JasonThompsonFan
G-League
Breaking down NBA draft prospects by position
By Eric Musselman
Pro Basketball News
This year's NBA draft is a great draft if a team needs a point guard. Five point guards could be selected in the top 11 picks.
The wildcards in the lottery are two Pac 10 players -- Arizona big man Jordan Hill and USC swingman DeMar DeRozen. Either could be drafted high or drop in the lottery (i.e. Paul Pierce), depending on team needs.
Here is a look at my top prospects by position:
Point Guard
1. Tyreke Evans, Memphis. Mutli-position player with great size (6-foot-5). Will play right away.
2. Ricky Rubio, Spain. Made a name for himself in the Olympics last year. His contract buyout is a concern for some teams. Great court sense and exceptional passer, he sees things two plays ahead, but I think his adjustment at running a team at the NBA level will be harder than many expect in the first two years.
3. Stephen Curry, Davidson. A two-guard who will convert to the point in the NBA. High basketball IQ, an underrated passer and the best shooter in the draft. Will help any team by stretching out the defense with his threat of the 3-ball. Right now, he is a scoring two guard, a shotmaker. He might not be around at the No. 8 pick.
4. Jrue Holiday, UCLA. An NBA starter as an on-the-ball defender. Needs to improve his point guard skills. A willing and good passer. Not ready to run an NBA team as a true point, but will learn the position.
5. Jonny Flynn, Syracuse. Vocal point guard who's willing to give his team direction. One concern is the fact he played in a 2-3 zone in college and may struggle in his first few years as a one-on-one defender in the NBA. (His high school team played man-to-man defense, and he did not stand out.) Played two summers with USA basketball and gained some experience there with one-on-one defensive concepts. A competitor and explosive, plays winning basketball. The more teams that evaluate him, the more his stock rises.
6. Brandon Jennings, U.S./Italy. A flier in this year's draft, very quick with great speed. Crafty on pick-and-rolls, he really gets in the lane, similar to Damon Stoudamire when he came out of Arizona. Talented but not ready. Will be a good fit with a team that's willing to wait a couple of years.
7. Darren Collison, UCLA. Jacque Vaughn-type will be an NBA backup and guard the ball. Will be a valuable pick as a mid-to-late first rounder. Will be a good second-quarter point guard.
8. Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth. Good offensive skills, but slight build. Has a long way to go defensively.
9. Ty Lawson, North Carolina. Great speed but lacks NBA size. Has limited half-court offense, as the Tar Heels were mainly a transition team. Shoots a set shot.
10. Patrick Mills, St. Mary‘s. Individual workouts have hurt him because of the half-court setting and his lack of strength. Is much better in a full-court, 5-on-5 situation where he can use his end-to-end speed. Can help an up-tempo team as a backup but must improve as a defender. Great kid.
11. Rodrigue Beaubois, France. Raw, needs time to develop point guard skills.
Shooting Guard
1. James Harden, Arizona State. Excellent one-on-one player because of strength. Will be a better pro than college player but must learn to play hard all game.
2. Gerald Henderson, Duke. Excellent transition scorer. Finishes and plays both ends of the floor. Must improve his shooting range. A rotation guy right now, is really a small forward who needs to play off-guard.
3. Terrence Williams, Louisville. Versatile player and good athlete who can play three positions. Will be a good defender and end up being an NBA starter in time.
4. Jeff Teague, Wake Forest. Will have to be a scoring point guard at the NBA level. Has a lot to learn as a point guard but will be a starter in a few years. Shot .441 percent from 3-point line this past season. Very talented and will play hard every night. Flat-line guy who isn't verbal. Can get in lane and was very good early in the season. A poor man's Devin Harris.
5. Marcus Thornton, LSU. A scorer and willing defender. Knows how to catch and shoot off the move. Will be effective off NBA sets with pin-downs.
6. Wayne Ellington, North Carolina. Second-best shooter in draft behind Stephen Curry. A spot-up shooter who needs to be drafted by a team with a point guard who can create shots for people, and/or play for one that has a low-post scorer who demands double-teams -- as he will struggle to create shots for himself. Has had a professional approach in interviews.
Small Forward
1. DeMar DeRozen, USC. Could be a high-risk/high reward pick. I was disappointed early in the season when I scouted in a home game vs. UC Irvine, but he got better as the year went along. Great athlete but must improve as a shooter. Has a great frame, reminds me of Trevor Ariza. Others have compared to Andre Iguodala. Coachable kid who did not have much coaching until he got to USC.
