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21st May, 2008 - 6:55 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Brand, OKC, Sabathia, Ryan And Umberger!
Elton Brand is close to a decision, Oklahoma City, Sabathia is now a Brewer, Ryan could start in Week One, and Umberger gets a new deal in Columbus.
STANDING 10: Top 10 Careers Of Players Picked 6th
You might wonder if Danilo Gallinari will qualify for this list in the future, but most New York fans would probably laugh at such an idea.
LOCKER TALK: Bowen Sues Hanna-Barbara Over Huckleberry Hound Character
The focus for the Spurs must now turn to some serious off-season issues that begin with whether or not to rebuild for the 2008-09 season with a younger, more handsome team. But there is one pressing legal issue that must be dealt with first.
PLAYER RANKINGS: Ranking The Best Players Of The 2008 Playoffs
Which players have played the best through the Conference Finals?
TEAM RANKINGS: The RealGM.com Final NBA Team Rankings For 2007-08
Which teams were statistically the best in 2007-08? Which teams improved the most from 2006-07? Some of the answers may surprise you.
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Christopher Reina
Point Guard. Memphis
The Bulls are a franchise that does things in measured and deliberate ways, so they will take their time in making this decision, but I expect them to eventually decide on Rose.
Beasley solves a lot of their problems on the interior and a scoring power forward has become a rarer breed than a high-quality point guard, but that is where the absolute exceptionalness of Rose plays in. Luol Deng and especially Tyrus Thomas will become the special caliber of player that Chicago has expected them to become.
Rose creates wide-open shots with his dribble penetration, as there is nobody in the world he couldn't beat off the dribble. Making them look almost routine, he attempts and completes circus passes, but he completes simple and effective passes as well if the situation calls for them.
With good lift and a fluid release, he is already a much better shooter than people realize or give him credit for. It will take him a few seasons to become a 40% 3-point shooter, but he has it in him and he will always be excellent in the mid-range.
His rebounding instincts are superb and he will certainly be an elite NBA rebounder at his size and position. He has good elevation and attuned timing even putting back some of his own misses.
His anticipation on defense is extraordinary. He does well to get into the passing lanes and aggressively looks to swat shots when helping on players in the post.
Rose seems strong enough already to be a 35 minute a night professional player. His shoulders are broad, and his strength is evident on both ends of the floor.
Power Forward. Kansas State
Beasley is the better pick for Miami anyways, as his inside scoring will alleviate the pressure felt from Dwyane Wade. With these two guys on the same team, they should combine for about 55 points per night, with Beasley overtaking Wade as the club’s leading scorer within the first four seasons.
Very explosive in the post, Beasley is NBA-ready to bang and score. He scores at a tremendously effective rate despite the constant collapse of double-teams when he touches the ball. He’ll shoot a turnaround fadeaway jumper if his man sags off, and he’ll dribble into a spin move if his man gets too close. He can finish with his right hand within five feet and has outstanding awareness of where he is on the floor.
He should easily be a better scorer in his rookie season than what we saw from Kevin Durant and I believe he will have a better career than him due to his inside/outside game and superior ability on the glass.
Center. Stanford
Pairing Lopez with Al Jefferson will give Minnesota a terrific young frontcourt scoring tandem. The Wolves clearly would have loved the opportunity to pick between Rose and Beasley, but as the third one standing, no team would be more fortunate to walk away with Lopez.
His touch around the hoop out of the post is terrific and is of course something that can’t be taught.
What he lacks in athleticism, he does make up in agility. He has great balance for a player of his size with a very strong physical core and is well-conditioned.
Combo Guard. Arizona
We’ve seen quite a few shooting guards masquerading in the bodies of point guards in recent seasons and I think that’s what we’ll eventually see from Bayless. He does have point guard abilities but at best he will be a scoring point.
What has and will be the most immediately impressive aspect of his game is his extreme elevation on jumpers. It really is extraordinary and makes it possible for the 6-3 guard to be a shooting guard. He is a remarkable shooter off the dribble, but his play without the ball has been an unexpected bonus.
And since Kevin Durant commands the ball in his hands with such frequency, Bayless is an ideal point guard to match with him.
Shooting Guard. USC
Mayo would likely be the Grizzlies’ fourth option behind Beasley, Rose and Lopez, but at least he isn’t a point guard.
In an NBA in which very few players can create their own offense, Mayo will be elite (as long as he is not guarded by Russell Westbrook).
