Channing Frye is off to do better things in a worse city

Everything about Channing Frye is awesome except his fit with the Blazers on the court. In the second off-season move that everyone saw coming, it is being reported that the Blazers will not offer that contract extension to the man that hopes to spend his post-basketball life in Portland.

Frye can play, and will have options as an unrestricted free agent. We look forward to seeing him in a situation that is more agreeable to his skill set. Enjoy some of our favorite Channing Frye posts below. In observance of the sadness that is Frye's exit we are going to the Tin Shed this weekend and present this rad LARP video. Via con dios, amigo.

- The unfortunate writing on the wall.

- Can you spot the DeceptivelyQuick appearance on Frye's blog?

- It has not been verified that Channing Frye is not related to Nick Cannon.

Yamhill HighFlyers branding season finale

The Yamhill HighFlyers played the final contest of their nine-game "branding season" on Friday night. DeceptivelyQuick, rapidly becoming the most IBL-y of sports blogs, was in attendance. If you are confused by any of this check out our Q&A with the GM of the franchise. Or just dig through our IBL archives. Thats right, we have IBL archives.

Before we get to the game itself, I feel the need to share with you a slice of a team press release detailing the team's Canadian roadtrip that preceded Friday night's game:

Alberta trip wrap-up: The High Flyers played four games in five days recently against the Edmonton Energy in a “barnstorming tour” throughout Alberta, Canada, which required the team to travel by RV. The Energy are considered by some to be the best team in North America, outside of the NBA. While the High Flyers lost all four games, there were many exciting moments, including Guard Riley Luettgerodt emerging as one of the league’s stars. During the trip, the team faced much adversity, including a break-in into the team’s RV during their first night out of country. General Manager Eric Bailey—“We were up against long odds on this trip, but I was happy with how we fought through it all. We had a 16 hour trip to get to our first game. The team had passports, iPods, CDs, food, and even sneakers stolen from us. A couple key players were unable to make the trip due to passport issues. And we were an expansion team going up against an established, world class organization. But the team stuck together, and I think we grew a lot on the trip. We’re happy to be home and we’re looking forward to seeing our fans once again.”

While local authorites are baffled by this heinous RV robbery, we have seen this before. The Bear Thief is getting more bold and must be stopped. You could be next.

The opponents this time around were the Titans of Vancouver, BC. As in Canada. This doesn't match the novelty appeal of the Japanese team the HighFlyers breezed through in their home debut, but not bad. It did result in a higher quality of basketball, as the final score reflects. (Titans 124, HighFlyers 92 if you're late.)

Jason Hartford, whom we described as looking like "video-game Dirk Nowitzki" against the Japanese fellows, struggled much of the night. If you are curious as to what an off night in the IBL is for Hartford, he had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks at the half. As the game mercifully came to a close, an announcer turned on the PA system and announced two things that made us feel like we were in the right place: 1) Jason Hartford will be returning to Finland to play professionally next season and 2) He was named MVP of said Finnish League. Universes are colliding.

Peace to Sergio Rodriguez

I know you want to read about some of the more exciting draft developments. Trust that the interwebs have them covered.

DeceptivelyQuick owes at least one entry to the Sergio Rodriguez Trailblazer journey. (Rodriguez and the #38 pick to Sacramento for the #31 pick.) We should probably let it hang through the weekend. Such an anti-climatic end seems unsatisfying after such a dramatically up and down tenure. How quickly we will all forget that at one point the entire city (minus one Nate McMillan) was convinced that Sergio was not only the solution at point guard, but possibly even an NBA All-Star as well.

It came a bit out of nowhere in the 2006-07 season. In spite of limited minutes and some glaring weaknesses in his game, Sergio cast a spell on Portland. This seriously happened: local media were comparing his potential to that of Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Tony Parker. Nate McMillan was not amused.

The Blazers decided to give Sergio the reigns to the summer league team. It did not go well. Although nearly two years would pass between that experience and his trade, it seems like Rodriguez's expendibility was determined that summer. Everything that followed was like a slow walk down a long dark stair case for Rodriguez. His role with the team was reduced even further. He got left off the Spanish National team. He got mistaken for a golfer. It was no surprise when Sergio started grumbling for a trade.

So it has ended for Sergio in Portland. All that hype, pressure, and disappointment just to see him shipped to Sacramento for a second round pick. We wish nothing but the best for Spanish Chocolate in his new situation; bountiful playing time and and opportunity to salvage his potential.