2. Earl Clark, Louisville. Good athlete with size. Multi-positional player who must be a three-man in the NBA because he is not physical enough. Lacks NBA toughness. Must improve as a foul shooter. A poor man's Tim Thomas.
3. Omri Caspi, Israel. Can play both upfront positions, but may be too light to play power forward in the NBA. Tough kid who competes. Has an unorthodox shot, a la Shawn Marion.
4. Austin Daye, Gonzaga. Should have stayed in school. Must get stronger. Skilled with an upside. Fades in individual workouts once fatigue sets in.
5. Sam Young, Pittsburgh. A power small forward, will rebound at his position but must improve his ball-handling. Plays hard.
6. Jonas Jerebko, Sweden. Participated in 2009 Reebok Eurocamp and played in Italian league this past season.
7. DeJuan Summers, Georgetown. Willing role player.
8. Chase Budinger, Arizona. Don't think he'll ever be an NBA starter. Inconsistent shooter and likely to be a career role player. Played for three coaches at Arizona and is somewhat soft for NBA. What will he hang his hat on?
Power Forward
1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma. The No. 1 pick in the draft could be a future NBA all-star. Will be better than Carlos Boozer because he is a better athlete and can put the ball on the floor better. Will surprise people with his ball-handling and ability to beat people off the dribble.
2. Jordan Hill, Arizona. Very good athlete, who can face basket and make shots from 12-15 feet. Will be able to play right away and contribute as a backup four-man. Would fit well with a running team like New York or Golden State. Plays with a good motor.
3. James Johnson, Wake Forest. A 22-year old sophomore who has no true position. Can play the small or power forward positions. Fell in love with his jump shot at times this year.
4. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina. Will work hard, be great in practice, and be able to come into NBA games late in the first quarter or early in the second and contribute versus subs off effort and energy. Moving up the boards as draft nears.
5. Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh. Undersized four-man whose weight may be a concern. Weighed more than 300 pounds in high school. Has nose for the ball and good timing, he really rebounds. Can make a 15-foot push shot. Solid passer who finds cutters and can swing the ball as a trail man. Jason Maxiell-type of player. Dominant in college but size will effect his NBA game. Has twice undergone reconstructive knee surgery. An off-the-bench type.
6. Taj Gibson, USC. Center in college who will have to convert to power forward. Very limited offensively. Active rebounder.
7. Josh Hytvelt , Gonzaga. Skilled offensively, can play pick-and-pop game .
Center
1. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut. Raw and long, has only played organized basketball for six years. Big upside, as his strength will improve. Natural at protecting the rim. He should be selected No. 2 overall. Only had about 10 touches per game at UConn and has never been used in pick-and-roll situations. Has been working with D-League and former NBA assistant Scott Roth most of the summer, which will help him a ton. People will be surprised by how well he has come along offensively. Must improve his feel for the game as he's a half-step slow reacting at times.
2. B.J. Mullens, Ohio State. Big body with skill. Must learn to play hard and compete every night. If that was a challenge during the college season, it will be a real challenge in the NBA. Good feet and hands.
3. Jeff Pendergraft, Arizona State. Will be a backup at the four- and five-man positions in the NBA.
4. Slava Kravtsov, Ukraine. Participated in 2009 Reebok Eurocamp. Big body but will not be able to help in NBA right away.
5. Garrett Siler, Augusta State. Played Division II ball so will have to make big adjustment playing against players of equal size at pro level. NBA summer league will be crucial to his evaluation as a future pro.
6. Chris Johnson, LSU. A power forward/center who could go in second round. Skinny, might end up in D-League then earn a call-up to NBA.
7. Luke Nevill, Utah. Played in pro system under former NBA assistant coach Jim Boylen. Offensively skilled, a taller version of former Utes big man Hanno Mottola. Slow laterally, but has good hands. Had a good workout in Minnesota vs. B.J. Mullens.
8.Goran Sutton ,Michigan State. Had a solid year for Spartans.
9. John Bryant, Santa Clara. A big body who will probably end up in playing in Europe. Put up big numbers on the glass but lack of mobility and speed will hurt.
