Athlete Blog: Garrett Wittels

This is an unbelievable honor to be nominated for an ESPY. I never dreamed that I would be up for such a prestigious award. This wouldn’t be possible without help from my teammates, coaches, my family and fans. If you guys can please just help me, and vote for me in this years ESPYs I would really appreciate it. http://espn.go.com/espys/#/home

By: Garrett Wittels

FIU Baseball Player and ESPY Nominated Athlete For Best Male Athlete

This is an exclusive ScoutingTheSports.com Athlete Blog

MLB POWER RANKINGS: The Yankees Are Number 1, Just Ask The Dodgers

1. (1) New York Yankees: 47-28, 1st in AL East
After a crazy come from behind victory in Los Angeles Sunday night, the Yankees still own the best record in baseball. With 10 of their 13 games left before the All-Star break against teams with a losing record, New York hopes to separate themselves from Boston and Tampa Bay.

2. (3) Boston Red Sox: 46-31, 2nd in AL East
The good news for Boston is that they have won 11 of their last 15 and are now ahead of Tampa Bay in the standings. The Bad news is that the injury bug hit the Red Sox hard this weekend. Real hard.

3. (6) San Diego Padres: 45-30, 1st in NL West
San Diego just finished off a Florida road trip against the Rays and Marlins at 5-1 while only allowing 13 runs in six games. With seven games at home this week the Padres look to increase their three and a half game lead in the division.

4. (8) Texas Rangers: 46-29, 1st in AL West
The Rangers have won 13 of their last 14 in large part to the red hot bat of Josh Hamilton, who is currently riding a 21 game hitting streak. After a huge three game set against the second place Angels in LA, the Rangers will play 10 straight home games before the All-Star break.

5. (2) Atlanta Braves: 44-32, 1st in NL East
A 2-4 week leaves Atlanta only half a game up on the surging New York Mets. After playing their last 15 games against the American League, the Braves will now play 12 straight against teams in the division.

6. (7) New York Mets: 43-32, 2nd in NL East
The Mets offense has been led by David Wright‘s MVP caliber season and Jose Reyes once again creating havoc at the top of the lineup. New York could be adding Carlos Beltran to that lineup in the next week.

7. (4) Tampa Bay Rays: 44-31, 3rd in AL East
Things are not going good for Tampa Bay. On Friday the Rays were no-hit for the third time in less than a year and on Sunday the frustration was evident as Evan Longoria got in the face of teammate B.J. Upton after Upton didn’t hustle on a ball hit in the gap.

8. (11) Los Angeles Angels: 43-35, 2nd in AL West
The Angels have been playing well, having won seven of their last 10. But the Rangers basically haven’t been losing and that puts Los Angeles six games out in the loss column.

9. (5) Minnesota Twins: 41-34, 1st in AL Central
Minnesota has lost five of six and they are 10-14 in the month of June. The Twins hope to turn it around, but it won’t be easy as they play 17 straight games against teams with a winning record

10. (9) St. Louis Cardinals: 41-34, 2nd in NL Central
The Cardinals with all of their talent have not had a winning streak longer than three games since April. St. Louis has once again fallen out of first and will hope to start a winning streak with seven games at home this week against Arizona and Milwaukee.

11. (16) Philadelphia Phillies: 40-33, 3rd in NL East
Despite all of their inconsistencies the Phillies have won eight of 11 and find themselves only a loss behind the first place Braves. Too bad they can’t play any more “road” games right at home in Philadelphia.

12. (17) Cincinnati Reds: 42-34, 1st in NL Central
The Reds won a much needed five of their last six to put them back on top in the division. Now Cincinnati must continue the good play with Philadelphia coming to town for three games, followed by 11 games on the road before the All-Star break.

13. (10) San Francisco Giants: 40-34, 2nd in NL West
The Giants have lost six of nine and haven’t won a series against a team that currently has a winning record since April. San Francisco must start playing better against the top teams if they are going to catch division leading San Diego.

14. (18) Chicago White Sox: 39-35, 3rd in AL Central
An incredible stretch in which Chicago won 15 of 17 has got them right in the thick of things in the AL Central. Now only a game and a half out, the White Sox hope to ride their hot arms to the top of the division.

15. (14) Detroit Tigers: 40-34, 2nd in AL Central
Detroit is 2-4 so far on a nine game roadie which finishes with three games against first place Minnesota. After that the Tigers will head home where they will play 16 of their next 20 at Comerica Park.

16. (13) Toronto Blue Jays: 40-36, 4th in AL East
The Blue Jays just finished 4-5 on a nine game home stand that took place both in Toronto and Philadelphia. What is even more amazing is that Toronto leads the league in Home runs with 115 but ranks 28th in batting average.

