if i may--i want tosee what they say about johnson and bynum

http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&id=2026641&CMP=ILC-INHEAD


TIA:>)

Just for you briggs

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- LeBron James, they are not. But the high school Class of 2005 put on one of the most entertaining McDonald's All-American games ever Wednesday night.

Too bad there weren't many NBA personnel people left in the arena to actually see them play. Most GMs and scouts left South Bend unimpressed after the two teams put on a private scrimmage Tuesday afternoon.

The few NBA people in the stands Wednesday saw several potential prospects deliver the goods, but it was several kids who aren't seriously thinking about the NBA draft who stood out in the minds of the scouts and GMs who watched the games.

Indiana native Josh McRoberts won the MVP award, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 boards in 24 minutes.

Point guards Greg Paulus and Mario Chalmers outplayed the more-hyped Monta Ellis and Louis Williams.

Big man Andrew Bynum dominated in the paint.

And Chicago native Julian Wright was outhustling everyone on both ends of the floor.

Which players helped their NBA draft stock, and which hurt it?

Insider sat in on two days of practices, a private scrimmage Tuesday and Wednesday's big game and talked to a number of NBA scouts and GMs throughout the week.

Here's our verdict of whose stock is up and whose stock is down after the big game.

STOCK UP

Gerald Green, SG, Gulf Shores Academy (Houston)
The line: 24 points, 6-for-9 from 3
The skinny: The most athletic player in the game also proved to be the best shooter. Green hit his first five 3s and topped it off with a couple of spectacular dunks. Not only did he get great elevation on his dunks but he really gets fantastic lift on his jump shot. With his size and vertical, he's going to be able to get that shot at the next level whenever he wants. Green had a couple of nice moves taking his defender off the dribble and generally played in control the entire game. His performance in the practices and scrimmages was less impressive. There, he seemed to struggle shooting off the dribble and played more lackadaisically – knocks that scouts have had all year. However, his ability to step up in the big game – including hitting two clutch free throws at the end of the game – impressed scouts. He clearly has the athleticism and jump shot to succeed at the next level. He's going to have to work on his body and get a better feel for the game, but given that it's a very weak SG class this year, Green remains the top two-guard prospect on the board and a likely lottery pick on draft night if he chooses to declare. He told Insider on Tuesday that he was leaning heavily toward playing at Oklahoma State next season, but after Wednesday night's performance, it would be an absolute shock if he didn't come out.

Josh McRoberts, F, Carmel (Ind.) High
The line: 17 points, 12 rebounds, 7-for-8 from the field
The skinny: McRoberts insisted to Insider on Tuesday that he's heading to Duke next season, but if he did want to declare, he did just about everything right this week. From the practices to the scrimmage to Wednesday's game, he showed the ability to do it all: score inside and out, handle the ball, shoot the 3 and defend. To top it off, he proved he was an above-average athlete – something scouts had wondered about in the past. McRoberts is going to be an absolute stud at Duke and, in a couple of years, will be a lock for the high lottery if he continues to improve. He has more game on both ends of the court than Mike Dunleavy, who went No. 3 a few years back. If he declared now, he'd be a borderline lottery pick, but he should stick to his plan to go to school for a few years. McRoberts said playing at Duke was a lifelong dream, and there's no reason for him to skip it. He's going to be a perfect fit there and will only improve his stock.

Martell Webster, SG, Seattle Prep
The line: 16 points, 6 boards, 6-for-15 shooting
The skinny: Webster started the game on fire, but he couldn't quite find his range in the second half. Many of his shots looked good but rattled out. It's unlikely to come back to haunt him. His stroke was stellar in practices and the scrimmage, and there isn't a scout out there that doesn't know that he can stroke it from 3. With his shot not falling, Webster did a number of other things that helped his stock. He crashed the glass for three offensive rebounds, made a few good passes, and proved he could put the ball on the floor and take his man off the dribble. There were a few missteps along the way (he bricked a dunk off the bottom of the rim). He's not a top-tier athlete (it showed) and he doesn't always defend, but as NBA-ready prospects go, Webster is near the top of the list. He has a great body for his age, and his size and jump shot would allow him to contribute immediately. Scouts and GMs were raving about him Tuesday. He didn't do anything to really hurt himself Wednesday. Most scouts claim he's a lock for the lottery if he declares, but, as with McRoberts, he insisted to Insider on Tuesday that he was leaning strongly toward heading to Washington this year. According to Webster, though, some sort of guarantee that he's a top-10 pick might change his mind

Andrew Bynum
Bynum, left, has emerged on the scouts' radar. Here he battles the West's Amir Johnson.

Andrew Bynum, C, St. Joseph High (Metuchen, N.J.)
The line: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block in 11 minutes
The skinny: After all the talk about how there's no size in the high school Class of 2005, how did scouts miss gigantic Bynum? Standing a legit 7 feet and weighing 300 pounds, Bynum is huge. He has long arms and is athletic and very mobile for a guy of that size. Best of all, he's not afraid to get a little dirty in the paint. Get him on an NBA weight regimen and he could be an absolute monster. Several GMs were openly disappointed that he didn't play more minutes Wednesday. However, he got a lot more run in the Tuesday scrimmage and was equally dominating. Of course, there weren't many big bodies to stop him, but at his size and strength, there aren't going to be many at the college level, either. Bynum is committed to UConn and told Insider he plans to honor the commitment. He's still pretty raw offensively and really could use a few years at a top program like UConn. However, if he were to declare, given the dearth of legit centers in this draft, he'd be a lock for the first round.

Julian Wright, F, Homewood-Flossmoor High (Flossmoor, Ill.)
The line: 14 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
The skinny: After Wright's stellar performance in summer camp, many NBA scouts felt that Wright might be someone who could make the jump straight to the NBA. He had a so-so season for Flossmoor, playing out of position all year and, at one point, taking over point guard duties despite being 6-9. He stood out both at the scrimmage Tuesday and in the game Wednesday with great energy, terrific defense and a number of highlight-reel dunks and passes. If he had any range on his jumper, he'd be ranked much higher. As it stands, he's probably best off honoring his commitment to Kansas. However, he did catch the eye of many NBA scouts  some of whom called him the sleeper of the entire class.

STOCK DOWN

Louis Williams, G, South Gwinnett (Snellville, Ga.)
The line: 14 points, 1 assist, 3 turnovers
The skinny: Williams is a great athlete, but he doesn't seem to have much of an NBA game at the moment. He played well enough Wednesday, but struggled in the scrimmage Tuesday and in the general practices. No one questions his ability to score off the dribble and from the perimeter. But he struggles defensively and is turnover-prone when he tries to play the point. He made a couple of bad turnovers Wednesday, but Tuesday was much worse. Head coach Jack Keffer wanted to play Williams at the point. But after Williams had a disastrous stint Tuesday when he turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, Keffer quickly ended the experiment. The coach put the ball in the hands of Paulus, where it belong

[Edited by - nyk4ever on 03/31/2005 17:58:54]

i was like that to i never took practice serious. I guess that is why I still have no left hand. The problem with greens situation is that he knows he is being watched by scouts so i don't think he would slack off in that atmosphere.