Category Archives: tyler zeller

Cleveland Cavaliers: 2012 Summer League Roster

The NBA Summer League is made for young talent to mesh with each other. It is also a nice stage for undrafted free agents and veterans looking for a contract.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Summer League roster is loaded with young talent. They have one of the best overall rosters that will be playing in Las Vegas in mid-July.

Since last year’s Summer League was cancelled due to the NBA Lockout, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson will be playing in their first Summer League games. They are joined by players who were selected in last month’s NBA Draft and other young talent looking to impress NBA scouts.

Check out who will be playing on Cleveland’s Summer League team. The roster is after the jump…

T.J. Campbell – 5’9 190 lbs. – PG – Portland (NCAA)
Michael Eric – 6’11 240 lbs. – PF/C – Temple (NCAA)
*Luke Harangody – 6’7 245 lbs. – SF/PF – Notre Dame (NCAA)
Justin Holiday – 6’6 185 lbs. – SG/SF – Washington (NCAA)
*Kyrie Irving – 6’3 191 lbs. – PG – Duke (NCAA)
Rob Jones – 6’6 240 lbs. – SF – Saint Mary’s (NCAA)
D.J. Kennedy – 6’6 215 lbs. – SG/SF – St. John’s (NCAA)
Matt Pressey – 6/2 195 lbs. – PG/SG – Missouri (NCAA)
*Samardo Samuels – 6’9 260 lbs. – PF – Louisville (NCAA)
*Donald Sloan – 6’3 205 lbs. – SG – Texas A&M (NCAA)
Garrett Temple – 6’6 195lbs. – SG – LSU (NCAA)
*Tristan Thompson – 6’9 227 lbs. – PF/C – Texas (NCAA)
Dion Waiters – 6’3 221 lbs. – G – Syracuse (NCAA)
Tyler Zeller – 7’0 250 lbs. – PF/C – North Carolina (NCAA)

*previously on Cleveland Cavaliers 2011-12 roster

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Latest NBA Draft Rumors

I have been glued to the internet and television today trying to glean all the last-minute rumors concerning the 2012 NBA Draft. A lot of trade rumors are swirling about contenders trying to jump into the Lottery by trading either an expiring contract or an expendable player.

I’m sure a lot of the rumors going around are teams just trying to throw teams off their scent, but some are real. For example, I do believe the Memphis Grizzlies are trying to trade Zach Randolph for Pau Gasol or basically anything they can get for him. He has a lot of money coming to him and his knee doesn’t look good. The Los Angeles Lakers immediately shot down the proposal, but are rumored to be shopping Gasol.

Here are the latest NBA rumors floating around about tonight’s NBA Draft…

– The Golden State Warriors are interested in San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair. The Spurs need to open up a roster spot for Erazem Lorbek. The Warriors have four draft picks and the Spurs would probably use the picks received to select a “draft and stash” player.

– The Minnesota Timberwolves are offering last year’s #2 overall pick Derrick Williams for a lottery pick (reported by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com).

– Kansas Jayhawks point guard Tyshawn Taylor could be selected #29 by the Chicago Bulls. Vin Parise of NBC Sports Network reported the Bulls intentions earlier today.

– The Cleveland Cavaliers could pick Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir with one of their early second-round picks. They own the #33 & #34 picks and will most likely use one of them on a “draft and stash” player.

– Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham could end up sneaking into the first-round tonight. He is an excellent defender and a team like the Miami Heat could use him.

– Kostas Papanikolaou’s stock is rising and could find himself selected late in the first-round. He wouldn’t be able to play until the 2013-14 season, since he wouldn’t have a reasonable buyout until then. He is currently playing in Greece with Olympiakos.

– North Carolina center Tyler Zeller is #1 on the Milwaukee Bucks ‘want list’ tonight. They own the #14 pick and Zeller is expected to be drafted before #14. The other players on their ‘want list’ include UConn’s Jeremy Lamb, Washington’s Terrence Ross, Kentucky’s Terrence Jones, and Meyers Leonard of Illinois.

– North Carolina forward John Henson is rumored to be going #9 to the Detroit Pistons. They would draft UConn’s Andre Drummond ahead of Henson, but he is not expected to fall that far in the draft.

– If the Cavaliers are unable to trade the Charlotte Bobcats for the #2 overall pick to select Florida’s Bradley Beal, they are expected to draft Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Syracuse’s Dion Waiters.

