Top Potential Steals in the Draft
21st June, 2005 - 4:00 am
Aaron Bronsteter
10) John Gilchrist, Point Guard, Maryland
Projected: mid-to-late 2nd round
Gilchrist was projected in the lottery both last season and early this season on multiple mock drafts, but when Gary Williams and Maryland sunk, he sunk with them.
Maryland had a strong team this season with players like Nik Caner-Medley, Ekene Ibekwe, D.J. Strawberry and Michael Jones (the latter three of which were McDonald’s High School All-Stars) and the team got eliminated in the NITs after failing to make it to the NCAA tournament.
Gilchrist himself is a strong floor leader who gets in the ears of teammates who do not project a strong team mentality. Gilchrist is also a very good perimeter defender who can shut down strong point guards. He is also a very solid rebounder for a point guard and had five games with nine or more rebounds.
His strongest weakness is that he’s very emotional and he often lets his emotions get the better of him. He’s quick to blame himself when his team plays poorly and it affects his play as well.
Best-case scenario: Rafer Alston with better defensive skills
9) Lawrence Roberts, Power Forward, Mississippi State
Projected: mid-to-late 2nd round or undrafted
Going into this season, Roberts was the most established college senior after pulling out of last year’s draft and heading back to Mississippi State. Roberts appeared on the cover of many college basketball preview magazines and his team was ranked very highly at #21 going into the season.
The Bulldogs disappointed during the regular season with a 22-10 record and lucked out on an NCAA tournament berth, landing an unsuspected 9th seed. Mississippi State eliminated Stanford in the first round of the tournament, but failed to defeat Duke thereafter. Roberts’s senior season was not much of an improvement over his junior season, averaging the same points-per-game totals, one more rebound-per-game and a lower shooting percentage.
Roberts is a solid power forward and can score in the post and from the perimeter, but has trouble blocking shots and is often shut down by stronger opponents.
Best-case scenario: Udonis Haslem
8) Andray Blatche, Power Forward, South Kent High School
Projected: mid-to-late 1st round
Blatche is a big question mark in this year’s draft and is seemingly one of those players whose grades could not get him into a very good college program. However, his statistics show that he can ball averaging 24.6 points-per-game, 18.1 rebounds-per-game and 8.1 blocks-per-game. I don’t care if you’re playing in High School or Kuala Lumpur, 8.1 blocks-per-game is an insane statistic at any level.
While Blatche’s profile potentially has bust written all over it, he is listed as 6’11” and nearly 250 pounds, which classifies as an NBA body. He is a very raw talent who could end up being a very good basketball player.
Best-case scenario: Marcus Camby
7) Salim Stoudamire, Combo Guard, Arizona
Projected: late 1st round-mid 2nd round
For convincing arguments about why to draft Salim Stoudamire, check out his website at www.draftsalim.com and read the stats section. It argues that the NBA needs three point shooters and that Salim is their best bet and he may be right. The section shows that Stoudamire has the fifth highest three point shooting percentage in Division I history (within minimum requirements) with 319/690 made, clocking in at 46.1%. That is a very impressive statistic, especially considering that he had more attempts than anyone else on the list.
Judging by the success of fellow bomber Kyle Korver, Stoudamire could be very successful at the next level on a team like Seattle that relies on strong outside shooting or a team like the Lakers who run a triangle offense.
The problem with Salim is that he is something of a ‘tweener and aside from shooting, there’s not much else he can do. He averages just over two assists per game and that is an alarming statistic for someone who is only 6’1”. However, his cousin is former rookie-of-the-year Damon Stoudamire, who can likely help him learn the ropes in the NBA. Arizona had a great tournament run, in spite of being upset by Illinois in a huge comeback victory. Despite these red flags, Stoudamire will likely get drafted simply based on his shooting percentages (he also shot over 50% from the field).
Best-case scenario: Steve Kerr
6) Rashad McCants, Shooting Guard, North Carolina
Projected: late 1st round
After measuring at 6’4”, McCants’s stock should be rising, but he has been showing a lot of negative traits, such as talking smack about Julius Hodge, not finishing workouts and having his mother say ridiculous things in interview about International foods (in reference to Canadian food).