17. (12) Los Angeles Dodgers: 40-35, 3rd in NL West
Los Angeles has lost 11 of their last 15, but none were as bad as the meltdown Sunday night against New York. You can only imagine what was running through Joe Torre’s mind as the Yankees did to him, what they so often had done for him.

18. (15) Colorado Rockies: 39-36, 4th in NL West
Colorado is currently six games out and in fourth place behind San Diego. But the Rockies can get back in it as they play two of their next four series against the division leading Padres.

19. (20) Oakland Athletics: 37-40, 3rd in AL West
The Athletics had lost 10 of 12 before sweeping the Pirates this past weekend. Oakland hopes to continue beating up on baseball’s worst teams as they play Baltimore and Cleveland this week.

20. (19) Florida Marlins: 35-40, 4th in NL East
The Marlins have lost four straight and fired their manager Fredi Gonzalez. There was no love lost between Gonzalez and star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, so Florida is hoping to bring in a Valentine to save the day.

21. (25) Milwaukee Brewers: 34-41, 3rd in NL Central
The Brewers are 6-1 in their last seven games and have only allowed 12 runs in those six wins. Milwaukee is seven and a half games out of first but with 10 of their next 14 at home, who knows.

22. (23) Kansas City Royals: 32-44, 4th in AL Central
After hosting the White Sox for three games, the Royals will pack their bags for a nine game road trip before the All-Star break. Jose Guillen’s current 21 game hitting streak could be the only reason for optimism in the coming weeks.

23. (21) Chicago Cubs: 33-42, 4th in NL Central
After Carlos Zambrano was dismissed from the game Friday night and later suspended, he went out for dinner with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. That is all you need to know about the 2010 Chicago Cubs.

24. (22) Washington Nationals: 33-43, 5th in NL East
Washington has lost 10 of 12 and just got swept by the Orioles. Yes the Baltimore Orioles. But what really is upsetting with the Nationals is that they have scored a combined one run in Steven Strasburg’s last two starts.

25. (24) Seattle Mariners: 31-44, 4th in AL West
Cliff Lee: 6-3 record, 2.39 ERA, .91 WHIP, 76 strikeouts, 4 walks, and was the best pitcher in baseball last October while carrying the Phillies to the World Series. Give us your best offer.

26. (26) Arizona Diamondbacks: 30-46, 5th in NL West
Arizona has played a ridiculous 36 straight games against teams with a winning record. The Diamondbacks will play six more this week before they get to host the Cubs starting next week.

27. (27) Houston Astros: 29-47, 5th in NL Central
The Astros have lost 11 of 15 and play their next seven on the road. Despite posting a very respectable 3.55 ERA, Roy Oswalt is 5-10. You can only imagine how bad he must want to get out of Houston.

28. (28) Cleveland Indians: 27-47, 5th in AL Central
The Indians have lost 11 out of 13 and are in dead last in the AL Central. Things could get a lot worse in Cleveland if Lebron decides to sign elsewhere when free agency begins in the NBA.

29. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates: 25-50, 6th in NL Central
Pittsburgh is a comical 4-19 in the month of June. The Pirates do get to play 16 of their next 20 against teams with a losing record. .

30. (30) Baltimore Orioles: 23-52, 5th in Al East
Break up the Orioles! Baltimore has won four in a row and with the way Pittsburgh is playing, maybe the O’s won’t end up with baseball’s worst record.

*Number in parenthesis represents last weeks ranking

By: Robert Nelson

Analyst For Scouting The Sports

NBA Draft Results



Round 1

Pick  Overall    Team                          Player                         Pos       School/Country

1          1          Washington Wizards   John Wall                    PG        Kentucky

2          2          Philadelphia 76ers      Evan Turner                SG        Ohio State

3          3          New Jersey Nets          Derrick Favors             PF        Georgia Tech

4          4          Minnesota Timberwolves Wes Johnson         SF         Syracuse

5          5          Sacramento Kings       DeMarcus Cousins      C          Kentucky

6          6          Golden State Warriors Ekpe Udoh                  PF        Baylor

7          7          Detroit Pistons            Greg Monroe             PF        Georgetown

8          8          Los Angeles Clippers   Al-Farouq Aminu         SF         Wake Forest

9          9          Utah Jazz                     Gordon Hayward         SF         Butler

10        10        Indiana Pacers            Paul George                SF         Fresno State

11        11        New Orleans Hornets             Cole Aldrich                C          Kansas

12        12        Memphis Grizzlies      Xavier Henry               SG        Kansas

13        13        Toronto Raptors          Ed Davis                      PF        North Carolina

14        14        Houston Rockets         Patrick Patterson        PF        Kentucky

15        15        Milwaukee Bucks        Larry Sanders             PF        VC

16        16        Portland Trail Blazers Luke Babbitt               SF         Nevada

