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JohnWallace44
Posts: 25119
Alba Posts: 1
Joined: 6/14/2005
Member: #910
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1. Blake Griffin
Power Forward. Oklahoma
Unlike the Oden/Durant showdown and last year's Rose/Beasley debate, Griffin has no peer at the top of this draft. He is the undisputed best player in the pool and his combination of athleticism and a very high skill level will almost immediately make him one of the NBA's best power forwards.
2. James Harden
Shooting Guard. Arizona State
In recent years, there haven't been too many pure shooting guards that are more sophisticated scorers as a sophomore than James Harden.
3. Jordan Hill
Power Forward. Arizona
For the 2008 draft, I really liked Hill as a selection early in the second half of the first round and he came back to Tucson for his junior season with a vastly improved skill set. He has improved his raw offensive game with more refinement and control, which matches his athleticism.
4. Greg Monroe
Forward/Center. Georgetown
Monroe might still have the decision-making and unpolished skills of a freshman, but his size, athleticism and natural feel for the game make him a unique big prospect.
5. Tyreke Evans
Combo Guard. Memphis
Evans initially had some struggles when arriving at Memphis, but his play has been much better of late. He has shown the ability to play the point position, which is tremendously valuable given his size and build. He's also shooting the ball efficiently from the perimeter.
6. Brandon Jennings
Point Guard. Roma
Jennings is a really good jump shooter and will have one of the NBA's best crossover dribbles. He is quick enough to beat his man nearly at will, especially because he's so slippery and with his very good in-air body control, Jennings is a good finisher.
7. Jrue Holiday
Combo Guard. UCLA
Holiday is a tremendous athlete and has been playing the Russell Westbrook role this year. He has an excellent handle and when he gets into the paint, he will be able to bounce off defenders and finish much the same way as Chris Paul.
8. Jeff Teague
Point Guard. Wake Forest
Teague may not have the explosiveness of many of the other top guards in this draft, but he's everything you can ask for as a scoring point guard.
9. Hasheem Thabeet
Center. Connecticut
While still remaining an elite shotblocker, Thabeet keeps nudging his still very young game along.
10. Al-Farouq Aminu
Combo Forward. Wake Forest
Aminu is probably the biggest project out of anyone in the top-10. He is inconsistent and makes a lot of out of control freshman mistakes, but then he'll wow you with an incredibly soft touch in traffic or a shocking ability to sky and extend to bucket for a dunk.
11. Willie Warren
Point Guard. Oklahoma
Warren will be able to score anywhere he wants to on the NBA level. He already has NBA 3-point range and has as much explosion to the rim as anyone in this draft. He has a confident handle and great poise on the floor. He reminds me of Adrian Peterson in the way he has and uses his strength.
12. B.J. Mullens
Center. Ohio State
For the third consecutive season, Thad Matta has a first round freshman prospect at center. He has good elevation and strength to go with a sophisticated set of post moves. Mullens also has good vision as a passer, though the college game remains a little too quick for his decision-making.
13. Austin Daye
Combo Forward. Gonzaga
His lack of athleticism and slow physical maturity will hurt him in the NBA initially and is why he should stay at Gonzaga for his junior season, but he has all of the natural skills and instincts to become everything Jared Jeffries couldn't at the next level. He has an excellent inside/outside game, both in the post and shooting off the dribble.
14. Patrick Patterson
Power Forward. Kentucky
Patterson has the frame and skill set of a classic, 1980's power forward. He can also be explosive as a finisher and rebounder, while also excelling as a passer.
15. Terrence Williams
Shooting Guard. Louisville
Williams is someone that looks much better live than on paper. Even though his shooting percentages are far from ideal for a shooting guard, he has good mechanics and a compact form. He has excellent athleticism, a good handle, a great feel for game and should have an Antonio Daniels type of career in the NBA as an incredibly productive combo guard.
16. Jonny Flynn
Point Guard. Syracuse
A lot of teams were interested in Flynn in last year's draft before he decided to return to Syracuse for his sophomore season and he's continuing to improve this season. He has great intangibles and I expect him to actually be a better pro than he is a college player depending on the offensive system he ends up in.
