Baseball Nation: All Posts by Jonathan Tjarks

Daryl Morey on the best interview answers he's ever heard

2013-05-22T19:34:02Z

Best draft interview answers ever part 1: player, can you pass a drug test? [grabs table] TODAY?!?
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) May 22, 2013

More best answers: "anyone who is projected ahead of U that U think U R better than?" ALL OF THEM "Have you ever seen them play?" NEVER
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) May 22, 2013

Best answers: "When did U know there might be an issue?" I was carrying [stolen item] 4someone else-knew something up when we got 2pawn shop
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) May 22, 2013

More best answers: "who is your agent?" I don't have an agent. "Who is advising you?" [gives name] "Who is that?" My agent.
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) May 22, 2013

2013 NBA Draft big board: SB Nation's ranking of prospects

2013-05-22T14:13:26Z

There's not a lot of hype surrounding the 2013 NBA Draft class, mainly because it's a little thin at the top. However, just because there aren't any "franchise players" available doesn't mean teams can't improve themselves.

Like in any draft, there will be quality players available through the early and middle portions of the second round, at least. NBA teams are picking and choosing among the majority of the best 19- to 22-year-old players in the world. A team that can't find a quality prospect out of a planet of seven billion probably isn't looking hard enough.

The importance of drafting well has only increased with the new CBA. With luxury tax penalties now so punitive, both financially and in terms of how you can build your roster, even the richest teams need quality young players on cost-controlled contracts to fill out their roster.

In that sense, a draft like 2013, thin an the top but with a solid middle class, should benefit most of the teams in the league. After all, the 2011 draft, conducted in the shadow of the lockout, was considered one of the weakest in recent memory, and Kenneth Faried, Reggie Jackson, Jimmy Butler and Chandler Parsons were all taken after the 21st pick.

Drafting is a fairly inexact science. Once you get past the top 15-20 players, the rankings become extremely fluid. None of these young men are LeBron James; they all need to be in situations where their weaknesses are minimized and they can play to their strengths.

My draft board, starting with Anthony Bennett at No. 1, doesn't align with some of the pre-draft consensus. Over the next few weeks, we'll be rolling out scouting reports that delve a little deeper into why. There is an underlying logic to it. (At least I hope.)

ALSO SEE: My first mock draft the day after the lottery.

2013 NBA Mock Draft: In top 10, beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2013-05-22T12:02:10Z

The Cavaliers beat the odds on Tuesday, becoming only the second team in the lottery era with two No. 1 overall picks in a three-year period. Unfortunately for Cleveland, there doesn't appear to be any prospect as sure a bet as Kyrie Irving was in 2011.

Nerlens Noel is widely seen as the best player available, but does he really make sense next to Tristan Thompson long-term? A 205-pound center with no post game and no jump shot isn't necessarily someone I'd rearrange my roster for, no matter how good a shot-blocker he is.

At the very least, Cleveland will explore all their options with the pick. The Cavaliers front office has a history (Dion Waiters) of thinking outside the box, so tracking (read: blindly speculating about) their deliberations over the next six weeks should be fun.

More: Jonathan Tjarks' Big Board Cleveland wins No. 1 pick again Full draft order

In my opinion, there isn't all that much difference between the top eight to ten players available, anyway. In a draft like this, beauty is in the eye of beholder.

This mock is more who I think will be taken instead of who I think should be taken, though by the end of the first round, the rankings become so fluid that it's hard to say the difference.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers -- Nerlens Noel, Kentucky

Here's my problem with Noel to Cleveland: there won't be a lot of space on the floor with Noel and Thompson upfront. Neither can force their man to leave the paint, which is bad when you have guards who attack the rim like Irving and Waiters. Down the road, that's a group less than the sum of its parts.

