Obama probably found out these losers were coming and decked out the back door.
Of course not, but I don't see why they would go when he isn't there. Hell, even Ray J got to meet the President in When Mars Attacks.
[h1]Rookie Watch: Who will be the best?[/h1]
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retweet http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=Rookies-100407By David Thorpe
Scouts Inc.
Archive
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty ImagesWhen we look back on the 2009 draft class in the future, which players will stand a cut above the rest?
We did our "upside rankings"in December, but we intentionally ignored variables that could impactthe rookies' careers, such as a team's style of play, future draftpicks, management and coaching issues and free-agent signings. Instead,we focused only on their raw talent.
This time, we're taking arealistic look into the future, factoring in everything possible. Whowill end up as the best players from this draft class when all is saidand done?
Curry
1. Stephen Curry, Warriors
I'm projecting Curry based on the potentially flawed assumption thathe'll end up being a long-term point guard in this league. In otherwords, if the Warriors somehow land John Wall in this year's draft, Idon't see how Curry would reach his ultimate potential. Because I thinkhe'll end up being the best overall player from this class only if hegets to play the point.
Noother rook has Curry's combination of skills, craftiness, feel and workethic. And thanks to his shooting ability and the fact he doesn'tdepend on supreme athleticism to be effective, he should be able toplay extremely well into his mid to late 30s.
Griffin
2. Blake Griffin, Clippers
I'll repeat what I wrote when I first covered him in Summer League:Energy is a talent. And Griffin is loaded with it. He's also learnedhow to produce without the benefit of an outside shot, which he startedto pick up this summer. So he should have a strong arsenal of offensiveweapons going forward, while being a beast on the boards and ondefense.
TheClippers will work to create an environment that best allows for him togrow into a star, rather than limit him to just an energy role. He'sgoing to be a unique power forward, with the emphasis on power.
Rubio
3. Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
Every scout I talk to who has seen Rubio play in person this season says the same thing: "He's Jason Kidd without the blazing speed." I see the same things.
Kiddis a spectacular winner who makes everyone around him better, and Rubiohas those same gifts. Don't get caught up in his low scoring averagesin Europe -- that's as much a product of the system as anything else.Rubio does whatever it takes to come out on top on both sides of thefloor.
When he finally comes to the NBA, Rubio's game shouldgrow to amazing heights after a few seasons. His athleticism willimprove (an area that is more important here than overseas) and he'lleasily adopt more of a scoring mindset. But mostly he'll win and helphis teammates play to their potential.
Evans
4. Tyreke Evans, Kings
Evans could easily top this list when all is said and done. I'd guessthat he needs the least amount of help to reach his maximum potential;he's certainly closest to it now. That's not to say, however, that hecan't get much better. His outside shot will almost certainly improve,and once the Kings turn the corner toward relevance he'll be a betterdefender, too.
UnlikeCurry, Evans will be terrific no matter who the Kings draft, this yearand beyond. He might end up as their future point guard, but I can alsosee him playing off the ball with John Wall, or even as a small forwardnext to Evan Turner.
Evans does not overwhelm with speed,jumping, or quickness, but rather smartly employs his craft and size.He should be able to score 20-plus points per game for a decade ormore, and he has an amazing gift for rebounding. Ten years from now,Evans is the surest bet of anybody on this list to be one of the top 5players from this draft class.
Holiday
5. Jrue Holiday, 76ers
I have Holiday second to Evans on my "least downside" list; I seealmost no holes in his future. He can shoot, handle, pass, think anddefend. And he's got a great body to do those things for years to come.If he gets mentored smartly, he can be a Chauncey Billups-type, a multi-time All-Star leading his team as one of its top two players.
If he's asked to be more of a role player, he'll be a Derek Fisher-type -- a key component to lots and lots of winning. Either way, his future is extremely bright.
Jennings
6. Brandon Jennings, Bucks
I made the silly mistake of assuming that Jennings' rather pedestriannumbers in Europe (and his youth) suggested he'd need a while to adjustto the NBA game. Of course I missed the fact playing point guard inEurope is often a totally different experience. But what I have notmissed is Jennings' year of graduate work in "point guard play" withScott Skiles as his professor.
