Family visiting for a couple days, then visiting other family. It adds up to lots of time not being able to get near a computer.
Today is a big day for the draft. The final withdrawl date. Players like Luke Harangody for Notre Dame and Jodie Meeks of Kentucky have the big decisions.
With all the stuff that came out suddenly on his knees, DeJuan Blair suddenly has his draft position a little in the unknown realm.
Blair has been getting some negative buzz over old knee injuries with teams expressing concern he may have a pre-arthritic condition related to torn ACL’s when he was in high school. Blair says the teams he’s met with have not shown a lot of concern about it, especially after hearing he’s had zero knee issues since the surgery and after watching him move most teams are simply accepting that DeJuan may not be perfect but teams are still eager to see him. The consensus on Blair is split, with some sources saying the knee concerns added to his 6’6 frame make him more likely to go in the 10 to 20 range, where some teams in the top 10 still have Blair high enough on their board that he could go top 10 if teams in front of them go differently than expected.
I can see Blair slipping to just outside of the lottery. This is a weak draft as far as talent that really seems worth a top-14 pick. It’s not a knock on Blair, but the players he draws comparisons to — best case Paul Milsap to Jason Maxiell on down were not drafted that high.
Maxiell was considered a reach by Detroit at the end of the 1st round. Milsap was grabbed #47 — obviously he turned out to be a steal. The point being, that the fact that Blair could go in the top-10 despite his limits in offensive moves, height and potential knee issues says a lot about the quality of the draft.
To be fair, his high draft status also speaks well, though, of how Blair has performed for teams on the court and in interviews.
Not that teams don’t try to find things to complain or at least cite as an excuse.
It’s not just the tangible of measuring 6-5¼ in socks and 6-6½ in shoes that could hurt DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh’s undersized power forward. There’s also the wonder of why he didn’t get in better shape during the season and waited until draft preparations to lose weight in what strikes some teams as more contract drive than long-term commitment. On the other hand, Kevin Love faced the same conditioning questions a year ago and turned in a productive rookie season with the Timberwolves. “It’s something you’re always concerned about — if you lost the weight, you can put it back on,” one executive said. “But watching him in college, the weight didn’t hurt him a lot. He knocked the crap out of people. He’s strong.” Plus, Blair’s bubbly personality will win fans wherever he lands.
Still the concerns were enough for Chad Ford at ESPN.com to drop Blair to #16 in his mock draft to the Bulls.
And if he were to end up on the Bulls with former Panther Aaron Gray?
“This is what I say about size: Go get the biggest person on your team, let me play one-on-one against him and we’ll see about size,” Blair said.
Told Gray is, in fact, the biggest Bull, Blair smiled.
“Of course I can take him,” he said.
HoopsReport had Blair at #14 to the Suns.
Blair has a workout with the Indiana Pacers today. Other workouts he had last week include the Charlotte Bobcats and the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the Bucks workout he showed some increased range with 15-18 foot jumpers. Apparently abusing former Michigan State big man Goran Suton.
In Charlotte, Coach Larry Brown played coy about what the Bobcats are doing, considering or anything.
That was Brown’s way of saying he isn’t troubled by the height of Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, who measured 6-5 1/4 in his stocking feet at the NBA combine. That seems quite short for a power forward, until you consider Blair’s extraordinary 7-2 wingspan.
Blair’s dimensions are similar to those of former Charlotte Hornet Larry Johnson. Johnson was a tremendous rebounder until he hurt his back, and Blair had three games of 20 or more rebounds in two seasons at Pittsburgh.
“I always look for guys who have no neck and long arms,” Brown said. “So he’ll be a (power forward) and he’ll do well.”
Another 10 days to wait.
