Tony's Time is Coming

Tony Gaffney is back home recovering from a leg injury and plotting his next move. The bottom line is that Tony knows he will one day play in the NBA...it's just a matter of time.

"Whether you think you can or think you can't...your right - Henry Ford


---- HAPPY HOLIDAYS to ALL -----

Gaffney Arrives Safely in Israel

Just logged onto my Facebook page and saw that Tony just arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel. Let the journey begin...

Lakers Waive Tony Gaffney

taken from LA Lakers blog:

"He made a solid push, but in the end the math just wasn't in his favor, and what seemed completely and totally inevitable three weeks ago finally happened today when the Lakers waived forward Tony Gaffney. The UMass product showed good defensive instincts and a willingness to work hard, but given the $91 million on LA's payroll (which translates to over $110 million in commitments when luxury taxes are factored in) Gaffney needed to be more than simply a prospect. All isn't lost, though. Gaffney likely showed enough to find his way into the NBA at some point down the road."

It is only a matter of time until Tony lands on an NBA team...the journey continues.

Additional story here

Tony Gaffney in Action

Los Angeles Clippers forward (and former BC player) Craig Smith goes up for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers Tony Gaffney defends during the first half of their preseason NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill).

LA Lakers News on Tony Gaffney

Check out this great YouTube video of Tony that was on Tumblr. He is being interviewed about his time spent with the Lakers and what it's like playing with Kobe Bryant among other things.

Here is a nice Phil Jackson quote regarding Tony: “We really like his [Tony Gaffney's] basketball feel. His athleticism, his defensive capabilities..."

A nice shot of Tony and Lamar Odom hanging out at a recent event.

Globe Article on Gaffney's Progress with Lakers

Former UMass standout Tony Gaffney has been working to earn a roster spot with the Lakers, coming off the bench for them during the exhibition season. Check out this article in today's Boston Globe on Tony's experience.

Gaffney Catches Lakers' Eye

You can also find clips from the Lakers exhibition games on www.NBA.com.

Gaffney Named to Lakers Roster

Former UMass power forward Tony Gaffney has been named to the LA Lakers 2009-10 roster. For a complete listing of the team click here. Also, I came across a great video on the Lakers blog of Tony's teammate, Luke Walton, working out with Lakers strength & conditioning coach and Director of Athletic Performance/Player Development Chip Schaefer. To give you some great insight of what Tony has been doing on the pre-season conditioning side of things check out the video.

Working Hard at Veteran's Camp

Tony is currently in L.A. getting to work at veteran's camp. Here he is with fellow camp invitees Michael Fey and David Monds.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/roster/index.html

Gaffney in Sunday's Boston Globe

As I was reading the Boston Globe sports page today I came across writer Frank Dell'Apa's column that mentioned Tony Gaffney.

"the second I got a call from the Lakers, the day after the draft, I immediately turned into a die hard Lakers fan. I put the Boston Celtics behind me and now I'm ready to beat the Celtics with everything I got. As of right now I'm a Laker and I love wearing purple and gold."

Pro Situation Looking Good for Gaffney

Tony Gaffney had a great summer league in Las Vegas and has been invited back to the LA Lakers veteran's camp according to his sister Jessica. Word on the street is that their top draft pick is headed overseas to play. Mr. Gaffney also has an offer from overseas (Israel) as his back-up plan...the journey continues!

Gaffney Invited to Lakers Training Camp

According to this mornings Boston Globe UMass forward Tony Gaffney has been invited to the Los Angeles Lakers training camp that is slated to begin in October. Gaffney showed his usual, high energy style of play (even playing through an injury) throughout his time in the Las Vegas summer league averaging 3.8 ppg.

Review on Gaffney by Slam Magazine

Slam Online writer Rodger Bohn comments on Day 7 of the NBA summer league play.

"The other bright spot for the Lakers in our eyes was the active Tony Gaffney. Playing power forward and center during his days at UMASS, you really didn’t have a chance to see what the guy could do on the court. Now in the pros, he’s slid over to the small forward slot and has shown some flashes in the triangle offense. His numbers certainly have not been great (averaging 3.8 ppg), but he’s been one of the most active players in the entire league. Gaffney will probably not make the world champs, but he’s a fun guy to watch with his above the rim, hustling style of play."

