Basketball Hoops Zone

Top 10 nba draft prospect: Prediction for the next 3-5 years.

2014-05-17T07:13:00.002-07:00

Based on NBA draft 2008-12 top 10 picks(i just exclude the 2013 class since it is too early to make a conclusion.) all of the 1st pick becomes a star for their team. and for some reason, most of the 2nd pick fail to fill the hype or fall from a good start of their career. after pick#1, i see only 17% chance finding a hidden star player. a big reason why these players are picked in top 10 are because of the hype, those mock drafts set by media which i really think affects the decision of a team in selecting a player.

Of-course i understand, the GM's job is on the line and if he picks a player out of nowhere, i can see the owners reaction "wtf", you are so fired if he's a bust! so i see that it is better to play it safe than trying to seek for the hidden Gem. I only see 1 GM who takes that risk and now he's fired even though those wild picks seems worth it. Picking Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters seems a surprising but payed off, not a bad pick. what went wrong was when he pick the biggest surprise of all, picking Anthony Bennett at #1 and this time he fails.

Let's take a wild prediction. 1st list who do you think will be on top 10 then label them based on the provided prediction list. select the top 10 not based on your favorite but based on who you think will be. of-course if you select your fave top 10, you'll label them as a star or something great.

Prediction list:
*Jackpot star - star player of the team
*Late star - decent stats a rookie, after two or more years will have bigger star role
*Starter - a solid starter on the team.
*Falling star - solid stats but will decrease as year goes by
*solid role player - part of the rotation from the bench
*Edge of Bench - plays minimal role or out of rotation.
*Bounced off - out of the league

1. Embiid = Late star
2. wiggins = Jackpot star
3. parker = Jackpot star
4. randle = Starter
5. exum = Starter
6. smart = Solid role player
7. vonleh = Edge of Bench
8. harris = Solid role player
9. anderson =Edge of Bench
10.saric = Solid role player

Here are my reason. This is just a wild opinion.

1. Embiid - it is no secret that Embiid has potential, the only question is when will he reach that potential. Anthony Davis did it in sophomore season. Oden did not reach it because of injuries. Embiid is really a big question mark.

2. Wiggins - is still as good as #1. it just the media over-hyped him thus he falls hard when fails what people expect to see from him.
I still have faith on Wiggins, just like Andre Drummond came out from High school as the #1 prospect but fails to showcase his ability in college. but came out as on of the best in 2012 class.

3. Parker - is a sure thing. not the most athletic but will surely produce. I see him more of a rich man's Kawhi Leonard with a go to player instinct.

4. Randle, slips down on mock drafts but i believe he'll be pick top 5. He'll become a very solid starter, not a superstar but worth a consistent provider. I see a Tristan Thompson situation or role on him.

5. Exum - Everyone seems intrigue on this young international prospect. "Oh, Penny Hardaway, i never seen this guy play in college but he looks good on Youtube." I just have a feeling that Exum will end up like Austin Rivers did.

6. Smart - great strength for a guard. that's it, i see him as a stronger westbrook type of player, will try to do too much which cause a turnover and a very inefficient player.
guards who are not so great shooter which succeed in NBA are those who passes very well and that's not the case for smart.

7. Vonleh - teams will gamble on Vonleh based on potential, but i just see him in Biyombo's situation. He don't posses the Go to guy instinct and will not bring a big impact to the game. instead, he'll end up in a minimal role until he'll be out of the rotation.

8. Gary Harris - he will struggle to live up the hype but will eventually find a solid role on a team. A.K.A. Thomas Robinson situation.

9. Anderson - is really a good player for UCLA but he's so unique that he may find it hard to fit on the NBA. He's not athletic player to play the wing definitely not a place for him. he don't shoot the ball that good too. drafting him too high is a mistake and i see him at the end of the bench.

10. Saric - I see a poor man's young Kirilenko. he don't heavily fill the stats but surely provide an impact to the team as a solid role player.

I want to see your list on comment section.

PBA 2013-2014 All-Filipino Cup Schedule: Dec 1-8, 2013

2013-12-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's a brand new week of action in the PBA. Make sure you don't miss a single action in the ongoing action at the PBA 2013-2014 All-Filipino Cup. Check out below for a list of games to look out for:

Dec 3, 2013, Tuesday (Mall of Asia Arena)

Talk N' Text vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 5:45 PM
Meralco Bolts vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 8:00 PM

Dec 4, 2013, Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Barako Bull Energy Cola - 5:45 PM
Air 21 Express vs Alaska Aces - 8:00 PM

Dec 6, 2013, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Meralco Bolts vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 5:45 PM
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

Dec 7, 2013, Saturday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Barako Bull Energy Cola vs Air 21 Express - 3:00 PM
Alaska Aces vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 5:15 PM

December 8, 2013, Sunday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 3:00 PM
Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Talk N' Text - 5:15 PM

Be sure to check us again for updates and schedule information.

Danny Seigle: The Newest Tropang Texter

2013-11-26T01:02:00.000-08:00

After months of anticipation, Danny Seigle is finally speaking up and is ready to play. The fiasco that followed the draft and trade controversy involving his former team Barako Bull resulted in The Dynamite declining a one-year contract extension offered by his former team. That left Danny Seigle, the 39-year-old veteran and former Rookie of the Year, without a team to start off the PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup for the 2013-2014 season of the PBA.

A week after the tipoff of the All-Filipino conference, though, there is finally some progress in the story. Danny Seigle himself has confirmed that he has agreed in principle to play for Talk 'N Text wherein he is awaiting the finalization of his initial one-year contract deal with the Manny V. Pangilinan franchise.

