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Once again, NBC is kicking Jay Leno off of The Tonight Show when he's dominating the ratings. It looks as though they haven't learned from their mistake five years ago when kicking him out for Conan completely blew up in their face. This guy has been dominating the ratings for years, yet NBC is foolishly kicking him out AGAIN because they are scared to death that a young talent is going to leave. I know that some people don't like Leno, but from a business standpoint, this is a horrible decision. Leno has proven for two decades that he gets the best audience.
Leno says that if he was given the choice, he wouldnt leave the show.
Its not my decision, and I think I probably would have stayed if we didnt have an extremely qualified, young guy ready to jump in.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...#ixzz2rKCSStxM
Leno's ratings dominance:
Nielsen estimates that Leno, who will wrap his second stint as host of The Tonight Show in mid-winter, averaged 1.08 million adults 18-49 for the April 1-June 30 second quarter up 8% from last year. Jimmy Kimmel Live (885,000 viewers in the demo) ranked second and was up 25% from its average in a later timeslot last year, while Late Show with David Letterman slid 13% to 777,000.
I like Leno, but biases aside, why would you kick off someone who is dominating the ratings a mere five years after doing the EXACT SAME THING completely blew up in your faces? Leno is 63 and could easily do this for another decade if he wanted. You don't fire the best when they are still at the top. When you have a guy who has dominated the ratings for as long as Leno has, you keep him and ride it out for as long as you can. It boggles my mind that they have kicked Leno to the curb twice just because they were worried about Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon. Who cares if Jimmy Fallon gets away? He's not worth getting rid of a guy who has dominated the ratings for two decades. Leno dusts Letterman in ratings, yet do you ever see CBS kicking Letterman out the door?
This will blow up in NBC's faces just like it did five years ago. I hope that Leno goes somewhere else and sticks it to them. This is honestly one of the worst business decisions I've ever seen.


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Ambassador 1st Annual Meet & Greet
Darlene Reese
Friday, April 26, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
The Ambassador 1st annual meet and greet networking social is for business owners and entrepreneurs that would like to establish mutually beneficial relationships with other business owners and potential clients within the city. The evening will feature a live radio broadcast, television interviews, photo opportunities, food, a business card exchange, and opportunities for attendees to spotlight their business.
We want you to come out and enjoy this event with us at the beautiful Belle of Baton Rouge, with the waterfront as a backdrop for this exciting evening of networking. Be sure to bring lot's of cards, and have your pitch ready because the purpose of this evening is for everyone to connect
See you there!
When & Where
The Belle of Baton Rouge
102 France Street
Baton Rouge,
Friday, April 26, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
Darlene Reese
Darlene Reese is the CEO and Founder of Ambassador Mortgage where she serves as a Loan professional, helping a multitude of residential and commercial clients obtain the financing they need to purchase properties.

subset: commoncrawl


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Research Center
Medicine Substitutes: Switching to Generic Dialantin
Please tell me what you can about generic dialantin. My husband has successfully taken dialantin for over 30 years to control his grand mal seizures along with phenobarbitol. Our insurance has just made dilantin way more costly. Our pharmacist suggest that we ask our doctor to prescribe the generic and it would be over 30 dollars a month cheaper. It scares us because the seizures are so violent and if he has a seizure he can`t drive. Our 19 year old son is in the same boat.
Dilantin is a medicine used for the management of generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal). Another name for Dilantin is phenytoin sodium extended. Recently an AB rated generic version of Dilantin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In order to be approved as generic equivalent (or AB-rated) product by the FDA, the product must have the same dose of the drug, the same route of administration (oral, IV, etc), and the same dosage form as the brand name. Prior to FDA approval, the manufacturer must also provide data from clinical trials showing that the generic drug is bioequivalent to the brand name product. Bioequivalence means that the blood levels achieved by a generic medicine compared to a brand name medicine are similar throughout the entire dosing interval.
It is very important for a supplier of a generic drug to receive an AB rating for the FDA for its product because this rating allows the generic version to be freely substituted for the brand name product. In fact, most states require that pharmacists fill prescriptions written for brand name products with the least expensive AB rated generic product in stock. A consequence of the generic dispensing law is that patients could conceivably get a different (although AB rated) drug product every time they get their prescription refilled. Physicians who want their patient to receive the brand name product can write Do Not Substitute on the prescription. For most medicines, generic equivalent (AB rated) medicines provide the same therapeutic benefit as the brand name product at a significant cost savings for whomever is paying for the medicine This does not seem to be the case with Dilantin and its AB rated generic equivalent.
Clinical trials showed that Dilantin and its generic equivalent were bioequivalent when taken on an empty stomach, and these studies were sufficient for the manufacturer to obtain the AB rating for their product from the FDA. As a result, many third party payors including some state medicaid providers began automatically switching to the generic drug. Subsequently, a number of patients reported loss of seizure control. Additional studies showed that taking the generic version with food reduced its absorption by about 13%. Food does not affect the brand name product to the same extent. This means that a change to the generic product could produce lower blood levels.
The difference in absorption with food between the two products is small, but it turns out that phenytoin is one of a handful of medicines where small changes in the amount of the drug absorbed can result in big changes in serum concentrations. It should be clear that reduced absorption can lead to loss of seizure control. It is also true that slight increases in absorption could result in toxic serum levels over time. Either high or low serum levels could result in hospitalization and lost productivity with related increased costs of care.
It is our opinion that the currently available phenytoin sodium extended products are not truly interchangeable. In general, it seems most appropriate to keep patients on the particular phenytoin sodium extended product on which they have been stabilized. It might be appropriate to start new patients on generic phenytoin sodium extended as long as they can be kept on the same product (no switching) once they are stabilized on it. Dilantin is not a particularly expensive medicine, so switching to a generic is not likely to result in big cost savings. Since it is clear that switching can lead to significantly different serum levels and resultant loss of seizure control or toxicity, it would be prudent to monitor blood levels whenever a switch is made. When the cost of additional serum level monitoring is considered, frequent switching would most likely be cost prohibitive.
Finally, when the risks associated with loss of seizure control or drug toxicity and the associated costs are factored in, switching a stabilized patient from one product to another may not be justifiable. Please note that even when a doctor specifies that a prescription be dispensed as written, third party payers may require that the patient pay a higher co-pay for a brand name product or pay the difference in cost between the generic and brand name versions. Presumably the third party payor would also pay for any additional costs associated with the loss of seizure control or toxicity.
It is important to continue taking your phenytoin sodium extended in a consistent fashion as prescribed. Despite the FDA's AB rating on the generic version of Dilantin, switching from one formulation to another is probably not advisable for most patients. A physician is in the best position to determine which drug and dose is best for a particular patient. The doctor can also monitor blood levels to ensure adequate therapy. Talk to your doctor about any changes in your drug therapy.
This response was prepared in part by Lauren Steffen, a Pharm.D candidate at the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy.
Robert James Goetz, PharmD, DABAT
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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- Midwifery Today Back Issues
- Birthkit Back Issues
- Midwifery Today E-News Back Issues
- Articles
- Books
- Media Reviews
- 101 Reasons to Breastfeed
What is your favorite breastfeeding book? Let us know!
"There are lots of books on breastfeeding—of the ones I've had in my hands, these are the most practical and helpful. "The Nursing Mother's Companion" saved my nursing relationship with my daughter, but it is a very "text" oriented book and is better for people who learn well from reading. "Bestfeeding: Getting Breastfeeding Right for You" has marvelous illustrations and simple "how-to" solutions to common problems that will help almost any mother breastfeed successfully. With these two books in hand, there are few problems that cannot be solved quickly and easily."
—Jennifer Rosenberg
Breastfeeding Articles
- Breastfeeding: Food for Thought
- Finger-feeding a Preemie
- Finger-feeding a Preemie—Letter
- Breastfeeding Nemesis
Midwifery Today Back Issues
Each issue is like a book of valuable birth and midwifery information! Fill your library today!
Back issues are available for purchase.
Issue No. 7
Theme: The Psychologically At Risk
Breastfeeding Management, pg. 28–33
Issue No. 10
Theme: Blood & Bleeding
Newborn Breastfeeding, pg. 22
Issue No. 13
Theme: Cross Cultural Birthing
Ketonuria, homebirth, and breastfeeding through toddlerhood are other topics that get attention in this issue, as well as a playful look at midwifery in the 1980s.
Issue No. 16
Theme: Infectious Diseases
Breastfeeding & Health
Issue No. 17
Theme: How Our Beliefs Shape Our Midwifery, pg. 10, 40
Issue No. 21
Theme: Education & Training (Part 2), pg. 27
Issue No. 25
Theme: International Midwifery, pg. 42, 45–46
Issue No. 26
Theme: Natural Remedies, pg. 10, 47
Issue No. 27
Theme: Birth and Disability
Issue 27 focuses on birth and disability—birth stories, empowerment, equipment to help expectant and new mothers, guidelines for serving the variously disabled, breastfeeding and postpartum, and more.
Issue No. 29
Theme: Unexpected Outcomes
The successful story of how a premature infant was finger-fed until he learned to nurse, a father's loving story of pregnancy and birth, and a look at the benefits of breastfeeding complete this issue.