More: Fear The Sword on the lottery win

2. Orlando Magic -- Ben McLemore, Kansas

This is a great fit of player and team. McLemore, who is more finisher than playmaker right now, goes to a team that doesn't need him to create 15+ shots a game. Orlando gets a long-term answer at SG who can space the floor for its young frontcourt players.

3. Washington Wizards -- Otto Porter, Georgetown

Porter is a safe pick -- a local kid who fills an instant need on your roster. At the same time, that leaves you with a frontcourt of the future of Nene (30) and Emeka Okafor (30). If you have three top-three picks on your roster, it seems reasonable to make at least one of them a big man.

4. Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets -- Anthony Bennett, UNLV

The ideal scenario for Charlotte. Bennett is a 6'8, 240-pound forward who can play above the rim, knock down three-pointers and put the ball on the floor. He gets buckets, and this team really needs guys who can do that.

5. Phoenix Suns -- Alex Len, Maryland

Phoenix can take whoever they want here, since there's no one currently on their roster guaranteed to be there in two years. Len is a 7'1, 255-pound center who can make an impact on the game on both sides of the ball. A center is always a nice place to start a rebuilding effort.

DraftExpress on Trey Burke

6. New Orleans Pelicans -- Trey Burke, Michigan

Burke is one of the safest picks in this year's draft. That's a good thing for a team that drafted Austin Rivers. If Eric Gordon can live up to his max contract, the Hornets will have a nice squad.

7. Sacramento Kings -- Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

This could change, depending on who is running things in a month. Here are the Kings last four lottery picks: Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmer Fredette and Thomas Robinson. That's a front office drafting the biggest name available, without any regard to fit.

8. Detroit Pistons -- Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse

A 6'6 PG is the best way to salvage the Brandon Knight era. Carter-Williams can cross-switch defensively and let Knight play off the ball. That could be a really fun backcourt.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves -- Victor Oladipo, Indiana

This is a probably a little low for Oladipo, but it would be a great pick for Minnesota if it came out this way. Ricky Rubio throwing oops to Oladipo would be something. Never forget.

10. Portland Trail Blazers -- Cody Zeller, Indiana

Picks nine through 11 are right about where this draft starts to tail off, so Portland is just taking whomever falls to them. Zeller and LaMarcus Aldridge would be a really interesting frontcourt tandem, at least offensively.

11. Philadelphia 76ers -- Rudy Gobert, France

It's hard to get a feel for what direction new management will go in here. Do they go with a safe, low-ceiling pick or swing for the fences? Gobert, and his 7'9 wingspan, definitely falls into the second category.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto Raptors) -- Gorgui Dieng, Louisville

Dieng is a 23-year-old center who can play defense and knock down a mid-range jumper. Just going to throw this out there, but I suspect he is already a better basketball player than either Kendrick Perkins or Hasheem Thabeet.

13. Dallas Mavericks -- Dennis Schroeder, Germany

Schroeder has as much talent as any PG in this draft. He has a good feel for the game, great size and athleticism (6'2, 180 pounds with a 6'8 wingspan) and a three-point shot. He could talk to Dirk in German during games. It would be like their own private code.

More: Mavericks could shop No. 13

14. Utah Jazz -- C.J. McCollum, Lehigh

The Jazz have nice young players at the other four positions, so they will just take whichever PG falls to them at 14. McCollum's shooting would be a good complement to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter.

15. Milwaukee Bucks -- Sergey Karasev, Russia

Karasev, a 6'7, 205-pound wing with a great feel for the game, is one of the best shooters in the draft. He's a smart player who can fit in almost any situation, which is good considering how unsettled the Bucks future is.

16. Boston Celtics -- Tony Mitchell, North Texas

Danny Ainge has never been afraid to take risks, and someone needs to go full YOLO and take Mitchell. He is a 6'8, 235-pound forward with a 38' vertical who averaged three blocks a game and shot 34 percent from three. Just from alley-oops alone, Rajon Rondo would make him a useful player.

