Post by ashes on Aug 19, 2009 20:45:16 GMT -5
Draft Notes
In what is probably the most stacked UOSLR draft in its history, there are many players vying for the #1 pick. There really is no clear-cut #1. If you have a lotto pick, you easily have a chance at getting a franchise-type player. This draft is that good.
Centers
Probably the weakest class in an otherwise loaded overall draft, the Centers probably hold no future franchise-type player, but it’s not out of the question. The top C prospect is probably Jamaal Magloire. His skill set is great if you need a guy that can put up some good production in solid minutes. He’s a decent scorer around the basket and is a very capable defender. He isn’t a great shot-blocker, but he’ll get a solid amount. Couple those with solid rebounding and decent upside, and you’re probably looking at a future starter. Scouts have compared him to Dale Davis. Flying in under the radar is junior college early entrant, Chris Andersen, who isn’t very well known but is a great athlete for his size. He has a natural skill for shot-blocking timing, but unfortunately that’s about it. He’s not much of a scorer, but his athleticism will lead to dunks and put-backs. His upside is questionable, but a few scouts see him being a crucial shot-blocking big man. Don’t sleep on Calvin Booth or Todd MacCulloch. Clearly they won’t be any sort of starter, but they are almost a lock to be excellent reserves and rotation players. MacCulloch is more UOSLR-ready currently, whereas Booth probably has a bit more upside. Either way, you’ve found a crucial back-up with either of them. Rounding out the top five is Francisco Elson. Though seemingly similar to Magloire, he’s definitely a notch below. Whereas Magloire has the chance of becoming a good starter, Elson is definitely a career back-up. He can defend and rebound well, but won’t score much. His upside is significantly lower than that of all the aforementioned other than MacCulloch. Despite no stand out studs, it’s not too far out of the realm of possibility to see an All-Star from this Center class. Possibly.
Power Forwards
One of the challengers for the #1 pick is easily Elton Brand. He’s a monster, without a doubt. Still incredibly young, yet still polished from a few years at Duke. He can score, defend, and rebound. His upside has teams lacking a franchise big man salivating at the mouth. A future 20/10 player for a long time. A few scouts are worried about his turnovers, but he’s been working to improve his decision-making. Korleone Young has already been attracting many doubters, but his upside has kept several teams interested. He could play the SF position as well, but he actually prefers playing inside the paint. He also has a cool first name. Jeff Foster is a hard-working forward that impresses scouts with his effort on the floor. He’s an excellent rebounder, which is becoming a dying art lately. His upside is questionable, but scouts feel he could be a great back-up, if not a solid 5th starter. The final two worth mentioning are Evan Eschmeyer and Kenny Thomas. Both are limited when it comes to potential, but could be pretty solid back-ups. Eschmeyer is a pretty UOSLR-ready player, whereas Thomas is more of a 7th or 8th man rather than a 6th man. The PF class is pretty weak as well, but definitely stronger than the C class. You’ll probably only see one star emerge from this group.
Small Forwards
The defensive-minded forward out of St. John’s, Ron Artest, leads this extremely strong SF class. Not a high-percentage shooter, but can definitely score the ball. He’s one of the top defenders in the class, especially on the perimeter. He’s also an absolute thief on the court. Shawn Marion is easily the most complete forward in, perhaps player, in the entire draft. He is very athletic and can shoot the ball solidly, despite his hideous shot. A unique, versatile defender, Marion can guard every position on the court. Also potentially one of the best rebounding SFs to grace the league in quite some time. Lamar Odom brings talent and upside bundled into one of the most enticing packages every assembled on the court. Quite possibly one of the most versatile players to come out in recent years, Odom should become a very good starter in this league. James Posey lacks the upside of all the previously mentioned prospects, but he definitely brings great defense and outside shooting to the position. Could easily become a solid 4th starter in the league. Jonathan Bender keeps scouts interested with his high upside coming out of high school. He’s very raw and considered to be a project player, but late in the lotto or mid 1st round, he could be a promising value selection on upside alone. Wally Szczerbiak rounds out this deep class with great outside shooting and solid upside. Probably won’t be much of a starter, but definitely has a chance at being a useful 6th man. The SF class is absolutely stacked up top with Artest, Marion, and Odom and the rest will produce some very good fringe starters and back-ups.