Blazers 2009 Draft Trade #1 of 99873423421

First off, check out our interview with Yamhill HighFlyers GM Eric Bailey. It was supposed to be published earlier, but I guess the scheduler feature on blogger took the day off.

As you have heard by now, Pritchard couldn't even wait until draft day to start his deal-making. Portland traded their 24th, 56th, and next year's second round pick to leap frog Sacramento and nab the 22nd pick.

Why? BlazersEdge has thoughts, all of which are reasonable. The fan in me can't help but hope this is but a small step towards a massive brilliant move that will result in basketball perfection in Rip City. Everyone buckled in? Draft day baby!

Q&A with Yamhill HighFlyers GM Eric Bailey

In case you haven't noticed, we are sort of humongous fans of IBL basketball around these parts, particularly regarding the Yamhill HighFlyers. The team will conclude their initial "branding year" with a home game this Friday at Patton Middle School in McMinville, tip-off at 7:15. The opportunity to pester Eric Bailey, GM of the new IBL franchise, with some email Q&A was too tempting to pass up. Go forth and be merry.

Firstly, what is the back story that lead to the creation of this franchise and your post as General Manager?

I've been working in sports for several years now. The majority of my experience has been with the Portland Timbers and Portland Beavers. I began doing some work for the IBL about two years ago now. The idea of a new IBL franchise came about after several discussions with the league commissioner. I thought long and hard about what would be the ideal market for this type of team. All signs point towards Yamhill County, and specifically McMinnville. We couldn't be happier with the response so far.

Teams in the IBL have pretty diverse rosters and the High Flyers are no exception. How do players from so many different places come to the IBL? Are you out there finding guys you think will work and contacting them, or is it done more through basketball networking?

The league has four tryouts that they run each year (two in Portland and two in Chicago). All players who think they are good enough to play professionally are welcome to attend. The HighFlyers got the majority of our players this year from this process. We also have several players each week sending in inquiries, asking about roster spots, and a couple players did land on the roster this way. The last couple players were signed through networking.

I love that the IBL business model banks on the idea that local communities can sustain a professional sports team. It feels like grassroots basketball. The bigger corporate driven leagues want to connect with a community to show they can still care. The IBL needs a more personal connection with locals in order to survive. How has the progress been in building these close relationships with local businesses and consumers?

The response from the community has been great. We have 10 great sponsors, which is amazing for a first year franchise. And we received a solid home crowd for our first game. We hope that this is just the starting point for bigger and better things. And we hope that all of Yamhill County--from Newberg to Sheridan--rally around the team and make it their own.

You're coming up on the last game of the introduction season played by new IBL franchises. What types of things do you focus on from now until the beginning of next season? Are the High Flyers likely to be around, or is the viability of the team still being assessed?

We learned a lot, and I'm very pleased with the "branding year" process. From now till the beginning of next season, our main priorities are community involvement and continuing to make sure we work on branding--making sure everyone in Yamhill County knows who the Yamhill HighFlyers are. And yes, we've already pre-paid league dues for 2010, so we're definitely going to be around next year. We're committed to this community and hope to be here for many years to come.

Thanks to Eric Bailey for taking some time out to indulge us. Check out the official Yamhill HighFlyers site here and the IBL site here for more information. More to come.

Petteri Koponen Watch: Presidential Approval Edition

Below is the latest update on Petteri Koponen from the World Famous H.T. The emphasis is my doing and is meant to help our American readers with short attention spans.



A really, REALLY late Petteri Koponen playoff update

Petteri Koponen's first professional season in Europe with Italian Serie A team Virtus Bologna ended after the first round of the playoffs. After celebrating the FIBA EuroChallenge Cup championship in late April, Virtus Bologna lost their last five regular season games and dropped down to #5 spot in the Serie A standings. In the first round, Virtus was able to beat Benetton Treviso twice in their home court, but nothing could give them the much-needed away victory to proceed to the semifinal stage.

What made the first round loss even more painful for Virtus was the fact that because Brandon Jennings' team, Lottomatica Roma, also lost their first-round matchup, Virtus would've received a three-year Euroleague license if they would've gone to semifinals. Next year, Virtus will play in the FIBA EuroCup, the second-highest international club competition in Europe, but being seven points away from the cream of the crop was pretty much painful enough for the club.