17        17        Chicago Bulls              Kevin Seraphin             C         French Guyana

18        18        Oklahoma City Thunder Eric Bledsoe            PG        Kentucky

19        19        Boston Celtics                         Avery Bradley                         PG        Texas

20        20        San Antonio Spurs       James Anderson          SG        Oklahoma State

21        21        Oklahoma City Thunder Craig Brackins         PF        Iowa State

22        22        Portland Trail Blazers             Elliot Williams                         SG        Memphis

23        23        Minnesota Timberwolves Trevor Booker       PF        Clemson

24        24        Atlanta Hawks             Damion James                        SF         Texas

25        25        Memphis Grizzlies      Dominique Jones         SG        South Florida

26        26        Oklahoma City Thunder Quincy Pondexter    SF         Washington

27        27        New Jersey Nets          Jordan Crawford         SG        Xavier

28        28        Memphis Grizzlies      Greivis Vasquez           PG        Maryland

29        29        Orlando Magic            Daniel Orton               C          Kentucky

30        30        Washington Wizards   Lazar Hayward            SF         Marquette

Round 2

1          31        New Jersey Nets          Tibor Pleiss                  C          Germany

2          32        Miami Heat                 Dexter Pittman           C          Texas

3          33        Sacramento Kings       Hassan Whiteside       C          Marshall

4          34        Portland Trail Blazers Armon Johnson           PG        Nevada

5          35        Washington Wizards   Nemanja Bjelica         SF         Serbia

6          36        Detroit Pistons            Terrico White             SG        Mississippi

7          37        Milwaukee Bucks        Darington Hobson       SF         New Mexico

8          38        New York Knicks          Andy Rautins               SG        Syracuse

9          39        New York Knicks          Landry Fields               SF         Stanford

10        40        Indiana Pacers            Lance Stephenson       SG        Cincinnati

11        41        Miami Heat                 Jarvis Varnado            PF        Mississippi State

12        42        Miami Heat                 Da’Sean Butler            SF         West Virginia

13        43        Los Angeles Lakers      Devin Ebanks               SF         West Virginia

14        44        Milwaukee Bucks        Jerome Jordan            C          Tulsa

15        45        Minnesota Timberwolves Paulao Prestes      C          Brazil

16        46        Phoenix Suns               Gani Lawal                  PF        Georgia Tech

17        47        Milwaukee Bucks        Tiny Gallon                  PF        Oklahoma

18        48        Miami Heat                 Latavious Williams      PF        NBA D League

19        49        San Antonio Spurs       Ryan Richards                         C          United Kingdom

20        50        Dallas Mavericks        Solomon Alabi             C          Florida State

21        51        Oklahoma City Thunder Magnum Rolle         PF        Louisiana Tech

22        52        Boston Celtics                         Luke Harangody          PF        Notre Dame

23        53        Atlanta Hawks             Pape Sy                        C

24        54        Los Angeles Clippers   Willie Warren                         SG        Oklahoma

25        55        Utah Jazz                     Jeremy Evans             PF

26        56        Minnesota Timberwolves       Hamady Ndiaye          C          Rutgers

27        57        Indiana Pacers                                    Ryan Reid

28        58        Los Angeles Lakers      Derrick Caracter         PF        UTEP

29        59        Orlando Magic            Stanley Robinson         SF         Connecticut

30        60        Phoenix Suns               Dwayne Collins           F          Miami

NBA Mock Draft

1. Washington Wizards – John Wall

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PG	19	6′4	195	Kentucky

Incredible athlete with good size at the point guard position.  Excellent slasher but needs to work on his jump shot. With his skills and athletic ability he has the potential to become a major impact player for years to come. A no brainer draft pick even for Washington.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	37	34.8	16.6	.461	.754	.325	4.3	6.5	4.0	1.8	.5

2. Philadelphia 76ers – Evan Turner

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	21	6′7	210	Ohio State

Terrific ball handler who can score, rebound, and pass.  Also is an aggressive defender.  Needs to improve his perimeter shot and commit fewer turnovers. Some people question Turner’s upside, but I think he is going to be great and he fits well with the 76ers, especially if they go back to their run and gun style like when Andre Miller was running point.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	37	27.1	8.5	.470	.699	.333	4.4	2.6	2.7	1.3	.5
08-09	33	36.4	17.3	.503	.788	.440	7.1	4.0	3.5	1.8	.8
09-10	31	35.8	20.4	.519	.758	.364	9.2	6.0	4.4	1.7	.9

3. New Jersey Nets – Derrick Favors

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	18	6′10	246	Georgia Tech

Athletic big man with strong rebounding and shot blocking abilities.  Needs to develop low post game.  Has an insane leaping ability and potential talent level is through the roof. Favors is a great consolation prize for the Nets and will join a solid big man in Brook Lopez.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	36	27.5	12.4	.611	.629	.000	8.4	1.0	2.5	.9	2.1