David Thorpe Tweeting From Summer League

Check out David Thorpe's comments on summer league play and Tony:

"Tony Gaffney with 2 big blocks early in the game. He's had a bruised tailbone that's limited him. But he has a chance to make a squad."

LA Summer League

From sports writer Greg Sullivan
Herald News Staff Reporter

"Tony Gaffney, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League, last night saw his most extensive action. The former Somerset High star played 28 minutes in a 92-77 loss to Houston, scoring six points (3-for-7 from the field), grabbing five rebounds, dishing two assists and making one steal and blocking one shot.

His minutes have been up and down in the four L.A. games thus far in Las Vegas. He played 23 minutes in the opener and followed with five minutes and then nine minutes before getting busy again last night. The 6-foot-8 Gaffney is averaging 3.8 points per game."

Ron Chimelis Reports on Gaffney

One of the many sports writers who really gets what Tony Gaffney can bring to an NBA team is sports writer Ron Chimelis of the Springfield Republican. Mr. Chimelis has followed and reported on Tony throughout his college career. Take a look at his story on Tony.


Ron Chimelis can be reached at rchimelis@repub.com

Recent Press on the Gaffney brothers

Tony Gaffney is currently playing for the Lakers on their summer league team. Their is a nice piece on the Sports of Boston blog that you should check out. Also, check out this video of Tony's brother, Bud, who may follow in his brother's footsteps at UMass.

Gaffney Getting Ready for Lakers Summer League

See Steven Sanchez, article

GateHouse News Service

Gaffney in Related Draft Stories

Dime Magazine had a nice story on players that were overlooked in Thursday's draft - read some of the comments, Tony is mentioned. Still can't understand how Steve Kerr chose Griffin's younger brother with some of the talent on Dime's list of forgotten players.

Here are some additional stories on Tony from area papers like the Taunton Herald News, the Brockton Enterprise and the Springfield Republican following draft night.

Also, check out this site they actually picked a 2009 college All-Undrafted team.

Tony Gaffney is a Laker!!!!!!

Less than 24 hours after the NBA draft the word came via a text message from the Gaffney family that UMass power forward Tony Gaffney will be heading to LA on July 4th to join the Lakers. Gaffney will be playing with the Lakers as part of their summer league team and hopefully can turn some heads with his play. Congratulations to T Gaff and to his proud family!

The Journey Continues...

UMass forward Tony Gaffney's name was not called last night in the draft. He was expected to go somewhere between #40-60 of the 2nd round. Once I got over the shock of hearing Blake Griffin's brother's name called at #48 (ave. only 9 ppg and 5 reb) I definitely thought we would here Tony's name. I know that Tony already has had offers to play in Europe, so now we will wait to see what he decides. He and his family already know... that it's only a matter of time until his journey takes him to the NBA.

"Sweatin' for the Dream" Starts Tonight

Best of Luck to Tony tonight...
Here are some interesting comments from a blog called BostonHub.com - check out the comments he has about Tony. I also feel he could definitely play (and fit well) with the Celtics and eventually put up numbers like Leon Powe (a household favorite of ours). Also check out the Boston Herald site - has a nice piece of the MA products who have potential of going in the second round tonight.

MassLive.com Article by Ron Chimelis

Check out the great story and a nice photo of Tony Gaffney at a recent NBA workout in Charlotte. Sports writer Ron Chimelis article can be seen in the Springfield Republican.

Another story on Tony Gaffney just in from the Boston Herald's Dan Duggan.

Gaffney Getting Ready to Show His Game to Miami

Tony Gaffney is still being brought in for workouts with NBA teams. He is flying to Miami today for a Wed. workout (his 5th NBA workout) with the Miami Heat. The clock continues to count down for the big night on Thursday in New York. What NBA team wouldn't like a player who has a heart like Tony, not to mention a 7'2" wingspan, averaged a double-double and is the first college player in more than a decade to to block more than 100 shots and have 50 steals in a season?

