No Flop Zone: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

2nd Annual BMaze Celebrity Basketball Game

The second annual BMaze Celebrity Basketball Game was held Saturday night at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The BMaze stands for Bobby Maze (above), a former University of Tennessee basketball player who put on the game for the second straight year. The game featured professional athletes and former UT Vols. Some of the athletes were Miami Heat players Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, professional street baller Pat the Roc, and Washington Redskins lineman Trent Williams. The former Volunteers included All-SEC performers Scotty Hopson and Chris Lofton, Lady Vol Meighan Simmons, and football lineman Albert Haynesworth.

The player with the ball above is nicknamed White Chocolate, and he stole the show every second he was on the floor. He dribbled around with insane ball tricks that included swinging the ball around through his shirt. He also won the three-point contest and carried around the check for an hour during halftime. Streetballer Guy Dupuy won the dunk contest with a windmill over 8 kids. The pregame and halftime entertainment included lots of hip-hop music. The MC for the night, UT football's MC, was blaring music up to two hours before tip-off. During halftime, YouTube sensations Terio and IceJJFish made appearances at the game; Terio doing his dance and IceJJFish singing.

Celebrity basketball games are a great way to raise money for a community. They are filled with excitement, and if one comes to a city near you, be sure to go.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

No Flop Zone's 2014 NBA Mock Draft: Final Edition

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jabari Parker, F Duke

2. Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Wiggins, F Kansas

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Noah Vonleh, F Indiana

4. Orlando Magic: Dante Exum, G Australia

5. Utah Jazz: Joel Embiid, C Kansas

6. Boston Celtics: Aaron Gordon, F Arizona

7. Los Angeles Lakers: Marcus Smart, G Oklahoma State

8. Sacramento Kings: Elfrid Payton, G Louisiana-Lafayette

9. Charlotte Hornets: Doug McDermott, F Creighton

10. Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Randle, F Kentucky

11. Denver Nuggets: Dario Saric, F Croatia

12. Orlando Magic: Nik Stauskas, G Michigan

13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Adreian Payne, F Michigan State

14. Phoenix Suns: James Young, G Kentucky

15. Atlanta Hawks: Rodney Hood, G/F Duke

16. Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine, SG UCLA

17. Boston Celtics: Gary Harris, G Michigan State

18. Phoenix Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, C Bosnia and Herzegovina

19. Chicago Bulls: K.J. McDaniels, F Clemson

20. Toronto Raptors: Tyler Ennis, G Syracuse

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: T.J. Warren, F N.C. State

22. Memphis Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson, F UCLA

23. Utah Jazz: Jordan Adams, G UCLA

24. Charlotte Hornets: Shabazz Napier, G Connecticut

25. Houston Rockets: P.J. Hairston, G Texas Legends (D-League)

26. Miami Heat: Jarnell Stokes, F Tennessee

27. Phoenix Suns: Walter Tavares, C Germany

28. Los Angeles Clippers: Clint Capela, F Switzerland

29. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jordan Clarkson, G Missouri