4. Minnesota Timberwolves – Wesley Johnson

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	22	6′7	198	Syracuse

One of the most versatile prospects in his ability to play multiple positions, score efficiently, and shoot from range.  Also will rebound, block shots, and gather steals at a high rate.  The question is whether he has the ability to be the number one option on an NBA team. Transferred to Syracuse for the 09-10 season. Practicing against Corey Brewer on a daily basis should improve them both and create a brighter future for the T-Wolves.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
06-07	31	31.7	12.3	.445	.753	.294	7.9	1.1	2.0	.8	1.1
07-08	27	27.0	12.4	.396	.779	.333	4.0	1.4	2.1	.9	.4
09-10	31	35.0	16.5	.502	.772	.415	8.5	2.2	2.3	1.8	1.8

5. Sacramento Kings – Ekpe Udoh

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	23	6′10	240	Baylor

An excellent shot blocker and rebounder.  Offensive game needs to improve but has already begun developing a solid midrange shot.  Would benefit if he were to get stronger. Transferred from Michigan to Baylor after his Sophmore year. His length will be very helpful to a mostly undersized Kings team.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
06-07	35	20.3	5.0	.469	.585	.000	4.0	.8	.8	.7	1.9
07-08	32	26.0	6.0	.437	.589	.375	5.0	.9	1.1	.8	2.9
09-10	36	35.1	13.9	.490	.685	.269	9.8	2.7	2.4	.8	3.7

6. Golden State Warriors – Greg Monroe

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	19	6’11	247	Georgetown

A long lefty with an NBA body.  Not super athletic but is the most skilled big man going into the draft.  Can score in a variety of ways and has a high basketball IQ.  A great upside but his intensity and toughness are questionable. Don Nelson loves athletes but I think this time he will choose Monroe because of his versatility.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	31	30.9	12.7	.572	.700	.333	6.5	2.5	2.5	1.8	1.5
09-10	34	34.2	16.1	.525	.660	.259	9.6	3.8	3.3	1.2	1.5

7. Detroit Pistons – Demarcus Cousins

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	19	6′10	250	Kentucky

Has great size and a NBA ready body.  Extremely skilled for a big man.  Work ethic is a major question. Will be able to score immediately. Detroit needs talent and size and Cousins provides both, an easy choice in my opinion.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	38	23.5	15.1	..558	.604	.167	9.8	1.0	2.1	1.0	1.8

8. Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	20	6’7	185	Fresno State

A long athletic player who can shoot.  He has a high basketball IQ and naturally will let the game come to him. The Clippers have two choices in this draft: draft a PG for the future or get another big in case Blake goes down again and I think they will go with the latter.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	34	34.6	14.3	.470	.697	.447	6.2	1.9	2.3	1.7	1.0
09-10	29	33.2	16.8	.424	.909	.353	7.2	3.0	3.2	2.2	.8

9. Utah Jazz – Gordon Hayward

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	20	6’8	200	Butler

Shot threes at 45% in his freshman season.  Not a great athlete but has good size and picks up a lot of steals. Hayward is a hard worker who could fit very well into Jerry Sloan’s system.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	32	32.7	13.1	.479	.815	.448	6.5	2.0	1.7	1.5	.9
09-10	37	33.5	15.5	.464	.829	.294	8.2	1.7	2.3	1.1	.8

10. Indiana Pacers – Ed Davis

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	20	6′10	225	North Carolina

A very active big man with excellent length.  Strength is a question. Very good on the boards. Athleticism should be the Indiana Pacers number one concern so drafting Ed Davis will be a very good start, but don’t be surprised if this pick gets traded to Denver or New Orleans (for Collison or Lawson).

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	38	18.8	6.7	.518	.573	.000	6.6	.6	1.1	.4	1.7
09-10	24	26.9	12.9	.578	.659	.000	9.2	.9	1.9	.4	2.7

11. New Orleans Hornets – Al-Farouq Aminu

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	19	6’9	215	Wake Forest

A 7’4 wingspan and athleticism help Aminu to impact a game in multiple ways.  Inconsistent play is worrisome along with the questions of what position he will play in the NBA. As an NBA G.M. it is a common theme to draft based on potential and with a leader like Chris Paul I could see Aminu flourishing as a Hornet.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	31	29	12.9	.516	.671	.179	8.2	1.5	2.6	1.0	1.2
09-10	31	31.3	15.8	.447	.698	.273	10.7	1.3	3.2	1.4	1.4

12. Memphis Grizzlies – Xavier Henry

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	19	6′6	220	Kansas

A lights out shooter who can finish around the basket.  He relies too much on the three ball and needs to be a greater threat off the dribble. Henry could soothe the sting of potentially losing Rudy Gay and will most likely be an instant contributor.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	36	27.5	13.4	.458	.783	.418	4.4	1.5	1.9	1.5	.5

13. Toronto Raptors – Kevin Seraphin

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	20	6′10	258	France

Has a 7′3 wingspan and is a good shot blocker.  Cannot do much offensively outside of five feet from the basket. A definite project but with Bosh most likely leaving Toronto needs to give its fans hope for the future.

