New and Improved 2008 Draft Prospects Thread

[Ronin]

Roy Hibbert (2pts) isn't doing to much in this game against Memphis, alot of credit goes to Dorsey and Dozier. Memphis and Georgetown has been a really phyical game.

 

[hcsilla]

Roy Hibbert (2pts) isn't doing to much in this game against Memphis,

You were very polite. Hibbert was simply terrible.

 

[Ronin]

You were very polite. Hibbert was simply terrible.

Yup, he sucked. I was waiting for him to get aggressive or do something meaningful in the game, and he did absolutely nothing.

 

[Ronin]

I’m going to go on record and say D.J. Augustin is the best point guard in the country. His game is similar to Steve Nash, but his decision making and defense must improve.

 

[hcsilla]

Augustine reminds me of the young Damon Stoudamire.

Very quick, dangerous 3P-shooter, great penetrator, solid but undersized distributor, average defender at the best.

 

[sly fly]

I’m going to go on record and say D.J. Augustin is the best point guard in the country. His game is similar to Steve Nash, but his decision making and defense must improve.

You may be right. His stroke is smooth as silk. Going to make an impact in the NBA.

 

[sly fly]

Kevin Love: I really like watching this "kid" play ball. He posts up strong, has great footwork, and a real knack for the ball. While his upside isn't through the roof, he will do nothing but win wherever he goes.

He takes tremendous pressure off the other 4 while on the floor, because he can be a one-man wrecking ball.

BTW, can't help but like his last name

 

[Ronin]

Who's Hot?

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DeAndre Jordan, C, Freshman, Texas A&M
I've gotten a number of questions about Jordan. How can a guy averaging 10 points and seven rebounds a game be ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the draft? A few things come to mind: The freshman big man is putting up those numbers in 20 minutes per game; he's shooting a mind-boggling 80 percent from the field; and athletic big men often take a little longer to develop.
Jordan would be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he were producing anywhere near the numbers of the guys ranked ahead of him. If he comes out, he'll go high even though he's a work in progress. With Andrew Bynum now busting out in L.A., the chances that an NBA team gambles on him early in the draft only increases. To me he's the one guy who, if he continues to improve, could pass the four guys currently ranked ahead of him come June.

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D.J. Augustin, PG, Sophomore, Texas
There's an interesting debate going on about who the second-best point guard prospect is behind Rose. The top two candidates are Augustin and UNC's Ty Lawson. For almost a year, Lawson's been mentioned as a possible lottery pick. Meanwhile, we had Augustin ranked No. 14 on our big board last year around this time, though some scouts strongly disagreed with that assessment. The feeling, at that time, was that Kevin Durant was inflating Augustin's stock. With Durant gone, Augustin was supposed to drop off. Instead he's having an amazing year, averaging 20 points and 6 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
The more you watch Augustin, the more you can see some Steve Nash in him. He lacks size and is somewhat reckless at times, but when you look at the total package, and his age, I think there's a chance Augustin goes in the top 10 in this draft. Lawson isn't far behind, but at this point in the season we're giving a slight edge to the Texas sophomore.

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Brook Lopez, C, Sophomore, Stanford
Lopez looked like a potential top-10 pick in the 2007 draft before inexplicably deciding to return to Stanford for his sophomore season, only to start skipping classes. Lopez was put on academic probation and missed the first nine games of the season for Stanford. Since returning on Dec. 19, Lopez has picked up right where he left off last season, averaging 19.5 points in his first two games back. Lopez isn't a perfect prospect as a center. He's just an average rebounder, but he has a very developed offensive game -- he can score both inside and outside. He's also a very good defender. As a high-post center, he looks like he has a bright future in the league. We've moved him back into our top 10 at No. 8. Assuming he avoids future bonehead moves, Lopez looks like he'll be a lock for the top 10.

