Miami Heat Select Michael Beasley In The 2008 NBA Draft

MIAMI, 06/26 - The Miami HEAT announced today they have selected forward Michael Beasley with the second pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Beasley spent one year playing for Kansas State before declaring for the NBA Draft as an early entry candidate. He was named National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News and the USBWA and received the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year award from the NABC. He also earned unanimous First Team All-American honors from the Associated Press, NABC, The Sporting News and the USBWA and was named to the Wooden Award All-America Team. He was also named Big 12 Player of the Year by the Associated Press and the league coaches and was a unanimous First Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Team Selection.

During his lone season at Kansas State, Beasley led the NCAA Division I in rebounding (12.4 rpg) and ranked third in scoring (26.2 ppg). He led the nation in 40-point games (three), 30-point/10-rebound games (13), and 20-point/10-rebound games (22). He also posted a nation-leading 28 double-doubles, breaking the freshman mark previously held by Syracuse’s Carmelo Anthony. He set new single-season school records in points (866), scoring average (26.2), 30-point games (13), double-doubles (28), rebounds (408), field goals made (307) and free throws made (216).

Beasley was a member of the USA Junior National Select Team that defeated the World Select Team at the 2007 Nike Hoop Summit, as well as a member of the silver medal-winning United States team at the 2007 FIBA World Championship for Men, and the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2006 FIBA Americas UI8 Championship for Men.

Beasley was born in Frederick, MD and attended Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, MA. While in high school, he was named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Game, and also earned MVP honors at the Adidas Derby Festival Classic. As a senior, he earned USA Today All-USA High School Boys Basketball Second Team honors.

Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose with NBA Draft’s top pick

With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose, a 6-3, 190-pound point guard out of the University of Memphis.

Rose posted averages of 14.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman and led Memphis to the NCAA National Championship game. He appeared in all 40 games for the Tigers, who went 38-2 and set an NCAA men’s basketball record for wins in a season.

“In this league, point guards are really hard to find," Bulls EVP of Basketball Operations John Paxson said after making the pick. "He’s got a strength about him that most guards don’t have in this league at that position.

He’s got a great burst and he’s very fast with the ball. I think he’s going to make other players better, and I think he’ll give us some leadership abilities as he goes on that we really need. For us, it was the right pick.”

Rose visited the Bulls for a private workout on June 19—two days after Michael Beasley was in town—and wasn’t shy about his desire to play for his hometown team.

“I think back to all the times people have told me I was good enough to play for the Bulls, and now it could come true,” Rose told Bulls.com last week. “I’d love to play here. I know the whole city would be behind me and it’s such a great sports city. The Bulls have a lot of talent and they’re young, too. I think if I’m lucky enough to come to this team, we’ll do some damage.”

Rose attended Simeon Career Academy High School in Chicago, where he helped the school become the first Chicago Public League team to win back-to-back state titles in Illinois prep history. His teams went 120-12 (.909) during his four years at Simeon.

A rare combination of speed, elite athleticism and poise at the point guard position, Rose emerged as a candidate to be the NBA Draft’s top pick during a remarkable postseason run, in which he averaged 20.8 points, 6.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game.

“I’m just an extremely competitive person,” said Rose, a member of the 2008 NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team. “Everyone was saying I was too young or that another player was going to get the best of me because they were older, but age doesn’t always matter. It’s about being the better player. I just wanted to prove people wrong and show that I was the best player on the court.”

Rose is the second No. 1 overall pick in franchise history (Elton Brand, 1999) and he is just the third guard to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA in the last 30 drafts (Magic Johnson, 1979; Allen Iverson, 1996).

The Bulls also acquired the draft rights to center Omer Asik, the 36th selection in NBA Draft 2008, in a three-team deal with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets.

The 7-0, 255-pound Asik is a 20-year-old native of Bursa, Turkey. A two-time Turkish League All-Star (2007, 2008), Asik split 30 games last year with Alpella and Fenerbahce, where he averaged 10.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, a league-high 1.90 bpg and 1.90 spg. In 2007-08 Euroleague action, he set a league record for blocked shots in a game with 19 rejections.

Chicago will hold an 11:00 a.m. press conference at the United Center on Monday to introduce Rose.

Surgery Possible for Andrew Bynum

NBA.com Surgery Possible for Andrew Bynum: "LOS ANGELES, May 7 (AP) -- Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum might undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee if there is no significant improvement in the next three to four weeks.

Lakers spokesman John Black said Bynum was examined Wednesday by Dr. Steven Gecha in Princeton, N.J. Black said the team was told there had been some improvement in the 20-year-old center's knee, but Gecha's recommendation was exploratory surgery if there wasn't more in the upcoming weeks."

