TRIPLE THREAT CLE: NBA Draft

Showing posts with label NBA Draft. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Radio Show 6/21/17: It's Our 100th Show, Cavs Shake Up & NBA Rumors

Sunday, June 18, 2017

On TV This Week 6/18 - 6/24

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

SUNDAY 6/18

MLB
Red Sox @ Astros (ESPN, 8pm)

GOLF
2017 U.S. Open Championship, Final Round (FOX, 11am-8:30pm)
---
America's War On Drugs, PREMIERE (History, 9pm)
Botched, PREMIERE (E!, 9pm)
American Gods, FINALE (Starz, 9pm)
Second Wives Club, FINALE (E!, 10pm)

MONDAY 6/19

MLB
Indians @ Orioles (STO, 7pm)
Indians @ Orioles OR Reds @ Rays (MLB, 7pm)
Tigers @ Mariners (ESPN, 10pm)

NBA
NBA Mock Draft Special (ESPN 2, 8pm)
---
America's War On Drugs; Cocaine, Cartels & Crack Downs (History, 9pm)
Better Call Saul, FINALE (AMC, 10pm)

TUESDAY 6/20

MLB
Indians @ Orioles (STO, 7pm)
Mets @ Dodgers (ESPN, 10pm)

MMA & BOXING
Premier Boxing Champions (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)
---
The Story of China, PREMIERE (PBS, 8pm)
America's War On Drugs; Gangs, Prisons & Meth Queens (History, 9pm)
Wrecked, PREMIERE (TBS, 10pm)
Queen Sugar, PREMIERE (OWN, 10pm)

WEDNESDAY 6/21

MLB
Indians @ Orioles (STO, 7pm)
Indians @ Orioles OR Angels @ Yankees (MLB, 7pm)
Mets @ Dodgers (ESPN, 10pm)

NHL
2017 NHL Awards (NBC Sports, 8pm)
---
Little Big Shots: Forever Young, PREMIERE (NBC, 8pm)
Big Pacific, PREMIERE (PBS, 8pm)

America's War On Drugs; Heroin, Terrorists & Kings Of Pain (History, 9pm)
Great Yellowstone Thaw, PREMIERE (PBS, 9pm)

Fargo, FINALE (FX, 10pm)
Lip Sync Battle: Skylar Astin vs. Metta World Peace (Spike, 10pm)
Andy Cohen's Then & Now, FINALE (Bravo, 10pm)
Nobodies, FINALE (TV Land, 10pm)
Lopez, FINALE (TV Land, 10:30pm)

THURSDAY 6/22

MLB
Indians @ Orioles (STO, 7pm)
Cubs @ Marlins OR Indians @ Orioles (MLB, 7pm)
Mets @ Dodgers OR Tigers @ Mariners (MLB, 10pm)

NBA
2017 NBA Draft (ESPN, 7:30pm)

SOCCER
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup; Germany vs. Chile (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)

FOOTBALL
CFL: Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Montreal Alouettes (ESPNews, 7:30pm)
---
Hollywood Game Night, PREMIERE; Veep vs. The Walking Dead (NBC, 8pm)
Boy Band, PREMIERE (ABC, 8pm)
The Wall, PREMIERE (NBC, 9pm)
The Night Shift, PREMIERE (NBC, 10pm)
The Gong Show, PREMIERE (ABC, 10pm)
The Mist, PREMIERE (Spike, 10pm)
Mysteries Of The Outdoors, PREMIERE (Travel, 10pm & 10:30pm)

FRIDAY 6/23

MLB
Twins @ Indians (STO, 7pm)
Angeles @ Red Sox OR Rangers @ Yankees (MLB, 7pm)

NHL
2017 NHL Draft (NBC Sports, 7pm)

FOOTBALL
CFL: Calgary Stampeders @ Ottawa Redblacks (ESPNews, 7:30pm)

WNBA
Washington Mystics @ Minnesota Lynx (ESPN 2, 8pm)
---
The Originals, FINALE (The CW, 8pm)
What Would You Do?, PREMIERE (ABC, 9pm)
Catastrophe, PREMIERE (Lifetime, 10pm)

SATURDAY 6/24

MLB
Rangers @ Yankees (MLB, 1pm)
Twins @ Indians (STO, 4pm)
Brewers @ Braves (FOX Sports 1, 4pm)
Angels @ Red Sox (FOX, 7pm)
Rockies @ Dodgers OR Astros @ Mariners (MLB, 10pm)

NHL
2017 NHL Draft, Rounds 2-7 (NHL, 4pm)

SOCCER
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup: Mexico vs. Russia (FOX, 11am)
MLS: New York City FC @ New York Red Bulls (FOX, 1:30pm)

RACING
XFINITY Series: American Ethanol E15 250 (FOX Sports 1, 8:30pm)

GOLF
Travelers Championship, Third Round (CBS, 3pm)

MMA & BOXING
Bellator MMA Live; Bellator 180 (Spike, 8pm)

FOOTBALL
CFL: Edmonton Eskimos @ BC Lions (ESPN 2, 10pm)

OTHER SPORTS
Sailing: America's Cup (NBC, 1pm)
Dew Tour: Long Beach (NBC, 2:30pm)
Track and Field: U.S. Outdoor Championships (NBC, 4pm)
2017 Nitro World Games (NBC, 8pm)
---
2017 BETX Live Special (BET, 6pm)
MOVIE: The Birth Of A Nation (HBO, 8pm)

Friday, May 19, 2017

Radio Show 5/17/17: Cavs/Celtics, NBA Draft Lottery, Rompers & More

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Possession Arrow: Ten NBA Lottery Prospects To Watch

By Pat Tregoning, @PatNShaker

Welcome back to another edition of the Possession Arrow! In this edition, we will breakdown 10 of the top names to watch for the upcoming NBA Lottery. We will give a preview on each prospect and also a player comparison for each lottery prospect. You should expect to hear these names called by Commissioner Silver this upcoming July.

