NBA Draft Prospects
A thumbnail look at possible first-round selections in the NBA draft to be held June 28 in New York:
Martynas Andriuskevicius, pf, Lithaunia
7-3, 230 . . . Stats not available
19 year-old pulled out of last year's draft ... Could pull out again this year if not slated to go high enough for his liking ... Tutored by former Portland Trail Blazer Arvydas Sabonis ... Very skilled for a big man ... Likely to play forward ... Lottery pick.
Andray Blatche, pf, South Kent Prep (CT)
6-11, 240 . . . 24.4 ppg, 18.8 rpg
Talented forward who spent this season trying to showcase his perimeter skills ... Post moves are still raw as a result ... Good enough athlete to excel at the next level ... Solidified his draft status by winning MVP of the Jordan Classic All-Star Game ... Late first-rounder.
Andrew Bogut, c, Utah
7-0, 242 . . .20.4 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 1.9 bpg
Versatile post player has ability to score inside and out ... A good, not great, athlete who plays below the rim ... Outstanding passer with a real feel for the nuances of the game ... Has starred in International play with Australia ... Possible top pick.
Andrew Bynum, c, St. Joseph's HS (NJ)
7-0, 300 . . . 21.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 5.0 bpg
Committed to Connecticut before throwing his name in the draft ... Greatest asset is his legitimate centre size ... Very raw so he requires a lot of projection ... Willing to work hard, but still needs to improve conditioning ... Late first-rounder.
Ike Diogu, pf, Arizona St.
6-9, 250 . . . 22.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Junior dominated the Pac-10 for three seasons ... A powerful force in the paint with long arms ... Can score with his back to the basket, but has improved his perimeter shot too ... A double-double performer ... Mid-to-late first-rounder.
Monta Ellis, g, Lanier HS (MS)
6-3, 175 . . . 41.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.0 apg
Tremendous scoring guard ... Needs to make adjustment to point in the pros ... Excellent athleticism ... Questionable attitude could hurt his draft stock ... Originally committed to Mississippi State ... First-round bubble.
Raymond Felton, pg, North Carolina
6-0, 190 . . . 12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.9 apg
Led North Carolina to national championship...Much improved outside shot during his junior season elevated his draft stock ... Has terrific speed ... Solid defender ... Controls the ball as well as any guard in the country ... Should be a Top-10 pick.
Channing Frye, c, Arizona
6-11, 250 . . . 15.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Senior shows good offensive skills ... Owns a soft shooting touch ... Has good length, but needs to get stronger ... Has been considered soft for much of his career ... Capable of starting at centre as a rookie ... Should climb into the lottery.
Francisco Garcia, sg, Louisville
6-7, 190 . . . 15.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.9 apg
Junior had his moments with Louisville, but went out of this year's tourney with a whimper ... Sweet stroke shooter is a versatile performer ... Has good length ... Not an exceptional athlete ... Needs to get stronger in order to compete in the pros ... Inconsistent ... First round bubble.
Ryan Gomes, f, Providence
6-7, 248 . . . 21.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Scored more than 18.0 ppg in each of his last three college seasons ... Undersized power forward has worked hard on his perimeter game, especially his three-point shooting ... May not be quick enough to play small forward regularly though ... First-round bubble.
Joey Graham, sf, Oklahoma St.
6-7, 220 . . . 17.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Senior that transferred from South Florida following his freshman year ... Powerful build worked as a college power forward ... Improved his shot, but needs to work on ball handling ... Aggressive defender and high-flying dunker ... Mid-first-rounder.
Danny Granger, sf, New Mexico
6-8, 235 . . . 18.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.1 spg, 2.1 bpg
Senior can do just about everything ... Played power forward in college, but projects to small forward in the NBA ... Outstanding defender has long arms and plays with competitive fire ... Only questions surround level of competition, playing at Bradley and New Mexico ... Improved shooting range makes him an elite prospect ... Likely lottery pick.
Gerald Green, sg, Gulf Shores Academy (Texas HS)
6-8, 210 . . . 33.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg 7.0 apg
Top high schooler in the draft ... Athletic wingman gets compared to megastars Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant ... High-flying leaper has star potential ... Will need time to mature ... Despite elite-level athleticism, he's also an accomplished shooter ... Should be taken among the first five picks.