He creates separation off the dribble to generate space to get his jumper off, but what is more impressive and refined is his knack for preserving his dribble, squaring up in a triple-threat position with purpose and intent. He is able to back defenders up with jab steps, which sets things up for when he does put the ball on the floor, where he is highly imaginative, utilizing a wide array of moves to score.
Small Forward. Italy
The Knicks have the first problematic decision to make with the sixth pick. They are too far away from drafting anything but the best player available, but at the same time I believe D.J. Augustin has many of the necessary attributes to become a Mike D’Antoni point guard. He warrants a long, hard look even if it is a slight reach. Because he is such a high-talent perimeter shooter, Eric Gordon also should be soberly considered.
Because they need so much help and have very few pure basketball players, Gallinari is the logical choice.
Gallinari has nice athleticism though he sometimes labors a little bit in the air. But his feel for the lane and ability to handle the ball, especially in the open floor, is really exceptional. He is 6-9, but plays like a point guard at times. He has the ability and confidence to play three positions on the NBA level, as well as a little point forward.
He is one of the most instinctive players in this entire draft.
His shot is above average and improving, but is sometimes a little slow and lazy with it. The creation of his own shot will likely prove difficult and his halfcourt buckets will come primarily from the pick and roll, spot-ups and curling off screens. His available options are far more plentiful in transition and early offense.
Shooting Guard. Indiana
The Clippers were dreadful at the off guard position and Gordon instantly gives them a player who can create his own shot off the dribble, as well as be a reliable spot-up 3-point shooter.
I question whether he will ever be able to become an effective point guard, so he will always be an undersized shooting guard but I think he’ll be strong enough to handle it. Futhermore, if Shaun Livingston ever is healthy again, his length at the one would offset Gordon.
Center. Texas A&M
The Bucks are long on average talent, so taking a chance on a guy that could become a top-five center would be the wisest maneuver here.
Jordan is a long ways away from being an effective professional basketball player, but his size and athleticism reveal a slew of promise. His motor isn’t as good as you’d like to see from a big like Jordan and is perhaps more of a concern than the massive scaffolding that surrounds his game.
Power Forward. LSU
Randolph would give the Bobcats some much-needed frontcourt offense and he also should become a very good shotblocker; the only question is if they are patient enough to let him develop.
The aspect of Randolph’s game that jumps out at any observer is how skilled he was at triggering the transition game. After collecting a blocked a shot or rebound, Randolph will use his remarkably quick dribble for a player of his height to initiate their early offense. He will look to create his own shot, find an open teammate, or slow it down to setup the halfcourt offense. His decision-making in this area is very mature.
In the halfcourt, Randolph has shown equal sophistication in the post as he has on the pick and pop/pick and roll. Randolph has excellent vision as a passer in the post. He finds open spot-up shooters and has the physical tools to deliver passes to the opposite side of the floor if need be.
When Randolph comes out to the perimeter to set a screen, he shows an ability that you wouldn’t really expect from an 18-year-old. His footwork could use some polish, but he pops into space well and is extremely confident (almost too confident because he needs to reel in his shot selection a bit) with his shot. He has good form and consistently hits shots from 10 to 18 feet out.
As he nears the rim, Randolph attacks the rim as well as anyone. He is slinky long and doesn’t fear going to the rack on anyone.
Power Forward. Florida
With impeccable strength, athleticism and balance, there may not be a power forward prospect in college basketball outside of Michael Beasley who is more NBA-ready, yet also shows enough room for improvement to develop into an All-Star. I believe teams like Memphis and Charlotte drafting ahead of New Jersey will need to take a hard look at Speights.
Point Guard. Texas
Augustin is the very obvious pick for the Pacers if he’s available. He has pure point guard abilities, is a winner and can also score.
Augustin is preposterously quick and nimble with the dribble, maintaining it effectively to create shots for himself and teammates with his gunslinger mentality. He would have struggled in the Derek Harper hand-check era, but he should be an effective NBA point guard in the way Tony Parker and Chris Paul have become All-Stars.
Combo Guard. UCLA
I don’t see Westrbrook as an NBA point guard, but he is still so raw that the possibility does exist.
He needs to reel in many aspects of his offensive game, but he has shown flashes of great sophistication as a shooter, dribbler and passer. He can create space off the dribble for his jumper and can also beat his man to get into the lane at will where he is a superb finisher. When he gets the ball into the paint, he is patient and controlled.
Small Forward. West Virginia
Portland will consider moving up or moving out of this slot because they will lose out on Augustin and they have very few needs beyond point guard.