30. San Antonio Spurs: Mitch McGary, F Michigan

31. Milwaukee Bucks: Jerami Grant, F Syracuse

32. Philadelphia 76ers: Damien Inglis, F France

33. Cleveland Cavaliers: Glenn Robinson III, F Michigan

34. Dallas Mavericks: Cleanthony Early, F Wichita State

35. Utah Jazz: Spencer Dinwiddie, G Colorado

36. Milwaukee Bucks: C.J. Wilcox, G Washington

37. Toronto Raptors: Artem Klimenko, C Russia

38. Detroit Pistons: Jabari Brown, G Missouri

39. Philadelphia 76ers: Bogdan Bogdanovic, G Serbia

40. Minnesota Timberwolves: Joe Harris, G/F Virginia

41. Denver Nuggets: Vasilije Micic, G Serbia

42. Houston Rockets: Russ Smith, G Louisville

43. Atlanta Hawks: Patric Young, C Florida

44. Minnesota Timberwolves: Johnny O’Bryant, F LSU

45. Charlotte Hornets: Nikola Jokic, C Serbia

46. Washington Wizards: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, F Deleware 87ers (D-League)

47. Philadelphia 76ers: Khem Birch, F UNLV

48. Milwaukee Bucks: Deonte Burton, F Nevada

49. Chicago Bulls: Deandre Daniels, F UConn

50. Phoenix Suns: Dwight Powell, F Stanford

51. Dallas Mavericks: Josh Huestis, F Stanford

52. Philadelphia 76ers: Markel Brown, G Oklahoma State

53. Minnesota Timberwolves: Devyn Marble, G Iowa

54. Philadelphia 76ers: Nick Johnson, G Arizona

55. Miami Heat: Jahii Carson, G Arizona State

56. Denver Nuggets: Sean Kilpatrick, G Cincinnati

57. Indiana Pacers: Jordan McRae, G Tennessee

58. San Antonio Spurs: Alec Brown, C Green Bay

59. Toronto Raptors: Jordan Bachynski, C Arizona State

60. San Antonio Spurs: Xavier Thames, G San Diego State

Monday, June 9, 2014

Building a Team out of the Potential Best NBA 2014 Undrafted Free Agents

These players will most likely go undrafted in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft. I assembled a team that would be the greatest college basketball team of all time, but the worst NBA team.

Starters

Justin Cobbs, PG (California)

Ahh, the most underrated and overlooked player in the draft. Justin Cobbs is no ordinary 6'4" point guard. He is a star in the making. He was one of the best offensive players in the Pac-12, despite shooting only 33% from deep. His 15.6 points and 5.8 assists per game made everyone on California better. He is most known for his game-winning jumper against the then-number one Arizona squad, but his best game was his 20 points and 11 assists to defeat Oregon in the early Pac-12 season. Cobbs' consistency and style of play will land him on a roster, but not on June 26th.

Fuquan Edwin, SG (Seton Hall)

Edwin has serious game. If he played for a better team, he would most likely be drafted. But he was playing for Seton Hall, and he lit it up for the Pirates. He sunk threes and midrange jumpers, but that wasn't all of Edwin's game. Edwin was one of the best defenders in the nation. He finished fifth in the nation in steals, above ball hawks such as Aaron Craft of Ohio State and Louisiana-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton. Edwin will not get drafted, but his defensive mentality and expanding offensive game give him a shot to star in the Summer League and land on an NBA roster come October.

Cameron Clark, SF (Oklahoma)

Cameron Clark was a flat-out shooter for the Sooners last year. He averaged 15.6 points per game on 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc. He helped the Sooners who were supposed to be rebuilding grab a four seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they were knocked out in the first round. He is nightmare for anyone to guard, because he is fast, a great shooter, and a finisher inside. Clark always played his best against the best; he scored 32 against both Michigan State and Kansas. The only knock on Clark is his size: he stands only 6'6", which is a little short for a small forward. If he can learn to play the shooting guard, he can become a solid NBA player for sure.

Talib Zanna, PF (Pittsburgh)

Few know who Talib Zanna is. But if you do know, you know how productive he can be in short amounts of time. Zanna wasn't, and will never be, a go-to offensive weapon. He averaged 12.9 points per game for the Panthers, but most of those were off of post moves, dunks, and free throws. The Nigerian forward came into Pitt raw, and he is leaving a lot better, but there is still much room for improvement. One thing that you know about Zanna is that he will give his all every time he steps on the floor. Zanna can become a proficient glue guy in the NBA.

Jordan Bachynski, C (Arizona State)

Bachynski is by far the lesser known of the two Arizona State prospects (see Jahii Carson), but he has one reason for being the conversation. He stand 7'2", which makes him one of the taller prospects in the draft. He is a good finisher inside and a nice rebounder, but there are obviously turnover concerns. Another eye-popping stat is his 4 blocks per game, which ranks first in the nation, over shot swatters Khem Birch and K.J. McDaniels and 7'5" giants Sim Bhullar and Mamadou Ndaiye. Bachynski maybe has the best future of anyone on this team, and he can be a solid starter if he improves his game.

Backup Guards