Luther Head, g, Illinois
6-3, 185 . . . 15.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg
Senior made steady progress in college ... Overlooked because of talented teammates in Fighting Illini backcourt ... Combo guard who could be a steal if a team is sold on his point guard skills ... Needs to work on ballhandling ... Quick first step, along with ability to drain outside shot, makes him tough to guard ... First-round bubble.
Julius Hodge, sg, North Carolina St.
6-7, 205 . . . 17.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.8 apg
Production dropped during his senior season but finished with a strong tournament ... Good enough ballhandler has court vision too, making some teams think he can play the point ... Streaky shooter ... Needs to get stronger and put on some weight ... Late first rounder.
Ersan Ilyasova, pf, Ulker (Turkey)
6-9, 220 . . . stats not available
Athletic forward considered similar to Andrei Kirilenko ... Questions about whether he was born in 1984 or 1987 ... Recovering from broken ankle ... Lots of potential, but not so much floor time ... First-round bubble.
Jarrett Jack, pg, Georgia Tech.
6-3, 198 . . . 15.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.5 apg
Strong point guard with pro body ... Plays with character and toughness ... Runs the point well, but tends to turn ball over too much ... Improving shooter ... Solid defender and team leader ... Mid-to-late first-rounder.
Yaroslav Korolev, sf, Russia
6-9, 202 . . . stats not available
Long and athletic forward with a strong perimeter game ... Needs to prove his willingness to mix it up in traffic ... Starred in Euroleaugue juniors tournament ... Father was a player and coach on Russian national team ... Late first round.
David Lee, pf, Florida
6-10, 240 . . . 13.6ppg, 9.0 rpg
Highly touted coming out of high school, now may be underrated after four years at Florida ... Energetic leaper ... Limited defensively ... Versatile offensive skills, though he doesn't get enough touches ... First-round bubble.
Jason Maxiell, pf, Cincinnati
6-7, 250 . . . 15.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 bpg
Steady development in four years at Cincinnati ... Extremely aggressive on the boards and blocking shots ... Undersized, but makes up for it with long arms and leaping ability ... Tough player ... First-round bubble.
Sean May, pf, North Carolina
6-9, 260 . . . 17.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg
Junior starred for North Carolina's championship team ... Powerful build, soft hands and quick feet ... Has a nice touch out to 18-20 feet ... Will need to adjust to power forward after playing centre in college ... Needs to improve conditioning to handle rigors of pro game ... Mid-first-rounder.
Rashad McCants, sg, North Carolina
6-4, 207 . . . 16.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Junior leaves Carolina with a national title and a troubled reputation ... Excellent shooter should have no trouble scoring ... Undersized as a shooting guard and doesn't handle ball well enough to man the point ... Mid-to-late first-rounder.
Randolph Morris, c, Kentucky
6-11, 260 . . . 8.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Had only one so-so season at Kentucky ... Does have the size to play in the middle ... Has some nice tools and could develop into a capable starter ... Needs to get more aggressive ... Would likely be a higher pick if he returned to school...Late first-round pick.
Chris Paul, pg, Wake Forest
6-0, 175 . . . 15.3 ppg, 6.6 apg, 2.4 spg
Polished floor general ... Undersized, but does everything well ... Makes his teammates better and can take over a game ... Solid perimeter shot bodes well for transition to pros ... One of the best point guard prospects of the past decade ... Expected to go in the top three.
Johan Petro, c, Pau Orthez (France)
7-1, 250 . . . 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
19 year-old has a pro-style body ... Very raw offensively, he'll need time to develop ... Work ethic is questionable ... Gets his points around the basket due to limited range ... Likely first rounder, but could be anywhere from mid-first round to late.
Nate Robinson, g, Washington
5-9, 190 . . . 16.4 ppg, 4.5 apg
Junior was one of the most electrifying players in college basketball ... Has an unbelievable 43-inch vertical leap, and uses it to thunder down dunks ... Also played some football at Washington ... Improved passing skills would help his transition to the pros ... Lack of size probably makes him sixth man material, at best ... First-round bubble.
Wayne Simien, pf, Kansas
6-9, 255 . . . 20.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 2.9 spg
Senior is a beast in the paint ... Has decent mid-range shot, but can struggle around the rim ... Battled injuries throughout his college career ... Character player won't shortchange on effort ... Soft hands, yet an aggressive rebounder ... Mid-to-late first rounder.
