NBA Draft Lottery: Portland Picks #1, Seattle Picks #2!

[SteeleRED]

From NBA.com

1. Portland
2. Seattle
3. Atlanta
4. Memphis
5. Boston
6. Milwaukee
7. Minnesota
8. Charlotte
9. New York1
10. Sacramento
11. Indiana (To Atlanta)
12. Philadelphia
13. New Orleans
14. LA Clippers

http://www.nba.com/news/draft_lotter...ts_070522.html

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The Portland Trail Blazers are no longer lottery losers -- and maybe they won't be hapless on the court much longer, either.

A year after they missed out on the top pick despite the league's worst record, the Trail Blazers beat the odds and won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night, giving them a chance to pick Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

"Huge, unbelievably huge," general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "Franchise making. ... Rip City again, here we come."

Portland had just a 5.3 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick, and the potential franchise player that goes with it. Seattle vaulted into the No. 2 spot and Atlanta was third. The teams with the three worst records all fell out of those spots, the first time that has happened under the current format.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ory?id=2879568

Oden or Durant? Whomever they chose, the "loser" gets a high quality pick, too. Congrats to the Blazers and Sonics!

[DyEaBoLiKaL]

The Blazers and Sonics have pretty decent rosters already, too. They really struck gold (as long as Oden and Durant translate to the NBA well).

Here's the rest of the Draft Order as of right now (thanks to pbender, a NBA newsletter I get through e-mail)...

First Round
1. Portland
2. Seattle
3. Atlanta
4. Memphis
5. Boston
6. Milwaukee
7. Minnesota
8. Charlotte
9. Chicago (via New York)
10. Sacramento
11. Atlanta (via Indiana)
12. Philadelphia
13. New Orleans
14. LA Clippers
15. Detroit (via Orlando)
16. Washington
17. New Jersey
18. Golden State
19. LA Lakers
20. Miami
21. Philadelphia (via Denver)
22. Charlotte (via Boston via Toronto)
23. New York (via Chicago)
24. Phoenix (via Boston via Cleveland)
25. Utah
26. Houston
27. Detroit
28. San Antonio
29. Phoenix
30. Philadelphia (via Denver via Golden State via Dallas)

Second Round
31. Seattle (via Memphis)
32. Boston
33. San Antonio (via Milwaukee)
34. Dallas (via Atlanta)
35. Seattle
36. Golden State (via Minnesota)
37. Portland
38. Philadelphia (via Chicago via New York)
39. Orlando (via Utah via Sacramento)
40. LA Lakers (via Charlotte)
41. Minnesota (via Philadelphia)
42. Portland (via Indiana)
43. New Orleans
44. Orlando
45. LA Clippers
46. Golden State (via New Jersey)
47. Washington
48. LA Lakers
49. Chicago (via Denver, via Boston, via Phoenix, via Golden State)
50. Dallas (via LA Lakers via Miami)
51. Chicago (via Denver)
52. Portland (via Toronto)
53. Portland (via Chicago)
54. Orlando (via Cleveland)
55. Utah
56. Milwaukee (via Houston)
57. Detroit
58. San Antonio
59. Phoenix
60. Dallas

[SteeleRED]

Dye
Thanks for posting this. I think it was on ESPN.com, but I was too lazy this A.M. to post it!

[cooldude32]

Portland is going to have even more good young talent.

[Admiral]

Rumors have it that the Blazers want to get that number three pick from Atlanta. They would then draft Oden and his best friend Conley.

The Hawks are at a win win situation right now. If the Blazers gave them Jack and LaMarcus one would have to think that the Hawks would jump all over that trade.

Jack would then run the show in Atlanta for a few years. Him and Speddy would give them a decent 1-2 punch, think Toronto. Or the Hawks could then package Jack and the 11th overall pick for a better PG.

Jack/Speedy/Lue/Johnson
Johnson/Childress/Stoudamire
Smith/Childress/Jones
M. Williams/LaMarcus
Zaza/LaMarcus/Wright

Add the 11th overall pick in there, and you have a solid looking team for years to come.

