HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

It’s Draft Day:  With less than 12 hours remaining until the 2011 NBA Draft gets under way at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey things are starting to settle in. Here is what’s coming out:

Williams and Kanter: There is almost no questioning that Arizona’s Derrick Williams is the 2nd best player in this draft class however there are more and more signs suggesting that Minnesota with the #2 overall pick is going to pass on Williams and select 6’11 big man Enes Kanter.

Some have said “I’ll believe it when I see it” – others have said Minnesota has put this out there to try and drum up a last minute deal to move down, namely from Washington who is said to be very high on Kanter.

As of last night the Wolves did not have a deal they were ready to consummate, but they have several scenarios available to them.

With less than 12 hours left, if the Wolves still hold the pick when the draft gets underway at 7pm EST, all bets on Derrick Williams going second overall are off and that could seriously change the complexion of the Draft class.

Biyombo Crushes: Bismack Biyombo, the 6’9 big man from the Congo, was the subject of a lot of jokes two weeks ago in Treviso, Italy. Bismack took part in the adidas EuroCamp where he worked out in front of roughly 100 NBA scouts and executives. During that workout Biyombo was put through “one-on-zero” offensive drills showcasing just how raw a talent he was and as one executive has characterized it to a few people: “He played one on one with the chair and lost…”

Yesterday in Charlotte, Biyombo got some payback on that chair and really crushed during his workout with the Charlotte Bobcats. This was the third positive workout of the week for Biyombo who showcased his game over the weekend to teams and now has serious suitors from the #5 pick to the #9 pick.

The Raptors at #5 are very much in the hunt for Biyombo with only Brandon Knight said to be ahead of him on Toronto’s board. The Detroit Pistons at #8 are high on Bismack, as is Charlotte at #9. Sources near the Bobcats said last night that they would take Biyombo and have considered trading up to insure they get the big man from the Congo.

There are not many times in the draft process where a player can recover from such a public failing, but Bismack has rebounded nicely – the pun was intended – and now looks strong to go in the lottery later tonight.

Jan Vesely Worries Me: Yesterday while addressing the media Czech big man Jan Vesely, who many have dubbed the best athlete in the top 10, did very little to endear himself while addressing the media.

He was a nice enough guy, however his lack of confidence in his own game stood out, and while he tried to be funny and engaging it really came off as someone who did not understand what he had just signed up for.

When asked about his dreadful free throw shooting, his only response was “It’s a long story.”

When asked if he was ready for the NBA, his answer was “I guess so”

Vesely clearly has not been vetted like some of the other draft prospects who have a very clearly defined narrative and are in full used car salesman mode.

Most of us walked away from Vesely wondering if he really wanted to be in the draft as much as maybe others in his life want him to be. He didn’t have his prepared “I have a dream of being great” speech, which might actually be a good thing, but the passion for the process was clearly lacking and that’s a red flag in my book.

Why? If you are not moments away from your dream… if this is just another job on a bigger stage… how will you approach getting better?

When Hasheem Thabeet went through this process two years ago, it became very clear  basketball was a job for him and the heart required to be great was lacking.

Vesely put off the same vibe yesterday.

Vesely very well may be the next big thing in International basketball, but beyond his size, not sure there is a whole lot of substance and desire beyond that. Buyer beware.

Tristan Thompson – Rockstar: Every year in the draft process there is one guy in the room that is genuinely thrilled to be there and this year that player was Tristan Thompson.

For most of the media session Thompson looked like a kid that won the lottery, his beaming smile and edge of excitement unmistakable.

Thompson is the gem of the bunch with sources near the situation saying he is very much in the running for the #4 pick with Cleveland, although that feels like a reach. The Detroit Pistons are said to be enamored with him and he has suitors from the #8 pick to the #13 pick.

At the beginning of this process Thompson was not nearly as valued as he appears to be today, and he is enjoying every minute of the process.

