I will put some of the Blogs here and try not to double up.
4-5 below this one.
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Chad Ford Blog
Hakim Warrick's workout
The Chicago pre-draft camp doesn't start until tonight, so I took the chance to go back into Tim Grover's gym to catch Hakim Warrick's workout.
Warrick worked out for the Knicks, Hornets, Blazers, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and Bobcats.
The reviews have been mixed. Teams love the athleticism and pedigree, but he plays so effortlessly that it often looks like he's coasting. He worked out vigerously for an hour alongside the 76ers' Andre Iguodala on Tuesday -- and barely broke a sweat. Despite the appearance, Grover says Warrick's one of the hardest workers in the gym.
Warrick was in Charlotte on Monday working out for the Bobcats. After the workout GM Bernie Bickerstaff complimented Warrick on his improved mid-range jumper. He wasn't kidding.
Warrick barely missed from inside 18 feet today. His shooting mechanics are silky smooth. He gets such great lift on his jumper that its going to be hard to stop at the pro level. The only real knock is that he hasn't developed real NBA 3-point range ... yet.
Warrick's been working out with Grover for eight weeks in an attempt to work on his perimeter skills and add weight to his super-thin frame. The shot looks great, but his body is still a work in progress.
Grover had him up to 228 before workouts began. But he's already dropped back down to 220. That's still an 18-pound improvement from when he came in. That's right -- he came into Grover's weighing 202 pounds.
Grover believes Warrick eventually will weigh around 235, but Warrick has to keep drinking his protein shakes.
"They're terrible," Warrick said. "Worst thing I've ever tasted. It takes me two-and-a-half hours to drink one. It's pink and tastes worse than Pepto Bismal."
The reason his weight is such as issue is that teams are still trying to figure out his position in the pros. Warrick has the length and leaping ability to be a dominant 4, but he's going to have to keep packing on the weight if he's going to guard NBA power forwards.
That's why the focus, for now, is on highlighting his skills as a 3. He still needs to work on his ballhandling and his long-range shooting, but he's improved dramatically in a short time. And in a few years, if the pounds ever come, he could be a big-time 4.
"Hakim's just a player," Grover said. "When you roll out the ball in a game situation, he produces. I think he'll be a lottery pick based on what I've seen."
If he keeps hitting that jumper and packing on the pounds, Grover might be right.
----------------------
Live from Chicago: Felton, Brown work out
I'm in Chicago a few days early to check out some top prospects working out for Tim Grover at ATTACK Athletics.
On Monday, Raymond Felton and Dee Brown worked out along with Rawle Marshall, Deji Akindele, Jason Maxiell and Taylor Coppenrath.
Check back throughout the day for live blog updates from the gym. Plus check out our exclusive list of this year's Chicago pre-draft participants.
First up were the two fastest point guards in the draft – Raymond Felton and Dee Brown – joined by a surprise guest, former Bulls point guard Jay Williams.
Felton looked the part of a lottery pick on Monday. He has a great body and blinding speed, and he was showing off his much-improved jumper.
A couple of things really stood out:
First, Felton is an amazing athlete. He was finishing lobs from Williams with tomahawk jams. That's special when you factor in that Felton measured 6-0¾ in socks.
Second, Felton is super-quick laterally. Combine that with his strong upper body, and Felton has a chance to be a great pro defender. If Felton can continue to improve his jumper (he looked great from mid-range, inconsistent from NBA 3-point range), he has the chance to be a great pro.
Brown might be, baseline to baseline, the fastest guy in the draft. He appears to have bulked up quite a bit in the last month, and he's got a nice shot that extends beyond the NBA 3-point line.
The only knocks on him are size (he's only 5-11) and a lack of explosive jumping ability (he can't dunk).
What he can't show in a workout like this is whether he can play the point. His ballhandling skills are good, but you can't judge decision-making skills here. That's why Brown will be playing in Chicago at the predraft camp. If he runs the point well there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
-----------------------------
Spurs in seven
I know everyone keeps saying that a Pistons-Spurs Finals is the NBA's worst nightmare.
