Drafting players is not a science, it's advance scouting and plain dumb luck. The team and the opportunity for the individual to gain valuable playing time is part of the equation too. Every year I check various websites for their assessment of Laker picks. ESPN's grade is not included since I refuse to pay for their "Insider" information. Ben Golliver CBSSports wrote "2011 NBA Draft: 5 second round steals." Golliver's steals were Laker picks Darius Morris (41) and Andrew Goudelock (46), both point guards. Based on NBC Sports grade should we assume they utilize a different formula for their grading system?

NBCSports.com D-
Yahoo.Sports.com B
CBSSports.com B-
Fox Sports.com A-
SI.com B
bleacherreport.com A
SBnation.com B+

There seem to be several stories circulating at times regarding Wolves GM Donald Kahn it's difficult track them at times. This is the general manager whose front office managed to draft three point guards in succession after the 2009 season. Ricky Rubio remained in Spain and Jonny Flynn remained only to be traded this off season, the draft rights to Ty Lawson were traded later in the evening to Denver. The main question might be is Kurt Rambis still the head coach of the Wolves? Kahn has kept Rambis dangling on a string since the season ended as if he still has a job. Various media sites have been reporting since the end of the season Rambis has been fired but Kahn refuses to confirm it. Last month after the NBA Lottery was held Kahn publically stated it might be "fixed" thereby aiding the conspiracy theorist crowd, he later stated his comment was meant in jest. This morning a story is circulating he'd contacted Coach K. at Duke and offered him the Wolves job as head coach, Kahn has denied this story. If he wants to hire Coach K. more power to him, Coach K. could go a long way to fix some of the problems of this franchise.

Among the more interesting moves draft night was Andre Miller, no he isn't a rookie nor a draft choicev but was acquired in a draft night trade. This is the veteran Miller's second time the Nuggets acquired him in a trade. Miller has always been an interesting player, never super fast but a steady, reliable point guard. Why the Nuggets traded him initially many are unsure. He was featured on an NBA TV segment, he stated how pleased he was with the trade and scoffed at reporters questioning his age. He said "nobody is questioning Steve Nash's age."

Everyone's trying to fix LeBron James game, an ESPN writer suggested James work on his 3-point shoot during the off season. A better question for this writer might be what requirement is there for a 6-8 250 pound player to hang out at the 3-point line chucking up shots? All players have one thing they don't do particularly well. Rather than challenging 3-point line it might be free throw shooting. A fan who is more insightful than all of us believes it his "free-throws," the fan points out James is a lifetime 73% free throw shooter and if he worked on his free throw game that would alleviate many of the inconsistencies of his game. His teammates Wade and Bosh are lifetime at 77% and 79% respectively. This is not intended to indict James it's only pointing out an area that is an easier fix than jacking up distant 3-point shots.


In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
Robert Frost