NBA DRAFT: Small Forward Prospectus
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by user NBA Draft Blog
This position doesn’t offer the depth that the power forward position does in this draft, but there are many quality small forwards available, some with true star potential. The position is much more difficult to define these days than it once was, and more teams have their own expectations from their players at that spot. There are scoring small forwards like LEBRON JAMES, defensive small forwards like TAYSHAUN PRINCE, small forwards that resemble a third guard like PAUL PIERCE, and small forwards that act as an additional post player like SHAWN MARION. That is the beauty of this position, if your team finds productivity at small forward, it can change the look and strategy of the entire game plan.
Any discussion of the small forward prospects must begin with Gonzaga star, ADAM MORRISON. Rarely has a player incited such wildly differing opinions from scouts as Morrison has. Some scouts say he is the best scorer to enter the league in years after leading the NCAA with 28.1 PPG. Others say that he is average athletically and will struggle to score against bigger, stronger defenders in the NBA. Some scouts insist that Morrison is the top talent available and should be selected #1. Others say that he is destined to disappoint and shouldn’t be selected in the top eight. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Morrison is, indeed, a uniquely talented scorer, but he will find the professional defenses far less penetrable. I probably wouldn’t take him #1, or let him slip to #9. He likely will land at #4, to the Portland Trailblazers and will undoubtedly continue to raise debate about his real ability until we see him play in a NBA jersey.
Here are five top small forward prospects:
~ ADAM MORRISON, 6’8, GONZAGA: Love him or hate him, but understand that he can light up a scoreboard and help win games. Morrison has a plethora of offensive moves and a nice jump shot. He led the NCAA in scoring despite seeing double-teams almost every game. His size and defense are questionable, but there are a lot of great scorers with defensive deficiencies starring in the NBA.
~ RUDY GAY, 6’9, UConn: He came to UConn with rare hype and unreasonably high expectations. Then he proceeded to underachieve. But Gay looks like the kind of player that will blossom in a pro system. He has good size and awesome athleticism.
~ RODNEY CARNEY, 6’7, Memphis: An athletic freak, but Carney is also fundamentally sound. He has a reliable jump shot and the potential to become a shut down defender. His size is a cause for concern, however.
~ SHAWNE WILLIAMS, 6’9, Memphis: A teammate of Carney, Williams is a pick for the future. He came out of college before should have. Given time to develop, he could become a great player.
~ MARCUS VINICIUS, 6’9, Brazil: Relatively unknown as a prospect until recently, Vinicius is a very good athlete with a scorers mentality. He needs to improve his strength and defensive skills, but he looks like a good player.
Date
Sun 06/25/06, 2:30 am EST
