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Morehead State star and the NCAA's all-time rebounding leader Kenneth Faried continues auditioning for pro teams in hopes of possibly landing in the lottery. Today his latest workout will take him to Portland where he will play in front of Blazers executives and scouts. Portland owns the 21st and 42nd picks in the 2011 draft and features quite a bit of uncertainty in their frontcourt after burgeoning star LaMarcus Aldridge. Greg Oden's status is in a constant state of flux, Marcus Camby is near the end of his career, and the duo of Chris Johnson and Earl Barron are not currently under contract for next season. For a team that ranked 24th in the NBA in defensive rebound rate (though 3rd in offensive rebound rate), drafting a high energy forward like Faried could make a lot of sense. The 6-foot-8 senior (6-foot-6 without shoes) is currently projected to go 20th overall by DraftExpress, with Portland selecting USC big man Nikola Vucevic one pick later, so the thinking is the Blazers are looking to go big.
On the other side of the country former Butler standout Shelvin Mack will be in New York City working out for the Knicks. This one, while an opportunity for Mack to show another pro team his ability up close, seems almost a fruitless move. New York has only one pick (No. 17) and it is well beyond where Mack is currently projected to go, as most see him as a second round selection even with the positive reviews he has gotten thus far. Furthermore, the Knicks have Chauncey Billups, Toney Douglas and Andy Rautins under contract for next season. Given that combination of an already crowded point guard spot coupled with the reach that Mack would be at No. 17, it is unlikely that anything will come of this workout unless Mack was to go undrafted (unlikely). Pepperdine forward Mychel Thompson is also expected to be in attendance at the workout.
In Dallas, as the Mavericks lick their wounds following a Game 3 loss in the NBA Finals, they may be working out their three-point shooter of the future. Charleston's Andrew Goudelock is expected to be the lone player taking the floor in front of team executives today. Dallas owns the 26th and 57th picks and their second round selection could yield the would-be point guard with the deadly perimeter stroke. Goudelock is currently projected to go towards the very end of the draft, though he has certainly looked strong enough at events like the NBA Combine and Portsmouth Invitational that his stock could change at the last minute. Still, he could thrive in the right kind of environment, proving a valuable contributor. With the second Jason Kidd era in Dallas possibly coming to an end in the not too distant future, Goudelock could find a spot in Big D.
Other workouts of note today include Temple's Lavoy Allen and Xavier's Jamel McLean who will both be in New Jersey auditioning for the Nets.
MASN's Byron Kerr reports that Rhode Island power forward Delroy James will be amongst a group that will workout for the Washington Wizards.