I only recall seeing him play once on TV and came away impressed. When you look at what he brings and consider what we need, namely a rebounding/defensive big man, it certainly looks like he'd be a good fit..He could be our guy. Would he be a reach in the 17-20 range? Not sure..Nbadraft.net compares him to Lou Amundson. How accurate is that SC? I think he's better than Amundson, no? Amundson's a role player in the NBA...Gimmie your comparison -- Are the Dennis Rodman comparisons at all close? A more athletic/more skilled Reggie Evans perhaps? Amir Johnson??

I really liked Georgia's Trey Thompkins early on this season--I think he's got a very nice offensive game for a big but he's been inconsistent the whole season esp. of late and he really should be a better rebounder than he is..Probably off the board by the time we pick anyway. I know Briggs likes Jordan Williams from Maryland -- compare him to Faried if it came down to those two..Williams is bigger (listed at 6'10" 260---maybe better equipped physically to guard NBA 4s and 5s), a better offensive player and maybe just as good a rebounder..Faried's a better shot-blocker..Williams plays in a better conference against better competition..If we're looking for this type of player, is Williams the better value? He might be..

Finestrg wrote:Syracuse vs. Louisville this Saturday at 12 noon..Gonna take a good long look at Rick Jackson..I know he lost a lot of weight..Still a little on the raw side overall but very quietly he's putting up some monster rebounding numbers for the Orange..Guy can block a shot too..Less heralded than some of the guys we're talking about here but maybe this guy's an option for us a little later in the draft if we go a different direction in the 1st round..

I think I'm ordering pizza and watching that one... good looks

SupremeCommander wrote:

Knixkik wrote:Since we are talking about some solid big man prospects, Markieff Morris, the less talked about of the Kansas twins, would be a great fit here. 6-10 245, athletic, good rebounder and defender, solid finisher and outside shooter. He reminds me of a poor man's Al Horford. Even the college numbers are similar. He could easily come here and be a great rotation big man. He should be available in the mid first round when we pick. I also expect him to be a better pro than college player. He could be a double-double player here by his 2nd or 3rd season and a good fit alongside STAT.

Is this the Lopez twins thing? Where one does the finesse stuff and the other does the lunch pail stuff? I honestly would rather have Robin than Brook right now.

Finestrg wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

Finestrg wrote:Syracuse vs. Louisville this Saturday at 12 noon..Gonna take a good long look at Rick Jackson..I know he lost a lot of weight..Still a little on the raw side overall but very quietly he's putting up some monster rebounding numbers for the Orange..Guy can block a shot too..Less heralded than some of the guys we're talking about here but maybe this guy's an option for us a little later in the draft if we go a different direction in the 1st round..

I think I'm ordering pizza and watching that one... good looks

You catch the game bro? 'Cuse got whacked early then made it a game with a late comeback (sound like a certain team we know? ).

I didn't care for their defensive strategy -- once a team gets hot from deep like Louisville did, the worst thing in the world you can do is keep playing zone. All that team was doing was moving the ball around the perimeter until someone got an open look and then POW!! With the size advantage the Orange had in this game with guys like Jackson and that big beanpole freshman Keita, I would've looked to play it more straight up and gotten into guys a lot more..If someone gets beat, you funnel them into the trees who are inside waiting..They should've made a commitment to take the perimeter away from Lousiville guards like Knowles & Kuric and forced them to beat them in other ways..I can't believe an adjustment wasn't made.

Pretty pedestrian game for Jackson btw -- I was kinda surprised. I think he finished with only 7 & 7..Dude was a non-factor for the most part but I'll be tuning in again next time they're on to get another look..Brandon Triche had a good game (shaky handle but he can shoot & slash) and Scoop was OK. Not enough though..Looks like Jackson's the only one on that squad that's NBA material at the moment. Possibly..

I agree about him being the only potential NBA player but I haven't seen enough to make a decision on him. I know the announcers loved his offensive rebounding and that he keeps improving. Shame Knowles on Louisville can't pass, he can flat out play. Too small

Would give more but I played poker from Friday night until 6 AM Sat. Yes I won, yes I had fun, yes I drank a lot... but I'm still recovering. Slept at random times during the game lol