The fact is that McCants can flat out score, both on the perimeter and attacking the rack. Early in the season, McCants was projected in the top-10 when he was tearing it up on UNC before the injury bug struck.
McCants could really go either way in the NBA, he could be a strong compliment to any team or could continue showing attitude problems.
Best-case scenario: Ronald “Flip” Murray
5) Julius Hodge, Combo Guard, North Carolina State
Projected: late 1st round-early 2nd round
Hodge’s stock has fluctuated over the course of this year, but in the tournament, Hodge showed that he was a team leader who brings forth an array of intangibles. Hodge is a solid passer, can shoot, rebound and help an underachieving team excel in the NCAA Tournament. Despite a subpar season, Hodge lead the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16 and eliminated the defending champion Huskies, a number two seed.
If Hodge can improve his outside shooting, he will be able to offer his unique skill set to NBA teams.
Best-case scenario: Worse-shooting Brent Barry
4) Hakim Warrick, Small Forward, Syracuse
Projected: mid-to-late 1st round
Hakim Warrick is the ideal example of what is expected of basketball players, but unfortunately, expectations do not always translate into positive results. Warrick decided to return to Syracuse to improve his game and he did, averaging career highs in points and rebounds, while shooting a whopping 55% from the field.
The problem with Warrick is that he is a small forward with a power forward’s game who’s not quite good enough to be a power forward. Warrick could easily shift to power forward for a few minutes a game. However, his athleticism, strength and constantly improving game should not be overlooked and he could be an extremely solid player at the next level.
Best-case scenario: Richard Jefferson
3) Martynas Andriuskevicius, Center, Lithuania
Projected: Mid 1st round
Marty’s stock has dropped significantly, even since last year’s draft where he was projected in the top-10. Marty is the tallest player in the draft, which doesn’t really mean anything, but the fact that he’s being mentored by Arvydas Sabonis shows that he could be a very solid NBA player. He will likely have a long learning curve, but could be worth the wait.
Martynas doesn’t really have a lot of experience with leadership, but he’s young and will learn on the go. He already supposedly has a strong shooting stroke, but has trouble attacking the basket and rebounding. I think that he has the potential to be an absolute steal as a mid-first-round selection.
Best-case scenario: Rik Smits
2) Chris Taft, Power Forward, Pittsburgh
Projected: Mid 1st Round
This pick is going to be a shocker for many people reading this, but my reasoning is that Chris Taft would have likely been a top-10 pick last year, went back to improve his game and had his entire reputation shattered by what many viewed as lax workmanship and no drive. The fact is that Taft deserves a chance to prove himself on the next level. Taft is a strong, versatile athlete who can block shots, rebound and set strong picks. He is a former New York State Player of the Year and made the Big East Third Team in his freshman year, the only freshman in the NCAA to do so.
Recently, his stock has dropped from being a top-ten pick to the bottom of the first round, but Taft could end up being a huge steal if he goes late in the first round and is out for blood. I think that too many teams are sleeping on him and that he’ll prove a lot of doubters wrong at the next level.
Best-case scenario: Stromile Swift
1) Jason Maxiell, Power Forward, Cincinnati
Projected: Early-to-mid 2nd round
Maxiell’s combine certainly hurt his stock, as he measured at a meagre 6’6” with shoes, but tell Ben Wallace to put his hair in the cornrows and measure him with shoes, I can almost guarantee he is a maximum of 6’7”. My point is that Maxiell is an utter beast on defense and that Wallace himself was an undrafted player. You cannot teach the type of defensive prowess that these two men possess and the team that uses their 2nd round pick on Maxiell will experience that first-hand.
