UDFAs

[Biggems]

so, any players not drafted that are worth a darn to bring in for the summer, players who have a decent shot at the 13-15 spots on the roster?

[kbrury]

Alade Aminu
Dionte Christmas
Paul Harris
Jerel Mcneal

[bigdog]

I can't believe Christmas didn't get drafted. That's crazy.

[EricB]

I'd be on the phone with Dionte Christmas's agent right now.

[loveforthegame]

Josh Heyvelt

[bigdog]

Seriously, how did he not get drafted? I mean, he's not a complete stud but he should have been drafted.

[Ditty]

hairston and gist

[DMX7]

I can't believe he didn't get drafted. The scouts were all seemingly drooling over him.

[CGD]

Joe Ingles

[GSH]

I'm glad you posted that, Biggems. I'm always hopeful that somebody managed to fall through the cracks, and will surprise everyone at camp. But then again, I always thought I was going to get a really great prize out of the cereal box when I was a kid. Or find a really valuable old penny that everyone else had walked over all day.

Probably do better looking for pennies, but I'm always pulling for one of those guys to make a team somewhere.

[Blackjack]

Wesley Matthews is another guy I thought the Spurs might have some interest in.

It always seems someone falls through the cracks but I'm pretty satisfied with what the Spurs have on the roster, or in the picture at the moment. Plus, I'm pretty sure whatever's left to be filled will come from trade or the free-agent market.(As in, veteran)

[pad300]

Lee Cummard
If you're a stats guy, he should have been drafted. He might have been the 3ed best SF in College BBall last year.

[GSH]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sixerville/
Friday, June 26, 2009
Reaching Out To Christmas

Ed Stefanski, ever mindful of the value he places on his local ties, reached out late Thursday night to Temple's Dionte Christmas, inviting him to join the Orlando summer league team the 76ers will be sharing with the New Jersey Nets.

Christmas, who had been projected as a second-round selection during Thursday night's NBA draft, went unclaimed. He is likely to have multiple summer league and European offers. The Sixers leave July 2 for Orlando; Stefanski is awaiting a decision whether Christmas will join first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday and second-year big man Marreese Speights on the summer roster.

''He's a great kid, he's local,'' said Stefanski, the Sixers' president/general manager. ''Now, he has to prove it all over again.''

The 6-5 Christmas is the first player in Atlantic 10 history to lead the conference in scoring in three successive seasons; he finished his career with 2,043 points, the fourth Owl to surpass 2,000. He set school records for career three-pointers with 319 and for one season, with 107 as a senior.

If there was anything that kept him from being drafted, it might be his reputation as a volume shooter as opposed to a guy who could come off an NBA bench and provide instant offense. On the other hand, he is known for having a quick release and an ability to catch and shoot off screens.

[Mr. Body]

I'm not sure there's room for another rookie-type in the system right now. I would have gone for Nivins if he slipped out. The rest aren't that interesting. Maybe Heytvelt.

[hsxvvd]

Joe Ingles

Hack. He'll be lucky to find himself a job in the NBL. He can thank Shane Heal for a wasted career.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Joe Ingles

u m ust be australian, did you read an article about him leading up to the draft workouts how he did nothing after a few camps and just hope someone would pick up? thats just lack of commitment when ur career hitting the big stages is evaporating away from you....

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25691406-10914,00.html


It's decision time for NBA draft


Grantley Bernard

June 26, 2009 12:01am

TIRED from auditioning for 15 teams in a cross-country blur of aircraft, hotels and gyms, all that Joe Ingles has done for the past few days is bum around a mate's place in San Francisco and wait for tomorrow's NBA draft.

It seems a lock that Boomers guard Patrick Mills will be picked, but Ingles has no idea if any team will use one of the 60 selections to secure his NBA rights when the draft is staged at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Find out who went to No.1 from 11am

While Mills is expected to be in NYC, Ingles will be at the home of former South Dragons teammate Adam Quick, watching the draft on TV and following it on the internet, wondering what the future holds.

One thing is certain: Ingles will not be returning to the defunct Dragons and is 99.9 per cent sure he will not be back in the NBL next season. The lanky swingman will be either in the NBA or Europe, where teams have expressed interest in him.