17. Atlanta Hawks -- Allen Crabbe, California

Crabbe is one of the most underrated players in the draft. He's a pure shooter with athleticism and size (6'6, 200 pounds with a 6'11 wingspan). He has a lot of Richard Hamilton in his game.

18. Atlanta Hawks (via Houston Rockets) -- Mason Plumlee, Duke

Plumlee will be a solid center in the NBA for a long time. He would be a safe pick the Hawks can fit around Al Horford and whatever else they decide to do with all their cap space.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (via LA Lakers) -- Reggie Bullock, UNC

Whatever the Cavs do at No. 1, they should grab a three-and-D wing player at No. 19 to round out their starting five. Bullock, a 6'7, 205-pound guard who shoots 44 percent from three, is a bigger and faster version of Danny Green, another former Tar Heel.

20. Chicago Bulls -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia

Caldwell-Pope is an athletic guard with size (6'6, 200) who can shoot threes (37 percent this season). In the draft, it's usually one or the other. That combination alone will make him a useful player in the NBA.

DraftExpress on Giannis Antetokoumpo

21. Utah Jazz (via Golden State Warriors) -- Giannis Antetokoumpo, Greece

A little reading between the lines here. Utah is comfortable with international players and they don't need any more young guys on their roster. Antetokoumpo, an 18-year-old from Greece who will stay overseas for a few seasons, has the chance to be a crazy-nice player down the road.

22. Brooklyn Nets -- Dario Saric, Croatia

Saric is a good gamble for a Brooklyn team that doesn't have many ways of upgrading their talent base. If he can develop a consistent outside shot, he will be a really good player. That's a big if though.

23. Indiana Pacers -- Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga

I could see Olynyk slipping pretty far. With a 6'9 wingspan, he doesn't have the length to play center, and I'm not sure he's quick enough to play as a four in the NBA. For one thing, T-Rex arms means he won't be able to shoot over smaller players' heads. I'd still take him over Psycho T though.

24. New York Knicks -- Erick Green, Virginia Tech

Erick Green was the ACC Player of the Year. He's an athletic 6'4, 185-pound guard who averaged 24 points and four assists a game on 48 percent shooting. He has a lot of potential as a bench scorer in the NBA. Let's not hold his bad teammates against him.

25. LA Clippers -- Kenny Kadji, Miami

The one piece the Clippers really need is a big man who can stretch the floor for Blake Griffin. Kadji is a 6'11, 245-pound center who shoots 35 percent from three. He may only do one thing, but it's a valuable thing to do.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Memphis Grizzlies) -- Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State

Carmichael is one of the safest picks left on the board. He's a 6'9, 240-pound big man who can play both interior positions and step out and hit a mid-range J. He dropped 20 and nine on Louisville and 22 and nine on Wichita State this season.

27. Denver Nuggets -- Steven Adams, Pittsburgh

Adams has potential, but let's not act like he had any business going pro after what he did this season. Denver can afford to draft him with eyes wide open. Send him to the D-League and hope for the best, because he may never make it back.

28. San Antonio Spurs -- Brandon Davies, BYU

Davies is another guy I think people will come around on. He's an athletic guy with really good size (6'10, 240 pounds with a 7'1 wingspan) who can hit a mid-range J and play with his back to the basket. I could see him having a Carl Landry-like career out of the second round.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State

Franklin led San Diego State in points, rebounds, assists and steals this season. He'll figure out a way to help at the next level, especially on a team with as little punch on the bench as Oklahoma City. First, though, he'll need to get rid of the long-sleeve undershirt.

30. Phoenix Suns -- Shane Larkin, Miami

I like Larkin's game as much as the next guy, but he's a 5'11, 170-pound guard with a 5'10 wingspan. Even with the massive vertical, how's he ever going to guard anyone in the NBA? Larkin will be a really good backup PG, but those guys are pretty replaceable.