[Admiral]

Heres a list of the top 10 kids going into the draft and a little bit about them:

Greg Oden:
NBA Comparison: David Robinson/Bill Russell
Strengths: One of those dominant centers that surfaces in the high school ranks every 10 or so years ... Has the size and NBA ready body that few his age possess … Great athlete who runs the court with ease and excellent leaping ability … Gets great position in the post and most importantly gets his body wide to give guards a good target to pass into … Wherever the ball goes, Oden works the lane constantly working to get open … Does a great job of keeping the ball high away from opposing guards … Finishes well around the lane with authority via dunk, lay-up or put back … Defensively he is a top notch shot blocker … Possesses the lateral quickness to be an excellent help defender … Owns pro timing as he doesn’t bite on pump fakes easily … Plays the game with a calm and mature demeanor … Hands have a rare quality in that they are both soft and strong … Rarely do passes get bobbled nor do balls get stripped from his hands … Excellent rebounder who is not only a good rebounder in his area but is also terrific out of position … Post game has already shown good improvement since high school … Potentially Oden has few peers and has yet to scratch the surface of his potential … Underrated passer who has shown decent court vision … Does a great job of recognizing double teams and reacting to them … Great character guy. Despite all the publicity Oden has received from an early age, he has remained humble and hungry to improve as a player …

Weaknesses: Offensively Oden isn’t very polished with his back to the basket … Nor does he possess a big assortment of moves … Needs to expand his shooting range, as of right now Oden is very uncomfortable facing the basket … Has struggled when playing against strong aggressive players … Although this is to be expected when you consider his age … Still learning what he's capable of, especially against big and strong opponents, he can go through periods when he doesn’t dominate and often he will defer to his teammates … Post footwork could stand to refinement … From a fundamental stand point, he is still behind in development. As of right now he is often relying on pure athleticism and size … Doesn’t always finish after contact … Can get into foul trouble when faced with physically aggressive players …

Kevin Durant:
NBA Comparison: Dirk Nowitzki/Tracy McGrady
Strengths: Athletically Durant is in rare company as his wingspan, mobility, quickness, and leaping ability have few peers … Great in transition and on the fast break where he finishes with flair … Excellent feel for the game and confidence allow him to make the game appear effortless … Has the ability to catch and shoot off screens with ease … Has legit NBA three point range that he hits with regularity … Runs the court with the speed of a guard … Defensively he has all the physical tools to develop into a exceptional defender … Blessed with quick hands, length, lateral quickness and good natural instincts … Soft hands allow for him to catch any pass thrown to him in the post … Back to the basket moves are quite advanced and are executed with great speed and solid post footwork … Ball Handling ability enables Durant to gain separation from most defenders … Perimeter shooting has no limitations as he has no trouble converting from mid-range with his feet set or off the dribble … Excellent rebounder on balls of out of position as he's capable of grabbing boards that would normally be out of reach for even the most athletic of players … Leadership skills have really blossomed this year as he took a young Texas team on his back giving Kansas a solid run in the Big 12 final and into to the NCAA tournament … Above average shot blocker capable of disrupting shots … Explosive scorer who is capable of going through dominating stretches during games that leave opposing teams shellshocked … A player with out of this world potential ...

Weaknesses: Double teams have proven to trouble him as he doesn’t always read them quickly enough … While he is unselfish, he lacks the passing ability to create for his teammates … To his credit his isn’t a terribly poor passer but certainly doesn’t stand out at this point in his career … Defensively he is improving and showing a willingness to improve, but still needs to work on his perimeter defense in terms of his anticipation skills and footwork … Has a tendency of bite on fakes when going for the block, so improvement on his timing and patience will eliminate this … Like most freshmen in college Durant will need to add more weight and body strength. He probably will always be on the slim side due to his narrow chest, but it shouldn't hinder him much except finishing inside … Doesn’t always take full advantage of mismatches, often Durant will settle for the outside jumper, granted it's not a horrible alternative … Body strength doesn’t allow him to finish after contact … Despite being such a dominate offensive force, Durant can go through stretches of games where he appears fatigued and won’t demand the ball … Gets pushed out rather easily on rebounds due to his body strength … Although not a major flaw, it should be noted that Durant operate primarily on the right side of the floor … Ball protection will need to be worked on as he can get careless with the ball …