Petteri Koponen didn't get much playing time in the playoffs. In four games of action, Koponen played 28 minutes and finished with 7 points. Koponen suffered a very minor ankle injury right before the playoffs tipped off, and coach Matteo Bonicinolli seemed to use that as an excuse to not give him any minutes. After game 3 of the playoffs, team president Claudio Sabatini took and had this to say (according to Italian sports newspaper Gazzette Dello Sport):

"Earl Boykins is the reason we couldn't get the home court advantage for the playoffs. I have no more patience left with him. Koponen is our future, I hope coach Bonicinolli will play him more."

To put it mildly, Bonicinolli and Sabatini thought pretty differently of these two players. Right after the playoff loss, Sabatini fired both Bonicinolli and general manager Andrea Luchi. Out of all rotation players in the team, it seems that only Koponen, Alex Righetti and possibly Keith Langford have a future with Virtus Bologna. After playing majority of his minutes out of his natural position (point guard), it's unclear whether he'll be able to start as PG next year. Pretty much all the transaction rumors I have read are saying that Virtus will acquire an American point guard. Right now it's early to see how things will go, but here's what we know for certain:

-Virtus Bologna will play in Serie A and FIBA EuroCup in 2009/2010
-Petteri Koponen will play with Virtus in 2009/2010 (unless Portland wishes to bring him in or trade him to a team willing to give him a chance)
-Whole Virtus Bologna team will undergo a massive makeover

Finnish national team begins training for Eurobasket Qualifications next week and Petteri is right now in Finland, preparing for the upcoming summer. When asked about 2009 Las Vegas Summer League, Koponen said that "he's not sure yet" whether he'll participate. He hasn't said it out loud, but pretty much everybody is assuming that the Blazers have to make the first move if they want Koponen to run the point in Vegas. If not, he'll be able to concentrate 100% on the qualifications. Finland will play tough games against Italy (Bargnani, Belinelli) and France (Parker, Diaw, Pietrus, Noah etc...) in mid-August. Koponen vs. Tony Parker will be interesting to watch.

P.S. I forgot to say that Brandon Jennings wasn't even included in Lottomatica Roma's playoff roster. Even though Koponen's numbers were mediocre, Jennings' ones weren't that much better - and everybody knows Jennings will be a lottery pick. (Just to put things in perspective..)


-H.T.

The Draft needs to get here before we are all lying on the floor with bags over our heads

Whats the matter Portland, the Steve Nash idea wasn't ridiculous enough?

Two more baffling potential personnel directions quickly dethroned Nash from his rumor dominance, evidence that the draft can't arrive soon enough.

Three people approached me to start conversations about Portland moving up to nab Stephon Curry yesterday. One family member. One co-worker. One friend. There is no shelter. Curry is interesting, but the Portland excitement over him makes me more curious than anything else. What happened to all that talk about how the Blazers are in such dire need of an above average point guard defender? Curry has impressive offensive skills, but I'm wondering how you think he would look during the other half of the game.

If that weren't enough, I was floored by the amount of local-media coverage devoted to Tyler Hansbrough's (MIMI!) workout with the Blazers. I heard it on talk radio when I drove to get my $5 footlong for lunch. The same station was still talking about it five hours later during my commute home. After that I made it a point to avoid Blazer blogs and local-news sports segments for the rest of the evening. This doesn't approach the amazingly misguided Draft the Stache campaign, but it is similar enough to trigger some flashbacks. It appears Portland fans are determined to make an annual event of this draft-a-white-guy-college-star-who-has-game-that-probably-won't-translate-to-the-League-thing.

One more rumor of this kind and I'm withdrawing to the fortress of solitutude to play Punchout on the Wii until the actual draft begins. And yes I have been looking for an excuse to do that anyways.

Steve Nash to Portland, WTF?

I've heard it. You've heard it. Lets not even bother linking to specific places because this crap seems to be seeping out of every gooey media orifice right now.

Steve Nash to Portland.

One of those things that is so strikingly ridiculous your mind sputters like a rickety cartoon airplane when you first hear it. Articulating all the ways this doesn't make sense would give the rumor too much dignity. I'm not sure who, or what, the source for this is, but seriously people, stoppit.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to watching this.

NBA Finals Haiku

Welcome to the 2009 NBA Finals DeceptivelyQuick Weekend Def Haiku Poetry Jam.

Hedo Turkoglu:

Pastrami sandwich,

Come to life! Big: the new fast.

Your style is your self.

Trevor Ariza:

Autism as game

Portland forgives for Rudy

Now, dress like Oden

Stan Van Gundy:

Did you ever think,

You would be the lead story?

Close out on shooters.