14. Houston Rockets – Hassan Whiteside

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
C	20	7’0	235	Marshall

Very long and athletic big man with a big upside.  With that being said he is also a risk due to personality.  An absolutely dominating shot blocker who recorded three triple-doubles in his freshman year. I couldn’t think of a better back up player coming out of this draft for Yao Ming than Whiteside.

15. Milwaukee Bucks – Luke Babbitt

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	20	6’9	220	Nevada

A skilled shooter with NBA three point range and has decent rebounding skills.  Doesn’t appear to have the athleticism and quickness to defend forwards in the NBA. A long range threat such as Babbitt could push the Bucks into a top four team in the East especially with a healthy Andrew Bogut next year.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	34	32.6	16.9	.456	.864	.429	7.4	1.4	1.9	.7	.7
09-10	34	37.1	21.9	.500	.917	.416	8.9	2.1	2.4	1.0	.8

16. Minnesota Timberwolves – Solomon Alabi

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
C	22	7′1	245	Florida State

An excellent shot blocker and athlete.  Rebounding is poor for his size. Has a good floor presence. Minnesota has some very skilled big man in Kevin Love and Al Jefferson but they don’t have the height this guy brings to the table.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	9	10.3	3.9	.484	.556	.000	2.2	.0	1.2	.1	1.2
08-09	35	22.3	8.4	.540	.680	.000	5.6	.3	1.6	.5	2.1
09-10	32	25.6	11.7	.534	.794	.000	6.2	.5	1.9	.6	2.3

17. Chicago Bulls – Patrick Patterson

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	21	6′9	235	Kentucky

Already has an NBA body and strength. He is a good shot blocker and rebounder.  Slightly undersized for the position and does little to “wow” scouts. Chicago definitely needs an instant contributor as opposed to a project with their potential to land Wade or LeBron.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	25	35.7	16.4	.574	.731	.000	7.7	1.7	2.1	.8	1.2
08-09	34	33.7	17.9	.603	.768	.000	9.3	1.9	1.9	.6	2.1
09-10	38	33.0	14.3	.575	.692	.348	7.4	.9	1.1	.7	1.3

18. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cole Aldrich

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
C	21	6′11	245	Kansas

Has a good basketball IQ and can score, rebound, and block shots.  The main question is if he is explosive and quick enough for the NBA.  Solid face up game. The Thunder could use a Center who is not over-the-hill plain and simple so Aldrich could be of great help here.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	40	8.3	2.8	.518	.684	.000	3.0	.1	.5	.3	.9
08-09	35	29.6	14.9	.598	.792	.000	11.1	1.0	1.6	.6	2.7
09-10	36	26.8	11.3	.562	.679	.000	9.8	.9	1.6	.8	3.5

19. Boston Celtics – James Anderson

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	21	6′6	195	Oklahoma State

An efficient scorer with good range and a solid defender.  A bit one dimensional offensively. Anderson will have big shoes to fill if Ray Allen isn’t resigned but he definitely has the range to be a solid replacement.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	33	30.9	13.3	.435	.714	.379	3.7	1.1	2.0	.8	.5
08-09	35	33.5	18.2	.482	.829	.408	5.7	1.4	2.0	1.1	.7
09-10	33	34.1	22.3	.457	.810	.341	5.8	2.4	2.4	1.4	.6

20. San Antonio Spurs – Larry Sanders

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	21	6′10	220	VA Commonwealth

A Terrific rebounder and shot blocker.  Still very raw and needs time to develop. Improved his perimeter shot last season. I think the Spurs showed all year that they need someone other than Tim Duncan to rebound and Matt Bonner clearly isn’t that guy. I think Larry Sanders could be that player.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	32	16.6	4.9	.504	.456	.000	5.2	.1	.8	.3	3.0
08-09	34	26.6	11.3	.510	.558	.000	8.6	.4	2.1	.6	2.7

21. Oklahoma City Thunder – Craig Brackins

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PF	22	6′10	230	Iowa State

Excellent offensive player with the ability to play both inside and outside. He isn’t overly impressive on the defensive end but does play hard. The Thunder have been great with draft picks these last few years and Brackins will  just add to the talent on ever improving team.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	32	27.7	11.4	.434	.732	.280	5.0	1.3	1.7	.3	1.0
08-09	32	32.5	20.2	.475	.697	.284	9.5	1.3	2.3	.5	.9
09-10	32	35.1	16.5	.420	.760	.310	8.5	2.2	2.1	.8	1.2