– If Weber State’s Damian Lillard is there at #6, the Portland Trailblazers may opt to pass over him and select a less risky player. He played at a small school and doesn’t project to be a point guard in the NBA.

– If Thomas Robinson of Kansas is available at #5, the Sacramento Kings are set to take him. They are rumored to like him over UConn’s Andre Drummond.

– The Houston Rockets are still trying to trade the Kings for the #5 pick and possibly Tyreke Evans, but there is no word if this is anything more than a rumor.

– The Cleveland Cavaliers are dangling Anderson Varejao out there to see if anyone offers something substantial.

– The Oklahoma City Thunder are NOT moving James Harden for the #2 overall pick. They do like Bradley Beal, but not that much.

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NBA Draft – Lottery Mock Draft

The New Orleans Hornets won the most important NBA Lottery since Lebron James was available. Anthony Davis was going #1 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft no matter which team won the lottery. He will direct the Honets in the right direction. They had the fourth best odds of winning the first pick.

I feel sorry for the Charlotte Bobcats, who had the best odds of wining the #1 pick. They had the worst winning percentage in NBA history and missed out on the biggest prize. They will still get a good player, but all their fans wanted Davis.

The order of the NBA Lottery is officially set in stone and the teams are looking towards to the future. Who will your team pick and how will that player improve their team? I breakdown the NBA Lottery and present you with my first 2012 NBA Lottery Mock Draft.

1. New Orleans Hornets – PF/C Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
This is the easiest pick to forecast in my mock draft. New Orleans won the Anthony Davis lottery. They will enjoy this more than a Mega Millions purse. The Hornets are a team that lack identity. They had to part ways with Chris Paul and David West because of salary cap issues and the team being owned by the NBA. Tom Benson stepped in and will be the future owner. Davis is the new face of the franchise and a new beginning for fans. He is the best low-post defender to come out of the draft in many years. He needs to add a lot of weight. A 220 lb. 6’10 power forward/center isn’t going to be able to do everything that he wants.

2. Charlotte Bobcats – SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
I feel sorry for Charlotte fans. They have struggled over the last few years and their team lacks a star. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the Bobcats star of the future. As soon as he puts on a Charlotte uniform, he will be the team’s best player. He is a nice complement to Kemba Walker and Bimack Biyombo. He can defend well and out-hustle everyone on the court. He is a proven winner and will continue to improve.

3. Washington Wizards – PF Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
Washington fell a bit short and missed out on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG would have been a good fit on their team, but Thomas Robinson is more of a finished product. He can help the Wizards instantly and will be an impact player and starter in his first game. He will help in every facet of the game. John Wall will love having an inside scorer to feed all game.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers – SG Bradley Beal (Florida) (or Drummond if Beal is gone)
Cleveland was leapfrogged and fell to #4, but will still get their guy. Bradley Beal is the first tweener in the draft and fills a need for the Cavs. He is a prototypical shooting guard and has some ball handling skills if they wanted to pair him up with the second unit as point guard. He is only a year removed from high school, so he will need some molding to become a franchise player.

5. Sacramento Kings – C Andre Drummond (UConn)
The Kings have Demarcus Cousins, why would they need Drummond? Drummond is a true center and Cousins has the skills to better fit at power forward. He’s a freak athlete with a 7-foot-5 inche wingspan. He is a shot blocker and can pass out of the post. If he hits his ceiling, he could be the steal of this NBAdraft.

6. Portland Trailblazers – SF Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)
Why didn’t Harrison Barnes dominate in college? This is the question that every NBA team will ask themselves while evaluating him. He has a nice outside jumper and a high basketball IQ. He doesn’t have the athletic ability that jumps off of the paper like most #6 picks and higher have. Portland can really improve their team in this draft with two lottery selections. They can afford to gamble a little by picking Barnes at #6.

7. Golden State Warriors – PF Perry Jones III (Baylor)
Perry Jones III is listed as a power forward, but he plays more like a guard. I would compare him to Lamar Odom, since he still has rebounding ability. He is very streaky and should have dominated in college. He is a guy that scouts have mixed feelings about. He disappears in games, but with the right coaching, he can get rid of those issues.