According to Danny Seigle, he is "just excited to play" above anything else. After all, it can be recalled that he had one of those rare conferences last Governor's Cup wherein he played injury-free for the entire conference and averaged 11 points, making him among the scoring leaders for Barako Bull.

There were several speculations about which teams Danny Seigle and his agent were talking to with Meralco Bolts even brought up one time. But aside from the opportunity to play again in the PBA, a more interesting development here is the fact that Seigle will be donning the jersey of his former team's biggest rival. Seigle started out his PBA career playing for San Miguel Beermen which is owned by SMC. SMC and PLDT (owned by Manny V Pangilinan) are two of the biggest rival companies in the PBA dating back to his glory days of 1999-2000 season.

Danny Seigle, however, refused to talk in more detail about this rivaly but rather has set his sights on making an impact on his new team. One thing is for sure, though, Seigle is "thankful" that he is part of the TNT management, which he brought up is a championship-caliber team.

For more details on this story, please check out my source here.

The Curious Case of Barako Bull Energy

2013-11-04T23:36:00.000-08:00

In the PBA, or in any basketball league for that matter, the first few picks at the draft is the most coveted. Being able to draft first would give your team the opportunity to get the top prospect in the draft class. But what if you have three, not one, draft pick at the first round? Sounds even better, right?

Apparently, Barako Bull and its management did not see it that way. They held the 4th, 5th, and 6th first round draft picks for the 2013-2014 PBA season. That meant they can acquire three top prospects from the 2013 draft class! And with a talent-laden draft class that everyone has been raving about, one can only think that Barako Bull hit the jackpot- even though they did not get the top pick!

Thus, my jaw dropped to the floor when I found out about the news that they traded their draft picks for Barangay Ginebra (4th pick), Petron (5th pick), and GlobalPort (6th pick). In exchange for their draft picks, Barako Bull will get Dylan Ababou, Magi Sison, Mark Isip, and Denok Miranda (from GlobalPort). It's a curious situation to say the least. All four players hardly ever get minutes on the floor from their previous teams, with Denok Miranda putting in the most minutes. And Miranda's even a third unit player for Petron, in most cases! This leaves fans to question Barako Bull's decision to trade their picks... BUT WHY?

Fans, sports analysts, and team owners alike had been irate about this recent development and most of them aren't shy about expressing their views on Twitter. Check out their tweets below, ranging from serious to funny:

It is also not coincidental that Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman has decided to leave the team. Now, not only is Barako Bull in the midst of a controversy, they are also without a head coach. Leo Austria is being raised as a potential new "head coach" but nothing has been made official yet.

For the most part, I've tried to maintain an objective standpoint in this blog, hoping to provide information and stick to a reportage kind of blogging. However, this recent development in the PBA involving one of the teams that I support has been disheartening, to say the least, for a basketball fan. I am sure that I speak on behalf of the fans' in expressing my dismay over Barako Bull's decision during the draft wherein they gave up the opportunity to acquire young and talented prospects who could strengthen the team in the future for players who, if they did not happen to be bench warmers in their previous team, were nearing the end of their playing career. There has been several suspicions over the basketball community about them potentially being a farm team but with the decision to give up 3 first round draft picks for players that can be referred to as past their heyday, there can't be a more glaring evidence than that.

Unless the Commissioner can come up with a logical and valid explanation (which I seriously doubt they could), the reputation of the league will forever be tarnished. The Commissioner has even rejected a less lopsided trade deal in the past, so it leaves one to question how this got passed by the board? It's a widely known fact that professional basketball is business, too. But when the business side of basketball has superseded the competition and sports, that is when it gets ugly. Hopefully, this isn't the start of PBA's demise.

Three-Way Race for PBA 2012-2013 Season MVP

2013-10-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

The annual PBA awards is set to take place this Friday, October 18, right before tip-off for Game 4 of the ongoing finals series between Petron Blaze Boosters and San Mig Coffee Mixers for the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup. This year has been full of controversy and lots of exciting actions with it being the first time in several years wherein there are three different teams winning the championship crown at the end of three conferences. Talk N Text already holds the All-Filipino Cup title, then Alaska Aces taking home the Commissioner's Cup crown.

Hence, it is a tight race for the MVP title this year with several players stepping up their game for a well contested season. But three players emerge on top of the race, which unsurprisingly, are also three of the players who have won the Best Player of the Conference awards for the past three conferences. These players are namely Arwind Santos of the Petron Blaze Boosters, LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra, and Jason Castro of Talk N Text Tropang Texters. All of the three candidates are gunning for their first MVP win.

Aside from the three top candidates, superstar rookie Calvin Abueva was previously pegged as a potential candicate for MVP while he is also in the running for a Rookie of the Year award. However, Arwind Santos edged him out of the race especially since the former is the current statistical leader. Thus, Calvin Abueva won't be realizing the hopes of many for him to repeat Benjie Paras' unique feat in 1989 wherein he won the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards at the same year.

Speaking of the Rookie of the Year award, Abueva is joined by Petron's June Mar Fajardo as leaders for the race, although the former has a slight edge in the statistical points.

Who do you think will win the MVP race?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Finals Schedule [UPDATED]

2013-10-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

www.pba.inquirer.net

On Monday, the Petron Blaze Boosters came up with a convincing win against defending champs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to secure a finals berth against the San Mig Coffee Mixers. The two teams dominated their opponents in the Semifinals round, each winning their respective series in a 3-1 standing.

San Mig Coffee Mixers first booked their date at the finals last Sunday after defeating the Meralco Bolts. Meanwhile, Petron lost their first game in the tournament since dropping their first outing against Meralco Bolts last Saturday, forcing a Game 4 in the series.

