by nameless and faceless(no H'ghar) draft experts. Because of this and how often people flock to the opinion of these analysts and "experts", this opinion spreads like wildfire(apologies for the cliche) and because accepted very quickly and without any thought by Casual college basketball watchers(no shots) and even some who follow it and the draft process very closely! My opinion? Not quite. There are some solid players with potential to start for a couple years and a few with star potential. I'm going to give you the positives of these players because the overwhelming feel to the 2013 NBA Draft is a negative one. Been a damn long while since I've even dropped a post so excuse all my grammatical errors and whatnot. Lemme get into this now
with my top 3 at each position.
Point Guard:
he has made, as well as the great season Michigan had in 2012-2013 with their NCAA Championship appearance. His range, ball handling ability, vision, and just good overall playmaking skills has propelled him high into the lottery since his freshman year in college. He is a very good pick & roll player and might be the closest to a pure point guard in this draft. The common nba comparison this sophomore receives is Jameer Nelson(who has had a great nba career out of St. Joes). With Burke there might be potential to be better due to his all around game.
2. Isiah Canaan. CANAAN! This senior out of Murray State had somewhat of a down season( by his standards) as did his team, compared to his junior year where they were in the top 10. Still, he had an amazing season shooting and scoring as usual. His shooting which is prodigious, ball handling scoring are what make me rank him this high in a pretty good pg class. But what is underrated about Canaan is his strength and quickness. He at times looked really explosive in college and this ability should help him transition to the competition of the NBA. His combine numbers(tho I'm skeptical of combine numbers alone), reflect that, with a 40 inch vertical as well as a good 6'5 wingspan which should aid him defensively.
3. C.J. McCollum. With a season cut short by injury, he still managed to put up some incredibly efficient numbers. In 12 games he shot 49% from the field, 51% from 3, 85% from the line and averaged 24 ppg. Even with the injury, the hype remained due to what he has accomplished in his college career as well as the big upset in last year's NCAA Tournament over Duke. He has better size(6'3 with a 6'6 wingspan) than the 1st 2 prospects who would be considered somewhat undersized for the position. Not an insane athlete or much of a passer but like the 1st 2, he's a very good shooter and scorer and has a mastery of pace and hesitation that allows him to get his shot off.
Honorable Mention: Ray McCallum(Detroit)
Shooting Guard
1. Victor Oladipo. Amazing athlete, hard worker, incredible improvement in his 3 years in college. During his sophomore year at Indiana, I thought, "Why isn't this guy more of a prospect on draft boards", but it wasn't until during his Junior year which he really rose and became that big can't miss prospect. Improved his shooting and overall offense from soph to Junior which was the big question mark before this season. His defense has always been great and got even better(somehow!). His quickness and overall athleticism reminds people of a certain multiple all nba team, all star guard but we won't know until he actually hits the NBA. For now, he remains one of the upper echelon prospects in this upcoming draft.
2. Shabazz Muhammad. Coming out of High School, he was seen as the best prospect and a potential future NBA superstar. The hype came crashing down as he came to UCLA out of shape and as the season progressed, his athleticism appeared not as good as touted, and his ability to score off the dribble and general dominance from high school did not exist in the NCAA. Fast forward a couple months and the world finds out that Shabazz is actually a YEAR OLDER. Talk about plummeting stock. (This might be the most negative I've written on this post lol). The good news is that his overall offense still appeared quite good. His ability and willingness to score off the ball and post up are good signs even tho he may not
be the can't miss prospect he was once. He still is a solid rebounder and physically strong. He works hard so you can't discount the guy.
3. Ben McLemore. Relatively unknown before this season. Burst on to the scene with some huge shooting performances. Great athlete, great shooter, good defender. Not much of a ball handler but there have been a number of players in the NBA at that position whose strengths weren't in dribbling but were successful nonetheless. Because of his athleticism he was able to get a lot of points in transition just off running the wing and at the same time he projects to become a good defender because of those gifts(tho defense is more about effort than tools).