As a hoops fan, I just don't see it that way. Any time you get the best two teams in the league in the NBA Finals, it has the potential to be great. The fact that both teams are so evenly matched makes it all the better.
No, I don't think we'll see either team crack 100 points in a game, but if all the games are as riveting as Game 7 of the Pistons-Heat series, I can live with it.
I've been leading the Pistons parade all year, but I think the Spurs will prevail in the Finals for three big reasons.
1. Tony Parker
When Parker plays well, the Spurs roll. In the 58 games the Spurs won this season, Parker shot 51 percent from the field. In their 22 losses, he shot 42 percent.
Parker has been excellent against the Pistons once again this year, shooting 50 percent from the field in the last two games.
Chauncey Billups is a good defender, but he can't keep up with Parker. With Parker consistently getting into the lane, good things usually happen for the Spurs.
2. Rasheed Wallace
When the Pistons can establish Wallace, either in the post or on the perimeter, their whole offense opens up. Wallace's ability to move inside and outside usually creates a matchup problem with just about every team in the league.
Tim Duncan is the one guy who can handle Wallace either way. Maybe that's why Wallace shot just 40 percent from the field against the Spurs this season.
3. Manu Ginobili
He's taken his game to another level in the playoffs this year -- averaging 21.7 ppg and 4.3 apg, and shooting 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from three. Rip Hamilton may be one of the few defenders in the league who can match his endless movement, but that shouldn't slow Manu down. In fact, I think Manu's the best international player in the league right now. His playoff performance has shot him ahead of Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.
By now we've learned that you can't underestimate this Pistons team. When their backs are against the wall, they are the most dangerous team in the league.
But the Spurs are a little better defensively and a lot better offensively. The Pistons have hard work and grit going for them, but the Spurs can match that, too.
That's why I'm picking the Spurs in seven.
-------------------------
Big upside in Chicago
After the guards were done working out, several interesting big men took the floor at the West Loop Athletic Club (formerly known as Hoops the Gym).
Chicago State's Deji Akindele, Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell and Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath all have been working out here and put on a show of contrasting styles on Monday.
Akindele, a native of Nigeria, has the most upside. He's measured 6-foot-11½ in shoes. He has long arms, is extremely athletic, and has a ready-made NBA body.
Akindele's in great shape and excelled at a tap drill where the prospect must tap the ball on the backboard five times and then dunk it, then four times and dunk, etc. The best player I ever saw at this drill was Andre Iguodala last year. Akindele was just as good, finishing all five reps.
He also has great feet (the blessing of being a former soccer player) and likes to finish strong around the rim.
He isn't a perfect prospect however. He still is very raw, especially offensively. He doesn't have much of a perimeter game and was even missing on some of the close-range stuff. However, if he goes into Chicago and has a big camp, I don't think there's any question he'll get consideration in the first round based solely on potential.
Maxiell was the star in Portsmouth and did nothing to disappoint on Monday. No one plays harder or with more ferocity. He was bending the rim on every dunk. If he were three inches taller, he'd be a top-five pick.
Still, you wonder if teams are sleeping on him a bit. He measured just 6-foot-7 in shoes at Portsmouth, but with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a big vertical jump, he plays much bigger. He could really end up being a steal in the second round.
Coppenrath clearly was the most skilled player on the floor. He has a soft touch around the basket and has range that extends all the way out to the NBA 3-point line.
But athletically, Maxiell and Akindele are in a completely different world. Coppenrath is a good basketball player. But it's going to be hard for him to make the leap to the NBA because of his average athleticism. If he doesn't hook up with an NBA team, he'll be a big time player in Europe, however.
-------------------------
Rawle Marshall a camp sleeper?
While Raymond Felton and Dee Brown did their thing, my eyes kept wandering to the other side of the gym where Oakland University's Rawle Marshall worked out against Michigan State's Alan Anderson.
Marshall, a razor-thin, athletic, 6-foot-7 swingman from Detroit, averaged 19.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg during his senior season at Oakland (Mich.) University and is considered a possible second-round pick.