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Trent Plaisted, C, Junior, BYU
We touted Plaisted as a first-round pick at the start of the 2006-07 season, and he responded with a disappointing sophomore effort. This year he's redeeming himself big-time, averaging 17.4 points and 9.8 rebounds, shooting 59 percent from the field in 27 minutes per game for BYU this season. Plaisted's 24-point, 17-rebound performance against North Carolina had scouts declaring he's a better pro prospect than UNC's Tyler Hansbrough; Plaisted is bigger, more explosive as a leaper and is becoming much more active on the glass. He's ranked No. 21 on our big board, but he still has room to rise in the rankings.
JaVale McGee, C, Sophomore, Nevada
On Thursday versus North Carolina, McGee confirmed what NBA scouts have been saying about him for the past few weeks -- he's one of the most promising young big men in college basketball. McGee is a legit 7-footer with a huge wingspan and excellent athleticism. Defensively, he's an excellent shot-blocker and a good rebounder. Offensively, he'll surprise you with his shooting touch and his ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. He still needs a lot of polish in the low post offensively and he needs more muscle, but it's clear that his 14-point, 7-rebound, 4-block performance against UNC is just a peek at things to come.
Scouts have him pegged as a late first-rounder right now, but you know how big guys rise on draft day. If he's smart, he'll stay another year at Nevada and flirt with the lottery in 2009. Both of his parents were former pro basketball players, so there's a good chance he doesn't need the money and will get good advice about coming out early. He's not ready for the NBA right now, but he has all the tools to be an excellent NBA player down the road.
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Kosta Koufos, C, Freshman, Ohio State
Koufos came into the season with a significant amount of hype after dominating in junior play for the Greek national team this summer. He started the season hot but then hit a buzzsaw at a critical scouting time for him. A number of NBA scouts watched him live in two high-profile matchups versus Texas A&M and North Carolina. Koufos struggled mightily in both. Matched up against A&M's Jordan, Koufos shot 4-for-16 from the floor and grabbed just five rebounds. Five days later against UNC, he went 1-for-10 from the field and grabbed four boards.
Koufos has since put together a handful of good games, including a 17-point, 10-rebound performance against Florida. However, his bad outings have damaged his stock and he's slipped to No. 13 on our board. He certainly has time to rehabilitate his stock in conference play.

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Roy Hibbert, C, Senior, Georgetown
Hibbert probably wishes he had declared for the NBA draft last season along with Jeff Green. Hibbert was supposed to be the go-to guy for Georgetown this season, but his numbers remain underwhelming. He's averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game -- basically the same numbers he's put up the last two years. Hibbert continues to underperform on the boards despite his size. And he really bombed in a matchup with Memphis, where he tallied six points and six rebounds and was outplayed by 6-foot-9 center Joey Dorsey. Of all the scouts I spoke with, none had Hibbert on their list of Top 10 prospects. We have him at No. 18.
Brandon Rush, SG, Jr., Kansas; Bill Walker, SF, Fr., Kansas State
We love the potential of Rush and Walker, but both are coming back from knee surgery and are struggling to find the same explosiveness and consistency that they had before they were injured. While it's likely both will get stronger as the season progresses, they have slipped badly on draft boards.
Sleeper Alert

