| Top Draft Prospects Authored by Nathan Froe - April 11, 2006 - 1:32 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | 65 Players To Watch In The 2010 NCAA Tournament The 2010 NCAA Tournament is upon us and in this space we examine 65 players who (in vast degrees of varying likelihood) could be soon playing in an NBA arena.
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More from RealGM's Columnists
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April 10, 2006
By Nathan Froe
1. C Joakim Noah – What more can you say? He’s a born winner. He’s a 7-0 bundle of energy with good athleticism. Not an athletic freak like Tyrus Thomas, but works just as hard if not harder. He’s a Future all-star C. He’s fiery and passionate, much like his father, Yannick Noah. I love that. He\'ll do all the little things too for you. Post game needs refining but you’ll know he’ll work on it. He’s a great shot-blocker, excellent rebounder, and a very smart & heady player. However, some people criticize his build and say he can’t develop into a post threat due to his frame and overall lack of strength. However, when placing into consideration his motor, his will and determination, his smarts, his athleticism, length and 7-0 stature, I don’t see any reason he can’t have a major impact on the game, especially defensively. Many players have some of the tools I mentioned. Very few have all. Whenever he comes out, Noah will be an immediate difference maker.
2. PF Tyrus Thomas – Dude is a freak of nature. He\'s def a legit 6-9 IMO and at least 235. Wingspan of a dinosaur! I see him as a mix b/w Ben Wallace & KMart (before injuries). Intimidating presence! He’s a defensive monster against college competition. What has scouts so excited is how quickly he’s become this monster. Raw, didn’t start really playing ball until late. Was 6-6 until a late growth spurt. He plays with the energy of a guard. He also has the ability to guard SF’s. He, along with Noah, is one of two hyperactive bigs in the draft. Hyperactive bigs are so rare. To see two in a draft is (both have just recently burst on the scene) really puts this supposed weak draft in a different light. You can\'t go wrong with the first two picks in this draft.
3. PF LaMarcus Aldridge –He reminds me a lot of Pau Gasol. Seems a bit soft, and I don\'t think he\'ll have a great defensive impact in the NBA as he should have based on raw talent. But he’s skilled and will be a deluxe scoring big. Has a pro game already. Physically he needs work but his game is polished. Not sure how aggressive he is but he’s known for being a great teammate. He will get definite consideration for the #1 pick.
4. PF Andrea Bargnani - Great budding offensive talent. What position he defends will determine how far he\'ll go as a pro. Will score at a NBA level and could probably do so soon. But he\'d likely give up just as many if not more on defense. He’s too weak down low. Not quick enough on the perimeter. Yikes! Sounds like someone will have to be patient.
5. SF Rudy Gay - Not a #1 pick. Not a franchise player, he just doesn\'t have the makeup for it. He will be a real good team player though. He makes a good pick outside of the top 3 picks. I see a more athletic Loul Deng. Maybe a little more passive but he\'ll be a helluva defender. Good b-ball skills - will also be good at setting others up. He can consistently stick the mid-range J. He should win some defensive 1st team awards in the NBA.
6. SF Adam Morrison - I still can\'t get a good read on him. All I know is that he\'s no Larry Bird and he won\'t be a complete bust. I think he\'ll be good, or at least decent....but I\'m not sure how good \"good\" is. Can he create his shot consistently at the next level? Scoring will have to be where he makes his mark in the NBA. I just don’t know if he’s a consistent enough shooter to earn a high number of shots at the next level to offset his deficiencies….mainly on defense. Time will tell…
7. SF Rodney Carney - I don\'t think he can be a SG on offense right now. Unfortunately, he reminds me of Jarvis Hayes on steriods. Doesn\'t have great b-ball skills, has an inconsistent shot but boy-oh-boy, he\'s got pogo sticks for legs! Great for alley-ops! Maybe he creates a little bit better off the dribble than Hayes but don\'t ask him to take more than one or two dribbles.