Josh Jackson, G/F, Kansas, Freshman

Josh Jackson is a versatile small forward that has incredible potential for NBA success. He is light on his feet and brings great energy and overall competitiveness to the table. He has great court vision which allows himself to be a threat on the move whether it is to score or be a distributor. Great ball-handling skills which allows him to create a play off the dribble with ease. He needs to work on improving his jump shot and adding more offensive consistency to his game. Older for his class. He will turn 20 this February.

Comparison: Tracy McGrady, Andrew Wiggins

Dennis Smith, PG, North Carolina State, Freshman

Dennis Smith is a point guard with good size (6’2”) and great potential intangibles for the PG position. With an explosive first step, he attacks the rim with aggression and finishes well. Smith sees the floor well and is a very unselfish player, passing the ball with ease. He handles the ball well and gets where we needs to go off the dribble. Good defensive player for his position that shows flashes of strong perimeter defense. He can improve his offensive consistency both with the ball (shot 22.5 percent from three in the Adidas Gauntlet tournament) and off the ball offensively. He sat out his senior season of High School after tearing his ACL, raising questions and concerns about whether or not he is ‘injury prone’.

Comparison: Eric Bledsoe, Steve Francis

Markelle Fultz, G, Washington, Freshman

Fultz might be the one prospect to watch that barely anyone is talking about (unless you are on the Washington campus). At 6’5”, he is a guard that has strong athleticism. He changes direction really well with a quick first step. Fultz attacks gaps in the defense and takes it strong to the hole. Finishes well through contact. Fultz is a strong slasher that gets where he wants off the dribble well. He can be successful with scoring for himself as well as making plays for others. Good jumpshot from three but he also has a strong offensive game in transition. He can also get to the free throw line with little trouble. A true “stat sheet stuffer”. Above average rebounding skills for his position. He shows great potential with his size, length, and quickness. A true competitor. Jump shot has improved since HS but has shown signs of being a streaky shooter. Doesn’t score much from midrange jumpers, usually all three pointers or getting all the way to the rim. He has room to become more consistent on the offensive side of the ball. He could look to become stronger in his legs.

Comparison: Floor? Jordan Clarkson, Ceiling? Russell Westbrook

Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA, Freshman

Lonzo is tall for his position at 6’6 but possesses great overall size and length for a point guard. He has strong court vision, passing, and playmaking ability. Makes one handed passes with either hand. He has shown quick decision making skills on the court, putting the ball where it needs to go. He can pin point where outlet passes need to go when trying to start the fast break. Lonzo is a great ball handler and floor general with high basketball IQ and ideal point guard traits. Brings out the best in his teammates. Can play alongside great teammates at the next level, isn’t hindered by others taking the shots. Plays very even-keeled and nonchalant and doesn’t ever show signs of getting rattled. Can play off the ball as well. Great rebounder on both ends for a guard. Stat sheet stuffer. His shooting motion will need work at the next level, while he makes shots from deep, it is a very unorthodox style. He could also afford the ability to improve his strength, he lacks the explosion at times to make the necessary plays.

Comparison: Jason Kidd

Frank Ntilikina, G, France

Frank is the ideal “pass first” point guard. With good size for his position, Frank has shown very good athleticism and quickness. He is very mature for his young age, holding a strong basketball IQ. While he has a thin frame to some scouts, his body structure also suggests he has the room to add weight and muscle tone to become stronger. He is an excellent passer with above average court vision. He can pass while in motion as well as when he penetrates the defense. He controls the game very well. He excels in running the break and playing in the open court. He can run the P&R as the ball-handler really well because he shows the patience in making the correct pass. He can create his own scoring opportunity off the dribble, showing a good mid range game. On defense, his lateral quickness helps him stay in front of his man while his length and overall athleticism helps create steals. Adding strength and muscle tone is vitally important for his long term success in the NBA. He needs to become more vocal and learn when he has to take over a game. He must add some aggressiveness to his game. He isn’t NBA ready right now, but he has the upside to be a very good player.

Comparison: Dante Exum

De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky, Freshman

De’Aaron has good size and length for the position with explosive athleticism. He can change speeds very well and knows when to turn on the afterburners. He is a great lead guard when playing in transition. He likes to push the ball up the floor and can be tough to defend on the break. He has great overall quickness and great reaction time. Shows a strong court vision and above average passing abilities. Good ball-handling skills. Has the ability to avoid traps and break a press by himself. De’Aaron plays with a lot of creativity and craftiness who can get where he wants off the dribble. He has strong footwork in traffic who can score from multiple spots on the floor. Good midrange game where we can be tough to stop offensively. He rebounds well for a guard. At times can be a top notch defender especially on the ball. Great defensive tools for his age. He can be a streaky shooter at times who needs to develop more of a consistent offensive game. He is very light, listed around 175-180 pounds so muscle and strength in his upper and lower body are essential. He tends to try and do too much at times which can lead to a high number of turnovers. Decision making on the court could afford to be improved. Has the tools to be a great point guard at the next level.

Comparison: Brandon Knight

Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky, Freshman

Monk is a prospect with huge hops and high athleticism. He's exceptionally quick with an explosive first step. He plays strong above the rim already and shows signs of getting stronger in his game above the rim. He has a good shooting motion and has shown great improvement from outside offensively. He has the tools to be a strong NBA level scorer. Malik does a great job of getting into the lane and pushing the ball up the floor in transition. He is a skilled passer with strong ball handling skills. He is a player that can come through in clutch moments for his teams. He lives for those moments. He plays with great confidence. He needs to learn to be a better coach on the floor. He has shown at times that he can force his shot instead of making the simple pass. He needs to work on playing with better discipline. He can afford to improve his overall strength and consistency in his game. He has the chance to be a great player at the next level.

