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3rd June, 2008 - 8:50 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Turkoglu, Marbury And Artest/Ariza!
The pursuit of Hedo Turkoglu, Stephen Marbury rejects Boston's offer, and the Lakers and Rockets essentially swap Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn’t overlooking Orlando…
PLAYER RANKINGS: The Final NBA Player Rankings For The 2008-09 Season
The 2008-09 season is in the books and how did players rank individually?
TEAM RANKINGS: The Final NBA Team Rankings For The 2008-09 Season
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the NBA's most improved team and finished the regular season atop our rankings, ahead of the Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Blazers.
STANDING 10: Top-10 Careers Of Players Picked 1st
While it isn't always true that the first player drafted is the best among his class, there were quite a few Hall of Famers left out of the final installment in this series.
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 by playing with Rose.
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. Wade is so superb with the ball in his hands and is also a great playmaker, something he would do less of with Rose.
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.
Shooting Guard. USC
In an NBA in which very few players can create their own offense, Mayo will be elite.
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.
He also is a great passer and quickly improving defender, which should allow him to eventually end up in that poor man’s Kobe territory and one of the finer pure shooting guards in the league.
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.
Center. Stanford
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 and technique. He has great balance for a player of his size with a very strong physical core and is well-conditioned.
With Rudy Gay and a host of strong point guards and combo guards, Lopez will give Memphis an immediate interior presence on both sides of the floor.
Combo Guard. UCLA
There are many great athletes in this year’s draft, but Russell Westbrook is in an entirely different category in terms of his strength, agility, and body control and because he should be able to play multiple positions. I love D.J. Augustin and Walsh should and will consider him here but he is a high risk pick for the Knicks because he will be a D’Antoni point guard or bust.
While Westbrook is still raw offensively, his play on the defensive end of the floor is simply suffocating. Westbrook can shadow just about any wing 6-7 or under and should be a top-three perimeter defender in the entire NBA almost immediately. He is superbly quick with his lateral movement and is intimidating in the air on-ball and off-ball as a shotblocker. His extremely fast hands will create many deflections and takeaways while turning routine passes and shot attempts into ones of high degrees of difficulty.
He also does the subtle aspects on defense well, such as attempting to prevent the ball from being swung and applying help pressure on the post. He is extremely fast at catching back up to his man on the trail after he has been screened off-ball.
Offensively, Westbrook will make a brilliant dribble move for a 3-pointer, but then he will shoot an airball on a dribble drive from the wing into the lane.
If you rate the 2008 Draft class as pure basketball players, I’m not sure Westbrook would be included in the top-20 at this point in his development, but his feel for the game is so naturally sophisticated. His fundamentals will eventually catch up with his instincts and athleticism, which will transform him into a player who can consistently make the types of plays on both sides of the floor we see only from the very elite.
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. Furthermore, if Shaun Livingston ever is healthy again, his length at the one would offset Gordon.
Point Guard. Texas
Augustin has pure point guard abilities, is a winner and can also score. In the structured halfcourt, Augustin passes one-handed with either hand off the dribble exceptionally well and is something that he can also do in the open floor. His vision is superb, and he sets up his teammates with easy to handle passes. He also effectively uses on-ball screens, inviting double-teams and anticipates where the help rotation will come from.
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.
Despite being so short, Augustin is able to get shots over taller defenders and also has a superior perimeter shot at this age than the two similar bodied NBA point guards just mentioned.
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.
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.
His conditioning has been an issue, and he is typically limited to short floor stints, but it is due to how amazingly active he is on both sides of the floor and at all times. Speights’ in-game work ethic is as impressive as any player on any level.
He is extremely quick from end line to end line, frequently beating his man down the floor for easy baskets in Florida’s early offense.
What makes him even more dangerous with the pick and roll is his excellent vision as a passer. Defenders must not only attempt to slow him down as he goes down the key with the ball but must also respect his ability to find a baseline cutter for an easy bucket.
In the post, Speights could use a little more variation with his moves but has a nice skill set here already. He has a baby hook and can finish with strength and touch with either hand. He doesn’t rush himself, has great balance, and will draw contact and finish and 1’s.
Center. Texas A&M
With Augustin off the board, Darren Collison back at UCLA and Ty Lawson being a reach, DeAndre Jordan is a great alternative.
Jordan has the kind of size, athleticism, and skill set to make just about any GM become enamored with his potential, but like so many similar big men who have come before him, his drive to become great is in serious question. His physical skills are great, and it is evident how he can be molded into a top-five center; however, I’m not sure if he has the necessary instincts to become a great NBA player.
I don’t believe we will see as big of a progression between the DeAndre Jordan we see on day one in the Vegas Summer League and the five-year veteran DeAndre Jordan.
Small Forward. Italy
Danilo Gallinari is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft because it is so difficult to feel fully comfortable in reaching a final assessment.
He has a superb handle and plays the game like he’s 6-3 instead of his listed 6-9; it is very easy to forget he is so tall. Gallinari is great in the open floor with a quick, confident dribble and excellent floor vision.
Gallinari would get many more open shots if he worked harder without the ball; he is far too stationary. When he does move he has a nice natural feel for how to find open space on the perimeter.