Eric Musselman is the former coach of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and a regular contributor to Pro Basketball News.
http://probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=585
By Eric Musselman
Pro Basketball News
This year's NBA draft is a great draft if a team needs a point guard. Five point guards could be selected in the top 11 picks.
The wildcards in the lottery are two Pac 10 players -- Arizona big man Jordan Hill and USC swingman DeMar DeRozen. Either could be drafted high or drop in the lottery (i.e. Paul Pierce), depending on team needs.
Here is a look at my top prospects by position:
Point Guard
1. Tyreke Evans, Memphis. Mutli-position player with great size (6-foot-5). Will play right away.
2. Ricky Rubio, Spain. Made a name for himself in the Olympics last year. His contract buyout is a concern for some teams. Great court sense and exceptional passer, he sees things two plays ahead, but I think his adjustment at running a team at the NBA level will be harder than many expect in the first two years.
3. Stephen Curry, Davidson. A two-guard who will convert to the point in the NBA. High basketball IQ, an underrated passer and the best shooter in the draft. Will help any team by stretching out the defense with his threat of the 3-ball. Right now, he is a scoring two guard, a shotmaker. He might not be around at the No. 8 pick.
4. Jrue Holiday, UCLA. An NBA starter as an on-the-ball defender. Needs to improve his point guard skills. A willing and good passer. Not ready to run an NBA team as a true point, but will learn the position.
5. Jonny Flynn, Syracuse. Vocal point guard who's willing to give his team direction. One concern is the fact he played in a 2-3 zone in college and may struggle in his first few years as a one-on-one defender in the NBA. (His high school team played man-to-man defense, and he did not stand out.) Played two summers with USA basketball and gained some experience there with one-on-one defensive concepts. A competitor and explosive, plays winning basketball. The more teams that evaluate him, the more his stock rises.
6. Brandon Jennings, U.S./Italy. A flier in this year's draft, very quick with great speed. Crafty on pick-and-rolls, he really gets in the lane, similar to Damon Stoudamire when he came out of Arizona. Talented but not ready. Will be a good fit with a team that's willing to wait a couple of years.
7. Darren Collison, UCLA. Jacque Vaughn-type will be an NBA backup and guard the ball. Will be a valuable pick as a mid-to-late first rounder. Will be a good second-quarter point guard.
8. Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth. Good offensive skills, but slight build. Has a long way to go defensively.
9. Ty Lawson, North Carolina. Great speed but lacks NBA size. Has limited half-court offense, as the Tar Heels were mainly a transition team. Shoots a set shot.
10. Patrick Mills, St. Mary‘s. Individual workouts have hurt him because of the half-court setting and his lack of strength. Is much better in a full-court, 5-on-5 situation where he can use his end-to-end speed. Can help an up-tempo team as a backup but must improve as a defender. Great kid.
11. Rodrigue Beaubois, France. Raw, needs time to develop point guard skills.
Shooting Guard
1. James Harden, Arizona State. Excellent one-on-one player because of strength. Will be a better pro than college player but must learn to play hard all game.
2. Gerald Henderson, Duke. Excellent transition scorer. Finishes and plays both ends of the floor. Must improve his shooting range. A rotation guy right now, is really a small forward who needs to play off-guard.
3. Terrence Williams, Louisville. Versatile player and good athlete who can play three positions. Will be a good defender and end up being an NBA starter in time.
4. Jeff Teague, Wake Forest. Will have to be a scoring point guard at the NBA level. Has a lot to learn as a point guard but will be a starter in a few years. Shot .441 percent from 3-point line this past season. Very talented and will play hard every night. Flat-line guy who isn't verbal. Can get in lane and was very good early in the season. A poor man's Devin Harris.
5. Marcus Thornton, LSU. A scorer and willing defender. Knows how to catch and shoot off the move. Will be effective off NBA sets with pin-downs.
6. Wayne Ellington, North Carolina. Second-best shooter in draft behind Stephen Curry. A spot-up shooter who needs to be drafted by a team with a point guard who can create shots for people, and/or play for one that has a low-post scorer who demands double-teams -- as he will struggle to create shots for himself. Has had a professional approach in interviews.
Small Forward
1. DeMar DeRozen, USC. Could be a high-risk/high reward pick. I was disappointed early in the season when I scouted in a home game vs. UC Irvine, but he got better as the year went along. Great athlete but must improve as a shooter. Has a great frame, reminds me of Trevor Ariza. Others have compared to Andre Iguodala. Coachable kid who did not have much coaching until he got to USC.
