sunsfn repport

[sunsfn]

Experts rank draft-eligible prospects



By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

TREVISO, Italy -- At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, a slow trickle of bleary-eyed NBA executives, coaches and scouts began crowding into a conference room at the Hotel Maggior Consiglio.
The Reebok Big Man camp was over, and another 60 or so international prospects would be arriving Thursday for the second part of Reebok's Eurocamp.
With the stellar play of Pavel Podkolzine and Martynas Andriuskevicius at the Big Man Camp, many of the previously held assumptions about this year's draft have been turned on their head. At dinner Tuesday night, a sizable group of NBA personnel was locked into deep discussions about the lottery that stretched until 3 a.m.
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Hours later, a number of them gathered to rank the top 59 prospects in the draft, a number chosen because that's how many players will be drafted later this month. Insider was granted a seat at the back of the room in exchange for agreeing not to name the 16 participants. But suffice it to say the group represented a dozen NBA teams, and many of their names would be recognizable to NBA fans.

In some respects the exercise could be considered a mock draft, as the best players were "selected" first. But the choices were made without concern for specifics like position or team need.

Everyone was given a list of the top available players, broken down by position, and everyone was required to vote on each "pick." The player with the most votes was "drafted" and taken off the board. In the event of a tie, a re-vote was taken. For the purpose of this exercise, the group assumed everyone on the list would remain in the draft.

The mood in the room was jovial, but there was little commentary. Instead of a debate, it was more like a high-stakes poker game. Here's what they came up with:

1. Emeka Okafor, C, UConn
Insider comment: There was no debate. Okafor received a unanimous vote as the No. 1 pick. That's a bit interesting considering some of the same people have expressed reservations over the past week about Okafor's back, his offensive skills and his height. Still, it's a pretty good indicator that whether the Magic keep this pick or not, Okafor is going to go No. 1.

2. Dwight Howard, PF, Southwest Christian Academy
Insider comment: Again, there was virtually no debate here. This has been referred to as a two-person draft for months. Apparently there was some truth to it.

3. Pavel Podkolzine, C, Siberia
Insider comment: Pavel won this slot by one vote over high school point guard Shaun Livingston. Remember that the group was not drafting for the Bulls (who currently own the No. 3 pick). Instead they were voting on the best prospect left on the board. It would be pretty surprising to see Pavel go this high, but the vote confirms what we wrote Wednesday -- Pavel helped himself immensely in Treviso.

4. Shaun Livingston, PG, Peoria (Ill.)
Insider comment: Livingston cleaned up here. There are several people in the group who believe Livingston may be, overall, the best prospect in the draft. Everyone I talked to believes the Bobcats should take him with the fourth pick. Are you listening Bernie?

5. Luol Deng, SF, Duke
Insider comment: Deng and international big man Andris Biedrins duked it out for this spot. The consensus on Deng is that he's a safe choice -- a player with a great chance to be good, but only a small chance to be great.

6. Ben Gordon, PG/SG, UConn
Insider comment: The vote was starting to splinter now, but Gordon just edged out Biedrins. There's a definite split in the room on this pick, with the international guys strongly supporting Biedrins. Gordon received the vote of most of the U.S. guys. Later, there was a pretty lengthy debate about this particular pick -- I think a bit of buyer's remorse. It's awfully tough to take a 6-foot-1 inch combo guard over a young, athletic 7-footer. Size usually rises to the top on draft night, and I think there's a general feeling that Biedrins eventually will catch Gordon.

7. Devin Harris, PG, Wisconsin
Insider comment: Biedrins lost yet another close vote. The consensus among the group was that Harris is the most NBA-ready point guard in the draft.

8. Andris Biedrins, PF, Latvia
Insider comment: The split on Biedrins clearly rests between international guys (who would've put him fifth) and the U.S. scouts, who clearly preferred several college players. This time Biedrins picked up a couple of votes and narrowly defeated Stanford's Josh Childress and Arizona's Andre Iguodala, who split the U.S. vote.

9. Josh Childress, SF, Stanford
Insider comment: There's a split between Childress and Iguodala. Having agreed not to name names, I can't be more specific, but I thought it was interesting who was choosing whom. Childress won by a nose.

10. Andre Iguodala, SG, Arizona
Insider comment: With Childress off the board, Iguodala was a unanimous pick. From what I hear around the league, however, the folks who have seen him in workouts the past few weeks are raising his stock. No one here has seen him work out yet, so take this placement with a grain of salt.

11. Martynas Andriuskevicius, F, Lithuania
Insider comment: There are a couple of people in the room who believe he should be much, much higher. I think the belief that he likely will drop out of the draft hurt him more than anything. Later in the process, other players who also are expected to pull out also take a big hit. If this projection is anywhere near accurate, Andriuskevicius definitely will pull out.