8. Toronto Raptors – SG Dion Waiters (Syracuse)
If a player is getting comparisons to Dwyane Wade and Tyreke Evans, he definitely has a shot at being a star in the NBA. He is an explosive scorer who is a bit undersized for his position (i.e. Wade & Evans). The Raptors are in need of a player like Waiters. They struggled to put points up on the scoreboard. He needs to improve his jumper…a recurring theme in this draft.

9. Detroit Pistons – C Tyler Zeller (North Carolina)
When he chose to play at North Carolina, Tyler Zeller was a lock to leave school after his freshman year. He had all of the accolades and talent, but he lost most of his freshman year to injury. He waited his turn and developed into a better player by staying in school. The Pistons need another big to put besideGreg Monroe. They have different styles and it would be a nice marriage in the paint.

10. New Orleans Hornets – PG Damian Lillard (Weber State)
A lottery pick from Weber State?! Don’t let the small school throw you, Lillard has NBA talent. He can shoot from long-range and limits turnovers on the offensive end. The only knock on him would be that he is a tweener. The emergence of Russell Westbrook has definitely helped his stock. Every team is looking for his clone.

11. Portland Trailblazers – SG Jeremy Lamb (UConn) 
You first heard of Lamb last season when his UConn Huskies won the NCAA Tournament. He could have went out last year and been a higher pick in a much weaker draft. He is a talented two-guard that impresses with his defensive ability. He has a long wingspan and reminds me of a Tayshaun Prince coming out of college. Portland will always miss Brandon Roy, Lamb can help them move on.

12. Miluwakee Bucks – PF Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)
He’s one of the best low-post scorers and rebounders in this draft. He is too small to play center (6’9) and plays low to the ground. He has a low center of gravity and can defend players taller than him. He struggled against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. If he had a solid game, you would be picked higher in the draft. His talent ceiling is Charles Barkley to Anthony Mason and his basement is Sean May.

13. Phoenix Suns – SG Austin Rivers (Duke)
If high school players were still allowed to be eligible for the NBA Draft, Austin Rivers would have been the #1 overall pick last year. He will help the Suns get back to their old offensive ways. He is great at going to the hoop, but is very streaky. His free-throw shooting percentage is not where you would like it to be for his position. Rivers has all of the tools to be an star in the NBA, but he’s very young and will need some molding.

14. Houston Rockets – PF Terrence Jones (Kentucky)

He is one of the most versatile players. He can help you in many ways around the court. He can rebound, block shots, and even has 3-point range. He is a player who has a position and could draw out defenses from the paint. He is another player that can disappear and have scouts scratching their heads. He would have been a top-3 pick in last year’s NBA Draft.

Next 10 Best Players Available:
PG Kendall Marshall (North Carolina)
PF John Henson (North Carolina)
SF Terrence Ross (Washington)
SF Quincy Miller (Baylor)
SF Moe Harkless (St. John’s)
PG Marquis Teague (Kentucky)
C Meyers Leonard (Illinois)
SG/SF C Evan Fournier (International)
PF Royce White (Iowa State)
C Fab Melo (Syracuse)

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Hoosiers Love Tom Crean

The Indiana Hoosiers have named Tom Crean as the new head coach. Crean has coached Marquette University since 1999 and has been an assistant for many years. He was an assistant under Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo at Michigan State, so he knows what to expect as a coach in the Big Ten.

I was born and raised in Indiana and I can’t say that I’ve been much of an IU fan. Kentucky has always been my team, but I respected the Bob Knight years and what they accomplished. My youngest memory of watching college basketball was when the Hoosiers won the 1987 NCAA tournament over Derrick Coleman and Syracuse. I’m not sure if IU can get back to what it was under Knight. I know Indiana is a breeding ground of some amazing talent like Greg Oden and future Tar Heels star, Tyler Zeller, but they never get the state’s best player. In recent years, teams like Ohio State or North Carolina have stolen away the Hoosiers base. I’m can’t say that it is impossible for Crean to win a few Big Ten championships, but I haven’t seen much from Crean’s teams since Dwayne Wade left Marquette. In years after Wade, Crean had Travis Diener and Steve Novak, who are both in the NBA, and did re-create the magic of his lone Final Four team.

Don’t expect Crean to turnaround IU right away. If Eric Gordon stays another year and they get Armon Bassett back, IU could be good enough to make the tourney. Those are big “ifs,” but Crean is what he is and that is a good recruiter, good coach, and squeaky clean violation record.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.