Shooting Guards
Manu Ginobili starts this class off pretty strong. A capable playmaker with the ball in his hands, Ginobili can drive to the basket or step out and hit the jump shot. He’s not a strong rebounder, but he is very efficient and smart with the ball. Scouts feel he could be one of the top international players in the league in a few years. Richard Hamilton is one of the most consistent jump shooters there is and will be one of the best shooters in the UOSLR for a long time. He’s also a good perimeter defender with great conditioning. Raja Bell is much like Posey is to the SF class, a good 3P shooter and a great defender. He has enough upside to be a great defensive stopper/3P specialist for a team in the future. Gordon Giricek is the prototypical 3P shooter in the class. Very good shooter from everywhere on the court, but he’s not really going to score inside. With only decent upside, his ceiling probably stops at the 2nd String. Finally, we have Laron Profit and Dion Glover who are both solid additions later in the 1st Round. Each are solid at finishing around the rim, but are only average defenders. Though a bit undersized, they are also capable of playing the SF position. Overall, the SG class is pretty widespread and should produce some very good players, and possibly a few All-Stars.
Point Guards
The PG class is pretty small, but still very strong overall, probably the second strongest class. Mike Bibby is the prototypical PG. He’s a very good shooter and distributor. Bibby could be one of the best PGs to come out in the past few years. If you’re looking for a franchise PG, you’ve found him in Bibby. Next up is the exciting Steve Francis, who is more of a scoring guard than a passing guard. He’s an amazing athlete that can jump with the best of them and a volume shooter. He’s very turnover prone however, and many scouts are wary of his ability to consistently handle the point. Andre Miller is probably the most UOSLR-ready out of all the PGs in the class. Don’t overlook Dre, because many scouts feel he could be one of the best distributors in the league in the future. Miller is also the best defender at the PG position in the draft. Jason Terry may not be much of a passing PG or defender, but he is an outstanding offensive player. Terry will give defenses fits and can play either the PG or SG positions. Scouts feel he could become one of the best 6th men in the league very soon. Rounding out the very strong PG class is Gilbert Arenas, who against all personal and professional advice, declared for the draft right out of high school. He’s incredibly young and raw, much like Jermaine O’Neal was a few years ago. Definitely a boom or bust, but a lot of scouts are high on his upside. This PG class, much like the SF class, could produce several All-Stars.
In what is probably the most stacked UOSLR draft in its history, there are many players vying for the #1 pick. There really is no clear-cut #1. If you have a lotto pick, you easily have a chance at getting a franchise-type player. This draft is that good.
Centers
Probably the weakest class in an otherwise loaded overall draft, the Centers probably hold no future franchise-type player, but it’s not out of the question. The top C prospect is probably Jamaal Magloire. His skill set is great if you need a guy that can put up some good production in solid minutes. He’s a decent scorer around the basket and is a very capable defender. He isn’t a great shot-blocker, but he’ll get a solid amount. Couple those with solid rebounding and decent upside, and you’re probably looking at a future starter. Scouts have compared him to Dale Davis. Flying in under the radar is junior college early entrant, Chris Andersen, who isn’t very well known but is a great athlete for his size. He has a natural skill for shot-blocking timing, but unfortunately that’s about it. He’s not much of a scorer, but his athleticism will lead to dunks and put-backs. His upside is questionable, but a few scouts see him being a crucial shot-blocking big man. Don’t sleep on Calvin Booth or Todd MacCulloch. Clearly they won’t be any sort of starter, but they are almost a lock to be excellent reserves and rotation players. MacCulloch is more UOSLR-ready currently, whereas Booth probably has a bit more upside. Either way, you’ve found a crucial back-up with either of them. Rounding out the top five is Francisco Elson. Though seemingly similar to Magloire, he’s definitely a notch below. Whereas Magloire has the chance of becoming a good starter, Elson is definitely a career back-up. He can defend and rebound well, but won’t score much. His upside is significantly lower than that of all the aforementioned other than MacCulloch. Despite no stand out studs, it’s not too far out of the realm of possibility to see an All-Star from this Center class. Possibly.