12. Josh Smith, SF, Oak Hill Academy
Insider comment: The most athletic player in the draft appears to be slipping in everyone's mind. He really wasn't seriously considered before here. May be time to downgrade the stock a bit.

13. Sergei Monya, SG/SF, Russia
Insider comment: Almost every international scout loves Monya. The U.S. guys aren't as sold. Monya squeaked out a win over J.R. Smith, whom most of the U.S. contingent backed at this spot.

14. Kosta Perovic, C, Serbia
Insider comment: Another guy who's stock probably slipped because he's expected to pull out of the draft. Interestingly, it's the U.S. guys, not the international ones, who voted him into this spot. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

15. J.R. Smith, SG, New Jersey
Insider comment: Apparently, the reports that he's been terrible in workouts don't really faze anyone. With his shot and his athleticism, scouts are willing to overlook a lot of things.

16. Johan Petro, PF/C, France
Insider comment: This was the biggest surprise of the event for me. Obviously Petro is impressing some of the NBA people here. He already has worked out privately for several teams here. Everyone has walked away raving about the kid. It may be time to buy some Petro stock.

17. Kirk Snyder, SG, Nevada
Insider comment: Obviously this group wouldn't have given him a guarantee in the lottery, which word has it some team has. Snyder narrowly beat out Jameer Nelson and Peja Samardziski.

18. Jameer Nelson, PG, Saint Joseph's
Insider comment: A great senior year helped his stock, but not as much as everyone had thought.

19. Rafael Araujo, C, BYU
Insider comment: When you are drafting by talent, not position, things like this happen. However, with so many teams in need of a center, it's pretty unlikely he'll slip this low.

20. Al Jefferson, PF, Prentiss (Miss.)
Insider comment: Jefferson just edged Samardzisiki and Kris Humphries.

21. Kris Humphries, PF, Minnesota
Insider comment: Humphries snuck past Samardziski. For the first time in this process, more than four picks have gone by without an international prospect coming off the board.

22. Peja Samardziski, C, Serbia
Insider comment: The U.S. streak is broken. If Samardziski slips this low, you can bet his agent will yank him from the draft.

23. Luke Jackson, SG/SF, Oregon
Insider comment: At one point earlier, Jackson's name was mentioned, and a number of people shouted back that he wasn't athletic enough to go that high. One guy calls him Luka Jackson three times, inadvertently hinting where some scouts' heads are at. If his name really was Luka Jackson from Slovenia, he would've been drafted in the lottery.

24. Robert Swift, C, Bakersfield (Calif.)
Insider comment: I was surprised at how many people in the room really like Swift. Almost all of them cite his performance in the McDonald's All-American game. Interesting ...

25. Peter John Ramos, C, Puerto Rico
Insider comment: Ramos barely beat out Anderson Varejao for this spot. It's the first time anyone mentioned his name all morning. I think Podkolzine's performance has pushed Ramos into the background.

26. Anderson Varejao, PF, Brazil
Insider comment: Varejao is an eye-of-the-beholder guy. Some love him. Some hate him. The group in this room knows him better and believes he may be a nice pro.

27. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Seagonville (Texas)
Insider comment: Aldridge slipped because the rumor in the room is that he's already pulled out of the draft. Apparently he canceled several workouts on Tuesday. Not sure how much higher he'd go if folks believed he'd stay in the draft. I can't see him rising too much.

28. Sasha Vujacic, PG/SG, Slovenia
Insider comment: Apparently everyone in the room has heard the same Lakers rumors.

29. Viktor Khryapa, SF, Russia
Insider comment: He's developing a buzz of late. Many scouts believe he just plays in the wrong system.

30. Tiago Splitter, PF, Brazil
Insider comment: If he actually fell this low, his agent would pull him out. Splitter is looking for a lottery commitment. From the looks of things, he isn't going to get one. 31. Sebastian Telfair, PG, Brooklyn
32. Dorrell Wright, SG, South Kent Prep (Conn.)
33. Luka Bogdanovic, SF, Serbia
34. David Harrison, C, Colorado
35. Delonte West, SG, Saint Joseph's
36. Lawrence Roberts, PF, Mississippi State
37. Arthur Johnson, PF/C, Missouri
38. Romain Sato, SG, Xavier
39. Ha Seung Jin, C, South Korea
40. Roko Leni Ukic, PG, Croatia
41. Tony Allen, SG, Oklahoma
42. Rickey Paulding, SG, Missouri
43. Donta Smith, SF, Southeastern Illinois CC
44. Damir Omerhodzic, SF, Croatia
45. Antonio Burks, PG, Memphis
46. Miguel Marriaga, PF, Venezuela
47. Uros Slokar, PF, Slovenia
48. Ryan Gomes, SF/PF, Providence
49. Chris Duhon, PG, Duke
50. Christjan Drejer, SF, F.C. Barcelona
51. Andre Emmett, SG, Texas Tech
52. Marko Tomas, SG, Croatia
53. Tim Pickett, SG, USC
54. Trevor Ariza, SF, UCLA
55. Sergei Lishouck, PF, Ukraine
56. Ricky Minard, SG, Morehouse State
57. James Thomas, PF, Texas
58. Jackie Butler, C, Coastal Christian Academy (Va.)
59. Michel Morandis, SG, Colorado