He looked great in ATTACK's workouts on Monday. What stood out the most was his outside shooting. He has a super-smooth shooting stroke and was swishing NBA 3s with Joe Johnson-like consistency. He also has a very good handle for a guy his size and was excelling at several ballhandling drills meant for guards.
Marshall was too thin in college, but trainer Tim Grover has been working on it. Marshall has added 15 pounds of muscle since showing up in Chicago. He also has long arms that allowed him to really disrupt Anderson whenever Anderson tried to dribble the ball.
If he plays well in the Chicago pre-draft camp, Marshall could make a big move up the draft board.
---------------------
Jay Williams on the comeback trail
NBA teams, take note.
The surprise at ATTACK Athletics on Monday was former Bulls point guard Jay Williams. He held his own against two of the fastest guys in the draft, Raymond Felton and Dee Brown. His shot is better than ever. He's cutting and jumping. He went full steam for an entire hour with Felton and Brown and looked just fine.
Williams said after the workout that everything is coming back to him and he's hoping to be in an NBA training camp this fall. Grover concurred, asserting that if things go according to schedule, Williams will be ready to play next season.
That's amazing progress for a guy who's been playing basketball full-time for only six weeks.
"Right now it's more mental that physical," Williams said. "I'm still not secure in myself. The doctors have cleared me to play. Now it's about getting back the confidence I need to be a great player. When I think about it, I sometimes doubt. However, when I'm going one-on-one with Dee Brown, my basketball instincts kick in and I play just fine."
"I don't want to come back and be an average player. I know some people think that it would still be great if I did that. I know I could do that right now. But that's not what I'm trying to do. I want to be an All-Star and play at an All-Star level."
Williams said he has a handshake deal with the Bulls to give them the right of first refusal after seeing him work out. He doesn't think it's likely that they'll sign him, however, with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon thriving in Chicago. If Chicago is not an option, he's hoping to land with a veteran team with title aspirations, such as the Spurs, Pacers or Timberwolves.
4-5 below this one.
---------------------------
Chad Ford Blog
Hakim Warrick's workout
The Chicago pre-draft camp doesn't start until tonight, so I took the chance to go back into Tim Grover's gym to catch Hakim Warrick's workout.
Warrick worked out for the Knicks, Hornets, Blazers, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and Bobcats.
The reviews have been mixed. Teams love the athleticism and pedigree, but he plays so effortlessly that it often looks like he's coasting. He worked out vigerously for an hour alongside the 76ers' Andre Iguodala on Tuesday -- and barely broke a sweat. Despite the appearance, Grover says Warrick's one of the hardest workers in the gym.
Warrick was in Charlotte on Monday working out for the Bobcats. After the workout GM Bernie Bickerstaff complimented Warrick on his improved mid-range jumper. He wasn't kidding.
Warrick barely missed from inside 18 feet today. His shooting mechanics are silky smooth. He gets such great lift on his jumper that its going to be hard to stop at the pro level. The only real knock is that he hasn't developed real NBA 3-point range ... yet.
Warrick's been working out with Grover for eight weeks in an attempt to work on his perimeter skills and add weight to his super-thin frame. The shot looks great, but his body is still a work in progress.
Grover had him up to 228 before workouts began. But he's already dropped back down to 220. That's still an 18-pound improvement from when he came in. That's right -- he came into Grover's weighing 202 pounds.
Grover believes Warrick eventually will weigh around 235, but Warrick has to keep drinking his protein shakes.
"They're terrible," Warrick said. "Worst thing I've ever tasted. It takes me two-and-a-half hours to drink one. It's pink and tastes worse than Pepto Bismal."
The reason his weight is such as issue is that teams are still trying to figure out his position in the pros. Warrick has the length and leaping ability to be a dominant 4, but he's going to have to keep packing on the weight if he's going to guard NBA power forwards.
That's why the focus, for now, is on highlighting his skills as a 3. He still needs to work on his ballhandling and his long-range shooting, but he's improved dramatically in a short time. And in a few years, if the pounds ever come, he could be a big-time 4.
