: For more than a year now, the Warriors have been wrestling with the issue of whether or not Monta Ellis can play point guard. If they end up drafting one, that will tell exactly what the Warriors think.
DraftExpress has added the official athletic measurements from the 2009 NBA Draft Combine to its comprehensive (and addictive) database. In addition to the size measurements that came out last week -- height with and without shoes, wingspan, standing reach -- the results include 3/4-court sprint times, body fat percentages, bench press, agility numbers and everyone's favorite, the vertical.
Despite claiming to have lost 40 pounds since the end of the college season, DeJuan Blair still has the second-highest body fat count (12%) among those measured. Florida State's Toney Douglas, Patrick Mills of St. Mary's and UCLA's Darren Collison rate as the fastest first-round prospects. (Austin Daye would be the slowest. Yes, even B.J. Mullens and Blair beat him.) Jonny Flynn is the only cat to break the 40-inch mark on the max vertical. DeMar DeRozan is almost five inches behind Vince Carter. The real shocker might be the incredible similarity in numbers between top pick Blake Griffin and ... Tyler Hansbrough. Guh.
* More from The Baseline, this time reported by the incomparable Chris Littmann: one team exec who interviewed Stephen Curry at the Chicago combine asked the guard who his father was.
LAS VEGAS -- The Portland Trail Blazers announced Friday that second-round pick Patty Mills, a gifted guard from St. Mary's, fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during a Thursday night summer league practice. It's just the latest blow to the talented guard, who was once tabbed a lottery pick just a few months ago. 
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- 
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an 
As we roll on toward the 2009 
The 
Some things figure. The Southwest Division is considered the NBA's toughest – or at least it is by some – so it's no wonder most of the teams in it aren't involved at the top of the draft.
Over the next six days, we'll take a look at each team's needs heading into the 
DraftExpress has added the 
* DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony reports Dallas loves Jordan Hill and 