The finals showdown is going to be an interesting duel because now-San Mig Coffee Mixers assistant coach Olsen Racela was the head coach for Petron last conference. However, SMC management decided to replace his spot with Gee Abanilla after the former failed to bring Petron to the finals despite having a strong start in the conference. Petron's story leading to the finals is also riddled with controversies including the choking incident with their import Renaldo Balkman, which prompted the Commissioner to not only suspend Balkman for the season but ban the import for life from playing in the league.

With two of the stronger teams competing against each other in the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup finals, it is expected to be a good one. Don't miss a single game and take note of the game schedules here:

October 11, 2013 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

October 13, 2013 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 6:45 PM

October 16, 2013 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

October 18, 2013 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers -8:00 PM

UPDATE:

October 20, 2013 - Game 5 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 4:45 PM

Which team do you think will win the finals?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Semis Schedule

2013-10-01T02:21:00.001-07:00

Image: pba-online.net

The first round of basketball action is over and done with at the ongoing Semifinals round for the battle to get the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup crown. Petron Blaze Boosters and San Mig Coffee Mixers drew the first blood in their matchups against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Meralco Bolts, respectively.

After surviving a do-or-die game against the Alaska Aces last Friday, Tim Cone's San Mig Coffee Mixers exploit their momentum to push them past Meralco Bolts in order to get a one-game advantage in their series. Meanwhile, Petron Blaze Boosters continue their winning streak after besting head coach Yeng Guiao's squad in a 91-83 game.

Check out below for the remainder of the semis schedule for the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup semifinals round:

October 1, Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 7:15 PM

October 2, Wednesday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 7:15 PM

October 4, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 7:15 PM

October 5, Saturday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 6:45 PM

The schedule for Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) are to be announced soon.

Both series are going to be a best-of-five contest, which means the first team to get three wins move on to the finals. Which two teams do you predict to make the finals?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Game Schedule: September 16 to 22, 2013

2013-09-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

This past week was action-filled in the PBA as the games continue and fans got to see the return of Marc Pingris and Kelly Nabong in their respective teams' recent games after each being slapped with 2-game suspensions (on top of PhP 60,000 fine) for figuring in a brawl. The big story, however, is Petron's sweep of its games since losing their first outing to secure the top spot in the team standings at the end of their elimination round campaign at the expense of GlobalPort. This was a highly anticipated matchup with Jay Washington facing his former team for the first time since being traded at the end of last conference.

Image: gmanetwork.com

Despite the acquisition of two new veterans in Joseph Yeo and Asi Taulava, Air 21 Express could not fight its way out of the cellar as they are in the brink of elimination with a 2-6 record. Meanwhile, the San Mig Coffee Mixers is the hottest team right now with a four-game winning streak despite a sluggish start. The team is now at second place and secured Quarterfinals slot with a 5-3 standing.

With only a few more games left before the elimination round wraps up, every game from here on out is going to be crucial for each teams as they fight not only for a shot at making it to the quarterfinals, but also for the top 4 standings to earn the twice-to-beat advantage going into the next round.

September 18, 2013, Wednesday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Alaska Aces vs Barako Bull Energy Cola - 5:15PM

Talk N Text vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 7:30PM

September 20, 2013, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 5:15 PM

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 7:30PM

September 22, 2013, Sunday (Mall of Asia Arena)

Air 21 Express vs Alaska Aces - 4:15PM

Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Talk N Text - 6:30PM

Make sure to take note of these game schedules in the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup so you won't miss the action!

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup News Round Up

2013-09-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

Image: slamonlineph.com

Taulava and Yeo Boost Air 21's Governor's Cup Campaign

Air 21 Express might be last in the team standings at the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup but they are not going down without a fight, especially now that their lineup had been given a major boost with two major acquisitions in Joseph Yeo and Asi Taulava courtesy of trade agreements with Meralco Bolts and Petron Blaze Boosters. The lift from these two veteran newbies in their lineup also comes timely as they are set to face Talk N Text, another team that is desperate for a win after a paltry performance so far in the conference.

Air 21 Express has lost four consecutive games to become the bottom-dwellers in the PBA's team standings. Asi Taulava returns to the PBA after his stint at the Asian Basketball League wherein he played for the San Miguel Beermen and also won the Most Valuable Player award. Meanwhile, Yeo is from the current league-leader Petron with whom he got traded with big man Isip.

Air 21 head coach Franz Pumaren, however, admits that acquiring these two players this late in the conference also has its setbacks. One of them is the limited preparation involving these players, as well as the fact that Asi had taken a break from basketball in the past three months so he might not be in the best shape right now.

In the case of Joseph Yeo, however, he welcomes this new change in his career especially as he is reunited with his college coach. Both teams are set to meet on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Tubid Slapped with Fine over "Cheap Shot" on TNT's Castro

Ronald Tubid, guard for the Petron Blaze Boosters, has had a reputation for being a rugged player. But when he hit a "cheap shot" on Talk N Text's guard Jason Castro, he claimed that it was unintentional. Even then, he did not get away with a fine even though he escaped suspension from the PBA office.

Tubid was asked to appear before the PBA Commissioner's office early today following the events of Wednesday's game (wherein Petron won big against TNT, 122-88) after he hit Castro in the midsection so that he could explain his side of the story. He also noted that they were leading by as much as 40 points at that time, so he sees no use for attempting to hurt players from the opposing team.

He did not get away from the Commissioner's office without hearing a piece of Comm. Salud's mind, wherein the PBA officials are serious about punishing players that were involved in physical plays following a scuffle during last week's game between GlobalPort and San Mig Coffee that saw players throwing punches. The amount fined against Ronald Tubid wasn't disclosed, however.

