SB Nation - Mickael Gelebale

NBA Summer League Day One Preview

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:07:09 -0000

I'll be taking in a pair of division rivals today. The two games I'm targeting today are the opener between the Rockets and Warriors, and the night cap between Dallas and Milwaukee.

The full schedule. All times Spurs time.

3:00 - Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors
5:00 - Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings
7:00 - Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors
9:00 - Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks

Follow me in for who I will be keeping an eye on.

Houston

When it comes to players I want to keep and eye, James White tops the list. Yeah, you know, The James White that won a ring with the Spurs.

I'll keep an eye on Aussie Brad Newley for our down unders. Speaking of down under. I want you guys to explain Thunder From Down Under. Beef cake alert, ladies.

They also have two second round picks that they purchased: Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger,

Golden State

Another Aussie, Joe Ingles, is playing for the Warriors. I wonder if he is part of Thunder From Down Under.

Anthony Morrow and Anthony Randolph are both playing. They should be dominant.

We'll also get our first look at the Amare deal killer Stephen Curry.

Dallas

First rounder and Nando De Colo Cholet teammate Rodrigue Beaubois is listed on the roster. Rodrigue is George Hill's height and boasts a greater wingspan.

Fellow Frenchman Mickael Gelabale is playing. His 'From' is listed as 'Unknown'. I think he's from one of the French islands in the Caribbean.

Otherwise, they don't have many guys that really interest me. Lots of names I recognize, but nothing that grabs me.

Milwaukee

Mr. Auspicious, Brandon Jennings, is playing. He hasn't had the best go of it lately. He got left off his team's playoff roster in Italy. Showed up at the draft late. Posted a YouTube rant. Jennings is the player who went to Italy to play pro ball for his mandatory one-year out of high school before you can go pro year. However, he went with the 10th pick, a little unexpectedly high.

Last year's #1 pick Joe Alexander is playing. I'd like to see him. When he came out last year they talked about what an athletic freak he was. I didn't hear much about him after that.

Luc Mbah Moute is on the team. He had a good rookie year last year and is supposed to be an excellent defensive player.

Salim Stoudamire, who spent training camp with the Spurs last year, is playing. Hopefully, his groin is healthy.

User Participation

If you guys have players you want me to watch or anything else you are intersted in, let me know.

2009 NBA Draft Coverage: In Sam Presti We Trust (Thunder GM)

Mr Pappagiorgio — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:00:21 -0000

As we inch closer and closer to the 2009 NBA Draft, I thought it would be fitting to make very clear of one thing, In Sam Presti We Trust. The moves he's made since joining the organization have been cold and calculated as he attempts to completely rebuild this team, for the long haul, and from the ground up. He hasn't been afraid to trade superstars (Ray Allen), walk away from pricey re-signings (Rashard Lewis), or even walk away from completed trades involving stud players because his future became a little cloudy after Thunder trainers evaluated him (Tyson Chandler). He did all that and more, much more, in just 2 years since being hired by the Sonics. Its a pretty long list that you'll see after you make the jump.

Sam Presti became the General Manager of the Seattle Sonics on June 7, 2007 and since then, not only has he made those tough decisions/big deals listed above, but he's also turned over nearly the entire roster. Just take a look at these names: Ray Allen, Andre Brown, Desmon Farmer, Danny Fortson, Mickael Gelabale, Andreas Glyniadakis, Rashard Lewis, Randy Livingston, Johan Petro, Luke Ridnour, Mo Sene, Chris Wilcox, and Mike Wilks. In addition to those guys, Earl Watson, Nick Collison, and Damien Wilkins were also on the roster when Sam Presti took over the club, however, before the end of the summer, or before the trade deadline next year, its not out of the realm of possibilities for one, two, or even all three of those guys to be moved. Of the three remaining Pre-Presti players, only Nick Collison figures to be around past next year, at least in our estimation.