Breastfeeding: Food for Thought
Finger-feeding a Preemie
Issue No. 31
Theme: First Stage
Encouraging Breastfeeding, pg. 52
Issue No. 32
Theme: Weaving a Global Future
Breastfeeding: Our Common Link
Gracious Births, pg. 29
Issue No. 35
Theme: Educating the Public, pg. 46–47
Issue No. 36
Theme: Prematurity, pg. 46
Issue No. 44
Theme: Trusting Birth
Kangaroo Care: Why Does It Work?
Slings: Rediscovering Mother's Mobility
Issue No. 48
Theme: Hemorrhage
A mini-theme on breastfeeding, including the hilarious "Stand-up and Sit Down Comedy," gives readers both a serious and not-so-serious look at breastfeeding concerns.
Breastfeeding Nemesis
Birthkit Back Issues
Issue No. 4 Winter 1994
Breastfeeding for Better Nutrition
Issue No. 7 Autumn 1995
Herbs for breastfeeding are featured in the Remedies column, and a passionate yet humorous take on labor and birth would provoke a smile from just about anyone familiar with the struggles of birth.
Breast and Balance
Drinking the Nectar
Herbs for Breastfeeding
Issue No. 17 Spring 1998
Imagine how many breastfeeding moms would like to have a "milk angel." Issue 17 tells a doula's story of being on call for breastfeeding moms.
Milk Angels
Midwifery Today E-News Back Issues
Breastfeeding Books
Breastfeeding Media Reviews
- Midwifery Today Issue 10
An Overview of Solutions to Breastfeeding and Sucking Problems
By Susan Meintz Maher
- Midwifery Today Issue 15
Breastfeeding Your Baby
By Sheila Kitzinger
- Midwifery Today Issue 17
Breastfeeding: Getting Breastfeeding Right for You
By Mary Renfrew, Chloe Fisher and Suzanne Arms
- Midwifery Today Issue 26
Breastfeeding: A Special Relationship (Video, VHS)
- Midwifery Today Issue 28
Helping Mommy Breastfeed
By Janis Wood
- Midwifery Today Issue 31
We Like to Nurse
By Chia Martin
- Midwifery Today Issue 42
Breastfeeding: A Mothers' Gift
By Pamela K. Wiggins
- Midwifery Today Issue 43
Maternal Newborn Nursing: Theory and Practice
By Francine H. Nicoles, PhD, RNC, and Elaine Zwelling PhD, RN
- Midwifery Today Issue 52
Breastfeeding and HIV/AIDS: The Research, the Politics, the Women's Responses
By Edith White
- Midwifery Today Issue 53
Clinical Lactation: A Visual Guide
By Kathleen Averbach and Jan Riordan


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We've heard quite a bit about the games that made the biggest splashes at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. But several titles were conspicuous by their absence.
E3, which took place June 15 to 17 in Los Angeles, is the premier trade show for the global gaming industry. Every major maker of videogame software and hardware saves its big guns for the expo, hoping to outshine the competition with the best games and most shocking announcements.
Sometimes the biggest news at the dog-and-pony show comes from the dogs that don't bark. Whether the silence stems from publishers focusing on other products, or is an indication that the game's development is in trouble, an E3 no-show doesn't exactly inspire a vote of confidence.
With this year's event in the rearview mirror, Wired.com rounded up a list of the top 10 games missing in action at E3 2010, arranged in ascending order of how surprised we were that they didn't make the big show.
10. Pikmin 3
Two years ago at E3, Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto surprised a roomful of reporters — and his own PR handlers — when he said that a team was working on a Wii sequel to Pikmin, the adorable, cult-favorite strategy game. Since then, two E3s have come and gone without the game being shown.
Wired.com asked Miyamoto at a roundtable discussion this year about the status of the game, and he replied that Pikmin 3's production is proceeding along just fine. The company just chose not to show it in order to emphasize the new Zelda and Kirby games for Wii, which are to be released first.
Image: Nintendo
9. Batman: Arkham Asylum 2
Warner Bros.' atmospheric take on the Dark Knight was widely praised as perhaps the best comic-book game ever created. A trailer for the sequel showed a sickly Joker and undaunted Harley Quinn plotting their revenge on Bats, promising a whole new nuthouse full of adventure. Although the trailer premiered at the tail end of 2009, we've seen neither hide nor hair of it since. (Warner Bros. did not respond to Wired.com's request for comment on the game's status as of press time.)
Looks like we won't be back in the ol' straitjacket until next year.
Screengrab: Wired.com
8. Beyond Good & Evil 2
Ubisoft boasts an impressive slate of well-liked franchises, but some gamers have an especially soft spot in their black icy hearts for Beyond Good & Evil, 2003's story-driven adventure game from star designer Michel Ancel. Its retail sales were disappointing, however, meaning that the sequel was put on the back burner for a long while. Ubisoft finally showed a trailer for the long-lost game in 2008, but that was the last we've heard of it. Where'd it go?
Seems like we're not the only ones asking. "We did get a number of inquiries about Beyond Good & Evil while at E3," said a Ubisoft representative, who added that the company had no further comment on the game at this time.
Image courtesy Ubisoft
7. Max Payne 3, Agent, L.A. Noire
Fresh off a big hit with Western-themed sandbox game Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games has all eyes upon it as it prepares to roll out three more heavy hitters on the road to the eventual Grand Theft Auto 5. But the company played hooky from E3 altogether.
Days before the show, the company delayed Max Payne until 2011. Sony raised eyebrows by announcing that Rockstar's upcoming Agent would be released exclusively on PlayStation 3. The publisher said months later that Agent was scheduled for 2010, but an E3 no-show means that is highly unlikely.
L.A. Noire is still scheduled to be released this year.
Image courtesy Rockstar
6. Everything that Kinect Was Supposed to Do
Did you guys play that martial-arts game that uses Kinect, Microsoft's promising new motion controller for Xbox 360? Or the one where you smash a city as Godzilla? Or the skateboarding game where you scan in your own decks? Or the facial recognition software that lets you try on new clothes? Or the four-player quiz game? Or the Netflix app that lets you flick and wave through movies?
Oh, you mean none of that actually exists and all you played was a knockoff of Wii Sports? Yeah.
5. Resident Evil Portable
The serious lack of compelling software for Sony's PSP was slightly ameliorated by Capcom's announcement of a portable entry in its Resident Evil series at a 2009 Sony press conference. A year later, we haven't heard another thing about it, although Capcom did show a new portable Resident Evil game — for the Nintendo 3DS.
"No comment," said a Capcom representative. Not the most encouraging of words.
Image: Wired.com
4. Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Agito XIII
With Final Fantasy XIII finally available, fans are now turning their attention to the two spinoff titles Square Enix announced alongside the role-playing game at E3 2006. Both games are action RPGs, with Final Fantasy Versus XIII in development for PlayStation 3 and Final Fantas Agito XIII for PSP. Although Square Enix had plenty of games at E3, these high-profile games were not shown in any form.
"E3 is about titles coming in the next year, so that's our focus," a Square Enix representative told Wired.com.
Meanwhile, Versus director Tetsuya Nomura got chatty with Japanese magazine Famitsu shortly after E3, showing the first screenshots of actual gameplay and talking about the title's features. "We're making preparations for a big announcement" about the game, he said.
Image courtesy Square Enix
3. Milo and Kate
Speaking of Kinect, the presumptive killer app for Microsoft's motion-control device not only missed the Xbox add-on's November launch window but took a powder on E3. Milo and Kate, from Fable creator Peter Molyneux, promises to combine Kinect's technologies in a fascinating way. Milo, a lifelike boy, reacts to your face, your voice and your emotions. Or he would if he really existed.
Wired magazine senior editor Chris Baker caught up with Molyneux at E3. The famed game director said he did not want Milo to overshadow the Kinect launch titles and his own Fable III, which will all be available this year. Molyneux said he will show a new demo of the game in a 20-minute speech at the next TED Global conference, to be held July 13 in Oxford, England.
In typical Molyneux fashion, he gave us a vague teaser: A snail will play a role in the demo. That sounds like a metaphor for something.
2. Wii Vitality Sensor
Nintendo caused more than a few industry-watchers to scratch their heads at last year's conference when it unveiled the Wii Vitality Sensor, a device that clips onto gamers' fingertips to measure their heart rate and breathing. Even stranger, the company that is always so quick to push the importance of software over hardware didn't show any applications that use the peripheral.
Will it be a breakout hit like Wii Fit or a flop like Wii Music? We'll have to wait. Earlier this year, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the Vitality Sensor's software would be shown at E3 2010. It wasn't.
"We are waiting to show the product in more detail until the right time, and we'll be sure and let you know once we've determined when that time will be," a Nintendo representative told Wired.com after E3.
Image courtesy Nintendo
1. The Last Guardian
After years toiling in secrecy, the team behind Sony's astonishing cult hits Ico and Shadow of the Colossus pulled back the veil on their third title at E3 2009. After a fantastic trailer introducing the game's main characters — a young boy and his monstrous eagle guardian — The Last Guardian went back into hiding.
"We'll have more info on The Last Guardian in the coming months," said a Sony representative.
