1. Nicolas Batum (6'8", 210) - Possibly the most athletic player in the draft. He has good speed and quickness to go along with nice length. He needs to add some strength and develop his skills, but his upside is greater than any other player at this position in the draft. I've read that he's a good defender but haven't been able to see much video in that regard. Definitely has the athleticism to excel on that end. Probably won't be the first small forward drafted, but should be a steal for any team that gets him.
2. Donte Greene (6'10" 225) - Good athlete and scorer with upside. Has a good shot but is streaky. Not sure about his basketball IQ but he can score at all three levels and rebounds surprisingly well. I'm not sure he's a good defender at this point, but he can become above-average in that area.
3. Danilo Gallinari (6'9", 210) - Unlike Batum, Gallinari's skills seem to be pretty well honed. He is a nice playmaker with good height and length. Moves well with the ball. However, he's not very athletic or quick. More of a crafty player. Not much upside in my opinion, especially on the defensive end.
4. Bill Walker (6'6", 235) - Walker looked like he was regaining his old form toward the end of the season. If he can get over his injury issues he can be a steal in the later part of the first round. He's got a good understanding of how to play the game to go along with an NBA skill-set. He's not as tall as some of these other players, but he's got an NBA body. He could become an excellent defender down the line. One of my favorite players in the draft.
5. Joe Alexander (6'8", 230) - Good size and athleticism for the position. Not extremely long, though. I think he's a bit of a tweener and don't see him having too much range on his jumpshot. His midrange game is nice, but he won't be able to post NBA players like he did college ones. Kind of a hot prospect right now, but I don't see him as any more than a future backup.
6. Davon Jefferson (6'8", 215) - He has an NBA build for the position, but I'm not so sure he's quick or skilled enough to last very long. I think he's making a bad decision and could end up in the NBDL for a season or two. Could become a serviceable role player down the line, but he won't take advantage around the paint in the NBA like he did in college.
7. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (6'7", 215) - Is a smart basketball player with good size, length and athleticism complemented by a nice handle and a decent shot. He won't be an offensive star in the NBA but he could add very solid defense and rebounding at the small forward position. He should be able to defend most threes and some fours at the next level. Probably won't benefit from another year of developing in college. His draft stock won't improve much. Probably a middle of the second round pick.
8. Omri Casspi (6'7", 205) - I have no clue what this guy brings defensively, but he's a crafty, athletic player that finds his way to the basket on the offensive end. I don't see him playing in the NBA next season.
9. Robert Dozier (6'9", 215) - Good length and athleticism for his size but not very explosive. He's not fast enough to make up for his size defensively, and offensively I think he's dependent on other players creating his shot for him. I don't see him lasting too long in the League.
10. Victor Claver (6'11" 215) - He has a smooth shot but is really slow. I don't see any way this guy makes it in the NBA. His range isn't good enough to make up for his lack of athleticism.
Great thread AZCATS, I was wondering if somebody would make a top player for each pos thread with some advanced detail.
2. Donte Greene (6'10" 225) - Good athlete and scorer with upside. Has a good shot but is streaky. Not sure about his basketball IQ but he can score at all three levels and rebounds surprisingly well. I'm not sure he's a good defender at this point, but he can become above-average in that area.
As a Syracuse fan, I'll have to give you a little bit of advice, and advice to those who don't know who Donte Greene is. He's purley overrated, he jacks up threes the entire game and only makes about 25%-30% against real competion. He'll throw up 8-11 threes a game and make about 2-3. He has no inside game so he's going to have to learn how to do that. He's rebouding ability is "piss poor" as some people like to call it. He's not aggresive at all, you never see him dive on the floor for a lose ball or anything like that, so he lacks intensity or he's so called "lazy". He can't play defense so he's not all that great of a defender but he does have upside so I'll give that one to him.
Oh, and is NIcolas Batum a foreigner or something ? Because I've never heard of him before.
When I project a player's long-term value I don't weight consistency that heavily, especially in the case of these younger players. What I've seen out of him is a good athlete with solid shooting mechanics. He might have been passive at times, but I think he's got the ability to create his own shot at all three levels. His rebounding might not have been consistent, but he has good potential in that area, especially as a small forward in the NBA.
I'm not trying to be racist or anything, but I hate when all of these foreigners come in and take a lot of spots up in the first round of the draft and then 90 % of them don't even end up in the NBA ever.
I'm not trying to be racist or anything, but I hate when all of these foreigners come in and take a lot of spots up in the first round of the draft and then 90 % of them don't even end up in the NBA ever.Some teams draft these guys just for that reason ala spurs - they have no intentions of signing these guys or putting them on the roster.
Most people like Gallinari better than Batum right now, but I just don't think he'll be the same player against the level of athleticism he'll face in the NBA. Batum isn't as skilled right now but he's got a lot more upside. I'm banking on him fulfilling that, but a lot depends on where he gets drafted.
7. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (6'7", 215) - Is a smart basketball player with good size, length and athleticism complemented by a nice handle and a decent shot. He won't be an offensive star in the NBA but he could add very solid defense and rebounding at the small forward position. He should be able to defend most threes and some fours at the next level. Probably won't benefit from another year of developing in college. His draft stock won't improve much. Probably a middle of the second round pick.I would compare this guy to a less athletic Trevor Ariza. Better athlete than shooter but also a good defender.
From what I have seen of Green at the Cuse he should be projected as a SG in the NBA. He can't drive, stays very far from the basket, and rebounds like a 12 year old girl.
I know Mikesyr's less than shining opinion of his own boy has been well documented, so I thought I would echo his sentiment.
