Milwaukee Bucks Blog - The Bob Boozer Jinx : Chad Ford Watch

Randolph, not Alexander has had the Bucks inside track in the draft

J.D. Mo — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:24:00 GMT

I'm sticking with my earlier prediction that Hammond is working to move this pick, or trade whomever the Bucks draft -- which may or may not explain why West Virginia's Joe Alexander was in town today for a second visit with the Bucks. Until now, LSU's Anthony Randolph has been viewed as the Bucks likely top choice, though there are concerns now that other teams are repositioning ahead of the Bucks and Randolph may be gone by the time the Bucks draft at #8.

What makes me say this when all draft speculators have the Bucks taking Alexander with the #8 pick and Randolph slipping out of the top 10? For starters, I was at the June 6 workout of Randolph, Alexander and Donte Green of Syracuse. The man of the day was Randolph.

As the media straggled into the court area at the Cousins Center and the players reached for the gatorade on the sidelines, Bucks assistant Joe Wolf strode up to Randolph and the two 6'10"ers exchanged an emphatic high five. I'd say things went very well for Randolph in Milwaukee. In the post-workout interviews, which you can watch here at sportsbubbler.com, Randolph declared himself the best player on the floor. I don't think there is much doubt about this in the Bucks camp. Later that day, Coach Scott Skiles and Randolph were reportedly spotted Downtown eating dinner together.

Alexander and Green were also feeling the Bucks' pro-Randolph vibe. Alexander hung around on the court taking in a few extra high post pointers from Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson (no harm in kissing up to the coaches). Green decided he needed to show the media some of his stuff and slammed home a couple of high flying dunks on a side-basket. It worked -- Green's an impressive athlete and would be a good pick anywhere out of the top five or six in this draft. Green may yet sneak in to the Bucks plans.

I'd be very surprised if anyone in the media came away from the Cousins Center with the impression that Joe Alexander would be the pick. Journal Sentinel columnist Michael Hunt said as much in his column yesterday, writing that Randolph will likely be taken higher than #8. Here's the excerpt:

“'Everything’s in play,' Hammond said recently. 'Was, still is and probably will remain that way probably right up until draft day. We’re going to explore every option that we can to improve our team, and, as we said, potentially maybe even move the pick.'

That’s good, because LSU’s Anthony Randolph, the 6-10 forward who was probably the best option that worked out for the Bucks, will likely be gone by then. Draft-day trades, though, have become more and more uncommon in the NBA, so it’s possible the new and promising regime will have to take this reclamation project deep into the summer."

The New York Daily News yesterday echoed the Hunt (and BBJinx) take on Randolph.

The Bucks are sending out strong signals that they like LSU's Anthony Randolph at No. 8. A legitimate 6-10, Randolph has been called a cross between Tayshaun Prince and Odom. But West Virginia small forward Joe Alexander, a hard-nosed worker, is seen as a better fit with new coach Scott Skiles. ...

So why does ESPN's Chad Ford have Randolph possibly "slipping out of the lottery" in his latest Mock Draft? Ford writes:

"A number of young, inexperienced bigs have been hurting themselves in workouts. It's now a possibility that LSU's Anthony Randolph falls out of the lottery. Texas A&M's DeAndre Jordan, Nevada's JaVale McGee and Florida's Marreese Speights might not hear their names called until the 20th pick or after."

Remember The Chad Ford Principle. He doesn't talk to teams as much as he talks to agents, which means whatever he's got happening with Randolph probably serves the interest of a sports agent or two.

(Since originally posting this, a little research revealed that Randolph's rep is former Chicago Bull B.J. Armstrong of the Arn Tellem agency. Armstrong, a teammate of Bulls GM John Paxson on the 1992 and 1993 Bulls championship teams, also happens to be the rep for one Derrick Rose. Employing the Chad Ford principle we can assume that Armstrong is one of Ford's primary sources regarding not only Rose and the debate over who the Bulls will pick, but Randolph as well.)