Rookie Calvin Abueva Cleared to Play

Alaska Aces rookie sensation Calvin Abueva has been confirmed to play today against Petron Blaze Boosters at the PhilSports Arena despite suffering an injury during their last game. The 6' 1" Abueva returned to practice last Thursday despite the team's physical therapist fearing that he might have suffered from a bone contusion on his back causing him to drop down to the floor as his back suddenly stiffened. The team and its fans can heave a sigh of relief knowing that the injury wasn't as bad as it was initially assessed.

Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, though, is concerned about the health of Abueva coming into this game, noting "I don't know if he's 100 percent but knowing Calvin, even if he could play with one leg, he would."

Abueva admits to experiencing some pain on his back but he has affirmed that he will be willing to play through the pain. Indeed, Abueva will be a huge boost to the Aces' campaign to hand Petron their second defeat this conference as he is averaging 7.8 points and 10 rebounds a game.

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup: Games Schedule for Sept 10-15, 2013

2013-09-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Mike Singletary of Barako Bull Energy powers his team past GlobalPort on Sunday's game

PBA Sunday was an exciting one with the Barako Bull Energy Colas staging a huge comeback to go up 4-2 in the standings while GlobalPort lost their third in a row, joining Brgy. Ginebra at 2-4 for the second to the last spot. Speaking of Brgy. Ginebra, the remake of Manila Clasico matchup end up with a win for San Mig Coffee Mixers' despite two of their big guys (Joe Devance and Marc Pingris) suspended by the PBA Commissioner's office following a fight-marred game last Wednesday.

If you're pumped up by the packed previous week in the PBA, be sure to take note of the schedule of games this coming week:

September 10, Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs Barako Bull Energy - 5:15PM

Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30PM

September 11, Wednesday(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Meralco Bolts - 5:15PM

Talk N Text Tropang Texters vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM

September 13, Friday (Philsports Arena)

Air21 Express vs Talk N Text Tropang Texters - 5:15PM

Alaska Aces vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM

September 14, Saturday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Barako Bull Energy Cola vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 3:45PM

Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 6:00PM

September 15, Sunday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Meralco Bolts vs Air21 Express - 4:15PM

Petron Blaze Boosters vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 6:30PM

Which of these matchups are you looking forward to most?

PBA Releases Sanctions for Players Involved in San Mig Coffee-GlobalPort Brawl

2013-09-05T19:29:00.001-07:00

Image: www.philstar.com

Yesterday, PBA Commissioner Chito Salud met with the board members of the PBA and the five players involved in a fight-marred game between San Mig Coffee Mixers and GlobalPort Batang Pier to discuss the sanctions to be meted on the concerned players. The players in question are Joe Devance, Marqus Blakely and Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee Mixers and Kelly Nabong and import Marvin Hayes of GlobalPort Batang Pier.

This morning, the PBA has officially released the sanctions to be imposed on the players who went on a melee during a highly physical game. The sanctions are as follows:

Marvin Hayes

- Fined PhP 20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct equivalent to a flagrant foul penalty 2 when he elbowed and kneed San Mig Coffee Mixers import Marqus Blakely after a foul has been whistled

Joe Devance

- Fined PhP 30,000 and will be meted a one-game suspension for triggering the commotion that caused the fist fight between Marc Pingris and Kelly Nabong

Kelly Nabong

- Fined PhP 60,000 and will be meted two-game suspension for attacking San Mig Coffee Mixers import Marqus Blakely and exchanging blows with Marc Pingris

Marc Pingris

- Fined PhP 60,000 for fighting and engaging in an exchange of blows with Kelly Nabong of GlobalPort Batang Pier, also meted a two-game suspension

According to the PBA officials, the league will not condone fighting regardless of the players' justification for such actions. The league officials and the commissioner has also reiterated that they place high importance on this policy and have a reminder for those who attempt to engage in such behavior in the future because they will be dealt with accordingly.

"It should be clear to everyone that instigators, hotheads and troublemakers have no place in the PBA and will be dealt with severely," notes the official league statement on the matter.

PBA Refs Blamed Amidst the Brawl at Wednesday's Game

2013-09-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

Image: www.philstar.com

In less than 24 hours since the brawl in Wednesday's action in the PBA, the referees are once again in hot water and at the front and center of the controversy. Earlier this week, Mark Caguio got slapped with a PhP 20,000 fine for tweeting about the lapses in the officiating during their Sunday match versus Alaska Aces. But with the heated game between San Mig Coffee Mixers and GlobalPort Batang Pier, which eventually ended up to several players blowing off steam and punches being thrown, they [PBA referees] are once again being blamed for why the series of events ended up being as bad as it did.

According to San Mig Coffee Mixers head coach Tim Cone, who was amongst those who physically restrained GlobalPort's Kelly Nabong, he felt that the referees are at fault because "they didn't make calls three or four times that Marvin (Hayes) and Marqus (Blakely) fell to the floor." He further added, "[they] lost control of the game there".

Tim Cone also noted how physical the game was and there were a lot of contacts that were let go. Eventually, it was a matter of time until tempers flare and the scuffle between Marvin Hayes and Marqus Blakely at the 3:11 mark of the third quarter was only the tipping point.

Five players (Marc Pingris, Joe Devance, and Marqus Blakely of San Mig Coffee Mixers and Kelly Nabong and Marvin Hayes of GlobalPort Batang Pier) were required to show up at the Commissioner's Office today wherein the PBA officials will discuss the events of Wednesday night's game, as well as give the players an opportunity to explain their side during the incident. However, PBA Commissioner Salud had already promised that there will be heavy sanctions to be meted on the players involved. The announcement of the officials sanctions on the concerned parties will be revealed within the day when the PBA board officials are done with their meeting.

For Kelly Nabong's side, however, GlobalPort team owner Romero has his support. In fact, he promised to pay for Nabong's fine and even commended the rookie's action during the game noting that he will not allow his team to be "bullied". Romero, however, did not expound on who he thinks should be blamed for the fracas.

