Draft Prospects Aren't What You Want Them To Be
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by user Kj68day
All basketball fans would have to admit that while this years draft has no star power, this class does have an above average amount of very solid talent. There is no Lebron, no Wade, and no Dwight Howard. But what there could be is a Devin Harris, a Sean May, a Drew Gooden and maybe, if we're lucky, a Kirilenko or a Gilbert Arenas. 5 years from now we may look at this draft class and see a bunch of flops, or we could see a bunch of over achievers. Take the talent projected at the top of the class for example. Aldridge, is a fundamentally sound played with potential, but the ceiling isn't extremely high. He'll probably be a good to solid player for 10 years though. Morrison, great college offensive player but good luck getting that shot against Tayshaun, Kirilenko, or Bowen. The one thing he has already exhibited is a great work ethic; he is a kid with a chip on his shoulder which helps him to out work almost everyone he plays. Any team should be happy with a guy like Morrison, but he just doesn't fit in everyone's system. Tyrus Thomas, this guy is a classic example of NCAA Tourney hype. He is 6'9" long and athletic. The only times that anyone watched him play he was very active and very emotional. He can't shoot, and being 6'9" and as skinny as he is the 4 is an unlikely position. Understanding all of that, he becomes a dime a dozen player. There are 6'9" athletic swingmen that can't shoot everywhere in the league; they're nice to have but don't plan on him changing the destiny of a team. Rudy Gay, he is the full offensive package. As Vitale and every other "expert" raved all year he should be the consensus number 1, but he dissappeared all year and was often outshined by 1 or 2 of his own teammates in every big game. But if somehow he gets the drive he could be very good. The best looking prospect from the states would have to be Roy; he is 6'5" athletic shooting guard. He has good range that will only get better as he progresses with a NBA team. He is big enough and fast enough to play defense at either the 2 or 3. And of the limited 2's and 3's in this draft he is actually ready to play and contribute right now. Look at him to be a solid second option in 5 years. Players like Brewer, Rondo, and Reddick will all be good if they get the right system with the right group and the right opportunity. Given the recent trend of Arizona guards to step up big in the pros, don't be surprised if someone like Hassan Addams is a second round sleeper that could help an up-tempo team. The other guy that people are for some reason down on is Dee Brown, last year he was talked about as a very good prospect, but a year later with less talent in the draft he is slipping off the radar, a guy like him may shock everyone. Because of the lack of elite talent look for lots of trades and lots of teams drafting the biggest need and not necessarily the best talent.
The most important thing to remember when your team makes its announcements this June is be patient. It's most likely that none of these players will be great next year, and odds are good that none of them are going to make a difference of much more than 5 or 6 games for any given team. But quite a few of them could be solid in 5 years and help your team win down the road.
Date
Wed 05/31/06, 7:50 am EST