More from SB Nation:

• Cavs win the Lottery | Complete draft order

• Mavs could shop 13th pick

• NBA mock draft: We know nothing

• O'Donnell: The mysterious Rudy Gobert

• Longform: Basketball and chaos in Europe

• Kevin Durant donates $1 million to tornado relief

Vinny Del Negro will not return as L.A. Clippers' head coach, according to report

2013-05-21T18:58:15Z

The L.A. Clippers will not bring back head coach Vinny Del Negro next season, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

With Chris Paul set to enter free agency this season, the Clippers have been doing everything they can to convince their All-Star point guard to sign with the franchise long term.

That apparently meant parting ways with Del Negro, who has been a lightning rod for criticism in spite of the team's success over the last two years.

Del Negro took over as the Clippers head coach in 2010 after a two-year stint with the Bulls. In three years in L.A., he finished with a 128-102 record, including two consecutive playoff berths.

However, their first-round loss to the Grizzlies this season may have sealed his fate. Del Negro was never tremendously popular with either the fans or the media, with concerns about his rotations and rudimentary offensive system following him from Chicago.

More from SB Nation:

• Kevin Durant donates $1 million to tornado relief

• Ziller: A lottery conspiracy for every team

• Howard vented to GM about D'Antoni

• O'Donnell: The mysterious Rudy Gobert

• NBA mock draft: We know nothing

• Longform: Basketball and chaos in Europe

Kevin Durant donates $1 million to Oklahoma disaster relief

2013-05-21T16:49:37Z

You can donate to the Red Cross via redcross.org or by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

One day after a devastating tornado swept through Oklahoma, Kevin Durant has pledged $1 million to help the recovery efforts in the state.

The tornado was classified as an EF4 by the National Weather Service, with winds between 166-200 miles per hour. It was one of the most powerful natural disasters in recent US history.

It killed at least 24 people in Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City. Seven of the victims were school children at Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore. In the last day, at least 100 people have been pulled alive from the rubble.

For more coverage on the disaster and the relief efforts, please head over to Welcome To Loud City, Crimson and Cream Machine and Cowboys Ride For Free, SB Nation's three Oklahoma-based blogs.

Those affected by the tornado can get more information on the relief effort here:

Department of Homeland Security

On Twitter @DHSJournal
On Facebook www.facebook.com/homelandsecurity

FEMA
On Twitter @FEMA
On Facebook www.facebook.com/FEMA
Blog Updates from FEMA

American Red Cross
Latest updates
On Twitter: @RedCross
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/redcross

Bryan Colangelo to be reassigned as Raptors search for new general manager

2013-05-20T15:53:53Z

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly reassigning Bryan Colangelo to a corporate position as they search for a new general manager. Denver's Masai Ujiri is Toronto's top target.

The Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment group has yet to make a decision on the future of Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, but there were negotiations over the weekend to bring Colangelo back in a "significant" capacity, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

More on Toronto's search: Raptors HQ

Colangelo has an option year left on his current contract, but MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke has been pushing hard to find a top executive to take command of basketball operations in Toronto. Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri emerged as a top candidate, and Wojnarowski reports that MLSE is still going hard after Ujiri despite the latest negotiations with Colangelo.

Ujiri and Colangelo have history together, as Ujiri worked under Colangelo in Toronto for three seasons before moving to Denver. Ujiri was the assistant GM for two of the three seasons. If Ujiri is hired and Colangelo retained, the roles would be reversed and Ujiri would become Colangelo's boss.

More from SB Nation:

• Spurs blast Grizzlies in Game 1

• Flannery: Saying goodbye to the Knicks

• Dwight Howard considering Rockets, Mavericks

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

• Shabazz is the next Harrison Barnes

• Longform: Basketball and chaos in Europe

Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5, NBA Playoffs 2013: Time, TV schedule and more

2013-05-16T20:19:32Z

The Knicks have had their best season in over a decade, winning 54 games, an Atlantic Division title and making the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1999. However, a loss to Indiana on Thursday, which would knock them out of the second round in only five games, would color all those accomplishments.