Comparison: Bradley Beal, Zach Lavine

Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, Florida State, Freshman

Jonathan is a versatile forward listed at 6’10”. He has great size and length to play the perimeter. Good athleticism with great coordination. He can run the floor like a guard with great mobility. He has good ball handling ability for his size while showing flashes of being able to create off of the dribble. He has a smooth shooting stroke. He is good from midrange and can extend to the three point line. He is a good shooter off the catch as well as off the dribble. He can score a multitude of different ways as well. Issac has good defensive ability and versatility with good lateral quickness that keeps him in front of his own man. He has great hustle when going after loose balls and rebounds as well. He was a very late bloomer that is still learning the game but he has also shown good NBA potential.

Comparison: Rashard Lewis

Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke, Freshman

Jayson is a very versatile, strong and athletic wing who has great potential to be successful at the next level. He does a great job of scoring from all three levels with an especially good mid range game as well. He can get his shot against any defender offensively. Tatum possesses good ball handling skills which when combined with his athletic versatility, allows him to get past defenders and score at the hole or give himself space to hit his strong step-back, midrange jumper. He should be a nightmare to defend offensively at the next level. He also has good playmaking skills. He will be a tough matchup on the defensive side at the ball. Thanks to Tatum’s athletic versatility, he has the ability to guard multiple positions on the floor. I don’t project him as much of a rim protector at the NBA level right now, but he can improve on that as time goes on. He can also improve his overall strength as right now he probably will struggle with being able to both overpower and overmatch defenders at the next level too. He has the tools to be a successful forward in the NBA.

Comparison: Danny Granger

Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona, Freshman

Lauri is a big man that is well coordinated and very mobile for his size. (7 footer). At 7 feet tall, Markkanen can handle the ball, hit shots on the move, and he looks like a natural on the court. He's versatile in that he has the skill set of a small forward but he also has the right amount of power and strength to guard at the rim. He can change ends very effortlessly, thanks to his speed and mobility for his size. Markkanen has great form on his jumper and hits a high percentage from 3 and from the free throw line. I think he has really good potential to be a good three point shooter in the NBA, especially for his size.
He fights for all of his rebounds and does an especially good job at crashing the offensive glass. He also plays with good awareness and aggression. Defensively, Markkanen is a decent shot blocker thanks to his good strength and reaction as a defender. He has a high basketball I.Q. which helps him defend multiple positions. He can look a bit heavy-footed at times. He is definitely still developing as a post defender on the defensive side of the ball. He is still developing his ball handling and passing abilities on the offensive side of the ball as well.  

Comparison: Nikola Mirotic

Friday, June 24, 2016

The Raven Report 6.24.16: The NBA Draft & Old Faces In New Places

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Times.... they are changing.

Teams are retooling and rebuilding. Players are sharpening their skills. GM's are starting to reshape their teams and in turn, reshape the league. And of course...

THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE NBA WORLD CHAMPIONS!

But what happens when a new champion is crowned? The twenty-nine other teams try to get better to attempt to compete with, and dethrone the king of the league. It all began Wednesday with two of the biggest markets in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

The Bulls traded star point guard Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 2nd-rounder to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. Rose, 27, should be able to offer a boost to the 'always' struggling Knicks backcourt, while also providing some offensive punch to help support the Knicks star forward, Carmelo Anthony. After not playing at all in the 2012-13 season, Rose played in only 10 games in 2013-14, but he bounced back in 2014-15 playing 51 games and 66 games in 2015-16.

Another good thing for the Knicks, they reduced salary in dumping Lopez ($13.2M), Jose Calderon ($7.7M) and Jerian Grant ($1.6M) to pick up Rose's contract for 2016-17 at $21.3M.

The good thing? Rose will be a free agent at the end of this upcoming season. So if things do not fit well, the Knicks will not be handcuffed and can once again make a play for a major piece to build around Carmelo Anthony.

In a smaller deal that also went down Wednesday afternoon, the Atlanta Hawks finally parted ways with point guard Jeff Teague, sending him to the Indiana Pacers in a three-way trade. Like Rose, Teague will also be a free agent in 2017, but this season in Indiana could help himself and star Pacers forward Paul George get better and create a solid team-up for the Pacers.

As part of the three-way deal, the Pacers sent guard George Hill to the Utah Jazz, while the Jazz sent the 12th overall pick of the 2016 draft to Atlanta.

And that brings us to Draft Night, where things got CRAZY!

First things first, the draft. As most know, LSU forward Ben Simmons and Duke guard/forward Brandon Ingram went to the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers at 1 and 2, respectively. After that, the Boston Celtics were on the clock for the first of what turned out to be their EIGHT draft picks, selecting small forward Jaylen Brown from California.

Earlier Thursday, it was rumored that the Celtics were very actively trying to shop the 3rd pick to many teams to attempt to bring in a veteran scorer to pair with point guard Isaiah Thomas. By the end of the night, the Celtics didn't pull off any miracle deals, or blockbuster trades. While they did draft some quality talent in Brown, Providence forward Ben Bentil among others, the majority of Celtic fans came away unhappy with GM Danny Ainge's haul for the night, considering all of the assets the team had at its disposal.

Where the Celtics failed to make a splash, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic did not. Just when you thought the core of the Thunder would return to take another shot at advancing to the NBA Finals, OKC GM Sam Presti had different ideas.