Pau Gasol:

You were said to be

Overwhelmed by Superman

Check the stats, people

Kobe Bryant:

To be the greatest

Black Mamba wins sans-O'Neal

Wakes up empty, still

Andrew Bynum:

We want to know you.

Tell us, where have you gone to?

Were you ever here?

Exclusive post-game photo of Hedo Turkoglu

If a pastrami sandwich came to life and played basketball it would be Hedo Turkoglu. I don't know exactly why this is, but there is nothing I am more certain of. I can think of no better way to describe my favorite point-forward since Anthony Mason.

Joel Freeland close to signing with stupid Euro club

Blazers draftee Joel Freeland, a player we have followed diligently and openly stalked on myspace, is reportedly close to signing a contract with another European team. Although there will likely be a clause giving Freeland somewhat of an exit strategy to join the Blazers, this news puts doubt to the idea that Freeland will be showing up in Portland any time soon. Oh poopers. Regular posting to resume shortly, by the way.

(Assist to BlazersEdge)

DeceptivelyQuick's new favorite congressman

Behold Steve Cohen, congressman from Tennessee. How a liberal Jewish man got voted to represent that geographic area I do not know, but I suspect it has something to do with his awesomeness.

Usually I'm annoyed when politicians start meddling with professional sports, but this is the exception. Congressman Cohen has submitted a letter to David Stern and the player's union advocating for the dissolution of the NBA age requirement. (My stance on the topic can be sussed out here and here.)

The entire letter can be read in the above link. It keeps things short and raises the basic logical arguments against the age limit. Cohen wisely attempts to link the rule to the much publicized current academic scandals involving "one-and-done" student athletes. I was sort of impressed that a politician managed to make an argument without use of hyperbole or any other attempts at inflaming passions. Then I read his folow-up interview where he connected the age limit to slaverly. Nice.

The good news is that this has people talking about the NBA's ridiculous rule once again. With the NBA getting amazing television ratings and the recent college basketball scandals Cohen picked an excellent time to lob this grenade. It may be a mostly symbolic gesture at this point, but it is a significant step to have a prominent person outside of the sports realm bring this type of attention.

UPDATE: Another reason that the age limit sucks, it could actually be illegal. (Assist Truehoop.)

Also thanks to TrueHoop, David Stern strikes back. A very David Stern move.

Jrue Holiday vs. Bayless: My own draft foolishness

I mentioned this in passing not long ago, but I am sort of fascinated by a certain point-guard in the NBA Draft. The more I learn about Jrue Holiday the more I wonder how he would look in a Blazers uniform. This is a long post. I had to get it out of my system. Sorry.

You can't think about a young point guard that would need some development time without considering the one already on the Blazers' roster, Jerryd Bayless. Many fans and media in Portland seem sold on Bayless as the long term solution at point guard. I'm more skeptical. I see a player that needs to dominate the ball on offense to be effective, a characteristic that is hard to change and does not really fit with what the team needs. (At least not when Roy is on the court. I don't think "point guard of the future" discussions are intended to focus on back ups.)

Equally worrisome is that Bayless has not shown the will or the ability to direct the team offense over a sustained period of time. Not in high school. Not in College. Not in summer league. Can you alter the characteristics of player's game so drastically at the NBA level? Is it wise to assume you can? Ultimately, any starting point guard in Portland will have flourish while complementing Brandon Roy. Competing with Roybot for touches is not going to fly.

Then there is the defensive side of things. Portland wants a versatile perimeter defender, a player that can shackle guards of all varieties. (Here's a crazier discussion for another time: with the game officiated the way it is now, does it even make sense to focus so much energy on defending the position? Or does it mean we should be spending more time trying to figure it out? Is it even possible to have a lockdown point guard defender in today's NBA?) Is Bayless this defender? He certainly has shown promise and has some of the physical tools for the job. So does Jrue Holiday.

We can see other things these players broadly have in common. They both spell their first name differently than you'd assume. They both can't shoot are still developing their 3 point shot. But we can go deeper.

We can compare results of each player from their respective pre-Draft workouts. (Bayless here, Holiday here) At 6'3.25" without shoes Holiday is 1.5 inches taller than Bayless. Holiday's wingspan of 6'7 is 3.5 inches longer than Bayless and his gator arms. All the better to smother you with, CP3.

