Bleacher Report - Articles by Woody Wommack

Orlando Magic: Live Blogging from Draft Central

Woody Wommack — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:28:24 -0400

During the entire 2008 NBA Draft Woody Wommack will be blogging live from the 2008 NBA Draft headquarters of the Orlando Magic at RDV Sportsplex in Orlando, FL.

7:48—The T-Wolves take O.J. Mayo with the third pick. I'm three-for-three on my mock draft so far, but things are really about to get interesting. I think Mayo is the best player in this draft, and finally Jay Bilas is backing me up.

7:43—The Heat select Beasley with the No. 2 pick, garnering some laughs from the media members who know Pat Riley. I've heard some rumors that the Heat may still trade the pick, perhaps to L.A. for Elton Brand.

7:37—No surprise here, the Bulls take Derrick Rose with the first pick. Now is where the fun starts, will the Heat take Beasley and trade him, or will something else happen?

7:24—The scene is set at the RDV Sportsplex where members of the Orlando area media have gathered to see what the Magic plan on doing with No. 22 pick. There are about twice as many people here as there was last year, when the Magic only had one second round pick.

I'll start updating with timestamps as soon as the picks begin.

Woody Wommack's 2008 NBA Mock Draft -- 4 p.m. Revision

Woody Wommack — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:52:06 -0400

I’m not going to lie; I’m a major NBA Draft junkie. I sort of like the NFL Draft, but it takes way too long and there’s nowhere near the excitement that there is in the NBA.

Major stars get traded every year on draft night (All-Star, Jermaine O’Neal has already been moved) and a team can it’s identity over night with wheeling and dealing (see the 2008 champ Boston Celtics).

I don’t have a ton of NBA sources like Chad Ford or Stephen A. Smith, but I do have a couple. I’ve also covered the last two NBA Pre-Draft camps in Orlando, Florida as well as covering the Orlando Magic, AAU basketball and Conference USA basketball.

While predicting the draft is an inexact science because of the many trades I’ve mentioned earlier, here are my predictions on who will be drafted where. This mock doesn’t factor in trades, but it does predict the order that NBA Commissioner David Stern will call the players names.

UPDATE: It's become convential wisdom that O.J. Mayo isn't going to drop to No. 6, which is where I originally had him falling. That changes my top 10 a little.

First Round

1. Chicago Bulls – Derrick Rose, Guard, Memphis

I don’t really think that Rose is the best player in the draft, or the best player for the Bulls, but it seems obvious to everyone that this is where he will be selected. I think Rose will be decent, but let’s slow down on the comparisons to Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

2. Miami Heat – Michael Beasley, Forward, Kansas State

It’s been decades since two guards were taken with the first two picks of the draft and it’s not going to happen tonight. The Heat, or the team that trades for this pick, will select Beasley.

If Miami does take Beasley, he shouldn’t get too comfortable in his new hat. I have a feeling a deal might be in the works to get Elton Brand from the Clippers in a swap for Beasley.

Everyone is asking why Riley would pass on Beasley. But after spending some time with him at the Pre-Draft Camp it’ pretty easy to see why Riley wouldn’t like him.

I really didn’t care for his candor. A lot of the other media members were charmed by his lame jokes and good quotes, but it’s clear that he’s enjoying the spotlight a little too much.

3. MinnesotaTimberwolves – O.J. Mayo, Guard, USC

Despite what you’ve heard, Mayo is a point guard.

He didn’t play the point at USC because the team wasn’t very good and he had to carry the team. I really don’t see how the analysts don’t like this guy, but in my opinion he is the best player in the draft.

4. Seattle Supersonics – Brook Lopez, Center, Stanford

A lot of people have questioned Lopez as a legitimate top five prospect, but believe me, he is. I watch a lot of Pac-10 basketball and it’s easy to see why the Sonics would take him in this spot.

Having a player like Lopez that can rebound and block shots to play behind defensive liablility Kevin Durant will help the Sonics right away. I originally had him going No. 3 to the T-Wolves.

5. Memphis Grizzlies – Kevin Love, Forward, UCLA

Some people love this guy, some people hate him. As an Oregon homer you can bet that I’m one of the Kevin Lovers. Love’s dad was an NBA player and he groomed he his son to be a star.

Love has put in the work his entire life and he’ll be a 10-year NBA player at worst. He may not be a perennial All-Star but he’s a safe pick that will be a good team player that will have a positive impact on the sometimes poisonous Memphis locker room.