22. Portland Trailblazers – Damion James

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	22	6’8	224	Texas

Extremely tough and has improved his perimeter game.  Ball handling needs improvement. Is more of a 4 in a 3’s body. James will have to fight hard but could sneak into the Blazers rotation if he works hard.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
06-07	35	25.9	7.6	.493	.595	.091	7.2	.9	1.5	.6	1.2
07-08	38	31.2	13.2	.461	.570	.413	10.3	1.3	1.6	.7	1.3
08-09	35	29.5	15.4	.468	.684	.326	9.2	1.3	2.3	1.0	.9
09-10	34	30.3	18.0	.501	.674	.383	10.3	1.0	2.0	1.7	1.2

23. Minnesota Timberwolves – Armon Johnson

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PG	21	6′4	195	Nevada

A great athlete for the point guard position.  A good scorer but lacks a consistent shot from any sort of range.  Does not possess great court vision. The T-Wolves love point guards as they showed last year so don’t be surprised if they pick up another one.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	33	31.2	11.5	.482	.776	.346	4.0	3.4	2.4	.8	.2
08-09	34	32.3	15.5	.431	.789	.278	3.6	4.3	2.5	.9	.2
09-10	34	34.5	15.7	.495	.678	.239	3.4	5.6	3.4	.8	.4

24. Atlanta Hawks – Terrico White

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	20	6’5	211	Mississippi

A big time athlete who is fundamentally sound.  He can play both guard positions. The Hawks love athletic players and White recorded the highest Vertical Leap in the combine plus the Hawks may need a player to fill the Joe Johnson void.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	31	30.0	13.7	.428	.628	.354	3.4	2.3	1.8	.8	.3
09-10	35	31.5	15.1	.430	.714	.343	4.6	1.5	1.3	.9	.2

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Elliot Williams

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	20	6′4	180	Memphis

A good on-ball defender.  Questions of whether he can play the point in the NBA.  Has trouble going right off the dribble.  Transferred from Duke after his Freshman season. This guy could be a Memphis connection and could be a nice addition to the Grizzlies.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
08-09	34	16.6	4.2	.441	.500	.250	2.3	.7	.9	.6	.0
09-10	34	33.3	17.9	.459	.758	.366	4.0	3.8	2.9	1.3	.1

26. Oklahoma City Thunder – Avery Bradley

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	19	6′3	180	Texas

Strong and quick with an efficient mid-range jumps shot.  Brings a lot of intensity to the defensive end. Many say he was the best perimeter defender in college basketball. Bradley will benefit greatly from having to go against Westbrook and Harden if he gets picked up by the Thunder.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	34	29.5	11.6	.432	.545	..375	2.9	2.1	1.5	1.3	.5

27. New Jersey Nets – Eric Bledsoe

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
PG	20	6′1	190	Kentucky

Very quick point guard who plays hard on both ends of the floor and is very tough.  Is a bit turnover prone and could use some more playing time.  His pass first mentality is good but he also has the ability to score. Bledsoe may get a lot of time at PG if Harris goes down again and it never hurts to have a back-up plan.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
09-10	37	30.3	11.3	.462	.667	.383	3.1	2.9	3.0	1.4	.3

28. Memphis Grizzlies – Quincy Pondexter

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SF	22	6′7	200	Washington

Hadn’t lived up to potential in college until senior season but still needs to work on his jump shot.  Pretty efficient scorer. Pondexter has the athleticism and defensive ability to be a spark for the Grizzlies.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
06-07	32	23.9	10.7	.498	.760	.375	4	1.5	2	.7	.2
07-08	33	24.4	9.9	.452	.685	.288	4.8	1.9	1.8	.5	.2
08-09	35	28.1	12.1	.511	.742	.214	5.9	1.6	1.9	.7	.4
09-10	36	32.3	19.3	.528	.827	.353	7.4	1.8	1.9	1.3	.6

29. Orlando Magic – Jordan Crawford

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
SG	21	6’4	195	Xavier

Claim to fame was dunking over Lebron James at Nike skills academy.  Has very deep range on his shot and just knows how to score.  Is a bit small for the off-guard position.  Transferred from Indiana after his Freshman year. Jordan Crawford is a great scorer who could bring a much needed offensive punch to the Magic bench.

Year	GMS	Min	Pts	FG%	FT%	3pt%	Reb	Ast	TO	St	Blk
07-08	30	25.3	9.7	.440	.746	.366	3.4	2.3	1.9	.9	.2
09-10	35	32.8	20.5	.462	.773	.391	4.7	2.9	2.4	1.3	.2

30. Washington Wizards – Tibor Pleiss

Position	Age	Height	Weight	School
C	20	7’0	220	Germany

Energy player on defense with a developing offensive game.  Fundamentally sound.  Lacks explosive athleticism and may want to play in Spain a few years before coming to the NBA. Pleiss will add height to a team that needs it and could improve greatly in the next few years.

