DRAFT PICKS:
Joe Alexander, F, 6-8, West Virginia -- He was largely unknown to the general public until piling up 22 points and 11 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament upset of Duke last March. Alexander also proved to be surprisingly athletic. His three-quarter court sprint time of 2.99 seconds was second-fastest at the Orlando predraft camp. Luc Mbah a Moute, F, 6-8, UCLA -- This undersized power forward did much of the dirty work while UCLA reached the Final Four for the past three seasons. The Cameroon native averaged 8.8 points and 6.0 rebounds last year as a junior.
PLAYER NOTES:
--G Michael Redd, fresh off the Olympics, has looked great in practice. What's more, the usually reserved Redd has been much more vocal than in previous training camps.
--Rookie F Joe Alexander's competitiveness has been noticeable during line drills, where he and newly acquired Richard Jefferson have consistently pushed each other to finish first.
--Veteran backup PG Tyron Lue said one of the major reasons he turned down offers from Phoenix, Boston and Miami was his relationship with Bucks GM John Hammond, who has been the Pistons' vice president of basketball operations the last seven seasons. Lue got to know Hammond through Pistons PG Chauncey Billups, who is one of Lue's best friends.