We've all been exhausting ourselves discussing what the Thunder will do with their #3 pick in next weeks draft, and while all the possibilities are intriguing, one thing we can bank on is that Thunder General Manager Sam Presti will undoubtedly make the smartest move for Oklahoma City with respect towards building this team for the future. He and his staff are looking at all sorts of players, and discussing potential moves with all sorts of teams. By the time the Thunder officially make/trade their pick come draft day, you can trust that the staff will have done their homework, carefully plotted out their move, and figured out the best way to make the most of our draft choice. It could come by using the 3rd pick to select a guy like James Harden (Which we love), Hasheem Thabeet, or even a guy like Tyreke Evens (whom you'll likely be hearing from, fictitiously of course, this week in our continued "My Name Is Series"). Or perhaps it could come by trading that third pick away, possibly with expiring contracts (Earl Watson anyone....please?), or with draft picks, and could be used to add a veteran player from another team in addition to dropping down a few slots and drafting a player like Stephen Curry to help maximize the value of our 3rd overall pick.

Whatever the case, In Sam Presti We Trust, and In Sam Presti You Can Trust. If you don't believe us, just take a look at the entire history of moves he's made since joining the club. Its quite a long list, especially when you consider he only took the job just a little over two years ago, but one thing is for sure, he isn't afraid of wheeling and dealing. So take a few minutes, look over this list, form your opinion about any/all of the moves he's made, and let us know if you Trust in Presti as much as we do.

Also, it's recently been announced that the state of Oklahoma will be releasing a limited edition State specific Nickel for use in the state of Oklahoma only, as part of an advertising campaign to raise awareness about our professional basketball team. The tails side is of course the Thunder logo, but the heads side features our very own Sam Presti, with the words In Sam We Trust. You can see the head side of the Nickel below Presti's transaction history on this post. Of course this is all complete malarkey and isn't actually true, I just had to make something up so that my post header made more sense, or cents. I mean not everybody would have made the connection between In Sam We Trust and In God We Trust which is most commonly found on all forms of American Money. And no, in no way does this post, or post title have anything to do with God or Religion, its just my new catch phrase for anytime someone posts or makes comments in reference to our wunderkind general manager.

Sam Presti's Transaction History (2007-09) Seattle Sonics / Oklahoma City Thunder

(Transaction History From HoopsHype, although any links contained inside stay in the SBNation Network)

TRANSACTIONS:
SEASON 2008-09
March 31 2009 Signed guard Shaun Livingston. March 1 2009 Waived forward Joe Smith. February 20 2009 Waived center Saer Sene. February 19 2009 Traded forward Chris Wilcox to the New York Knicks for forward Malik Rose and cash. Traded a conditional 2009 first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls for guard Thabo Sefolosha. February 17 2009 Traded forwards Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox and the draft rights to forward DeVon Hardin to the New Orleans Hornets for center Tyson Chandler. The trade was voided the following day. January 7 2009 Traded center Johan Petro and a second-round pick to the Denver Nuggets for guard Chucky Atkins. December 31 2008 Signed center Nenad Krstic. December 30 2008 Waived center Steven Hill. December 22 2008 Signed center Nenad Krstic to an offer sheet. November 22 2008 Fired head coach PJ Carlesimo and assistant coach Paul Westhead and named Scott Brooks interim head coach. November 4 2008 Signed center Steven Hill. November 3 2008 Waived guard John Lucas. October 21 2008 Waived forward Derrick Byars and center Chris Alexander. October 16 2008 Exercised the contract options on forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green through 2009-10. September 29 2008 Signed guard John Lucas, forward Derrick Byars and center Chris Alexander. September 11 2008 Re-signed center Robert Swift. August 27 2008 Signed guard Kyle Weaver. August 20 2008 Waived forward Donyell Marshall. August 13 2008 Traded guard Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin to the Milwaukee Bucks for guard Desmond Mason from the Milwaukee Bucks and forward Joe Smith from the Cleveland Cavaliers. August 11 2008 Traded a second-round pick to the Charlotte Bobcats for the draft rights to guard Kyle Weaver. July 18 2008 Signed guard CJ Miles to an offer sheet. July 4 2008 Signed guard Russell Westbrook and forward DJ White. June 28 2008 Tendered a qualifying offer to forward Robert Swift. Draft 2008 Selected guard Russell Westbrook (4th overall pick), forwards Serge Ibaka (24th overall pick) and Walter Sharpe (32nd overall pick) and centers Trent Plaisted (46th overall pick), Devon Hardin (50th overall pick) and Sasha Kaun (56th overall pick). Traded the draft rights to forward Walter Sharpe and center Trent Plaisted to the Detroit Pistons for the draft rights to forward DJ White; traded the draft rights to center Sasha Kaun to the Cleveland Cavaliers for cash. May 8 2008 Named Troy Weaver assistant general manager.
SEASON 2007-08
April 13 2008 Signed forward Ronald Dupree for the remainder of the season. April 3 2008 Signed forward Ronald Dupree to a 10-day contract. March 24 2008 Signed guard Eddie Gill to a 10-day contract. March 11 2008 Signed guard Mike Wilks to a second 10-day contract. February 29 2008 Signed guard Mike Wilks to a 10-day contract and waived forward Ira Newble. February 21 2008 Traded guards Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forwards Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble and forward Adrian Griffin from the Chicago Bulls; waived guard Brent Barry. February 20 2008 Traded forward Kurt Thomas to the San Antonio Spurs for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round pick. October 26 2007 Exercised the contract options of centers Johan Petro and Saer Sene through 2008-09. October 22 2007 Waived guard Jermaine Jackson. October 1 2007 Signed guard Jermaine Jackson. September 27 2007 Named Paul Westhead assistant coach. August 29 2007 Named Bill Branch director of pro player personnel and Gerald Madkins and Frank Ross scouts. August 23 2007 Named Scott Brooks, Mark Bryant and Ralph Lewis assistant coaches and Brian Keefe player development assistant. July 20 2007 Traded a future conditional second-round pick and cash to the Phoenix Suns for forward Kurt Thomas and the first-round picks of 2008 and 2010. July 11 2007 Signed forward Rashard Lewis and traded him to the Orlando Magic for a conditional second-round pick and cash. July 5 2007 Named PJ Carlesimo head coach. July 4 2007 Signed forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Draft 2007 Selected forwards Kevin Durant (2nd overall pick) and Carl Landry (31st overall pick overall pick), center Glen Davis (35th overall pick). June 28 2007 Traded guard Ray Allen and the 35th overall pick to the Boston Celtics for guards Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the 5th overall pick.

