Three Heels working out for NBA Teams

As the NBA Draft crawls closer and closer more news about the ex Tar Heels working out are found. From what I found in this online article Wayne Ellington and Danny Green were both in Portland yesterday afternoon working out for the TrailBlazers, while in another story, Tyler Hansbrough is going to be in Charlotte to work out for the Bobcats today. In Portland the two ex pupils of Roy Williams were there along with Texas guard Damion James, and the three worked out as team owner Paul Allen watched on. On the other side of the U.S. Hansbrough is going to be in the NBA’s Tar Heel team, as the partial owner (Michael Jordan), the head coach (Larry Brown) and two players (Raymond Felton and Sean May) all come from Chapel Hill.

 However, from what I see, if the Bobcats were to take Hansbrough it would probably mark the end of May on that team. We already know that there has been friction between the big man and the coach over May’s rehab and weight. May is at the end of his contract and I doubt that Brown is going to want to have him back. That definitely does not mean the end of his career, but it does probably mean the end of the ride in Charlotte. Having said all of this, let’s take a step back and check what picks Portland and Charlotte have in this year’s draft.

I have to say I am pretty much puzzled when it comes to the Bobcats. They have the 12th pick in the first round, as well as the 40th and 54th pick in the second round. While there is no way that Hansbrough is going to drop into the second round, especially after the good hype he has been getting, I just don’t see him going as high as 12th, making him a lottery pick. I have said that I think the hype, which is all justified, might push him into the teens, but the high teens (18th and higher), not the 12th pick overall. And while Hansrbough said in this article that he was going to work for only eight teams, going to Charlotte I am not sure makes a lot of sense. I know that the mocks are giving the power forward some love of late, like Hoops World, who has him going 15th, but it’s still a stretch to see him going to the Bobcats. I do have to say that the young man from Poplar Bluff is one of six players that will work out for coach Brown and his staff, but from what I have been seeing/reading on the mock drafts of all of the players coming into the Time Warner Cable Arena Hansbrough is the one that should go first in the draft.

On the flip side, Portland has brought in the right Heels when it comes to where they are going to draft. In the first round the TrailBlazers have the 24th pick overall, while in the second round they have the 32nd, the 38th, the 55th and 56th picks. The first round pick could easily be spent on Wayne Ellington, who is being projected around that area by most of the mocks, including the Rip City Project. While either the 32nd (not likely) or the 38th (very likely) could be the place where Portland brings home Danny Green. Now, not sure if any team would take both Ellington and Green, but again, if there is one thing that I have learned in the draft is: sometimes you have to expect the unexpected!

As I find out more I will report it, but for now all I can do is to wish all the best to these three Heels (as well as to Lawson) as they work out with the teams before draft day.

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