Mavericks Hope to Draft Rotation Player

In what is perceived to be a draft deep with talent, Donnie Nelson believes the Dallas Mavericks are positioned to pick up a quality player when the NBA holds its annual draft at 6 p.m. Thursday in Newark, N.J.

The Mavs hold the No. 17 and 55th picks in this year’s draft.

And considering 10 of its current 15 players are projected to be free agents on July 1, the Mavs could use an abundance of help.

“It’s that time of the year where we’re looking at everything and the kitchen sink at 17 and trying to figure out who’s going to fall where,” Nelson, the Mavs’ general manager, said. “It’s a crazy time of the year, and the coffee machines are working overtime.

“We should be able to come up with something that can help us. Hopefully it’ll be a rotation-type player.”

via Dwain Price of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram

2012 NBA Finals Top Ratings

The 2012 NBA Finals – the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to become NBA Champions – generated the most-watched and highest-rated five-game average for The Finals since 2004 and the second most-watched in ABC history, according to Nielsen.

The Finals averaged 16,855,000 viewers (P2+) and 11,584,000 household impressions, up five percent from 16,084,000 viewers and 11,061,000 household impressions in 2011. The series generated a 10.1 household rating, up six percent compared to a 9.6 last year through five games.

Thursday’s Game 5 broadcast delivered a 10.9 HH rating, 18,461,000 viewers and 12,538,000 household impressions, up 1 percent compared to Game 5 last year (10.8 rating, 18,313,000 viewers and 12,472,000 household impressions).

NBA Finals Game 5 was the highest-rated program of the night and helped ABC win the night among all programs on broadcast and cable. This marks the 30^th consecutive time the NBA Finals have led ABC to win the night.

2012 NBA Finals – Top 10 local markets: 1.Oklahoma City (43.8); 2.Miami (33.1); 3.Tulsa (26.9); 4.West Palm Beach (20.1); 5.Cleveland (17.4); 6.Memphis (15.9); 7.New Orleans (14.4); 8.Atlanta (14.2); 9.Chicago (14.1) 10.San Antonio (14.0).

ESPN Digital Media’s average audience during the five game days of the NBA Finals, which includes ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile Web and ESPN’s ScoreCenter app, was 81,504, up from 56,400 in 2011.  The NBA section of ESPN.com saw more than 1.7 million average daily unique visitors spending more than 15 million total minutes on game days during the NBA Finals, up +9 percent and +12 percent, respectively, compared to 2011.

The NBA section of ESPN’s mobile website saw an average of 1.5 million daily uniques on game days, up +24 percent compared to last year, while the NBA card on ESPN’s ScoreCenter app had 984,000 average daily unique visitors on game days, up from 336,000 in 2011.

ESPN3/WatchESPN: Game 5 of The Finals on ABC, live through special simulcasts on ESPN3, logged an average minute audience of 122,251 across computers, smartphones and tablets via WatchESPN and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE.  All five games of the NBA Finals averaged 330,000 unique viewers and 17.7 million minutes, with an average minute audience of 105,621 across all ESPN digital platforms. The average live Finals game was up +42 percent for total uniques and up +49 percent for total minutes spent compared to the average of NBA Playoff games on ESPN3 and WatchESPN this season.

Kia NBA Countdown averaged a 3.5 rating and 5,353,000 viewers during The Finals on ABC, which is up 16 percent in rating (vs. 3.0) and 13 percent in viewership (vs. 4,738,000) in 2011.

Sources: Brooks Looking for 4-Year Deal

Scotty Brooks’ contract as OKC coach ends when June ends. The widespread assumption persists that Brooks and the Thunder will hammer out a new deal now that they no longer have a deep playoff run to manage, but sources close to the process continue to caution that A) extension talks have been slow-moving for weeks now and B) concern is rising within the organization that the sides are not nearly as destined to reach an agreement as everyone else around the league presumes.

Sources told ESPN.com this week that the Thunder have offered Brooks an annual salary “north of $4 million.” But those same sources maintain that the length of the deal is the primary holdup. Brooks is said to be seeking a guaranteed four-year deal; sources say OKC prefers a two- or three-year deal.

via Marc Stein of ESPN

Thomas Robinson Won’t Go One-on-None Anymore

As for (Thomas) Robinson, Friday looms large for his chances of being the second overall pick as he is scheduled to work out against Connecticut center Andre Drummond for the second time in three days. The two squared off in Cleveland on Wednesday, which never would have happened if Robinson didn’t change his own strategy and tell his management team that he just wasn’t a one-on-none type of guy.

After flying solo at a workout in Washington on June 13, Robinson told his agents, Tony Dutt and Jason Martin, that he was done with the individual workout approach. To Drummond’s credit, he obliged. And Robinson, who I spoke with over the weekend as his strategy was changing, was thrilled to get his way.

“We’ve been going (in this draft process) for a long while, just practicing and not being in a game atmosphere,” he said. “I want to go out there and compete, to get that game feeling. You don’t get that just playing (in an individual workout). It’s even worse because it’s not like you’re training for college and you’re going back to a place you know. With training, you don’t’ know where you’re going to go.”

Yet while Robinson knows he won’t be going No. 1, he made it clear at the Chicago predraft camp earlier this month that he thinks he should be the top pick. It’s all part of a personality that is the most fiery in this entire bunch and part of the gritty makeup that makes him so attractive to teams who are confident he’ll be a high-level, reliable forward for years to come.

via Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated

GM’s Concerned with Jared Sullinger

A number of GMs are legitimately concerned with what their doctors found concerning (Jared) Sullinger’s back. They claim it’s much more serious than what Sullinger’s camp is saying. We will continue to try to get a handle on this situation in the next few days.

Still, there will be a certain spot in the draft where Sullinger’s reward outweighs the risk. I’m not totally sure this is it, but the Nuggets need a 4 who can bang down low, so this might be a win-win for Sullinger and Denver.

via Chad Ford of ESPN

Michael Jordan a Fan of Harrison Barnes’?

The Bobcats continue to talk with teams about trading the No. 2 pick. But if they keep it, most of the signals coming out of the organization point to (Thomas) Robinson being the man. He is a super athletic, physical 4 who should be an instant upgrade over Tyrus Thomas and D.J. White.

I’m hearing Harrison Barnes may be in second place on their wish list. Apparently, MJ is a fan. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal are in the mix, too, though I’m told MKG didn’t blow anyone away in his workout for the Bobcats on Monday and also hurt his back a little.

via Chad Ford of ESPN

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