8. PF Josh McRoberts - Looked bad in the tourney but really because he was forced to do things he shouldn\'t. He\'s a pure PF. Not a great defender but better than he looked at Duke. Don\'t ask him to defend in space. Good b-ball instincts. He’s a great passer for his size, pretty athletic, very good vertical. Average foot speed for a PF. Inconsistent shot. Not much of a post game. He’s a superior finisher on the break. Still a work in progress but has good long range talent. Should stay at Duke and be the main guy.
9. PF/C Shelden Williams - Has a ton of NBA quality moves. He’s long armed, huge mitts, willing to do the dirty work. Shelden struggles to get shots off against guys his height or taller. Gets many shots re-directed. He also struggles to finish when he can\'t get the defender to go for the numerous play fakes. Just gets overmatched at times. He doesn\'t really elevate. Has no game outside of 5 feet. He’s a pure center. He would be out of his element at PF. If he really works hard and doesn\'t get frustrated by relative lack of success, I can see him being a Tyrone Hill type. But I think he\'s going to struggle badly at first in the pros.
10. SG Brandon Roy - Mr. Do-it-all. Good ballhandler, good athlete, just good at everything. Shot is a bit inconsistent. He may struggle a bit in the pros at shooting until he gets comfortable. Roy is a little undersized at 6-5. Something scares me about him. Has a bit of an \"overachieving\" stigma to him. I think he\'s a guy that can\'t get a whole lot better. I wouldn\'t draft him. Something about do-it-all SGs on the college level w/o top notch athleticism just scares me. Some have said he compares favorably to Dwayne Wade. Uh, yeah...Dwayne Wade in sloooow motion.
11. PG Marcus Williams – A very good floor leader. He’s probably the truest PG in the draft. He was UConn’s best player, not Rudy Gay. Athleticism has been his biggest question, but he can break down anyone on the college level. I think he compares favorably with the 3rd pick in last years’ draft, Deron Williams…he’s not as talented, but displays a more polished floor game. He sees the court real well and he can keep defenses honest with a relatively consistent jumper. He will have some defensive issues in the pros.
12. PF Al Horford – He really impresses me. He’s active and possesses a very high b-ball IQ. Good interior passer. Not to mention he’s an excellent athlete with a good wingspan. He can also hit the mid-range J. A real sleeper, he’s undervalued because of teammate Joakim Noah’s breakout. He will make a late lottery team very happy.
13. SG J.J. Redick - I’m one of the few sold on J.J. This guy is no Trajan Langdon. He can create off the dribble and do so at a high level. In the NBA teams can’t game plan for him like colleges do against Duke. J.J. won’t have to be the man at the next level. A smart team will run J.J. off screens all day. Get an open shot for this kid and he’ll nail it. I think he can have a major impact in the NBA b/c he’s such a pure shooter but still can get off a shot on his own if necessary. I see a mix b/w Michael Redd & Rip Hamilton.
14. SG/PG Ronnie Brewer – He’s also hard to get a read on. His shooting stroke is horrible looking b/c of a childhood injury. I think he’s too inconsistent a shooter to be a major factor at SG on the next level. However, his future may be at PG. Possesses excellent ball-handling skills. His game flourishes when the ball is in his hands. He creates well for himself and others and is an excellent athlete. At 6-7 he has great size for a guard. If he can make a full-transition to PG (where his lack of shooting will not be as big a factor) then he should probably be a lot higher on this list.
15. PG Mardy Collins – Not a fan of his at all. Not a great athlete or shooter. His best attribute is his ballhandling ability and his size which allows him to function as a tall PG. I know he can make plays for himself, but I question whether or not he can truly run a team. Also, will he be able to break down defenders at the next level? Defense will be an issue as well. Mardy doesn’t possess the foot-speed to defend PGs at the next level. He’s been effectively able to hide within Temple’s system. There are just too many unanswered questions here for me.
