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Insider - 3/25
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martin
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3/25/2002  10:20 AM
NBA Draft Stock Report: Who's Hot? Who's Not?
by Chad Ford



For some players, the NCAA Tournament is more than a chance to lead a team to the promised land. It's also a high-profile audition, where the stakes are high and the cameras are rolling, for the NBA.

After the first two weekends of the tournament, several players seemed to have played themselves from bubble players right into the NBA draft. With their stock as high as it's ever been, expect most of them to cash in now, and ride that Escalade into the sunset.

Here's our second March Madness Edition of Who's Hot and Who's Not for the NBA Draft.

HOT

1. Caron Butler, F, UConn -- No one did more to secure his place in the first round than Butler, who wowed scouts with his ability to dominate the inside, mid-range and outside game throughout the tournament. Insider talked with several scouts and league executives over the weekend who said Butler had moved himself firmly into the top half of the first round. But is he a lottery pick? His height and troubled background seem to be holding folks back from declaring him a sure-fire lottery pick. But it's not out of the question. "We knew he had the talent and the physical strength to play in the pros," one league executive told Insider. "The last few weeks he's shown the leadership abilities that make a good player a great one. Teams may not draft him super high because of his size, but his stock is about as high as it will get. I think he'll be a good pro and should be a rookie that has an immediate impact."

Will Butler declare for the draft? Coach Jim Calhoun will help Butler explore where he might go in the draft. "If he's going to be in a position [in the draft] ... where Richard [Hamilton] and Ray [Allen] and those guys were, I can't . . . I mean, what am I going to tell him?" Calhoun told the Hartford Courant. "Go hit the weight room? No, he's too special to me." Butler said his family's welfare will be the deciding factor. "I've got to look at my family situation [he has two children]. And can I play right away in the NBA?"

2. Drew Gooden, F, Kansas -- Scouts believed Gooden was a likely top-five pick before the tournament, but a strong showing in the tournament has helped his stock even more. "He's showing the intensity on the court and the toughness down low that were questions marks before the tournament," one scout said. "I think with a really good offseason weight training program, Gooden could be special. He has the quickness and athleticism to dominate down low if he can add some more muscle. From what I've seen the last few weeks, he won't shy away from the contact."

Will Gooden declare for the draft? All signs point to yes. Gooden flirted with declaring last year and his given every indication that this year will be his last at KU.

3. Jared Jeffries, F, Indiana -- Took over the game versus Duke and then struggled versus Kent State. Go figure. He's been inconsistent like that all year. But Jeffries' abilities, rare for someone his size, make him a natural. "He's not your typical anything, but I don't think that will hurt him," one scout said. "Clearly he needs to hit the weights. I think ultimately, he's a better low-post player than a perimeter one. He needs to get stronger, but as far as basketball skills and intelligence go, he's there."

Will Jeffries declare for the draft? Again, the buzz is that he's done. He took the Hoosiers to an improbable Final Four run, but has been itching for the NBA since he stepped foot on the Hoosier hardwood. Every scout and league executive Insider talked to had Jeffries projected as a lottery pick. That should be enough to push him out the door.

4. Kareem Rush and Rickey Paulding, F, Missouri -- Kareem Rush may have all the credentials, but Paulding stole all of the buzz over the last few weekends. Paulding showed incredible explosiveness off the drive along with those mad hops that get scouts drooling. Add in a solid three-pointing shooting clinic throughout the tournament and it seems like Paulding stole some of Rush's thunder. "I thought Rush had a good tournament," one league executive said. "He can be too unselfish some times, but I think he quieted most of his critics. With that said, Paulding was something special. If Rush declares for the draft and Paulding has a year to shine on his own, he can play himself into the lottery. His athleticism is what gets your attention, but he has dramatically improved the other aspects of his game, especially his outside shooting. If he continues on this learning curve, he'll be a lottery pick next year."

Will Rush declare for the draft? "I haven't made my decision about next year," Rush told the Kansas City Star after his Tigers lost to Oklahoma. "I could see the benefits coming back or leaving. I have no idea what I'm going to do right now."

5. The Rest of the Jayhawks. Gooden might be the only one heading to the lottery this year, but scouts came away impressed with the rest of the talent on the Jayhawks' roster. Scouts said junior Kirk Hinrich could be a lottery pick next season. "He may be the best point guard in college basketball right now." Freshman Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien both look like they can be special as well. Every source said that if the 6-foot-8 Simien keeps it up, he's a future lottery pick in the making. "He's a tough rebounder and already has an NBA body. He just needs another couple of years to develop his offensive skills." Miles has all the ingredients to be a great point guard, but his size may keep him from going too high. "He's quick and has great poise for a freshman. He understands the game, but he may be a bit undersized [he's listed at 6-foot, but may be closer to 5-foot-10] to get anyone too excited." And then there is Nick Collison. The scouts disagreed on whether he was a good pro prospect. While both agreed that he was skilled fundamentally, some thought his lack of athleticism and strength would hurt him. "He has the skills, but unless he really gets a lot stronger, he won't be able to dominate in the pros the way he does on the college level."

Will any of the other Jayhawks declare for the draft? Hinrich may have a shot at the lottery if he goes this year, but hasn't given any indication that he's leaving. All of the rest of KU's players are still a couple of years away.

NOT

Duke's Big 3 -- The critics are still chirping with glee at the demise of the Blue Devils. Several scouts said that they felt Jason Williams's erratic play hurt his stock. "He played out of control at times, which sent up some red flags. He may not be quite as ready as we all thought." Still, everyone conceded that despite his tough tournament, he's still the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Scouts said Mike Dunleavy really needs to hit the weight room this summer and work on his toughness. Carlos Boozer struggled with his post play in traffic. He's very strong, but like the rest of the Blue Devils, seemed to lose his aggressiveness when teams played him physical.

Will Duke's Big 3 go pro? Williams is on track to graduate, and he's still projected as the top pick in the draft, so the answer is yes. Boozer has had one foot in the NBA since he stepped on the Duke campus, so don't expect him to be back next year. Dunleavy has stayed quiet, but league sources expect him to stay at Duke for his senior season.
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VG
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3/26/2002  4:15 AM
What's this Caron Butler guy like??? To be honest I had not heard much of him before the NCAA tournament.
Caseloads
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3/26/2002  9:26 AM
Posted by VG:

What's this Caron Butler guy like??? To be honest I had not heard much of him before the NCAA tournament.
Ron Artest clone basically. Similar size, range, boarding, etc.

Only thing is, Ron probably has better handles and has slimmed down since the NBA and can play the 2 guard. Butler is a SF exclusively
BigSm00th
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3/26/2002  2:36 PM
Butler is much better offensivley though. Artest is probably a better defender. Pretty much of clone of Ron physically though.
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Caseloads
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3/26/2002  3:20 PM
Posted by BigSm00th:

Butler is much better offensivley though. Artest is probably a better defender. Pretty much of clone of Ron physically though.
Yeah. But remember RonRon filled it up during college too. And he's doing a good job at scoring in the pros. i think better than (or equal) to butler. And Butler's defense has been questioned big time. And they say Butler is closer to 6'5" than 6'7" (listed). who knows.
Insider - 3/25

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