What's new

Following potential 2012 draftees

"1. Harrison Barnes 6’8, 223, SF, North Carolina

Lost in the hysteria of the Tar Heels’ loss to Duke at the buzzer thanks to an Austin Rivers 3 was the performance of Barnes, who was the best player on the floor all night. No, he didn’t close the game, but the UNC forward continues to show the take-over ability that scouts have been expecting. He needs to improve his rebounding numbers, which are down this year slightly, but offensively he’s the most complete player in the country right now."


Best player on the court in the Duke game? Please. Most complete player in the country? Author should be embarassed ans stick to baseball. Barnes is good. He's also overrated by this writer.

"2. Anthony Davis 6’10, 220, PF, Kentucky

Hmmm, 127 blocks in 26 games? Davis draws comparisons to Marcus Camby because of his wingspan and defensive ability, but he isn’t the offensive impact player that Camby was at this stage. But he’s still a pup. Davis is slight, but he’s an impact player defensively at the NBA level right now and is by far and away the best defensive player in college basketball. His defensive timing and instincts haven’t been seen in a college prospect in years and absolutely puts Kentucky on a different level as they plan their march a national championship. If Davis stays out of foul trouble, the Wildcats are an impossible out come tournament time."


Fair enough.

"3. Andre Drummond, 6’11, 270, C, Connecticut

Drummond is struggling mightily in Big East action and the timing of this has scouts questioning if he needs more development at this level. He was shut out against Louisville then got severely outplayed by Syracuse’s front line in an 18-point loss. What I like about Drummond is his hands and footwork combined with his size. What puzzles me is his energy level and consistent ability to get outworked for position and inability to establish himself on the block."


Just say it. He has all the talent but no drive, work ethic, desire, or 'it' factor. Upside is ridiculous, but he needs to come out in THIS draft before he shows the scouts the added year did nothing to improve his between the ears issues.

"4. John Henson, 6’11, 223, C, North Carolina

To me, there isn’t a more improved big man in the nation than Henson, whose career has morphed from defensive stopper to now a more complete post player and defender. He still needs to get stronger at his base, because on one-on-one post situations he can be moved, but he’s almost at Anthony Davis’ level from a timing perspective on blocks and rebounds. I’m most impressed with the array of post moves and ability to finish with both hands around the basket. If he can improve his FT shooting come crunch time of the season, Henson’s stock could be rising as high as anyone in the country."


I actually agree with most of this (minus the hyperbole) .. (and sorry Hantlers). What isn't discussed though, is his frame (unlike Davis) doesn't show much hope to improve strength. He'll be a good player in the NBA, imo .. and I also agree with how much he has improved / become more diverse over last year.

"5. Jared Sullinger, 6’9, 280, PF, Ohio State

Sullinger is the best pure, post up big man in the country. He often is a man among boys in a conference that is the most physical in the country. That’s what’s so incredibly impressive. Equally impressive as his polished post moves is the fact that Sullinger is a tremendous mid-range shooter and is a fit for any pick and pop point guard. I compare him to Kurt Thomas as it relates to his touch from 10-15 feet. Sullinger will never be the best athlete on the floor, or the 9th best, but he has NBA savvy and that counts for a lot."


Terrible take. Sullinger is a VERY good collegiate center, yes. However, he struggles, a lot, against taller collegiate players. His vertical leap is very poor, his athleticism below-average, and height/length not good enough to be a C in the NBA. He'll have a long career as a backup .. but I bet he gets drafted too early .. shouldn't go top 8 .. but will.

"6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist , 6’7, 230, SF, Kentucky

Talent-wise, Gilchrist is right up there with the best in the nation, but there are lapses of freshman immaturity. Thankfully, these mistakes get covered up by Kentucky’s overwhelming talent on its roster. He’s a fantastic athlete with an NBA ready body physically and always fills up the stat sheet evident by his recent performance against #11 Kansas. Gilchrist can vault himself to the top of the draft if he can show he’s the best player on the floor, more often than not, come tournament time. Not an easy task on the Wildcats’ college all-star team."


Poor write up. Needed to say MKG has intangibles that can make a team better, every player. Also that his shot is poor. Needs to give props for being able to rip a rebound and beat everyone down the floor, splitting the defenders with the nasty football move (cup the ball in close, jump stop, layup). My take? MKG is being overrated in the draft. DX has him at #3 (or #4?) and he should be around 9 or 10.

