LHP Christian Friedrich (4-6, 4.55) lost his fourth straight decision in his previous start, allowing four runs -LHP Christian Friedrich (4-6, 4.55) lost his fourth straight decision in his previous start, allowing four runs - | Forum

NEW YORK -- Nerlens Noel is coming off a major knee injury. Nike Jerseys . 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." Cheap Jerseys . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Authentic Jerseys .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". WASHINGTON -- Ryan Schimpf extended San Diegos franchise-record run of games with a home run with a second-inning blast off Washingtons Max Scherzer on Saturday.It was all the Padres would get against the Nationals.Pinch-hitter Stephen Drews game-ending RBI triple off reliever Kevin Quackenbush in the ninth gave Washington a 3-2 victory.Anthony Rendon opened the bottom off the ninth with a single off Quackenbush (6-4). Drew entered with one out and drove a pitch off the center-field scoreboard, and Rendon raced around the bases for the winning run.Both of those hits were hanging breaking balls in the middle of the plate, Padres manager Andy Green said. Stephen put a good swing on it. He hadnt been on the field in six or seven days and comes out and has a great at-bat for them and wins the game. Obviously, Quack wasnt trying to put the pitch right there, but it was there and he took advantage of it.Jonathan Papelbon (2-2) allowed a leadoff double in the ninth before retiring three straight batters. San Diego left runners in scoring position in each of the last two innings.San Diego, which has dropped five of six on its road trip, seized a 2-0 lead when Schimpf homered off Scherzer in his first at-bat.His fastballs good, so I just tried to get geared up to get a good pitch to drive, Schimpf said.It was San Diegos 21st consecutive game with a home run, the longest for any NL team since Atlanta went deep 23 games in a row in 2006. The Padres previous record was 14, sset in 1998. NHL Jerseys. Starter Edwin Jackson allowed two runs and six hits over six innings.He gave us an opportunity to win the baseball game, Green said. Hes going up against Max Scherzer and goes toe-to-toe with him for six strong innings. I dont think you can ask for much more.Travis Jankowski tripled with two outs in the eighth, but Nationals reliever Shawn Kelley ended the threat by striking out Wil Myers. Matt Kemp doubled to lead off the ninth but was eventually stranded there when pinch-hitter Brett Wallace popped out.ROOKIE RECORDSchimpfs home run was his eighth of the season, all of them this month. He is only the second Padre rookie ever to hit eight home runs in a calendar month; Jedd Gyorko also did it in August 2013.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder inflammation), out since Opening Day, recently threw from 250 feet. His arm feels really good, Padres manager Andy Green said. Its still just taking time.UP NEXTPadres: LHP Christian Friedrich (4-6, 4.55) lost his fourth straight decision in his previous start, allowing four runs -- three earned -- over 5 1/3 innings during a 10-2 setback at St. Louis on Monday.Nationals: RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 4.70), Washingtons top prospect, will be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse for Sundays start. The 22-year-old was demoted on July 8 following his first two ML starts. ' ' '