Maxiell is a workaholic and provided Cincinnati with four straight years of excellent shotblocking and lockdown defense. His numbers have improved drastically over the years and his shooting has improved. You heard it hear first, this kid is a beast.
http://www.realgm.com/src_feature/172/20050621/top_potential_steals_in_the_draft/
21st June, 2005 - 4:00 am
Aaron Bronsteter
10) John Gilchrist, Point Guard, Maryland
Projected: mid-to-late 2nd round
Gilchrist was projected in the lottery both last season and early this season on multiple mock drafts, but when Gary Williams and Maryland sunk, he sunk with them.
Maryland had a strong team this season with players like Nik Caner-Medley, Ekene Ibekwe, D.J. Strawberry and Michael Jones (the latter three of which were McDonald’s High School All-Stars) and the team got eliminated in the NITs after failing to make it to the NCAA tournament.
Gilchrist himself is a strong floor leader who gets in the ears of teammates who do not project a strong team mentality. Gilchrist is also a very good perimeter defender who can shut down strong point guards. He is also a very solid rebounder for a point guard and had five games with nine or more rebounds.
His strongest weakness is that he’s very emotional and he often lets his emotions get the better of him. He’s quick to blame himself when his team plays poorly and it affects his play as well.
Best-case scenario: Rafer Alston with better defensive skills
9) Lawrence Roberts, Power Forward, Mississippi State
Projected: mid-to-late 2nd round or undrafted
Going into this season, Roberts was the most established college senior after pulling out of last year’s draft and heading back to Mississippi State. Roberts appeared on the cover of many college basketball preview magazines and his team was ranked very highly at #21 going into the season.
The Bulldogs disappointed during the regular season with a 22-10 record and lucked out on an NCAA tournament berth, landing an unsuspected 9th seed. Mississippi State eliminated Stanford in the first round of the tournament, but failed to defeat Duke thereafter. Roberts’s senior season was not much of an improvement over his junior season, averaging the same points-per-game totals, one more rebound-per-game and a lower shooting percentage.
Roberts is a solid power forward and can score in the post and from the perimeter, but has trouble blocking shots and is often shut down by stronger opponents.
Best-case scenario: Udonis Haslem
8) Andray Blatche, Power Forward, South Kent High School
Projected: mid-to-late 1st round
Blatche is a big question mark in this year’s draft and is seemingly one of those players whose grades could not get him into a very good college program. However, his statistics show that he can ball averaging 24.6 points-per-game, 18.1 rebounds-per-game and 8.1 blocks-per-game. I don’t care if you’re playing in High School or Kuala Lumpur, 8.1 blocks-per-game is an insane statistic at any level.
While Blatche’s profile potentially has bust written all over it, he is listed as 6’11” and nearly 250 pounds, which classifies as an NBA body. He is a very raw talent who could end up being a very good basketball player.
Best-case scenario: Marcus Camby
7) Salim Stoudamire, Combo Guard, Arizona
Projected: late 1st round-mid 2nd round
For convincing arguments about why to draft Salim Stoudamire, check out his website at www.draftsalim.com and read the stats section. It argues that the NBA needs three point shooters and that Salim is their best bet and he may be right. The section shows that Stoudamire has the fifth highest three point shooting percentage in Division I history (within minimum requirements) with 319/690 made, clocking in at 46.1%. That is a very impressive statistic, especially considering that he had more attempts than anyone else on the list.
Judging by the success of fellow bomber Kyle Korver, Stoudamire could be very successful at the next level on a team like Seattle that relies on strong outside shooting or a team like the Lakers who run a triangle offense.
The problem with Salim is that he is something of a ‘tweener and aside from shooting, there’s not much else he can do. He averages just over two assists per game and that is an alarming statistic for someone who is only 6’1”. However, his cousin is former rookie-of-the-year Damon Stoudamire, who can likely help him learn the ropes in the NBA. Arizona had a great tournament run, in spite of being upset by Illinois in a huge comeback victory. Despite these red flags, Stoudamire will likely get drafted simply based on his shooting percentages (he also shot over 50% from the field).
Best-case scenario: Steve Kerr
6) Rashad McCants, Shooting Guard, North Carolina
Projected: late 1st round
After measuring at 6’4”, McCants’s stock should be rising, but he has been showing a lot of negative traits, such as talking smack about Julius Hodge, not finishing workouts and having his mother say ridiculous things in interview about International foods (in reference to Canadian food).