Ibelieve the past two seasons will serve as amazing reference points forJennings going forward, and making the playoffs this season will onlyadd to that. As far as true point guards go, Jennings will probably endup having the best combination of quickness and technique in theleague.
Beaubois
7. Rodrigue Beaubois, Mavs
We can all see that he's a jet, but we can also see some nuances in hisgame. Changing speeds, making insightful plays, then explodingsomewhere in an instant. Best of all, perhaps, is his excellentshooting stroke. To be that fast and quick and still shoot north of 40percent from long range is an excellent foundation.
Whenever Jason Kidd retires, Beaubois will be given every chance to be Dallas' starting point guard.
Blair
8. DeJuan Blair, Spurs
It's fair to guess that Blair will not have as long a career as many ofthe guards on this list. But to assume that he won't put together animpressive 10-year run would be a mistake. He's an incrediblerebounder, more athletic than people expected, and capable of beatingguys off the dribble in space.
TheSpurs have worked hard on improving his jump shot, and as that evolveshe will become a far more potent weapon. This proud and smart franchiseknows it can build a winner with Blair on the floor, and the Spurs aredetermined to make him the best player he can be. He won't ever be anMVP candidate, but he certainly has the game to start on a title team.
Collison
9. Darren Collison, Hornets
If I knew where he was going to play for the next few years, he'dprobably be higher on this list. He's simply too talented to stay asCP3's backup for long. But "long" could end up being a few years.
His ability to run a team as a scoring or a passing point is superb, and he is a willing defender. The energy he plays with doesmake him a great second-team option -- which is why the Hornets willnot part with him easily -- but his performance this season shouldeventually land him on another team that will feature him at the pointfor a long time.
Williams
10. Terrence Williams, Nets
I can't write enough about what this guy has done lately. He's made abeliever out of me (no small task, considering how he started theseason). And no Nets player will benefit more from the ownership changethan he will. There is a famous story of Dr. Jerry Buss taking a youngMagic Johnson under his wing in L.A. The same possibilities now existin New Jersey; Williams will undoubtedly respect the Nets' new ownerand all that he has accomplished.
Asa passer, rebounder, defender and scorer, Williams ranks high among allNBA players -- his talent has never been the question. And now that itseems like he's beginning to understand what "being a pro" means, hischances of succeeding are way up.
[h3]Five guys who could end up in the top 10[/h3]
Clark
Earl Clark, Suns
We've written about Clark's talent and unique physical combinations before. And seeing how Robin Lopez and Goran Dragichave improved so much in just one season, it's fair to assume Clark cando the same in Phoenix. He has enormous potential in every phase of thegame.
Last year, many experts said that as good as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were for the Lakers, it was Lamar Odom who made that team special, and ultimately, champions. Clark has the same potential to be an impact player for a champion.
Hasheem Thabeet, Grizzlies
Thabeet's roller-coaster ride will continue for a while; big guys oftendevelop late, and Thabeet looks like he fits that mold. If Memphisstays motivated to get the best out of him, Thabeet can be a force. Ifnot, then he'll be in the running for bust of the decade.
Omri Casspi, Kings
Is Casspi the guy who took the NBA by storm from his first preseasongame on through January, or is he the guy who struggled with his focus,emotions and playing time as the season unfolded? If it's the former,then the Kings could have the perfect combination of shooting, heartand passing skills to play next to Evans for a decade.
[h4]NBA Rookie 50[/h4]
• Hollinger's stats: Rookie leaders
The problem for Casspi is that Donte Greenehas enormous upside as well and will be fighting to keep his startingsmall forward spot next season. Add in Sacramento's likely top sixpick, which could easily be a forward, and you begin to see thedifficulty in predicting Casspi's future.
James Harden, Thunder
I'm a huge Harden fan, but I also think Thabo Sefoloshais one of the league's most underrated players. So for the foreseeablefuture, it's possible that Harden continues to be a second-unit guy. Ifthat's the case, he'll be a key player on a contending team for years,but never reach his potential.
But if the Thunder decide to move him into the starting lineup, he'll become the best passing sharpshooter on the wing behind LeBron James.
