Why should you care about the 56th pick? These guys rarely make NBA teams, right?

Not this year, not with the Wizards.

And regardless, you should be intrigued by Hamady N’diaye, the man who is simply known as “H” wherever he goes. It’s easy to see what attracted the Wizards to N’diaye, he exemplifies Ted Leonsis’ “Business of Happiness” philosophy.

Growing up in Senegal, N’diaye didn’t find basketball as a serious outlet until around age 15, mostly playing soccer when he was young like Solomon Alabi and others from the African continent. But with height as a natural tool (he now measures 6’10.5″ without shoes with a 7’6″ wingspan — Saunders says he can touch about 12’7″ on the backboard), N’diaye saw an opportunity and jumped on it. He left his family and came to the U.S. at 16, by himself and speaking very little English, to pursue a career in basketball.

Going from the Life Center Academy in New Jersey, then to Florida Prep, where he and a couple friends/teammates from his home country had to literally escape from poor conditions in the middle of the night, and finally ending up at Stoneridge Prep in California, you could easily call making it to the NBA a long shot for N’diaye.

Four years of basketball conditioning at Rutgers later, where he leaves as the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots (his 4.5 per game average was third highest in the nation last season) and reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year, N’diaye finds himself a member of the Washington Wizards — six total years of competitive basketball experience and counting.

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The Washington Wizards organization hosted a draft party Thursday night at the Verizon Center for season ticket holders on their practice court. They handed out t-shirts and mini posters with the new “Wall, Game Changer” marketing slogan. Here are pictures of the festivities.

Here is the party’s reaction when David Stern called John Wall’s name.

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This was a tough one.

Jarvis Varnado was on the board. Devin Ebanks was on the board. Greivis Vasquez, Stanley Robinson, Darrington Hobson, Trevor Booker, Gani Lawal, Tiny Gallon … all on the board … and obviously Magnum Rolle, Dexter Pittman, Samardo Samuels and Derrick Caracter too.

So who did I take?
(BTW, you can see who was already gone by checking the TrueHoop Network Mock Draft listed at the bottom of this linked post.)

Craig Brackins, the 6’10″ (6’8.5″ without shoes), 230 lbs. big man from Iowa State.

Truth About It.net’s Adam McGinnis covered Brackins with a profile when he worked out for the Wizards on June 15th.

Okay, so Brackins isn’t exactly what the Wizards need … a big man who can score both inside and out, but usually prefers to stay out (he’s got 3-point range), and isn’t known to be the best defender. The Wizards already have Andray Blatche, do they really need another stretch four?

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So what can one deduce from Ernie Grunfeld’s press conference on the eve of the 2010 NBA Draft?

Not much … as usual.

On John Wall

When asked about his impressions of John Wall, aside from the ‘are you going to take him/not allowed to discuss who we will take’ mystery, Grunfeld dodged the question by saying, “As you know, we can’t say who are number one pick is, obviously.”

Grunfeld went on to say that Wall is an “impressive young man,” that he “comes from a good program,” and is an “outstanding leader ” … yada, yada, yada.

On Workouts

When asked what he wants to see out of players during workouts:

“These workouts are a little bit overrated. They’re just a small part of the whole evaluation process. I think we put a lot more emphasis on the regular season, how players actually play in games, and their whole body of work.”

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On Thursday, June 17, Andy Rautins (G, Syracuse, 6’4, 195 lbs.) worked out for the Washington Wizards along with Chas McFarland (C, Wake Forest, 7’0, 245 lbs.), Kevin Palmer (G/F, Texas A&M-CC, 6’6, 205 lbs.), Dexter Pittman (C, Texas, 6’10, 290 lbs.), Terrico White (G, Mississippi, 6’5, 213 lbs.) and Darington Hobson (G/F, New Mexico, 6’7, 205 lbs.) (Note: Hobson actually did not work out for the Wizards because he tweaked his ankle). Get the run-down on Rautins and check his post-workout interview video below…

Another guy who also worked out on June 17th that I didn’t mention above is John Wall. But he was all by his lonesome for an 11 am session, Rautins started with the rest of those guys around noon.

By the time I arrived at the Verizon Center just after 11 to catch a glimpse of the end of Wall’s workout, Rautin’s name had already become a punchline several times over.

“You here to see Andy Rautins?,” came from several mouths in the press lounge packed with excited media members anxiously waiting to see Wall. A light chuckle with a side of ‘yucks’ usually followed.