In November we introduced you to Sudanese big man John Riek. Riek set the scouting world ablaze this summer after dominating at the LeBron James skills camp. He's been playing at the Winchendon Academy prep school in Massachusetts and I recently spoke with a coach who got a couple of up-close looks at Riek.
Here's the latest scouting report:
"He looks like he's a legit 7 feet, 7-1 in shoes. He has extraordinary length, I'm thinking closer to a 7-8½ wingspan. He's a very raw prospect from a physical standpoint. He's not in good shape at all. He already has a great physique, however. His body is reminiscent of Amare Stoudemire coming out of high school. From the waist up, he looks great. He has broad shoulders. Needs to work on his lower body. He doesn't really jump that high. I heard his vertical is 36 inches, but I didn't see it. He's athletic but he's not super athletic.
"The thing I really like about him is that he keeps the ball high. He knows how to play with fully extended arms. He gets full extension on his jump hook using both his left and right hand. He doesn't bring rebounds down below his shoulders. It takes years to teach that stuff. Obviously someone has been working with him.
"Offensively he has a soft touch around the basket. However, he has no clue how to shoot from any distance. On the offensive end he has no idea where to post and how to post. He doesn't know how to play without the ball. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he improves greatly.
"Defensively is where he shines. His instincts on shot-blocking and rebounding are very good. He naturally knows how to find the ball on the defensive end. He really chases balls. I think he could be a Top 3 pick if he gets the right coaching before the draft. He's a big risk, but the physical package is there and he has enough tools to show he can be a basketball player."
That's just one man's opinion, but it lines up with what others are saying. He's getting more and more Bynum comparisons -- a project that could pay off down the road. As most veteran scouts know, these "projects" usually bomb; Bynum is the exception, not the rule. But Riek continues to intrigue NBA scouts.
The biggest question that remains is whether he'll be in the draft. Several college teams, including Florida and UConn, are pursuing him. According to sources close to the situation, the plan is for him to play in the Nike Hoop Summit in April for the international squad. If he blows up the way Mohammed Saer Sene did two years ago, he'll probably enter the draft. If not, he may choose to go to college if he can become academically eligible.
We have him currently ranked No. 9 on our big board. He could obviously go higher based on what we're hearing, but he could also go much lower based on the risk factor. It's still too early to tell.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...ry?columnist=ford_chad&page=StockWatch-071228

 

[Russ Smith]

Kevin Love: I really like watching this "kid" play ball. He posts up strong, has great footwork, and a real knack for the ball. While his upside isn't through the roof, he will do nothing but win wherever he goes.

He takes tremendous pressure off the other 4 while on the floor, because he can be a one-man wrecking ball.

BTW, can't help but like his last name

There's still things about his game that bug me. His release point inside is way too low, he gets shots blocked in every game, usually multiple. Don Maclean was pointing out against UC Davis how he kept headfaking "I think you want to do that against the Lopez twins or Devon Hardin, but not against Davis just power through and score."

His defense is improving but not there yet. They can all use another year but Kevin absolutely could improve greatly with one more year at UCLA. He won't stay but he should. The punishment he takes is something to behold though, he is getting pounded on every game.

 

[Russ Smith]

I’m going to go on record and say D.J. Augustin is the best point guard in the country. His game is similar to Steve Nash, but his decision making and defense must improve.

Completely agree just a terrific college player.

 

[Ronin]

You may be right. His stroke is smooth as silk. Going to make an impact in the NBA.

Completely agree just a terrific college player.

I was starting to wonder if my man crush on Augustin was getting a little bit out of control.

 

[Russ Smith]

I was starting to wonder if my man crush on Augustin was getting a little bit out of control.

Nope, the reports from the Steve Nash camp were that he was the best PG there, and that included Collison who was healthy at the time. his game against UCLA was somewhat hard to judge, Collison was playing with a heavy brace and was clearly nowhere near 100%, meanwhile Westbrook was locking down Abrams. Would have been fun to see Westbrook guard DJ but I suspect he still would have hurt UCLA he's just so good.

Collison is finally healthy he got his brace off and we should hopefully see the real him, but he's not the playmaker that Augustin is and he can't get his own shot like DJ can. Best defensive PG in America when healthy.

Thursday night 7:30 should be a great matchup UCLA at Stanford. Love and Brook Lopez won't guard each other Kevin will be on Robin for sure, but they'll be on the same court should be a fun game to watch.

 

[Russ Smith]

Thursday night 7:30 should be a great matchup UCLA at Stanford. Love and Brook Lopez won't guard each other Kevin will be on Robin for sure, but they'll be on the same court should be a fun game to watch.

Great game. Love actually guarded Brook most of the first half, Brook was 0-5 2 points. 2nd half was more on Robin but at times was on Brook who had 11 in the 2nd half.

Love had 15 and 7 boards, Brook 13 and 8 I think. Pretty even matchup, Stanford played far less zone than expected, mostly Robin on Love.

kevin had his best defensive game by far, I think he really stepped up and showed he can play with bigger athletic guys like the Lopez twins.

