Tag Archives: Duke

CAVS SIGN GUARD DAHNTAY JONES, COMPLETE PLAYOFF ROSTER

Posted: Apr 13, 2016 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Feature Articles | 47 Comments

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Dahntay Jones, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Jones (6-6, 225) appeared in 43 games (39 starts) for the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Development League this season, averaging 15.7 points on .546 shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 35.7 minutes. He also shot .546 from the field, .413 from the three-point line and .851 from the charity stripe with Grand Rapids.

Originally selected as the 20^th overall pick out of Duke University by the Boston Celtics in the 2003 NBA Draft, Jones has played in 622 games (157 starts) over his 11-year NBA career. He holds career averages of 5.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game with Memphis, Sacramento, Denver, Indiana, Dallas, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers. The 6-6 guard has also appeared in 49 NBA playoff games (16 starts) with averages of 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes.

Jones will wear jersey number 30 for the Cavaliers and will be eligible for the playoffs. Cleveland’s roster currently stands at 15.

–cavs.com–

OH CANADA AGAIN – CAVS DRAFT ANDREW WIGGINS #1

Posted: Jun 26, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 69 Comments

For the second year in a row the Cleveland Cavaliers selected a Canadian born player with the first overall selection in the NBA Draft by picking Kansas small forward Andrew Wiggins. Last year’s G.M. Chris Grant shocked everybody by taking Anthony Bennett. This year the pick of Wiggins by new G.M. David Griffin does not come as a surprise. With the foot injury and surgery to Kansas center Joel Embiid, basketball executives figured Griffin would pick between Duke’s Jabari Parker and Wiggins and he did, with Wiggins being the choice.

ANDREW WIGGINS

Small Forward – 6′-8″ – 200lbs – Age – 19 – Kansas – FR.

Reach – 8’11 – Wingspan – 7’0 Max Vert – 44 inches

Season Averages:17.0 PPG-6.0 RPG-1.5 APG-44.8%FG-34.1%(3FG)- 77.5%FT

I asked Wiggins during a conference call with the Cleveland media after he was selected if the scouting reports on him not being aggressive enough on the court were fair? His response to that question was, “You won’t have to worry about that next year!”

When Wiggins was asked how good of a player he thinks he can be, he responded, “I think I can be a great player, I want to be one of the best.” He added, “That comes with hard work and dedication and sacrifice. That’s what I need to do to become the best.”

Strengths

An athletic freak! His dad played in the NBA and his mom won medals in track in the Olympics for Canada, so his DNA is scary good. When you combine his 6’8 frame, 7-foot wing span and a 44 inch vertical jump, it’s crazy what he can do athletically on the court. His coach at Kansas Bill Self said he has the quickest second jump he’s ever seen, meaning he has the ability to bounce up and down like a pogo stick on the offensive boards and beat guys to the rebound for easy put backs. His transition game is above average. Imagine him filling the lanes on a fast break, getting from one end of the floor to the other and throwing down a tomahawk dunk!

He already knows how to play defense and wants to. How many college kids can you say that about? He uses that great athletic ability on the defensive end to guard 2’s, 3’s and some 4’s. So he’s ready to contribute right away on the defensive side of the ball.

Shoots it well from the free throw line and his jump shot is good, not a great. His pull up “J’ is solid, as is his intermediate jumper and he has decent range.

Penetrates well, has a very quick first step and the alley-oop out of bounds play is tailor made for him.

High character kid and a student of the game.

Weaknesses

Must get stronger and add a few pounds to his frame.

His jump shot and his overall offensive game needs to be more consistent.

He can get lost in the shuffle out on the court at times because he needs to be more aggressive. Some teams are concerned that he’s too passive. That he doesn’t have that killer instinct or alpha dog mentality.

He needs to work on his ball handling which will allow him to attack the rim more in the half court set and make him a better passer. Going left off the dribble is a definite weakness and with his athletic ability he should finish better around the rim. But that should come when he gets stronger.

Has good form on his jumper, but it needs to be more consistent, especially from beyond the arc.

Roda Thoughts:

Reminds me of a taller version of one of the best two-way players I’ve ever seen in the NBA, Sidney Moncrief.

It looked like he was figuring things out at the end of the season for Kansas as he stepped his game up when Joel Embiid went down with a back injury as he had games of 41p-8r vs West Virginia, 30p-8r vs Oklahoma St., 22p-7r vs Iowa St. and 19p-4r versus Eastern Kentucky in the 2^nd round of the NCAA tournament. But his final game at Kansas was a clunker. In the 3^rd round of the NCAA tournament against Stanford he was held to just 4p-4r on 1 of 6 shooting from the field in a 60-57 loss to Stanford. That left some people wondering how could he disappear in the biggest game of the season? But he also showed his true character after the defeat saying, “I let a lot of people down. If I would have played better, we wouldn’t be in this situation, you know? I blame myself for this.”