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 a 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.
The aspects of Love’s game that people rave about (passing, low post moves, feel for game), are universally heralded while the genuine concerns (lack of length, quickness, elevation), are cited with equal passion.
Cut both sides right down the middle and I think that’s where you will find Love; he isn’t a top-five caliber pick (especially not this year), but he also won’t be an ineffective bust.
Forward/Center. Stanford
Lopez gives Philadelphia 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.
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.
Small Forward. Syracuse
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.
Small Forward. Arizona
Budinger is a far better all-around player now than when he arrived in Tucson, though he still has a ways to go to make a sizable impact when not scoring. The gains he has made in regards to his ball-handling, defense (particularly help defense) and strength have been tremendous.
He has the skill set to be a very serviceable secondary perimeter scorer to LeBron James.
Point Guard. North Carolina
Lawson is a little undersized and injury prone but he is already far more skilled than quite a few starting NBA point guards (Anthony Carter included) 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.
Power Forward. TAU Vitoria
Ibaka is an unknown commodity and would be a gamble but he clearly is talented and could become an excellent sleeper. He is agile and quick footed though he still has a little ways to go on some of his basic basketball coordination.
He has a good motor as an active screener, has developing post moves (gets long when he goes up for a shot) and is accurate on the catch and shoot.
Power Forward. N.C. State
The Magic are in need of another low-post scoring threat and Hickson is a high-ceiling power forward and would likely be a top-10 pick in 2009.
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.
Center. Georgetown
Hibbert is one of the best passing big men in this draft and would easily become a key cog in Jerry Sloan’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.
Small Forward. France
He has ample athleticism, an absurdly long wingspan and well-developed skills in nearly every aspect of the game. The questions regarding his motor, decision-making 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.
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.
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.
He already plays and looks like a SAS-type of player.
Shooting Guard. Memphis
Douglas-Roberts is a prime example of an excellent college shooting guard with questions about whether or not he has enough tools to succeed on the NBA level.
He needs to become stronger and is also far from being spectacular athletically although his reverse dunk on a fastbreak against Gonzaga certainly helps dispel that notion. The lack of strength in his core causes him to not be as balanced as he needs to be since his center of gravity is too far out in front of him.
What he does do well, of course, is score. He has improved his perimeter shot dramatically this season and is shooting 50% from 3-point territory. The increase in no small part is due to how well Rose frees up everyone on the floor allowing very few of those 3-point attempts to be tightly contested. His mid-range game is very good as he works well without the ball.
With the ball, he can beat his man off the dribble and get himself into the lane for pull-up jumpers and runners. He also goes well to the baseline before throwing up soft teardrops.
Center. California
Kwame Brown’s expiring contract is coming off the books in Memphis and the comparisons here are applicable. But he clearly has better hands and far better intangibles. He can beat his man down the floor but doesn’t take advantage nearly as often enough.
If you put Hardin on a team with a great point guard (Memphis has a few potential players in that category) and you get a very good 10-year NBA big.
Power Forward. Rider
When watching how smooth and skilled Thompson can be on game films, it is easy to forget that he is a solid 6-10. His fundamentals and feel for the game are as fine-tuned as any college prospect, but his future raises question marks due to playing in the MAAC.
The competitive workouts will be especially important for Thompson since he will finally be judged against major conference talent and I expect him to be impressive. He will be picked by a playoff team that already has their franchise players, so Thompson will be asked to plug holes at the four and five and be as versatile of a rebounder, shotblocker, passer and 10-foot jump shooter as he truly is.
Small Forward. Maccabi Tel Aviv
Casspi is a great scorer and that is largely a result of how much work he does prior to catching the ball. He is always moving and intelligently moves into space and proves to be a tough cover for this very reason. He is always cutting to the ball and then he looks to finish buckets physically and dunk on people when possible.
He is much better than Gallinari without the ball and also does a better job of staying up right when knifing through traffic.
He is a decent perimeter shooter but is a little mechanically flawed and needs more development in this area but these problems are very fixable.
Whether or not he comes over next season is in doubt, but he will represent a talented wing in Boston’s aging pipeline.
Second Round
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Center. HTV Hyeres-Toulon
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Small Forward. California
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Point Guard. Kansas
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Small Forward. Kansas State
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Shooting Guard. New Mexico
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Small Forward. UCLA
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Shooting Guard. Vanderbilt
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Combo Forward. USC
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Center. Cairns Taipans
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Combo Guard. Washington State
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Shooting Guard. Western Kentucky
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Power Forward. Alabama
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Shooting Guard. Mississippi State
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Power Forward. Maryland
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Center. Alpella Istanbul
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Power Forward. Memphis
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Small Forward. UMass
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Power Forward. Ohio State
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Point Guard. Iowa State/Idaho Stampede
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Shooting Guard. Arkansas
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Small Forward. St. Joseph's
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Point Guard. Butler
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Center. Winchendon H.S.
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Power Forward. BYU
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Combo Guard. Tennessee-Martin
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Center. Kansas
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Shooting Guard. Texas A&M
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Forward/Center. Louisville
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Center. Kansas
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Point Guard. Duke
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