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D-League Dudes Aplenty in Big D (and I do mean Dallas)

Scott Schroeder — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:53:07 -0000

Sorry to interrupt this weeks regular scheduled programming... regular scheduled programming.

Mr. Matthew Brennan has done the gentlemanly thing and started blogging about the D-League again now that I've quit blogging exclusively about the D-League (though I've heard via the e-mails that many people, inside and outside the D-League want me to continue, so I can't give it up quite yet - I give my peeps what they want).

Today he tipped the world off to something I alluded it to a couple of weeks ago, before I had all of the details - the Dallas Mavericks are holding a big ol' audition for the D-Leaguer's (and random other players that played in the league you've most likely forgotten by now).

Last seasons D-Leaguer's in Dallas are as follows: Blake Ahearn, Andre Brown, Mickael Gelabale, Brandon Heath, Herbert Hill, Trey Johnson, Trent Strickland and Anthony Tolliver. Not a bad group, not an outstanding group.

Here's the rest of the players at the tryout: Hassan Adams, Shan Foster, Sundiate Gaine, Mike Green, Quinton Hosley (is this really a basketball player?), Mike Jones (who?), Jeff McInnis, Austin Nichols, Richard Roby (Iike him), JaJuan Smith, Chris Taft and Yuta Tabuse.

My question: Which teams wins?

D-League vs. non-NBA

G: Brandon Heath vs. Jeff McInnis

G: Blake Ahearn vs. Hassan Adams

Wing: Trey Johnson vs. Shan Foster

Post: Anthony Tolliver vs. Richard Roby

Post: Andre Brown vs. Chris Taft

6th man: Herbert Hill vs. Yuta Tabuse

Poll

Which team wins?

D-League - Hooah!

37 votes

Not D-League - Boo-Yah!

45 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

2005 NBA Draft Second Round Re-draft: Part 2

Jon L — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:00:13 -0000

Dwayne Jones went undrafted in 2005. You can bet that we're not letting that happen again.

View full size photo »

We're back for another day of re-drafting the 2005 second round. As part 1 showed, there were some quality players available who were either drafted lower than they should have been (Monta Ellis, arguably Andray Blatche) or not at all. If there's a theme I picked up on, it's that it's definitely possible to find quality players all throughout the second round. All you need is a little luck and a good scouting department (hindsight doesn't hurt, either, nor does an honest assessment of roster needs even with the 55th pick).