Ford wrote in his mock draft last week that Randolph may now be perceived to be a headcase (Brewhoop notes it here.) That's probably a seed planted by Armstrong or other interested parties who want to see certain teams take a pass on Randolph. It's not all that clear what the Sonics, Grizzlies or Knicks will do ahead of the Bucks -- and the Grizzlies and Knicks at least have had interest in Randolph or Alexander or both.

(Brewhoop today notes that weeks ago Ford had Randolph in the top 5 talentwise, a good salespitch by Armstrong right about the time of the Randolph-Alexander Bucks workout. Armstrong and Ford seem to either have Randolph high out of the Bucks reach or too low for the Bucks to dip for. The Chad Ford Principle at work again. Go figure.)

Expect Ford, ever the accomplice for NBA agents, to be wrong on this one, and Hunt to be the writer who's got the Bucks and Randolph in better focus.

Ford also has Eric Gordon now going to the Memphis Grizzlies at the #5 spot -- that's a first for Gordon in these mock drafts -- and writes that he "would be shocked" if the Bulls took Beasley over Rose.

I'd be shocked if Chad Ford is on target.

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Here's an interesting analysis from Adi Joseph on NBADraft.Net. Joseph points out that many players in this draft are struggling to fit an NBA position, and that a little pessimism might be in order for fans of lottery teams.

"Alexander can't handle or shoot well enough to truly play on the wing, but he's too short for the post. He's definitely got some Shawn Marion in him, but often players with similar skill sets struggle to find their offensive games in the NBA.

Randolph is being compared to Chris Bosh. But he struggled with his efficiency as a freshman, turning the ball over 3 times per game and shooting just 46% from the field. And he's rail-thin and had the worst bench press results at the Orlando predraft camp. He'll have to bulk up big time to ever play in the post. But his 2-of-19 shooting from three-point range will need to improve if he expects any respect from defenders at the NBA level."

Ouch. Joseph might even be meaner than I am!

The Chad Ford Watch and .... Redd to Cleveland hits snag

J.D. Mo — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:36:00 GMT

ESPN rumor mongerer Chad Ford is at it again. Last week Ford was speculating that the Bucks want to move up in the draft to "add some star power to their team." In his mock draft 6.0 today Ford has the Bucks picking Joe Alexander out of West Virginia with their #8 pick.

I have developed what can only be called "The Chad Ford Principle." Whatever Ford mongers out there as rumoroid fact, expect it to be false and driven by the needs of certain agents whom Ford spends far too much time listening to. And bear in mind when reading him that Ford an ethically challenged journalist who doesn't seem to be able to put two and two together very well.

Let's give The Chad Ford Principle a test run. If Ford writes that his sources say the Chicago Bulls are taking point guard Derrick Rose with the number one pick, expect the Bulls to pick forward Michael Beasley. In fact Ford himself is beginning to back off his "90 percent" assurance that the Bulls would take Rose, writing in mock draft 5.0 that he's "not as confident as I was a week ago that he'll be the pick."

The Bulls will take Beasley and I would bet on it. Again using The Chad Ford Principle, expect the Bucks to take Anthony Randolph (LSU) and not Alexander or do something more creative with the pick.

(Note: I've since learned that Rose and Randolph have the same agent -- former Chicago Bull B.J. Armstrong, a rep for the Arn Temer agency. Using The Chad Ford Principle, assume that agent Armstrong is one of Ford's key sources regarding both Rose and Randolph).

As for the Bucks moving up in the draft, Bucks GM John Hammond said last week that he doesn't "have a deal to move up or to move down" and that he's seeing movement among the teams drafting ahead of them. This could mean the Bucks might trade out of the first round altogether or trade whomever the Bucks pick.