Miller-led Sixers Stun Pistons in Game 1

NBA.com Miller-led Sixers Stun Pistons in Game 1: "AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 20 (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons were hanging out at the scorer's table as if it was a preseason game, joking around with a former teammate as he enjoyed a drink and nachos in the front row.

The Sixers made them pay for it.

Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the 76ers stun Detroit 90-86 Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Sixers forward Reggie Evans smiled when told the Pistons were shooting the breeze with Flip Murray during breaks in the game.

'That's good,'' Evans said.

Rasheed Wallace took the blame for the loss - despite having 24 points, nine rebounds and matching a franchise playoff record with seven blocks - but didn't think blowing a big lead had anything to do with talking to Murray.

'That's my man,'' Wallace explained.

The Eastern Conference's second-seeded team was expected to beat the seventh-seeded Sixers by double digits and did lead by 15 midway through the third quarter.

But Philadelphia refused to follow the script.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets during a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

'That kind of swung the momentum,'' Miller said.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the fir"

Boozer may miss Jazz camp after son's bone-marrow transplant

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer could miss training camp next week while his son recovers from a bone-marrow transplant in Miami.

Camp starts Tuesday and runs through Oct. 6 in Boise, Idaho.

As soon as my son is home from the hospital and stable, I will join my teammates," Boozer said in a statement released by the team Thursday. "Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated by me and my family during this time."

Boozer averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds during the playoffs last season.

"Carlos has been working out all summer in Miami. ... We are confident that when he rejoins the team he will be ready to compete," general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "Carlos needs to be with his family right now and we fully support his decision."

The Jazz did not release any other information on the child. Boozer has three sons, including twins born over the summer.

Utah released guard Derek Fisher so he could find another city to get treatment for a daughter who has cancer in an eye. He signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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Clippers Strengthen Backcourt, Sign Guard Brevin Knight

The Los Angeles Clippers today took steps to add depth to the team’s backcourt with the signing of free agent guard Brevin Knight. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

A ten-year NBA veteran, Knight averaged 9.1 points, 6.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 45 games played for the Charlotte Bobcats last season. Knight started his NBA career with Cleveland in 1997-98 and has also played for Atlanta, Memphis, Phoenix, Washington and Miami. In 581 career NBA games, Knight has averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals.

In making the announcement Clippers’ Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor said: “Brevin is one of the better defensive point guards in the league. He’s also a gifted floor leader with a great assist-to-turnover ratio. We like that he is good at running the offense and that he always looks to get his teammates involved.”

A 5-10, 170 pound point guard, Knight was ranked eighth in the NBA last season with a 3.12 assists per turnover ratio. Knight averaged a career high 12.6 points and 34.1 minutes in 2005-06, the same year he ranked second in the NBA in steals (157). A member of the 1997-98 All-Rookie First Team while he was with the Cavaliers, Knight tied the NBA’s single-game high with eight steals against Orlando on March 24, 2005 while with the Bobcats.

The 16th overall selection in the 1997 NBA Draft by Cleveland, Knight enjoyed a successful career at Stanford University that saw him finish his collegiate career with averages of 14.9 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 11 games. Knight was named to the Sporting News All-America First Team in 1997 and was the Naismith Award winner the same year.

Knight has reached the playoffs twice in his career, averaging 4.2 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds in his postseason appearances with Cleveland (1998) and Milwaukee (2004).

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Grant Hill leaving Orlando Magic for Suns

Brian Schmitz

Grant Hill has decided to sign with the Phoenix Suns to hopefully hitch a ride to an NBA title, leaving the Orlando Magic after seven injury-racked, mostly unfulfilled seasons.

He will sign with the Suns for the $1.2 million veteran's exception, which is all Phoenix was willing to offer.

Hill, whose seven-year, $93 million contract with the Magic expired after the past season, apparently was eyeing the Suns from the start of the NBA free-agency signing period.

It had been reported that Hill had spoken with the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons, whom he played with the first six seasons of his career.

A 6 foot-8 seven-time all-star, Hill averaged 14.4 points per game last season with the Magic. He played in 65 games -- the most since playing 67 in the 2004-05 season.

Hill, who arrived in a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2000 to Orlando from Detroit, was expected to team with fellow free-agent star Tracy McGrady to return the Magic to post-Shaq prominence. But he underwent five surgeries on his left ankle and another surgery to repair a hernia, and, in all, played in just 202 regular-season games.

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