Then again, how much does wingspan make up for the athletic gap between the two? Much of what gets people enamored with Bayless is his exceptional strength and explosion. His max vertical leap at his workout was four inches higher than Holiday. He managed 10 bench press repetitions to Holiday's 6. Holiday's one edge came in the agility test, where he made it through the drill .62 of a second quicker than Bayless. Don't take that to mean he is necessarily the faster of the two, Bayless was .14 of a second faster in the sprint. Oy.

By comparing workout results it is safe to say that Bayless is more athletic while Holiday has more length. Drills and measuring tape can be telling but they do not measure an individual's ability to play basketball. For this we can compare the respective scouting reports from DraftExpress. (Bayless here, Holiday here.)

This post is all ready too long so I'll throw in everything. Here are the strengths the scouts have identified in Jerryd Bayless:

- Ability to get to free throw line

- All-around offensive polish

- Go-to scoring mentality

- Ability to create own shot

- Ball-handling skills

- Commitment to playing defense

- Lateral quickness

- Confidence

- Potential

- Strong Intangibles

- Unselfishness

- Work ethic

- Excellent first step

- Explosiveness

- Fluidity

- Incredibly quick

- Ability to come off screens

- NBA 3-point range

- Perimeter shooting ability

- Pull-up jumper

I admit that seeing shooting listed under "strengths" is a little surprising. Really though, Bayless can shoot, provided he gets to dribble around first. This usually won't happen in situations where he is playing with Roy. In Portland's system, the spot-up 3 is crucial. Steve Blake can do it. Perhaps these DraftExpress observations mean that all Bayless needs is a little more consistent opportunity and he will be able to do it too.

Now Holiday's strengths:

- Executes offensively

- Pick and roll play

- Versatility

- Ability to create own shot

- Change of gears/Hesitation moves

- Ability to fight through screens

- Ability to get in passing lanes

- All-around defense

- Defensive awareness

- Defensive fundamentals

- Lateral quickness

- Off-ball defense

- Versatility to defend multiple positions

- Basketball IQ

- Likelihood of reaching potential

- Role-player potential

- Unselfishness

- Winning mentality

- Work ethic

- Positional versatility

- Young for class

- Court vision

- Solid passer

- Ability to finish around basket

- NBA body

- Size for position

- Wingspan

- Excellent rebounder

Scanning these strengths is what really helps me envision Holiday in Portland's back court. I would argue that Portland needs these things more than they need what Bayless provides, which is mostly athleticism and individual offense on the condition that he dominates the ball. Things like 'Role player potential', 'Executes offensively', 'Basketball IQ', and 'Versatility to guard multiple positions' make me get all sorts of excited.

The weaknesses cloud things up a bit. While Bayless is a good shooter in certain situations, Holiday is not really consistently effective in any. Doubts that Holiday is good enough at any offensive skill to have NBA success is a little troubling. We at least know that Bayless can take the ball to the rim. Will Holiday have something besides defense to hang his hat on?

He does have time to develop such things. I have not heard any in Rip City advocate for this team to go younger, but if it means getting the right pieces then so be it. Bayless is 20 (8/20/88). Holiday is 18 (for a little while, 6/12/90). This can make Holiday more exciting in terms of potential for individual skill development, but is he too young to be the right guy at the right time for the Trailblazers? This team is still a couple seasons away from being a serious title contender. Holiday's youth means he could be molded to fit the system better, and he may need less system-molding than Bayless anyhow.

Jrue Holiday could very well end up being that big, long, defensive minded, role-playing point guard that Portland needs in the starting line up. It might not even matter though as his stock seems to be climbing in the various mock drafts. (For example: here, here, and here.) Will Kevin Pritchard be able to get him with the assets he has available? Does KP even want him? Who knows. I guess we will keep watching.

Ladies and Gentlemen, and low-lifes: The first Blazers draft rumor!

The first of what will be a steady diet of summer rumors in Rip City has Portland moving up to nab ... Stephen Curry? Huh?

Does it really make sense for Portland to divest some resources to get their hands on this guy? I like Curry, and I think he has more of a chance at NBA success than some, but I' m not sure I like the move considering the price of entering the late lottery. If Blazer fans scream at their televisions about how Steve Blake can't guard the bigger pointmen of the NBA I fear they could bring back tar and feathering for Curry.

Anyways, like nearly all rumors, this probably won't happen. But it does signal that summer is nearly upon us. You know, in case you don't trust calendars. Or the sun. I'll show myself out.