But his first priority is the NBA, either via the draft or as a free agent via the summer league and veterans' camp try-outs, even though he has no real clues about how genuine NBA teams are in signing him.

"I just honestly have no idea," Ingles said. "They don't really tell you much. Some teams weren't as interested as the others. I got some good feedback from some teams, but it's difficult to tell if they're telling the truth. You don't know if they're saying the same thing to another 10 players."

NBA teams are usually guarded with their public draft assessments, but Ingles at least did not leave himself wondering by working out for half of the league teams, including the Portland Trailblazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, LA Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs.

Every workout was a one-shot deal: fly in the night before, audition with the team's coaching staff and fly out again, meaning Ingles, who was based in Chicago for three months after the NBL season, had to be ready to go.

"The first few were all right because I was pumped and amped," he said. "But by the time I got to the 10th, 11th and 12th, I was so tired."

By Ingles' estimation, the Pistons, Trailblazers and Bucks saw the best of him.

He has been touted by Detroit as being in the frame for its second-round pick, which is the 35th overall.

"Australian Joe Ingles, with Olympic experience, is a lanky six-foot eight (203cm) shooter with a sophisticated offensive feel and a smooth jump shot," the Pistons website reported.

"He'll likely struggle defensively, but could develop into a Hedo Turkoglu type."

The reality is that if Ingles' name is called at the draft, it will be in the second round.

He will probably play in one of the NBA summer leagues before heading to Europe, just as Brad Newley did after being drafted by the Houston Rockets two years ago.

Armed with a British passport, Ingles can play in Europe as a local rather than as an import and has rejected firm offers to sign early. It's all about the NBA for Ingles, at least until tomorrow.

"No matter how good the offers are, I want to do the NBA thing," Ingles said. "I'll just wait to see what happens."

Other Australians eligible for the draft are centres Luke Nevill and Aron Baynes. But most of the buzz surrounds Mills, the speedy guard who has been tagged as a first-round selection after forfeiting the last two years of college eligibility at St Marys.

While Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin will go No. 1 to the LA Clippers, it's then a raffle.

It becomes more complicated for Mills because it appears to be a guard-heavy draft, especially with playmakers.

"I think there could be 10 point guards taken in the first round," Miami Heat vice-president of player personnel Chet Kammerer told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "I think that's very possible."

Among the guards with Mills are Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio, who could go in the top five picks after creating enormous hype in Europe.

But opinion on where Mills will go seems to vary, with some tabbing him as the No. 19 pick for the Atlanta Hawks, going at No. 22 to the Dallas Mavericks to back up Jason Kidd or joining the Cavs at 30, or even sliding into the second round.

The last scenario could cost Mills millions of dollars, but at least, as for Ingles, the wait will be over.

[Mr. Body]

Rather Cummard before Ingles.

[VivaPopovich]

so, any players not drafted that are worth a darn to bring in for the summer, players who have a decent shot at the 13-15 spots on the roster?

sure, a bunch

most of these teams did a terrible job. drafting is easy if you have one of the first 5 picks, anything after that gets tricky

it's a blessing from God that we have superior management that always makes the best of what we have. DeJuan Blair shouldnt have dropped that far, neither should George Hill last season

[timvp]

I don't like any of the undrafted players. Summer league or training camp filler? Fine. But I don't see any that would be worth investing real time in.

[ivanfromwestwood]

I don't like any of the undrafted players. Summer league or training camp filler? Fine. But I don't see any that would be worth investing real time in.not even a guy like alex garcia? didnt pop have a man crush on him?

[Chieflion]

So Dionte Christmas was invited to Summer league by the 76ers. They probably did it for laughs. The Gay Love combo didnt work out. However, we are going to have Christmas Holliday in the same team.

[BackHome]

I like Garcia I think he would help our team but if we can't sign a big then you better have Heytvelt in our summer league. Also, I would take Cummard over Williams and Hariston the kid just needs to add a little muscle but he has high b-ball IQ and works his ass off. I know people say he is to skinny but the same thing was said about Prince from Detroit.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

We have enough young players to look forward to. Damn, I just said that.

[Biggems]

I would like to see Lee Cummard on our summer league team. He is a pure shooter and has great 3 pt range. Plus, he is tall and long and hustles. I think he would be a nice option to come off the bench behind Jefferson.

[Bukefal]

A.J. Abrams