BRIGGS wrote:I think from 15 down I had J Williams Faried J Johnson as the big that I thought we could get and it appears as if we will be in position to take our choice. Looking at Jujuan again today--he looks like he is 7 feet tall or close to it plus he shoots 80+% from the FL and quite skilled. His body looks tad off balanced--like he needs 10-15 more pounds but boy is he long and athletic. He looks like he could be a real good defensive 4 who could push over to 5 if he gets up to 240. I don't think the Knicks will take a guy like Faried even though I like him. I dont know if J Williams is even coming out and we have to factor that we have Jerome Jordan coming in. I think the Knicks as constructed with MDA are going to like that kid from Richmond that J wallace pointed out Justin Harper just the way we play. With faried you have to factor in are the Knicks going to take a guy who cant shoot? Johnson seems more like a Knicks pick--he can shoot at what looks like 7 feet tall hes very long and athletic--hes a 4 year player and likely could cross between 4-5. I think when you look at the pick--you ahve to factor in the style of play.Johnson can play out to the 3 pt line is a +80% FT shooter runs the floor yet also has a post game. If he was 245 it would be a no brainer but hed also go in the top 10.

Today sold me on Johnson--he's got NBA all star potential in the front court. Looks like a young KG with a great shooting stoke.

NBA Comparison: Louis Amundson

Strengths: High energy post player who excels at doing the dirty work, in particular rebounding, defending and banging in the post ... Plays with exuberance and aggressiveness ... An above average, fluid athlete who is willing to sacrifice his body ... Huge hands help him to secure rebounds. Athletic body ... An excellent run/jump athlete with explosive leaping ability ... His long arms and explosiveness help to compensate for his lack of ideal size ... One of the most dominant interior forces on the college level, leads the nation in rebounds at 13.3 rpg ... A good shot blocker with timing and instincts ... Also extremely active defensively - leading the OVC in steals at 2.3 per game, very impressive for a bigman ... Offensive game has shown solid improvement ... His lack of versatility and offense actually makes him a stronger role player as he focuses most of his time and energy on improving his rebounding, defense and post play ... Has a great feel for positioning and using his length and quickness to gather rebounds ... An excellent out of area rebounder ... Competes hard, seems to have tireless energy ... Has a developing jump hook shot that he has added to his repertoire ...

Weaknesses: Undersized both in height (6'8) and weight (225 lbs) to play the 4 position at the NBA level ... Has to overcome the disadvantages of playing at Morehead, Kentucky in a smaller (Ohio Valley) Conference ... Scouts are less likely to give credence to standout stats against lesser opponents ... Needs to further develop his post skills. His moves are too predictable even against lesser competition ... Lacks any real face the basket skills. Touch and consistency are not great. Scores mostly on put backs and buckets where he gains deep position in the paint, or is able to outclass opponents with his athleticism ... A poor free throw shooter at below 60% throughout his college career. Doesn't have terrible form, but needs to focus and improve his routine some ... Passing and vision are limited. Needs to decrease turnovers. Gets far too many giveaways for someone that doesn't really use the bounce to set up baskets nor look to create offense for others ... Average at finishing non-dunks around the basket ...

Notes: Declared early but withdrew from the 2010 NBA draft ... Considered a possible late first round pick by scouts for the 2011 NBA draft ... The recent success of undersized power forwards (Millsap, Blair, Maxiell, etc) helps his cause ... Has drawn comparisons to Dennis Rodman and had a chance to speak with his idol who advised him to approach every rebound as if it were his ...

Aran Smith 1/22/11

earthmansurfer wrote:Note his Weaknesses below. The guy is said to be an UNDERSIZED Power Forward at the NBA level. How could he possible play Center? 225lbs - he is going to need to add quite a bit of weight, which he clearly has the body to do, but I'm not sure we can wait, though he clearly is NBA ready to rebound and defend (to a point, not sure he can body up.)

NBA Comparison: Louis Amundson

Strengths: High energy post player who excels at doing the dirty work, in particular rebounding, defending and banging in the post ... Plays with exuberance and aggressiveness ... An above average, fluid athlete who is willing to sacrifice his body ... Huge hands help him to secure rebounds. Athletic body ... An excellent run/jump athlete with explosive leaping ability ... His long arms and explosiveness help to compensate for his lack of ideal size ... One of the most dominant interior forces on the college level, leads the nation in rebounds at 13.3 rpg ... A good shot blocker with timing and instincts ... Also extremely active defensively - leading the OVC in steals at 2.3 per game, very impressive for a bigman ... Offensive game has shown solid improvement ... His lack of versatility and offense actually makes him a stronger role player as he focuses most of his time and energy on improving his rebounding, defense and post play ... Has a great feel for positioning and using his length and quickness to gather rebounds ... An excellent out of area rebounder ... Competes hard, seems to have tireless energy ... Has a developing jump hook shot that he has added to his repertoire ...

