First-round draft picks on TV

[Joe Mama]

Syracuse is playing UCONN on ESPN right now (started at 5 p.m. AZ Time). There are at least three guys who are projected to go high in the first round of this summer's draft on the floor. You have Okafor and Gordon from Connecticut and Warrick from Syracuse.

Joe Mama

 

[sunsfn]

Okafor and Warrick can play........!!

Okafor is listed at 6' 9" 252,

Warick is listed at 6' 8" 205.

On a free throw Okafor and Warrick are standing next to each other and appear to be the same height.

That probably means they are both 6; 7"

What ever their height is, they are close to the same.
Almost all players are listed taller than they are, and if Warrick is listed at 6' 8" and is 6' 8" that means Okafor is 6' 8".

Okafor can play p. f. but not center in the NBA.

The last game I watched I thought the same thing.

I have learned like many have, that if a player can play as good as Okafor can in college, that means he can play in the pros. At what position is the question. Brand had the same problem and is about 6' 8" but sure can play p. f. in the pros.

 

[slinslin]

I like what I have seen of Warrick and read.

He is definately worth a long look.

The only question is how his perimeter game is , shooting and dribbling.
He has really nice size and athleticism for a SF however.

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[Joe Mama]

Danny Ainge was at the game.

Dickey V. said that Okafor is not 6'10", but he is 6'9". I figure he is probably 6'9" in shoes.

Warrick and Okafor were definitely the most impressive players on the floor. I remember reading that Warrick does not have a great outside shot, but he is improving this season. He really reminds me of a more polished Darius Miles. Imagine Miles with a nice turnaround jump shot.

Joe Mama

 

[slinslin]

Isn't McNamarra their PG?
Kind of sad when Warrick is playing that good and his PG shoots 2-17 including 2-12 from behind the arc.

Anyone else find the nbadraft.net profile funny? They compare him to Marcus Camby.... How do you compare a SF to a C and write about how interior defense and strength are a concern?

He seems pretty well build for a SF.

NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby

Strengths: An unbelievable athlete who can jump out of the gym with the best of them. A highlight real waiting to happen. His incredibly long arms and intensity make him a ferocious offensive and defensive rebounder. Gets off the floor almost instantaneously. Possesses a nice turnaround jumper and decent ball handling skills for a player his size. Has the potential and desire to not only become an offensive force, but a shut down defender as well. A very exciting player to watch with huge potential.

Weaknesses: Everything he does is based on his superior athletic ability. Despite his ball handling skills, Hakim is still very raw. His points usually come from fastbreaks, tip-ins, and putbacks. He tries to dunk everything on the offensive end and block everything on the defensive side. Perimeter game is suspect, despite good form on his outside shot. MUST put on muscle if he has any plans of ever playing pro ball, he is very thin and is easily out-muscled. Free throw shooting and interior defense are also concerns.

Notes: Hakim has the potential to become a very good player, but must learn to rely on more than his other worldly athletic ability. If he learns to collect himself and show some patience, his offense will improve dramatically. It seems as though Coach Boeheim is going to use Hakim on the interior in his early years at SU and then slowly bring him out to the perimeter as his shot and ball handling mature....Nicknamed "Skinny" by his friends due to his extremely slender frame. Upside is definitely there.

 

[Joe Mama]

I'll bet that profile is at least a year old.

Joe

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
I'll bet that profile is at least a year old.

Joe

No, it's much younger. That's no older than 3-4 months which means it's even more stupid.

 

[George O'Brien]

Originally posted by hcsilla
No, it's much younger. That's no older than 3-4 months which means it's even more stupid.

But it was written before the season began.

This is a tough time of year because there are only a couple of draft reports to work from. They do tend to get better later on, although you will come across some real idiots. My favoriet was one guy who thought the Suns should draft Lang because they needed a center. Lang went late in the second round and got cut during training camp. What a schmuck.

The bad part about most profiles is that they rarely get their measurments right until after the big combine. College info packages are just so much toilet paper. Also, there is no standard way of measuring "reach" or wingspan.

In any case, what matters is not just that the player does well, but how he does it. A medium sized guy that uses his heigth in college will get killed in the pro's, but one that uses footwork and skill has a chance.