Afternoon Updates: 4/22

Sorry for the late news update. Slim pickings across the web today, but did pick up this one on Big Al and Love’s trade value from a Hoopsworld chat:

Steve Kyler:

Very low… Big Al is tradeable, but he’s never going to return what he gives you and while Kevin Love is a decent player, he doesn’t make enough to return a real asset and his value is low too.

The Wolves are in evaluation mode, most teams don;t start talking trades until the Draft Combine which is May 19th… I wouldn’t expect much on the trade front from Minnesota early, but they could be a player around the draft as they have three first round picks and two second round picks… not sure there will be five point guards available in this class, so Minnesota has to trade a few of those picks.

You are also not going to make a lot of improvements with five rookies on your roster, so some of those picks will get packed with a veteran salary to improve and that happens in May and June… teams try to avoid making decisions right after the season ends because you tend to make emotional decisions, not informed

Well that’s just neat. Hopefully he comes over some day I guess.

Slam Online Posts Their Top 5 Draft Prospects

We are all going to be deprived of a great joy on draft night — watching David Stern struggle to pronounce the names of the international players picked in the first round. With normally around five players from abroad picked in the first round each year, we are treated to a few tongue twisters from Mr. Commish. This year there are only two international guys projected to go within the first 30 names called out, but at least one of them has a name fun to say. Here’s the top five international prospects for this year’s draft.

It seems likely that some of these guys will be targets with our Charlotte pick, so keep an eye on them.

Cuban on the NFL Draft

The always quotable and fantastic Mark Cuban in his latest rant on the NFL draft stealing viewers from the playoffs:

“I know we’re just little piss-ants compared to the NFL, but seriously, the NFL is turning into the ugly American when it comes to sports leagues,” said Cuban, who, not for nothing, considers Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones a friend. “They don’t give a crap about anybody but themselves.”

The guy has a point, as always. Mark Cuban is fantastic. I wish all owners had his passion for winning and were as quotable. Sure, he gets in trouble with the refs and surely the players must think he is a complete nincumpoop at times, but imagien if Taylor were that way. I would go to the games just to see his antics.

As for the playoffs, let’s not forget the time has come for NBA players to start playing with effort. I remember last year’s playoffs started slow with plenty of blowouts and then suddenly the Bulls/Celtics series became easily the most entertaining set of basketball games I have ever seen (Game 6 2OT battle that is on NBATV every other day, anyone?). Let’s hope for a similar series this year and it involves the Lakers getting upset by OKC. If not, the Spurs/Mavs, Suns/Blazers and Nuggets/Jazz have potential for some great games. The rest, meh, maybe not so much. I thought Charlotte, Milwaukee, Miami and Chicago would be putting up much more of a fight. Props to Portland for taking game 1 in Phoenix without Roy. Is Camby ever going to decline? Guy’s an iron man.

That’s all for today.