Sorry mate I did read an article but obviously misread it.
I know you can enter the draft without an agent, just made an error. My apologies.
no apologies needed mate, i thought i read that awhile ago n had to dig it up, thought i was losing my memory...it happens enough already
It was cool to read that Bryant was also in contact with him pumping up his tyres a bit, he must see something in him to even bother talking to him, im not sure how many college players Kobe would talk to either.
I can see it now...
And with the 29th pick in the 2009/10 NBA Draft...., The (World Champion) Los Angeles Lakers select...., Patrick Mills out of St. Mary's College...
Yeah you never know, kobe might try to make a push for him in the front office. Fish is on the way out and Farmers been half decent against the rockets i think from what i remember, could be backup...altho they did just pretty much get shannon brown before the trading period closed. Never know in the NBA tho with all the trades that go on, wouldnt be a bad team to land on from our perspective as lakers get a lot of air time unlike Bogut lol
College, NBA Draft / Jun 10, 2009 / 6:10 pm
NBA Draft ‘09 Stock Watch: Patrick Mills
By Austin Burton
Mills vs. Team USA
Mills vs. Team USA
Here’s what I don’t get: While you can’t make it five minutes into a Ricky Rubio argument without somebody supporting his case with the concept that he “held his own†against grown men overseas and against Team USA in the Olympics, Patrick Mills gets zero credit for not just holding his own, but putting in serious work against the Redeem Team and other international juggernauts.
In almost every major test he’s faced, Mills has proven himself. As the focal point of each NCAA defense that went against his Saint Mary’s squad this year, the sophomore Mills averaged 18.4 points on 40% from the field and 85% at the line, plus 2.2 steals per game. Mills got the better of Stephen Curry in their NIT matchup, putting up 23 points and 10 dimes in a blowout win. Before that he dropped 27 points in an NIT win over Washington State, and despite missing nine games during the season due to injury, still clocked 10 games of 20-plus points.
Then there’s the FIBA resume. In two games against Team USA last summer (one exhibition, one in the Olympics), Mills was the best player on the court for Australia, and that includes Andrew Bogut. He scored 20 against the Americans in Beijing, giving Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Jason Kidd problems. In his two outings against the U.S., Mills went for a total of 33 points, three assists and three steals. In Rubio’s two games against the U.S. last summer, he had 14 points, six dimes and six steals. Mills also dropped 22 points against Argentina and its NBA-laden roster, and “held his own†against Russia and Lithuania during the Olympic tournament.
And yet, while Rubio stays in the top five of every draft board, Mills is actually slipping. Pegged as a 20-to-25 guy in the first round a couple weeks ago, the latest NBADraft.net mock has him falling into the second round, going after guys like Toney Douglas, Darren Collison and Dionte Christmas.
Why? If this were five years ago, I’d get it: Mills is small (6-foot, 180 pounds), he’s a ‘tweener of a PG/SG, and he plays for a mid-major. Sure, he puts up points, but so did Troy Bell and A.J. Guyton and Steve Logan, and they all played at big-time programs.
But the bad rap for ‘tweeners is supposedly dead. Guys like Randy Foye, Gilbert Arenas, Nate Robinson, Ben Gordon and even Dwyane Wade have dispelled the myth that small guards who aren’t pure PG’s have no place in the League. And with the way the NBA game is going, any team can find space for a guy who is quick, skilled and can put the ball in the basket.
Mills has first-round talent. I really like him for the Hornets at #21 as CP’s backup (the next Jannero Pargo), but I can also see him with Phoenix at #14, Atlanta at #19, and Dallas at #22, among others.
But why are we even talking about teams in that range? For somebody whose international track record is just as (if not more) impressive than Rubio’s, and who has a solid body of college work on top of that, Patty Mills should be higher on everyone’s board. Or perhaps Rubio should be lower.
Australian Patrick Mills was absolutely the star of the evening’s all-star game, posting an impressive 30 point performance on 8/18 shooting from the field and 12/13 from the line. Mills handled the ball on a string all game long, showing terrific quickness keeping his man off balance, and making an absolute living in the mid-range area with his deadly pull-up jumper. His ability to utilize strong hesitation moves makes him extremely difficult to stay in front of, and he did a good job not settling for tough shots from beyond the arc today, getting to the line repeatedly. He clearly thrives in up-tempo settings such as the one seen in today’s all-star game, which came in stark contrast to his morning performance, where he seemed to over-dribble somewhat while trying to create in the half-court.
NBA teams we spoke to still expressed some doubt regarding his point guard skills, which is something he could still stand to work on. He posted 3 assists compared with 4 turnovers in the evening game, seeming to be hunting shots quite a bit, and didn’t look all that comfortable getting others involved. Scouts generally were impressed by the quickness and shot-creating ability he showed, and he also did a better job defensively today as well.
2009 Reebok Eurocamp: Top 10 Prospects
By Borko_Popic
Thu, 06/11/2009 - 5:03am
Jonas Jerebko
1. Jonas Jerebko 6'9'' SF Sweden 1987
Even though he only ended up playing one game, it was enough for Jerebko to showcase the majority of his strengths as well as some weaknesses. His outside shot was working and he was able to step out to the NBA three and easily knock down a couple from deep. He showed his athleticism on a backdoor cut where he finished with a nice dunk over a big help side defender. His strength is also a key ingredient to his game as he is able to battle with bigger players inside and can also do some damage with his back to the basket. He converted on a few plays around the basket, one including a nice running hook and the other one was a tough finish after a spin move in the paint. With all of the good things that Jerebko showed, it was still obvious that he is not a smooth and natural player. His shot is effective, but his release is extremely slow and he is not good at shooting on the move or off the dribble. Off the dribble he is extremely limited and is not comfortable making counter moves when he gets cut off. He likes to turn his back to the defense when he feels pressure, and then tries to use his body to continue his progress to the basket. With all that said, the one game was definitely a positive for Jerebko, he seems like a great kid who is willing to put in the work and as a result he should have a good chance to play in the NBA.
2. Patrick Mills 6'0'' PG Australia 1988
Overall Mills played well, but did not do enough to answer the many questions that linger around his game. He proved that he is more than capable of creating his shot, and he also showed that his jumper has gained a lot more consistency. Pushing the ball in transition there are not many players anywhere that can match his speed and ball control. He has a very good understanding of how to get by people and he turns the corner with the best of them. Unfortunately, other than the improvement on his jumper, all of the other things mentioned are aspects previously known about Mills. He had this week to show that he can create for teammates and actually run a team by being a facilitator, however, this he failed to do. Most of his focus was on scoring the ball and it was not the best approach that he could have taken. His size also proved to be a major issue, even though he is tremendous at getting by people, when finishing around the basket he has great difficulty. He is not the greatest leaper and he is not comfortable finishing with his left which makes him very sporadic completing plays around the basket. Defensively, he can obviously move his feet, but he does not put much effort into staying in front of people. All in all, this was definitely not the best week Mills could have had in terms of his stock and it would be difficult to see him in the first round because of it.
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