He will need to become more consistent, aggressive and attack more on offense if he wants to reach that superstar level. But he has arguably the most upside/potential of anyone in this draft because of his athleticism, ability to play three positions, he already plays defense, is a hard worker, with a high basketball IQ and on top of all that is a good kid who will take well to coaching.

Wiggins is my favorite player in this draft and his coach at Kansas Bill Self told me he’s going to be a “Stud” in the NBA!

MY 2014 NBA MOCK DRAFT 2.0

Posted: Jun 20, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 34 Comments

1^st ROUND

1 Cleveland – ANDREW WIGGINS – Small Forward – Kansas – 6’8 – 200

Joel Embiid was the pick in my fist mock draft, but that was before we knew about his right foot fracture. After missing badly last year on Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick the Cavs are in no position to gamble with Embiid’s foot and back issues so they take his teammate who is a freakish athlete with unbelievable potential. Wiggins is a two-way player from the get go, meaning he already knows how to play defense and his offense will only get better in the up tempo, open floor game of the NBA. He needs to be more consistent with his jumper, work on his handle and become more aggressive with the ball, but that should come with time, practice and maturity. He also fills a position of major need for the Cavaliers as they have been looking for a small forward since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach.

2 Milwaukee – JABARI PARKER – Small Forward – Duke – 6’8 – 241

3 Philadelphia – DANTE EXUM – Point Guard – Australia – 6’6 – 195

4 Orlando – NOAH VONLEH – Power Forward – Indiana – 6’10 – 245

5 Utah – AARON GORDON – Power Forward – Arizona – 6’9 – 225

6 Boston – JOEL EMBIID – Center – Kansas – 7’1 – 260

7 LA Lakers – JULIUS RANDLE – Power Forward – Kentucky – 6’9 -240

8 Sacramento – MARCUS SMART – Point Guard – Oklahoma St. – 6’4 – 220

9 Charlotte – DOUG McDERMOTT – Small Forward – Creighton – 6’8 – 220

10 Philadelphia – NIK STAUSKAS – Shooting Guard – Michigan – 6’6 – 205

11 Denver – JAMES YOUNG – Shooting Guard – Kentucky – 6’6 – 215

12 Orlando – GARY HARRIS – Shooting Guard – Michigan St. – 6’4 – 210

13 Minnesota – RODNEY HOOD – Small Forward – Duke – 6’8 – 210

14 Phoenix – ADREIAN PAYNE – Power Forward – Michigan St. – 6’10 – 240

15 Atlanta – ZACH LaVINE – Shooting Guard – UCLA – 6’5 – 181

16 Chicago – ELFRID PAYTON – Point Guard – Louisiana Lafayette – 6’4 – 185

17 Boston – P.J. HAIRSTON – Shooting Guard – UNC/ NBA D-League – 6’4 – 228

18 Phoenix – DARIO SARIC – Small Forward – Croatia – 6’10 -235

19 Chicago – CLEANTHONY EARLY – Power Forward – Wichita St. – 6’7 – 210

20 Toronto – CLINT CAPELA – Power Forward – Switzerland – 6’10 – 210

21 Oklahoma City – SHABAZZ NAPIER – Point Guard – U-CONN – 6’1 – 175

22 Memphis – T.J. WARREN – Small Forward – North Carolina St. – 6’8 – 220

23 Utah – KYLE ANDERSON – Small Forward – UCLA – 6’9 – 230

24 Charlotte – JERAMI GRANT – Small Forward – Syracuse – 6’8 – 215

25 Houston – GLEN ROBINSON III – Small Forward – Michigan – 6’7 – 212

26 Miami – JUSUF NURKIC – Center – Bosnia – 6’11 – 280

27 Phoenix – TYLER ENNIS – Point Guard – Syracuse – 6’2 – 181

28 LA Clippers – K.J. McDANIELS – Small Forward – Clemson – 6’6 – 200

29 Oklahoma City – JARNELL STOKES – Power Forward – Tennessee – 6’8 – 260

30 San Antonio – MITCH McGARY – Power Forward – Michigan – 6’10 – 240

2^nd ROUND

33 Cleveland – JORDAN ADAMS – Shooting Guard – UCLA – 6’5 – 200

Even with the Cavs taking Wiggins now with their first pick, they still need to improve their outside shooting as a team and if he’s still on the board they’ll grab Adams to help them from distance.

WHAT DO THE CAVS DO NOW AFTER JOEL EMBIID’S FOOT INJURY?

Posted: Jun 19, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 33 Comments

Last year the Cleveland Clinic played a major role in the Cavaliers passing on a pair of centers in the NBA Draft in Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. This year it looks like the Clinic has become a major factor again in helping determine who the Cavaliers will select with the 1^st overall pick in 2014.