ESPN's Chad Ford has Gaffney at #57

Basketball analyst Chad Ford of ESPN has Tony Gaffney being chosen as the 57th pick in the second round by the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

Notes on the Recent Bobcats Workout

Here is a quote from Larry Brown, regarding Tony's recent (June 18th) workout with the Bobcats:

Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown
(On the workout) "It was good, this is a great group. We had mostly wing players, but all six of them are really athletic, coachable, good kids. I think a lot of them are going to be in our league, maybe all of them."

"Sweatin' for the Dream"

I saw this great comment on a blog today about some of the college players around the country who - like Tony Gaffney - are working out for various NBA teams. The article talked about these players "sweatin' for the dream..." I thought that was pretty cool.

In other news, Tony continues to move up the ranks of many of the NBA mock draft reports like Chad Ford of ESPN, that has TG currently at #70 and at the My NBA Mock draft site that has him at #41 (going to the Bucks).

Upcoming Draft Information (source: ESPN Insider website)
What: 2009 NBA draft
When: June 25, 20097 p.m.-12 a.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, N.Y.
Rounds: Two rounds

Gaffney to Workout for MJ's Charlotte Bobcats

Tony Gaffney's fourth NBA workout is scheduled for Thursday June 18th with Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats, according to family member Bud. Received a message from Tony to tell everyone to keep their fingers crossed for the big night...only ten days away...that goes without saying!

Gaffney and Lowe Workout for Sacramento

UMass teammates Tony Gaffney and Chris Lowe worked out for the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. This was Gaffney's third workout and Lowe's first. See UMass website for full story and to watch: Kings Pre-Draft Workout Video

ESPN 2009 Draft Prospects

UMass power forward Tony Gaffney has recently moved up the top 100 draft prospect list according to Chad Ford of ESPN. Tony was recently ranked #84 and is currently sitting at #73 on the top 100 prospects list for the upcoming NBA draft.

Gaffney Projected as 2nd Rounder at #11 in NBA Draft

The latest word from the Hoopsworld.com website has UMass PF Tony Gaffney projected as the 11th pick (#41 overall) in the second round of the upcoming (June 25th) NBA draft. The first two rounds will include a total of 60 picks.

"UMass forward Tony Gaffney has blown a few teams away with workouts, word is the Milwaukee Bucks had a long interview with Gaffney and he could be their man in the 2nd round. The odds Tony can jockey himself into the first round are slim, but the odds he's not drafted in two weeks now seem remote, the question for Gaffney is can he break into the 30's" (taken from Hoopsworld site).

Gaffney to Workout for Sacramento Kings on Saturday

UMass PF Tony Gaffney will work out for his third NBA team on Saturday June 13th as reported by Gaffney's family and writer Troy Hanson - see full story here. The NBA draft is now only 16 days away.

Hoopsworld has Gaffney Going in 2nd Round

The Hoopsworld website has Tony Gaffney being chosen in the 2nd round in their mock NBA draft slated for June 25th. We just got the word that Tony will be working out with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday the 13th.

News from ESPN and Hoopsworld

Tony is on the ESPN Insider website that includes a list of the top 100 draft picks - for an alphabetical order of names - click here

Also, Hoopsworld writer, Steve Kyler, has a nice piece on Tony and his thoughts on Tony being selected in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft.

"...he was a stand out for both the Pacers and Bucks in recent team workouts, drawing considerable interest from the Milwaukee Bucks. Gaffney is a 2nd rounder for sure, but if you're looking for this year's Luc Mbah a Moute it may be Tony Gaffney, a steal in the second round that you say "Where did this kid come from?". Gaffney is scheduled to see the Portland Trail Blazers in the next week so do not be surprised to hear his name mentioned in connection to one of Portland's three second rounders, he'd fit in nicely with the Blazers and be a fan favorite for sure." for full story click here.