Team Ico is known for taking its sweet time to finish games, so it's not the most shocking thing in the world that this year's E3 went by without a mention. With Tokyo Game Show looming in the future, it's possible the entire year won't go by without an update on one of the most anticipated games on the PlayStation platform.
Image courtesy Sony


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Whether you are researching your next move (pun intended!) or ready to apply for your home loan online, you've come to the right place!
We've taken all the best mortgage tools available and put them into one place for you! Check out the most current rates, shop for the best loan program, use our ridiculously helpful calculators, and - WOW - apply for your home loan ONLINE! Easy, convenient, no pressure. Just how we like it!
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Kaytee Cockatiel Treat Sticks are made in the USA, so you can be assured you are giving your birds fresh, pest-free, wholesome treats every time. Plus, these healthy treats have more vitamins, minerals, real fruits, nuts, and vegetables - more of the foods that cockatiels love. Attached hangers allow you to easily hang these treats inside your bird's cage. Specially designed, 3-way hangers are made from nontoxic, passable plastic so they're completely bird-safe. Each large stick is approx 3.25 oz to 4.5 oz.
Add excitement to your cockatiel's staple diet with healthful Honey Treat, tasty Tropical Fruit Treat, or fantastic Fruit & Veggie Treat.
Please click on "More Information" for ingredients and guaranteed analysis.


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CHURCHGOERS in Black Bourton, Brize Norton and Carterton are being asked to play a part in celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the ordination of their former vicar.
The Rev Canon Frank Watts, 83, was the vicar of Black Bourton with Carterton from 1960 to 1963, then the vicar of Brize Norton with Carterton from 1963 to 1969, before emigrating to Australia with his family.
He now lives in Shelley, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. Father Alan Brodie will be preaching at a celebration service at St Andrew's Church in Shelley in June, and would like to receive messages of congratulation from former West Oxfordshire parishioners of Mr Watts to be read out during the service.
Fr Brodie first met Mr Watts when he became the Rector of Midland, in Perth, in 1969. Fr Brodie was then working as a telecom engineer after emigrating from England with his wife a year earlier.
Under the influence of Mr Watts' "gentle ministry", Fr Brodie first became a lay reader and then churchwarden before deciding to train for the priesthood himself.
He was ordained in 1985.
He said: "I am one of at least four clergy, to my knowledge, whose ordination was as a result of Frank's ministry. This is why I am committed to making this celebration something special for a very special man."
Mr Watts, who was born on June 12, 1930, was ordained as a deacon at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff on his birthday in 1954 and ordained as a priest a year later.
He served as a curate in several Welsh parishes between 1954 and 1959, before moving to Marlow for a year, then to West Oxfordshire.
In 1969, Mr Watts, his wife Jan and their children, Mark, Faith, Sian and Matthew, left for Australia.
He served briefly as the rector of the rural parish of Boyup Brook, followed by seven years as the rector of Midland, then five years as rector of the gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie.
In 1978, Mr Watts was appointed an honorary canon of St George's Cathedral in Perth. In 1983 the family returned to Perth, where Mr Watts became the Rector of Wanneroo, and then served at his final parish of Floreat Park.
The Rev Frank Watts, far left, with parishioners in Brize Norton in the 1960s
Although he officially retired in 1995, Mr Watts continues to be an active minister, despite recent ill-health, which requires him to undergo dialysis treatment three days a week. He and his wife are now members of the congregation at St Andrew's Church, where the special service will take place on Sunday, June 15.
Anyone who would like to send a message can email Fr Brodie at firstname.lastname@example.com


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L'Oréal Paris Pro Manicure Nail Polish Reviews
Not Good...I like the L'Oreal brand but I do not like their nail polishes. The color does not go on evenly and it chips within a day or two even with top coat and bringing the polish to overlap the tips. Keep your money and pick up a Sally Hansen nail polish! — 5 years, 6 months agopowerwoman033 | 509 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 2 people said helpful
Good for the moneyThis line has recently been relaunched and I'm pretty sure the formula has changed. There are now a couple dozen colors to choose from and I have tried a few. The application is still a little spotty as the formula is thin. I recommend using 3 coats. I do like the brush - not too wide but not too narrow. The colors are fairly basic, but I think they will be coming out with more as they just reboot...read moreed the collection. The polish has virtually no smell, which is really nice. I found that it has a nice shine and wears pretty well. Overall, this is great to give a try, especially if it is on sale. — 5 years, 8 months agoTheLacqueredLady | 751 reviews
AwfulI don't know why I even bought this. It totally wrecked my nails. My once beautifully healthy nails are now trashed. Tip do not by makeup brand nail polish. They all suck. — 6 years, 9 months agoCliniqueLover | 297 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 2 people said helpful
need top coat every other dayAs long as you use top coat every other day, this polish is pretty good. The coverage is good, so you only need two thin coats. The matte selections are better than in the past, since drug store brands are mostly pearly colors. It's OK for the price. — 8 years, 4 months agoMakeupGuru | 444 reviews
Don't waste your time or moneyI love a lot of Loreal products but this nail polish totally missed the mark. I paid $5 for it and have had better experiences with less expensive nail polish. It chips on the same day or next day. The colors can be misleading. Applying the polish could be better with a better brush....I honestly will not be purchasing another nail color from Loreal. On top of the lack of wear and color deception it is EXTREMELY difficult to remove. — 5 years, 5 months agoMzWayne | 74 reviews
get it on sale!I bought this brand for the first time becasue it was on clearnace for like two dollars. I love the melon color taht i bought, and two thin coats cover my nails beautifully. It has lasted a few days though peeled on one nail. I did apply base and top coat. I would spend more than 2 dollars on this, and although i do like it, i wouldnt buy it if it werent on sale — 6 years, 7 months agokatiecourtney | 172 reviews
I still like it.I haven't use it on my fingernails, only on my toenails and I love the color (pastel pink) and the consistency. I think it was a good buy. — 5 years, 5 months agoreneegro | 210 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
pretty good!i admit i read the reviews before i was about to recieve an online order of this nail polish in a dark red wine color, and i wasn't looking forward to recieving it. BUT, the nail polish did a pretty decent job! it was a little streaky at first as other people mentioned before, but 2 coats of the polish took care of that and looks really even. it has been about 5 days since i polished my nails and there are NO CHIPS even through long hot showers and hand/dish washing. try it! — 8 years, 11 months agoareesecup | 133 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
No chips for FOUR weeks!!I have had "violet vixen" on my toes for 4 weeks!! And they have not shipped cracked nothing!! Best best nailpolish I have ever used!! I had it on my fingers and mulched, power washed my house, do dishes 20 times a day and not one chip!! Highly recommend! Oh and I used a Sally Hansen bottom and top coat!! Fabulous stuff! — 5 years agomy3gurls | 4 reviews
I get compliments all the timeBeautiful color and long-wearing. i have several of these and they are all even and shiny and don't chip easily. One or two coats and you're done. My faves are Tangerine Crush and Tweet Me. — 5 years, 1 month agofacethetempest | 20 reviews
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iHerb Customer Reviews
Good Quality
Verified Purchase
Good Quality
All of the Source Naturals products seem to be very good. I have been using the Evening Primrose Oil in connection with hair loss related to a thyroid disorder. It seems to be helping.
Was this review helpful to you?
Good Quality
Posted by iHerb Customer on Oct 11, 2007 | Verified Purchase
All of the Source Naturals products seem to be very good. I have been using the Evening Primrose Oil in connection with hair loss related to a thyroid disorder. It seems to be helping.
I Like it So Far!
Posted by iHerb Customer on Aug 01, 2009 | Verified Purchase
Although I'm taking an herbal supplement for my hypothyroid symptoms (with my endocrinologist's approval) I still have trouble with thinning hair, eyebrows and eyelashes; after reading several articles on the benefits of taking EPO I selected Source Naturals on the suggestion of a thyroid information website; in the three months I've been taking EPO my eyelashes look fuller, my eyebrows are filling in and my hair feels thicker, even keloid acne scars I've had for years feel softer; I havent't experienced any adverse effects, and, despite their size they are not hard to swallow!
Stop hot flashes and get dewey skin
Posted by iHerb Customer on Dec 17, 2007 | Verified Purchase
Not only does this product stop the hot flashes but it has given me a better quality to my skin than I've ever known! People actually comment on the fresh youthful look of my skin at the age of 55!
Source Naturals, Evening Primrose Oil, 1350mg
Posted by iHerb Customer on Nov 18, 2009 | Verified Purchase
I love this product. I have been using this product for a short period of time an have notice great changes in my skin, and hair. I have hypothyroidism and at the beginning my hair was thinning, but I have noticed some soft hairs starting to grow back around the roots and I love it. Great product, happy I found it.
Evening Primrose Oil
Posted by iHerb Customer on Mar 05, 2008 | Verified Purchase
This product has truly helped control my hot flashes and the herb was recommended by my gynocologist! The softgels are big, so if you have trouble swallowing pills you might want to try a smaller milligram and just take two.
Be Careful . . .