2009 NBA Draft Athletic Test Results released

Get you nerd hat on, because results are here. Here are some quick takes:

-Tyler Hansbrough (Ha! Still funny.) had himself a good draft workout. First he measured bigger than some expected, alleviating fears that he is too small to play inside. Now we learn he performed respectably in the athletic drills as well. Only three players put up more repetitions on the bench press than him. He was a shade faster than Blake Griffin in the 3/4 court sprint. Plus he is a better basketball player than a lot of other options in the draft. He won't shoot up to lottery territory, but it seems like he has made progress in quelling some of the biggest knocks against him.

-DeJuan Blair was not the fattest person in camp. Those 15 pounds he dropped in preparation saved him that distiction, although he came in at a solid number 2. In a shocker, AJ Price measured more body fat than any other 2009 hopefuls. That can't be right, can it? Will we see GM's take this as a reflection of Price's work ethic and drive to succeed? This can't be good for a player thought of as a mid-second rounder before the workouts.

-The high-jump award goes to the intriguing Jonny Flynn with a max-verticle of 40 inches. Demar Derozan, who told some reporters he believes he can jump higher than Vince Carter used to, didn't live up to the claim in the drills. Derozan jumped an excellent 38.5 inches, but this doesn't seem as impressive when compared to the 43 inches posted by Carter in 1998. The disparity in the no-step verticle test was even more pronounced with Derozan coming in 7 inches below Vinsanity.

Thats all for now, opinions are flooding the interwebs as I type. I'm off to continue delving into this awesomeness.

Why I'm sad Cleveland lost: Less Delonte West in my life

I mean watching LeBron is nice and all. But Delonte, he belongs on the short-list of my favorite NBA personalities. It's bad enough I have to make due with less of him around since Cleveland flamed out, but now even the Onion is cracking on the man. The level of entertainment Delonte West has provided us just by being Delonte West is far too underappreciated. Here are some of my favorites:

I don't care if you got to FLY ... Trains, planes, and automobiles. You better have my DO-NUTS.



This comes second nature man. I've been getting G'd up since I came out the hospital as a baby. I ain't with pampers I wore some slacks and some gators on the way home.

I'm a player, Greg. And I just play with whatever they put. We gonna play with a sock we gonna play with a sock.


You never felt that before. That is real-live Tasmanian Devil.

Of course the classic Wire Hanger:



And just for you readers out there, Mr. West's legendary ESPN Valentine's Day article. I miss him already.

The NBA Draft: Indulge the geek within

Two NBA events stimulate that section of my mind usually devoted to Bat'leth combat and updates on the North American release date for Ong Bak 2: Summer League and the Draft.

We have now entered the period just before the Draft that is probably the most fun for everyone, at least for everyone not currently busting their ass to impress somebody with millions of dollars and life-long dreams hanging in the balance.

Most of the players in the draft have been evaluated by NBA eyeballs for years and will be selected according to careful judgments that consider this entire period of evaluation. Or so one would think. The great thing about the NBA Draft is that it is sort of like your annual performance review. Your boss may tell you they have carefully monitored your abilities over the course of the previous 12 months, but really you know that they've had other things on their mind. The more likely case is that they realized your performance review was coming up, paid attention to you for a couple weeks, and will use their most recent observations as the basis for much of your evaluation. Recency bias; we humans dig it.

This leaves room for all sorts of exciting developments. A guy with an otherwise excellent potential for success played bad in the NCAA tournament so his draft stock tanks faster than American Apparel. (That was me being topical.) A player without much of a resume blows away an NBA team in a workout and shoots up in the first round. (Cough. Cough.)

Draft measurements have been released and you can bet this has some teams re-evaluating their boards somewhat. Hansbrough might be large enough not to suck. James Harden is not a midget after all. And what about that DeJuan Blair? He's really short, but his arms are like, really long. Oh heavens.

DraftExpress is the undisputed mecca for NBA Draft geeks. Or "fans," as they say. They also have my favorite description of the measurement results I've come across so far:

-Chase Budinger’s height came in as expected, but he has a serious case of gator arms with extremely short standing reach and small wingspan for his height. His wingspan is similar to that of Jason Kapono, Matt Carroll, Travis Hansen and Luke Jackson, which again may help explain his deficiencies on the defensive end.

This is amazing. How did all of these players, so similar in talent level, skill set, and skin tone, all manage to have such similarly stubby (by NBA standards) little gator arms? And how did Kyle Korver manage to not be in this group? Experts can not rule out his unconventional off-season workouts.

Things will get even more entertaining in the coming days. Just wait until the results from the athletic tests come out. (Kevin Durant can't bench press 185 pounds! That guy is gonna suck.)