In the final mock draft before the lottery, this will be the last time players are selected based on best player available status instead of team need.
Taking over for Nick Obergan, Andrew Perna delivers the best draft selections in slots 11 and 12, which includes Dr. J, Reggie Miller, Kevin Willis, Allan Houston and many more.
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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by Andrew Perna
The Flyers kept themselves alive with a huge home win over the Penguins on Thursday night. By the time we touch base again, in the Monday edition of the Scoop, there is a good chance that Philadelphia’s season could be over – but at least they didn’t get swept by their cross-state rivals.
Make sure you check out Christopher Reina’s latest 2008 NBA Mock Draft. This is the last edition that will not take team need into account, as the order will be set after Tuesday’s lottery in New Jersey.
Cleveland took numerous precautions to avoid pollen around the city of Boston prior to Game Five. Don’t knock the trio of Cavaliers who have struggled with allergies, I know from experience that they can be just as debilitating as any physical injury.
Charles Barkleywill face criminal charges if he does not pay $400,000 worth of gambling debt to a Las Vegas casino. Don’t ask me why, but I don’t care what minor mistakes Chuck has made in his life – how can you not love this guy’s personality?
Cleveland guard Daniel Gibsonwill miss one-to-two weeks of action because of a first-degree left AC separation. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it’s not good for the Cavs, who rely on Gibson’s shot to help spread the floor. ‘Boobie’ has a boo-boo.
New teammates Carlos Zambrano and Jim Edmonds don’t have the best past, having shared words a few years ago when the outfielder was with the Cardinals. If Edmonds is able to flash some leather, Big Z might forget about the difficulties they’ve had.
Reds GM Walt Jocketty hasn’t discussed a trade involving Ken Griffey Jr. with any teams just yet. All the rumors involving Junior heading back to Seattle now appear to have been just that – rumors. If you’re a Mariners fan, dreaming is worth it.
The Brewers have signed Ryan Braun to an eight-year extension, a good move for a franchise that seems to be on the path towards contention. Braun is a rare talent, has a very good arm and an array of pitches. Oh wait, were talking about Ryan Braun the ‘third baseman’, not the pitcher from Kansas City?
President Bush would select Phillies second baseman Chase Utley if he was starting a team from scratch with a position player. That’s a nice honor for Utley, but I think the more relevant question right now is who would Hillary and Obama take?
Joe Flacco will miss camp with the Ravens at the end of the month because the University of Delaware has yet to finish the semester. This is kind of a strange rule, because Flacco himself surely will not be taking any exams. Nonetheless, it’s the NFL’s attempt at caring about the education of their rookies.
Kellen Winslow hasn’t shown up for the Browns recent workouts, and while they aren’t mandatory his absence is still an issue. The Cleveland tight end has made it known that he would like a new contract from the team, and like many players before him believes that this is the best course of action.
Detroit was denied a goal in the second period in Game Four that would have given them a 1-0 lead and possibly a four-game sweep. Pavel Datsyuk appeared to score from the left side, but officials took the goal away as they believe Tomas Holmstrom was in the crease. Anyone who watched the game knows that he was not, and the Stars stayed alive.