My big concern on Brook continues to be mental, he again lost his composure in this game he got a very tough 4th foul call(Collison basically jumped into him on the break) and started arguing it and stopped playing. Even the coach
specifically said he lost his cool.

 

[Ronin]

Another big game by Kevin Love 19 points and 14 rebounds.

John brokman had another monster game on the boards tonight against Washington State.

O.J. Mayo 14 pts(5/19)

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

What do you guys think about Jordan Hill? Will he make it to the 08 draft or hold out for 09? Would he fit well in phx?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What do you guys think about Jordan Hill? Will he make it to the 08 draft or hold out for 09? Would he fit well in phx?

b/c of his limited experience playing hoops i think he should stay another year for more polish (too much foul problems now). but i think he's an excellent prospect. good shotblocker and athletic rebounder (wish he was more of a position rebounder, but maybe he can learn that). and his offense is much more fluid than i would expect. he has nice post moves and a VERY soft touch on his turnaround and hook, though i wouldn't want him shooting any jumpers.

he'll be a project for a while, but has a pretty high upside. would he fit with the suns? yeah, i think he would. but his effectiveness for a few years would be limited.

 

[Russ Smith]

What do you guys think about Jordan Hill? Will he make it to the 08 draft or hold out for 09? Would he fit well in phx?

Great athlete but not a great player right now. Runs and jumps well but still learning the game.

 

[hcsilla]

Hill should and will stay in college at least one more year, IMO.

 

[Russ Smith]

Another monster game from Kevin Love, 27 points, 14 boards 4 assists one block, had another block he deflected but the shot still went in, crazy shot.

He completely dominated Aaron Baynes from WSU who has played his way into a probable NBA career. Big Australian kid not a great player but he'll have a chance to sit on someone's bench if he keeps improving.

I really hope that Kyle Weaver from WSU gets an NBA look, great defender and a glue guy, if he can improve his shot he'll make an NBA team for sure.

 

[Ronin]

I would love to see the Suns use their second round pick on Joey Dorsey...

 

[hcsilla]

I do not think that Dorsey will be avalailable at Suns' 2nd rounder. I wouldn't be surpised at all if someone would pick up Dorsey in the late 1st round.

 

[Ronin]

He's worth the risk to take in the late first round
I thought the Suns would be getting Seattle's second round pick in this upcoming draft?Maybe they could use that pick to get Joey Dorsey

 

[Ronin]

Anthony Randolph 14 points and 19 rebounds.

Kevin Love had a good game but it wasn't enough as USC beat UCLA.

 

[Russ Smith]

I posted the full story on the college board but it looks like Melo may have violated OJ Mayo's amateur status. He gave him 2 courtside tix to the Monday night Lakers/Nuggets game. Mayo was seen on TNT sitting in the seats, the LA Times investigated and it appears to be a violation. Mayo considers Melo to be a friend and thought that made it ok but apparently it doesn't.

Second time this year Mayo has done this the first time it was a Clips game but the tix came from USC teammate James Dunleavy, son of Mike the Clips coach and that apparently made it NCAA legal.


Some will recall Richard Jefferson got suspended one game at UA because he took a free ticket from Luke Walton's dad Bill.

Not clear yet if Mayo will be suspended or not.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I posted the full story on the college board but it looks like Melo may have violated OJ Mayo's amateur status. He gave him 2 courtside tix to the Monday night Lakers/Nuggets game. Mayo was seen on TNT sitting in the seats, the LA Times investigated and it appears to be a violation. Mayo considers Melo to be a friend and thought that made it ok but apparently it doesn't.

Second time this year Mayo has done this the first time it was a Clips game but the tix came from USC teammate James Dunleavy, son of Mike the Clips coach and that apparently made it NCAA legal.


Some will recall Richard Jefferson got suspended one game at UA because he took a free ticket from Luke Walton's dad Bill.

Not clear yet if Mayo will be suspended or not.

how stupid are these kids? or do they just really not care? i understand accepting money or a house to help your poor parents, but flaunting the rules for basketball tix? and didn't melo realize the spot he put mayo in? if i remember correctly, melo did attend an ncaa member school for a year. idiots.