The Thunder traded 6 year veteran forward Serge Ibaka to Orlando for guard Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis, who was selected 11th overall. Ibaka, 26, averaged 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds last season for the Thunder, and should be able to create a much needed inside presence for the Magic once new Magic coach Frank Vogel gets him in practice. As for the Thunder and Oladipo, this is an obvious upgrade over last season's starting shooting guards, namely Dion Waiters and Andre Roberson, as the OKC shooting guards averaged 6 points and 0.8 assists per game, compared to Oladipo's 16 points and 3.9 assists in 33 minutes of play. This deal should see the end of Waiters time in OKC, as he is a free agent, and could entice superstar forward Kevin Durant to stick around for one more season, if not longer.

Or Durant could disagree with ridding the team of Ibaka who showed his value in the Western Conference Finals with his defending all areas of the court and outside shooting. We shall see when free agency begins next week.

Ibaka will be an unrestricted free agent in 2017. It's said that the Toronto Raptors were also interested in Ibaka.

In other draft night deals, the Brooklyn Nets traded Thaddeus Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick, which turned out to be Michigan guard Caris Levert. Young re-signed with the Nets last season on a four year, $50M deal. The Pacers now project to have a starting five of Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Myles Turner and Young.

Not to be excluded from the draft night fun, the WORLD CHAMPION Cleveland Cavaliers (still feels great to say) made an acquisition. Entering the night without a draft pick, the Cavs bought the 54th overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks for $2.4M, selecting Oakland University point guard Kay Felder. Felder, 5'9", 177 lbs., led all of college basketball with 9.3 assists per game and was fourth in scoring with 24.4 points. That made Felder the only player in the past season to be in the top 5 of both points and assists. The 21 year old Felder was also 2016 Horizon League Player of the Year and was All-Horizon League First Team the past two seasons. Despite being just 5'9", Felder had the second highest max vertical at the NBA Draft Combine with 44 inches. Cavaliers scout and LeBron James friend, Brandon Weems, was an assistant coach at Oakland for two seasons, where he worked with Felder. Personally, I think Felder could make the team if backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova decides to go elsewhere in free agency. He's a good defender who plays well in the pick-and-roll, and has a good jump shot.

In case you'd like to see Kay Felder in action, look below:

ICYMI: Here's a look at Kay Felder's 'Best Dunk Compilation' from this past season #NBACombine #Bounce #OUrstory pic.twitter.com/UKN2vjej3Q
— Drew Dennison (@drue_denni) May 13, 2016

There were other deals like the Hornets acquiring Marco Belinelli from the Sacramento Kings for the draft rights to Syracuse shooting guard Malachi Richardson.

The Kings weren't done though. They sent Washington's Marquese Chriss, whom they selected with the 8th pick, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the 13th overall (Greek center Georgics Papagiannis) and 28th overall (Kentucky center Skal Labissiere), a second-round pick in 2020 and the draft rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Labissiere joins star big man DeMarcus Cousins and second year center Willie Cauley-Stein on Sacramento's roster who also went to the University of Kentucky. Labissiere was a potential top 10 pick, but fell due to his 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman for the Wildcats.

In other deals:

- The draft rights to Cheick Diallo was acquired by the New Orleans Pelicans from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to David Michineau and the draft rights to Diamond Stone.
- The draft rights to Daniel Hamilton was acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for cash.
- The draft rights to Isaiah Whitehead was acquired by the Brooklyn Nets from the Utah Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Marcus Paige and cash.

Here are the full draft results for Thursday's 2016 NBA Draft:

Round 1

1) Philadelphia: Ben Simmons, F (LSU)
2) LA Lakers: Brandon Ingram, F (Duke)
3) Boston: Jaylen Brown, F (California)
4) Phoenix: Dragan Bender, F (Croatia)
5) Minnesota: Kris Dunn, PG (Providence)
6) New Orleans: Buddy Hield, SG (Oklahoma)
7) Denver: Jamal Murray, G (Kentucky)
8) Phoenix: Marquese Chriss, F (Washington)
9) Toronto: Jakob Poeltl, C (Utah)
10) Milwaukee: Thon Maker, PF (Canada)
11) Oklahoma City: Domantas Sabonis, C (Gonzaga)
12) Atlanta: Taurean Prince, SF (Baylor)
13) Sacramento: Georgios Papagiannis, C (Greece)

14) Chicago: Denzel Valentine, SG (Michigan State)
15) Denver: Juan Hernangomez, F (Spain)
16) Boston: Guerschon Yabusele, PF (France)
17) Memphis: Wade Baldwin, G (Vanderbilt)
18) Detroit: Henry Ellenson, PF (Marquette)
19) Denver: Malik Beasley, SG (Florida State)
20) Brooklyn: Caris LeVert, G (Michigan)
21) Atlanta: DeAndre Bembry, F (St. Joseph's)
22) Sacramento: Malachi Richardson, SG (Syracuse)
23) Boston: Ante Zizic, C (Croatia)
24) Philadelphia: Timothé Luwawu, SG (France)
25) LA Clippers: Brice Johnson, F (North Carolina)
26) Philadelphia: Furkan Korkmaz, F (Turkey)
27) Toronto: Pascal Siakam, PF (New Mexico State)
28) Sacramento: Skal Labissiere, PF (Kentucky)
29) San Antonio: Dejounte Murray, PG (Washington)
30) Golden State: Damian Jones, C (Vanderbilt)

