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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Prospects On Center Stage By Ron Jumper The Final Four is here and the prospects involved will be taking center stage for NBA scouts and general managers. Last season, the Final Four had 8 players go in the first round of the draft so expecting this year to be much different isn’t likely. Every season someone makes a statement that he is ready for the next level. Last season, it was Mike Conley Jr. that played above and beyond to get himself drafted 4th overall. The year before that, it was Tyrus Thomas who blew up on the national stage to climb the draft boards. Who will it be this season? Here is a team-by-team breakdown of this year’s Final Four prospects: North Carolina: Tyler Hansbrough: Hansbrough gets falsely labeled as that great college player that won’t translate to the NBA. He is 6’9” 250, with great leaping ability. It is rare for a big man to shoot over 80% from the free throw line, but Hansbrough does. To clarify, I don’t think he will ever average 20-10 in the NBA, but it would be silly to think he couldn’t be a quality player at the next level, perhaps as a glue guy that every winning team has. He should be far better than Reggie Evans but not quite as good as Al Jefferson or Elton Brand, to give you a ballpark estimate at what he can do. It all depends on where he lands, as he would greatly help fill a role on a winning team but struggle as the focal point of a bad team. Ty Lawson: I think it hurts Lawson that he was injured for part of the season because it caused his numbers to not look as impressive and he didn’t receive the accolades at the end of the year that he deserved. However, it bothers me sometimes when scouts struggle to take that into account. I love everything about his game, as I see so much of Raymond Felton in him. He is lightning quick, savvy, and has a knack for making big plays. His jumpshot isn’t great, but neither was Felton’s or Chris Paul’s at this point in time, either. It is serviceable though, as he shoots 36% from 3. I expect him to be a very good young point guard in the NBA, especially if he plays in an uptempo style that allows him to make plays. Look at how New Orleans uses Chris Paul, Phoenix uses Steve Nash, Charlotte uses Raymond Felton. Wayne Ellington: Ellington is an interesting prospect to me. On one hand, you see a polished 6’4” shooting guard with a great stroke. On the other hand, I see an undersized NBA 2-guard that will struggle to get his set shot off at the pro level. Watch him closely, he really doesn’t elevate a lot on his jumpshot. At 6’4, he needs to have a high release point to compensate but, instead, he shoots a set shot. He doesn’t handle the ball exceptionally well and being undersized won’t help him on the defensive end either. He is good enough to play in the NBA as a shooter on a team with a good big man because he can shoot set shots from the double teams created by the post player inside. However, don’t ever expect him to create his own shot or be a team’s top option down the line. Danny Green: Green won’t be drafted and he’ll never make an All-Star game, but he has the chance to become a good player in this league if he so desires. At 6’5, he isn’t going to enamor scouts but he reminds me so much of Bruce Bowen. He defends very well and is active, while being able to knock down the 3 at an efficient 38% clip. Kansas: Brandon Rush: Rush has rehabbed well from knee surgery and has played well this season. While I don’t think Rush is going to be a stud, it puzzles me that he isn’t even considered a first round prospect. I absolutely hate how scouts knock players for staying in school, because they lose that “potential” label as they become an upperclassman. What did you expect Rush to be doing by now in college? He is the leading scorer on a team that has great depth and balanced scoring. It isn’t possible for Rush to be scoring 20 ppg and stay within the team concept of Kansas’ basketball. Darrell Arthur: At 6’9” 225, he is an intriguing prospect as an athletic power forward. I love his skill set, but I just think he lacks that scorer’s mentality to ever be an All-Star or go-to-guy in the NBA. He is the classic intriguing prospect that I see ultimately being added to the list of guys that didn’t pan out. Guys like Stromile Swift, Hakim Warrick, Tyrus Thomas, etc. It isn’t that those guys aren’t solid players, but they certainly did not meet expectations. Mario Chalmers: As always, I complain about how point guards are evaluated. It just never seems to make sense to me. Chalmers isn’t a great physical specimen but he understands the game so well. What I like most is that he can defend at a high level. He can do a little but of everything, but isn’t really on the scout’s