Post by ashes on Sept 16, 2009 13:15:32 GMT -5
Centers
Mehmet Okur - A talented big man with a soft touch, Okur will probably go highest for his unique talents and promising upside. An unconventional big man, Okur can score outside better than he can inside. He's a solid defender, but not much of a rebounder. Scouts feel he can improve on those facets of his game while becoming one of the better shooting big men in the game.
Joel Pryzbilla - The Vanilla Gorilla is on many draft lists around the league. A promising starter or an excellent back-up, Pryzbilla defense will be invaluable. A good shot-blocker and a strong body, Pryzbilla will be an incredible piece for a team next year and in the future. He's a solid rebounder, and can score a little. His upside should see him become a pretty good player.
Chris Mihm - Not much of a pick for the future, but Mihm will help out right away. A good value pick for a team looking to contend that needs a back-up big man. He can play defense, rebound, and even score a bit. Mihm will probably be a career back-up, but a good one at that.
Primoz Brezec - Talented scorer and good defender. He's a pretty poor rebounder, however. Teams like what he brings in the other facets of his game, but he'll never be a complete center. He will probably start for a team or two, but don't expect anything great from him. His upside is decent.
Jake Voskuhl - Big Jake may or may not have a future in UOSLR. He could develop into a solid rotation player, or he could be a perennial journeyman. He's a decent scorer, and solid rebounder/defender. If he develops his game a bit, he could be a B/B/B guy and see some good minutes off the bench.
Power Forwards
Kenyon Martin - K-Mart is probably the most UOSLR-ready player coming out of the draft. Already a great scorer and a very good defender, Martin should be one of the top picks. His upside is questionable, but his talent is undeniable. Should be a good player either way.
Stromile Swift - Very athletic forward who will dunk the ball any chance he gets. He's a decent shot-blocker but a sub-par man defender. Scouts have questioned his basketball IQ, and tend to think he may struggle with the skill side of the game. He is also very turnover prone. Nonetheless, his potential will keep teams very interested.
Etan Thomas - A career back-up in the making, Thomas will help a lot of teams with his defense and rebounding. His upside is limited, but he will have a long career in UOSLR. He's not much of a scorer, but he's very powerful down in the paint.
Brian Cardinal - Some say he's a poor man's Mehmet Okur with far less upside. Is that good? Who knows?
Mark Madsen - Mad Dog.
Small Forwards
Tracy McGrady - Fighting for the #1 selection between Martin and Davis, McGrady is one of the most promising forwards to enter the league in a long time. A rare mix of athleticism, scoring, court-vision, and handles, McGrady should be a big time player at the next level. Definitely a franchise player for a rebuilding team out there.
Rashard Lewis - Great size and a unique skillset, Lewis has teams very excited about his potential. After wisely choosing to attend college, Lewis is more polished and adapter to the competition. Scouts feel he can be a nightmare to match up with.
Hedo Turkoglu - Can you do what he do? Probably not. The Michael Jordan of Turkey will make an impact in UOSLR. Scouts love his confidence and his play-making abilities. Not a very good defender, but a pretty good scorer, Turkoglu will make a good starter in UOSLR.
Darius Miles - Much like a Ricky Davis in the past, Miles is a pick solely on upside. Scouts feel the young, raw Miles could possibly be a good starter with some grooming. He is a project player, so a team taking a chance on him will need to commit to developing him in UOSLR.
Desmond Mason - Incredible leaper with a solid overall game. His upside is limited, but he'll probably at least win a dunk contest or two in the future. He'll probably end up as a good sixth man or a fringe starter.
Yakhouba Diawara - Who is this young man from France? Diawara is a relatively unknown forward from France who is torn between attending college in the States or continuing to play in his home country. If he's selected in the first round, the team that selects him will have a choice to let him develop his game overseas or allow him to attend college here in the US. Scouts feel his game would be better developed in college, however, there's a catch. If he plays overseas, his drafting team will retain his rights. If he plays in college, his drafting team will NOT retain his rights, but will receive compensation in the form of the next two consecutive 1st Round Picks from the UOSLR team that selects him in the next draft he declares in, if applicable. This heavy cost of drafting him from college would make it likely that the team with his rights will still be able to select him, but will provide sufficient compensation should they not be able to.
Shooting Guards
Michael Redd - The sharpshooting guard from Ohio State has a lot of scouts excited about him. The left-handed shooter is eerily similar to UOSLR star Allan Houston. That fact alone should make him a high lottery selection.