Round 2

31. New Jersey Nets – Tiny Gallon

32. Miami Heat – Ryan Richards

33. Sacramento Kings – Gani Lawal

34. Portland Trail Blazers – Charles Garcia

35. Washington Wizards – Alexey Shved

36. Detroit Pistons – Dexter Pittman

37. Milwaukee Bucks – Lance Stephenson

38. New York Knicks – Dominique Jones

39. New York Knicks – Grevis Vasquez

40. Indiana Pacers – Ben Uzoh

41. Miami Heat – Jarvis Varnando

42. Miami Heat – Trevor Booker

43. Los Angeles Lakers – Devin Ebanks

44. Milwaukee Bucks – Miroslav Raduljica

45. Minnesota Timberwolves – Sylven Landesberg

46. Phoenix Suns – Willie Warren

47. Milwaukee Bucks – Jon Scheyer

48. Miami Heat – Jerome Jordan

49. San Antonio Spurs – Kyle Singler

50. Dallas Mavericks – Darington Hobson

51. Oklahoma City Thunder – Nemanja Bjelica

52. Boston Celtics – Stanley Robinson

53. Atlanta Hawks – Manny Harris

54. Los Angeles Clippers – Sherron Collins

55. Utah Jazz – Andy Rautins

56. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brian Zoubek

57. Indiana Pacers – Luke Harangody

58. Los Angeles Lakers – Mikhail Torrance

59. Orlando Magic – Daniel Orton

60. Phoenix Suns – Dwayne Collins

By: Michael Hartley

MLB Power Rankings: The Bronx Bombers Stay Number 1

1. (1) New York Yankees: 43-26, 1st in AL East

After a nine game home stand in which New York went 6-3, the Yanks will head out west for six games. A concern however has been the pitching of A.J. Burnett, who has lost his last three starts.

2. (3) Atlanta Braves: 42-28, 1st in NL East

The Braves continue to impress with their pitching and clutch hitting as they have now won five in a row.
After three games in Chicago against the surging White Sox, Atlanta will head home for nine games as they look to separate themselves from the Mets and Phillies in the NL East.

3. (4) Boston Red Sox: 43-28, 3rd in AL East

The Red Sox have won 6 straight and battled to get within a game of the first place Yankees after a horrible start to the season. Now Boston must continue the hot play with 18 of their next 21 games against teams with a winning record.

4. (2) Tampa Bay Rays: 42-27, 2nd in AL East

Tampa Bay is 3-7 in their last 10 games and have fallen out of first place. With a six game home stand this week, the Rays must get it together with the Red Sox only percentage points behind them in the standings.

5. (5) Minnesota Twins: 40-29, 1st in AL Central

When thinking of the Twins everyone always thinks of last year’s MVP Joe Mauer and deservedly so. But it has been Justin Morneau who leads first place Minnesota with a .340 batting average, 15 home runs, and 47 RBI’s.

6. (7) San Diego Padres: 40-29, 1st in NL West

How fitting that the day after Fathers Day, the Padres are still sitting in first place. It is amazing to think that San Diego who ranks in the bottom third in every major batting statistic has been able to stay atop a very tough National League West.

7. (8) New York Mets: 39-30, 2nd in NL East

Despite losing the last two games in the Bronx, the Mets finished a nine game road trip at 7-2. A truly unbelievable story for New York has been R.A. Dickey who at age 35 has reinvented himself with a knuckleball and is 5-0 so far this season.

8. (12) Texas Rangers: 41-28, 1st in AL West

Just when it seemed the Angels were set to take over first place, the Rangers pulled off eight straight wins. All on the road! Now Texas heads home for six games against Pittsburgh and Houston.

9. (11) St. Louis Cardinals: 38-31, 1st in NL Central

The Cardinals continue to ride their top two starters,
Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter who are a combined 18-5. With Cincinnati really struggling it looks like St. Louis who has yet to play their best baseball is the team to beat in the NL Central.

10. (14) San Francisco Giants: 38-30, 2nd in NL West

It looks like Tim Lincecum who has won his last two starts has got his mojo back. After three games in Houston, the schedule toughens up with 10 straight against teams with a winning record.

11. (6) Los Angeles Angels: 39-33, 2nd in AL West

Los Angeles cooled down a bit and are now five games back in the loss column of red hot Texas. The good news for the Angels is that they will open up a 12 game home stand on Tuesday.

12. (9) Los Angeles Dodgers: 38-31, 3rd in NL West

The Dodgers have lost four straight and the schedule doesn’t get any easier. Los Angeles will play their next nine games against teams with a winning record.