17. Demar DeRozen
Guard/Forward. USC
DeRozen has been more Nick Young than O.J. Mayo thus far in his career at USC, which should include a sophomore season. His athleticism and natural skill are off the charts, but he needs considerably more improvement in his consistency to become a reliable NBA player.
18. Earl Clark
Combo Forward. Louisville
With great basketball considering his height, Clark is eerily reminiscent of a Ron Mercer or Al Harrington. He does a whole bunch of things on the floor, especially with the dribble, that few players his height are capable of at any level. He has a quick release with his jumper and a capable shot, though his efficiency is disconcerting.
19. Darren Collison
Point Guard. UCLA
Collison could be playing in his fourth Final Four and his improvement since he was a freshman in 2005 has been considerable. He is a much better shooter and has decreased his turnovers. I'm not sure he is talented enough to be a starting point guard on a good team, but he'll make a superb backup due to his defensive abilities and consistency.
20. Ty Lawson
Point Guard. North Carolina
Lawson's game is almost completely predicated on the extreme speed of his dribble and he will be an ideal point guard for an athletic young team that likes to run with him. He has matured in his decision-making this season and has also dramatically improved his perimeter shot.
21. Evan Turner
Small Forward. Ohio State
Turner moves very well without the ball and has a dynamic first step with the dribble when he does get it. He has impressive mechanics with his shot and really sells ball fakes, which frequently turn into unguardable spin moves.
22. Gerald Henderson
Shooting Guard. Duke
Henderson is incredibly smooth and sounds in just about every facet of the game. He is a little small and underwhelming to be anything more than an average NBA shooting guard.
23. Chase Budinger
Small Forward. Arizona
Unfortunately for Budinger, he is showing the signs of his ceiling as an amateur instead of in the slot of a lottery pick's rookie contract. But he is showing tangible improvement, both as a scorer and defender.
24. DaJuan Summers
Small Forward. Georgetown
Summers has a lot of skill and strength as a 6-8 small forward and he's also improved his shooting efficiency considerably this season as a junior.
25. Cole Aldrich
Center. Kansas
Aldrich has a soft touch and good post moves as one of the best big scorers in college basketball. He is naturally a scorer and is agile despite having average athleticism. His shot mechanics are awkward, as he takes the ball nearly behind his head and doesn't have a lot of touch on it despite being successful with it.
26. Stephen Curry
Combo Guard. Davidson
Curry is a proven NCAA scorer, but unless he can develop some serious point guard skills, he will struggle to find time in the NBA. Now as a known commodity, he is facing tighter defensive schemes and his 3-point shooting as been far from efficient, with a lot of 4-for-12 kind of nights from beyond the arc.
27. Nick Calathes
Point Guard. Florida
Calathes has excellent pure point guard skills and is improving as a shooter. He has excellent vision and speed with the open court dribble, which allows him to use his skills as a passer, creator and facilitator. His lack of lift and explosiveness will hurt him, but his build suggests he'll be strong enough to compensate for that in the NBA.
28. Jerome Jordan
Center. Tulsa
Jordan is really skilled and smooth as a scorer and should be an effective backup center in the NBA if developed properly. He is very slight and needs to add mass, which will help him work for better position in the post, but for now has great touch and range with his hook and shot.
29. Patrick Mills
Point Guard. St. Mary\'s
Mills suffered a hand injury, which will likely seal his fate to wait until the 2010 draft, but he has shown enough to be a solid first rounders in spite of that. Because he's so slight, he is more Tony Parker than Chris Paul, except with a much better perimeter shot. His range is NBA-deep and because his form is so compact and quick, getting it off over taller defenders shouldn't be a problem. He is an average passer, though occasionally creative.
30. Gani Lawal
Forward/Center. Georgia Tech
Lawal is a bruising power forward that won't win any style points, but is an effective scorer and rebounder.
Alan Hahn:
Nate Robinson has been on a ridonkulous scoring tear lately (remember when he couldn't hit Jerome James with a Big Mac in early January?)
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