Draft Express Tabs Gaffney as Top 100

The Draft Express website has selected UMass Sr. Tony Gaffney (Berkley, MA) as one of their top 100 prospects for the NBA draft on June 25th at 7PM at Madison Square Garden in NY. Mr. Gaffney is currently at the #93 spot right behind UConn PF Jeff Adrien (Brookline, MA) and ahead of forward Antonio Anderson out of Memphis, who just happens to be another Massachusetts product (Lynn, MA). To see a listing of the NBA teams and their picks for the first two rounds - please click here.

Gaffney Continues to Improve Chances for NBA Draft

According to Draft Express Tony Gaffney has improved his chances of possibly being drafted by moving up their list of the top power forwards. The list includes some of the biggest names coming out of college, like Oklahoma's Blake Griffin as well as some of the top European players. Gaffney was originally at the 28th ranked spot and has now moved up to #21. The NBA Draft is set for June 25th at Madison Square Garden in New York.

NBA Workout Review

To get a synopsis of this past week and the two NBA workouts that Tony completed go no further than the story by Ron Chimelis, sports writer for the Springfield Republican

see storty titled UMass basketball's Tony Gaffney draws NBA interest from Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks

Gaffney Shows off Strong Skill Set for Pacers and Bucks

Mr. Gaffney is having a very busy week, having already worked out for the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff. The Milwaukee Bucks player of personnel Dave Babcock had this to say about Tony:

Tony Gaffney - “He’s sort of a late bloomer. He was at Portsmouth and played pretty well. We added him at the last minute. He’s long, very springy, and has big hands. He could get drafted. He’ll definitely get a chance".

for more info click here

Gaffney Heads to Milwaukee for Next Workout

Tony had a great session at Indiana and is now headed to show off his talents to the Milwaukee Bucks staff. Here is a video of Tony and others working out in Indiana. Here is a quote from the Indy Star blog: "I don't get star struck very often, but when I saw Mr. Bird walk in here, or as we call him, Larry Legend, I was almost in awe. My whole life I grew up watching him. He's a guy that means the world to me. He's been a childhood idol of mine my entire life." - Gaffney, who grew up in Massachusetts. The Pacers found out last night that they will have the 13th pick in the draft on June 25 at Madison Square Garden in NY.

Tony Gaffney Headed to Indiana Pacers for Workout

Tony Gaffney is headed down to Indiana today and will be working out for Larry Bird and the Pacers coaching staff. I'm sure Pacer's strength coach Shawn Windle (who I worked with at UConn) will put Tony through a tough workout. Check back - more to come...

Latest News from IMG Academy

Tony continues to impress the coaches down at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Under the guidance of coaches David Thorpe and Mike Moreau, Gaffney and the rest of the phenoms work to improve their overall games for future pro tryouts. To read the full story and see some great photos of Tony in action - please visit the IMG blog.

Quote of the Week on Mr. Gaffney

We continue to hear great comments from people involved in different aspects of the sports industry regarding Tony Gaffney. The latest is from David Thorpe, an NBA analyst for ESPN the Insider:

"If he's not an NBA player I might just quit and become a shepherd. He's almost Tyrus-like as an athlete with a 7'2" wingspan with skills and a super hot motor that never stops."

Check out this nice piece written by Mr. Thorpe on this years best NBA rookies.

The Daily Collegian Talks About Gaffney and UMass Season

The Daily Collegian talks about the UMass basketball season and in particular the fantastic year that Sr. Tony Gaffney had and also named him one of the Top 5 male Athletes at UMass (photo credit: P.J. Stanley/Daily Collegian).

2009 Early Entry List for NBA Draft

Here is a complete list of who is leaving the college scene early to enter this years NBA draft. The list also includes all the International players as well. Please visit NBA Draft.net to see all the players.

Interview of Tony Gaffney on HoopsWorld.com

There is a great video on the HoopsWorld.com site that shows Tony being interviewed and going through a workout at IMG Academy in Florida on April 30th. Click this link to see the video (go to draft video, highlighted in red, once your on the site)

2009 NBADL Pre-Draft Camp

The Ridiculous Upside site has some pretty good information in terms of what's happening around the D-League, including pre-draft camp info for their league...check it out.