Very little has gone right for New York this series, as it lost home-court advantage in a 102-95 loss in Game 1 and has struggled to find their game ever since. The Knicks were run off the court in Games 3 and 4 in Indiana, losing both by 11 points, as the Pacers defense suffocated their offense.

While only 8 teams have come back from a 3-1 series deficit in NBA history, the Knicks certainly have enough talent to force the series back to Indiana. The Pacers, meanwhile, don't want to play a deep series, not after the Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night.

The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, with the Knicks as five-point favorites. Here's a quick look at three questions that could determine the outcome:

1) Is J.R. Smith alive?

No one has had a rougher postseason than the Sixth Man of the Year, whose play has fallen off a cliff since a one-game suspension for elbowing Jason Terry in the first round. In the last five games, Smith has averaged 13 points, four rebounds and one assist per game on 29 percent shooting.

Smith is the only Knicks player besides Carmelo Anthony who can consistently create his own shot; he'll have to be more efficient if they're going to have any chance in this series. One possible adjustment Mike Woodson could make is moving back to a small-ball lineup, since playing two big men clogs the paint and only encourages Smith to hoist fade-away jumpers instead of attacking the rim.

2) Can the Pacers avoid turning the ball over?

It's no coincidence that the only Knicks victory in this series came in Game 2, when the Pacers turned it over 21 times. In the half-court, the Indiana defense, ranked No. 1 in the NBA, has been able to shrink the floor while still running New York off the three-point line. That changed in Game 2, when the Knicks pushed the ball in transition, getting 32 fast-break points and scoring before the Pacers defense could get set.

With Roy Hibbert and David West dominating upfront, Indiana wants to slow the pace as much as possible. As a result, the key will be the offensive execution of George Hill, Lance Stephenson and Paul George, who combined for 12 turnovers in Game 2, including seven from George. If they can avoid too many live-ball turnovers, the Knicks offense will have a hard time getting back on track.

3) Will Mike Woodson go small?

Before Game 4, Woodson conceded defeat in the battle of styles between the two teams, starting both Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin in an attempt to match up with the Pacers big men. He also stuck with Amar'e Stoudemire, who has been ineffective since coming back in Game 3. With their season on the line, will Woodson return to the small-ball lineup that has been so successful for the Knicks all year?

One obvious tweak would be playing Chris Copeland more. Copeland, at 6'8 and 225 pounds, has the size to at least bang with West while also being able to spread the floor from the three-point line on offense. Copeland had six points on 2-for-3 shooting in Game 4, and the Knicks were plus-12 in his 10 minutes of action.

More from SB Nation:

• 3 reasons the Thunder have gone fishin'

• Watch Kevin Durant's sad Charlie Brown walk

• Sacramento's wide open future

• Ziller: 8 thoughts on the Kings staying

• J.R. Smith had a dream

• Flannery: The Pacers are happening

Doc Rivers will be the Celtics coach next season

2013-05-16T19:02:40Z

Although Doc Rivers is under contract for next season, rumors about the Celtics beginning a rebuilding effort have led many to speculate about the veteran coach's future in Boston.

The Nets were one of many teams rumored to be interested in Rivers if he were made available, but Celtics GM Danny Ainge shot down the possibility on Thursday:

Danny Ainge confirms that Doc Rivers is returning next season as #celtics coach. "We've got a coach everybody would love to have."
— gary washburn (@GwashNBAGlobe) May 16, 2013

Rivers, one of the most respected coaches in the NBA, has openly speculated about stepping away at the end of the last few seasons.

Celtics Blog: The doctor is in

Now, the spotlight turns to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who have both hinted at the possibility of retirement. If they come back, will Ainge try for one more run at a championship or will he begin the process of building a younger team around Rajon Rondo?