Weaknesses: Undersized both in height (6'8) and weight (225 lbs) to play the 4 position at the NBA level ... Has to overcome the disadvantages of playing at Morehead, Kentucky in a smaller (Ohio Valley) Conference ... Scouts are less likely to give credence to standout stats against lesser opponents ... Needs to further develop his post skills. His moves are too predictable even against lesser competition ... Lacks any real face the basket skills. Touch and consistency are not great. Scores mostly on put backs and buckets where he gains deep position in the paint, or is able to outclass opponents with his athleticism ... A poor free throw shooter at below 60% throughout his college career. Doesn't have terrible form, but needs to focus and improve his routine some ... Passing and vision are limited. Needs to decrease turnovers. Gets far too many giveaways for someone that doesn't really use the bounce to set up baskets nor look to create offense for others ... Average at finishing non-dunks around the basket ...

Notes: Declared early but withdrew from the 2010 NBA draft ... Considered a possible late first round pick by scouts for the 2011 NBA draft ... The recent success of undersized power forwards (Millsap, Blair, Maxiell, etc) helps his cause ... Has drawn comparisons to Dennis Rodman and had a chance to speak with his idol who advised him to approach every rebound as if it were his ...

Aran Smith 1/22/11

DeJuan Blair

NBA Comparison: Paul Millsap/Anthony Mason

Strengths: Powerful post player with tremendous rebounding ability … Uses his wide base, long arms and soft hands to inhale every rebound in his area … Has a true NBA skill, rebounding … Particularly dangerous on the offensive glass (averaged an astounding 5.6 offensive boards per game in his sophomore year) … Big personality. Plays the game with great love and passion. Appears to really have fun playing the game, almost always has a big grin on his face … An intimidating post presence, despite not possessing great leaping ability … Enjoys physical contact and understands how to position himself for rebounds … An excellent passer for a post player. Difficult to double team, has a strong court sense with excellent vision and passing skills … An efficient offensive player … Has a tremendous pair of mits, allowing him to grab boards and gather in post passes with ease ... Post skills are strong. He understands how to create space against shot blockers by leaning into them (as he showed matching up with Hasheem Thabeet) … One of those type of players who seems to have better touch around the basket with contact … Converts a lot of And 1s … Extremely A natural leader and strong competitor who wills his team to wins and consistently comes through in the clutch … A solid set of post moves. Very comfortable playing in the paint and using fakes to get defenders off balance and off their feet ... An underrated athlete.

Weaknesses: Concerns linger about his ability to get in better shape and stay in shape. Will he be another John “Hot Plate” Williams or Robert “Tractor” Traylor? … Lacks great mobility at his current weight, hindering his ability to play an up tempo game ... And in turn would fit best with a half court oriented team at the NBA level ... It remains to be seen how much quickness and mobility he can add by dropping some weight … At 6-6.5 is severely undersized at the post position although his 7-foot-3 wingspan allows him to play a few inches bigger … Doesn’t have great explosiveness either which makes creating shots against bigger and more athletic players a challenge … … At times showed his inexperience late in the year making careless mental errors in key moments … Needs to become more efficient from the line (61% FT) … Should also look to add a more consistent mid-range shot … Excess weight makes it difficult for him to face the basket and get by opponents or get to rebounds out of his position … His defensive ability is also diminished by his lack of foot speed ... Extremely strong willed, which is both a positive and a negaitve. He goes to the beat of his own drum which could be a real detriment if he's unresponsive to coaching and taking instruction ...

Aran Smith 5/11/09

Strengths: Blair is a man with great girth He does what he looks like he should do C bang on the inside, grab rebounds, and with his 7'3" wingspan, anchor his team's interior defense ... Very soft hands Generally stays out of foul trouble, something especially impressive for someone of his size and propensity for contact Very competitive and eager to improve, there are no motivation question marks with him ... A winner. Seems to have a great rapport with his teammates and has already taken on somewhat of a leadership role as a freshman on the upperclassmen-led Pitt Panthers squad. Has a gregarious personality, a natural leader and strong clubhouse guy ... Shows soft touch on his shot both with contact and from the line ...

Weaknesses: Blair should continue to polish his one-on-one low post moves A deadly-mid range jumper would greatly benefit his game, a la Carlos Boozer or Kurt Thomas. Blair should watch his weight, he's got good body strength and quickness but could probably improve upon it by trimming 10 lbs ... His bulk is one of his strengths, though if he can find a way to balance his bulk and its affect on his quickness he would benefit.

Drew Wolin - 12/21/2007