But they could find a place to play Vanilla Sky, as he is one of the finest athletes and finishers in the entire draft. He is an aggressive leaper and can dunk on people extremely well and the radius of where he can attack the rim extends impressively.
He is very nifty with the ball, using tremendous pre-dribble fakes, spin moves and is elusive to his defender. With great court awareness, he is great with his back to the bucket at the elbow or mid-post.
Power Forward. Kansas
Speights would be ideal for Golden State, but Arthur is a rebounding power forward who should develop a nice game from 15 feet in. He has a remarkable court awareness as he is almost always in an ideal position on both ends of the floor. He posts with purpose; constantly trying to seal his man and can finish well with either hand. Arthur is also a good passer out of the post and pretty much anywhere else on the floor. His ball-handling does need a great deal of more work.
He is very athletic, sprinting the floor with gusto, beating his man down the floor for easy transition buckets. His jump shot is far from developed, but shows nice promise.
Power Forward. UCLA
While Phoenix transitions out of their high-octane offense, Love would make a good fit for their club. He can help trigger the break and clog up the lanes on defense.
But one area of his skill set that is often overlooked is how phenomenal he will be on the pick and roll/pick and pop. With his wide body, Love’s screens will be more than just an token obstacle and his footwork here is very refined whether it’s rolling to the basket for popping for a shot up to 20 feet away from the bucket.
Small Forward. Syracuse
Philadelphia is in a best player available situation at 16 and Greene could end up being one of the best five players from this draft even though he is clearly not ready for significant NBA minutes.
Like Beasley, Greene is a 6-9 combo forward with an excellent inside/outside game. He is a very powerful dunker who attacks the rim, but also shoots the 3-point shot well. Because he does shoot the 3-pointer well, he tends to gluttonously fall in love with the shot and force too many very bad attempts. His poor shot selection directly causes his poor shot percentage.
Center. Nevada
Though his first step is undoubtedly on the slow side, he is a very athletic 7-footer once he gets moving. Initial looks are to liken him to a classical center, but his ability to pass and shoot from about 15 feet in (though he will shoot from 20 feet) is more reminiscent of a European player than a homegrown American talent with a basketball pedigree and that should make him fit right in with the Raptors.
He is a good finisher, particularly in the open floor. He sometimes mistakes himself as a guard in the body of a center, making behind the back passes, taking step back 3’s, but he gets away with it and has some legitimate guard moves, even in the air.
Forward/Center. Stanford
Lopez gives Washington an energetic frontcourt player who should end up being skilled enough for their offense.
Robin is obviously the intangibles brother, with his abilities as a rebounder and shotblocker. He is exceptionally quick to the basket for rebounds, especially on the offensive end.
He has glimpses of a refined offensive game with a nice baseline jumper here and a graceful spin move for a lay-up there, but then he’ll get stripped in the post on one possession and badly throw the ball out of bounds on the next.
His athleticism and passion will eventually weigh out though as he polishes his mental consistency on the offensive end.
Small Forward. France
LeBron James desperately needs another scorer and Batum could become the top scorer on a few NBA teams.
He has ample athleticism, an absurdly long wingspan and well-developed skills in nearly every aspect of the game. The questions regarding his motor and aggressiveness to dominate appear to be his biggest obstacle between being good and being great.
Batum has NBA range on his effective, albeit flawed jumper, but he is better in the mid-range especially coming off screens and the great balance he has when creating his own shot off the dribble.
Despite his slight stature, he can attack the rim and as his body fills out, he will be able to take advantage of this with greater frequency.
Point Guard. North Carolina
Lawson is a little undersized and injury prone but he is already far more skilled than quite a few starting point guards and as his shot develops, his ability to penetrate and create scoring opportunities will improve exponentially. The Nuggets are desperate for a point guard and the drop off after Lawson is significant.
Shooting Guard. Kansas
There may not be a player in this draft who has better balance and body control when in the air. His in-air improvisational skills are remarkable and will make him an above-average transition player in the NBA. An excellent all-around player, his hardware contains just about every basketball skill (shooting, perimeter defense, passing, etc.) imaginable and he should immediately be a useful and versatile wing.
Small Forward. Arizona
The gains he has made in regards to his ball-handling, defense (particularly help defense) and strength have been substantial and Orlando would be an ideal situation for him. He is a far better all-around player now, though he still has a ways to go to make a sizable impact when not scoring. With his athleticism and skills, I expected him to be the kind of player Joe Alexander is already and the difference between the two is staggering.