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On Monday, June 21, Samardo Samuels (F, Louisville, 6’9, 260 lbs.) worked out for the Washington Wizards along with Magnum Rolle (F/C, Louisiana Tech, 6’11, 225 lbs.), Devan Downey (G, South Carolina, 5’9, 175 lbs.), A.J. Ogilvy (C, Vanderbilt, 6’11, 250 lbs.), Solomon Alabi (C, Florida State, 7’1, 251 lbs.) and Bobby Maze (G, Tennessee, 6′3″, 195). Get the run-down on Samuels and check his workout videos below…

I’ll let you finish laughing …

Yes. ‘Our’ Andray Blatche has an understudy.

Caught you snickering again, didn’t I?

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The 2010 ESPN TrueHoop Network NBA Mock Draft is here and I’m more than glad to represent the Wizards with the first pick. Each selection will be made available on network sites (picks and links at the bottom of this post), will cover just the first round, and will be made according to prediction, not some blogger preference. Enjoy.

The hype surrounding John Wall’s appearance on the cover of ESPN The Magazine has come and gone. But what about the feature that went along with the pretty picture of him in all white?

There’s not much revealing information in the quick hitting piece of paragraphed facts … Wall can call LeBron anytime, people called him ‘Jimmy’ growing up, but he now likes ‘Great Wall’, and he grew up on Magic Johnson’s point guard skills, and somehow remembers a big shot Magic hit in the ’87 NBA Finals, despite being born in September 1990. Thank you ESPN Classic.

But did you know that Wall has an “interesting” pre-game meal (one that he calls “weird”)? Wall tell’s ESPN The Magazine’s Elena Bergeron: Read more »

Just a rundown of rather random thoughts, with pictures, after watching John Wall’s workout with the Washington Wizards and being there to interview him.

Wall is one strong kid-looking dude.

I turn 30 the day after the NBA Draft. Not old, but it still feels kinda weird calling a 19-year old who’s about to be the first overall pick a “kid” at my age (although, I’ve been comfortable calling people two years my junior “kid” before, somewhat facetiously though) … but “kid” more in a sense of seeing Wall’s built-for-basketball body while coming to grips that it’s way beyond where he is mentally. He’s just a lil’ guy, except not so little. Not sure any of this makes much sense.

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Thanks to TAI media guru Adam Douglas for shooting Wall’s interview footage.

John Wall’s workout for the Washington Wizards, his first and likely only with an NBA team, was a whirlwind. Partially because of the amount of attention it got and the anxiousness in the air from all who came to see him. It was “the” exclusive event in the DMV area on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the media, some who haven’t sniffed the Verizon Center for months, and eager interns from said media mainstream media organizations … rich white men in suits … the recently married Steve Buckhantz with other dignitaries looking down from the section of the Green Turtle restaurant with a window to the Wizards’ practice court … the recently married Mike Wise carrying the conversation in the media room while the masses waited in anticipation for young Wall to speak … even Andray Blatche was on the premises with his little brother in tow.

All came to see him … even if it was just to catch a glimpse. And a glimpse it was. Wall’s workout started around the 11 am scheduled start time and the media was allowed to enter not too long after 11:20. It was a much more brief workout than the usual hour-plus reserved for other players. And honestly, Wall looked kind of winded by the time we saw him. He would later divulge in his interview that his back had tightened up on him, but that he thought the workout went well.

None of this means anything by the way. D.C., despite the mysterious charade surrounding will they or won’t they take him first overall, John Wall is ours. For now, check out the video from his workout below — couple nice dunks in there, despite the stiff back — more to come, including Wall’s post-workout interview …

Five players worked out for the Wizards on Tuesday, highlighted by former Iowa State standout Craig Brackins and Villanova star Scottie Reynolds.

When it comes to making the decision to turn pro, the media routinely hypes up two outcomes: when a kid stays in school and improves his draft status, and when a kid leaves too early and doesn’t get drafted, wasting his remaining college eligibility.  The third scenario, one the media often downplays, is when the player’s draft fortunes decline by staying in school an extra year, costing him NBA millions in the process. This is what transpired with Brackins.

