FanPost

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 4

Hot news flash from the Amazing Benjamin Basketball Action Unit (ABBA U)... Here are the names of the next batch o' NBA wannabes that will be making an appearance in Portland on Tuesday to strut their stuff for KP and the Brain Trust..

 

Terrel Harris, Guard (Oklahoma State); Jermaine Taylor, Guard (Central Florida); Garrett Temple, Guard (LSU); Marcus Thornton, Guard (LSU); Joe Ingles, Forward (Australia); Jonas Jerebko, Forward (Sweden)

 

This means it's time for me to crank out another installment of linkage for the fanatic fans... In this new and improved episode of the Workout Player Link Show I will try to get a photo of each guy on the page — proving conclusively that I do not have a life...

The St. Kevin Festival takes place on June 25 this year. Be sure to be getting your ethnic garb out of storage and to the cleaners' so that we can all be looking sharp for the start of the 2009-10 NBA season.

Obligatory notification of bias: I don't follow college basketball AT ALL and I am making this crap up on the spot. Enlighten me with your wisdom in the comments section below.

Harris-terrel_medium

Terrel Harris (6-5, 190-205 lbs., SG, Oklahoma State, Age 21) — Text-based links: NO DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE /// BIG BUNCH OF STATS FROM ESPN /// MORE STATS FROM STATSHEET.COM /// HARRIS SUSPENDED FROM OSU BB TEAM ///

Video-based links: HIGHLIGHTS AGAINST TEXAS TECH /// BIG HUSTLING BLOCK ///

Timbo's Take: It's never a good sign when a college player isn't in the Draft Express database, is it? This guy's from Dallas and would seem to be a longshot late 2nd Rounder if he gets drafted at all. A couple of "incidents" in his college past — false ID in a bar and a suspension for unspecified team rules. Good size at a listed 6'5", but I reckon it will be the Thunder that will take a flyer on this end-of-the-bencher rather than Portland.

 

Ingles-joe_medium

Joe Ingles (6-8, 194 lbs., SF, Happy Valley, Australia, Age 21) — Text-based links: DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE /// JOE'S FACEBOOK PAGE /// 

Video-based links: WORKOUT VIDEO /// INTERVIEW WITH THE SOUTH DRAGONS' STAR /// TECHNO HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO /// AUSSIE TV NEWS REPORT /// BOBBLEHEAD STATES HIS CASE ///

Timbo's Take: An Australian Olympian, for what it's worth. Good range. He's a longshot, but weirder things have happened... Says his shot is at a good level, but needs to come up 3 levels to make it great... Hmmm. Check back with us when you think you're The Man — if you don't nobody else will. Theoretically possible as a 2nd Round stash.

 

Jerebko-jonas_medium

Jonas Jerebko (6-9, 210 lbs., SF, Sweden, Age 22) — Text-based links: DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE /// ITALIAN LEAGUE STATS FROM EUROBASKET.COM /// JONAS JEREBKO'S FACEBOOK PAGE /// JONAS JEREBKO'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE ///

Video-based links: LONG DRAFT EXPRESS INTERVIEW /// SHOOTING THE 3-BALL AT EUROCAMP /// JONAS JEREBKO DUNKAR /// TO THE RACK /// JAKOB TöRNELL INTERVJUAR JONAS JEREBKO /// ON COMING TO THE NBA (in real American English) ///

Timbo's Take: If one accepts the basic premise that the purpose of all those 2nd Round picks is for snagging rights to European possibles and stashing them, here's one possible, I guess... The son of a former Syracuse player who played professionally in Sweden and settled there, according to his Wikipedia entry. A veteran of Italian Lega A's Pallacanestro Biella.

 

Taylor-jermaine_medium

Jermaine Taylor (6-4, 210 lbs., SG, Central Florida, Age 22) — Text-based links: DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE/// UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA BIO /// BIG BUNCH OF STATS FROM ESPN /// 

Video-based links: DUNK MIX /// ONE HANDED SUPERMAN DUNK /// REVERSE WINDMILL JAM /// ALLEY OOP BREAK /// POSTERIZER /// SOMETIMES HE JUST PLAIN OLD DUNKS ///

Timbo's Take: Said to have a really big wingspan — does that make him the Anti-Rex? The Conference USA Player of the Year for 2008-09, which isn't saying that much, I suppose. Still, the dude filled it up to the tune of 26.2 ppg this past season — which is REALLY jamming at the college level. He shot 48% from the field and pulled down over 5 rebounds per game as well. Heady numbers, but a small school. Why didn't he play somewhere bigger? **ADDENDA** Wow, this kid gets UP... A pregame dunking playmate for Rex... This guy is starting to look like a Late 1st/Early 2nd sort of guy to me. I love kamikazis...

 

Temple-garrett_medium

Garrett Temple (6-5, 176 lbs., SG/SF, LSU, Age 23) — Text-based links: DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE /// OFFICIAL LSU BIOGRAPHY /// BIG BUNCH OF STATS FROM ESPN /// 

Video-based links: I'm not finding any links, post 'em if you've got 'em...

Timbo's Take: A tall, skinny SG with a big wingspan. Member of the 2009 All-SEC Defensive Team, voted on by the coaches — BING BING BING!!! That scores some points...  I saw another mention of him online that used the words "perimeter defensive stopper" in conjunction with his name. On the other side of the coin, his career high for scoring was just 21 points and he averaged just over 7 ppg in 30 minutes this year, shooting throughout his career at a sub-40% clip, which ain't gonna get it done for a wing in the big show... Highly unlikely, in fact.

 

Thornton-marcus_medium

Marcus Thornton (6-4, 198 lbs., SG, LSU, Age 22) — Text-based links: DRAFT EXPRESS PROFILE /// OFFICIAL LSU BIOGRAPHY /// BIG BUNCH OF STATS FROM ESPN /// 

Video-based links: DRAFT COMBINE INTERVIEW /// RUNNIN' AGAINST KENTUCKY /// HIGHLIGHTS AGAINST WASHINGTON STATE ///

Timbo's Take: This is the subject of inquiry of this group, I think — KP is getting the 2-for-1 on LSU guys by bringing Temple out as Thornton's travel buddy... 2009 All-SEC First Team and Player of the Year, coming out of school as a Junior. Thornton averaged 21.1 ppg. this year and is said to be a long-range bomber. Projected as a late 1st or early 2nd Rounder, I think.

 

But wait, there's more... A POLL!!!