That wasn't the only Ford-broadcasted fire that was extinguished last week. Remember all that talk about trading Yi Jianlian to Golden State in a deal for developing 21-year-old forward Brandan Wright and the Warriors #14 pick? A rep from the Warriors contacted Ford last week and "took umbrage" at the rumor. This from Ford's column last Thursday:

"A Warriors representative shot down an assertion made in a couple of my columns that the team was looking to move Brandan Wright. He especially took umbrage at the report that the team coveted Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian. I've been assured that Warriors GM Chris Mullin, who makes the final decisions at Golden State, isn't trading Wright for Yi."

The Warriors called to demand a correction, didn't they Chad?

And it was likely the first contact Ford's had with the Warriors in all of this. Still, Ford didn't quite have to the guts to label it a correction and just tacked it on at the end of his column with the following caveat:

"This time of the year, the information is flying fast and furious. Sources often have agendas, and from time to time I just get things wrong."

That's well and good, except that in an earlier version of the very same column, Ford wrote that, in still another trade involving Golden State and Wright, Cleveland was set to trade Anderson Varejao and their #19 pick to the Warriors. The Varejao report is apparently what prompted the Warriors to shut Ford's rumor mill down. Ford was slinging agent slime at Golden State week after week.

Guess who Yi Jianlian and Anderson Varejao have in common? Sports agent Dan Fegan, who obviously fed Ford the Yi trade rumors last season and is at it again now with Yi and Varejao. You bet Fegan's got an agenda. He wants Yi out of Milwaukee and Varejao out of Cleveland. Ford has been Fegan's willing accomplice when the agent feels the need to toss grist into the NBA rumor mills. I assume Ford knows fully well that Fegan has no ability to make trades.

Ford's problem is that this is not a "this time of year" thing; it's general Chad Ford practice. Ford routinely references agents off the record with tags such as "a source familiar with the talks" -- which is how he referred to Fegan in the Varejao rumor write-up.

In Cleveland, the Morning News called its sources and quickly debunked the Varejao to Golden State talk as "nothing more than a rumor." The Cavaliers are apparently not as upset with Ford as the Warriors were.

Journalistically, Ford's general practice is unethical. Because he writes for ESPN, NBA teams and the daily newspapers in NBA cities are compelled to react, in large part because he doesn't let his readers know that he's spinning rumors from agents -- not sources from NBA teams. That's downright unethical.

Is Ford writing for entertainment purposes only and is that an excuse? No and no, and Ford doesn't write in an entertaining style anyway. He shows little flair for absurdity, wit, sarcasm or humor, or even the cut-the-crap ***-ishness that sometimes makes for good writing. Overall, his style is banal. There's so little there and so many other mock NBA draft outlets for fans, such as Draft Express and NBADraft.net.

What purpose does Ford's column serve ESPN other than to generate site hits with agent-flushed yellow journalism? And what does that say about ESPN?

Cleveland, we have a problem here: The Akron Beacon Journal's Patrick McManamon took an in depth look at Anderson Varejao's situation last week and revealed something I don't think any of us wildly speculative blogger types had realized -- Varejao can reject any trade up until Dec. 5. That date matters because Dec. 5 is the one-year anniversary of the Cavs matching the contract offer Fegan and Varejao negotiated with the Charlotte Bobcats last fall.

According to NBA rules, a player can reject a trade for one year after a team matches a contract offer to keep him. The Bucks Charlie Bell, for example, could have rejected the trade to the Knicks that Larry Harris had reportedly negotiated before the trading deadline last February because the Bucks last summer matched an offer sheet from Miami to keep Bell. Now Varejao, a key piece of a potential trade for Michael Redd, could be off limits to the Bucks this summer unless Bucks GM John Hammond can make Varejao (and Fegan) happy. Remember that Fegan is also Yi's agent and that on the Bucks Yi and Varejao would be sharing power forward minutes.

Still, Akron's McManamon likes a trade for Redd, calling it "logical" and writing that "it all makes sense."

McManamon does however, have more bad news for the Bucks. Guard Boobie Gibson underwent ankle surgery this offseason and could be considered off the table. If Gibson is off limits it wouldn't leave Cleveland much to deal with beyond the Wally Szczerbiak contract and the #19 pick -- not enough of a return for Michael Redd.