6. New York Knicks – Danilo Gallinari, Forward, Italy

I orginally had him falling to the Nets at No. 10, but it looks like Mike D'antoni's Italian connection will make the Danilo a Knick.

7. Los Angeles Clippers – Eric Gordon, Guard, Indiana

Gordon is a great shooter who I think will be pretty good pro. He gives the Clippers a nice scoring guard to match with one of last year’s top rookies Al Thornton.

8. Milwaukee Bucks – Joe Alexander, Forward, West Virginia

Here comes the most overrated player in the entire draft. It blows my mind that this guy has moved up this far. You hear over and over again about his athleticism. Who cares? Gerald Green is a great athlete; look at what he has become.

Alexander had one good season in college, and that was because he played primarily the four and could run over smaller, less athletic players. In the NBA he’ll be a three, and he wasn’t a good three in college, why would be in the pros?

Another poor pick by the Bucks.

9. Charlotte Bobcats – Russell Westbrook, Guard, UCLA

After working out with the Bobcats, Westbrook suddenly canceled the rest of his workouts. This leads me to believe that he was guaranteed to be selected here.

10. New Jersey Nets – Jerryd Bayless, Guard, Arizona

Bayless has an enormous chip on his shoulder and he’ll tell anyone that will listen that he’s better than advertised.

Arizona had a poor season, but I have to think that if Lute Olsen were coaching the team things would have been different. I originally had him going at No. 4 to Seattle, but the Mayo domino effect has him sliding all the way down to 10.

11. Indiana Pacers – Kosta Koufos, Center, Ohio State

This guy has flown up the charts, and had the Pacers not traded for T.J. Ford they probably wouldn’t be drafting him here. Koufos is a little raw, but he’s played great in international competitions and if he can develop a back to the basket game, he’ll be a decent NBA center.

12. Sacramento Kings – D.J. Augustin, Guard, Texas

This is what makes doing these mock drafts so tough. Augustin has impressed every team that he’s worked out for, and I think he might go higher, but what can I do? I think he will be a pretty good NBA point guard. Augustin is a little undersized, but so is Chris Paul.

13. Portland Trailblazers – Anthony Randolph, Forward, LSU

The Blazers really want Alexander, Westbrook or Augustin, and with Kevin Pritchard running the show for Portland, I highly doubt the Blazers will be picking at 13.

If they can’t move up to get one of those guys, they’ll move back or perhaps out of the draft. As far as Randolph, he’s a project that could turn into a Chris Bosh-type player.

14. Golden State Warriors – Donte’ Green, Forward, Syracuse

Green has bounced up and down the draft charts, but he’s a good athlete that could probably find a spot in the Don Nelson system. He’s long and athletic and with hard work could turn into a decent NBA player.

15. Phoenix Suns – Brandon Rush, Guard, Kansas

Rush will fit perfectly in the Suns new defensive scheme. He can guard three positions and would have probably been a lottery pick had he been able to stay in the draft last year.

16. Philadelphia 76ers – Darrel Arthur, Forward, Kansas

Some recent health issues have caused Arthur to drop, but I think he would be a good fit for the 76ers.

17. Indiana Pacers – Mario Chalmers, Guard, Kansas

With the injury-prone T.J. Ford as the Pacers new point guard, a quality young back-up is needed. That’s where the national championship game hero Chalmers comes into play.

18. WashingtonWizards – DeAndre Jordan, Center, Texas A&M

With the team mostly likely to lock-up Gilbert Arenas and Antwan Jamison to long-term contracts the Wizards are going to have to build through the draft for years to come. They have to make smart pick here and a player like Jordan could be a steal--or an enormous bust.

19. ClevelandCavaliers – Roy Hibbert, Center, Georgetown

Hibbert has yet to reach his full potential but I feel like he could be finally coming around. Zydrunas Ilguaskas isn’t going to be around forever, and if Hibbert is really a late bloomer he could become Big Z’s replacement.

20. Charlotte Bobcats – Robin Lopez, Center, Stanford

Lopez can have an immediate impact on the defensive end for the Bobcats next season, but only if Larry Brown will actually play him. We all know that Brown hates rookies, but I don’t think he’ll let Lopez rot away on the bench when he could be in the game blocking shots and grabbing rebounds.

21. New Jersey Nets – Chris Douglas-Roberts, Guard, Memphis

CDR was the best player on a team that only lost two games all season. Yet somehow he’s going in the 20’s and Rose is the top pick, go figure.