Posted by iHerb Customer on Apr 02, 2010 | Verified Purchase
I followed some advice from a website to take Evening Primrose Oil if you're going through periods of hair shedding or hair loss (due to a thyroid disease). Supposedly after two months the shedding would slow down then regrowth would start up again. Apparently EPO can help prevent the conversion of testosterone to DHT which causes hair loss. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a try. Well, I took two capsules each day for about one week and my hormones went crazy. I got PMS symptoms. The most significant symptom was irritability. After two days of not taking the EPO things went back to normal. I just thought I'd share my experience . . . not that this is a bad product but just be careful it does have an effect on your hormones.
Hair loss of MS patient
Posted by iHerb Customer on Mar 30, 2009 | Verified Purchase
Patient had clumps of hair loss due to her advanced progressive secondary stage of MS. Using L-Lysine and Evening Primrose oil from Source Naturals for less than 1 month has stopped the loss of hair and new hair has begun to grow.
Working product!
Posted by iHerb Customer on May 06, 2010 | Verified Purchase
Hair around my hairline started growing in about 3 days. Skin and body tissue tone is increasingly strengthing and straightening out, for me noticeable in about one week. Gum tissue around my teeth has improved and my teeth are straightening more. Joints in my feet are less swollen, more plyable, bone is able to straighten out. The obvious improvements indicate overall health improvement and a needed addition to my diet. I had my left thyroid removed due to an injury and have hypo thyroid. My quality of life has very much improved. Thank you very much!
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Yes i have. I was almost set on one.I find those boards very intriguing I like what the germs doing with that hull thing, However i think I'm set with a small wave board i was looking for something right in between a groveler and standard shorty.
Thanks for your help tho


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Rock&Wood International Youth Hostel
Rock&Wood Youth Hostel is ideally located in the most central area of Shanghai. Less than 10 minutes walking to the two metro stations (line 3 connected the central railway station and the South r... Více...
The Phoenix
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Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel
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Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel
With our absolutely central location, this is definitely your best choice for exploring Shanghai.
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Le Tour Traveler's Rest Youth Hostel
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Blue Mountain LuWan Youth Hostel
Located right in the city centre, we're also just across the street from the metro, connecting you to pretty much everywhere in Shanghai.
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Mingtown Etour International Youth Hostel
The Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel is located in the metropolitan city in China — Shanghai! It's located in the center of the city, right in the People's Square area.
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Soho People's Square Youth Hostel
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Blue Mountain HongQiao Youth Hostel
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Green House Hostel
Hello, guys! I'm Joyce, welcome to my youth hostel, thank you for your booking. The hostel is a private house, there are 3 floor and 4 toilets.
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Shanghai Enjoy International Hostel
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City Central International Hostel
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Shanghai Hidden Garden Youth Hostel
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Captain Youth Hostel (Fuzhou Road. The Bund)
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Next Station Hostel
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Shanghai Soho Bund Youth Hostel
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CarGo hampered by lingering knee problems
PHOENIX -- The usually affable Carlos Gonzalez's mood was dragged down by his left knee, the way his game has been way too often this season.
Gonzalez was lifted after striking out in each of his three at-bats during Friday night's 5-3 loss to the D-backs, and he was not in the lineup again Saturday night. The Rockies' explanation was Gonzalez didn't feel well, and Gonzalez said the knee was the center of the issue.
"I was having a bad day during batting practice," Gonzalez said. "It's tendinitis. I'm tired of talking about it. My body was beat up. My knee was beat up. Then they decided that was it."
Gonzalez missed a month after having a benign tumor removed from his left index finger, but the tendinitis had bothered him from the start of the year to when he was shelved in early June. Gonzalez reported that the knee felt better when he returned, but it hasn't felt good consistently.
Gonzalez has said several times he wants to continue playing, and the Rockies don't believe Gonzalez is at the point where he needs to be shut down. However, there is an argument for resting, even if it means ending the season early, and going to a procedure such as stem-cell therapy to prepare for next season. But the desires of Gonzalez and the Rockies to finish strong are ruling at this point.
Such decisions are difficult when it comes to an injury like Gonzaelz's. It's not a broken bone or a muscle tear, which require a player being shut down. Knee tendinitis is one that players and clubs often feel can be manageable if they don't put the player at risk for further physical damage. Manager Walt Weiss said the Rockies will "evaluate him day to day" based on whether he is at risk of causing further damage to the knee.
However this injury is to Gonzalez's load leg, and it's limiting his effectiveness. A player who has made two All-Star Game appearances and won a batting title is hitting .238 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs in 70 games. Since his return to the lineup on July 11, he has hit .188 with three home runs, seven RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 64 at-bats.
But Gonzalez and the Rockies believe he'll feel better and play better.
"I think it's important for every player to finish strong," Weiss said. "It's important for their psyche. It's important for their confidence. It's important going into the offseason for every individual and for our club. That's what you have to gain, by going out there, performing well and finishing strong. People tend to remember how you finish and forget how you started."
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Nobody has reviewed this product yet! Want to be the first one?


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SAN LORENZO — Seven gourmet food trucks will roll into the San Lorenzo Village Shopping Center parking lot Thursday evening.
Food Truck Mafia will have the trucks in the lot at Hesperian Boulevard and Paseo Grande from 5 to 9 p.m.
The lineup for this week's San Lorenzo Street Eats is Pizza Pimps, Truckin Sweet, Tacos de los Altos, Yummi BBQ, Blast Off, My Shrimp Shack and Conklin.
The Deputy Sheriffs' Activities League will receive 10 percent of Thursday's proceeds to support its crime prevention programs. Food Truck Mafia partners with nonprofit groups at its markets.
"We feel there's a lot of school and youth programs that are hurting," said April Bibbins, Food Truck Mafia event coordinator. "We donate a portion of the sales back to whatever group we're working with."
The trucks will be in San Lorenzo every Thursday evening until probably Dec. 13. The trucks will return in the spring, Bibbins said.


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Watch: Handsome gentile poses as Jew to get girl in 'Jewtopia' trailer
If you've been having a hard time living in a world bereft of on-screen Jewish stereotypes now that a certain Bravo reality show is off the air, it's your lucky day. The "Jewtopia" trailer is here, and just like "Princesses: Long Island," it is densely packed with caricatures of Jewish women. Unlike "Princesses," though, the… More ▸


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Athletic Training
I have inflammatory arthritis of the spine plus RA. I always did a fear bit of walking. This past winter I had the flu and bronchitis twice so I couldn`t walk as much as I did. Now I am ok I am doing alot more walking. I learned from before to start out slow and build my way up again. Which I have been doing. But my lower back feels like it is always tired. Not paining but tired even if I am not walking. It doesn`t go away even if I lye down, sit, stand or walk.I don`t see my PT for another week. Could this be a sign that I am doing to much and to slow down on my walking?
Your back pain may be associated with your decreased activity as a result of your illnesses. If this a new type of pain that you have not experienced before with your walking or if the pain is not relieved with rest, I would recommend decreasing your walking and following up with your local health care provider for more evaluation as to the source of your symptoms.
Good Luck!
Janine Oman, MS, PT/ATC
Assistant Athletic Director
Instructor at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University


text:
From OpenWetWare
< OpenWetWare:Presentations
Revision as of 18:46, 11 June 2007 by Reshma P. Shetty (Talk | contribs)
A wiki for capturing and sharing biological knowledge
Reshma P. Shetty and Jeremy Muhlich
Much of the knowledge produced by biological research is passed down by oral tradition.
This makes it difficult for newcomers to enter the field.
OpenWetWare's contributions
- Democratizing and disseminating content generation
- Digitization of biological knowledge, as it is generated
Model Construction and Documentation
- YeastPheromoneModel.org -- Ty Thomson, MIT
- Agile Informatics project -- Jeremy Muhlich, HMS/CDP; Brian Joughin, MIT/ICBP
Models Are Poorly Communicated
Knowledge generated during model building is lost!
It is difficult to:
- construct a new model
- build on published models
- evaluate published models
- involve experimentalists
What About MIRIAM, SBML, etc?
- MIRIAM - Minimum Information Requested in the Annotation of Biochemical Models
- SBML - Systems Biology Markup Language
OK for publishing, but too complicated for discovery!
Can we design something more "agile" while utilizing and respecting the established standards?
OpenWetWare's success
- 2,800 contributors
- 100 labs
- 1.5 million pageviews per month
- 275,000 sessions per month


text:
In the offseason, the acquisition of Rashard Lewis was seen as a significant upgrade to the Miami Heat's thin supporting cast.
He played that part through 11 games, or before he was exiled to the bench for the past two contests, Heat victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lewis had averaged about 15 minutes per game and produced 7.2 points and 2.0 rebounds and shot better than 50 percent from the 3-point line. Still, he's been on the bench for the Heat's last 96 minutes.
"There's a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of guys that can play any given night," Lewis said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "So you've just always got to be ready when your name is called. And when your name's not called, you've still got to be ready."
Lewis, who sat both games because of a "coach's decision," told the Sun Sentinel that health has not played a part in his decline in minutes, although coach Erik Spoelstra listed a cold as the reason Lewis sat out two games ago. Lewis said Spoelstra alerted him to coming changes in the bench rotation.