DeMar DeRozan, Raptors
It's difficult to gauge DeRozan's future for a few reasons. First ofall, he's a non-shooter playing a shooter's position and he's not apure scorer, either. Factor in Chris Bosh'smurky future and the potential for a Raptors coaching change, andnothing is clear for DeRozan in Toronto. Except this: With propercoaching and managing/planning, DeRozan can be an excellent player.
Heplays within himself and is a terrific athlete, both good starts for acareer. Next season will be an important one for him, as the NBAtypically does not wait more than two seasons for a young guard toarrive before moving on.
[h3]Ten guys who will be good, but likely won't crack the top 10[/h3]
Thornton
Marcus Thornton, Hornets
It's obvious that I'm high on Thornton. But his game and lack of sizefor his position suggest he'll always be most effective coming off thebench. That's not to suggest at all that he won't be a valuable playerfor a decade or so. It's just that there will be 10 or more guys fromthis class that will be starters that whole time and rack up moreproductive statistics and careers. But I'll tell you this, every guardon this list will get lit up by Thornton at least once a year.
Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
Flynn is trying his best to do what's being asked of him, but a hunteris a hunter, so it's hard to project much change from him. Thus, asI've said all year, I see him as an excellent game-changer coming offthe bench. He can be a dynamic scorer and an amazing leader as part ofthe second unit.
Ifa team can start someone better than Flynn at the point and then bringFlynn off the bench, then that team is going to be a very goodoffensive team. In other words, a Rubio-Flynn tandem can be the bestpoint guard pairing in the NBA one day (and they'd be able to playtogether some, too).
Ibaka
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
I love Ibaka's upside as a defensive presence and a glue guy overall. Istill think he'll get better on offense, too. Regardless, he'll be ahelp to his team whether he ends up as a better scorer/shooter or not.And he's going to be an impact player in transition as well, in bothdirections.
Jeff Teague, Hawks
Projecting lots of minutes for him in the next few years is difficult,despite his talent level. And once a player fails to break throughafter a few seasons, he tends to get marked as a complementary guy.This could easily happen to Teague, but I think he ends up being asolid pro.
Jordan Hill, Rockets
I wrote about Hill last week -- he's going to be a rotation player fora long time. And he has a chance to be a strong starter, withoutquestion.
Gibson
Taj Gibson, Bulls
Gibson has to be giving the Bulls' personnel guys goose bumps. He'sjust been terrific and steady. Will he end up being one of the top 10players from this draft class? Doubtful. Could he end up being a backupto a big-time free agent? Sure. But will he be a guy who plays lots ofminutes for years to come? Absolutely.
Chase Budinger, Rockets
Budinger may be capable of breaking into this top 10 list goingforward, but might not get many chances to do so on this Rockets team.If the Rockets become the team they expect to be with a healthy Yao Mingback next season, then Budinger will be an X factor for them in everyplayoff series. His transition game is excellent, and he's going to bea very good perimeter shooter.
Jonas Jerebko, Pistons
A great example of how this draft class is deeper than anyoneanticipated, Mr. Hustle is going to be a presence in the league foryears to come. He may not be a long-term starter, but he'll be acontributor on a winning team.
Wesley Matthews, Jazz
He'll have to compete with future draft picks and potential free-agentpickups in Utah, but he's certainly done enough to score opportunitiesgoing forward in Utah or elsewhere in the league.
Austin Daye, Pistons
He's got the talent and size to make a mark in this league. If Detroitgives him every chance to play next season, he'll end up being a solidpro.
[h3]George wants to remain a Warrior[/h3]
9:50AM ET
[h5]Devean George | Warriors[/h5]
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Devean George will be a free agent beginning in July and his desire is to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors because of the offense run by head coach Don Nelson.
"I want to stay here and play under Nellie," George told NBA FanHouseTuesday. "I like it. I just like the freedom to play ball. If you playhard for coach, he loves you. If you play hard, he has no problems ...He gives you freedom. He's really easy to play for. There's a niche(with Golden State) that I can help. And really with a young team, youneed a mixture of guys on the team. You need some vets, you need somesome guys who have been through it."
George made $1.6 million this season.