The Jimmer Effect: The NBA segmented the 12 guys in New York for the NBA Draft into two groups yesterday. Chris Singleton, Marcus Morris and Klay Thompson had scheduled workouts, so it was six guys per session.

Jimmer Fredette’s session included Kyrie Irving and just based on the media interest in Jimmer, more than three times that of Kyrie, things are going to get crazy if Jimmer is still on the board past #7.

There has been a long running rumor that the owners of the Sacramento Kings, the Maloofs are enamored with Jimmer and are pushing for him to be their pick at #7. Sources near the Kings downplay the Maloof’s affections, but there is still a real sense that Sacramento could break ranks and grab Jimmer early.

If they do not, expect a run on the #8 and #9 picks from teams behind Utah at #12 – Indiana, Phoenix and New York all have Jimmer fever and have made it clear they’d be open to moving up if he is there.

For the very latest on what happening throughout the 2011 NBA Draft make sure to check the Draft Day Diary – the latest news, notes and rumors will be added throughout the day so if you want to know what’s going on, check the Diary early and often.

Wolves and Rambis:  Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! is reporting that the Minnesota Timberwolves have decided to part ways with head coach Kurt Rambis. The move is not very surprising as Rambis was a massive disappointment on several fronts in Minnesota.

Word is Wolves’ president David Kahn asked Rambis to prepare a multi-page report on what went wrong last season, what changes Rambis felt needed to be made and for Rambis to craft a plan for the upcoming season, including a new offensive system departing from the failed use of the Lakers’ Triangle offense.

Apparently Kurt’s homework didn’t go over well.

The Wolves are not expected to announce the firing during the draft, and have actually denied a decision has been made.

However, several sources say the Wolves have already started lining up eventual replacements with Wojnarowski listing college head coach Lorenzo Romar from Washington and former Bobcats’ head coach and current Blazers’ assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff headlining the short list.

Rambis is not expected to be part of the Wolves draft process and an official announcement is expected next week.

Are You Ready For A Lockout?  If the rollercoaster of positive and negative energy surrounding the contentious labor talks between the NBA and its players is getting to you, you are not alone.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Yesterday it seemed as if progress was being made. A reasonable deal seemed to have surfaced from the latest round of talks, but yesterday Players’ Association director Billy Hunter made it clear, there has been no progress and what the owners are seeking is far more than the Players are willing to give.

“Their demand is gargantuan and we just can’t meet it,” Hunter said to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.

“Under their proposal, over five or six years, they would reap a profit of over $1.8 billion after expenses – after their alleged expenses,” Hunter said.

Hunter and his Executive Committee will present the situation to its Players on Friday during a full blown Union meeting. From that point the group will likely get a chance to vote on which direction they would like to take things or face a possible lockout imposed by the Owners.

“I’m sure that there’s going to be a vote,” Hunter said. “Whether or not they lock out, that’s going to be up to them. We’ve been threatened with that for the last two years … so I’m assuming that, from their perspective, (June 30) is the drop-dead date.”

“I guess at this stage, the question is to what extent are they willing to kill this thing,” Hunter said of a potential lockout.

Hunter was asked how much he trusted NBA Commissioner David Stern to negoiate in good faith.

“We’re engaged in hard-knuckle negotiations. It ain’t about trust.”

“We have an idea what we’re willing to do and what he’s willing to do,” Hunter said. “And what we’ve indicated to them is that the perception is that it’s really becoming a game of power vs. power. And right now, I think that they feel as though they have the leverage or the upper hand.”

So now the real question becomes how long will a NBA Lockout last, and what exactly will there be to do this summer with no free agency and Summer League.

I hear Aruba is nice this time of year.

NBA Chats:  There will be two chats today starting with Stephen Brotherston at 12pm. HOOPSWORLD senior NBA writer Joel Brigham will host his chat at 4:30pm EST. The chats do fill up fast so getting in early always helps. You can always find the next chat here: Upcoming NBA Chats.