"He said he's going to change the lineup, the second unit for a little bit, trying to see what else he can do, work with some things, just be patient with him, just see what happens," Lewis said.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
March 18, 2013
Baseball Prospectus News
Replacement Level and 10-Year Projections
From time to time—if not at all times—organizations must examine their own operations and ask some difficult questions.
The answers often reveal a range of things done right and things done wrong. Healthy organizations can handle those answers in more than one way—there are many routes to success, but even more to failure—but one hallmark of organizational integrity, to borrow from James Collins, is looking in the mirror when assigning blame and out the window when giving praise.
Here at BP we've been faced with an opportunity to ask ourselves some questions, and we've decided to grapple with the answers, even though in some cases we don't like them. In short, we have work to do in order to live up to our own high expectations. Despite our pride in much of the progress Baseball Prospectus has made, now is not the time to rest on our laurels. And some recent events make that abundantly clear.
After the 2010 season, Colin Wyers wrote about replacement level and how he was improving its integration with the rest of the component stats at Baseball Prospectus.
The goal of making WARP play well with the component statistics left behind at BP by previous staffers was worthwhile, but the implementation caused problems: We inadvertently raised replacement level for 2011 and 2012. Taking a summation of the WARP or VORP values for those two seasons resulted in league totals which weren't in line with pre-2011 data. They were much lower. By implication, this meant that replacement level was much higher, or that a "replacement level team" would win more games than the data had indicated for previous seasons.
At any point starting in about May of 2011, it should have been clear to anyone looking closely at the stats that something was different, and not just because Colin had re-engineered (read: greatly improved) some of the WARP formulae or because offense was down in 2011.
For the record, we know that these re-engineered formulae work. The chart below shows league-wide WARP totals by year since 2000, along with the winning percentage of a notional "replacement level team" (really, it's just a subtraction of WARP from wins, so there's some noise there for a variety of good reasons, but it's close enough to give a good idea).
Voila! Exactly the results we'd hoped to get.
One of the steps we take to improve the speed of queries—and thus to expand the scope of subjects we are able to research—is to put the seasonal replacement level for each event into our events database. In that process, we allowed some bad data to be introduced in 2011. We didn't catch it. It really was that simple, the data equivalent of a typo. We've corrected the data, and Baseball Prospectus WARP values for 2011 and 2012 are now representative of the theory we meant for them to represent.
Two additional things need to be pointed out about the scope of this problem: first, VORP was also affected, though FRAA and BRR were not—this was entirely an "at the plate" and "on the mound" problem. Also, slight adjustments to some previous-season WARP values were made, as some of our calculations rely on a multi-year smoothing of baseline data, even including forward-looking data when available.
While we're on the subject of evaluating our data, we've decided, after extensive testing, that the 10-year projections just weren't producing the results we desired. It's difficult to evaluate long-term projections, and we intend to make that a more standardized, easily repeatable process in the future, but we hold our work up to a certain standard, and in this case, we didn't feel that that standard was being met. Instead of putting out an inferior product, we've essentially ordered the design team back to the drawing board to get 10-year projections and UPSIDE correctly formulated and out to the public in a timely manner going forward. We will be releasing the PECOTA percentiles soon, and that will conclude our pre-season projections releases.
It's not enough to fix these problems. We will be addressing these issues at their root—with a hard look at and overhaul of our internal processes and quality control.
But we also want to regain your trust. So we're going to open the kimono and make our work transparent. Not only will this create a wealth of knowledge for everyone involved—readers and writers alike—but it will give BP the opportunity to leverage the wisdom of crowds.
We've recently named Harry Pavlidis our Director of Data Analysis. His first responsibility is to lead this effort. It will be a team undertaking, with all hands on deck. We will be sharing our progress and plans as they develop. But right now we're looking in the mirror. Looking hard.
Harry's first task is to conduct a full audit of our systems and stats. In essence, we're making him do his "day job"—assessing our systems and developing a plan to move forward. Harry will be bringing a process-driven approach to the effort, with the ultimate goal of improving our stat offerings. The experience he has in this area ranges from tiny start-ups to large, publicly traded companies. We'll all be working together to find the best-fitting tools and processes to bring BP up to the level of operational excellence we all expect.
Finally, I want to personally apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused our readers. The people we employ at BP are perfectionists. They spend more hours than anyone knows to get things done right and in a timely manner. They love this game and this company with a passion and will gladly fall on their sword if it means building a bigger and better Baseball Prospectus in the future. But if something goes awry at BP, it's my fault and mine alone. I'm ultimately in charge, and I take full responsibility for any and all of our shortcomings. I've made mistakes and deserve any criticisms I receive. I may hold Baseball Prospectus to a high standard, but I hold myself to an even higher one. I'm sincerely sorry, and I promise you that I will continue to devote my blood, sweat, and tears to make BP the best it can possibly be.
Joe Hamrahi is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
36 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Any way to dig up the code from Nate Silver's last year running PECOTA, and produce some provisional projections for this year? Even if they were flawed, they seemed to be fundamentally sound and offered an alternative view of the career paths of important players.
Mar 18, 2013 03:36 AM
I assume you mean the 10 year projections...I really wish it were that simple. And believe me, something that may have been sound 5 years ago, may not be sound today. I know it's hard to take my word for that, but it's true. And honestly, we want to get things right for the long haul. Even if we could reconstruct Nate's code from 2008, and it was relevant, we don't just want to patch in a one time fix. Otherwise we'll be going through this situation every year. Thank you though. I understand your desire for the numbers, and that's why we're taking this VERY seriously.
Mar 18, 2013 10:41 AM
Joe, thanks for this.
Mar 18, 2013 07:10 AM
The plan is to look at all aspects of our projections...from single year projections to multiple year projections and all the inputs that go into them. There's a lot more data available now than when Nate started the PECOTA process, and I, for one, would like to start incorporating more of it into our forecasts.
Mar 18, 2013 10:46 AM
Kevin Ebert
We all appreciate the amount of work and effort that you guys put into the site. Believe me, it doesn't go unnoticed. I'm sure you guys will get it right.
Mar 18, 2013 07:23 AM
Yes, in fact, Colin is in discussion with Sean and the guys at Fangraphs.
Mar 18, 2013 10:34 AM
I, for one, would be perfectly content with a seven-year projection. Ten years seems to me to be the equivalent of searching for signs of life on an extra-terrestrial planet with an optical telescope. What's the length of the average major-league career? Something like four years? I understand about the urge to get it right for a longer timeframe, but more correct over a shorter range is better, I feel.
Mar 18, 2013 07:51 AM
If we can do 7, we can do 10. It's not so much the amount of years as it is the formula, the aging curves, the inputs, etc. But I appreciate the comment, and we will look at all the options.
Mar 18, 2013 10:36 AM
Joe, I'm sure you can do it, but at what point does the projection not only lose its ability to convey meaningful information but actually have its necessary uncertainty undermine the perceived value of the rest of the system?. That is to say, at a certain point of uncertainty, the mere presence of having data may suggest a level confidence that simply cannot be "undone". Or put differently still, simply having a 10-year projection may project a hubris that turns off a less sophisticated consumer and which no amount of "but look at the confidence intervals" can offset.
Mar 19, 2013 10:09 AM
Those are excellent points...even better because I had the same thoughts the past few years! It seems as though the consumers, though, want the 10 year projections so that's what we're going to try first. It doesn't mean we can't alter the plan in the future. This is an ongoing process, and I don't think we'll be disappearing anytime soon...at least I hope we won't be There are lots of interesting things we want to uncover and experiment with, and forecasts and projections are some of them. Thanks
Mar 19, 2013 10:52 AM
Does this have any effect on the data from the Player Forecast Manager?
Mar 18, 2013 09:05 AM
Lloyd Cole
Good for you. This is a great way to run a business, and to communicate with your clients.
Mar 18, 2013 09:48 AM
I think just some basic stat availability enhancements would be very useful; like what team a player is currently on, whether he hits Left/Right/Switch, etc, downloadable into a CSV. The ability to download CSVs is useful and appreciated, but another consideration might be the development of a baseball statistic API for subscribers. To my knowledge, there isn't a good one out there today aimed at individuals and having an API could be a differentiator for BP.
Mar 18, 2013 10:09 AM
I work in software development, so I'm familiar with mistakes being made, processes being scrutinized and improved, apologies made with difficult explanations, etc. Personally, I wince at these kinds of apologies. It is tempting for the business side to see a mistake in development and feel compelled to solve every problem with broad strokes, like improving the process.
Mar 18, 2013 11:56 AM
What percentage of BWARP is hitting and what percentage is fielding? Is this a fixed percentage or does it change from season to season?
Mar 18, 2013 11:58 AM
Hi Barry,
Mar 18, 2013 12:32 PM
Mar 18, 2013 14:37 PM
Mar 18, 2013 14:45 PM
The erroneous numbers represented a much lower WARP total, and are not shown here.
Mar 18, 2013 19:11 PM
Okay. Before I can use WARP and refer to it like it's a meaningful metric, I need to have some confidence in it. I need to be able to understand how numbers are arrived at which are counter-intuitive.
