Post by ashes on Nov 19, 2009 2:39:55 GMT -5
Centers
Chris Kaman - A big body that can score and rebound, Kaman should make a pretty solid starting center one day. He's a good man defender and a solid shot-blocker, but he lacks good footspeed or athleticism. He is a good free throw shooter, but his range goes no further than 16 feet. He is somewhat clumsy and turnover prone. Good upside.
Channing Frye - Frye is an unconventional big man, somewhat in the same mold as Mehmet Okur. Likes to shoot from the outside rather than take it down low, but he shoots very well from mid-range and can even step out and hit the three. He is a decent shot-blocker but not much of a post defender. His rebounding needs to improve if he hopes to be a star at the next level. However, a plus with Frye is he's quick and smart with the ball. Not a common trait among big men. Good upside.
Kendrick Perkins - Coming out of high school, Perkins is very raw. He's big, uncoordinated, but physical. He's very slow and an improving man defender, but he's a scary shot-blocker and a talented rebounder. Outside of that, every other aspect of his game is completely unrefined. A late-lotto team will probably take a chance on the youngster. Very good upside.
Power Forwards
Emeka Okafor - The big man from UConn decided to enter early, and scouts have mixed opinions on it. They felt he was the most UOSLR-ready big man whether he entered this year, the next, or the year after that, but they felt maybe polishing his skills a bit more would've seen his stock rise a lot higher next season. Still, Okafor is a beast down low. Excellent shot-blocker and a great rebounder. He's a franchise big man, without a doubt. Questions remain if he'll ever develop an offensive game, but even if he tops out at 14 PPG, well that's just GREAT! Decent upside.
David West - Another ready-to-start big man this time coming out of Xavier, David West should come in and make an immediate impact on all ends of the court. He can score, defend, and rebound the ball well, but scouts question his heart. A playoff contender that's able to sneak into the late lottery would love to pick up West, especially if they need a starting PF. Look for West to have a good first season and make a run at rookie of the year if he gets the minutes. Decent upside.
Darko Milicic - The first international born player to be profiled, Milicic is very raw, much like Perkins. He has great size, and has shown flashes of brilliance, but his future is up in the air. Scouts say his game may not translate well in the States, and others say he doesn't have the drive to excel at the next level. He's a solid scorer, and a decent defender, but he needs a lot of work. Look for a team to take a chance on him late in the lottery. Very good upside.
Nick Collison - A pretty one-dimensional player, but has show progress in the areas he lacks. He's a great rebounder, but is only an average defender at best, and isn't much of a scorer. He has shown the drive to get better, which leads scouts to believe he'll be a good roleplayer in the future. Solid upside.
Brandon Hunter - If you're looking for some solid depth late in the first round, look no further. Hunter is all that and more. He's a very good inside scorer and a very capable rebounder. He could use some work on his defense, but if you're looking for a scoring punch on the inside off the bench, Hunter is your guy. Limited upside.
Small Forwards
LeBron James - The consensus #1 overall pick. The consensus Next Big Thing. LeBron James is it. Never has UOSLR seen a player with as much hype as James. An incredibly talented ballplayer and a gifted athlete, James has the world at his feet. Every lottery team is praying to their gods to land the #1 because it'd be an instant franchise improver. That's probably putting it lightly. LeBron's an amazing finisher and passer. He has the court vision of a PG, the body of a PF, and the speed of a SG. He needs to improve his shot and defense, and needs to lower his turnovers, but if anyone has a shot at passing Jordan, I mean, Preira as the best player UOSLR has ever seen, LeBron is that player. Excellent upside.
Josh Howard - Howard comes out of college a polished senior, which probably hurts his stock a little. He's a good positional defender and creates turnovers. He's very quick, can play two positions, but his offensive game needs a bit of work. He's a solid shooter, but he needs to improve his inside game to be taken seriously as a scoring threat. Good upside.
Danny Granger - Granger left school two years early, despite advice from his coaches and parents. Granger felt his time was now, but his game could have used some more development in college. Like Howard, Granger is a good defender on all aspects of that side of the court, but Granger is very raw and his offensive stats were inflated at Bradley. Scouts feel he will need a lot of improvement if he ever hopes to become a top player at his position. That won't stop a team gambling on him in the lotto, however. Very good upside.