16. C Patrick O’Bryant – I’ve only watched him twice so I don’t feel totally confident saying he’s just another stiff. But I’m definitely leaning that direction. It’s the combination of two things that really bother me. He’s slow and he’s raw. Maybe he’s raw b/c he’s only 19. Maybe if he had the ability to stick a mid-range J or display good passing instincts or was some sort of defensive presence… I’d be intrigued. He needs to stay in school and develop some skills. Simply dominating inferior competition in college b/c your bigger than everyone else isn’t going to cut it in the Association. He’s definitely someone I’d pass on.
17. SG Randy Foye – NBA talent but frankly he has no real position. Let me be the first to say it…he’s not a PG. Not in the least…your team’s offense will immediately stagnate with Foye at PG. What he is, is a small SG (he’s around 6-3) with good b-ball skills who can create for others but will always look for his shot first. Foye is tough of nails, athletic, and he loves to slash to the cup. Plays with a chip on his shoulder, the key will be can he effectively guard bigger SGs. His long arms & reach will help. His draft measurements will be something I look at closely. I would love him if he was just two inches taller.
18.SF Corey Brewer – The NCAA tourney was his coming out party. He’s 6-8 with long arms and a great reach. Was the SEC defensive player of the year. Really made life hard for anyone he guarded. He’ showed an improving jumper and nice stroke with range. Hit some big shots for Florida throughout the tournament. He’s really not ready but his talent has NBA written all over it. His ball-handling skills needs a lot of work and packing on some muscle would be ideal. Would be better served coming back for a season and developing his perimeter skills but he may ride the wave of winning the NCAA championship right into the NBA.
19. C Josh Boone He’s a long athletic role player. Good size at 6-11, with a long wingspan. Needs some weight, he’s not strong enough to hold position on the block. Not much of an offensive threat. He’s a glorified garbage man. Good defender but will back down against brute strength. Not the shot-blocker his teammate Hilton is, but he’s a smarter defender who won’t sacrifice position to go for blocks. He’s also a solid rebounder. Has the talent to develop offensively but he wasn’t asked to do much other than the dirty work at UConn while Okafor, Villanueva & Gay got the glory and the shots. Because of this he’s pretty raw offensively for a big with 3 years of major college experience. However, teams in the NBA are in need of what Boone does well. Boone is a solid mid/late round pick with potential to develop into more if he works on developing offensive skills.
20. PG Rajon Rondo – An athlete is his own class, he’s also a bricklayer in his own class. He’s just an awful shooter. He will have a place in the NBA if he concentrates on defense though. I can see him locking up PGs on the next level. Truth is I think Rondo will eventually be a player in the NBA….if he works at it. He’s only 6-1 but has an incredible wingspan as well as lighting quick feet. If Jacque Vaughn can have a 10-year career as a defensive backup then so can Rajon.
21. C Hilton Armstrong – A no-show his first 3 season in Storrs. That’s a red flag right there. He’s an excellent shot-blocker on the college level, at least for one season. Has a surprisingly developed offensive game, but doesn’t get to use it a whole lot. He has an NBA game and the talent to be at least a rotational big. He definitely needs to add some upper body strength. I guess my biggest knock on him is his drive. I’m not sure he’s not just playing for an NBA contract. I smell a Steven Hunter like work ethic…at least to start his career.
22. C Paul Davis – Big and skilled. Slow footed and inconsistent. Paul Davis is an anomaly. He’s one of those guys that never seemed to totally put it together. But honestly he was alone at MSU…Shannon Brown & Maurice Ager reduced themselves to nothing more than unconscious jackers the last few months of the year and no one else stepped up. A tourney run would have really helped his stock. I thought he was overvalued as a potentially lottery pick but he’ll make a solid mid-to-late round choice. He’s got a developed mid range game and could work in well as a Princeton-type C. I see a little Brad Miller in him.
Nathan can be reached at nathanfroe@hotmail.com with any comments or questions. |