"Hakim's just a player," Grover said. "When you roll out the ball in a game situation, he produces. I think he'll be a lottery pick based on what I've seen."
If he keeps hitting that jumper and packing on the pounds, Grover might be right.
----------------------
Live from Chicago: Felton, Brown work out
I'm in Chicago a few days early to check out some top prospects working out for Tim Grover at ATTACK Athletics.
On Monday, Raymond Felton and Dee Brown worked out along with Rawle Marshall, Deji Akindele, Jason Maxiell and Taylor Coppenrath.
Check back throughout the day for live blog updates from the gym. Plus check out our exclusive list of this year's Chicago pre-draft participants.
First up were the two fastest point guards in the draft – Raymond Felton and Dee Brown – joined by a surprise guest, former Bulls point guard Jay Williams.
Felton looked the part of a lottery pick on Monday. He has a great body and blinding speed, and he was showing off his much-improved jumper.
A couple of things really stood out:
First, Felton is an amazing athlete. He was finishing lobs from Williams with tomahawk jams. That's special when you factor in that Felton measured 6-0¾ in socks.
Second, Felton is super-quick laterally. Combine that with his strong upper body, and Felton has a chance to be a great pro defender. If Felton can continue to improve his jumper (he looked great from mid-range, inconsistent from NBA 3-point range), he has the chance to be a great pro.
Brown might be, baseline to baseline, the fastest guy in the draft. He appears to have bulked up quite a bit in the last month, and he's got a nice shot that extends beyond the NBA 3-point line.
The only knocks on him are size (he's only 5-11) and a lack of explosive jumping ability (he can't dunk).
What he can't show in a workout like this is whether he can play the point. His ballhandling skills are good, but you can't judge decision-making skills here. That's why Brown will be playing in Chicago at the predraft camp. If he runs the point well there, he's got a shot at the late first round.
-----------------------------
Spurs in seven
I know everyone keeps saying that a Pistons-Spurs Finals is the NBA's worst nightmare.
As a hoops fan, I just don't see it that way. Any time you get the best two teams in the league in the NBA Finals, it has the potential to be great. The fact that both teams are so evenly matched makes it all the better.
No, I don't think we'll see either team crack 100 points in a game, but if all the games are as riveting as Game 7 of the Pistons-Heat series, I can live with it.
I've been leading the Pistons parade all year, but I think the Spurs will prevail in the Finals for three big reasons.
1. Tony Parker
When Parker plays well, the Spurs roll. In the 58 games the Spurs won this season, Parker shot 51 percent from the field. In their 22 losses, he shot 42 percent.
Parker has been excellent against the Pistons once again this year, shooting 50 percent from the field in the last two games.
Chauncey Billups is a good defender, but he can't keep up with Parker. With Parker consistently getting into the lane, good things usually happen for the Spurs.
2. Rasheed Wallace
When the Pistons can establish Wallace, either in the post or on the perimeter, their whole offense opens up. Wallace's ability to move inside and outside usually creates a matchup problem with just about every team in the league.
Tim Duncan is the one guy who can handle Wallace either way. Maybe that's why Wallace shot just 40 percent from the field against the Spurs this season.
3. Manu Ginobili
He's taken his game to another level in the playoffs this year -- averaging 21.7 ppg and 4.3 apg, and shooting 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from three. Rip Hamilton may be one of the few defenders in the league who can match his endless movement, but that shouldn't slow Manu down. In fact, I think Manu's the best international player in the league right now. His playoff performance has shot him ahead of Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.
By now we've learned that you can't underestimate this Pistons team. When their backs are against the wall, they are the most dangerous team in the league.
But the Spurs are a little better defensively and a lot better offensively. The Pistons have hard work and grit going for them, but the Spurs can match that, too.
That's why I'm picking the Spurs in seven.
-------------------------
Big upside in Chicago
After the guards were done working out, several interesting big men took the floor at the West Loop Athletic Club (formerly known as Hoops the Gym).