22. Orlando Magic – Courtney Lee, Guard, Western Kentucky

The Magic refuse to trade J.J. Redick, but I think they’re just going to bury him deeper on the bench with this pick.

23. Utah Jazz – Ryan Anderson, Forward, California

Anderson has been underrated during the entire draft process, but I think he’ll fit in nicely in Utah.

24. SeattleSupersonics – JaVale McGee, Center, Nevada

McGee was one of the 15 prospects invited to Orlando as a physical only player during the Pre-Draft Camp. This led a lot of people to believe that he’d be picked much higher. But after a lackluster performance in individual workouts his stock has dropped. The Sonics will be glad to scoop him up here.

25. HoustonRockets – Marresse Speights, Center, Florida

Speights probably would have been better served by staying in school, but he’ll get a chance to learn from Yao Ming and perhaps Dikembe Mutombo.

26. San AntonioSpurs – Nicolas Batum, Guard, France

The Spurs snag another good European late in the first round.

27. PortlandTrailblazers – Alexis Ajinca, Center, France

Greg Oden’s future back-up will probably stay in Europe for a few years before coming to Portland.

28. MemphisGrizzlies – J.J. Hickson, Forward, N.C. State

Another guy that probably should have stayed in school, Hickson has good potential but it will probably be a few years before he makes an impact.

29. DetroitPistons – Ante Tomic, Center, Croatia

Tomic will have the opportunity to come over right away. The Pistons need a real center to hold down the paint, especially if Rasheed Wallace is shipped out of town.

30. Boston Celtics – Jason Thompson, Guard, Rider

Thompson is a polished athlete that can defend and rebound. He could go higher, but if he lasts this long Kevin Garnett will have a new protégé.

Second Round

31. MinnesotaTimberwolves – D.J. White, Forward, Indiana

32. Seattle Supersonics – Kyle Weaver, Guard, Washington State

33. PortlandTrailblazers – Serge Ibaka, Forward, Congo

34. MinnesotaTimberwolves – Nathan Jawai, Forward, Australia

35. Los AngelesClippers – Malik Hairston, Guard, Oregon

36. PortlandTrailblazers – Nikola Pekovic, Center, Serbia

37. Miluakee Bucks – Bill Walker, Forward, Kansas State

38. CharlotteBobcats – Damjan Rudez, Forward, Croatia

39. Chicago Bulls – Richard Hendrix, Forward, Alabama

40. New JerseyNets – George Hill, Guard, IUPUI

41. Toronto Raptors – Joey Dorsey, Forward, Memphis

42. SacramentoKings – DeVon Hardin, Forward, California

43. SacramentoKings – Mike Taylor, Guard, Iowa State/NBDL

44. UtahJazz – Jamont Gordon, Guard, Mississippi State

45. San AntonioSpurs – Goran Dragic, Guard, Slovenia

46. Seattle Supersonics – Gary Forbes, Guard, Massachusetts

47. Washington Wizards – Bryce Taylor, Guard, Oregon

48. PhoenixSuns – Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, UCLA

49. Golden State Warriors – Pat Calathes, Forward, St. Joseph’s

50. SeattleSupersonics – Josh Ducan, Forward, Xavier

51. DallasMavericks – Trent Plaisted, Center, BYU

52. MiamiHeat – Shan Foster, Guard, Vanderbilt

53. Utah Jazz – Darnell Jackson, Forward, Kansas

54. Houston Rockets – Davon Jefferson, Guard, USC

55. Portland Trailblazers – Sean Singletary, Guard, Virginia

56. SeattleSupersonics – Sonny Weems, Guard, Arkansas

57. San AntonioSpurs – Mantas Kalnietis

58. Los AngelesLakers – Maarty Leunen, Forward, Oregon

59. DetroitPistons – Sasha Kaun, Forward, Kansas

60. Boston Celtics – Stanley Burrell, Guard, Xavier

Russell Westbrook: One-on-One Interview

Woody Wommack — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:01:08 -0400

After helping the UCLA Bruins advance to back-to-back Final Four appearances, Russell Westbrook joined teammates Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in declaring early for the 2008 NBA Draft.

After deciding to be a physical-only participant at the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp, it's apparent that Westbrook sees himself as a guaranteed top 15 selection. I had a chance to catch up with Westbrook, just after he went through his workout at the camp.

Woody Wommack: You were a late arrival at the camp, electing to come with the physical-only group, what do you think of the atmosphere in Orlando?

Russell Westbrook: It's good, I'm excited to be here.

