The pre-draft camp isn't what it used to be, but it's here nonetheless.
Starting Wednesday night in Chicago, the event that included scrimmages among the prospects until this year begins. Quick backstory here: The complaint among teams in the past was that agents of the top-tier prospects consistently kept their clients away from pre-draft camp for fear their stock would fall if they had a bad showing against a "lesser" player, so guys like Blake Griffin would be nowhere to be found. So now the big names are back, but the most interesting aspect is gone: the actual playing.
It's all workouts and weigh-ins and interviews - those between the front office types and the players as well as the media and the players. I'll be there for the festivities, hoping to copycat the Kings in their lineup of requested sitdowns. Here's their wish list, as follows ...
Omri Casspi (Maccabi Elite, Israel), Earl Clark (Louisville), Darren Collison (UCLA), DeMar DeRozan (USC), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Damion James (Texas), Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Eric Maynor (VCU), Jerel McNeal (Marquette), Jeff Teague (Wake Forest), Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), and Terrence Williams (Louisville).
The media gets no viewing party like the old days, meaning we not only don't see the players in action but also won't be on hand to watch GMs talk shop at what has historically been an active time for trade talk. I'll have more on location, trying to gather all that is there for the taking.
I also wanted to give a quick coaching update. It sounds like the Tom Thibodeau interview could be Saturday in Las Vegas, but I don't believe that's for sure. Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis, to review, won't be interviewed until the conclusion of the Western Conference finals with Denver. Rambis, however, is reportedly out of the running for the only other vacancy in Philadelphia. And fellow Kings candidates Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal patiently wait ...
As for the teaser about Greene, the soon-to-be second-year player told quite a tale on the radio today about his Memorial Day weekend. Listen here(about six minutes long). - Sam Amick
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