Cory (Indy): In your estimation Chad, are the Pacers headed in the right direction? Do you see both Ford and Jack on the team next year?
SportsNation Chad Ford: Yes. They've gotten rid of the riff raff. They play very hard every night. Danny Granger has emerged as a star. Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert have looked strong down the end stretch. They'll have a lottery pick in the upcoming draft. Larry Bird and David Morway have done a terrific job rebuilding this team on the fly. They almost made the playoffs despite losing Dunleavy for most of the season (and probably most of next season too). As for Ford and Jack, I wonder if they'll re-sign Jack. Depends on what he gets offered.
No real surprises there. But, I did find this draft news interesting:
Mike, FL: Is John Wall the No. 1 pick in 2010 Draft. He was awesome at the Hoop Summit game.
SportsNation Chad Ford: He was awesome and he'll compete with Ed Davis and a few other freshmen for that. However, there is some buzz that Wall believes he might be eligible for THIS year's draft. I've been doing some digging and will be filing a story later today. The short rub is this: Wall is a 5th year senior and depending on how you read the collective bargaining agreement, 5th year seniors are eligible for the draft as long as the turn 19 in the calander year (Wall does). The league is taking a wait and see approach. If he declares, they'll research and make a ruling. If he does declare and is ruled eligible (two big ifs) he's a Top 5 pick in this draft. Maybe Top 3.
That would make a top-3 lotto spot more interesting.