I'm suddenly concerned that the Bob Boozer Jinx -- the Bucks jinx at the power forward position -- is once again working its crazy mojo.

Playoff Props: FOUL ON FISHER!

J.D. Mo — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:27:00 GMT

Lakers up two, 93-91, Spurs to inbound the ball with 2 seconds left and a chance to tie or win with a three ...

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What excuse could a referee possibly have for missing that call on Derrick Fisher? It's almost as bad as some of the noncalls against Philly in the 2001 Eastern Finals against the Bucks. We know the small market blues well here in Milwaukee, and now the NBA is telling me that the defending champion San Antonio Spurs can't get an obvious call on their home court against the Lakers?

No, Barry didn't sell the call like former Buck Sam Cassell would have. Sam, as Bucks fans have seen so many times, would have flailed into the leaping defender, lost the ball and crashed all over the floor to make sure a shooting foul was called. But why should Barry have had to sell it? Fisher whacked him in the head with his elbow as they bumped. Barry was not quite in the act of shooting when Fisher jumped into him but it was still a foul! Barry, one of the best free throw shooters in the game, should have been at the line for two free throws and a chance to send the game into overtime. The game ended with the Spurs having shot no free throws in the fourth quarter.

I'm not going to go into a paranoid rap about big markets vs. small markets (although I'm tempted to post the Jim Rome rant about the officiating in the 2001 East Finals) or the league wanting to ensure that Kobe and the Lakers make the finals to increase TV ratings and profits. I don't think Kobe and the Lakers need any help from the refs to get to the Finals, and neither should you. I would appreciate it, however, if the league I love and write about found a way to stop giving ammo to people who say (and believe it when they say it) that "the NBA is just like pro wrestling."

ESPN blogger Truehoop expressed similar sentiments after the game. Hear, hear. I second those.

Celtics-Pistons series in need of desperation: Some drama wouldn't hurt either. Neither team looks concerned at all about this series, though that should change tonight in pivotal Game 5 in Boston. I didn't like the Pistons chances against the Celtics and I still don't (the prediction evidence is way down at the bottom of the "Free Ray Allen" post) -- but here it is knotted up at 2-2. I'm fully prepared to be wrong about the Pistons, though with point guard Chauncey Billups hobbled, they'll need some playoff magic to keep their backs off the wall.

The East finals has been a showdown of the conference's best in need of a story. This past weekend, the going ticket was the rivalry between former UConn players Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton. While that was a fair enough tale for a holiday weekend, it didn't hold that much interest even for the AP writer of the story, who left his theme behind in favor of Ray's revelations about his gameday shooting rituals and other idiosyncrasies -- which are, in fact, more interesting than the Rip-Ray rivalry. Ray treats the art of shooting with a religious reverence, though it's a solitary pursuit mixed more with meditative science and superstition; fascinating stuff -- and still only a matter of time before all that juju starts to work for him.

Again, the Celtics don't seem desperate for Hall of Fame shooting from Ray, though it would give them some breathing room. The Pistons and Tayshaun Prince aren't likely to let Paul Pierce go off on them the way Pierce did against the Cavs; and if the Celtics are going to lose shooting 20-foot jumpers as they did in Game 4, Ray Allen should be the player shooting them, not Kevin Garnett. ...

Sam Cassell, the clown prince of the NBA, has been back in Doc Rivers' rotation the last two games. Doc went to journeyman guard (and former Buck) Eddie House off the bench with Paul Pierce as point forward for the better part of four games. The result was a widely spread clearout offense for Pierce that worked against the Cavs but runs into a wall against Detroit's better defenders (Prince again). Good, bad or hilarious, it's good to see Sam back on the court.

