Sleepers: O'Bryant, Lowry, Thabo
posted: Tuesday, June 6, 2006

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Pretend for a second there were no mock drafts. No Top 100s. No consensus about which players should be candidates for the No. 1 position.

If you just sat in a gym watching prospects play, who would leap out at you?

After spending some time in the gym with LSU's Tyrus Thomas on Friday, I came away pretty convinced that Thomas is one of the best two or three prospects in the draft -- maybe the best.

Most NBA GMs agree. It's not much of reach.

However, after spending an hour in the gym on Monday with Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant, I had a very similar reaction. O'Bryant looks like the kind of prospect who should be a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

The only difference? No one has mentioned O'Bryant as a No. 1 candidate.

Let me be the first.

As I watched him work out, I had to keep asking myself, why isn't this guy getting mentioned as a potential top pick in the draft?

Physically, he reminds me a lot of a young Tyson Chandler. Similar size, body and athleticism.

The difference is that O'Bryant already looks much more polished offensively than Chandler has ever looked.

Here's the case for O'Bryant: He's a 7-footer with long arms. He's got a nice frame that could easily carry another 25 or 30 pounds of muscle.

He's an excellent athlete with springy legs. He runs up and down the floor like a deer. I know that phrase is used too often to describe guys who run well. Here I mean it more literally. The kid takes long strides, has a bounce in his step and glides effortlessly across the court -- it's truly reminiscent of how a deer runs.

Defensively he's good. He rebounds the ball well and is an excellent shot-blocker.

His ability on the offensive end surprised me. He showed a number of post moves, including a sky hook. That's right, a sky hook.

Where'd that come from?

"My high school coach was a little old school," O'Bryant said. "He made me shoot 400 of those every practice till my arms fell off. He wanted me to be Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]."

So why isn't the 7-0, athletic, coordinated, defensively and offensively gifted center not being mentioned as the potential No. 1 pick?

The Toronto Raptors need a center in the worst way. The Chicago Bulls could sure use one too. The Portland Trail Blazers are in dangerous of losing Joel Przybilla, their only decent center. And what about the Atlanta Hawks? Couldn't they use another big man?

You'd think, but to date O'Bryant hasn't worked out for any of those teams. The New Orleans Hornets, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz are the only four teams that have worked him out.

I talked to the GMs of two of those teams, and both said that they were impressed with O'Bryant's athleticism and size, but felt he was pretty raw and needed to work on his body.

OK. Can't argue with that. The kid is raw and he needs to hit the weight room. And he played less than a half of the season at Bradley, certainly not a breeding ground for great NBA big men.

The other knock? Some NBA scouts believe that O'Bryant isn't the most motivated player in the draft. Will he put in all the hard work he needs to become a great player?

All are legitimate concerns for the big guy. But I'm still asking: In a draft supposedly devoid of centers, how could this guy slip through the cracks?

It may not happen much longer. On Wednesday, O'Bryant will have an open workout at the Orlando camp for all 30 teams.

My prediction: I think at the end of the day, O'Bryant sneaks into the top five on draft night.

You want upside? No one in the draft at his height has his athleticism and skill.

Yes, he's a risk without a long track record. But in a draft supposedly void of superstar talent, O'Bryant may make teams think twice.

Here's my take on four other interesting players at IMG on Monday:

Cedric Simmons, North Carolina State: Simmons was also very impressive. So impressive that his workout raised the question, what's the big difference between him and Tyrus Thomas?

Simmons is roughly an inch taller (Simmons is measuring 6-10 in shoes). He has a bigger, more muscular body (235 lb. versus 220). He has a similarly long wingspan (7-3). Like Thomas, he's an excellent athlete.

Thomas is more polished on the perimeter. He's a better ball-handler and perimeter shooter. And while both are athletic, Simmons doesn't get up the way Thomas does.

However, Simmons is more skilled on the block right now. He's more physical and he has more experience.

I think the comparisons to a young Theo Ratliff are dead on. Not only does Simmons look a lot like Ratliff, but he also carries himself like him.

Simmons may never be a great offensive player, but his toughness, rebounding, shot-blocking and athleticism should keep him in the league for a long time, the same way it did for Ratliff.