Boris Diaw - The French call him "the Wizard." They actually don't but I just felt like sprucing his profile up a bit. Diaw is a very intriguing player. While he's not quite the offensive force, he has a unique talent for handling the ball for his size, much like Lamar Odom. Diaw could become a Honeycutt-type player or a poor man's Lamar Odom. Either way, I'd say that's pretty good. Very good upside.
Ndubi Ebi - Another player straight out of high school, many scouts feel Ebi, more-so than any other player, would have benefited from attending college. Ebi is very raw, probably the most of any player in the draft, but that doesn't stop teams from thinking of the possibilities. He plays like a small PF though, and that worries some scouts. He's a good defender because of his athleticism, but the rest of his game needs work. A team will probably take a chance on him mid 1st round. Very good upside.
Shooting Guards
Dwayne Wade - I don't know if Wade will slip past #2, it's close between him and Emeka, but like the latter, Wade will be a cornerstone for the franchise that selects him. One of the best perimeter defenders to come out in this draft, Wade also brings an incredible slashing game, a decent mid-range game, and good ball-handling/court vision. How can you ask for more? Wade, like most superstars that need the ball in their hands, needs to work on turnovers. He also needs to improve his 3P shooting, which is currently pretty sub-par. Excellent upside.
James White - Surprising many by declaring early, White leaves Cincinnati to test his skills in the UOSLR. Scouts actually feel he made the best decision and left when his draft stock couldn't be any higher. There may be no man that can out-jump White. He will definitely win a few dunk contests. He's a good free throw shooter, but he needs to work on his range past that. Also an improving defender, White should be a good value pick that has a chance at becoming something special with some grooming. Very good upside.
Mickael Pietrus - Very similar to Josh Howard. A bit of a better athlete and a little more powerful, Pietrus lacks some rebounding, so he'll be better fit at the SG spot. Pietrus is a good defender and a solid shooter, but needs to improve on his ball-handling. Good upside.
Carlos Delfino - Another Argentine wonder joining the league, Delfino hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ginobili, Nocioni, and Scola. Delfino is an exciting scorer that can finish inside or outside, but his game stops around there. He needs to improve his decision-making and defense to be a quality player in UOSLR. At the very least, he'll be a scoring spark off the bench. Good upside.
Point Guards
Jameer Nelson - Declaring early, Nelson brings a unique aspect to the PG position, similar to Preira minus the outstanding efficiency and defense. What I mean is, Nelson will score A LOT while posting relatively low assist numbers. Though not a shooting guard in terms of just scoring the ball, he still needs the ball in his hands at all times, and if he can find a team willing to give him those reigns, he could be a special player. Very good upside.
Kirk Hinrich - A cross between a SG and a PG, Hinrich loves to shoot the ball and sometimes likes to pass. He's streaky, but has all the tools to be a great shooter and a great passer, the question is if the motivation is there. He's a good defender on the perimeter, but sometimes likes to gamble too much. He's not the quickest guard out there, so he'll be abused by speedy PGs. Needs to improve his decision-making, and that could lead him to become a very good starter in this league. Good upside.
Leandro Barbosa - Speaking of speedy PGs, you don't get much quicker than Barbosa. In fact, you don't. The guy is the speed incarnate. Problem is, sometimes he runs too fast to properly manage a game. It'll be tough for Barbosa to be a starting PG at the next level, but he should be an amazing 6th man. Will provide energy and scoring off the bench for both guard positions, since no one can really keep up with him, especially opposing B-squads. The Brazilian Blur looks to be a mid to late 1st rounder. Good upside.
Luke Ridnour - Cool hand Luke brings great passing to the table. He's a prototypical PG except in the defensive category. Maybe a poor, poor man's Steve Nash? Don't rule it out. He has similar advantages, and all the same disadvantages. Worth taking a chance on late in the 1st round. Good upside.
Zoran Planinic - Big unknown here. Scouts have been trying to watch this kid play for months now, and haven't had any luck. Croatian officials say he's the next Magic Johnson, but no one cares about Croatian officials, or Ukraine for that matter. Anyways, he's probably not as good as his government would like you to believe, but he has that "you can't have me" want factor surrounding him. Scouts grading on him is actually said to be an estimate, if you can even call it that. All they know is he has size and alleged talent. They don't even know what will happen if a team even takes a chance on drafting him. Unknown upside.