Honorable Mention: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope(Georgia)
Small Forward
1. James Ennis. Coming from Long Beach State, a Mid Major conference(Big West), not many people will know of him, but Ennis is one of the most underrated prospects in this draft. His athleticism is probably the first thing people notice about him, but his improved shooting %'s, scoring, rebounding and great effort on defense should propel him in the NBA. He probably won't project to be a one on one player in the NBA but I've his ability to take players off the dribble, but with his gifts and improved 3 point shooting he should be able to score in a myriad of other ways. Big steal if he gets drafted in the 2nd round like expected.
2. Otto Porter. Just a High Bball IQ player who seems to do all the right things on the court. Solid athlete who depends more on skills than gifts. As for scoring, he can shoot a bit, post a bit and get points on hard cuts. His rebounding and defense was pretty good as well. Just a well rounded player who may not look like an overwhelming prospect but should be a good starter and possible #3 option in the NBA.
3. Reggie Bullock. Doesn't possess a high ceiling but might be immediately ready to make a contribution on the right team. Got a lot of opportunities playing on a fast paced and up and down UNC team. Good shooter, good all around player. Good defensive potential for the nba. His skills are exactly what you want out of your roleplayers.
Honorable Mention: Solomon Hill
Power Forward
1. Anthony Bennett. Canada! A lot of potential. Lot. Kinda undersized for the 4 but makes up for it with his superior athleticism, strong physique and solid wingspan(7'1"). Likes to play like a SF at times but gets to the rim and line at a good rate. A great all around offensive player with potential to improve if he dedicates himself to posting up more often than he does. Good rebounder who utilizes his great leaping ability to snab boards but also boxes out pretty well at times. I expect him to contribute immediately, especially on one of the bad teams he gets drafted high to.
2. Kelly Olynyk. Canada! A great post player and college center who seems to be project as more of a PF in the NBA(due to poor wingspan). Feasted in the WCC on Gonzaga after sitting out a year due to lack of expected playing time. Shot up the draft boards with monster performances throughout the season. Plays very physically and is aggressive on offense. Not only a post up player, though, he shows the ability to hit jumpshots as well. Supremely skilled. Just a decent rebounder but he does show decent effort on defense and drew a good amount of charges this season.
3. Cody Zeller. Very good college player who showed an array of skills with his back to the back in the post and facing up. Got to the line at a tremendous rate at Indiana. Solid rebounder who has the same issues as Olynyk with his poor wingspan. Very good athlete, though and should be able to use that to his advantage in the NBA. Would've been a lottery pick in 2012's NBA Draft as well(a strong draft class), so that bodes well in projecting the quality of this year's.
Honorable Mention: Tony Mitchell(North Texas)
Center. Favorite position and deepest in this class.
1. Steven Adams. A Raw prospect but what he does contribute right now is great defense and rebounding. Possesses a very high ceiling and wowed the scouts at the combine with his athleticism and intensity on the court. Has a great frame, standing at 7 feet 255 pounds with a great wingspan of almost 7'5". With the centers of this era experienced a clear drop off from the quality of the 90s, you can't argue against a center who can possibly average a double double with great defense in your frontcourt.
2. Nerlens Noel. Similar to Adams in his rawness offensively but was arguably the best defensive player in College Basketball before his scary knee injury. Says a lot that he's still projected to be a possible #1 draft pick this year while rehabbing a devastating knee injury. Great shotblocker(4.4 bpg) and rebounder and even managed to snag a high amount of steals(2.1 spg). A high ceiling but the knee injuries put a question mark on what his NBA career may amount to(Oden :-/ )
3. Gorgui Dieng. Old, but improved every year at Louisville. This season he showed a much improved jumper and post up skills to go with his already great defensive ability. His defensive contribution is more than just his shotblocking ability, it's his help defense, rotations and even his lateral quickness in guarding players of different positions. Should be an immediate impact at the next level due to his maturity and translatable abilities.
Honorable Mention: Alex Len
Au Revoir, mes amis. Until next time...