 

[PhxGametime]

Herve Lamizana a Free Agent Rookie -

 

[sunsfn]

Romain Sato is one of the players the suns had in a while back.
(they would have to trade down or into the 2nd round)

Here is what nbadraft.net has to say about him.
Currently 53 to the Spurs.
(you can also click on his name above to read more)
----------------------------------------------------
NBA Comparison: Mitch Richmond

(When the suns were drafting a few years back they really wanted Mitch Richmond. Defense plus shooter.)

Strengths: Freakish athleticism. Combines broad shoulders and amazing strength with jaw dropping leaping ability. Has a great 3 point stroke. Leadership skills, and winning attitude with excellent willingness to improve and be coached. Has a pretty amazing body-extremely well built but flexible. Super defensively and a strong rebounder. Sato rebounds like a power forward-he goes after everything. He still needs to get better as a creator, but already possesses NBA 3 pt range, and looks great doing it. Has a great attitude as well. Romain is one of the rare guards who impact a game 3 dimensionally-meaning offense, defense, and rebounding. His 6’5 frame features a 7’ wingspan, huge and defined upper body muscles, and strong legs that enable him to jump 38+” vertically. As a 2 guard, he is a beast.

OFFENSE: Romain’s best offensive skill is his stationary 3 point shooting. He has terrific range and consistency, and can easily shoot the NBA 3. Watching him shoot 3’s in a drill is like watching a robot-it’s the same shot every time. Quick release, high arc, good follow thru. His shooting ability alone, combined with his size, make him an NBA player. But he has a better knack for scoring than most great shooters, using his great body very effectively in the post and off dribble penetrations to the lane for a pull up jumper. He excels in transition and is a killer on the offensive glass. He goes to the boards like a power forward, and he goes EVERY TIME. Look for him to put all these talents into good use this year, and score 35+ points on a few occasions. He is a solid ball handler, but rarely uses a dribble move to create space, relying instead on his quickness and size to get shots. He has improved his passing a great deal as well, and is used to feeding the post after playing 3 years with David West. A first team A-10 selection last season.

DEFENSE: Romain is a lock down defensive stopper-you put him on the other teams best scoring guard, and expect that guard to have a poor shooting performance. He is quick and rangy with great strength, and can jump quickly as well. Simply put, he is a nightmare to try and score against. His rebounding mentality is second to none, so no matter which opponent attempts a shot, he is there to rebound and start the break. A 2 time All-League defensive selection.

Weaknesses: Understanding of the game and passing, ball handling all must continue to improve. Appears undersized at a shade under 6-5, however with his wingspan he is like a 6-7 player. He needs to learn to make more plays off a dribble move. He is capable of it, but is more comfortable using other methods. As his knowledge improves, so will his ability to anticipate things offensively, making him a more effective slasher and passer. If he can get to the free throw line a good deal this season, it means he has improved in that area, and he will enjoy a monster year. Defensively, he is better at structured defenses than ones looking to create some chaos. Again, improved basketball IQ will help his cause in pressure style defenses where quick reads and a good feel are vital.

Projection: Will be one of the top 2 or 3 shooting guards in the 2004 NBA draft. His combination of shooting, rebounding, athleticism, and defensive ability as a 2 guard is very rare.

 

[George O'Brien]

Draft City - June 3

Romain Sato: Really depends who you ask and on what day you see him. When he is looking good, you see a guy with who has a freakish wingspan (6-10), a superb vertical, a great personality, is excellent at fighting through screens, and an unbelievable rebounder. When he’s off, you see a really streaky shooter with terrible ball-handling skills, limited lateral quickness, and the inability to create his own shot. He is still pretty raw despite the fact that he’s a college senior, but someone will most likely gamble on him in the middle of the 2nd round. Chicago is starting to become a common theme around here, you guys do the math.

 

[Errntknght]

Now that's the kind of spot up shooter I'd like to have! I'd trade CJ for him in a heartbeat. If his defense and rebounding lived up to the hype his shooting would be gravy.

 

[Dylan]

Just for sake of discussion, I've read some nice things about the
7'0 (sometimes listed 7'1) center Robert Swift. I know he is too late
for our pick, but he is somewhat intriguing.
Supposed to be a super shot blocker, big wingspan.. a natural.
When you look at all the European big men, they mostly are the same
age. Wingspan and natural blocking skills, along with 7 feet, can make
up for some lack of athleticism, if in fact he is not very athletic.
I've read where Ainge is enamored with him, for what that is worth.
Is he a possible sleeper, will he start to move up as the draft nears,
as big guys usually do?