Chris Kaman - A big body that can score and rebound, Kaman should make a pretty solid starting center one day. He's a good man defender and a solid shot-blocker, but he lacks good footspeed or athleticism. He is a good free throw shooter, but his range goes no further than 16 feet. He is somewhat clumsy and turnover prone. Good upside.
Channing Frye - Frye is an unconventional big man, somewhat in the same mold as Mehmet Okur. Likes to shoot from the outside rather than take it down low, but he shoots very well from mid-range and can even step out and hit the three. He is a decent shot-blocker but not much of a post defender. His rebounding needs to improve if he hopes to be a star at the next level. However, a plus with Frye is he's quick and smart with the ball. Not a common trait among big men. Good upside.
Kendrick Perkins - Coming out of high school, Perkins is very raw. He's big, uncoordinated, but physical. He's very slow and an improving man defender, but he's a scary shot-blocker and a talented rebounder. Outside of that, every other aspect of his game is completely unrefined. A late-lotto team will probably take a chance on the youngster. Very good upside.
Power Forwards
Emeka Okafor - The big man from UConn decided to enter early, and scouts have mixed opinions on it. They felt he was the most UOSLR-ready big man whether he entered this year, the next, or the year after that, but they felt maybe polishing his skills a bit more would've seen his stock rise a lot higher next season. Still, Okafor is a beast down low. Excellent shot-blocker and a great rebounder. He's a franchise big man, without a doubt. Questions remain if he'll ever develop an offensive game, but even if he tops out at 14 PPG, well that's just GREAT! Decent upside.
David West - Another ready-to-start big man this time coming out of Xavier, David West should come in and make an immediate impact on all ends of the court. He can score, defend, and rebound the ball well, but scouts question his heart. A playoff contender that's able to sneak into the late lottery would love to pick up West, especially if they need a starting PF. Look for West to have a good first season and make a run at rookie of the year if he gets the minutes. Decent upside.
Darko Milicic - The first international born player to be profiled, Milicic is very raw, much like Perkins. He has great size, and has shown flashes of brilliance, but his future is up in the air. Scouts say his game may not translate well in the States, and others say he doesn't have the drive to excel at the next level. He's a solid scorer, and a decent defender, but he needs a lot of work. Look for a team to take a chance on him late in the lottery. Very good upside.
Nick Collison - A pretty one-dimensional player, but has show progress in the areas he lacks. He's a great rebounder, but is only an average defender at best, and isn't much of a scorer. He has shown the drive to get better, which leads scouts to believe he'll be a good roleplayer in the future. Solid upside.
Brandon Hunter - If you're looking for some solid depth late in the first round, look no further. Hunter is all that and more. He's a very good inside scorer and a very capable rebounder. He could use some work on his defense, but if you're looking for a scoring punch on the inside off the bench, Hunter is your guy. Limited upside.
Small Forwards
LeBron James - The consensus #1 overall pick. The consensus Next Big Thing. LeBron James is it. Never has UOSLR seen a player with as much hype as James. An incredibly talented ballplayer and a gifted athlete, James has the world at his feet. Every lottery team is praying to their gods to land the #1 because it'd be an instant franchise improver. That's probably putting it lightly. LeBron's an amazing finisher and passer. He has the court vision of a PG, the body of a PF, and the speed of a SG. He needs to improve his shot and defense, and needs to lower his turnovers, but if anyone has a shot at passing Jordan, I mean, Preira as the best player UOSLR has ever seen, LeBron is that player. Excellent upside.
Josh Howard - Howard comes out of college a polished senior, which probably hurts his stock a little. He's a good positional defender and creates turnovers. He's very quick, can play two positions, but his offensive game needs a bit of work. He's a solid shooter, but he needs to improve his inside game to be taken seriously as a scoring threat. Good upside.
Danny Granger - Granger left school two years early, despite advice from his coaches and parents. Granger felt his time was now, but his game could have used some more development in college. Like Howard, Granger is a good defender on all aspects of that side of the court, but Granger is very raw and his offensive stats were inflated at Bradley. Scouts feel he will need a lot of improvement if he ever hopes to become a top player at his position. That won't stop a team gambling on him in the lotto, however. Very good upside.