Btandan Wright:
NBA Comparison: Chris Bosh
Strengths: Extremely mobile for his size, Wright runs the court with great fluidity … Excellent help defender thanks to his long arms and lateral quickness … Does a great job of getting his body wide and establishing position in the low post … Emerging as a very good post passer … Possesses great shooting touch around the basket, he converts on hook shots and short jumpers with a soft touch … Great rebounder who uses his athleticism and long arms to obtain rebounds … Foot speed and footwork is incredibly advanced for his age … Because of this he can face the basket and get past his defender on the baseline … Recognizes double teams extremely well … He has yet to scratch the surface of his potential … Offensively Wright is an efficient player who plays to his strengths and rarely operates outside his comfort area … Moves well without the ball and is a threat to score on the quick lob pass … For a freshman Wright’s understanding of the game is exceptional … Possesses great hands and shows no problem catching passes thrown to him into the post …

Weaknesses: Must gain more upper body strength to withstand the physical play at the next level … Lacks the upper body strength to consistently finish after contact occurs … Could stand to expand his perimeter shooting, as of right now he shows the touch needed but hasn’t developed the confidence nor consistency to make shots from mid-range … Shooting mechanics could stand to be tweaked … Free throw shooting remains a work in progress, shows improvement but has yet to convert regularity. Should focus on less motion before his release … Can get disrupted and pushed away from the basket as his doesn’t have the body strength to hold position … Back to the basket skills are still in need of refinement …

Yi Jianlian:
NBA Comparison: Pau Gasol
Strengths: Good ball handler who has no problem taking opposing defenders off the dribble … Great finisher around the basket as he is capable of making some impressive dunks on the break … Fundamentally sound player with a decent basketball IQ and court awareness … Rarely does Jianlian force the issue, instead he let’s the game come to him … Unlike many players his size, he is a great free throw shooter …Runs the floor especially well considering his size ... His perimeter shooting is very impressive as he can stretch the defense out to 18-20 feet comfortably … While he doesn’t own many back to the basket moves, Jianlian possesses a consistent turnaround jumper in the post … Does a great job of using his long body and athleticism to make an impact on the boards … Passes out of double teams well due to his court vision and awareness … Excels in an open court offense that promotes fast breaks thanks to his mobility and leaping ability … Rarely gets intimidated when physical play occurs … Although he has been on the NBA draft radar for quite some time, and may be a few years older than his listed age, he appears to still have considerable upside … Defensively he is a solid help defender due to his lateral quickness and wingspan … Possesses quick hands that can disrupt passing lanes …

Weaknesses: There is some concern as to what position he will play in the NBA: He lacks the upper body strength and the back to the basket moves at power forward and is a bit long and rangy for the three … Needs to improve his three point shooting to play minutes to be effective at SF … Despite his vast improvement, Jianlian needs to continue to develop his upper body strength … At this point of his career, he’s more comfortable facing the basket than with his back to the basket … Although he doesn’t shy away from physical contact he can get disrupted with rough post play … Struggles to maintain his position in the low post as opposing defenders tend to push him out … Defensively he will not be the huge shot blocking presence that he is in the China, due to his timing and the speed of the NBA game … Has a habit of putting the ball on the floor to achieve rhythm instead of keeping the ball high away from opposing guards …. Confidence can wavier in games when he’s struggling to score … Although listed as being born in 1987 many within China place him between 1985-1986 … Doesn’t always play defensive with great intensity, he won’t be able to get away with it in the NBA …

Al Horford:
NBA Comparison: Horace Grant/Carlos Boozer
Strengths: Runs extremely well, able to beat most forwards down the court … Is blessed with an NBA ready body and good strength … Defensively Horford is a very strong post defender able to use his body strength to disrupt opposing players from setting up … Solid shot blocker thanks to his timing and great anticipation skills … Attacks the basket with aggression and power … A surprising ball handler and passer for his size … This enables him to pass out of double teams with relative ease … Is physical in the low post and does a good job of drawling fouls from opposing defenders … Usually he is able to use his upper body strength and finish after contact … Really makes a big impact on the glass where he uses his body strength to box out … Has proven to be a very coachable player with a solid work ethic … Possesses a calm presence, doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him … Shows good court awareness, rarely does he try moves that are beyond his skill level … Has shown the ability to hit the 12-15 foot jumper from mid-range … Maintains good body control and balance absorbing contact well from opposing post defenders … Rarely bobbles or fails to catch passes thrown into the post thanks to his soft hands …