 

[George O'Brien]

Just for sake of discussion, I've read some nice things about the
7'0 (sometimes listed 7'1) center Robert Swift. I know he is too late
for our pick, but he is somewhat intriguing.
Supposed to be a super shot blocker, big wingspan.. a natural.
When you look at all the European big men, they mostly are the same
age. Wingspan and natural blocking skills, along with 7 feet, can make
up for some lack of athleticism, if in fact he is not very athletic.
I've read where Ainge is enamored with him, for what that is worth.
Is he a possible sleeper, will he start to move up as the draft nears,
as big guys usually do?

There has not been much buzz about Swift. He was just "OK" in the big HS all star games and did not do enough to convince anyone he was more than late first, early second round pick.

BTW, athleticism is absolutely crucial for someone joining the Suns. The Colangelos are explicitly trying to develop a running team. If the Suns had a pick in the 20's, I'd rather take Ramos than Swift and hope to teach him to play defense. I don't see Swift fitting what the Suns are trying to develop.

 

[Dylan]

It's interesting the impact of international players are making.
A few years ago, Swift would be going higher, just for his size.
I remember it wasn't that long ago that there were some drafts
with so few centers that some very marginal players got drafter high.
Kleine, Koncak, Wellington, Bedford, Fuller and it goes on. That was also
when centers were used a little differently than they are now. Now they
are quicker, more athletic because of the international influence.
Anyway, I still wouldn't be surprised if on draft day he moves up some.
It's always fun to see who falls, and who moves up..

 

[Joe Mama]

Now that's the kind of spot up shooter I'd like to have! I'd trade CJ for him in a heartbeat. If his defense and rebounding lived up to the hype his shooting would be gravy.

Unless he has really improved, Sato's shooting is nothing to get overly excited about. He is very streaky. His biggest assets are definitely his defense and rebounding. He is also a super individual and a hard worker. Sato will probably go in the late first-round or early second-round. If he is knocking down his shots in the workouts I wouldn't be surprised if he climbs into the early to mid-twenties.

Joe

 

[Chaplin]

Unless he has really improved, Sato's shooting is nothing to get overly excited about. He is very streaky. His biggest assets are definitely his defense and rebounding. He is also a super individual and a hard worker. Sato will probably go in the late first-round or early second-round. If he is knocking down his shots in the workouts I wouldn't be surprised if he climbs into the early to mid-twenties.

Joe

Weren't we excited about CJ's shooting as well?

 

[JCSunsfan]

This whole article seems strange to me.

Why would a bunch of NBA scouts from different teams hold their own mock? Wouldn't that give away their own plans? How honest would they be in this anyway? Wouldn't there be a tendency to dish a player you like and hype a player you don't?

I'm not denying this event occured, it just seems odd.

 

[George O'Brien]

It's interesting the impact of international players are making.
A few years ago, Swift would be going higher, just for his size.
I remember it wasn't that long ago that there were some drafts
with so few centers that some very marginal players got drafter high.
Kleine, Koncak, Wellington, Bedford, Fuller and it goes on. That was also
when centers were used a little differently than they are now. Now they
are quicker, more athletic because of the international influence.
Anyway, I still wouldn't be surprised if on draft day he moves up some.
It's always fun to see who falls, and who moves up..

I'm not sure the international influence has that much too do with it. I think it is the change in defense rules.

In the old days of "illegal defenses", teams could not permanetly double team strong offensive players like Amare. Even a low skill defensive specialist like Mutombo could be effective, because someone had to pretend to defend him.
This means that centers are expected to be able to score. The Euros expanded that a bit, but the rules would have pushed it anyway.

The only way to double team a high scoring PF and still be able to defend against guys driving the basket and offensive oriented centers is through quickness. The tricky part is to find someone who is quick enough yet strong enough to deal with a real back to the basket low post threat.

BTW, rebounding is frequently more about quickness and anticipation than size and leaping ability. Big and slow doesn't get it done.

 

[Joe Mama]

This whole article seems strange to me.

Why would a bunch of NBA scouts from different teams hold their own mock? Wouldn't that give away their own plans? How honest would they be in this anyway? Wouldn't there be a tendency to dish a player you like and hype a player you don't?

I'm not denying this event occured, it just seems odd.

I questioned the honesty of the voters also. I don't doubt that this event occurred, but I also don't doubt that these people might have been steering other teams away from their favorite players.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

I questioned the honesty of the voters also. I don't doubt that this event occurred, but I also don't doubt that these people might have been steering other teams away from their favorite players.

Joe Mama

I'm shocked, shocked to hear...