Round 2

31) Memphis: Deyonta Davis, C (Michigan State)
32) LA Lakers: Ivica Zubac, C (Croatia)
33) New Orleans: Cheick Diallo, PF (Kansas)
34) Phoenix: Tyler Ulis, PG (Kentucky)
35) Memphis: Rade Zagorac, (Serbia)
36) Milwaukee: Malcolm Brogdon, SG (Virginia)
37) Houston: Chinanu Onuaku, C (Louisville)
38) Golden State: Patrick McCaw, SG (UNLV)
39) LA Clippers: David Michineau, PG (France)
40) LA Clippers: Diamond Stone, C (Maryland)
41) Orlando: Stephen Zimmerman, PF (UNLV)
42) Brooklyn: Isaiah Whitehead, SG (Seton Hall)
43) Houston: Zhou Qi, C (China)
44) Atlanta: Isaia Cordinier, SG (France)
45) Boston: Demetrius Jackson, PG (Notre Dame)
46) Dallas: A.J. Hammons, C (Purdue)
47) Portland: Jake Layman, SF (Maryland)
48) Chicago: Paul Zipser, SF (Germany)
49) Detroit: Michael Gbinije, SF (Syracuse)

50) Indiana: Georges Niang, PF (Iowa State)
51) Boston: Ben Bentil, PF (Providence)
52) Utah: Joel Bolomboy, PF (Weber State)
53) Denver: Petr Cornelie, PF (France)
54) Atlanta: Kay Felder, PG (Oakland)
55) Utah: Marcus Paige, PG (North Carolina)
56) Denver: Daniel Hamilton, SF (Connecticut)
57) Memphis: Wang Shelin, C (China)
58) Boston: Abdel Nader, PF (Iowa State)
59) Sacramento: Isaiah Cousins, SG (Oklahoma)
60) Utah: Tyrone Wallace, PG (California)

Lastly, check us out every Wednesday night, 7pm EST, on NoStaticRadio.com or the Tune-In Radio app on your mobile devices.

Simply search "No Static Radio" or "Triple Threat CLE"

Radio Show 6.22.16: On #Cavs, #LeBron, #Kyrie & #StephCurry, #NBADraft & More

Thursday, June 23, 2016

TV Tonight 6.23

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

NBA
2016 NBA Draft (ESPN, 7:30pm)

MLB
Cubs @ Marlins OR Mets @ Braves (MLB, 7pm)

OTHER SPORTS
U.S. Olympic Trials; Diving Synchro Semifinals (NBC Sports, 7pm)
CFL Football: Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts (ESPNews, 7:30pm)
College World Series, Game 10: Coastal Carolina vs. Texas Tech (ESPN 2, 8pm)
U.S. Olympic Trials; Men Gymnastics (NBC Sports, 8:30pm)

=====

BET Awards Throwback Edition: BET Awards 2015 (BET, 8pm)
WWE SmackDown (USA, 8pm)
Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge (NBC, 8pm)
Battlebots (ABC, 8pm)
Bones (FOX, 8pm)

Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge (NBC, 9pm)
Home Free (FOX, 9pm)
Beauty And The Beast (The CW, 9pm)
The Dude Perfect Show (CMT, 9pm)

Aquarius (NBC, 10pm)
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC, 10pm)
Queen Of The South PREMIERE (USA, 10pm)
Lip Sync Battle: Chris D'Elia vs. Brent Morin, SEASON FINALE (Spike, 10pm)
Ridiculousness (MTV, 10pm & 10:30pm)
Ladylike (MTV, 11pm)

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

TV Tonight 6.22

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Rays @ Indians (STO, 7pm)
White Sox @ Red Sox OR Giants @ Pirates (MLB, 7pm)
Nationals @ Dodgers (ESPN, 10pm)

NBA
2016 NBA Draft Preview (ESPN 2, 7pm)
NBA TV's Mock Draft 2016 (NBA TV, 9pm)

NHL
2016 NHL Awards (NBC Sports, 7pm)

SOCCER
2016 Copa America Centenario, Second Semifinal: Colombia vs. Chile (FOX Sports 1, 8pm)

OTHER SPORTS
College World Series, Game 9: Arizona vs. UC Santa Barbara (ESPN, 7pm)
U.S. Olympic Trials; Diving Synchro Semifinals (NBC Sports, 9pm)

MMA & BOXING
The Ultimate Fighter (FOX Sports 1, 10:30pm)

NFL
The Top 100 Players of 2016, 30-21 (NFL Network, 8pm)

====

American Ninja Warrior (NBC, 8pm)
MasterChef (FOX, 8pm)
Big Brother PREMIERE (CBS, 8pm)
Lucha Underground (El Rey, 8pm)

Wayward Pines (FOX, 9pm)
Maron (IFC, 9pm)

Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons (HBO, 10pm)
The Challenge: Rivals III (MTV, 10pm)
Royal Pains (USA, 10pm)
The Night Shift (NBC, 10pm)
American Gothic PREMIERE (CBS, 10pm)
Another Period (Comedy Central, 10pm)

Thursday, June 25, 2015

TV Tonight 6.25

By @nevaRWilliams

NBA
2015 NBA Draft (ESPN, 7pm)
2015 NBA Draft (ESPN, 7:30pm)

MLB
Yankees @ Astros OR Reds @ Pirates (MLB Network, 8pm)

OTHER SPORTS
Minor League Baseball: Toledo Mud Hens @ Durham Bulls (CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
CFL Football: Ottawa RedBlacks @ Montreal Alouettes (ESPN 2, 7:30pm)

=====

The Astronaut Wives Club (ABC, 8pm)
BOOM! (FOX, 8pm)
Big Brother (CBS, 8pm)
Beauty And The Beast (The CW, 8pm)
WWE SmackDown (SyFy, 8pm)
Party Down South (CMT, 8pm)