Going back to Tim Cone's side of things, he believed that the end is still far. His team will face the consequences of what is to come from Pingris' actions during the game, wherein he anticipates suspensions being slapped on some of his key players. With the Governor's Cup being a short conference, he knows that they need all the manpower they can get to help his team's campaign.

Be sure to check us back for updates on the sanctions on the concerned players.

Mark Caguioa Fined for Controversial Tweets

2013-09-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

This is not a new tale. Several players and coaches had aired out their sentiments using the famous social media site, Twitter. But Mark Caguioa is one of those few that had captured the PBA officials' attention enough to warrant a fine.

On Sunday, Brgy. Ginebra lost to Alaska Aces despite leading most of the ball game. The Aces staged a run during the latter half of the third quarter and eventually took the lead for the first time in the said game on the fourth quarter. Brgy. Ginebra ended up bowing to the Aces, which means that they are now at 1-3 or second to the last at the team standings.

Following the lost, Mark Caguioa took to Twitter to express his thoughts about the officiating in the game. Here are the tweets he posted and the ones believed to have earned him a PhP20,000 fine.

In the statement issued by the PBA (via its official Twitter account), the fine on Mark Caguioa was for "tweeting and issuing statements to media critical of officiating and considered inimical to the interest of the PBA". In addition, PBA officials noted that Caguioa "should have ventilated his issues to the league office directly" instead of his social media account.

Did you think that the fine was just and called for?

PBA Governor's Cup 2013: Schedule for September 1 to 8, 2013

2013-09-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Image: www.pba.inquirer.net

We are on the third week of 2013 PBA Governor's Cup wherein Petron Blaze Boosters and Barako Bull are leading the pack with their respective 4-1 and 3-1 standings thus far. However, both teams will go head-to-head this week wherein the leaders separate ways and one of them will take solo reign. Who will win? Do you think that San Mig Coffee Mixers and Air 21 Express can get out of the bottom soon?

This week's schedule is going to change things up a bit in the team standings (or not!).

Make sure you don't miss a single game. You can check the schedule below:

September 1, Sunday

Talk N Text vs GlobalPort - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 4, Wednesday

Petron Blaze vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Meralco Bolts vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 6, Friday

Brgy. Ginebra vs Air 21 Express - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 7, Saturday

Barako Bull vs GlobalPort - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Talk N Text vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 8, Sunday

Meralco Bolts vs Alaska Aces - 4:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Brgy. Ginebra - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Which matchup are you excited to witness this week in the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup?

PBA Wednesday Games Cancelled Due to Bad Weather in Metro

2013-08-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Image: http://www.solarsportsdesk.ph

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud has announced the cancellation of games scheduled for today, August 21, in the ongoing PBA Governor's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The cancellation came as a result of flooding in Metro Manila and in various parts of Luzon caused by Typhoon Maring.

Two games were supposedly scheduled today which consisted of the matchup between San Mig Coffee Mixers and Global Port Batang Pier, and Alaska's debut against Talk N Text Tropang Texters. As of now, Comm. Salud has not provided details yet on when these games will be re-scheduled.

As of today, no details were given as to the postponement of games on Friday. PBA officials will determine that if the weather improves by then.

The last time a PBA double header game had been suspended due to bad weather was way back in 2008. Meanwhile, replay of Sunday's games will be shown tonight on Aksyon TV instead.

You can visit this post to find out the list of game schedules until September 2013.

2013 FIBA Asia Quarterfinals Matchup and Schedule

2013-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Image: interaksyon.com

The second round of competition at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship tournament has come to a close. By the end of Day 3 for Round 2, Japan and Hong Kong had been eliminated from Group E while Bahrain and India are officially out of the competition after finishing 5th and 6th from Group F. Thus, the playoffs matchup for the next round of competition had been determined.

First off here are the standings for the respective groups:

Group E

#1 - Philippines
#2 - Chinese Taipei
#3 - Qatar
#4 - Jordan

Group F

#1 - Iran
#2 - South Korea
#3 - China
#4 - Kazakhstan

As mentioned in my previous post, the matchups had been determined and the results of Day 3 will point out which teams will compete in the playoffs round. The official playoffs matchup for the 2013 FIBA Asia tournament looks like this:

Playoffs Matchups #1

Iran vs Jordan
Chinese Taipei vs China

*The winner of these two matchups will meet for the Semifinal round on August 10, Saturday.

Playoffs Matchups #2

Philippines vs Kazakhstan
South Korea vs Qatar

*The winner of these two matchups will meet for the Semifinal round on August 10, Saturday.

For the actual game times, here is the full schedule for August 9, Friday:

Iran vs Jordan - 3:00 PM
Chinese Taipei vs China - 5:45 PM
Philippines vs Kazakhstan - 8:30 PM
Korea vs Qatar - 10:30 PM

Who do you think will emerge as victors on each of these groupings?

FIBA Asia 2013 Group E Bracket Watch (Updated)

2013-08-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

The Group E ranking in the ongoing 2013 FIBA Asia tournament just took a major turn with Qatar beating Chinese Taipei (for the first time this tournament) via a 71-68 match. Hence, this forces a three-way tie between the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Qatar at 4-1 each. In order for Smart Gilas Pilipinas to secure the top spot in Group E, they need to secure a win against Hong Kong in tonight's game. If they do so successfully, they are guaranteed with number one spot with Chinese Taipei falling to number two and Qatar at number three.

With this recent development and a projected win for Smart Gilas Pilipinas versus Hong Kong, this is how the Quarterfinals Round is going to look like (graph courtesy of http://www.interaksyon.com):

Image: http://www.interaksyon.com

What do you think of Smart Gilas Pilipinas' chances coming into the next round if they should face Kazakhstan?