Weaknesses: Offensively, Horford lacks consistent shooting from mid-range and the perimeter … Defensively Horford tends to get into foul trouble at times due to his aggressiveness … Although his back to the basket skills are greatly improved, they are still in need of refinement … Post footwork can be choppy. By improving this, Horford will become a lot more effective post player … Has a tendency to defer to his teammates instead of establishing his presence in the game … Still hasn’t played with the consistency that you except with someone of his talent … Can drift at times during games. Will have one dominating game followed by several so-so performances …fails to get rebounds out of his position the way he should … Below average free throw shooting prevents him from taking full advantage of the foul shots he creates …

Jeff Green:
NBA Comparison: John Salmons/Lamar Odom
Strengths: Versatile player who’s all around ability creates mismatches for opposing teams … Above average passer with great court vision to recognize open teammates … Very good ball handler for his size … Defensively Green does a excellent job defending players on the perimeter … With his size and length he is capable of guarding a multitude of positions on the floor … Unselfish player almost to a fault … Shows a good post up game that Green uses to take advantage of smaller defenders … Sees double teams extremely well … Excellent finisher around the basket with a soft touch and springy legs … Smart player who possess a high basketball IQ … Moves extremely well without the ball and is a threat for backdoor alley-opps … Owns tremendous body control, capable of hanging in the air and finishing after contact … Decision making ability is very good, rarely does Green make mental mistakes during crucial moments in a game … Excellent finisher in transition where he has the explosiveness to finish … Good rebounder who does a decent job of using his arms and leaping ability to get rebounds out of position … Has three point range on his jumper, an area he has improved greatly upon this year … Solid attitude in his approach to the game and will be a strong locker room guy in the NBA … One of those select players who possesses a feel for the game that can’t be taught …

Weaknesses: While improved this year, Green still isn’t very comfortable shooting from the perimeter … Struggles to consistently create for himself off the dribble where his moves remain undeveloped … Has a tendency to force passes that aren’t there leading to turnovers … Will need to continue to expand his comfort level in shooting from mid-range … Needs to develop more of a scorers mentality at times he doesn’t assert himself on offense … While he possesses a great deal of small forward skills, some may consider him more of a pf … Would benefit greatly by improving his overall quickness and foot speed. This would aid him greatly on defense and allow him to gain better separation from his defender offensively … Defensively Green has a habit of gambling too much by reaching, leading him to pick up fouls …



Mike Conely:
NBA Comparison: TJ Ford
Strengths: An ultra-quick lefty point guard with a solid feel for running a team … His ability to get by opposing guards and into the paint is on the elite level … Very cerebral, shows excellent decision making ability, especially considering his age … His near 3/1 assist to turnover ratio is outstanding for a freshman pg … Has solid experience playing alongside a great bigman as he has been teammates with Greg Oden since before their high school days … A great passer with excellent vision … Understands how to feed the post well, and can hit post players with excellent dishes off the dribble drive … At 6-1, he has average size for the point guard position, but has good length in his arms allowing him to play bigger … Above average athletically, his father (Mike Conley Sr.) is a world class track athlete, and the apple did not fall far from the tree … Defensively he plays the passing lanes well and his great foot speed allows him to be an excellent on ball defender … Thrives in the open floor, using his great speed to push the basketball … Has a nice assortment of midrange runners and shots in the paint going towards the rim … His dribble penetration is very difficult to contain as his first step and ball handling ability are tremendous … Proved to be very clutch stepping up and leading his team deep into the tournament … Fearless, appeared completely unfazed by the big stage of the Final Four playing like a seasoned veteran … Against Georgetown in particular he was the difference, giving the Buckeyes the offensive lift they needed to reach the Championship game … Really came on offensively at the end of the season, showing more aggressiveness going to the basket and drawing fouls …

Weaknesses: The biggest knock against him is his age and level of experience entering the league at the point guard position. Many feel the development at the point guard position is much more difficult at the NBA level than in college. Entering the NBA after just one season in college has proven to be particularly difficult for point guards, the track record is not great … His outside shooting is still a major question mark. He has solid form and can hit shots from the perimeter, but must gain better consistency and add range … Shot just 30% from college 3, but did show some improvement at the end of the year … Can improve from the line at 70% ... Not a real factor on the boards, but has the athleticism and toughness necessary to improve there … Will likely take a few years before he’s ready to handle a full time starting NBA gig … Still has a lot to learn about running a team and all the responsibilities of a point guard … Besides his tremendous NCAA tourney performance, he's somewhat unproven offensively ...

