Part Two: Sippin' From NBA Draft Glasses
..continued from Page One
The two prep phenoms, Green and Webster, will
shake up the early draft proceedings. Many scouts feel Green is the best
all-around player available and Webster has the jumper, size, and
athletic ability perfectly suited for an immediate impact into the pro
game. The book on Webster is eerily similar to that of J.R. Smith, a
high school player from last year’s draft class who averaged
double-digits in his rookie season for the Hornets. Green and Webster
could turn out to be the two most talented players available, but as is
the case with any high school prospect, the risk is always high. Just
ask execs from the Wizards and Cavaliers about Kwame Brown and DeSagana
Diop.
The five best college point guards last season
eligible for the 2005 draft are: Deron Williams, Paul, Felton,
Jarrett
Jack (Georgia Tech), and Nate Robinson (Washington). And not necessarily
in that order. Felton should be in the lottery and Jack won’t fall far
behind him. Robinson, due to his 5’9” size, could slip into the second
round. Williams and Paul should both end up in the top five.
When Wake Forest lost at Illinois 91-73 on
December 1st, Williams and Paul went head-to-Luther Head (another
potential first round pick). Here’s how their stat lines compared in
that blowout:
D. Williams
8 points (4-10 fg, 0-4 3fg), 11 assists, 5
rebounds, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 25 minutes
C. Paul
10 points (4-11 fg, 1-3 3fg), 6 assists, 5
rebounds, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 30 minutes
Aside from the score of the game, Williams and
Paul played to a statistical draw. Of course, the final score shouldn’t
be discounted, but it was early in the season and the game was played in
Champagne. Even more telling, however, is how comparable their
statistics were. Both are impressive. For a six-footer, Paul’s line
displays how easily he fills out an error free (one turnover in 30
minutes) box score. Meanwhile, even when Williams doesn’t score, he
still dominates. Eleven assists in 25 minutes is harder to find on a
college campus than a keg of O’Doul’s.
Each of the other three lead guards – Felton,
Jack, and Robinson – offer valuable physical tools. Felton is incredibly
fast, Jack is remarkably strong, and Robinson is both. Robinson is the
wild-card of the 2005 Draft. His size is a possible first round
deterrent, however his vertical leap is off the charts and intercepted
two passes while starting for six games as a freshman defensive back for
the Husky football team. The obvious NBA comparison for Robinson is Earl
Boykins, yet Robinson is faster and a more gifted scorer. If nothing
else, he’ll sell tickets at the next level.
Unless an improbable trade throws the front end of
the draft into a tailspin, Marvin Williams and Bogut will go first and
second overall. The Milwaukee Bucks get to decide which one will shake
David Stern’s hand first. Scouts are divided on the impact each will
have in the league. They are close in size and age (Bogut’s 20, Williams
is 19) and light-years apart in accomplishments.
In just two seasons at Utah, Bogut earned every
individual accolade possible, including National Player of the Year
honors. He also scored 22 points and grabbed 18 boards against Team USA
in the Olympics.
Williams won a championship at North Carolina, but
he wasn’t even a starter. Apparently the drool NBA scouts spilled out
over him during warm-ups was enough to consider him as a top two pick.
Those are the kind of physical gifts (size, athletic ability, shooting
form, etc.) he possesses. But he’s a risky pick. If Williams doesn’t
break out into full-fledged superstardom, fans in Milwaukee or Atlanta
won’t forgive easily (especially if Bogut does emerge).
If there is one player to watch for in the 2005
Draft it is former Arizona State forward
Ike Diogu. Scouts are divided
on his pro potential, but at ASU, Diogu was phenomenal. Despite very
little national coverage, he was still a Second Team All-American last
season and the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He has a tremendous wingspan,
excellent understanding of how to play in the low post, and a great
desire to succeed. The knock on Diogu is his 6-foot-8 height and
questionable leaping ability, but he’s at least as explosive as Carlos
Boozer was when he was at Duke. At the very least, expect Diogu to have
more success than Danny Fortson and – judging by the boost Fortson gave
the Sonics this past season – that’s a compliment.
Years from now we’ll say the Draft Glass of 2005
was filled with a myriad of exciting flavors. But if you want to fully
enjoy it, just be sure not to pop open the bottle too soon.
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