Jamal Crawford - Scouts are unsure if Crawford will play the point or the off guard position in UOSLR, but he's capable of doing both. A talented scorer and passer, Crawford will bring an extra dynamic to the team he is drafted by. Just don't expect one of those dynamics to be defense.
Quentin Richardson - Like a shorter Rashard Lewis, Richardson brings an excellent outside game out of college. A more UOSLR-ready scorer but a less effective defender, Richardson can play the SF or SG positions. Scouts are a bit concerned of his weight and feel he may be a bit slow-footed to be an effective SG. His upside is solid.
Corey Maggette - A scorer above all else, Maggette stayed an extra year after teammate Elton Brand left, whom he's become great friends with. He'd love the opportunity to play with Brand again, but scouts feel the chances of that happening are unlikely. Still, Maggette has high hopes for a possible reunion with his buddy.
DerMarr Johnson / DeShawn Stevenson / Morris Peterson / Marko Jaric - One of these players has a shot at being an All Star, one a good starter, one a great sixth man, and one a bust. Have fun!
Point Guards
Baron Davis - Despite the immediate talent of Martin and McGrady, many scouts feel Davis will be the best player of the three in the future. A rare breed of PG, the Baron is strong, quick, athletic, and extremely promising. With the already prevalent PG talent pool in the league, Davis may end up slipping a bit in the draft. That would be a huge bonus for whichever team ends up with him.
Speedy Claxton - Probably the most UOSLR-ready prototypical PG in the draft. Claxton is undersized but a great defender. He's smart with the ball and very quick. He can probably start effectively for a team in the near future.
Keyon Dooling - Athletic and young, Dooling has scouts a bit torn. He plays like a SG, but is incredibly undersized. However, scouts feel he could be a great scoring spark off the bench for a team in the future.
AJ Guyton - The best scoring PG in the class, a team running an outside offense would be smart to pick Guyton, especially since he can probably be had very late in the draft. Guyton should thrive in an offensive-minded team, but won't contribute anything on the defensive side of the court.
Jason Hart - Great passer and effective roleplayer. Probably a 2nd rounder, but should help a team off the bench.
Mehmet Okur - A talented big man with a soft touch, Okur will probably go highest for his unique talents and promising upside. An unconventional big man, Okur can score outside better than he can inside. He's a solid defender, but not much of a rebounder. Scouts feel he can improve on those facets of his game while becoming one of the better shooting big men in the game.
Joel Pryzbilla - The Vanilla Gorilla is on many draft lists around the league. A promising starter or an excellent back-up, Pryzbilla defense will be invaluable. A good shot-blocker and a strong body, Pryzbilla will be an incredible piece for a team next year and in the future. He's a solid rebounder, and can score a little. His upside should see him become a pretty good player.
Chris Mihm - Not much of a pick for the future, but Mihm will help out right away. A good value pick for a team looking to contend that needs a back-up big man. He can play defense, rebound, and even score a bit. Mihm will probably be a career back-up, but a good one at that.
Primoz Brezec - Talented scorer and good defender. He's a pretty poor rebounder, however. Teams like what he brings in the other facets of his game, but he'll never be a complete center. He will probably start for a team or two, but don't expect anything great from him. His upside is decent.
Jake Voskuhl - Big Jake may or may not have a future in UOSLR. He could develop into a solid rotation player, or he could be a perennial journeyman. He's a decent scorer, and solid rebounder/defender. If he develops his game a bit, he could be a B/B/B guy and see some good minutes off the bench.
Power Forwards
Kenyon Martin - K-Mart is probably the most UOSLR-ready player coming out of the draft. Already a great scorer and a very good defender, Martin should be one of the top picks. His upside is questionable, but his talent is undeniable. Should be a good player either way.
Stromile Swift - Very athletic forward who will dunk the ball any chance he gets. He's a decent shot-blocker but a sub-par man defender. Scouts have questioned his basketball IQ, and tend to think he may struggle with the skill side of the game. He is also very turnover prone. Nonetheless, his potential will keep teams very interested.
Etan Thomas - A career back-up in the making, Thomas will help a lot of teams with his defense and rebounding. His upside is limited, but he will have a long career in UOSLR. He's not much of a scorer, but he's very powerful down in the paint.