Mar 18, 2013 19:52 PM
There are two different topics really being addressed here Barry. The focus of today's announcement was purely on replacement level. Your question goes more to the core of WARP. We didn't discuss it here, but we intend on peeling back WARP one layer at a time over the next several months to provide insight into understanding the metric. So if you can hold your thoughts until we start that discussion, I think you'll get more of the answers you're looking for.
Mar 18, 2013 22:11 PM
Sorry, Joe, I didn't mean to hijack your topic. It's just that you raised the subject and presented me with numbers in a format which immediately led me to questions which couldn't really wait, as the numbers are sitting there and will probably not be presented in the future.
Mar 18, 2013 23:26 PM
You're not hijacking the topic, and I appreciate the fact you want answers, but we're not going to go into all the details, calculations, assumptions, etc. here. After we roll out the information on WARP, and you have many more details, if you still have questions, we'll answer them. That discussion will go to the heart of the reliability of the metric itself...which is what you're looking for.
Mar 19, 2013 09:38 AM
In recent years, BP's articles -- which is to say the insights, prose, and wit of its editorial staff -- have become a bigger draw for me than PECOTA. I'm obviously all for the process review and (presumed) improvements in your core analytical offerings, but let me take this moment to congratulate everyone at BP on a site that is delightful and thought-provoking far beyond the projections arms race.
Mar 18, 2013 19:03 PM
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. I really do. We do some great things, but I'm not satisfied with that. I want to do even better things, and products like the 10-year projections and UPSIDE are the next to get a bulk of our attention.
Mar 18, 2013 22:03 PM
Richard Bergstrom
I'll echo that. I originally came to BP for PECOTA and comparables and projections and VORP/WARP. I stay for the articles and insight but, sadly, haven't cared for WARP in awhile (though the comparables in this year's Annual were better than previous years). FRAA just seems to affect WARP so much that it's hard for me to really consider it anymore.
Mar 18, 2013 23:39 PM
It was probably about 4-6 weeks ago when we were looking at the framework for the long term projections. From there we had to perform several tests to make sure what we thought was wrong, was truly wrong. Then we had to clean the data, rerun the new calculations, test it again, etc. and that leaves us where we are today.
Mar 19, 2013 05:43 AM
I really appreciate this message. UPSIDE was the reason I continued subscribing to BP for my first few years here and its demise was the reason I stopped (a friend was kind enough to gift me a subscription this year). Do you expect UPSIDE/10-year projections to be ready for next year?
Mar 18, 2013 20:52 PM
Yes, I fully expect both UPSIDE and 10-year projections to be ready for next year. I don't want to put a specific time frame on it this far in advance, but the main purpose behind adding resources is to devote more attention to both those products.
Mar 18, 2013 22:00 PM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
I want this to be a series of companion threads to Jose Slaughter's "The PD NBA Draft" threads.
That series will be about predicting what will happen on draft night. Picking based on what you think that the team in question will do.
What THIS series of threads is going to be for, is to simply generate a PD-consensus ranking of the best picks. The objective is to look at who is on the board, and say to yourself "If I'm trying to take the best talent, not just for today, but for the long-term, what is the best pick to make?"
My apologies/thanks to Jose Slaughter in advance. I'm only able to do this because of his work creating the lists of players out there and his work providing the details on some of those players, which I will be using for this series as well.
Jose will be going every three days, and I will match him. That means this first pick will be cut short by a day, but after that we'll be lined up.
Who is the best player on the board as of the 1st pick in the 2008 draft?
What is the overall best pick to make if you are looking for the best player REGARDLESS of whether they already are, or soon will be.
Point Guards
1. Derrick Rose
College: Memphis
Class: Freshman
Position: PG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190lbs
First Team USA Today All-USA – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), Illinois Mr. Basketball – Chicago Tribune – high school (07), All-State – Illinois – high school (07 & 06), Fourth Team Parade All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American – high school (05).
Scouting Report:
The best point guard prospect in this year's draft.
Off-the-charts athlete – NBA athleticism. Is lightning quick on the court. Explosive leaper who can attack the rim. Fantastic one-on-one moves – killer crossover, shake-and-bake moves. Great ball handler. Can beat any defender off the dribble and knife into the heart of the defense to create for teammates or score on his own. Can hit difficult shots over defenders. Quick on defense and can be a tough defender. Strong physique with good body control. Good rebounder for a point guard.
Still very young and inexperienced, especially for a point guard. Will take time to learn to run the offense for an NBA team. Not a lot of range on his jumper – hits less than one three-pointer a game in college. Can take questionable shots at times. Playing in Conference USA he didn't get to go up against NBA prospects on a nightly basis. Despite some highly-touted point guard prospects, Coach Calipari has never produced a top-tier NBA point guard.
Projected 2008 Draft Range:
Second overall pick.
Athletic point guards like Rose don't come around everyday, so depending on how the rest of the season and the pre-draft workouts pan out, he very well may go first overall. His package of skills and athleticism should make him a star at both ends of the floor in the pro game. With all due respect to Jalen and Malik, Derrick should very easily become the best Rose to bloom in the NBA's history.
2. Jerryd Bayless
College: Arizona
Class: Freshman
Position: PG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 193lbs
Accolades: Gatorade Player of the Year – Arizona – high school (06 & 07), First Team All-Arizona – high school (04, 05, 06, 07), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), USA U-18 Team (06).
Scouting Report: A lightning quick scoring point guard.
Strengths: Blow-by quickness – leaves defenders in the dust. Great slasher – gets to the hoop and finishes. Great at drawing fouls and a superb free throw shooter. Solid, quick defender. An explosive scorer – had three straight 30-plus point games in Pac-10 competition this year. Three-point range on his jumper. Versatile – can play both guard spots. Can elevate and hit his jumper over defenders. Can be unstoppable off the dribble – very good at getting by and/or eluding defenders. Decent assist man. Shoots for a high percentage for a guard.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced – only one year of college. Is not really a true point guard – more of a combo guard. More of a scorer than a passer. Turns the ball over too much. Will need time to learn to run an NBA offense and learn the pro point guard game. A little undersized for the NBA, especially if he plays some shooting guard.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Between number three and number six overall.
Consensus: Bayless' draft stock has exploded as the season has gone on and he continues to pile the points on the board. His offensive skills are NBA ready, but in order to really excel he will have to become more of a point guard or risk becoming a dreaded "tweener".
3. D.J. Augustin
College: Texas
Class: Sophomore
Position: PG
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180lbs
Accolades: Wooden Award All-American (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), All-Big 12 First Team (08), Bob Cousy Award Winner (08), First Team All-American - AP (08), NCAA Tournament South Regional Team (08), Big 12 All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), Freshman All-American (07), All-Big 12 Second Team (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), First Team All-Freshman Team – CHN (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (06), Fourth-Team All-American – Parade – high school (06).
Scouting Report: A diminutive floor general with lots of game.
Strengths: Lightning quick. Can get into the lane with ease. Good leaper. Uncanny knack for splitting double-teams. Good ability to use the rim as a shield and hit tough lay-ups to avoid defenders. Excellent playmaker and passer. Takes great care of the ball – twice as many assists as turnovers. Solid physique. Prolific scorer – nineteen 20-plus point games his sophomore year. Good three-point shooter – hit about two a game this year. Solid free throw shooter. Used to playing heavy minutes.
Weaknesses: Height – will be vastly undersized for the NBA - may actually be 5'11". Bigger, stronger NBA guards will give him problems on both ends of the floor (like against Memphis in the Elite Eight). Can be a streaky scorer – went 3 for 25 from the field combined in back-to-back games. Doesn't shoot for an extremely high percentage.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery to late first round pick.
Consensus: If D.J. Augustin is to excel in the NBA he will have to be a trendsetter - there are currently no sub-six foot stars in the League. There is no doubt he has the speed, skill-set and intelligence to play at the next level, but to become a star he will have to be find a way to slay the NBA's Goliaths.
4. Russell Westbrook
College: UCLA
Class: Sophomore
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 189lbs
Accolades: Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Third Team All-Pac-10 (08).
Scouting Report: An NBA-level athlete able to play both backcourt positions.
Strengths: Versatile – can ably play both point and shooting guard positions. Tremendous athlete. Can jump out of the gym. Great defender – had 63 steals his sophomore year. Very good assist man who takes good care of the ball. Has three-point range on his jumper. Capable scorer. Long wingspan. Big hands. Got to practice against some very good guards his two years at UCLA. Great work ethic. Game seems to vastly improve with each year – late bloomer.
Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – didn't play many minutes his freshman year. Will need more experience playing the point guard spot. Needs to become a more consistent outside shooter. Still quite inconsistent and streaky. Is he a dreaded "tweener" (no real position)?
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.
Consensus: Westbrook is an NBA highlight reel type of athlete that excels at both ends of the floor. His ability to play both guard positions makes him even more valuable, however, due to his size he will have to become more of a pure point guard. With his skills and athletic ability the sky is the limit.
Shooting Guards
1. O.J. Mayo
College: USC
Class: Freshman
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200lbs
West Virginia Player of the Year – high school (07), EA Sports National High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year (07), McDonald's All-American (07), First Team Parade All-American (07), First Team Parade All-American (06), Second Team Parade All-American (05), First Team USA Today All-USA Team (07, 06, 05), Mr. Basketball – Ohio – high school (06 & 05).