Boris Diaw - The French call him "the Wizard." They actually don't but I just felt like sprucing his profile up a bit. Diaw is a very intriguing player. While he's not quite the offensive force, he has a unique talent for handling the ball for his size, much like Lamar Odom. Diaw could become a Honeycutt-type player or a poor man's Lamar Odom. Either way, I'd say that's pretty good. Very good upside.
Ndubi Ebi - Another player straight out of high school, many scouts feel Ebi, more-so than any other player, would have benefited from attending college. Ebi is very raw, probably the most of any player in the draft, but that doesn't stop teams from thinking of the possibilities. He plays like a small PF though, and that worries some scouts. He's a good defender because of his athleticism, but the rest of his game needs work. A team will probably take a chance on him mid 1st round. Very good upside.
Shooting Guards
Dwayne Wade - I don't know if Wade will slip past #2, it's close between him and Emeka, but like the latter, Wade will be a cornerstone for the franchise that selects him. One of the best perimeter defenders to come out in this draft, Wade also brings an incredible slashing game, a decent mid-range game, and good ball-handling/court vision. How can you ask for more? Wade, like most superstars that need the ball in their hands, needs to work on turnovers. He also needs to improve his 3P shooting, which is currently pretty sub-par. Excellent upside.
James White - Surprising many by declaring early, White leaves Cincinnati to test his skills in the UOSLR. Scouts actually feel he made the best decision and left when his draft stock couldn't be any higher. There may be no man that can out-jump White. He will definitely win a few dunk contests. He's a good free throw shooter, but he needs to work on his range past that. Also an improving defender, White should be a good value pick that has a chance at becoming something special with some grooming. Very good upside.
Mickael Pietrus - Very similar to Josh Howard. A bit of a better athlete and a little more powerful, Pietrus lacks some rebounding, so he'll be better fit at the SG spot. Pietrus is a good defender and a solid shooter, but needs to improve on his ball-handling. Good upside.
Carlos Delfino - Another Argentine wonder joining the league, Delfino hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ginobili, Nocioni, and Scola. Delfino is an exciting scorer that can finish inside or outside, but his game stops around there. He needs to improve his decision-making and defense to be a quality player in UOSLR. At the very least, he'll be a scoring spark off the bench. Good upside.
Point Guards
Jameer Nelson - Declaring early, Nelson brings a unique aspect to the PG position, similar to Preira minus the outstanding efficiency and defense. What I mean is, Nelson will score A LOT while posting relatively low assist numbers. Though not a shooting guard in terms of just scoring the ball, he still needs the ball in his hands at all times, and if he can find a team willing to give him those reigns, he could be a special player. Very good upside.
Kirk Hinrich - A cross between a SG and a PG, Hinrich loves to shoot the ball and sometimes likes to pass. He's streaky, but has all the tools to be a great shooter and a great passer, the question is if the motivation is there. He's a good defender on the perimeter, but sometimes likes to gamble too much. He's not the quickest guard out there, so he'll be abused by speedy PGs. Needs to improve his decision-making, and that could lead him to become a very good starter in this league. Good upside.
Leandro Barbosa - Speaking of speedy PGs, you don't get much quicker than Barbosa. In fact, you don't. The guy is the speed incarnate. Problem is, sometimes he runs too fast to properly manage a game. It'll be tough for Barbosa to be a starting PG at the next level, but he should be an amazing 6th man. Will provide energy and scoring off the bench for both guard positions, since no one can really keep up with him, especially opposing B-squads. The Brazilian Blur looks to be a mid to late 1st rounder. Good upside.
Luke Ridnour - Cool hand Luke brings great passing to the table. He's a prototypical PG except in the defensive category. Maybe a poor, poor man's Steve Nash? Don't rule it out. He has similar advantages, and all the same disadvantages. Worth taking a chance on late in the 1st round. Good upside.
Zoran Planinic - Big unknown here. Scouts have been trying to watch this kid play for months now, and haven't had any luck. Croatian officials say he's the next Magic Johnson, but no one cares about Croatian officials, or Ukraine for that matter. Anyways, he's probably not as good as his government would like you to believe, but he has that "you can't have me" want factor surrounding him. Scouts grading on him is actually said to be an estimate, if you can even call it that. All they know is he has size and alleged talent. They don't even know what will happen if a team even takes a chance on drafting him. Unknown upside.