The Seventies (CNN, 9pm)
Aquarius (NBC, 9pm)
Mistresses (ABC, 9pm)
Wayward Pines (FOX, 9pm)
Under The Dome (CBS, 9pm)
Complications (USA, 9pm)
Party Down South (CMT, 9pm)

Hannibal (NBC, 10pm)
Rookie Blue (ABC, 10pm)
Graceland (USA, 10pm)
Ridiculousness (MTV, 10pm)
Party Down South (CMT, 10pm)
The Comedians (FX, 10pm)
The Comedians (FX, 10:30pm)

Olympus (SyFy, 11pm)

Friday, June 27, 2014

The Raven Report, 6.27.14: NBA Draft Review

"And with the first pick…"

The Cleveland Cavaliers made history last night, selecting Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins with the first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. In Wiggins freshman season at Kansas, he set a freshman-record scoring 17.1 points per game. The pick was met with all around excitement in the city of Cleveland. While "some" fans may have preferred to draft Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid, Wiggins appears to be the better fit for Cavs GM David Griffin and new head coach David Blatt.

In Round 2, the Cavs selected 6'6" shooting guard Joe Harris from Virginia. Harris,22, averaged 12 points per game in his senior season while shooting 40% from 3-point range. Later, the Cavs made a trade with the newly renamed Charlotte Hornets for the 45th overall pick Dwight Powell of Stanford, and the contract of Brendan Haywood. While not official yet, it is said that the Cavs will be sending Alonzo Gee to Charlotte in return. Wiggins and Harris to go along with Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and the upcoming free agency period can make the Cavs and VERY good team in the 2014-2015 Eastern Conference.

Other notable picks seen Duke forward Jabari Parker going 2nd to Milwaukee, Joel Embiid taken 3rd by Philadelphia, Arizona power forward Aaron Gordon to Orlando at 4, Australian point guard Dante Exum to Utah at 5, Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart to Boston 6th, Kentucky forward Julius Randle to the Lakers at 7 and Creighton small forward Doug McDermott taken by Denver at 11, then traded along with Anthony Randolph to Chicago.

On a side note, the classiest, most emotional moment of the NBA Draft was Commissioner Adam Silver coming out to honorarily select Baylor center Isaiah Austin. Austin was said to be one of the top centers in the draft, but will not be able to play basketball again due to having a genetic disorder called Marfan Syndrome, which was just found days ago. Marfan Syndrome is a disorder of connective tissue that affects the skeletal system, cardiovascular system, eyes, and skin. Great job by Adam Silver and the NBA to give this kid his spotlight moment.

The U.S. Men's National Team will continue on in the World Cup! They lost to Germany 1-0 in awful, soggy conditions Thursday. But with the blessings of the points system and Portugal's defeat of Ghana, the team will advance on to play Belgium Tuesday afternoon.

The Indians will open up their weekend series late tonight on the West Coast, against the Seattle Mariners. Trevor Bauer will get the start Friday night versus the M's Chris Young. Start time is at 10 PM.

Lastly, opening in theaters this weekend is Transformers: Age of Extinction. A great way to close out the month of June with a BIG Summer blockbuster action movie.

Monday, June 23, 2014

2014 NBA Draft Preview: Eastern Conference

All credit goes to guest writer, Nick Schwalbach. Follow him at @Lookin4Strage and visit his site Brew City Breakdown for more.

Cleveland Cavaliers (33-49)- SG, SF, C (1, 33)
After a disappointing year in which PG Kyrie Irving seemingly failed to get any better, 2013 #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett ate his way into the D-League, and C Andrew Bynum played like, well, Andrew Bynum, the Cavaliers somehow beat the odds once again and landed the #1 overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Cavs will likely choose between 1 of 3 players: Kansas C Joel Embiid, Kansas SF Andrew Wiggins, and Duke SF Jabari Parker. You could argue any of the 3 players without receiving too much flack from anyone, but ultimately I think if Embiid's back clears Cavs medical testing, he will be the pick. Well, that is unless Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert gets in the way of new Cavs GM David Griffin doing his job. Gilbert will pound the table for Parker because he is the most NBA ready of the 3. With their 2nd rd pick, #33 overall, I'd look for the Cavs too add a 3 and D wing like Michigan SF Glenn Robinson III or Oklahoma St SG Markel Brown.

Milwaukee Bucks (15-67) SG, PF, C (2, 31, 36, 48) 
Coming into the 2013-14 season, many had pegged the Bucks for yet another year of mediocrity and one of the final playoff spots in the East. That was hardly the case as the Bucks finished with the leagues worst record and now find themselves with the #2 pick in the draft. The Bucks have some nice young pieces to build around, most notably SF Giannis Antetokounmpo, combo G Brandon Knight, and C Larry Sanders. Assuming that Kansas C Joel Embiid goes #1 to the Cavs, the Bucks will likely decide between Duke SF Jabari Parker and Kansas SF Andrew Wiggins. Either player will be an instant upgrade on the wing, with Parker being the more NBA ready of the 2. In the 2nd round look for the Bucks to add depth to their front court and International players that they can stash in Europe for a few years.

Philadelphia 76ers (19-63)- SG, SF (3, 10, 32, 39, 52, 54) 
The 76ers had no qualms about tanking in the 2013-14 season, even tying the NBA record with 27 consecutive losses. That is not to say that there isn't any reason for optimism in Philly. 2013 1st rd pick PG Michael Carter-Williams was voted the rookie of the year after a season in which he averaged 17 pts 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Fellow 2013 1st rdr C Nerlens Noel was hurt all year but figures to be a dominant defensive big man for years too come. The Sixers have a dearth of picks in this draft, including 2 in the top 10. I have a hunch that at pick #3, the Sixers have very little interest in Duke SF Jabari Parker. If Embiid goes to #1 to the Cavs, I expect the Sixers to offer the Bucks picks #3 and #10 for the 2nd overall pick to draft Kansas SF Andrew Wiggins. If the Sixers can't get a deal done with the Bucks, I could see the Sixers drafting Dante Exum and proceeding to trade MCW. As far as the 2nd round is concerned, I expect the Sixers to draft high upside and international players that they can stash in both the NBDL and Europe respectively.

