Die Macht » personality and style of play. He was Nation

NEW YORK -- Nerlens Noel is coming off a major knee injury. Alex Len is in a walking boot. One of them could be the No. 1 pick tonight in an NBA draft that appears short on stardom, and neither looks ready to get his career off to a running start. Coverage begins with the NBA Draft Preview on TSN2, tonight at 7pm et/4pm pt followed by the Draft at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Follow pick-by-pick updates on TSN.ca. "This draft is really unpredictable, a lot of guys with injuries and you dont have any, like, LeBron James," Len said Wednesday. "So its going to be interesting." Ten years after James climbed on stage to start a draft that goes down as one of the best in recent memory, the No. 1 pick again belongs to Cleveland. The Cavaliers wont find anyone who can play like James on the court -- if they keep the pick -- and even the climbing the stage part will be a challenge for the big men who opened their college seasons against each other and are competing again now. Noel tore the ACL in his left knee on Feb. 12, ending his lone season at Kentucky. The 6-foot-11 freshman led the nation in shot blocking and his conference in rebounding, but hasnt been able to show the Cavaliers if his offensive game has grown. The only basketball work he did during his visit to Cleveland was shooting some free throws. Perhaps the pants he wore with his sports jacket and orange tie were just too tight, but Noel was walking gingerly as he exited a hotel ballroom after meeting with the media Wednesday. "I wanted to do more. Unfortunately I got hurt, but I mean I definitely felt right before I got injured I was really coming along as a player and just really coming into my own during that part of the season," Noel said. "But like I said, unfortunately I got hurt, so I wasnt able to show as much as I wanted to." Nor has Len, but that hasnt stopped the 7-1 centre from the Ukraine who spent two seasons at Maryland from climbing into the mix at No. 1. His left foot started bothering him around February, and he found out after the season that it was a stress fracture. He was aware he was projected as a top-10 pick before the draft combine, but may go much higher even though his visits to teams have consisted of nothing more than interviews. He no longer needs crutches but will be in the boot for perhaps two more weeks. So, with all these injury questions, what about playing it safe and picking a healthy guy? "I mean, probably a lot of people wish it could be that easy," Kansas guard Ben McLemore said. "But its a process for the teams, theyve got to see whats available and what they really need. And like I said, this draft is up in the air and nobody knows whats going to happen, whos going to get drafted in which order." Orlando has the No. 2 pick, followed by Washington, Charlotte and Phoenix. McLemore, Indianas Victor Oladipo, Georgetown forward Otto Porter and national player of the year Trey Burke of Michigan are among the other players who will hear their names called early at Barclays Center by NBA Commissioner David Stern in his final draft. Torontos Anthony Bennett, a 6-foot-7 forward coming off his freshman year at UNLV, is seen as a possible pick anywhere from No. 3 to No. 6. The highest Canadian selected in the NBA draft was Tristan Thompson, who was taken fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. Its a class that wont draw any comparisons to the one that James led, which featured future Miami Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, along with NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony among the first five picks. Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King said a number of teams are trying to trade out of the draft and acquire extra picks for next year, which is expected to be a stronger class. But he doesnt know if there will be enough teams interested in being trade partners to get those deals done. "There are good players in this draft, but right now, there are not impact players. What I mean by that is that theres no one you look at in this draft that within two years will be an All-Star, say like Kyrie Irving was, players like that," said Minnesota Timberwolves president Flip Saunders, referring to the guard Cleveland took with the No. 1 pick in 2011. "And so in order for you to move up and dilute your talent pool and your roster, youve got to get an impact-type player, and I just dont believe ... theres good players, probably pretty good players in this league, but are they going to be that impact player whos going to be an All-Star or future Hall of Famer? Thats what you dont see. And sometimes thats something you dont see for two or three years in a row." McLemore has in some ways been hurt by healthy, since by being able to work out hes given teams something to nitpick. Noel and Len have been largely free of criticism while sitting on the sideline. Instead, Len is hoping his first impression of the season is one that holds up, when he had a career-high 23 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks against Noel in Marylands loss to Kentucky, right in the building where they will be Thursday. "I did well against him. So, its not up to me, its up to teams," Len said of a team choosing between the two. Neither player said he knows what the Cavs will do. There has been speculation they are open to dealing the pick, something teams rarely consider in a year with a clear-cut No. 1. Noel said he had gotten no sense from the Cavs that they had concern about his knee, which could keep him off the court until early in the regular season. And in a draft full of questions, he believes selecting him is the right answer. "Im a good teammate, I definitely love to work," Noel said. "I want to get better. I want to be great, I want to reach my potential, be the best player I can be. I definitely do countless hours in the gym and Im definitely working to get there."Nike Vapormax Ingrosso . