Tag Archives: NBA Draft

Alford: LaVine took advantage of UCLA brand, system to raise draft stock

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In Steve Alford’s estimation, it wasn’t just Zach LaVine’s freakish athleticism that vaulted the freshman into the elite lottery portion of Thursday night’s NBA draft.

Wearing the UCLA letters across his chest for his lone collegiate season had plenty to do with LaVine becoming the 13th overall selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves, not to mention the fast-paced offensive approach employed by UCLA’s first-year coach.

“(LaVine) came in and he used the brand and this system,” Alford said. “I’ve always said it’s a very, very powerful brand and I think our style of play getting up and down the floor allows somebody like that to flourish and he had a tremendous freshman year.”

Though LaVine played just 37 college basketball games before achieving such lofty status, Alford didn’t know he had a lottery pick on his hands when the freshman reported to Westwood last summer.

“I don’t think you ever think that,” Alford said. “The NBA is a whole different level and mind set. We saw him this summer and he had incredible athleticism.

“To say we saw him being a lottery pick last summer, no.”

Post-NBA draft transcript from Zach LaVine, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders

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Below are quotes from Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders and 13th overall draft pick Zach LaVine in their session with reporters, as transcribed by the team.

# # #

*ZACH LaVINE QUOTES*

Emotions that went through your mind when you were picked?
You know man, I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. It was just a rush of emotion that came through me, and I’m on cloud 9 still man, I’m ready, I put my head down and prayed to God, thank God, I just hugged my mom and I couldn’t believe this is happening. You think about this since you’re a little kid, and you just can’t believe it’s actually happening. I’m just ready to get to Minnesota and do my best.

Good impression the Wolves were high on you at No. 13?
You know, I know I had a really good workout with them. I talked to coach Flip Saunders and we had a great meeting. And then you know, I knew they were around my draft range so I was hoping for the best. When my name was called man, it was a jolt of energy through my body. It was amazing.

Did the Wolves promise they’d draft you?
No, you see it on Twitter, it was on Twitter a lot, and you know I didn’t want to confirm or anything like that or believe it until my agent or someone you know really close to me, the GM or owner told me. But you know, I knew it was a good thing no matter what, so I’m just ecstatic that it actually did come true.

Aware Twitter storm that you thought you were upset coming to Minnesota?
No man, I’m completely ecstatic. I couldn’t be more happy. I’m a very emotional person, so I might’ve uttered something completely wrong but I put my head down, thanked God, kissed my mom, kissed my dad, couldn’t believe this was happening to me right now. I’m going into Minnesota full-fledged ready to become a Timberwolf. Continue reading “Post-NBA draft transcript from Zach LaVine, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders” »

Kyle Anderson sneaks into first round, picked 30th overall by San Antonio Spurs

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Kyle Anderson had, by almost any measure, a superlative college basketball career.

The 6-foot-9 point guard was the most important player on a UCLA team that reached its first Sweet Sixteen since 2008, registering the school’s third-ever triple double along the way. He was a third-team AP All-American, and a finalist for the Wooden, Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousy awards. He earned Pac-12 Tournament MVP, and even flushed in one of the most memorable dunks of the weekend.

But on Thursday night, five Pac-12 players saw their names flash up earlier — the wait finally ending when the San Antonio Spurs picked Anderson 30th overall to end the first round.

Before that, he watched Arizona’s Aaron Gordon go fourth overall; former UCLA teammates Zach LaVine and Jordan Adams go 13th and 22nd; and Washington’s C.J. Wilcox and Stanford’s Josh Huestis going 28th and 29th. Continue reading “Kyle Anderson sneaks into first round, picked 30th overall by San Antonio Spurs” »

UCLA’s Jordan Adams drafted 22nd overall by Memphis Grizzlies

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He made the right choice after all.

After leading UCLA in scoring on the way to a Sweet 16 run, Jordan Adams announced that he would stay for his junior year. Nine days later, he announced that he had changed his mind.

That decision paid off during Thursday night’s NBA draft, when the 6-foot-5 swingman went 22nd overall to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was about as high as Adams — projected as a fringe first-rounder — likely could have hoped to go.

The Atlanta-area native ranked seventh in the Pac-12 with 17.2 points per game and set a single-season UCLA record with 95 steals, but also finished near the bottom of nearly every strength and agility test at last month’s NBA combine.

Adams was the second Bruin drafted, following Zach LaVine going to the Minnesota Timberwolves at 13th overall. It marked the third time in seven drafts that multiple UCLA players were taken in the first round — following Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison in 2009, and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love in 2008.