Center. Ohio State
He has as superb of a face-up game as anyone his size; he can hit step back J’s from 20 feet and his shot is extremely smooth and confident. He is a conscientious and active screener and when he improves his footwork on the pick and roll and pick and pop, he will be a deadly offensive threat.
Physically, he is pretty good running the floor, but his lateral quickness is poor and more significantly, his balance (especially in the post) is not good. He also takes too long to gather himself to finish lay-ups and dunks, leaving himself vulnerable to blocked shots.
Combo Forward. USC
His offensive game is varied, as he is adept at scoring off the dribble as well as having an effective mid-range jumper. But what is most notable about Jefferson is his tremendously instinctive knack to be perfectly positioned on put-backs. He will have an excellent offensive/defensive rebounding ratio on the NBA level, giving his team many very valuable second chance points.
Jefferson’s ball-handling skills need much development, but he shows promise especially because of how balanced he is. His ability to get to the basket from the high post is reminiscent of Stephen Jackson. He is almost always effective with the dribble even though it sometimes looks a little sloppy.
Center. Georgetown
Hibbert is one of the best passing big men in this draft and would easily become a key cog in Rick Adelman’s offense. He instinctively knows how to make crisp passes to cutters because of his experience in John Thompson III’s hybrid Princeton offense. His footwork on the pick and roll is very good and he has excellent vision and anticipation for where his teammates and their defenders will be.
He unquestionably struggles against better/taller defenders, but overall is strong with the ball and is effective with his baby hook or even a 10-foot in jumper.
His biggest weakness is unfortunately an incurable one, as it is his hands. Hibbert too frequently must take an unnecessary gather dribble when catching the ball before he goes to the basket.
Power Forward. N.C. State
Hickson is a very fundamentally sound power forward prospect with a throwback style of play. His athleticism is average, but he makes up for it with his footwork, work ethic and length.
He would likely be a top-10 pick in 2009, but unlike a Blake Griffin who is staying at Oklahoma for his sophomore season, Hickson hasn’t shown enough prolonged dominance to warrant anything beyond a late first round flier.
Shooting Guard. Memphis
The Hornets desperately needed a player who could create his own shot off the dribble on the wing and Douglas-Roberts should develop into that player on the NBA level. His combination of skill and length make him a rare prospect, but he clearly needs to strengthen his core.
Power Forward. Alabama
Hendrix’s greatest asset is how well he uses his wide frame on the offensive end of floor and his overall footwork. He uses his body to get wide and seal defenders in the post and has extremely soft hands on the catch. Like Brook Lopez of Stanford and Kevin Love of UCLA, Hendrix does much of his work to score in the post before he even receives the ball.
He has great awareness of where he is on the floor and can score in multiple ways, whether with nice touch off the glass with either hand or a power dunk.
He must become a better jump shooter which will make him a more useful player on the mid-post and on the pick and pop.
Power Forward. TAU Vitoria
The Congo native is as fluid and skilled as he is athletic and he appears to have barely hit the surface of his potential and for that reason Detroit can take a late round gamble. He has excellent touch from a variety of ranges and also glides through the air to block shots.
Shooting Guard. North Carolina
Ellington has built upon a very good freshman season where he primarily was a spot-up shooter by showing a vastly improved handle. He can now shoot the mid-range jumper off the dribble really well and also is better at moving into open space without the ball. Defensively, he is more aggressive and makes use of his long arms to block/alter shots on the perimeter.
Second Round
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Power Forward. Rider
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Combo Guard. Washington State
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Small Forward. UCLA
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Shooting Guard. Vanderbilt
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Center. California
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Combo Guard. Tennessee-Marin
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Shooting Guard. Western Kentucky
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Small Forward. California
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Center. HTV Hyeres-Toulon
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Small Forward. Kansas State
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Center. Cairns Taipans
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Power Forward. Memphis
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Shooting Guard. Mississippi State
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Point Guard. Duke
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Center. Croatia
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Shooting Guard. New Mexico
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Power Forward. Indiana
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Shooting Guard. Arkansas
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Power Forward. Memphis
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Power Forward. Maryland
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Center. Alpella Istanbul
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Combo Guard. Memphis
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Forward/Center. Louisville
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Shooting Guard. Alabama
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Small Forward. Melbourne South Dragons
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Center. Winchendon H.S.
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Shooting Guard. Texas A&M
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Center. Kansas
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Center. Ulker Istanbul
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Center. Kansas
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