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com broke the story today about a potential brake in Joel Embiid’s right foot that was discovered during the Cavaliers physical. YahooSports.com Adrian Wojnarowski followed that up with these tweets:

Adrian Wojnarowski ✔ @WojYahooNBA

Cleveland doctors discovered right foot injury in exams and passed info onto Embiid reps, sources tell Yahoo. Fear is a right foot fracture.

12:54 PM – 19 Jun 2014

Adrian Wojnarowski ✔ @WojYahooNBA

Embiid’s consulting w/ orthopedist Dr. Richard Ferkel in L.A.; determination on fracture and possible surgery expected soon, sources tell Y.

12:59 PM – 19 Jun 2014

So with this information Cavs G.M. David Griffin probably has been reevaluating his potential decision as to who to take number #1 overall next Thursday. More than likely it comes down to two choices, small forwards Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.

While both one-and-done guys play the same position, they are two totally different types of players.

The 6’8 – 200 pound Wiggins is considered a strong defensive player with a solid offensive game, that makes him the more complete all-around player with ridiculous athletic ability. His 44 inch vertical jump along with his 7-foot wingspan have GM’s throughout the league salivating. His ceiling is considered to be very high. His college coach Bill Self told me he feels that Wiggins offensive game will become more consistent because the NBA style of play suits Wiggins great athleticism, especially in the transition game.

The knock on Wiggins is that he doesn’t have the killer instinct, he’s not aggressive enough. I asked Self about that and the Kansas coach told me, “That’s fair, because with his athletic ability he leaves you wanting more. However his maturity is starting to catch up with his athleticism. He’s going to be a stud!”

The other choice David Griffin has is Parker from Duke. He’s 6’9 but weighs 240 pounds, making his body more physically ready for the NBA competition and pounding. His offensive game is where he will earn his money. Inside and outside, back to the basket or facing up, Jabari Parker can shoot it and score the basketball. His offensive game is more complete and consistent than Wiggins and that’s why a lot of G.M.’s, scouts, coaches and media members feel he is more ready to play and will contribute to a team on offense right away. You hear the term “Plug and Play” with Parker a lot and that’s what will be expected of him where ever he ends up.

The downside to Parker is his defense. His lateral movement and foot speed are of major concern to NBA front office folk on the defensive side of the ball. He may be too slow to guard the quicker, more athletic 3’s and not big enough to guard most power forwards. So you’ll have to give a little on defense to gain on offense.

Could the Cavs still end up taking Embiid depending on the severity of his foot injury? Yes. But for a team who missed badly on number #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett last year and for a team who is desperate to make the playoffs, it’s unlikely they can take a chance with Embiid, but will instead pick between Wiggins and Parker.

Either way they’re going get a potential all-star player who fills their biggest need at small forward. One is more ready to play right now in Parker. The other is the two-way player with more all-around upside in Wiggins. It’s time for David Griffin to make one of his many important off-season decisions. Good luck Griff!

MY BIO AND SCOUTING REPORT ON JABARI PARKER

Posted: Jun 13, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 34 Comments

Jabari Parker

Small Forward – 6’9 – 241lbs – Age – 19 – Duke – FR

Reach – 8’11.5 – Wingspan – 6’11.75 Max Vert – ??

Season Averages: 19.1 PPG – 8.7 RPG – 1.2 APG – 47%FG – 36%(3FG) -75%FT

Draft Projection – Top 3 for sure, could go number #1 overall

Strengths

Most advanced offensively and physically of the top three freshmen being considered for the top pick in the draft. He’s a “Pick, Plug and Play” guy right away.

Solid athlete, not great, but is a good effort guy and a high character kid with a high basketball IQ.

Can score it inside and out with an array of moves and also passes the ball well because of his understanding of the game. So he possesses a complete all-around game on offense.

Can shoot it all over the court. Nice jumper with good range.
His rebounding and handle are above average.

Is a small forward but should be able to play some power forward as well depending on match ups and as he gets older and stronger.

Weaknesses

Below average defensive player especially on the perimeter because of slow foot speed. His pick n roll defense needs a ton of work and that’s a big part of the NBA game.

As knowledgeable as he is on offense, his defensive knowledge and understanding of team defense is not good and must improve.

Needs to get in better shape for the NBA game which is more up tempo than he’s used to on both offense and defense. This will also help him with his lift on jumpers and finishing at the rim.

Thinks offense first and at times that can hurt him. Will have to learn that just because he’s open doesn’t mean it’s a good shot in the NBA.

Had problems on offense against long, lengthy and aggressive defenders which he will face more of in the NBA.