NBA Comparison: Stacey Augmon
Strengths: The premiere perimeter defender in college, capable of being a lock down defender on the next level … Physically he has everything you need to stand out defensively: long arms, footwork, quickness, anticipation, long arms and height plus a willingness to exert as much effort on defense as on offense … Tough minded player with a strong work ethic … Not a bad passer for his size who unselfishly looks for open teammates … Decent rebounder who uses his leaping ability and long arms to make an impact on the glass … When driving to the basket, he converts difficult baskets due to his body control and leaping ability … Is a solid three point shooter when his feet are set … Excellent finisher in transition where his athleticism allows him to finish with ease … Approaches the game with a blue collar attitude and does all the dirty work with a smile on his face … Shows above average post up skills for a SF … When everything is clicking, he can put up points in a hurry … Moves well without the ball and has become efficient running off of screens ...

Weakness: Offensively he still doesn’t seem to have a great grasp of the game … Not really able to score at will, or create offense for himself or others the way you would expect someone with his physical abilities … Ball handling must continue to improve as he’s clearly not comfortable with the ball in his hands … From a fundamental standpoint he doesn’t do a good job of keeping his dribble low and away from his defender … Right now his body should be a priority for him to work on … Currently he lacks upper body strength and needs to bulk up on his slight 185 pound frame … Offensively Brewer does a lot of things well but nothing spectacular. While he has range, he lacks consistency … Has slashing ability but too often settles for shooting the jumper … Is prone to making mental mistakes in games during critical moments … …

Joakim Noah:
NBA Comparison: Tyson Chandler (higher basketball IQ)
Strengths: Extremely long, fluid/mobile player who runs the court like a guard … For his size, Noah’s is a surprisingly solid ball handler … This becomes evident when he gets the ball in the high post and dribbles past his man for a lay-up … High energy player who plays games with great passion and intensity … Great lateral quickness which enables him to be an excellent help defender when the perimeter defense breaks down … Great motor, constantly moves without the ball in his hands trying to get open … Passing ability is top notch for a player at his position … Displays good touch around the basket … Excellent finisher in transition where he converts with ease … Offensively he has two crucial physical tools which will facilitate his back to the basket development: long arms and good hands … Thanks to his aggressive play, Noah does a good job of drawling fouls from the opposition … Tough minded kid who possess a warrior attitude in that he loves to compete and never backs down from physical play … Is a great rebounder who understands how to use his frame and long arms … Shows great body control as he is able to get knocked around and still finish … Despite being a junior, Noah has untapped potential …

Weaknesses: Upper body strength needs to improve which would benefit him in several ways. But it should be noted that his body type (narrow shoulders) suggests that he will never have much bulk ... Despite being a solid shot blocker, he bites on pump fakes far too easy and lacks timing … Picks up careless fouls due to his high energy level as he gets a little to aggressive … Still goes through periods where he doesn’t make the best decisions though not because of court intelligence but excess passion and intensity … Offensively Noah’s back to the basket game remains undeveloped … Would really benefit in working on his post footwork, a turnaround jumper, and a solid up and under move … Athletically he is not what one would call a superior athlete, gets everything though his strong will … Double teams can trouble him as he fails to read and react quickly enough … Lack of strength hurts him from setting up and getting good low post position …Below average mid-range shooter who lacks consistency and must continue to expand his range. The mechanics on his shooting form is something out of a horror movie, and even with a lot of work on it hasn’t shown much improvement (but he shoots free throws at a respectable clip) … There will be some concern about what his natural NBA position is …

Juilan Wright:
NBA Comparison: Boris Diaw
Strengths: For his size, he is a tremendous passer able to make impressive plays … Unselfish player who gets his teammates involved in the offense ... Excellent court vision, sees the floor with ease … Smart player who doesn’t force things. Waits and lets the game come to him … Possesses the ball handling ability to take most opposing forwards to the basket … Has a quick first step which allows him to gain separation from his defender … Combine that with his assortment of crossovers and change of speed dribbles … Excellent athlete who is a great finisher in transition … He possesses long arms and quickness which enables him to disrupt passing lanes … Adequate shot blocker who is a threat as a help defender thanks to his solid lateral movement … Has improved greatly as a rebounder by improving his fundamentals instead of just relying on his athleticism as he previously had … Clearly has expanded his shooting from mid-range and has the ability to hit from the perimeter … His versatility creates mismatches for opposing teams … While his skill set reminds you of a finesse forward, he is a tough minded player who doesn’t shy away from contact …