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Nike Vapormax Scontate Uomo . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.vapormaxscontateoutlet.it/ . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Vapormax Uomo Scontate . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Vapormax Bianche Uomo . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East.MIAMI -- Somber Miami Marlins players and personnel escorted a hearse carrying the body of star pitcher Jose Fernandez from the teams ballpark Wednesday, as the farewell for their beloved teammate marched on.As players and fans honored Fernandezs memory, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio sought a safety probe into the rock jetty where a boat crash claimed the lives of the baseball star and two friends.Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, manager Don Mattingly, hitting coach Barry Bonds and the players including Marcel Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton wore white T-shirts emblazoned with Fernandezs image and the letters RIP as they slowly walked the hearse away from Marlins Park in Miamis Little Havana neighborhood. Many in the crowd of about 1,000 chanted Jose! Jose! and some waved Cuban flags in honor of the popular Cuban-American player.Jose Portuondo, 55, came to the event with his dog, Sophie. He said Fernandez, 24, was a shining example for Cubans who often risk their lives at sea to come to the U.S. seeking freedom. Fernandez defected from the communist island at age 15.His is the story of many in South Florida. He brings it home, said Portuondo, who drives a city trolley bus. Being here, the sadness is just thick in the air.Junko Sasaki, 40, who is Japanese but spends a lot of time in South Florida, brought an offering of fruit, rice and water to a makeshift memorial to Fernandez that has sprouted up outside the ballpark. She said it was a traditional Japanese way of ensuring the honored dead have what they need in the afterlife.It is a Japanese custom. Every day he can eat, she said, adding that Fernandez once tossed her a baseball from the field at a game.Hundreds of fans streamed into St. Brendans Catholic Church later Wednesday for a public viewing, which was scheduled to last into the night. Many said they felt compelled to come not only because of Fernandezs popularity as a player but also because he was a hero to many in the Cuban-American community.I have to be here. Im a huge fan, said Rick Gerena, 31, an environmental project manager. He loved everybody. You almost felt like he was one of us out there.Inside the church, mourners filed past a closed casket framed by flower arrangements in the shapes of the U.S. and Cuban flags, with a large family photo of Fernandez off to one side. Many touched the casket lightly and crossed themselves.A private funeral Mass is set Thursday for the Fernandez family and Marlins players and personnel.Rubio, a Florida Republican, sent a letter Wednesday to the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers asking for a review of the cenntury-old jetty and whether it poses a chronic danger to boaters.dddddddddddd. The jetty, which extends out from Miamis port, is difficult to see at night especially at high tide, Rubio said.While our hearts are heavy with grief for the numerous lives lost every year on the water, we can do more to save others, Rubio wrote. As a boater myself, I have experienced firsthand the challenges this particular jetty can present to others trying to navigate around it.Shortly after the 32-foot boat owned by Fernandez crashed early Sunday, the Coast Guard said a lighted buoy that marks the channel opening at the end of the jetty was working properly. The jetty itself does not have lights, but officials say routine reviews have concluded the existing navigational aids are adequate for safety.Back at the ballpark, the Marlins still had a game to play Wednesday night against the New York Mets. Mets manager Terry Collins and some Mets players were out on the plaza for the procession of Fernandezs hearse.I thought it was important to be there, Collins said. This is a very large fraternity, and its an exclusive fraternity. Its hard to get in. You need the representation of everybody else out there. We were represented very well and I was proud of that.Mattingly said he would talk to the team about trying to get back to baseball.Ive never been involved in anything like that. I just keep going back to his mom. Its hard to see that. Its hard to imagine that, he said.The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In addition to Fernandez, Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero also died in the crash.Investigators have said no evidence of alcohol or drug use was found at the scene, but medical examiner toxicology reports are pending. A Miami River bar and restaurant has confirmed that Fernandez was there before the crash, but it is unclear if he was drinking.Fernandez was an emerging baseball star known for his exuberant personality and style of play. He was National League Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was a two-time All-Star. This year he set a single-season Marlins strikeout record with 253.Instead of flowers, the Fernandez family asks for charitable contributions to the JDF16 Foundation, which is online at www.MiamiFoundation.org/jdf16 .-----AP Sports Writer Steve Wine in Miami contributed to this story.-----Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/miamicurt ' ' '