"7. Thomas Robinson, 6’9, 240, PF, Kansas

I always considered Robinson to have a higher ceiling than both Morris twins, who were first round picks in last year’s draft and played with Robinson last year for the Jayhawks. Robinson is a tremendous athlete with great finishing ability, but his shooting form could be extended to 18 feet in my opinion with reps and confidence. If this continues to develop he can pull bigger forwards away from the basket at the next level and be an instant rotation player on any NBA roster."


Ho-hum. Robinson is nasty, mean, and electric around the rim. Awesome rebounder. I'd consider him around 5 .. and that's way up from where I had him at the beginning of the season.

"8. Arnett Moultrie, 6’10, 240, PF, Mississippi State

Perhaps no one in college basketball has the combination of motor and the physical nature to the game that Moultrie possesses. He’s ready right now physically and has the ability to dominate a game on both ends averaging a double-double while playing in the SEC. There isn’t much this player doesn’t do, and it will be interesting to see him develop more come tournament time.


I've watched Moultrie for several years now, but I'll await Cyrone's take on this one.

"9. Bradley Beal, 6’3, 220, SG, Florida

Just a freshman, Beal plays beyond his years and is the most talented shooting guard in the country. What scouts appreciate most is his ability to be a low volume/high-efficiency scorer who can also rebound very well from the backcourt position. He’s only 6’3, which is undersized in the NBA for a 2 guard, but his ability to come off screens and off cuts reminds many of a young Ray Allen. Definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next few weeks."


I like Beal, but this is way off from what we've seen this year. Great rebounder, undersized a bit, he's supposed to be a great shooter, but .. I think he's an enigma .. just too many guards/chuckers on Florida's team for Beal to have an offense that can showcase his game. Jury out. I'd take him around 9/10.

"10. Mike Moser, 6’8, 210, PF, UNLV

Moser cracks my top 10 because he is as gifted a scorer-athlete as any player in the nation at this point. He’s flown under the radar, but having led the Running-Rebels to 22 wins to date, Moser will be a focal point should UNLV make it far in the tournament. The ex-UCLA Bruin can flat out take over a game from the stretch-4 position, a spot that every scout is looking for at the NBA level. He can shoot threes and guard the SF and PF position in an up tempo style. Keep an eye on Moser, his stock is soaring."


Not sure he can effectively guard NBA SF's, but I've got not much more to add. I'd take Moser around 15.
 
I honestly don't think Barnes would be that bad of a pick up. He seems to be pretty efficient and doesn't over-dribble. Mostly a jump shooter but I don't think that's evidence of an inability to drive, I just think he can really shoot so he relies on it. I'm just mostly hesitant about Barnes because he seems to be a bit passive overall. He doesn't want to kill you, your family, and your children like Kobe. That said, Paul Pierce has carved out a pretty solid career being mostly a jump shooter with a few nice jab step moves, but I'm not even sure if Barnes has Paul Pierce's intensity.
 
I've watched Barnes play quite a bit, he can't drive. Trust me.


Austin Rivers had a nice game, 16 points on 7-13 and 2-5 from 3 with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Kid needs to start working on his FT shooting though, it's really been bad lately. Also would like to see him work on his left hand driving, it's not quite up to par IMO.
 
I honestly don't think Barnes would be that bad of a pick up. He seems to be pretty efficient and doesn't over-dribble. Mostly a jump shooter but I don't think that's evidence of an inability to drive, I just think he can really shoot so he relies on it. I'm just mostly hesitant about Barnes because he seems to be a bit passive overall. He doesn't want to kill you, your family, and your children like Kobe. That said, Paul Pierce has carved out a pretty solid career being mostly a jump shooter with a few nice jab step moves, but I'm not even sure if Barnes has Paul Pierce's intensity.

I agree if Barnes is ever going to be a star it will have to be in the Pierce mold. Get to the line a lot using a combination of power and good ball fakes.
 
I've watched Barnes play quite a bit, he can't drive. Trust me.


Austin Rivers had a nice game, 16 points on 7-13 and 2-5 from 3 with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Kid needs to start working on his FT shooting though, it's really been bad lately. Also would like to see him work on his left hand driving, it's not quite up to par IMO.

Or he can wait to work on that this summer after he is drafted later than he likes and then he can come out and blow everyone's mind!
 
Too bad Jazz will be picking 12 with their own pick.

I think it will land at around 10 when all is said and done. At the end of this month Corbin needs to see what this season is, a rebuilding season. I hope that he will start to adjust his rotations and minutes accordingly. He probably won't, but I can ask for his head at that point. I will wait to see if he does the right thing, and if he doesn't then he should pay for it...................
 
Back
Top