Orlando Magic (23-59)- PG, PF (4, 12) 
For the 2nd consecutive season, the Magic failed to win 25 games and find themselves with a top 5 pick once again. The Magic have some nice young pieces to build around including C Nikola Vucevic, SG Aaron Afflalo, SF/PF Tobias Harris, and 2013 #2 overall pick SG Victor Oladipo, who finished 2nd in the Rookie of The Year voting. Coming into the 2014 draft, the Magic have 2 1st rd picks, #4 and #12. With the 4th overall pick, I fully expect the Magic to be choose a PG, particularly either Int'l Combo PG Dante Exum or Oklahoma St PG Marcus Smart. Exum is widely regarded as the better prospect, but it is important to remember that the Magic would likely have take Smart with the 2nd overall pick in the 2013 draft had he kept his name in it. With the 12th overall pick, I see the Magic targeting a young wing player who can replace Afflalo once his contract expires next season. Names to watch at #12 would be Kentucky Wing James Young and Duke Wing Rodney Hood.

Boston Celtics (25-57)- SG, PF, C (6, 17)
The Celtics had one of there worst seasons in recent memory in 2013-14, winning fewer than 30 games for only the 2nd times in the last 15 yrs. Further problems lay ahead for the Celtics including bad the bad contracts of SF's Gerald Wallace and Jeff Green, and PF Brandon Bass combining for roughly $27 million next season and $20 million the season after that. Despite these problems, their are plenty of reasons to be optimistic moving forward if you are a Celtics fan. First off is Minnesota Twolve's PF Kevin Love's apparent interest in playing in Boston. Packaging their 2 first round picks this year with future picks, SF Gerald Wallace, and PF Jared Sullinger would likely be enough to get a trade done to land the superstar PF. Combine him with Rajon Rondo and you have the makings of a solid young team in Boston. If the Celtics were unable to make a deal for Love, I would look for the Celtics to draft one of the 2 young/mature PF's who would likely be available at #6 overall: Kentucky PF Julius Randle or Arizona PF Aaron Gordon. Rumors have been floating around that Celtics GM Danny Ainge prefers the uber athletic Gordon. With their 2nd pick in the 1st rd, #17 overall, I would look for the Celtics to upgrade their wing scoring, particularly at the 2 guard. The Celtics would like it if one of Michigan SG Nik Stauskas or Michigan St SG Gary Harris would slip to them, but they would likely settle for a SF like Kentucky's James Young or Duke's Rodney Hood.

Atlanta Hawks (38-44)- SG, SF (15, 43)
Despite losing their best player, C Al Horford, to a season ending injury just 29 games into the season, the Hawks were able to hold off the Knicks and land the 8th seed in the East. The Hawks were able to parlay career yr's from players like PG Jeff Teague, SF Demare Carroll, and newly acquired PF Paul Millsap into a 6 gm series loss to eventual Eastern Conference finalist Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately for the Hawks, because they made the playoffs their 2014 draft position suffered, settling for the #15 and #43 picks in the 1st and 2nd rds respectively. With the 15th overall pick, I'd look for the Hawks to address their #1 area of weakness: Wing legnth and Scoring. Look for them to target players like Kentucky's SF James Young, Duke's SF Rodney Hood, or draft wildcard UCLA's SF Kyle Anderson. With their 2nd rd pick, I'd look for the Hawks to add size and length to their frontcourt (particularly at the 4). A player like Stanford PF Dwight Powell or Tennessee PF Jarnell Stokes would be ideal fits in Atlanta.  

Chicago Bulls (48-34)- PG, SF, C (16, 19, 49) 
Another season brought yet another knee injury to former MVP PG Derrick Rose, but Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau worked another miracle to get the Bulls back into the playoffs once again. The Bulls front office may decide to draft a PG with one of their 2 1st round selections to hedge their bets against yet another Rose injury. If this is the case look for Bulls to take a hard look at Syracuse PG Tyer Ennis or UL-Lafayette PG Elfrid Payton at #16. At pick #19 the Bulls could look to address weakness on their roster, the ability to score the basketball. A player like Duke SF Rodney Hood or NC State SF TJ Warren would help solve that problem.

Toronto Raptors (48-34)- PG, PF (20, 37, 59) 
Most pundits had the Raptors winning 38-40 games and fighting for the one of the final playoff spots in the East. But career yrs from PG Kyle Lowry and SG Demar Derozan pushed the Raptors forward to 48 wins and the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Raptors would ultimately fall in 7 games to the Nets in the 1st rd of the playoffs. Despite all of this, the Raptors have a roster that's in flux this offseason. Superstar Kyle Lowry, PG Greivis Vasquez, and PF Amir Johnson are free agents that may be hard to retain. (particularly lowry). That being said, with their 1st Rd pick, #20 overall, I would look for the Raptors to draft a PG like Syracuse's Tyler Ennis or UL-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton to hedge their bets against Lowry leaving in Free Agency. With their 2 picks in the 2nd Rd, I would look for the Raptors to draft a defensive minded PF like UNLV's Khem Birch and a backup C like Int'l big man, 7'3" 260 lbs, Walter Tavares. Both players would add size and length to a Raptors roster that currently lacks it.