The takeaway from this should be that while the 2005 draft is currently regarded as fairly weak, and I don't necessarily disagree with that assessment, "weak" can still equal NBA players. Here in part 2 we're working the back half of the second round, and while it may not be as star-studded as part 1, there are still some quality players to be found. See you after the jump.

46. Indiana Pacers (original pick - Erazem Lorbek)

As you've seen, there were a lot of European players taken this year that either didn't come over to the NBA at all or only stayed for a short time. Lorbek has some skills, but if the Pacers were looking for a center who needed to develop for a few years, might I suggest Martynas Andriuskevicius? It may seem like an odd pick, but if Andrius. (yes, I abbreviated it; you write that name twice in a row) hadn't been punched in the head by Awvee Storey, it's possible the Pacers could've drafted the next Rik Smits.

47. Minnesota Timberwolves (original pick - Bracey Wright)

Wright was a three-point shooter coming out of Indiana University, but the Timberwolves were lousy with guards that year, including current D-Leaguer Richie Frahm (and also Marcus Banks. I told you they were lousy). The only centers they had on their roster were Michael Olowokandi and Mark Blount. We're also running out of quality centers. Fortunately Dwayne Jones is still available.

48. Seattle Supersonics (original pick - Mikael Gelabale)

Gelabale had his career sidetracked by an ACL injury and by playing behind Rashard Lewis and Kevin Durant, but he was an interesting prospect when he was drafted. Seattle's backup point guard that year were was Mateen Cleaves, so maybe they should have looked in that direction. My pick is Roko Ukic

49. Washington Wizards (original pick - Andray Blatche)

This was the Wizards' only pick in the 2005 draft, and they did pretty well with it. After a few off-court incidents his first few seasons, Blatche has developed into a solid, if occasionally bone-headed, front-court player. Coach Eddie Jordan had/has a strange affinity for weak veterans, so Michael Ruffin and Etan Thomas both got more playing time that year than they should have. The Wizards were a little thin at shooting guard, though (sorry Billy Thomas), so Ronnie Price is right. (I'm so, so sorry)

50. Boston Celtics (original pick - Ryan Gomes)

Gomes was another decent player who got put in a situation where he had a lot of guys ahead of him on the depth chart. Boston's guards that year? Tony Allen, Delonte West, Ricky Davis, Orien Greene, Marcus Banks (yes, again. Again. Again.) and Dan Dickau. The Celtics would eventually trade for Ray Allen and draft Rajon Rondo, but for now I think we can safely call that an "area of need." The Celtics take Devin Green, who saw time at both guard spots for the LA D-Fenders before heading to Europe. He's not always efficient, but he's solid enough and has some rebounding ability as well.

51. Utah Jazz (original pick - Robert Whaley)

Another repeat drafter. Utah continued its love affair with ineffective centers, though in Whaley's case his struggles came off the court. I don't think Ryan Gomes would've fallen far, though, and he posted some decent rebound rates his first few years in the league. His work ethic would've appealed to Jerry Sloan as well.

52. Denver Nuggets (original pick - Axel Hervelle)

If this was a Sports Guy column I'd make a Beverly Hills Cop joke, but it's not, so let's just all sit here quietly. In all seriousness, Hervelle was the first Belgian player drafted by an NBA team. Unfortunately, there still has not been a Belgian player who's actually played in the NBA. Since Denver was looking at forwards, we'll give them Josh Powell, who has turned into a solid bench contributor in Los Angeles after a stint where? That's right, the D-League. You could flip the Gomes and Powell picks and I'd probably be okay with it.

53. Boston Celtics (original pick - Orien Greene)

We've established that Boston needed guards, even after drafting Green and even if we include Greene (that's not confusing at all). We're at the bottom of the second round now, though, where it's slim pickings. Travis Diener had a good college career playing next to Dwyane Wade (and even on his own after Wade graduated), and Diener would fit in well in Boston. You know why.

54. New York Knicks (original pick - Dijon Thompson)

If this was a Sports Guy column I'd make a mustard joke, but it's not, so let's just all sit here quietly. Again. Thompson ended up being traded to Phoenix and then assigned to the D-League, where he averaged 20 points a game before needing microfracture surgery on his right knee. He was mentioned as a solid option earlier, so I'll draft Mikael Gelabale while the Knicks hopes his ACL holds up better this time.