FIBA Asia 2013: Quarterfinal and Championship Round Schedule

2013-08-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

The second round of competition in the 2013 FIBA Asia tournament concludes today, August 8, 2013. There are six teams each that consist Groups E and F, wherein the Philippines belong to the former together with Chinese Taipei, Japan, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Jordan. Smart Gilas Pilipinas has won two of three games scheduled for the second round after they beat Japan on Monday and handed Qatar its first loss in the tournament via an 80-70 win last night.

Image: sports.inquirer.net

There are still a few games scheduled to be played today, along with Smart Gilas Pilipinas' game against Hong Kong, their last for this round. You can get an idea on how the next round will look like based on the following matchups, which means that every game and point counts because the quotient system will be used to determine how teams are ranked per group and their corresponding opponents for the next round.

Quarterfinals

August 9, 2013, Friday

Group E #5 vs India

Group F #5 vs Hong Kong

Group E #1 vs Kazakhstan

Group E #3 vs Korea

Group E #2 vs China

Group E #4 vs Iran

August 10, 2013, Saturday

(all pairings are still to be determined based on results of games on Friday, August 9, 2013)

Semifinals (5th-8th)

August 10, Saturday

E1 vs F4 loser vs F2 vs E3 loser

E2 vs F2 loser vs E4 vs F1 loser

Semifinals

August 10, 2013, Saturday

E1 vs F4 winner vs F2 vs E3 winner

E2 vs F2 winner vs E4 vs F1 winner

7th Place

August 11, 2013, Sunday

Classification A 5-8 loser vs Classification B 5-8 loser

5th Place

August 11, 2013, Sunday

Classification A 5-8 winner vs Classification B 5-8 winner

3rd Place

August 11, 2013, Sunday

Semifinal A loser vs Semifinal B loser (SM Mall of Asia Arena)

Final Round

August 11, 2013, Sunday

Semifinal A winner vs Semifinal B winner (SM Mall of Asia Arena)

The scenarios for Smart Gilas Pilipinas as of today look like this:

Win vs Hong Kong (and Chinese Taipei losses to Qatar): They could be #1 in Group E and they are likely to face Kazakhstan in the Quarterfinals round;
Win vs Hong Kong (and Chinese Taipei wins over Qatar): They slide to #2 with Chinese Taipei holding on to #1 and they face China in the Quarterfinals round.
Loss vs Hong Kong (and Qatar wins vs Chinese Taipei): They could possibly be #3, depending on the quotient system as they could fall into a three-way tie with Chinese Taipei and Qatar, they could face South Korea in the Quarterfinals round.

What is your bold prediction for the FIBA Asia 2013 tournament?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Update

2013-08-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Image: nonoying.com

The PBA 2013 Governor's Cup is scheduled to kick off on August 14, 2013, Wednesday. The opening of the Governor's Cup was moved at a later date to avoid conflict with the ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament, which is hosted by the country, and to allow the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team enough time to prepare for the tournament.

Check out below for the list of game schedules for the first two weeks of tournament, as well as complete list of imports for the competing teams:

August 14, Wednesday

Air 21 Express vs Global Port Batang Pier - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Rain or Shine vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 16, Friday

Talk 'N Text vs Barako Bull Energy - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Meralco Bolts vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 17, Saturday

Global Port Batang Pier vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 3:45PM (Ynares Center)
Petron Blaze Boosters vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 6:00pm (Ynares Center)

August 18, Sunday

Barako Bull Energy vs Meralco Bolts - 4:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Petron Blaze Boosters vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 21, Wednesday

Global Port Batang Pier vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 5:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Talk N Text vs Alaska Aces - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 23, Friday

Alaska Aces vs Global Port Batang Pier - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Rain or Shine vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

UPDATED:

August 24, Saturday

Brgy Ginebra vs Meralco Bolts - 6:00PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 25, Sunday

Air21 Express vs Barako Bull - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
San Mig Coffee vs Talk 'N Text - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 28, Wednesday

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Air21 Express - 5:15 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Alaska Aces vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 30, Friday

Meralco Bolts vs Talk N Text - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Barako Bull vs Brgy. Ginebra - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 31, Saturday

Rain or Shine vs Air 21 Express - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
San Mig Coffee vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 1, Sunday

Talk N Text vs GlobalPort - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 4, Wednesday

Petron Blaze vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Meralco Bolts vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 6, Friday

Brgy. Ginebra vs Air 21 Express - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 7, Saturday

Barako Bull vs GlobalPort - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Talk N Text vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 8, Sunday

Meralco Bolts vs Alaska Aces - 4:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Brgy. Ginebra - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

September 11, Wednesday

Rain or Shine vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Air 21 Express vs Talk N Text - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Meanwhile, here is the completed and updated list of imports reinforcing their respective teams in the upcoming 2013 PBA Governor's Cup:

Air 21 Express - Zach Graham
Alaska Aces - Wendell McKines
Barako Bull Energy - Mike Singletary
Brgy. Ginebra - Dior Lowhorn
Global Port Batang Pier - Markeith Cummings
Meralco Bolts - Mario West
Petron Blaze Boosters - Elijah Millsap
Rain or Shine - Arizona Reid
San Mig Coffee Mixers - Marqus Blakely
Talk 'N Text - Tony Mitchell

Make sure to check us back again for more updates and schedules for the PBA.