During a monster sophomore campaign (2008-09) for the Cyclones, Brackins averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He was was named first team All-Big 12, honorable mention All-American and  tallied up a career-high 42 points in a contest against powerhouse Kansas. Mocks of the 2009 NBA Draft had Brackins going anywhere from late lottery to mid-20s. He was pretty much a lock for the first round and thus, awarding him the coveted financial security a second round selection does not provide.  Brackins tested the waters and ultimately decided to return for his junior year because he felt he was personally not ready yet.

The 2009-10 Cyclones opened the season with great expectations and some thought they could be a conference sleeper like 2008-9 Missouri. However, injuries, player defections and hard luck contributed to a disappointing 15-16 record. Brackins underachieved, struggled with consistency and his numbers dipped to 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

Iowa State’s head coach, Greg McDermott, likely under fire with a make or break 2010-11, bolted to take the job at Creighton in April. The Cyclones then hired ex-NBA player, former school standout and local icon, Fred Hoiberg, aka “The Mayor,” who previously had not been a head coach at any level.

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[Editor's note: TAI media guy Adam Douglas attended the Wizards pre-draft workout on June 14th, his report is below.]

The Wizards worked out six players on Monday, highlighted by Luke Harangody from Notre Dame and Trevor Booker from Clemson, and including Marqus Blakley (Vermont), Marquis Gilstrap (Iowa State), Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin) and Jeremy Wise (D-League), as the entire coaching staff , several personnel employees and team president Ernie Grunfeld closely watched. Below are some video interviews, pertinent draft info and pictures from the “job interview”, a concept Flip Saunders drilled into the heads of these professional basketball applicants after the workout.

Trevor Booker – Clemson, Sr.

Chicago Measurements: 6’6.25″ without shoes, 236 lbs., 6’6.75″ wingspan
Age: 22 (11/25/1987)

Draft Express Profile (Feb. 19, 2010):

Booker is just 6’7, but he has excellent length and strength, which suggests that his transition to the next level should be smoother than expected from undersized post players. Similarly, his explosiveness and quickness in the open floor will help him overcome his lack of size at the next level. Though undersized big men have done well in the NBA lately, and Booker’s athleticism helps his case significantly, but he still must prove to scouts he has what it takes to operate as a power forward at the next level.

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{flickr/Michael Holden}

ESPN’s Chris Sheridan has a report on TrueHoop indicating that the asking price for a spare 2nd round pick starts at $1.5 million.

Sheridan writes:

Teams with multiple picks at the middle-to-bottom of the second round include Minnesota (Nos. 45 and 56), Phoenix (46 and 60) and the Lakers (Nos. 43 and 58). Financial logic would also dictate that the Knicks might have a shot at buying the No. 55 pick from the Utah Jazz, who must pay a luxury tax bill of nearly $2 million for the 2009-10 season. The Lakers ($21.4 million) and Suns ($5.04 million) also are tax-paying teams and also probably wouldn’t mind dipping into Jim Dolan’s deep pockets to help pay their bills.

As you can see, the perception is that the Knicks are most willing to spend money, obviously.  But why not Ted Leonsis?

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While Ted Leonsis was getting all the attention today, and deservedly so, there’s also a team being built. Flip Saunders usually isn’t made available to the media before or after pre-draft workouts, so today’s press conference was a good chance to catch up with Saunders and get his thoughts on the process leading up to June 24th.

I asked Flip, with John Wall reportedly set to workout for the Wizards on June 17th, if they’ve scheduled Evan Turner or any other top prospect. So far, the Wizards have hosted more on-the-cusp players who might be available at 30 and 35 or go undrafted.

Saunders deferred to Milt Newton, vice president of player personnel, but later indicated that the Wizards have talked to Turner’s people. The coach also said the Wizards would probably have seven more days of pre-draft workouts with five or six guys each day.

On the process of trying to get players to come workout, Saunders said:

“Some of it’s not of our choosing. Players don’t have to come in if they don’t want to. Some players, either through word of mouth or their agent, don’t think they’re going to have an opportunity. And I’m not talking about the No. 1 pick, we’ve had guys who we’d like to look at, at maybe No. 30, that we can’t get in because they don’t think they’re going to be there.

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Time for a dissenting opinion about the Wizards and John Wall. Carter Bryant, a freelance sports journalist from the Baton Rouge area who has contributed to TAI before, guest authors a post about why Wall won’t bring championship riches to D.C., unless …

But first, let’s check out some John Wall highlights real quick:

Is John Wall the Answer?

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