Some think he might be a tweener. Too slow to play and guard the 3’s and not big enough to bang with the 4’s.
Roda Thoughts:

If you’re looking for a player to help you right away offensively, to score you point and potential and a higher ceiling aren’t your main concerns, then Parker is your guy over Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins. Parker scores in a variety of ways and his body is ready for the day-to-day NBA pounding, although he must watch his weight and get in better shape. If you have a rim protector or your squad plays solid team defense, then you’ll be able to hide Parker, whose biggest weakness is his defense. Parker is a Top 3 pick and if Embiid’s back doesn’t check out to the Cavs liking and owner Dan Gilbert’s patience is wearing thin of not making the playoffs, I could see the Cavs taking Parker over Wiggins because they want to win right away and Parker fills a major offensive void at the small forward position. Parker has been compared to Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony, so below are all three of their numbers from their freshman years in college.

FRESHAMN STATS IN COLLEGE:
Parker – 6’9-240-2014– 19.1ppg – 8.7rpg – 1.2apg – 47.3%fg – 35.8%(3fg) – 74.8%ft

Anthony – 6’8-230-2003– 22.2ppg– 10rpg– 2.2apg – 45.3%fg – 33.7%(3fg)– 70.6%ft

Pierce – 6’6-230-1996- 11.9ppg – 5.3rpg – 1.8apg – 41.9%ft – 30.4%(3fg) – 60.6%ft

RODA RANKINGS – TOP 5 PLAYERS AT EACH POSITION FOR THE 2014 NBA DRAFT

Posted: Jun 11, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 52 Comments

Top 5 Point Guards

1 DANTE EXUM 6’6 – 195 – Australia

2 MARCUS SMART 6’4 – 220 – Oklahoma St.

3 TYLER ENNIS 6’2 – 181 – Syracuse

4 ELFRID PAYTON 6’4 – 185 – Louisiana Layayette

5 SHABAZZ NAPIER 6’1 – 185 – UCONN

Top 5 Shooting Guards

1 JAMES YOUNG 6’6 – 215 – Kentucky

2 NIK STAUSKAS 6’6 – 205 – Michigan

3 GARY HARRIS 6’4 – 210 – Michigan St.

4 ZACH LaVINE 6’5 – 181 – UCLA

5 P.J. HAIRSTON 6’4 – 228 – North Carolina/NBA D-League

Top 5 Small Forwards

1 ANDREW WIGGINS 6’8 – 200 – Kansas

2 JABARI PARKER 6’9 – 241 – Duke

3 RODNEY HOOD 6’8 – 210 – Duke

4 DOUG McDERMOTT 6’8 – 220 – Creighton

5 DARIO SARIC 6’10 – 235 – Croatia

Top 5 Power Forwards

1 NOAH VONLEH 6’10 – 245 – Indiana

2 JULIUS RANDLE 6’9 – 240 – Kentucky

3 AARON GORDON 6’9 – 225 – Arizona

4 ADREIAN PAYNE 6’10 – 240 – Michigan St.

5 CLINT CAPELA 6’10 – 210 – Switzerland

Top 5 Centers

1 JOEL EMBIID 7’1 – 255 – Kansas

2 JUSUF NURKIC 6’11 – 280 – Bosnia

3 MITCH McGARY 6’10 – 285 – Michigan

4 WALTER TAVARES 7’2 – 265 – Spain

5 ARTEM KLIMENKO 7’1 – 228 – Russia

MY 2014 NBA MOCK DRAFT 1.0

Posted: Jun 10, 2014 by Kenny Roda. Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 36 Comments

My approach to a mock draft is to take into consideration what a team’s biggest need is, gather information from as many sources as possible as to what they’re hearing the team might do and then factor in my ratings of the individual players. So it’s a combination of what I think the team should do and what I’m hearing the team might do. It’s not the greatest formula in the world, but then again this is just a mock draft. So if eight of my picks end up matching what the actual draft ends up being, I’ll be thrilled. With that said, here is the first of what will be two mock drafts. One today and then one on draft day, June 26th.

1^st ROUND

1 Cleveland – JOEL EMBIID – Center – Kansas – 7’1 -255 Embiid is the pick for the Cavaliers only IF he passes all of the medical tests on his back. If he does, he is the perfect “FIT” for Kyrie Irving and the Cavs defense. He’ll be able to play “Pick n Roll” on offense and be the rim protector the Cavs so desperately need. Plus he may have the most upside of any player in this draft. If he does not pass all the medical tests or there are any red flags, I would then have the Cavs select Andrew Wiggins first overall.

2 Milwaukee – JABARI PARKER – Small Forward – Duke – 6’9 – 241

3 Philadelphia – ANDREW WIGGINS – Small Forward – Kansas – 6’8 – 200

4 Orlando – DANTE EXUM – Point Guard – Australia – 6’6 – 195

5 Utah – NOAH VONLEH – Power Forward – Indiana – 6’10 – 245

6 Boston – AARON GORDON – Power Forward – Arizona – 6’9 – 225