55. Seattle Supersonics (original pick - Lawrence Roberts)

If the Knicks hadn't snagged Gelabale I would've taken him here. It might be a bit of a reach, but I think Roger Powell would have been worth a look. Powell bounced around for a year before ending up in the D-League in 2006, where he lead the league averaging about 22 points a game. He's also not a bad rebounder.

56. Detroit Pistons (original pick - Amir Johnson)

There's not really anyone of Johnson's caliber left, and again, Detroit's frontcourt was pretty full. One guy I like is Turkish guard Cenk Akyol. He never left Europe, and he's not very quick, but he's a pretty creative scorer. Why his highlight reel includes footage of him missing free throws is a question I can't answer.

57. Phoenix Suns (original pick - Marcin Gortat)

Erazem Lorbek has some solid offensive skills, including a nice mid-range shot. That sounds exactly like Mike D'Antoni's Suns, doesn't it? Lorbek is pretty slow, though, and pretty poor defensively, even for Mike D'Antoni. But it's pick number 57, what do you expect? The added benefit is that the Suns could've kept him in Europe for a year or two and not have to pay him for awhile (I believe this was the start of Phoenix's refusal to keep any draft picks out of money concerns).

58. Toronto Raptors (original pick - Uros Slokar)

Toronto went point guard earlier with Will Bynum, but I don't think Orien Greene is out of the question here. He and Bynum could have formed a nice offense-defense backup tandem and again, Toronto didn't need forwards.

59. Atlanta Hawks (original pick - Cenk Akyol)

The Hawks' guards that year were Joe Johnson, and, well, Tony Delk, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, should I keep going? Because I could keep going. Anthony Grundy. It's a good thing the Hawks drafted a point guard...in...the...first...oh well. We're just about fresh out of guards, though, unless you think Daniel Ewing is worth Atlanta's time. Either Akyol or Devin Green would've been decent picks here, but they're both off the board. I'll pick Alex Acker, somewhat grudgingly, because while he was/is pretty talented, he's bounced around a little bit in part because of a tendency to coast, a tendency that was known before the draft. Still, talent is talent, and this is the second-to-last pick in the draft. Acker was considered somewhat of a triple-double threat, which along with Johnson would've given Atlanta a formidable backcourt.

60. Detroit Pistons (original pick - Alex Acker)

We've finally come to the end. Two parts and 30 picks. Well, 29 picks, this is the 30th. Uros Slokar is available, and even though he only lasted about 20 games with the Raptors, he has some skills. He's a good passer, and while he wasn't considered a great shooter in 2005, his mechanics are solid, the kind that can easily lead to improvement. Detroit had enough big men at that time that they could draft Slokar and let him develop a little more and add some muscle, and maybe turn into the player they thought Darko Milicic would be.

We've come to the end now. Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more of these second round re-drafts.

Poll

Which second round should we re-draft next?

2000 (Michael Redd draft)

2 votes

2001 (Gilbert Arenas draft)

6 votes

2002 (the, uh, Carlos Boozer draft)

12 votes

2003 (Maciej Lampe draft)

11 votes

31 votes | Poll has closed

Mickael Gelabale Acquired by D-League's LA D-Fenders

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:00:11 -0000

According to Ball In Europe, Mickael Gelabale has signed with the D-League and will reportedly join the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers-owned D-League affiliate, and is slated to join the team for their Thursday game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Gelabale, who I've always liked, is a 6'7" athlete that played two seasons with the formerly-known-as Seattle Supersonics. In his first season in the NBA, Gelabale (love this name) actually started 14 games for the Sonics, though averaged just 4.6 points and 2.5 boards in 18 minutes of action. Last season, he played 39 games in the NBA and six in the D-League with the Idaho Stampede. In those six games, he averaged 17.8 points and 4.3 boards, shooting an astounding 60% from the field. Once he was called back up however, he blew out his knee in March and hasn't played since.

Los Angeles is really utilizing their D-League team well. After this pick-up, they'll have quite a few possible NBA prospects - Lakers second round pick Joe Crawford, Earl Barron (played with Miami last season), along with Brandon Heath and Dwayne Mitchell (both spent preseason with the Lakers).

Gelabale's coming into the D-League seemingly will cap a great March of NBA prospects choosing the D-League rather than heading overseas. Among the others: Dermarr Johnson, JamesOn Curry, Denham Brown, Earl Barron, Shaun Livingston, Demarcus Nelson, Mouhamed Sene, Herbert Hill and Quincy Douby.