Weaknesses: Can almost be unselfish to a fault in that he doesn’t take control of the game offensively … Must continue to increase his upper body strength to aid him in finishing after contact occurs … Perimeter shooting is a work in progress. While Wright has the ability, he remains streaky … Still isn’t what you would call a consistent performer, often he will follow one spectacular performance with several sub par games … Has a habit of going for the spectacular pass which can cause turnovers … Adding improved back to the basket skills would allow for him to really expand his offensive game … Free throw shooting continues to improve but remains a work in progress …

Spencer Hawes:
NBA Comparison: Brad Miller
Strengths: Hawes is very long and has very good hands. He runs the floor very well for his size. His ball-handling, is fantastic, especially in the open court, as he played a lot of guard before his reaching his full height. Hawes is very smooth on the court, and has a great, soft touch around the basket. He possesses good shooting form, and has range out to three point distance, but is only consistent to about 18 feet. He is very fundamentally sound, with excellent footwork in the post. He will immediately be one of the best passing big men in the country, whether it’s out of the post, double team, in the open court, or on the perimeter. He is a decent shot-blocker, but does position himself well on defense.

Weaknesses: Definitely needs to bulk up more for life in the paint in college. He needs to develop alternate post moves. He lacks great quickness. He will occasionally settle for taking outside shots instead of attacking from the post. His rebounding skills could be improved. Spencer is not an amazing athlete and has trouble with smaller quicker opponents. He could improve his overall defense.

[Admiral]

The latest rumor floating around has Josh Smith and this year's No. 3 pick (Mike Conley Jr.) going to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge, Jarrett Jack and next year's No. 1 pick.

Jack has Atlanta ties, Aldridge is primed to be a beast in the middle and Smith showed signs of immaturity and locker room disruption last season. It appears that the Blazers are exploring any opportunity they can to pair Conley with Greg Oden, but you have to think the chances of this deal going down are slim. Then again, it will also be interesting to see how Smith responds to having his name thrown around in trade rumors.

Wow, thier lineup in a year or two is going to be hard to compete with, if everything pans out:

Conley
Roy
Smith
Randloph
Oden

Totally scary, solid on both ends on the court.

[Admiral]

Greg Oden stands just under 7-feet tall without his shoes on and has a vertical leap of 12 feet, two inches.

To put that in perspective, Joel Przybilla's vertical reach is 11 feet, six inches. That means that Oden can easily get his hand above the top of the white square and can get up eight inches higher than Przybilla, who is one of the harder players to dunk on in the NBA. The closer we get to draft day, the more likely it sounds like the Blazers are to take Oden, who does stand at seven feet tall with shoes on.

I'd love to see someone make a poster out of this kid.

[Admiral]

Greg Oden showed excellent athleticism and dexterity. Kevin Durant showed off his trademark intensity and shooting prowess. Nick Young barely missed in the shooting drills. Al Horford and Spencer Hawes looked awesome in post drills. Joakim Noah and Jason Smith ran the floor well.

Mike Conley really struggled shooting the ball in drills. Brandan Wright struggled a little bit with the more complicated drills -- he looked a little lost at times.

A number of other players shored up their claim to the second round. Syracuse's Demetris Nichols, Nevada's Ramon Sessions, Florida's Chris Richard, Marist's Jared Jordan, UMass's Stephane Lasme, Maryland's D.J. Strawberry, Lithuania's Renaldas Seibutis, Jackson State's Trey Johnson, North Carolina's Reyshawn Terry, Providence's Herbert Hill, and Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell played well enough to hear their names called on draft night.

• The Yi Jianlian games have begun. Yi is foregoing the physical-only portion of the camp -- the first time I remember seeing that move by a player. Both his agent, Dan Fegan, and the Chinese government want to make sure Yi lands on the "right" team. So Yi will work out for only a few select teams.
Don't be shocked if Golden State or Chicago finds a way to move up and grab Yi. They seem to be the two "approved" teams most interested.

We have the Hawks taking Mike Conley at No. 3 in our latest mock draft, but the rumor in Orlando is that (a) the Hawks love UNC's Brandan Wright at No. 3 and (b) with the No. 11 pick, they already have zeroed in on Georgia Tech freshman Javaris Crittenton.

Interesting notes from the draft.