Tag: Mark Williams

Rival teams eyeing Jakob Poeltl’s availability

If San Antonio selected any center in the first round such as Jalen Duren, Mark Williams, or Walker Kessler, the phone would be ringing often with rival teams checking in on the availability of starting center Jakob Poeltl, who’s entering the final …

If San Antonio selected any center in the first round such as Jalen Duren, Mark Williams, or Walker Kessler, the phone would be ringing often with rival teams checking in on the availability of starting center Jakob Poeltl, who’s entering the final year of his contract at $9.4 million.

Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

More on this storyline

Duren has drawn comparisons to Bam Adebayo for their physical profiles, as Memphis Tigers assistant coach Larry Brown told the New York Post. “He’s a lottery talent,” one college coach, who also coached in the NBA, previously told HoopsHype. “No doubt about it. I’d be surprised If he gets past 10 or 12. That’s got to be his floor, in my opinion. Even if the center value is going down, if you can find one that can clean the glass and protect the rim, that’s valuable.” -via HoopsHype / June 18, 2022
Rival NBA executives are keeping an eye on whether the Pistons will send Jerami Grant to the Blazers on draft night for Portland’s seventh overall pick, which has been dangled for immediate help, as reported in last week’s HoopsHype mock draft update. -via HoopsHype / June 18, 2022

3 big men Sixers should take a look at in 2022 NBA draft at No. 23

Here are 3 big men the Philadelphia 76ers should take a look at in the 2022 NBA draft if they don’t trade their pick.

At this current moment, the Philadelphia 76ers hold the No. 23 pick in the 2022 NBA draft after the Brooklyn Nets decided to defer the pick they acquired in the James Harden trade until 2023. The Sixers do have some options they can go to with that selection as there are some roster issues to address.

The Sixers can either make this selection and go with a rookie who can address their issues such as a 3-and-D player, depth on the wings, or a backup big man to Joel Embiid.

The other option is to trade the pick which is what they are looking to do at the moment in search of some immediate help to win a title. If they decide to keep the pick, here are three big men in this draft around the No. 23 range who would fit the Sixers behind Embiid and join Paul Reed and Charles Bassey in the battle for backup minutes.

Now, there is no guarantee the Sixers go big at this selection if they keep it. Coach Doc Rivers is known for liking his veterans and leaning on them more. The biggest examples were the additions of DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap during the 2021-22 season.

Is Michael Jordan actually petty enough to skip Duke players in the draft? An investigation.

“There’s something about our blood that makes it very difficult to choose a Duke player.”

I was recently on the phone discussing the 2022 NBA Draft, and I was asked who I expected the Charlotte Hornets to select on June 23.

It didn’t take me more than a second to answer: Duke’s Mark Williams. That is who I have for the Hornets in my latest mock draft, and it’s not just simply because he fills a need in the frontcourt. Williams is an excellent player who was outstanding during March Madness.

The person who I was speaking with on the phone, however, was not at all convinced. The individual, who will remain anonymous but is incredibly well-connected around the league, brought up a point I had not considered.

Is there any chance Michael Jordan, the majority owner of the Hornets and the most notable alumni from the University of North Carolina, uses a high first-round pick on someone from his rival Blue Devils?

After the conversation, I couldn’t stop thinking about the question. As I was obsessing over it, I began my research to find out if MJ — who is famously petty and takes things personally — has any history of drafting players from his collegiate rival.

If he doesn’t, I was also curious: Who was left on the board over Jordan’s pettiness? Was this decision-making process ever costly or detrimental to his franchise? What does that mean for Mark Williams — or Duke’s AJ Griffin — on draft night?

Iowa reportedly set to square off against Duke in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic

Iowa will meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic. Here’s a look at the all-time series history and Duke’s projected starters.

The start of Iowa’s 2022-23 men’s basketball season is still every bit of five months away. Still, the Hawkeyes just received fantastic news with the return of forward Kris Murray to Iowa City.

Paired with several other decisions by Iowa players to either return or exit via the transfer portal, fans now have a pretty clear idea of what the Hawkeyes’ starting five and key reserves will look like entering next season.

Now, Iowa fans know they can book flights and start planning a trip to New York City for a battle against a blue blood.

CBS Sports and College Hoops Today’s Jon Rothstein reported that Iowa is set to meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic from historic Madison Square Garden. Rothstein also reported that the other game in the event is expected to feature the Texas Longhorns against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Duke is one of the pillar programs in all of college basketball and will enter next season fresh off the Blue Devils’ 17th all-time appearance in the Final Four. Of course, legendary head coach Mike Krzyewski’s 13th and final Final Four appearance ended with the Blue Devils’ archrivals in the North Carolina Tar Heels sending Duke packing, 81-77.

The Kansas Jayhawks would go on to win the national championship over North Carolina, erasing a 16-point deficit in a historic second-half flurry for the largest title game comeback in NCAA Tournament history, topping the Tar Heels, 72-69.

In its history, Iowa has met up with Duke on eight different occasions. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 7-1. The Hawkeyes and Blue Devils last played on Nov. 27, 2001, in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. It was not to be from the jump for an Iowa team led by guard Luke Recker and forward Reggie Evans.

Duke point guard Jason Williams scored 25 points, center Carlos Boozer added 22 and forward Mike Dunleavy chipped in with 18. The then-No. 1 and defending national champion Blue Devils routed Iowa, 80-62, inside the United Center.

Duke is set to replace some serious star power from last season’s Final Four team, but the Blue Devils have reloaded their roster with some serious talent. Here’s a look at the all-time series matchups between Iowa and Duke and a look at the Blue Devils’ projected starting five.

League sources have confirmed to The …

League sources have confirmed to The Kings Beat that not only did Sacramento interview Shaedon Sharpe at the Combine, but they either sat down with or attended pro-days for a bevy of projected lottery/first round picks, including Keegan Murray, AJ Griffin, Bennedict Mathurin, Dyson Daniels, Tari Eason, Kendall Brown, Ochai Agbaji, Malaki Branham, Jeremy Sochan, Patrick Baldwin, Nikola Jovic, Mark Williams, Christian Braun, Wendell Moore, Teruavion Smith and Trevion Williams.

“I’m a huge Mark Williams fan,” one …

“I’m a huge Mark Williams fan,” one NBAexecutive told HoopsHype following the lottery. “He’s not quite like Robert Williams. His switch defense isn’t great, but his rim protection, mid-range jump shot and rolling ability is a fit for today’s NBA as a modern big man. He can make a pass after catching it on the short roll as well.” “No doubt he’ll play in the league for a long time, but the question becomes whether you should use a lottery pick on a big man when the league is shrinking, and pick-and-roll defense is critical,” an NBA scout opined.