Scouting Report:
Much-hyped combo guard with a solid all-around game.
Prolific scorer – averaging over 20 ppg as a freshman in the Pac-10 is quite a feat. Great body control. Good ball handler and a great passer. Capable of playing either guard positions. Strong physique. Good range on jumper. Solid free throw shooter. Solid defender. Can hit difficult shots with defense on him. Used to pressure/attention – has been in the spotlight since before high school.
Takes a lot of shots – needs the ball. Takes questionable shots. Turnover prone – more turnovers than assists. On court & off court incidents in high school raised concerns about his attitude/character. Older than other freshmen – will be turning 21-years-old at start of next NBA season. Still inexperienced, only playing one year of college ball.
Projected 2008 Draft Range:
Top 10 pick.
With the exception of LeBron James, few players can live up to the hype heaped on them at an early age. O.J. Mayo is one of those players. Projected as a NBA superstar since the seventh grade, Mayo has fallen out of favor as of late. Still, he is a spectacular basketball player and should have no trouble becoming an impact NBA player. Whether he will become the superstar he was projected to be is up in the air still.
2. Eric Gordon
College: Indiana
Class: Freshman
Position: SG
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 215lbs
Mr. Basketball – Indiana – high school (07), Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year – high school (07), McDonald's All-American (07).
Scouting Report:
An explosive, athletic shooting guard.
An explosive scorer – topped 30 points in three of his first four NCAA games. Capable passer with decent court vision. Very quick and athletic. Relentlessly attacks the hoop. Great leaper. Very sweet looking shot. Shoots for a very high percentage from the floor, the foul line and behind the three-point arc. Strong build – NBA strength. Poised - used to playing in front of hostile crowds.
Undersized for an NBA two-guard – some sites have him listed at only 6'3". Very young and inexperienced – will only be 19-years-old when the NBA season tips off. Turnover prone – notches more turnovers than assists. Needs to work on point guard skills for the NBA.
Projected 2008 Draft Range:
Top five pick.
Gordon's athleticism, explosiveness, strength and skills should allow him to score a bunch at the NBA level. The key for him to really excel is to develop his point guard skills (or grow a couple of inches).
3. Chris Douglas-Roberts
College: Memphis
Class: Junior
Position: SG
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 200lbs
Accolades: First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), Wooden Award All-American Team (08), Conference USA Player of the Year (08), All-Conference USA First Team (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (08), NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (07), NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team (07), Conference USA Tournament MVP (07), Conference USA All-Tournament Team (07), All-Conference USA First Team (07), Conference USA All-Freshman Team (06).
Scouting Report: A very unorthodox, yet deadly, wing player.
Strengths: Great slasher. Very good floater shot he is confident shooting from deep. Long arms (6'9" wingspan). Experience playing in big games. Decent ball handler. Good rebounder. Good height/length for an NBA two guard. Used to being the go-to guy on one of the country's best teams. Decent defender – long arms helps get steals. Accurate three-point shooter. Shot for a fantastic average for a guard – over 53% FG all three years in college. Crafty player – knows how to get the job down.
Weaknesses: Very thin – needs to bulk up a bit for the NBA. Not an off-the-charts athlete. Didn't play in one of the top conferences. Can he guard the NBA's top wing players? Needs to improve his assists to turnovers to play guard in the NBA. Good three-point shooter but didn't hit very many – just over one a game. Missed clutch free throws in the NCAA championship game.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.
Consensus: CDR couldn't have had a much better junior season with the Tigers (besides that loss to Kansas). It is hard to pin down how effective he will be in the NBA with his unique style, but with his good length and tricky game he should make a nice living in the NBA.
Small Forwards
1. Danilo Gallinari
Team: AJ Milano
Birth Year: 1988
Position: SF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 209lbs
Accolades: Italian League All-Star (07), Italian U-16 National Team, Italian U-18 National Team, Italian National Team.
Scouting Report: A strong, highly skilled Italian prospect.
Strengths: Young but experienced – played pro since 2004. Plays in the top league outside of the NBA, the Euroleague. Despite being only 19-years-old, he is the best player on his team. Very good offensive player. Great shooting stroke. Long arms. Very good off the dribble – can go left or right and finishes strong. Great leaper. Can hit the tough shot. Shooting range extends to three-point territory. Good size and strength for a small forward. Solid defender – moves feet, blocks shots, grabs steals. Great free throw shooter and knows how to get himself to the line.
Weaknesses: Needs to improve his three-point accuracy, and get used to the deeper NBA line. Quick and strong for Europe, but is he athletic and strong enough to guard NBA small or power forwards? Still isn't totally consistent – had a zero point Euroleague outing. Will take time to adjust to the NBA game. Still young – won't turn 20-years-old until August.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.
Consensus: Gallinari is a very impressive NBA prospect and should be a solid NBA pro. Whether he has as much "upside" as a prospect like Nicolas Batum is debatable, but Gallinari is definitely more NBA-ready than Batum and has the potential to be an above average NBA player.
2. Donte Greene
College: Syracuse
Class: Freshman
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 226 lbs
Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman – CHN (08), Second Team All-Big East (08), Big East All-Rookie Team (08), USA Under-19 National Team (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), First Team All-American – Parade – high school (07), Second Team All-USA Today – high school (07), USA Under-18 National Team (06).
Scouting Report: An athletic forward with great size for the wing spot.
Strengths: Great size for the small forward position. Great shooting touch. Can hit shots over defenders. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point arc – hit almost three three-pointers a game his freshman season. Versatile scorer – three-pointers, fast-breaks, one-on-one moves. Can get out and run the floor. Very good rebounder. Good vertical. Can be an explosive scorer – fourteen 20 plus point games his freshman year.
Weaknesses: Doesn't have an above-average wingspan. Can he guard NBA small forwards or power forwards? Played mostly zone defense at Syracuse. Needs to work on his ball-handling. Inexperienced – only one year of college. Needs to cut down on turnovers – had more turnovers than assists this year. Shoots way too many three-pointers – almost eight a game. Needs to get stronger and bigger. His three-point accuracy (less than 35%) needs to improve. Inconsistent.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.
Consensus: There aren't too many guys with Donte' Greene's size, athleticism and shooting range so NBA teams will be intrigued by him. But his draft stock is all over the board and he could use at least another year in college to get his body ready for the pros and to improve his consistency.
3. Nicolas Batum
Team: Le Mans
Birth Year: 1988
Position: SF
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 210lbs
Accolades: French Junior National Team, LNB All-Star – France pro league (07).
Scouting Report: A long, athletic wingman with huge upside.
Strengths: Huge wingspan – over 7 feet. Great height/length for a small forward. Used to going up against top-notch competition – currently plays in the world's second best pro league, the Euroleague. Held his own against the States' top high school players in last year's Nike Hoop Summit – 23 points. Shoots for a high percentage. Shooting range goes out beyond the three-point line. Very athletic – can get out and run and has good leaping ability. Length comes in handy on the defensive end – deflects passes and blocks shots. Very good playmaker for a wing player.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent – doesn't always assert himself. Needs to add strength and weight for the NBA game. Very young – won't turn 20-years-old until December. Needs to improve his three-point accuracy. Needs to work on his shooting mechanics – needs to follow through more. More potential than finished product right now.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick.
Consensus: Batum's combination of length and athleticism has NBA scouts drooling. Whoever drafts him will have to be patient, but as his game and body matures Batum could be an excellent NBA pro. However, similar to fellow Frechman Boris Diaw, Batum can get you a triple-double one night and then bring nothing to the stat sheet the next – his consistency and aggression level have been questioned.
Power Forwards
1. Michael Beasley
College: Kansas State
Class: Freshman
Position: PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 235lbs
USA Basketball U-19 Team (07), USA Basketball Junior National Team (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), McDonald's All-American Game MVP (07), Second Team USA Today All-USA (07), USA Basketball U-18 Team (06), Second Team Parade All-American (06), Third Team USA Today All-USA (06).
Scouting Report:
This year's Kevin Durant – a dominant freshman.
Exceptional offensive skill set. Incredible inside/outside game – very quick, smooth in the post. Can step outside and drop the three. Able to beat his man off the dribble. Capable of explosive scoring nights. Great rebounder – a double-double waiting to happen each night. Racks up steals and blocks. Has proven to be very consistent in college. Has dominated in one of the top conferences in the NCAA. Has NBA athleticism and jumping ability.
Still inexperienced and young – just turned 19 and only played one year of college. Turns the ball over too much for a post player. Is he an NBA small forward or power forward? Can he guard anyone in the NBA – is he quick enough to cover small forwards, strong enough for power forwards? Probably still not strong/muscular enough to dominate in the post in the NBA. Off the court question marks – bounced around at many high schools; questions about his maturity and attitude. Has been compared to Derrick Coleman and Zach Randolph – yikes!
Projected 2008 Draft Range:
First overall pick.
Beasley's dominant play this season looks to have made him a lock to have his name called first in this year's draft. While there has been question marks concerning his attitude and maturity, he hasn't been involved in any incidents while at Kansas State. While he might not be as good a prospect as Oden & Durant last year, if he keeps his head on straight he should be a future NBA All-Star.
