Wednesday, June 24, 2009

2009 NBA Draft Studs and Busts (and Mehs)

We all watch a lot of college hoops. We are pretty versed in NBA team needs -- plus the situation a rookie would come into (complementing talent, system, etc). And we have all read the scuttlebutt from draft season -- the mocks, the workout gossip, the misdirection. The result?

A completely not-quite-baseless evaluation of which 1st-round-ish NBA Draft prospects will succeed in the NBA, which will bust and which simply don't inspire much of anything, roughly listed in order of their consensus draft placement...

THRIVE
Tyreke Evans: Best combo of "ready now" + "upside"
Stephen Curry: Top 10 NBA shooter, already.
Jonny Flynn: Speedy and athletic, with personality
Brandon Jennings: Best experience in draft of any US player
Terrence Williams: Weird, versatile, valuable
Eric Maynor: This year's Mario Chalmers
Sam Young: THE hot sleeper
DeJuan Blair
: Better Paul Millsap
Omri Casspi: Move over, Jordan Farmar
Toney Douglas: Single-handedly burnt UNC; Arenas-lite?
DaJuan Summers: 2nd-round steal

BUST
Hasheem Thabeet: OK, so he blocks shots...and?
James Harden: Shooting guard who can't shoot
Jordan Hill: Still-developing big? Sign me up!
BJ Mullens: Kosta Koufos 2.0
Jeff Teague: Poor man's Mike James. Not a compliment.
Ty Lawson: So NBA-worthy, couldn't make it a year ago.
Chase Budinger: Wasn't good last year, not good now
Austin Daye: Prototype length, but weaker than me
Nick Calathes: Too big to guard 1s, too slow to guard 2s.

MEH
Blake Griffin: Stuck on Clips. Can't shoot. (And can't play D.)
Ricky Rubio: Not strong enough. Can't shoot.
DeMar DeRozan: Gerald Green or T-Mac? Does it matter?
Jrue Holiday: Needs right fit. Can't shoot.
Tyler Hansbrough: But a better NBA career than Lawson!
James Johnson: Lost among higher-profile PFs
Gerald Henderson: Hey, aren't you Wayne Ellington?
Wayne Ellington: Hey, aren't you Gerald Henderson?
Earl Clark: Only one L'ville positionless wonder will thrive.

Add your own prospects you think will Thrive, Bust or Uninspire.

-- D.S.

1 comment:

Reverend Paul Revere said...

Lawson has speed, strength and an emerging jumper, not to mention is a great decision maker. Yeah, sounds like a bust.

Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington have completely different games. If the Sixers draft Henderson, or anything but a guard, I'll freak out.