Hoops

Reebok Eurocamp Update

And this from nbadraft.net on Mills:

Patty Mills Likely in 2nd Round

Nearly every scout I spoke with in Treviso said that if Mills remains in the draft this year he will be a second rounder. His performance in Treviso did nothing to change the nosedive that his stock has taken since workouts began. One scout mentioned the fact that guards were blocking his shots during the Oakland workout and that his size was becoming an apparent issue.

Before his wrist injury, Mills was riding a wave of momentum having led the Australian national team in scoring during his great performance in the Olympics. He came back and struggled to play up to the same level late in the year, and hasn't been able to turn things around.

Word is that Mills has yet to sign with an agent and could go back to school, despite the fact that he announced he would stay in the draft. Regardless, many scouts see Mills as an eventual back up in the league.

Link: http://linky.com.au/ii6jz

Kho - you are only addressing one of the issues I raised about Mills. B-easy has already said nearly everything that I would say.

But specifically with regard to height, the problem I see for Mills is that opposing teams will immediately seek to exploit this - it is just smart basketball. Guys like Earl Boykins, Earl Watson, Muggsy Bogues, Ben Gordon, Marbury, Nate Robinson and Eddie House are, or were, very good players in the NBA, but have been exploited defensively throughout their careers. In most of their cases, it is the prime factor why they have not lasted as starting guards for their teams. In Marbury's case, he is known for being a defensive liability on every team he has started on.

Of all those guards I mention, I think Boykins and Watson are the most apt comparisons to Mills. They are both as quick as you can get, great ball handlers and decent shooters, but have never lasted as starters, because opposing teams often abuse them defensively.

yeah can we not try to compare Mills to Iverson, lay off the crack kids

Hidden Kho - what is that by the way? - Mills caught Paul and Williams by surprise at the Olympics. Yes he is fast enough to be successful in the NBA - but there is more to the game than beating your opponent down the court to score on layups. NBA opponents won't allow him to do that very often once he enters the league. So he has to become more than a one trick pony.

Right now, NBA scouts are rightly questioning whether he will be able to run an NBA offence, get other players easy baskets, and defend his position (his height is going to hurt him). He will have to convince NBA teams that he can improve these weaknesses in his game before they will risk a mid first round pick. I hope he does convince them, but he has a steep learning curve ahead if he wants to be more than a backup spark-plug in the NBA.

I think Ingles must have been feeling a bit Giddey, and it showed on the offensive end. We can only hope it showed on the defensive end too!

PS - here is a link to the boxscore: http://linky.com.au/384ds

And here is the link the the website: http://linky.com.au/nvf4u