13. (15) Toronto Blue Jays: 38-32, 4th in AL East

Toronto continues to hang around in the AL East and it will interesting to see how long they can stay within striking distance of the top teams. The Blue Jays are in the middle of a brutal 24 game stretch against teams with a winning record and they are 8-10 thus far.

14. (16) Detroit Tigers: 38-30, 2nd in AL Central

The Tigers went 8-1 on a cupcake home stand against the worst teams in the National League and now will have to face the Mets and Braves on the road. The Story however for Detroit continues to be not only the MVP season Miguel Cabrera is producing but the play of rookie Brennan Boesch.

15. (17) Colorado Rockies: 36-33, 4th in NL West

The Rockies have won six of their last nine and are only four games behind the division leading Padres. That’s the good news, the bad news however is they are still in fourth place and play their next 22 games against teams with a winning record.

16. (13) Philadelphia Phillies: 35-32, 3rd in NL East

After taking two out of three at Yankee Stadium the Phillies lost two out of three back home against the Twins. Not only has Philly struggled to get consistent hitting but ace Roy Halladay has lost three straight and seen his record drop to 8-6.

17. (10) Cincinnati Reds: 37-33, 2nd in NL Central

The Reds have lost six out of seven and are now looking up at the Cardinals in the division. In those six losses Cincinnati has only scored a mere six runs.

18. (21) Chicago White Sox: 34-34, 3rd in AL Central

Chicago is making their push having won six straight and 10 of 11 as they are now only five and a half games out of first. Starting pitchers Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Freddie Garcia, and Jon Danks have all won their last two starts.

19. (19) Florida Marlins: 33-36, 4th in NL East

The Marlins have lost nine of 14 but are 4-2 against the Rays in that stretch. Go Figure. Florida needs to get more production out of their starting pitchers not named Josh Johnson.

20. (18) Oakland Athletics: 34-37, 3rd in AL West

Oakland entered June at 28-24 but have posted a 6-13 record in the month and have fallen eight games behind Texas. The Athletics hope to turn it around with their next six games against the struggling Reds and Orioles at home.

21. (22) Chicago Cubs: 31-38, 3rd in NL Central

Ted Lilly almost no-hit the White Sox and in his next start he gives up eight runs to the Angels. That pretty much sums up the Cubs season thus far and it is looking more and more like Sweet Lou’s last year in the windy city.

22. (20) Washington Nationals: 31-39, 5th in NL East

Steven Strasburg’s stuff is filthy and the play of the Washington Nationals is disgusting. Strasburg has stroke out 32 in his first three starts, a Major League record. The Nationals have lost six straight and have only won five games so far in June.

23. (24) Kansas City Royals: 29-41, 4th in AL Central

Yet another uneventful season for Royal fans as Kansas City sits in fourth place and 11 and a half games out of first. The Royals get a look at Steven Strasburg on Wednesday, so that is kind of exciting.

24. (28) Seattle Mariners: 28-41, 4th in AL West

Seattle has won four straight and only surrendered two runs in those games. With Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee at the top of their rotation, pitching hasn’t been the problem.

25. (23) Milwaukee Brewers: 29-40, 4th in NL Central

The Brewers open up a nine game home stand on Tuesday as they hope to possibly make a push towards the top of the division. It is not likely but who knows, the Brewers have contended for the division the last three years and have the bats to do it.

26. (25) Arizona Diamondbacks: 27-43, 5th in NL West

Arizona comes back home after going 1-5 on the road this past week. Diamondback fans can remember back to the glory days when the Yankees come to town for a three game set this week.

27. (26) Houston Astros: 26-44, 5th in NL Central

The Astros started the month of June by winning eight of 10 and now have lost eight of nine. With Roy Oswalt starting on Tuesday, the big question in Houston is if the right-hander will be traded before the trading deadline.

28. (27) Cleveland Indians: 26-42, 5th in AL Central

The Indians have lost six out of seven and get to play a ridiculous 41 of their next 44 games against teams with a winning record. Good Luck. It is crazy to think that just three years ago Cleveland was up three games to one on Boston in the ALCS.

29. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates: 25-44, 6th in NL Central

The Pirates ended a 12 game losing streak by winning their last two games. Now Pittsburgh packs their bags for a nine game road trip and will try and improve on a 4-13 record thus far in June.

30. (30) Baltimore Orioles: 19-50, 5th in AL East

The Orioles are bad, real bad. It has gotten to the point where it is almost comical as Baltimore has lost 19 of their last 23 and on Sunday lost for the 50th time this year. At least Kevin Millwood got his first win Saturday improving to 1-8 and the O’s come home for nine games starting on Tuesday.

*Number in parenthesis indicates last weeks ranking

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