WW: Did you know what to expect coming in because you've talked to former teammates who have been through the camp?

RW: A little bit, I've been practicing and working out so I kind of expecting what I was going to do.

WW: How do you think you did in the non-basketball physical testing?

RW: I did alright, but we'll see what happens.

WW: Do you think some of the activities are overrated, such as the bench press?

RW: I mean it depends on how teams take it. I just needed to go in there and do the best I could, and see from there.

WW: In early draft projections you're sort of all over the board. What would think if you fell to pick No. 13 and the Portland Trailblazers?

RW: That's alright with me. I've worked this hard wherever I go—whatever team takes me, I'm just going to go in there and give it my best.

WW: Do you see yourself as a point guard in the NBA?

RW: Yep.

WW: What about the people that say you're a "combo guard?"

RW: It doesn't matter, wherever the team needs me to go. Probably at the next level, that will be the point. Unless I automatically grow three or four inches in the next week or so—but I don't think that's going to happen, so most likely I'll play the point.

WW: Do you have any workouts scheduled?

RW: Not as of right now (Friday May 30), but we're going to go back and look at it tonight.

WW: What have you been hearing from teams?

RW: Nothing new really, the same old stuff I've been hearing all year. Just lottery, that's about it.

WW: Is it frustrating sometimes not knowing where you could go?

RW: Oh yeah. I mean, you hear all different types of things. Somebody might tell you this, somebody might tell you that. But you only know on June 26 when your name gets called, so I've just got to keep working until then.

Q&A with New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul

Woody Wommack — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:33:51 -0400

This article as orginally published at http://www.insidehoops.com/chris-paul-interview-040208.shtml

When debating who should receive the 2007-08 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, it’s hard to have a discussion without mentioning New Orleans point guard Chris Paul. In just three years the Wake Forest product has turned the Hornets from a habitual loser to one of the league's best squads.

As the Hornets push toward the playoffs and battle for home court advantage in the tough Western Conference, every win matters. So when Paul led his Hornets to a tough road victory after being down by as much as 14 in the fourth quarter in Orlando against the Magic on Tuesday night, it wasn’t much of a surprise to those who see him on a regular basis.

Here’s what Paul, who had a bad shooting night but still finished with 19 points, four rebounds, 12 assists and two steals, told InsideHoops.com and other media outlets after the Hornets clinched the 98-97 come-from-behind victory.

Question: How much of difference does it make having multiple guys that can come through in the clutch and make the big shots?

Chris Paul: It makes a huge difference. We were in here talking about it earlier. I didn’t even know Peja [Stojakovic]was 2-for-11 tonight, it seemed like he made more shots than me. I was like 6-for-19 [tonight]. I told David West early in the game when shots weren’t falling we just realized this is one of those games where it ain’t about the percentages, we just have to grind it out and get the win and worry about that later. Guys just made plays when they needed to.

Question: Playing on the road against a good team in a hostile environment, how did you guys handle it?

CP: Man, we’re a team that’s been through it all you know what I mean? That’s something we were talking about earlier on this road trip. We got to other team’s practice facilities, we don’t have one ourselves. We’ve been in Oklahoma … I don’t know, not too much rattles us. We’ve been through just about every situation and I think that’s why when we’re on the road in tough situations that it doesn’t really bother us.

Question: You guys dominated the offensive boards tonight, talk about the play of the frontcourt guys tonight.

CP: When you miss so many shots you get a lot of chances at offensive rebounds. We shot the ball horrible tonight, but like I said it shows a lot of perseverance with our team and the fight and hustle we have to grind it out and get this win.

Question: You guys are flying under the radar in terms of national recognition, is that good thing?

CP: Man, it doesn’t even matter right now. We’ve got nine games left now and we don’t really pay attention to that stuff too much, we focus on the task at hand and take it one game at time. We do an outstanding job of staying focused and realizing how important each game is.

Question: This team has won a lot of tight games lately, is grace under pressure the best way to describe this team as of late?

CP: Yeah, we know who needs the ball where and we know where guys are going to be because we’re battle tested – or at least we feel like it right now – we don’t get rattled because we know everybody on the court can make a big play to win the game.

Question: Chris, you missed two free throws that could have put you guys up by three, but after the miss you came back and played tight defense and got the win. What were you thinking?

CP: I think my teammates knew how mad I was when I missed those. Being the leader of the team I always want the ball in that situation and I understand I’ve got to make those shots. But we knew we were still winning and if we came out and got a stop that would be in the past.