NBA DRAFT - The Chad Ford Watch: ESPN draft columnist Chad Ford has gathered more information about what NBA teams are looking for in the draft and has somehow found new incoherence regarding the draft prospects of the Milwaukee Bucks. In today's installment of the Chad Ford Watch, Ford has the Bucks taking Russell Westbrook out of UCLA. Why? Because Eric Gordon will be taken by the Clippers at #7. Why will the Clippers take Gordon when they wouldn't last week? Let's go now to Chad Ford:

"The Clippers need a point guard, but it may be a little high to take D.J. Augustin or Russell Westbrook here. With Corey Maggette likely hitting free agency, the Clippers will need a big-time scorer who can shoot and get to the rim. Gordon looked like a top-three talent before a late-season slump. He looks like a bigger, better version of Ben Gordon."

So, Chad, let me get this straight. The #7 pick is too high for a team looking for a point guard to take Westbrook, but it's OK for a team NOT looking for a point guard to take Westbrook at #8. That's incoherent. Before the lottery, this writer recalls that you had no problem drafting D.J. Augustin 7th when the #7 was the Bucks probable pick, but now #7 is too high for Augustin? That's even more incoherent. Am I foolish to expect these mock drafts to make sense or that you do, in fact, have "the latest word?" Chad, you're not giving me much incentive to sign up for ESPN Insider.

Ford doesn't seem to really know what many teams will do, which he as much as admits r.e. our Bucks:

"It's tough to project the Bucks right now. New GM John Hammond is ready to make changes, but where does he start? Their biggest need is at small forward, but this is probably too high for Donte Greene or Joe Alexander. One thing Hammond wants to emphasize is defense, and Westbrook could be an excellent addition. He can play both guard positions and be a Leandro Barbosa-type scoring threat."

The Bob Boozer Jinx take: If the Bucks want Leandro Barbosa, it would make more sense for John Hammond to trade Michael Redd to Phoenix for Boris Diaw and the real Barbosa than it would to draft a could-be, shorter version of Barbosa in this draft. Hammond helps his Bucks more by scouting out which teams might want the #8 pick, or certain players in the draft, and using the pick to complete trade possibilities (Dan Gadzuric and Bobby Simmons come to mind). As far as keeping the pick, this is looking like the type of draft where the best idea might be to take the biggest player available and hope he develops (this could be construed as an argument for DeAndre Jordan if it comes to that).

Coach sees Sessions as potential playoff starter at point

J.D. Mo — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:13:00 GMT

I predicted yesterday that the Spurs would lose, this not being their year, and, of course, they won. Happens every time. I'm not the only one feeling the Spurs "same old same old" grind. Now, on to the matter at hand:

How high are the Bucks on Ramon Sessions' potential? Much higher than many NBA observers seem to think, especially those writing about the upcoming 2008 draft. The conventional wisdom around the league is that the Bucks are looking for a point guard in the draft, the current Bucks starting point guard of note being Mo Williams.

There's little or no mention in draft talk of the Bucks other point guard, Sessions, who started in place of injured Mo in the final seven games and won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honor for April. Inside the Bucks camp, however, Sessions' is a hot topic, maybe hot enough to change the Bucks draft outlook.

How good could Ramon Sessions be?

"I could see him becoming a starter on a playoff team -- that's how good he could become,” Bucks development coach and Sessions' mentor Bill Peterson told the Reno (Nevada) Gazette Journal in April. Though the story is a month old, it's worth looking at again with NBA lottery and the draft order on tap tonight.

Sessions averaged 13.1 pts., 13.1 assists, 5.6 rbs and 1.7 steals in seven starts, including a Bucks franchise record 24 assists set April 14 against Chicago at the BC. That was good enough to catch the attention of the daily newspaper in Reno, where Sessions played his college ball, and good enough for Rookie of the Month. It might even be good enough to lead to some Bob Boozer Jinx conclusions, such as:

1) The Bucks may not necessarily be looking for a point guard in the draft, but would welcome Derrick Rose finding the Bucks via some lottery luck tonight. Assuming the Bucks are looking at guards in general, moving up to the number three spot is crucial. Rose and OJ Mayo, the cream of the guards this draft, will be long gone by the 7th pick.