The fact is that McCants can flat out score, both on the perimeter and attacking the rack. Early in the season, McCants was projected in the top-10 when he was tearing it up on UNC before the injury bug struck.
McCants could really go either way in the NBA, he could be a strong compliment to any team or could continue showing attitude problems.
Best-case scenario: Ronald “Flip” Murray
5) Julius Hodge, Combo Guard, North Carolina State
Projected: late 1st round-early 2nd round
Hodge’s stock has fluctuated over the course of this year, but in the tournament, Hodge showed that he was a team leader who brings forth an array of intangibles. Hodge is a solid passer, can shoot, rebound and help an underachieving team excel in the NCAA Tournament. Despite a subpar season, Hodge lead the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16 and eliminated the defending champion Huskies, a number two seed.
If Hodge can improve his outside shooting, he will be able to offer his unique skill set to NBA teams.
Best-case scenario: Worse-shooting Brent Barry
4) Hakim Warrick, Small Forward, Syracuse
Projected: mid-to-late 1st round
Hakim Warrick is the ideal example of what is expected of basketball players, but unfortunately, expectations do not always translate into positive results. Warrick decided to return to Syracuse to improve his game and he did, averaging career highs in points and rebounds, while shooting a whopping 55% from the field.
The problem with Warrick is that he is a small forward with a power forward’s game who’s not quite good enough to be a power forward. Warrick could easily shift to power forward for a few minutes a game. However, his athleticism, strength and constantly improving game should not be overlooked and he could be an extremely solid player at the next level.
Best-case scenario: Richard Jefferson
3) Martynas Andriuskevicius, Center, Lithuania
Projected: Mid 1st round
Marty’s stock has dropped significantly, even since last year’s draft where he was projected in the top-10. Marty is the tallest player in the draft, which doesn’t really mean anything, but the fact that he’s being mentored by Arvydas Sabonis shows that he could be a very solid NBA player. He will likely have a long learning curve, but could be worth the wait.
Martynas doesn’t really have a lot of experience with leadership, but he’s young and will learn on the go. He already supposedly has a strong shooting stroke, but has trouble attacking the basket and rebounding. I think that he has the potential to be an absolute steal as a mid-first-round selection.
Best-case scenario: Rik Smits
2) Chris Taft, Power Forward, Pittsburgh
Projected: Mid 1st Round
This pick is going to be a shocker for many people reading this, but my reasoning is that Chris Taft would have likely been a top-10 pick last year, went back to improve his game and had his entire reputation shattered by what many viewed as lax workmanship and no drive. The fact is that Taft deserves a chance to prove himself on the next level. Taft is a strong, versatile athlete who can block shots, rebound and set strong picks. He is a former New York State Player of the Year and made the Big East Third Team in his freshman year, the only freshman in the NCAA to do so.
Recently, his stock has dropped from being a top-ten pick to the bottom of the first round, but Taft could end up being a huge steal if he goes late in the first round and is out for blood. I think that too many teams are sleeping on him and that he’ll prove a lot of doubters wrong at the next level.
Best-case scenario: Stromile Swift
1) Jason Maxiell, Power Forward, Cincinnati
Projected: Early-to-mid 2nd round
Maxiell’s combine certainly hurt his stock, as he measured at a meagre 6’6” with shoes, but tell Ben Wallace to put his hair in the cornrows and measure him with shoes, I can almost guarantee he is a maximum of 6’7”. My point is that Maxiell is an utter beast on defense and that Wallace himself was an undrafted player. You cannot teach the type of defensive prowess that these two men possess and the team that uses their 2nd round pick on Maxiell will experience that first-hand.
Maxiell is a workaholic and provided Cincinnati with four straight years of excellent shotblocking and lockdown defense. His numbers have improved drastically over the years and his shooting has improved. You heard it hear first, this kid is a beast.
http://www.realgm.com/src_feature/172/20050621/top_potential_steals_in_the_draft/
