That's fine. It's in the middle of the flight. There's no turbulence. It's gliding through the smoothest air particles possible as it graces over the Pacific.
The NBA draft lottery never goes quite according to plan. No matter who wins the ping-pong ball sweepstakes, there will always be teams sitting in much worse position than they expected.
AUGUST 10: Dwight Howard is introduced to the media as the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers by General Manager Mitch Kupchak during a news conference at the Toyota Sports Center on August 10, 2012 in El Segundo, California.
As the search to see who will lead the Suns next season heats up, we look back at which coaches led the Suns in previous seasons in the franchise's history. | Bordow's Suns coaching candidates
Top 20 free agents for 2013 | Look back: '92-93 Suns | NBA combine analysis | Draft early entrants
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In my opinion, the best option for the Suns with the fifth pick is Victor Oladipo. But according to ESPN's Draft Dude, Chad Ford, "Oladipo is the guy that GMs love in this draft" so he very well could be gone before the Suns new GM gets to make his first-ever draft pick without training wheels.
If Oladipo (and Otto Porter) are gone before Ryan McDonough gets his turn at bat, Alex Len could be a very intriguing option. We already know the Suns have a need to a new big man and we know there are a LOT of very big men in this draft. Nerlens Noel will almost certainly be gone before the Suns turn (and truly hope that's true) so that leaves us to ponder Len who was also pondered by Paul Coro at the AZ Republic:
Phoenix Suns’ draft options at No. 5 include Maryland big man Alex Len The NBA draft lottery slotted the Suns fifth in the selection order, assuring they will not get a chance to pick Nerlens Noel without a trade. But they could take the center who dominated Noel to start the past college season.
What else do we know about Len? A lot.
The best prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft - Rufus on Fire Alex Len is this seasons feast-or-famine pick. The seven-footer has all the potential tools: he's a great athlete for his size, has impressive foot speed, a great touch around the rim -- with both hands -- and a high basketball IQ. On the defensive end, he's already a good pick and roll defender with potential as an elite rim-protector.
Well now, that's impressive!
But, did you know that Alex isn't even his REAL NAME? It's Olexiy! Also...
NBA Draft 2013 scouting report: Alex Len - Bullets Forever Whether Len lived up to the hype as a sophomore probably depends on which games you saw him play. He opened the season with a dominant showing against Nerlens Noel, the top recruit in the nation, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a loss to Kentucky.
Unfortunately for Len, his first game of the season might have also have been his best, as the inconsistency from his freshman year carried over to 2012. [emphasis added so you would see it]
Maybe, if he used his real name he would get more steals?
2013 Draft Preview: Centers - Canis Hoopus For every 1 steal that Len collects, Noel collects 8, Dieng collects 5, Adams, Plumlee, and Zeller each collect 4, Withey and Olynyk each collect 3, and Muscala collects more than 2. While ball-stealing itself is not a key part of the center position, this huge disparity between Len and men who succeed in professional basketball should be concerning.
I really wonder how much of the glow about Len's "athletic potential" is failing to look past his impressive frame to the more basic dexterity, coordination, and awareness that separates successful project bigs from your annual second-round 7' stiff. [emphasis added so you would see it]
Then again, somebody thinks Len is BETTER THAN Noel despite using an alias.
Now that we have a draft order, and 26 of the league's 30 teams are done playing for the season, it's time to go around the league and see where each team stands as we head into the season of the draft, trades, and free agency.
The Lakers enter the 2013 draft with very clear needs and some interesting prospects available in the late second round they might be able to take advantage of.
Okay, we know, Salt Lake City possesses neither the Hollywood glamour of a Los Angeles nor the breezy beaches of a Miami , but they still have the cap space to lure in a free agent looking to make an easy pay day.
School: USC Started with Bonneville Phoenix: September 2012 Favorite Sports Memory: Going to Game 7 of the 2001 World Series Favorite all-time athlete: A.C. Green Favorite sports movies: Field of Dreams, The Scout and Remember the Titans Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley likely won't have a say in who general manager Ryan McDonough and Co.
How many mulligans can Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks take before Dirk Nowitzki has fizzled as a championship-caliber franchise player? are shopping the No.
After a valiant game one effort the Bulls finally succumbed to the injuries that have plagued them throughout the regular and postseason. It would have been interesting to see how the Bulls fared if they would have had five players healthy enough to suit up for the games. The Heat prevailed with half of Dwyane Wade against half of the Bulls roster, but will the Pacers prove a more dangerous adversary if Wade isn't at full speed?
Indiana beats New York 4-2
The Knicks hero ball style was exposed by Indiana's teamwork and stout defense. Carmelo Anthony, who finished third in MVP voting (really?), managed to chuck up 18.75 shots for every assist he dished during the series. His appurtenance in the black hole philosophy, J.R. Smith, shot a putrid 29%. Roy Hibbert made Tyson Chandler look like a little boy. The series went six, but it didn't really feel that close. Credit Indy's hermetic defense for that. They forced the Knicks into becoming a jump shooting team with their inside presence, then turned them into a downright crappy offense with their stellar perimeter d.
Memphis beats OKC 4-1
This series cemented the value of Russell Westbrook. The critics that propounded he was holding Kevin Durant and the Thunder back were summarily silenced. Oklahoma City was a completely different (worse) team with him off the court, and Westbrook's injury may have been the single biggest event that changed the postseason landscape. The Grizzlies smelled blood and capitalized by imposing their style on the series. Memphis, who had the slowest pace and allowed the fewest points during the regular season, stifled the Thunder by holding them under 100 points in every game during the series.
San Antonio beats Golden St. 4-2
The Spurs entrenched themselves as the horror movie villain that never dies and the Warriors proclaimed that they have arrived as an up and coming team (if they can stay healthy). While Stephen Curry had pundits gushing over his performance, a nagging injury (bet you've never heard nagging injury and Stephen Curry in the same sentence before!) may have caused his production to dwindle as the series went on. This, compounded by David Lee's absence, helped seal the team's doom. That and the fine tuned machine of excellent role players led by all-star Tony Parker. Anybody else notice how most of the "stars" are already sitting on their couches?
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Now the results you've all been waiting for (or have already looked at by skipping my inane ramblings):
NashMV3 still leads the way, but MMotherwell, who has the Spurs advancing, and Yttriot are still right on his heels. The ouster of OKC knocked out the majority of people's, myself included, Western Conference representative for the NBA Finals. Chances are it will be a photo finish so make sure your score is correct!
