Post by Spencer on May 15, 2008 20:11:45 GMT -5
The top 3 players of this draft are head and shoulders above the rest. Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge all should be players on the cusp of being franchise guys. Roy is the probable #1 pick. He is a wonderful scorer and ball handler that has the ability to play 1, 2 or 3. He should not only be a very good scorer but also a solid defender as well. Gay is more athletic then Roy and is more of an explosive leaper. He doesn't have the ball handling or shooting of Roy, but he projects to be a better defender long term. Aldridge is the best big man in the draft and that could push him ahead of Gay into the #2 spot. With the lack of big men in BBS Aldridge could be a All-Star within a couple of years.
After the top 3 the talent level drops off a bit. The next tier includes Al Horford and Randy Foye. Horford is a very good defender and rebounder at the 4 spot. He should be a top 5 pick. Foye is a solid combo guard who can score inside and out and handle. Worst case he is a nice backup at 1 and 2. He should go top 5 but might slip to 6-10.
The upside guys that will be taken anywhere from 6 to late 1st round are Martell Webster, Darius Washington, Daniel Gibson, Rajon Rondo and Andrea Bargnani. Webster looks like he'll become a very good offensive player given time. His lack of ball handling skills is a concern though. Washington also looks the part of a big time scorer, but his future BBS position is uncertain. Can he become a PG? Some of the same questions arise when looking at Gibson's game. A very nice shooter, can Gibson play SG in BBS or will he need to learn how to play PG? Rondo is a true PG, and should be an awesome defender, but can he score? And if he cant, will he do enough on the defensive side of the court to stay on the floor? Bargnani is sexy and scary at the same time. He has great size and scoring ability, but his defense is atrocious.
There are tons of role players available who should help teams out. Craig Smith is a very good inside scorer who is as strong as a bull. Al Thornton could start from Day 1 at SF. Paul Millsap is a terrific rebounder and solid interior player. Josh Boone should be a rotation player as a rookie. JJ Redick and Steve Novak should both find PT on an outside focus club. Adam Morrison should be a very nice bench scorer for a team late in the first round. Sergio Rodriguez, Jordan Farmar and Marcus Williams all look like "point guard of the future" types. Tyrus Thomas, Renaldo Balkman and Hilton Armstrong all can bring solid defense off the bench.
After the top 3 the talent level drops off a bit. The next tier includes Al Horford and Randy Foye. Horford is a very good defender and rebounder at the 4 spot. He should be a top 5 pick. Foye is a solid combo guard who can score inside and out and handle. Worst case he is a nice backup at 1 and 2. He should go top 5 but might slip to 6-10.
The upside guys that will be taken anywhere from 6 to late 1st round are Martell Webster, Darius Washington, Daniel Gibson, Rajon Rondo and Andrea Bargnani. Webster looks like he'll become a very good offensive player given time. His lack of ball handling skills is a concern though. Washington also looks the part of a big time scorer, but his future BBS position is uncertain. Can he become a PG? Some of the same questions arise when looking at Gibson's game. A very nice shooter, can Gibson play SG in BBS or will he need to learn how to play PG? Rondo is a true PG, and should be an awesome defender, but can he score? And if he cant, will he do enough on the defensive side of the court to stay on the floor? Bargnani is sexy and scary at the same time. He has great size and scoring ability, but his defense is atrocious.
There are tons of role players available who should help teams out. Craig Smith is a very good inside scorer who is as strong as a bull. Al Thornton could start from Day 1 at SF. Paul Millsap is a terrific rebounder and solid interior player. Josh Boone should be a rotation player as a rookie. JJ Redick and Steve Novak should both find PT on an outside focus club. Adam Morrison should be a very nice bench scorer for a team late in the first round. Sergio Rodriguez, Jordan Farmar and Marcus Williams all look like "point guard of the future" types. Tyrus Thomas, Renaldo Balkman and Hilton Armstrong all can bring solid defense off the bench.