"Pre-Draft camp provides players with a unique opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to team and league officials,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President for NBA D-League Basketball Operations and Player Personnel. “And while it provides athletes a chance to showcase their games, it also allows our teams to evaluate top-notch talent in a highly competitive environment.”

Springfield Lands New NBA Development League Team

Springfield was just informed that they will now be the home of a new NBA Development League team. Add the recent addition of a team in Maine - and New England is picking up steam in the race to help more athletes try to reach their dream of one day playing in the NBA. For the full story visit MASS LIVE for the story that appeared in the Republican newspaper.

Draft Express Ranks Gaffney #29 at PF

The Draft Express website recently ranked 6'8" UMass power forward Tony Gaffney as the 29th best player at the power forward position for the upcoming NBA draft. Tony who is projected to play at the 3 or 4 position, has been working diligently following his Sr. campaign at UMass. Most recently, Tony spent time working on his game and conditioning at the prestigious IMG Academy pre-draft camp in Bradenton, Florida. The Academy is well known for working with the best athletes who are trying to make the jump to the next level. Bud and Jessica Gaffney brought to my attention that the website also has a blog - and they posted a great story regarding Tony and his family. This is a must read - click here for the full story.

Tony Gaffney Rated Top 75 Player

Tony Gaffney has been rated the 72nd best player for the upcoming 2009 NBA Draft by an independent blog. Click here for the complete top 100 list. The list includes some of the top European players as well as top college players like Tony. This blog also has additional comments on Tony's game over the course of the year, that I thought were pretty detailed, see here. For this particular post, scroll down to the third player - Tony - then continue down to a November 18th post that has some great comments on the Memphis/Umass game.

Check out this photo of Tony (from MassLive.com) getting ready to dunk over a Saint Joseph's player

Tony Gaffney Rated #7 by CollegeHoops.net

UMass MVP and NBA Pre-Draft Invitee, Tony Gaffney is rated as the 7th best player from the center position by CollegeHoops.net Here is how the site rated players at his position (both U.S. and International players). Thanks to Bud Gaffney who spotted this listing for me.

Center
1) Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN
2) BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State
3) Vitor Faverini - PF/C - Malaga
4) Luke Nevill - C - Utah
5) Vyacheslav Kravtsov - C - Zalgiris Kaunas
5) John Bryant - C - Santa Clara
6) Gasper Vidmar - C - Fenerbahce
7) Tony Gaffney - C - UMASS

Tony is also rated #62 overall in this years Sr. class by Draft Express.

Game 3 at the Portsmouth Invitational

Tony Gaffney and his teammates won their third and final game, 92-70 at the Portsmouth Invitational Pre-Draft camp. Looks like Tony had all pistons firing for this game, scoring 11 points on 5/8 shooting and pulling down 7 rebounds. Tony's teammate and fellow A-10 colleague, Jimmy Baron out of URI, hit for 33 points, setting a record for most 3-pt FG with 9.

Tony's stat line:
Minutes: 25
Points: 11
FG: 5/8
3-pt FG: 0/1
TO: 1
Asst: 1
Reb: 7 (3 Off, 4 Def)
Blk: 0

All-Tournament Team

DeMarre Carroll, Missouri *
A.J. Abrams, Texas
Alade Aminu, Georgia Tech
Jimmy Baron, Rhode Island
Jon Brockman, Washington
Paul Delaney III, UAB
Wes Matthews, Marquette
B.J. Raymond, Xavier
Alex Ruoff, WVU
Garret Siler, Augusta State
Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida
A.D. Vassallo, Virginia Tech
Gary Wilkinson, Utah State

* Denotes MVP

Gaffney Gets Rave Review at P.I.T by Draft Express

Check out this great review by Matt Kalmasky of Draft Express on Tony Gaffney:

Tony Gaffney, 6’8, Power Forward, Massachusetts. 4 Points, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 2-6 FG, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal by Matt Kamalsky, Draft Express.