Kyle Lowry, Villanova: Lowry is still testing the waters though he told me on Monday he's leaning toward staying in the draft.

Lowry is built like a NFL defensive back, with huge shoulders, a thick chest and big calves. He's strong, physical and explosive. He's a blur on the floor and it's clear that he's going to be a nightmare in the NBA on the defensive end.

In the type of workout I saw on Monday, it was impossible to gauge his point guard skills. He did run a few drills up and down the floor throwing lobs to Simmons, but not much else. His ball-handling was excellent in some agility drills.

The one thing that stood out to me was how well Lowry shot the ball. He's had a rep as a poor shooter in college, but he looked like he could sink his shot with ease from everywhere on the floor on Monday.

I'm surprised Lowry hasn't gotten more buzz in the draft. He is a legit point guard, has NBA strength and speed and is a great defender. Also, his jump shot is better than advertised. The 76ers, Wizards, Nets and Cavs, among other teams, could use a player like him in the backcourt.

Once he declares, expect his stock to rise.

Thabo Sefolosha, Switzerland: Sefolosha is getting a lot of buzz from international scouts, who claim he's one of the sleepers in the draft.

After watching him work out on Monday, I can see why. He's a prototypical small forward in the pros. He's somewhere between 6-7 and 6-8 with a huge wingspan (I swear his fingertips were touching the tops of his knees) and good athleticism.

His body type reminded me a little of the Pistons' Richard Hamilton. He's thin, but not too thin.

Sefolosha has earned a rep in Europe as a guy who does nothing great but everything well. That's what he showed on Monday as well.

He shot the ball very well from mid-range all the way out to the NBA 3-point line. He was a little streaky at times with the long ball, but that's to be expected considering he started shooting from that far away only two days ago.

He's a very smooth player with an excellent handle and good court vision. He flies up and down the floor, uses his feet well and can really defend.

"I think the kid has the potential to be a Boris Diaw-type player down the road," one NBA international scout told me. "He's really got all the tools. He's not a huge scorer, but all the little things he does don't show up on the boxscore."

Look for Sefolosha to start getting attention from the Warriors at No. 9, the Hornets at No. 15, the Kings at No. 19, the Nets at No. 23, the Cavs at No. 25 and the Lakers at No. 26.

Darius Washington, Memphis: There isn't a lot to add about Washington after his workout today.

He obviously has an NBA-ready body and is very quick. He also knows how to score, both off the dribble and with the jump shot.

Washington also looked as though he had lost some weight and was in great playing condition.

The problem is that very few teams in the NBA believe he's a point guard. He has too much a scoring mentality for the taste of many scouts. A mere workout can't change that impression.

He'll try to answer those questions when he plays in Orlando at the pre-draft camp. If he can change minds, he could sneak into the first round. If he can't, it isn't out of the question that he slips out of the draft altogether.

thanks dj

I agree about Lowry - he could go top ten when it's all said and done.

Posted by tkf:

I would love to get lowry, but I think he will be gone by pick 20.......

I had interest in lowry but i shied off that. We already have nate who is a small powerful guard and if they did want another combo guard shannon brown is much better bigger and more athletic than lowry.

I would like to move up, but im getting the feeling it wont happen. i kind of waiver on what i want i think this thing goes down to the wire. my number 1 prayer is that somehow we can get either houston's or minnesota pick through trades. then i have a wish list:>)

Posted by djsunyc:

nate + cash + #20 + #29 to seattle for #10 and take the landlord.

WAY too much to give up.

if Sac goes guard with the pick they may take Lowry

could be Bibby/Bobby Jax all over again

Posted by EnySpree:

Nate is a good player. You guys can light up his faults but the kid can score and can score big. He shows the ability to be a pest but showed inexperience. But he was a rookie. A rookie that was clutch at times. We can't forget that. He will hey better.

As this draft gets closer a lot of talent is being recognized. There should be some slipping. I'm just glad we have isiah drafting for us.

That all depends what he does on or before the big day.

that is a good point enyspree, nate has elite athleticism, and he can score big time, maybe we get lucky and a SF like shaun williams drops or we trade up and have a shot at marcus williams...