2) Mo Williams may no longer be the Bucks starting point guard. Put another way: If Williams is on the roster next season, refrain from assuming he's the starter. And certainly don't assume Mo will be on the roster.

In the Reno Gazette story, Peterson, the lone assistant Scott Skiles retained from last season's staff, went so far as to compare Sessions to the young Steve Nash, a Peterson development project in Dallas 1998-2000.

“If you only knew [about Nash's struggles]. Guys don’t just start out in this league and they’re lights out. I can remember nights when Nash was booed unmercifully. There were nights when they would boo him every time he touched the ball. I told Sess, ‘Look where he is now. All it takes is hard work and dedication.’ And Sess has that."

To put a rookie who's only played 17 games in context with the two-time MVP is high praise. Peterson worked with Nash in Nash's third and fourth years as a pro. Nash became a full-time starter for the Mavs in his fifth season. Peterson went on to Colorado state where he was associate head coach for seven seasons until Larry Krystkowiak brought him on staff last year as player development coach.

Peterson took Sessions under his wing when Sessions was called up February and fractured his left hand in his first practice. Together they dissected Sessions game on video while Sessions sat out four weeks with the injury. Here's more from the Reno Gazette story:

“I can’t put into words how much Coach Peterson has helped me. Whatever I need, he is there for me. We watch game film together, he helps me during practice, we work on all the little things. Coach Peterson cares about me as a player and a person.”

Skiles decision to keep Peterson is a good sign for Sessions, obviously. Assistants Kelvin Sampson and Joe Wolf also reflect the strong development bent of the new Bucks staff, and the other three coaches -- Skiles, Jim Boylan and Lionel Hollins are all former point guards. Milwaukee is suddenly a good place for a young point guard to develop. The Bucks own a one-year option on Sessions for next season.

Center Andrew Bogut has already implied whom he'd like to see playing point:

"He was a true point guard. I haven't played with a true point guard since I've been here, really. I think he did a great job of trying to find teammates first and shoot second. Hopefully, he'll keep that mentality. I think he definitely deserves everything he got."

GM John Hammonds, in the Racine Journal Times feature from ten days ago that will come to be known as "The Lazerus Interview" after a few more blogosphere resurrections, is anticipating trade interest in Sessions:

"The way he finished the season ... as we continue to work the phones (in trade talks) I guarantee you his name will come up."

Sessions' former head coach, Larry Krystkowiak, after Sessions' 24-assist game:

"I think he does a really nice job of finding the open guy. He has a knack for when to advance. I think he’s got what it takes to have an impact in the league. He certainly is taking advantage of his opportunities. He could be a future piece to the franchise.”

And now some brilliant analysis from ESPN's Chad Ford, who convinced himself that most of the teams in the lottery will want point guard Derrick Rose over Beasely in the draft because Ford thinks point guards are hot:

"Now that John Hammond has taken over as GM, he's looking for a tough leader. Mo Williams may be entrenched at the point in Milwaukee, but if Hammond gets a shot at a franchise point guard, I think he's taking it."

Williams is so entrenched at point that Ford's ESPN Lottery Mock Draft has had Texas point guard D.J. Augustin locked in at the Bucks' most likely #7 pick for weeks. New Orleans' Chris Paul is a dazzling player, but not so dazzling that NBA teams are convinced that the small point guards in the 2008 draft are CP3 caliber.

The Bucks could always sign Damon Jones again, or Mike James or T.J. Ford. Hammond could even see what Reece Gaines is up to these days. (See yesterdays rant about Larry Harris' point guard candy store).

For insight on point guards, let's refer back to the Bucks coaching staff and development guru Peterson:

“If you only knew [about Nash's struggles]. Guys don’t just start out in this league and they’re lights out. I can remember nights when Nash was booed unmercifully. There were nights when they would boo him every time he touched the ball. I told Sess, ‘Look where he is now. All it takes is hard work and dedication.’ And Sess has that."