Brian Cardinal - Some say he's a poor man's Mehmet Okur with far less upside. Is that good? Who knows?
Mark Madsen - Mad Dog.
Small Forwards
Tracy McGrady - Fighting for the #1 selection between Martin and Davis, McGrady is one of the most promising forwards to enter the league in a long time. A rare mix of athleticism, scoring, court-vision, and handles, McGrady should be a big time player at the next level. Definitely a franchise player for a rebuilding team out there.
Rashard Lewis - Great size and a unique skillset, Lewis has teams very excited about his potential. After wisely choosing to attend college, Lewis is more polished and adapter to the competition. Scouts feel he can be a nightmare to match up with.
Hedo Turkoglu - Can you do what he do? Probably not. The Michael Jordan of Turkey will make an impact in UOSLR. Scouts love his confidence and his play-making abilities. Not a very good defender, but a pretty good scorer, Turkoglu will make a good starter in UOSLR.
Darius Miles - Much like a Ricky Davis in the past, Miles is a pick solely on upside. Scouts feel the young, raw Miles could possibly be a good starter with some grooming. He is a project player, so a team taking a chance on him will need to commit to developing him in UOSLR.
Desmond Mason - Incredible leaper with a solid overall game. His upside is limited, but he'll probably at least win a dunk contest or two in the future. He'll probably end up as a good sixth man or a fringe starter.
Yakhouba Diawara - Who is this young man from France? Diawara is a relatively unknown forward from France who is torn between attending college in the States or continuing to play in his home country. If he's selected in the first round, the team that selects him will have a choice to let him develop his game overseas or allow him to attend college here in the US. Scouts feel his game would be better developed in college, however, there's a catch. If he plays overseas, his drafting team will retain his rights. If he plays in college, his drafting team will NOT retain his rights, but will receive compensation in the form of the next two consecutive 1st Round Picks from the UOSLR team that selects him in the next draft he declares in, if applicable. This heavy cost of drafting him from college would make it likely that the team with his rights will still be able to select him, but will provide sufficient compensation should they not be able to.
Shooting Guards
Michael Redd - The sharpshooting guard from Ohio State has a lot of scouts excited about him. The left-handed shooter is eerily similar to UOSLR star Allan Houston. That fact alone should make him a high lottery selection.
Jamal Crawford - Scouts are unsure if Crawford will play the point or the off guard position in UOSLR, but he's capable of doing both. A talented scorer and passer, Crawford will bring an extra dynamic to the team he is drafted by. Just don't expect one of those dynamics to be defense.
Quentin Richardson - Like a shorter Rashard Lewis, Richardson brings an excellent outside game out of college. A more UOSLR-ready scorer but a less effective defender, Richardson can play the SF or SG positions. Scouts are a bit concerned of his weight and feel he may be a bit slow-footed to be an effective SG. His upside is solid.
Corey Maggette - A scorer above all else, Maggette stayed an extra year after teammate Elton Brand left, whom he's become great friends with. He'd love the opportunity to play with Brand again, but scouts feel the chances of that happening are unlikely. Still, Maggette has high hopes for a possible reunion with his buddy.
DerMarr Johnson / DeShawn Stevenson / Morris Peterson / Marko Jaric - One of these players has a shot at being an All Star, one a good starter, one a great sixth man, and one a bust. Have fun!
Point Guards
Baron Davis - Despite the immediate talent of Martin and McGrady, many scouts feel Davis will be the best player of the three in the future. A rare breed of PG, the Baron is strong, quick, athletic, and extremely promising. With the already prevalent PG talent pool in the league, Davis may end up slipping a bit in the draft. That would be a huge bonus for whichever team ends up with him.
Speedy Claxton - Probably the most UOSLR-ready prototypical PG in the draft. Claxton is undersized but a great defender. He's smart with the ball and very quick. He can probably start effectively for a team in the near future.
Keyon Dooling - Athletic and young, Dooling has scouts a bit torn. He plays like a SG, but is incredibly undersized. However, scouts feel he could be a great scoring spark off the bench for a team in the future.
AJ Guyton - The best scoring PG in the class, a team running an outside offense would be smart to pick Guyton, especially since he can probably be had very late in the draft. Guyton should thrive in an offensive-minded team, but won't contribute anything on the defensive side of the court.
Jason Hart - Great passer and effective roleplayer. Probably a 2nd rounder, but should help a team off the bench.