2. Earl Clark, Louisville. Good athlete with size. Multi-positional player who must be a three-man in the NBA because he is not physical enough. Lacks NBA toughness. Must improve as a foul shooter. A poor man's Tim Thomas.
3. Omri Caspi, Israel. Can play both upfront positions, but may be too light to play power forward in the NBA. Tough kid who competes. Has an unorthodox shot, a la Shawn Marion.
4. Austin Daye, Gonzaga. Should have stayed in school. Must get stronger. Skilled with an upside. Fades in individual workouts once fatigue sets in.
5. Sam Young, Pittsburgh. A power small forward, will rebound at his position but must improve his ball-handling. Plays hard.
6. Jonas Jerebko, Sweden. Participated in 2009 Reebok Eurocamp and played in Italian league this past season.
7. DeJuan Summers, Georgetown. Willing role player.
8. Chase Budinger, Arizona. Don't think he'll ever be an NBA starter. Inconsistent shooter and likely to be a career role player. Played for three coaches at Arizona and is somewhat soft for NBA. What will he hang his hat on?
Power Forward
1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma. The No. 1 pick in the draft could be a future NBA all-star. Will be better than Carlos Boozer because he is a better athlete and can put the ball on the floor better. Will surprise people with his ball-handling and ability to beat people off the dribble.
2. Jordan Hill, Arizona. Very good athlete, who can face basket and make shots from 12-15 feet. Will be able to play right away and contribute as a backup four-man. Would fit well with a running team like New York or Golden State. Plays with a good motor.
3. James Johnson, Wake Forest. A 22-year old sophomore who has no true position. Can play the small or power forward positions. Fell in love with his jump shot at times this year.
4. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina. Will work hard, be great in practice, and be able to come into NBA games late in the first quarter or early in the second and contribute versus subs off effort and energy. Moving up the boards as draft nears.
5. Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh. Undersized four-man whose weight may be a concern. Weighed more than 300 pounds in high school. Has nose for the ball and good timing, he really rebounds. Can make a 15-foot push shot. Solid passer who finds cutters and can swing the ball as a trail man. Jason Maxiell-type of player. Dominant in college but size will effect his NBA game. Has twice undergone reconstructive knee surgery. An off-the-bench type.
6. Taj Gibson, USC. Center in college who will have to convert to power forward. Very limited offensively. Active rebounder.
7. Josh Hytvelt , Gonzaga. Skilled offensively, can play pick-and-pop game .
Center
1. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut. Raw and long, has only played organized basketball for six years. Big upside, as his strength will improve. Natural at protecting the rim. He should be selected No. 2 overall. Only had about 10 touches per game at UConn and has never been used in pick-and-roll situations. Has been working with D-League and former NBA assistant Scott Roth most of the summer, which will help him a ton. People will be surprised by how well he has come along offensively. Must improve his feel for the game as he's a half-step slow reacting at times.
2. B.J. Mullens, Ohio State. Big body with skill. Must learn to play hard and compete every night. If that was a challenge during the college season, it will be a real challenge in the NBA. Good feet and hands.
3. Jeff Pendergraft, Arizona State. Will be a backup at the four- and five-man positions in the NBA.
4. Slava Kravtsov, Ukraine. Participated in 2009 Reebok Eurocamp. Big body but will not be able to help in NBA right away.
5. Garrett Siler, Augusta State. Played Division II ball so will have to make big adjustment playing against players of equal size at pro level. NBA summer league will be crucial to his evaluation as a future pro.
6. Chris Johnson, LSU. A power forward/center who could go in second round. Skinny, might end up in D-League then earn a call-up to NBA.
7. Luke Nevill, Utah. Played in pro system under former NBA assistant coach Jim Boylen. Offensively skilled, a taller version of former Utes big man Hanno Mottola. Slow laterally, but has good hands. Had a good workout in Minnesota vs. B.J. Mullens.
8.Goran Sutton ,Michigan State. Had a solid year for Spartans.
9. John Bryant, Santa Clara. A big body who will probably end up in playing in Europe. Put up big numbers on the glass but lack of mobility and speed will hurt.
Eric Musselman is the former coach of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and a regular contributor to Pro Basketball News.
http://probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=585