Tiago Splitter, pf, Tau Ceramica (Spain)
6-10, 240 . . . 7.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Brazilian has been touted for years ... Buyout situation in Europe could cause him to pull out of this year's draft ... Solid skill set, though he needs to learn how to use his size more effectively ... Mid-to-late first-rounder.
Salim Stoudamire, g, Arizona
6-1, 190 . . . 18.4 ppg, 2.2 apg
Had a fine senior season ... The best outside shooter in the college game ... Undersized to play off-guard, but doesn't handle or distribute well enough to play the point ... Has had attitude questions while in college ... One dimensional bomber ... First-round bubble to early second round pick.
Chris Taft, pf, Pittsburgh
6-10, 250 . . . 13.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Considered a potential number one overall pick entering the season, but disappointed ... Still a very skilled big man ... When motivated, he can dominate in the paint with his footwork, strength and athleticism ... Even with so-so workouts he figures to be a lottery pick.
Ronny Turiaf, pf, Gonzaga
6-10, 248 . . . 15.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg
Enjoyed a productive four-year career at Gonzaga ... Aggressive on the boards ... Energetic and a decent athlete ... Inconsistent offensively ... Effort sets him apart...First-round bubble.
Roko Leni Ukic, pg, Split (Croatia)
6-5, 185 . . . 18.5 ppg, 4.3 apg
Tall and rangy point guard ... Improving defender ... Needs to work on his shooting range ... Thrives in transition with energy and hustle ... First-round bubble.
Fran Vazquez, pf, Malaga (Spain)
6-10, 230 . . . 8.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Athletic big man is the most-ready Euro in the draft ... Nevertheless he needs to get stronger if he's going to bang in the paint ... Limited upside, he figures to be a solid rotation player ... Toughness will be tested ... Should be a lottery pick.
Charlie Villanueva, f, Connecticut
6-10, 240 . . . 13.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg
Sophomore considered the draft after high school ... Tons of talent and can play both forward spots ... Poor attitude and lack of effort gets him in trouble ... Can score inside and out ... Top-10 talent, but not expected to go that high.
Matt Walsh, sg, Florida
6-6, 210 . . . 14.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Junior wanted to test draft waters and has worked out well ... Heady player who shows excellent instincts for the game ... Deep range on his three-point shot ... Bubble first-rounder.
Hakim Warrick, f, Syracuse
6-8, 218 . . . 21.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg
Spectacular athlete showed steady improvement in college ... Can run and jump with the best of them ... Questions persist about his ability to play small forward because he hasn't proven he can hit the outside shot ... May not be strong or tall enough to play power forward ... Could make an impact defensively with his athletic ability. Mid-to-late first-rounder.
Martell Webster, sg, Seattle Prep
6-7, 235 . . . 27.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
High schooler has an NBA-ready physique ... Tremendous shooter is an offensive threat ... Needs to work on the defensive side of the game ... Has a solid work ethic and is regarded as a low-risk pick ... Limited upside because he's not a spectacular athlete ... Should find his way into the lottery.
Deron Williams, pg, Illinois
6-3, 208 . . . 12.5 ppg, 6.8 apg
Terrific all-around point guard ... Potentially a shutdown defender ... Excellent court vision ... Good enough shooter to keep defenses honest, but likes to penetrate and dish ... Physically strong ... Quickness the only question mark in his game ... A top five pick.
Marvin Williams, sf, North Carolina
6-9, 230 . . . 11.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Considered the player with the highest upside in the draft ... Talented player has good quickness and is a fine shooter ... A prototypical NBA small forward ... Sixth man on the national champs during his one season of college ball ... Possible first pick overall.
Kennedy Winston, sg, Alabama
6-6, 230 . . . 17.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Junior has a smooth offensive game ... Solid jump shooter ... Also has a quick first step that allows him to get to the rim ... Needs to play with more of an edge to his game, especially on the defensive side ... Late first-rounder.
Antoine Wright, sg, Texas A & M
6-7, 210 . . . 17.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Junior rebounded from a miserable sophomore season ... Athletic wing thrives on the perimeter with his shooting and ballhandling skills ... Struggles from the free throw line ... Inconsistency in his game is an issue ... A mid-first-rounder.