FIBA Asia 2013 Schedule for Second Round

2013-08-04T03:54:00.001-07:00

On the third day of the ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament, the Smart Gilas Pilipinas suffered their first loss in the tournament in the hands of a red hot Chinese Taipei team. Despite coming into the final quarter with a huge lead, Smart Gilas came off a sluggish start that Chinese Taipei capitalized on by burying a series of outside shots. Eventually, the visitors came up with the win to close the first round with a 3-0 record to lead Group A in standings.

The next round of action kicks off Monday, August 5, 2013, with the remaining teams divided into Groups E and F. If you want to check out the schedule of games for the next round of FIBA Asia 2013 tournamennt, check out below:

Image: 2013 FIBA Asia Championship

What do you think of Smart Gilas Pilipinas' chances coming into the next round?

FIBA Asia 2013 Day 1 Results

2013-08-01T23:43:00.002-07:00

Today, the second round of games for the ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament will resume. But if you missed the first day games, don't worry because we've conveniently listed them here for you. Most of the games at Day 1 were held at the SM MoA Arena and others were held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

China's loss first shocker for ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament held in SM MoA Arena. Image: sports.yahoo.com

Iran (115) def. Malaysia (25)

Iran showed everyone that they were in it for the win by trampling on Malaysia during their respective first matches in the tournament. This isn't surprising, though, given that Iran is a two-time champion but the powerhouse team notably sends a signal to other competing teams that they are serious about their quest for the FIBA Asia championship.

Both Iran and Malaysia are going to face tough opponents in their next round of games wherein Iran will meet with South Korea, as Malaysia faces a tougher opponent in China. Both games will be held today, August 2, 2013.

Chinese Taipei (91) def. Jordan (87)

Contrary to the Iran-Malaysia game, this one was close and highly contested. Chinese Taipei staged a late charge in order to recover from a double-digit deficit it suffered at the third quarter. The Chinese team were still behind during the opening of the final period but their 14-3 run helped to steal the lead from Jordan. Both Jordan and Chinese Taipei are deemed as the toughest competition for the Philippines within Group A.

Qatar (95) def. Japan (94)

Jarvis Hayes, a former NBA player, helped to push Qatar past Japan during its debut at the FIBA Asia 2013 tournament in a close 95-94 win. Hayes had a slow start to his game though but heated up just in time to push his team to its first win. Despite trailing in the third quarter, Qatar forced a 12-2 run to eventually take the lead and never let go of the lead until the final buzzer.

South Korea (63) def. China (59)

So far in the FIBA Asia 2013 tournament, China's loss in its first game is the most shocking turnout. The suffocating defense played by South Korea helped to produce the first shocker in the tournament, which is also evidenced by the low scoring game. Today, South Korea will face Iran (which thrashed its opponent during their first meeting).

Bahrain (82) def. India (80)

In the first overtime game of the FIBA Asia tournmanent, Bahrain emerged victorious against India during Thursday's match at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Bahrain looked like they were not ready to play during regulation and were pretty sluggish, but Mohamed Kawaid led his team by chipping in 7 points to push them to overtime. Despite the 25-point effort from India's Narendel Grewal, India must seek out a win in today's game against Thailand to avoid the 0-2 slump during the first round of tournament.

Kazakhstan (81) def. Thailand (67)

In another lopsided match, Kazakhstan took their first win after beating Thailand during Thursday's match at the SM MoA Arena. Anton Ponomarev, forward for Kazakhstan, led his team with 21 points and 13 rebounds to secure the lead throughout the entire game. They closed out the first quarter with a bang by securing an 11-point lead with the lead extending up to 25 points at one point during the match. Thailand's Darunpong Apiromvilaichai is the sole player to reach double digits in scoring for his team.

Philippines (78) def. Saudi Arabia (66)

The Philippine national men's basketball team secured their first win in FIBA Asia 2013 by defeating Saudi Arabia in a 78-66 contest. However, this victory did not come in easy because there were plenty of struggles along the way. In fact, the Saudi Arabians closed out the first quarter with a 2-point lead although the host team took the lead at the half (with 7 points). Big men June Mar Fajardo and Marcus Douthit both provided the cushion for the team during the dying minutes to secure its first victory. Today, the Philippine team is set to met Jordan wherein the latter attempts to get their first win as Smart Gilas is looking to keep its record clean.

Check us back for updates on Day 2 results.

Countdown to FIBA Asia 2013 & Preliminary Game Schedule

2013-07-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

The 2013 FIBA Asia Championship is set to unveil tomorrow, August 1, for a two-week tournament featuring the best basketball teams in Asia. Basketball fans in the country, as well as the world, are excited to witness the said tournament especially since the country will be playing host this year. This will only be the third time in FIBA's 53-year history that the Philippines will host the tournament. In fact, the tournament will be back here after four decades since it last played host.

Image: http://www.solarsportsdesk.ph/

The FIBA Asia Championship 2013 will serve as the qualifying round for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Championship that will be held in Spain next year. The top three teams to emerge from this tournament will earn the right to represent Asia in the said event. To refresh your memory, the draw for the groupings for all competing teams were done last June 6 and the groups look as follows:

Group A: Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Chinese Taipei
Group B: Japan, Qatar, Hong Kong (Lebanon was suspended from competition by FIBA officials due to legal woes)
Group C: China, South Korea, Iran, Malaysia
Group D: Bahrain, India, Thailand, and Kazakhstan

If you are looking to watch the games live, you can take note of the preliminary list of games schedule for the FIBA Asia 2013 tournament here:

August 1, 2013 (Thursday)

Mall of Asia Arena

11:00am - Iran vs Malaysia
1:15pm - Jordan vs Chinese Taipei
3:30pm - Japan vs Qatar
5:45pm - China vs Korea
8:30pm - Saudi Arabia vs Philippines
10:30pm - Kazakhstan vs Thailand

Ninoy Aquino Stadium

6:00pm - India vs Bahrain

August 2, 2013 (Friday)