2. Kevin Love
College: UCLA
Class: Freshman
Position: PF/C
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 260lbs
Accolades: Wooden All-American (08), First Team All-American – AP (08), First Team All-American – USBWA (08), First Team All-American – CHN (08), First Team All-Freshman – CHN (08), Pac-10 Player of the Year (08), First Team All-Pac-10 (08), Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (08), Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (08), Honorable Mention Pac-10 All-Defensive Team (08), Male High School Player of the Year – Naismith, Wooden, USA Today, McDonald's, Parade, National High School Coaches Association (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (07), Gatorade National Male Athlete of the Year – high school (07), First Team Parade All-American – high school (06).
Scouting Report: A man among boys in the post his freshman collegiate season.
Strengths: Extremely strong and solid – gets position down low and is impossible to move. Very smart player. Supremely talented passer – excels leading fast breaks with long inbounds passes. Very strong passer also – can chest pass the full length of the court. Good low post scorer. Wide body. Has range on his jumper out beyond the collegiate three-point line. Good genes – his dad was an NBA player. Has proven to be a winner at the collegiate level. Solid free throw shooter.
Weaknesses: Not an NBA athlete – not much of a leaper, not super quick getting up and down the floor. Lacks explosiveness. Very inexperienced with only one year of college under his belt. Will be short for the post in the NBA – may only be 6'9". Lacks foot speed to guard the athletes in the NBA. Doesn't have the "upside" you'd hope to get with a lottery pick. Needs to get his body into better shape for the NBA.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery Pick
Consensus: While it must be very difficult to pass up a chance to be a NBA lottery pick, Kevin Love may regret giving up his last three years of college eligibility. Love had the chance to go down as one of the best players to ever suit up for UCLA, but instead he will enter the NBA where his lack of height, athleticism and explosiveness will limit him. While he probably won't be a star in the pros, his smarts, strength and passing ability will allow him to carve out a career in the NBA.
3. Anthony Randolph
College: LSU
Class: Freshman
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 205lbs
Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Freshman Team – CHN (08), All-SEC Honorable Mention – AP (08), SEC All-Freshman Team (08), Fourth Team Parade All-American – high school (07).
Scouting Report: A long, lean highly skilled forward
Strengths: Wingspan – uses long limbs to his benefit on offense and defense. Great at blocking and altering shots. Very quick/athletic for his height. Competitive spirit. Quick face up post moves. Good leaping ability. Good shooting touch for a player his size. Fast feet on defense. Good ballhandler for an almost 7-footer. Capable of playing out on the wing or in the post. Lots of potential. Good rebounder – had nine double-digit rebounding games his freshman year. Good at slashing and getting to the hoop. Gets to the free throw line a decent amount of times.
Weaknesses: Very thin – will get abused in the post in the NBA. Very inexperienced. Turnover prone – averaged three turnovers a game. Can he guard NBA post players? Will need to improve his three-point touch if he is to play the wing in the NBA. Played mostly power forward in college.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 to Lottery Pick
Consensus: Anthony Randolph is the ultimate "potential" pick – he's not ready for the NBA yet, but his package of skills and length make him real attractive to potential suitors. He could end up being a star, but on the flip side, his game and body needs enough work that he also could turn out to be a bust.
4. Darrell Arthur
College: Kansas
Class: Sophomore
Position: PF
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 225lbs
Accolades: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (07), Big 12 All-Rookie Team (07), USA U-19 Team (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American (06), co-Mr. Basketball – Texas – high school (06), 4A Player of the Year – Texas – high school (05 & 06), 4A State Title Tournament MVP – Texas – high school (05 & 06).
Scouting Report: An ideal NBA prospect – big, strong, athletic, and skilled.
Strengths: Very athletic for his size – can run the floor, good jumping ability. Good range on his jumper. Solid back to the basket moves. Gets good position in post and attacks. Good passer. Good shot blocker. Has the ability to take his man off the dribble. Long wingspan.
Weaknesses: Will need to add some weight/strength to play the post in the NBA. Still inexperienced and young. Due to Kansas' depth he never played major minutes in college – averaged less than 20 mpg his freshman year, less than 24 mpg his sophomore season. Also never put up big stats due to the Jayhawks' depth. Foul prone.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Lottery pick to mid-first round pick.
Consensus: Watching Arthur play he just looks the part of an NBA prospect. With decent size, wingspan and offensive skills, Arthur is made for the pro game. He might not be ready right away, but within a few seasons he should be a NBA starter.
1. Brook Lopez
College: Stanford
Class: Sophomore
Position: PF
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 260lbs
Accolades: Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 (07), All-Pac-10 Freshman Team (07), McDonald's All-American – high school (06), Third Team Parade All-American (06).
Scouting Report:
An athletic big man with tons of potential.
Strengths: Long, lean and athletic – has a NBA frame that looks like it is capable of filling out even more. Can run the floor well for a big man. Plays tough – not afraid to go to the floor and mix it up. Nice jump hook shot that he uses often. Soft touch down low. Catches the ball and attacks immediately in the post – not hesitant. Good shot blocker. Good free throw shooter, especially for a big man. Very good at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Capable of explosive scoring outbursts.
Weaknesses: Still inexperienced – missed first five games last season and first nine games this year. Needs to develop more moves in the post – uses the jump hook too often. Shoots for a much lower field goal percentage (under 50%) than other top big man prospects. Is foul prone. Would like to see more boards from a player with his size and skills.
Projected 2008 Draft Range:
Top five pick.
Consensus: The best big man prospect in the draft not named Beasley, Lopez should make whatever NBA drafts him very happy. He should be a solid pro with the potential to be even better than that.
2. Kosta Koufos
College: Ohio State
Class: Freshman
Position: PF/C
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 265lbs
Accolades: NIT Championship MVP (08), Third Team All-Big Ten (08), Big Ten All-Freshman Team (08), McDonald's All-American – high school (07), Greek Under-18 National Team (07), Under-18 European Championship MVP (07), Third Team All-American – Parade – high school (07).
Scouting Report: A highly skilled big man with high-level international experience.
Strengths: Big, strong frame. Along with 7-foot height he has a long wingspan. Hard worker – a gym rat. Good hands. Able to put the ball on the floor to score. Uses the glass wisely on jump shots. Tough rebounder. Possesses three-point range on his jumper. Great face up shooter. Soft touch down low. Great shot blocker. Was the best player at a high-level international tournament last summer. Seems to play better in big games.
Weaknesses: Not super fast or athletic. Tends to face-up to the hoop more than post up. Can drift out to beyond the arc too often. Still inexperienced – big guys tend to need more time to develop. Does he have the foot speed to guard mobile NBA big men?
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid first round pick.
Consensus: Players with Kosta Koufos' size and skill package don't come along too often, so his decision to enter the draft shouldn't come as a surprise. While he would probably benefit from at least another year in college, Koufos should be an early pick this year and could pan out to be an above-average pro.
3. DeAndre Jordan
College: Texas A&M
Class: Freshman?
Position: C
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 240lbs
Accolades: Third Team Parade All-American – high school (07), USA U-19 Team (07), Two-time All-State – Texas – high school.
Scouting Report: A big man with big "upside"
Strengths: Long wingspan – blocks and alters shots with it. Soft hands in the post – catches difficult passes and converts. Good springs – can get off the floor. Can run the floor well for a big body. Good at getting post position. Solid rebounder. Shoots for a very high percentage from the field.
Weaknesses: Still more prospect than NBA player right now – will need time to develop. Very inexperienced – only played one season of college ball and didn't play huge minutes (about 20/game). Productivity declined as his freshman season went on. Still a little clumsy. Needs to add some more muscle to his frame. Horrible free throw shooter – barely above 40%. Offensive game is still a work in progress – averages less than 10 points per game.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top 10 pick.
Consensus: Whichever NBA team drafts Jordan will have to be patient with him. As the Lakers can attest with Andrew Bynum, the wait could be well worth it as Jordan has all the makings of a quality NBA big.
4. JaVale McGee
College: Nevada
Class: Sophomore
Position: PF/C
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 237lbs
Accolades: Second Team All-WAC (08), WAC All-Defensive Team (08).
Scouting Report: A long, athletic 7-footer.
Strengths: Extremely long wingspan – reportedly measuring at 7'6". Very athletic for his size. Can run the floor. Attacks the rim and dunks often. Good hands. Makes quick moves once he gets the ball. Terrific shot-blocker. Has a good hook shot in the post. Has range on his jumper – can hit the college three-pointer. Able to put the ball on the floor and get by defenders.
Weaknesses: Very inexperienced – only played significant minutes his sophomore year. Didn't play in a BCS conference, so didn't go up against top talent every game. Poor free throw shooter. Needs to get physically stronger for the NBA. Will have to learn to post up stronger for the NBA. NBA players will be able to overpower him and back him down when he is on defense. Extremely turnover prone – had four times as many turnovers than assists this past season.
Projected 2008 Draft Range: Late lottery to mid first round pick.
Consensus: JaVale McGee is the ultimate "high-risk, high-reward" pick. His length and athleticism are very enticing, but with his game and body still a work in progress there is no guarantee he'll ever turn out to be a solid NBA pro.