radar. I had an idea to explain how I feel about Chalmers: Blind Résumé: Player A -6’0” 160 -14.8 points -53% 3-point FG -2.6 rebounds -3.8 assists -1.74 assist/turnover ratio -1.8 steals Player B -6’1” 190 -12.7 points -48% 3-point FG -3.1 rebounds -4.4 assists -2.33 assist/turnover ratio -2.4 steals Player A is Darren Collison, who is being projected as a lottery pick. Player B is Mario Chalmers, who currently isn’t even projected to go in the first round of next year’s draft! Look at those numbers closely, as both are undersized but efficient. Both play great defense and are leaders of their respective teams. How can there be such a drastic gap in where they are ranked by NBA scouts? UCLA: Darren Collison: It isn’t that I don’t like Collison, because I do. If you read last year’s Final Four breakdown, it was Collison who I was saying was underrated. I’m just saying that Chalmers is flying under the radar now as Collison did in years past. This time next year, I might be doing the same thing with some other up-and-coming point guards such as Johnny Flynn or Chris Warren. You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out. Kevin Love: I like his game, but I just can’t see him being a great player in the NBA. He won’t be able to guard anyone. What is he going to do against Amare, Duncan, Dirk, or KG? Some would say it isn’t fair to make that kind of comparison, which is fine, but don’t turn right around and talk about how “great” he is. If he is going to be a “great” NBA player then this is whom he is going to compete against on a nightly basis as a power forward in the NBA. Can we please use simple logic here, people? Russell Westbrook: Everyone seems to have a different opinion on him. NBADraft.net sees him as a lottery pick, while Draft Express doesn’t even have him as a top sophomore (ranked 16th). Bill Simmons raved about his ability to make big plays in key situations and that he was underrated. So where should he be? Just how good is he? Well, I think he will struggle to find a position at the NBA level. He isn’t a pure point guard, but he doesn’t shoot good enough to be a shooting guard. His success would be highly dependent upon what team he landed with, because he would be terrible in a system like Utah’s or L.A.’s but would thrive playing in a role similar to that of Monta Ellis with Golden State. Putting a true value on him really isn’t possible, as his value varies greatly from team to team. Josh Shipp: He strikes me as a tweener, as he isn’t quick enough to be shooting guard nor tall enough to be a small forward. He also isn’t a pure enough shooter for that to be his calling card. I see him landing in the second round or undrafted, then we never hear from him again in a few years when he goes overseas. Memphis: Derek Rose: This point guard has played himself into a top-5 lock. I see there being no way he doesn’t go in the top 5, if not the top 3. He is a freak of nature athletically and is leading his team to the Final Four as a true freshman. I seem to be the only person that just isn’t raving about him. If you watch closely, he relies far too much on his athleticism and will have a large learning curve to overcome in the NBA. While this is normal, I worry about him more since he is a point guard. At point guard, athleticism is least important and basketball IQ is critical. Chris Douglas-Roberts: Douglas-Roberts is a nice prospect that isn’t projected to go in the lottery, but could be a quality pro some day. At 6’7”, he has NBA size to go along with his athleticism and shooting stroke. He shoots just under 42% from 3-point range, and averages 17.7 points for the Tigers. I think he could really improve his stock if he can perform big against UCLA, as Josh Shipp is a very solid defender and the Bruins are very good collectively on defense. The question is how much he could improve his stock, as it will be tough to crack the lottery in this year’s draft. Robert Dozier: Dozier is an intriguing prospect. At 6’9” 215, he certainly has NBA size and athleticism. He can do a little bit of everything and is very active defensively, as he averages 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks. He needs to work on his jumpshot (only 29% from 3) in order to become a top prospect. I would recommend staying for his senior season and being the top option, assuming Rose and Douglas-Roberts go pro. Joey Dorsey: Dorsey is a great defender, rebounder, and competitor. He will never give you much on offense, but is a guy you need to have in order to win. He will find a role in the NBA as a guy that hustles, defends, and rebounds. It will be interesting to see how high he is drafted, as his stock is tough to determine. April 3, 2008 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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