Detroit Pistons (29-53) SF, Stretch PF, 3 Pt Shooting
The Pistons took a big risk by signing SF/PF Josh Smith to a 4 yr $52 million last offseason, but that move backfired as he was a poor fit with the young Detroit front line of PF Greg Monroe and C Andre Drummond. Heading into the 2014 draft, the Pistons may be best off trading Monroe for a high draft pick that they can turn into a Stretch PF that would compliment the interior play of both Smith and Drummond. The backcourt of the future seems to be set with both PG Brandon Jennings and 2013 #8 overall pick SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. As it stands the Pistons only have a 2nd Rd pick, #38 overall, with which I would look for the Pistons to draft a SF or PF who can shoot the 3 ball and stretch the floor for both Smith and Drummond.

New York Knicks (37-45)- PG, PF (N/A) After a year in which the Knicks failed to come close to their preseason expectations, the Knicks are in rough shape this offseason. The Knicks lack any sort of cap flexibility to make any additions to upgrade the teams roster. Furthermore the Knicks do not have any picks in this year's draft and have no valuable/affordable trade pieces to acquire picks to add to a lacksluster and aging roster. Unless they are willing to trade a future 1st rd pick for a late first rd or early 2nd rd pick, the Knicks will be quiet on draft night.

Brooklyn Nets (44-38)- SF, Youth (N/A) 
Last years trade to acquire Paul Piece, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry from the Celtics has stripped the Nets of their picks in this year’s draft. With no valuable/affordable trade pieces at their disposal, the Nets will not be making any picks in this year’s draft.

Washington Wizards (44-38)- PF, Post Defense (46)
The Wizards had a breakthrough season in 2013-14, winning 44 games en route to a 5 seed in the playoffs. They would win their opening round series against the Bulls, but fall to the Pacers in the 2nd round. The backcourt of PG John Wall and SG Bradley Beal proved to be one of the best young backcourts in the league and should have Wizard fans excited for the future. The jury is still out on the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 draft, SF Otto Porter, who hardly looked like an NBA player in the few minutes he played last season. The Wizards only have their 2nd rd pick (#46 overall) this year, after trading their 1st rd pick to the Suns in the deal that brought Marcin Gortat to Washington. Look for the Wizards to address their lack of front depth, particularly a defensive big man.

Indiana Pacers (56-26)- PG, Wing (57)
It was an odd year for the Indiana Pacers. For much of the first 50 games, the Pacers were regarded as the best team in the NBA. For reasons unknown to most, things went downhill fast for the Pacers in the 2nd half eventually leading them to be ousted in 6 games in the Eastern Conference finals by the Miami Heat. It's going to be hard for the Pacers to drastically improve this offseason as they are cash strapped (resigning Lance Stephenson being the #1 priority) and do not have any 1st rd picks to speak of. With their only pick being in the 2nd rd, #57 overall, id look for the Pacers to draft a wing who can shoot it from deep or add a European player who they can stash in Europe for a few years to develop.

Miami Heat (54-28)- SG, PF, Post defense (26, 55)
As of this writing, the Heat are matched up with the Spurs in the NBA finals for the 2nd consecutive yr. They still have the best player in the world in SF Lebron James and surround him with 2 strong veterans in SG Dwayne Wade and C Chris Bosh. The rest of the Heat roster is filled mostly with solid role players whom are on short term contracts, so they will be looking for cheap players to fill those roster spots. One area of concern heading into the 2014-15 season will likely be the backup SG role that has largely been filled by future HOF'er Ray Allen. He is on the last yr of his contract and will likely retire at the end of this season. With their 1st rd pick, #26 overall, the Heat could look to address this weakness by adding a SG like NBDL star PJ Hairston, UCLA's Jordan Adams, or even Washington's CJ Wilcox. The other area of concern heading into next yr will be post defense. With backup C Chris "Birdman" Anderson being the only big with a contract next season, (other than Bosh) the Heat could look to add a big body to bang in the paint, particularly against C Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers. A name to look out for at pick #26 is Croatian Jusuf Nurkic and and at #55 overall a player like LSU PF/C Johnny O'Bryant would seem to be a solid fit.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Leadoff with Lee 4.18.14

-Jason Kipnis gets tossed and the Indians lost. Cleveland split a weather shortened 2 game series with Detroit, as they drop the latest game 7-5. Tribe pitcher Danny Salazar stays winless, pitching 4.2 innings,giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits. The Indians were up 3-1 going into the bottom of the 5th when Salazar gave up 4 runs. The Indians had one last surge in the top of the 7th scoring 2 runs, 1 run was credited to Michael Brantley with his homerun. Brantley only went 2-5 but also drove in 4 RBIs. Justin Verlander got the win for Detroit, improving his record to 2-1 for the season. Cleveland heads home to open a 3 game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Carlos Carassco (0-2, 7.84 era) is expected to start tonight's game for the Tribe.

-The Cavs came home to clean out their lockers and seemed to be very positive about next season. Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving expect Mike Brown to return as head coach next year. The Cavs had a good second half of the season and seemed to learn how to play defense. We will review the Cavs season and key free agents soon here on this site.

-36 year old wide receiver Chad "OCHOCINCO" Johnson signed a 2 years contract with the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. Terms of his salary have not been disclosed. Montreal's general manager Jim Popp says Johnson told him "I just want to play." Johnson was last signed by the Miami Dolphins, but was released in training camp following his domestic violence arrest.

-Duke Blue Devils 6'8" small forward Jabari Parker announced he will declare for the 2014 NBA draft. Parker is expected to be a top 3 pick in the draft. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds. He also earned first team All-American honors, along with winning the Wayman Tisdale Award which is given to the nations top freshman.