Mall of Asia Arena

11:00am - China vs Malaysia
1:15pm - Chinese Taipei vs Saudi Arabia
3:30pm - Japan vs Hong Kong
5:45pm - Korea vs Iran
8:30pm - Jordan vs Philippines
10:30pm - Thailand vs India

Ninoy Aquino Stadium

6:00pm - Kazakhstan vs Bahrain

August 3, 2013 (Saturday)

Mall of Asia Arena

11:00am - Malaysia vs Korea
1:15pm - India vs Kazakhstan
3:30pm - Hong Kong vs Qatar
5:45pm - Iran vs China
8:30pm - Philippines vs Chinese Taipei
10:30pm - Saudi Arabia vs Jordan

Ninoy Aquino Stadium

6:00pm - Bahrain vs Thailand

Check us back for more updates on results and schedules for the ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament.

*Disclaimer: Credits to www.rappler.com for schedule list.

Lebanon Out of the FIBA Asia 2013 Tournament

2013-07-15T03:01:00.000-07:00

Lebanon, one of the powerhouse teams in the upcoming FIBA Asia 2013 Tournament to be held in Manila, Philippines, was suspended by FIBA officials from the said tournament after failure to comply with the requirements set by the federation. This was confirmed last Saturday, which opens up a huge slot in the said tournament now that one of its powerhouse competitors had been taken out of the competition.

The report was confirmed via the Daily Star Lebanon due to a series of violations that the team failed to address. Among those violations include legal disputes amongst their players and 'political meddling with the matches'. The Youth and Sports Minister in Lebanon was also reached out for comment regarding the matter and he cited that "politics and sectarianism" ruined their chances of competing in this year's FIBA Asia tournament.

Before this controversial suspension, Lebanon was named as part of Group B wherein they are pitted against Japan, Hong Kong, and Qatar. Iraq will replace Lebanon's spot in Group B, as confirmed by FIBA Asia officials.

Three Lebanese players competing in the ongoing Jones Cup tournament were clearly devastated about this development. After all, the FIBA Asia tournament will serve as qualifier for the FIBA World Championship.

Meanwhile, the preparation continues for Smart Gilas Pilipinas for the upcoming FIBA Asia tournament set to take place from August 1 to 11, 2013. Head coach Chot Reyes recently confirmed the 12-man lineup for Smart Gilas Pilipinas competing for the tournament.

12-Man Lineup Competing for FIBA Asia Named For Smart Gilas Pilipinas

2013-07-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Smart Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes has named the 12-man lineup that will represent the country in the upcoming FIBA Asia '13 tournament to be held in the country. As of July 11, coach Chot tweeted via his personal account that he had submitted the list of the team's roster for the FIBA Asia Championship. Here's the tweet from Coach Chot:

Here is the complete list of roster for the Smart Gilas Pilipinas competing in this year's FIBA Asia Championship:

Jayson Castro

Larry Fonacier

Ranidel de Ocampo

Gary David

Gabe Norwood

Jimmy Alapag

LA Tenorio

June Mar Fajardo

Marc Pingris

Japeth Aguilar

Jeff Chan

Marcus Douthit

The team recently went to New Zealand for the final stage of preparation for the tournament. There were 13 players who attended the training, and of the 13 only Beau Belga did not make the final cut. The FIBA Asia tournament will take place on August 1 to 11, 2013. Smart Gilas' first game will be on August 1 against Saudi Arabia in MOA Arena.

What do you think of Smart Gilas Pilipinas' chances coming into the FIBA Asia Championship tournament?

What This NBA Draft Class of 2013 Brings to NBA

2013-06-26T21:12:00.002-07:00

The NBA 2013 draft class is one of the weakest draft class since 2000 and it only gets weaker when almost 1/3 of the projected 1st round players decides to return for one more year in college. The most notable player who decides to return is Marcus Smart who is projected as top 3 pick. Followed by James Micheal McAdoo, Willie Cauley-Stein, Gleann Robinson III, Mitch McGary, Dario Saric, Doug McDermott, CJ Fair, Isaiah Austin and Alex Poythress. Imagine the lost of these players in the draft class which means some of the projected 2nd rounder mixed up with the first rounder. So if a team have a late 1st round pick is likely draft a player which is supposedly 2nd rounder quality.

One more indication that this draft class is so weak is that there is no clear who is going on to the top pick. Scouts can't find anyone with a franchise player talent. From the start of the year there are debates between 4 players who were involved in the top pick, Noel, Zeller, Muhammad and McAdoo.
Those 4 are promising players before the season start but at the end of the season, all those 4 have something in doubt. McAdoo decides to return to college for junior year though even if he decides to join this year's draft, he's probably out of the top pick discussions. Muhammad's questionable potiential after he struggles on UCLA. Zeller's strength and defense deficiencies hurts his stock down to several spots.
Noel's raw offensive ability makes plus a big blow when he suffer from torn ACL made him uncertain in the #1 spot. And there goes the wild cards: Alex Len, Ben Mclemore, Victor Oladipo and Trey Burke which don't have the quality to be a Top Pick.

As we look back to 2000 NBA draft, there are a couple of players who are having a solid careers. Kenyon Martin the former #1 pick, 2 former six man of the year Mike Miller and Jamal Crawford, and the most notable 2nd round steal: Micheal Redd. Also Hedu Turkoglu, Kenyon Dooling, Quetin Richardson, Eddie House and Deshawn Stevenson were a solid picks. These players made impact to the teams they played. They were maybe not a franchise player but help provide solid contribution for their team. This years draft class teams could find much needed help in Oladipo, Porter, McLemore and Carter-Williams. It will just depend on what system they will play and how will they be able to maximize their potentials.