Though Gaffney didn’t put up a terribly productive stat line today, he displayed some very interesting tools. Mostly known in college for his tremendous defensive presence and effort level, Gaffney wasn’t asked to do much scoring for UMass, making the most of the touches he earned coming from his hustle and ability to run the floor. While he has played well defensively in both of the games he’s played in, he showed some offensive promise that his collegiate role didn’t give him the opportunity to showcase. Looking beyond the box score, we came away intrigued with what we saw today. A very athletic forward with a slender frame, Gaffney exploited his excellent quickness on a couple of occasions today, beating his defender off the dribble on three memorable occasions. Not usually prone to putting the ball on the floor, his ability to get to the rim was quite impressive. Once in the lane, Gaffney used quick fakes to get his man off balance before spinning over his left shoulder for hook shots. Considering his length and quickness, it is safe to say that Gaffney has a lot of potential if he continues to diversify his offensive game. On the defensive end, Gaffney has shown great versatility, looking capable when defending the post and the perimeter. Though he will need to continue to add weight to his frame to be a better interior defender moving forward, he shows the timing, awareness, and effort level to be very effective in this setting.

Game 2 at Pre-Draft Camp in Virginia.

Here are the stats for Tony Gaffney in his second game (a 70-68 win) at the Portsmouth Invitational Pre-Draft Camp in Virginia:

Tony's stat line:
Minutes played: 29
FG: 2/6
FT: 0/0
Points: 4
Blocks: 2
Assts: 1
Stls: 1
TO: 0
REB: 4 (1 Off. - 3 Def.)

Next game is Sat at 2 PM

NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando Cancelled

This article is taken straight from the Orlando Sentinal.com

It was back in November that word first leaked out that the NBA was ending the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp's three-year run in favor of a more NFL Scouting Combine format in Chicago. Commissioner David Stern's reason for moving away from the weeklong competition-heavy setup was hard to argue with: What was originally set up to be a showcase of the best talent had basically turned into a series of pickup games among mostly fringe NBA prospects. Last season's camp produced only two players (George Hill and J.R. Giddens) drafted in the first round, while 17 went in the second round. Of those selected in the second round, only a handful avoided being shipped straight to the D-League. Click HERE for full story.

Game 1 at Portsmouth Invitational NBA Pre-Draft Camp

Here is the stat line in Tony's Gaffney's first game (70-63 loss) at the Portsmouth Invitational down in Virgnia:

Tony's stat line:
28 minutes played
2-7 FG
0-2 FT
4 points
8 rebounds (2 Off, 6 Def.)
2 assists
1 steal
1 turn-over
0 blks.


Also, here are comments from the NBA pre-draft camp from the Draft Express website.

Gaffney Named MVP for UMass

The awards just keep coming in for Mr. Gaffney. Tony was named MVP and Defensive POY for 2008-2009 season at the recent UMass basketball team banquet. For a full report click HERE.

Gaffney and Lowe Invited to NBA's Pre-Draft Camp

Some big news out of UMass - Tony Gaffney and Chris Lowe invited to NBA's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament pre-draft camp. See full story here.

2009 National Leaders: Pomeroy Rankings

See Pomeroy Ratings - This is a fantastic site if your looking for college basketball D1 statistics. You can break it down on a National level or specific conference - in this case Atlantic 10. Tony appears in two top 60 rankings for D1 NCAA

D1 Defensive Rebounding Percentage
Rank
#58 Tony Gaffney, Massachusetts 22.9 %

2009 National Leaders: Block Percentage
Rank
#13 Tony Gaffney, Massachusetts 10.52 %

Gaffney Named to All-America Defensive Team

UMass Sr. Tony Gaffney has been named to the 2009 College Insider All-America Defensive Team

Gaffney Projected as a 2nd Round Draft Pick in NBA

UMass forward Tony Gaffney is listed on the Draft Review website as their 58th pick in their 2009 NBA Mock Draft.

Gaffney Completes Spectacular Senior Season

UMass SR. 6'8" power forward Tony Gaffney put the finishing touches on his final season by earning Defensive Player of the Year Award for the A-10.