Power Forwards
One of the challengers for the #1 pick is easily Elton Brand. He’s a monster, without a doubt. Still incredibly young, yet still polished from a few years at Duke. He can score, defend, and rebound. His upside has teams lacking a franchise big man salivating at the mouth. A future 20/10 player for a long time. A few scouts are worried about his turnovers, but he’s been working to improve his decision-making. Korleone Young has already been attracting many doubters, but his upside has kept several teams interested. He could play the SF position as well, but he actually prefers playing inside the paint. He also has a cool first name. Jeff Foster is a hard-working forward that impresses scouts with his effort on the floor. He’s an excellent rebounder, which is becoming a dying art lately. His upside is questionable, but scouts feel he could be a great back-up, if not a solid 5th starter. The final two worth mentioning are Evan Eschmeyer and Kenny Thomas. Both are limited when it comes to potential, but could be pretty solid back-ups. Eschmeyer is a pretty UOSLR-ready player, whereas Thomas is more of a 7th or 8th man rather than a 6th man. The PF class is pretty weak as well, but definitely stronger than the C class. You’ll probably only see one star emerge from this group.
Small Forwards
The defensive-minded forward out of St. John’s, Ron Artest, leads this extremely strong SF class. Not a high-percentage shooter, but can definitely score the ball. He’s one of the top defenders in the class, especially on the perimeter. He’s also an absolute thief on the court. Shawn Marion is easily the most complete forward in, perhaps player, in the entire draft. He is very athletic and can shoot the ball solidly, despite his hideous shot. A unique, versatile defender, Marion can guard every position on the court. Also potentially one of the best rebounding SFs to grace the league in quite some time. Lamar Odom brings talent and upside bundled into one of the most enticing packages every assembled on the court. Quite possibly one of the most versatile players to come out in recent years, Odom should become a very good starter in this league. James Posey lacks the upside of all the previously mentioned prospects, but he definitely brings great defense and outside shooting to the position. Could easily become a solid 4th starter in the league. Jonathan Bender keeps scouts interested with his high upside coming out of high school. He’s very raw and considered to be a project player, but late in the lotto or mid 1st round, he could be a promising value selection on upside alone. Wally Szczerbiak rounds out this deep class with great outside shooting and solid upside. Probably won’t be much of a starter, but definitely has a chance at being a useful 6th man. The SF class is absolutely stacked up top with Artest, Marion, and Odom and the rest will produce some very good fringe starters and back-ups.
Shooting Guards
Manu Ginobili starts this class off pretty strong. A capable playmaker with the ball in his hands, Ginobili can drive to the basket or step out and hit the jump shot. He’s not a strong rebounder, but he is very efficient and smart with the ball. Scouts feel he could be one of the top international players in the league in a few years. Richard Hamilton is one of the most consistent jump shooters there is and will be one of the best shooters in the UOSLR for a long time. He’s also a good perimeter defender with great conditioning. Raja Bell is much like Posey is to the SF class, a good 3P shooter and a great defender. He has enough upside to be a great defensive stopper/3P specialist for a team in the future. Gordon Giricek is the prototypical 3P shooter in the class. Very good shooter from everywhere on the court, but he’s not really going to score inside. With only decent upside, his ceiling probably stops at the 2nd String. Finally, we have Laron Profit and Dion Glover who are both solid additions later in the 1st Round. Each are solid at finishing around the rim, but are only average defenders. Though a bit undersized, they are also capable of playing the SF position. Overall, the SG class is pretty widespread and should produce some very good players, and possibly a few All-Stars.
Point Guards
The PG class is pretty small, but still very strong overall, probably the second strongest class. Mike Bibby is the prototypical PG. He’s a very good shooter and distributor. Bibby could be one of the best PGs to come out in the past few years. If you’re looking for a franchise PG, you’ve found him in Bibby. Next up is the exciting Steve Francis, who is more of a scoring guard than a passing guard. He’s an amazing athlete that can jump with the best of them and a volume shooter. He’s very turnover prone however, and many scouts are wary of his ability to consistently handle the point. Andre Miller is probably the most UOSLR-ready out of all the PGs in the class. Don’t overlook Dre, because many scouts feel he could be one of the best distributors in the league in the future. Miller is also the best defender at the PG position in the draft. Jason Terry may not be much of a passing PG or defender, but he is an outstanding offensive player. Terry will give defenses fits and can play either the PG or SG positions. Scouts feel he could become one of the best 6th men in the league very soon. Rounding out the very strong PG class is Gilbert Arenas, who against all personal and professional advice, declared for the draft right out of high school. He’s incredibly young and raw, much like Jermaine O’Neal was a few years ago. Definitely a boom or bust, but a lot of scouts are high on his upside. This PG class, much like the SF class, could produce several All-Stars.