Chicago State's Deji Akindele, Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell and Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath all have been working out here and put on a show of contrasting styles on Monday.
Akindele, a native of Nigeria, has the most upside. He's measured 6-foot-11½ in shoes. He has long arms, is extremely athletic, and has a ready-made NBA body.
Akindele's in great shape and excelled at a tap drill where the prospect must tap the ball on the backboard five times and then dunk it, then four times and dunk, etc. The best player I ever saw at this drill was Andre Iguodala last year. Akindele was just as good, finishing all five reps.
He also has great feet (the blessing of being a former soccer player) and likes to finish strong around the rim.
He isn't a perfect prospect however. He still is very raw, especially offensively. He doesn't have much of a perimeter game and was even missing on some of the close-range stuff. However, if he goes into Chicago and has a big camp, I don't think there's any question he'll get consideration in the first round based solely on potential.
Maxiell was the star in Portsmouth and did nothing to disappoint on Monday. No one plays harder or with more ferocity. He was bending the rim on every dunk. If he were three inches taller, he'd be a top-five pick.
Still, you wonder if teams are sleeping on him a bit. He measured just 6-foot-7 in shoes at Portsmouth, but with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a big vertical jump, he plays much bigger. He could really end up being a steal in the second round.
Coppenrath clearly was the most skilled player on the floor. He has a soft touch around the basket and has range that extends all the way out to the NBA 3-point line.
But athletically, Maxiell and Akindele are in a completely different world. Coppenrath is a good basketball player. But it's going to be hard for him to make the leap to the NBA because of his average athleticism. If he doesn't hook up with an NBA team, he'll be a big time player in Europe, however.
-------------------------
Rawle Marshall a camp sleeper?
While Raymond Felton and Dee Brown did their thing, my eyes kept wandering to the other side of the gym where Oakland University's Rawle Marshall worked out against Michigan State's Alan Anderson.
Marshall, a razor-thin, athletic, 6-foot-7 swingman from Detroit, averaged 19.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg during his senior season at Oakland (Mich.) University and is considered a possible second-round pick.
He looked great in ATTACK's workouts on Monday. What stood out the most was his outside shooting. He has a super-smooth shooting stroke and was swishing NBA 3s with Joe Johnson-like consistency. He also has a very good handle for a guy his size and was excelling at several ballhandling drills meant for guards.
Marshall was too thin in college, but trainer Tim Grover has been working on it. Marshall has added 15 pounds of muscle since showing up in Chicago. He also has long arms that allowed him to really disrupt Anderson whenever Anderson tried to dribble the ball.
If he plays well in the Chicago pre-draft camp, Marshall could make a big move up the draft board.
---------------------
Jay Williams on the comeback trail
NBA teams, take note.
The surprise at ATTACK Athletics on Monday was former Bulls point guard Jay Williams. He held his own against two of the fastest guys in the draft, Raymond Felton and Dee Brown. His shot is better than ever. He's cutting and jumping. He went full steam for an entire hour with Felton and Brown and looked just fine.
Williams said after the workout that everything is coming back to him and he's hoping to be in an NBA training camp this fall. Grover concurred, asserting that if things go according to schedule, Williams will be ready to play next season.
That's amazing progress for a guy who's been playing basketball full-time for only six weeks.
"Right now it's more mental that physical," Williams said. "I'm still not secure in myself. The doctors have cleared me to play. Now it's about getting back the confidence I need to be a great player. When I think about it, I sometimes doubt. However, when I'm going one-on-one with Dee Brown, my basketball instincts kick in and I play just fine."
"I don't want to come back and be an average player. I know some people think that it would still be great if I did that. I know I could do that right now. But that's not what I'm trying to do. I want to be an All-Star and play at an All-Star level."
Williams said he has a handshake deal with the Bulls to give them the right of first refusal after seeing him work out. He doesn't think it's likely that they'll sign him, however, with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon thriving in Chicago. If Chicago is not an option, he's hoping to land with a veteran team with title aspirations, such as the Spurs, Pacers or Timberwolves.
I just posted this on another board like 10-15 minutes ago. 
