Predicting the NBA draft is easy, as long as you're only asking for the first two picks.
Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. See how easy that was?
The Hornets won't be drafting pm Thursday because they sold their first-round pick to Portland for $3 million. The draft begins at 6 p.m. at MadisonSquareGarden and will be broadcast by ESPN.
The Hornets, after working out about 40 prospects, didn't see anyone at No. 27 that could help them so they're going after free agents who can help next season instead of waiting for two or three years for a draft choice to develop. The Hornets traded their No. 2 pick (56th over-all) to Seattle in an earlier deal.
Hornets coach Byron Scott said his team needs versatile, athletic swing players, depth at point guard, power forward and center.
Memphis shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts was the most prominent prospect the Hornets worked out, but the t\club decided to focus on free agency. Scott and GM Jeff Bower believe that's a better bet than hoping a player they had rated significantly higher would drop to No. 27.
"The most important thing is to get somebody we think can help us, who has a chance to come in and compete," said Bower, "We didn't feel we were going to get that player in the draft."
The Hornets would like to re-sign backup guard Jannero Pargo, who's expected to opt out of his contract July 1. Any new piece will have to come from a trade or free agency. Teams can begin negotiating with free agent on Jul 1 and begin signing them on July 25.
The Hornets can use another cog or two to complement Chris Paul. Julian Wright, last season's first-round draft pick, looks like he'll work out just fine.
Anthony Randolph, who played only year at LSU before entering the draft, would have stayed at LSU had Butch Pierre remained as his coach. The 6-foot-11 forward, considered a possible lottery pick (top 14) invited Pierre, now an assistant at OklahomaState, to join him in New York for the draft.
Randolph said he enjoyed his one-year experience at LSU and could become the 13th Tiger in LSU history to be picked in the first round. Tyrus Thomas was the most recent, going to Portland with the fourth pick in 2006 before being traded to Chicago. Glenn :Big Baby" Davis was selected in the second round (35th over-all) last year by Seattle before being traded to Boston.
The draft is here an all bets are off because I'm looking for a night of utter unpredictability and high drama. Then we can convincingly argue about until the end of time--or next season..
SOME HITHER, OTHERS YOU: LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri has hired Michigan State head coach David Grewe as he lead assistant. Grewe will replace Terry Looney, who left the staff immediately after the College World Series to take the top for at Central Florida. Grewe, head coach of the Spartans for three seasons, will be the Tigers; pitching coach, lead recruiter and like Looney, have the title of associate head coach. Grewe's hiring is just one of three changes on the Tigers' staff. Volunteer assistant Javi Sanchez will become hitting coach vacated by Cliff Godwin, who became Looney's chief assistant at Central Florida. Coordinator of baseball operations Will Davis, s former LSU catcher, will move into the volunteer assistant's job. Mainieri said the relationship between himself and his new top assistants should benefit the chemistry of the program.
LSU's Trindon Holliday, the fastest football player in the country, said he is primed to run a personal best time in the 100-meter dash this weekend.at Eugene, Ore., site of the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials. Competition for the 5-foot-5 Holliday begins with preliminary rounds in the 100 on Saturday. Holliday placed third at the NCAA meet and is one of two Tigers set to compete in the trials that will continue through July 6. LaTavia Thomas will compete in the 800 meters. Holliday's 10.02 is the 12th fastest collegiate time and the fastest by a dual sport athlete competing in football and track. The other top dual athletes were: Bob Hayes (10.06 in 1964), Willie Gault (10.10 in 1982), and Jonny "Lam" Jones (10.14 in 1977). After running a school-record time of 10.02 in 2007, Holliday was overshadowed this year by teammate Richard Thompson, who broke the school record, won the NCAA title and was voted the National track Athlete of the Year. "I learned a lot from him (Thompson),: said the football player...Enough already with this rain. Where was I when the ground hog crept out and said: "The hell with my shadow, I'm going to Hawaii!."...My time is up. You can contact Ed Staton at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.
Predicting the NBA draft is easy, as long as you're only asking for the first two picks.
