2009 NBA Draft
The next generation of future NBA stars was drafted last Thursday
night in New York. This draft was viewed as one of the weaker drafts in recent
years. The draft was long on point guards and short on quality big men. Ten of
the first twenty-one players drafted were point guards. In fact, the Minnesota
Timberwolves drafted three point guards with picks Nos. 5 and 6 and at 18. The
2009 draft also saw the sons of three former NBA players being drafted. The NBA
draft means more to teams than its counterparts in other pro sports with only
two rounds. Players selected in this years draft will need time to show their
skills. This draft will need to be evaluated three to four years down the road
due to see how much the players have developed and improved. International
players from countries such as Australia, The Congo, Spain, Sweden and Tanzania
were drafted this year as the NBA continues to expand its borders in search of
talent.
1. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers, Griffin was the unanimous
#1 pick in this years draft. He possesses a unique combination of strength,
athleticism and a strong work ethic. He is very strong for his age and a great
rebounder. Griffin runs the floor well for a big man and is also a decent
passer. He has nice post skills and has improved his shooting touch while in
college. Griffin has nice post skills and is considered to be a cant-miss
prospect. Most scouts agree that he should eventually be a 20-point, 10-rebound
player in the NBA. Looks like Clippers finally hit a home run with their
draft #1 pick !
2. Hasheem Thabeet, Center, Memphis, Thabeet has incredible timing
and athleticism for a man who is 7 3. He is also mobile and possesses great
lateral quickness for a big man. There is not doubt that he will be a force on
the boards and a great shot blocker at the pro-level. His offensive game is
considered to be very raw at this stage. He has a tendency to turn the ball
over too often. Still, his upside is considered to be very high. Thabeet is the
first player born in Tanzania to be selected in the NBA draft.
3. James Harden, SG, Oklahoma City, Harden came out after his
sophomore year of college. He was considered to be one of the more NBA ready
players in his class. Harden should be a consistent scoring threat and also has
nice vision and playmaking ability. He is considered to be a team player and
has improved the range on his jump shot while in college. Harden will need to
improve his mid-range game at the next level and reduce his turnovers.
4. Tyreke Evans, SG, Sacramento, At 65 and about 220 pounds, Evans
has ideal size for guard play in the NBA. Evans is a smooth player with an
incredible wingspan. He also has a strong mature body. Evan can break his
opponents down off of the dribble and has good vision and passing skills. He
will need to improve the mechanics of his shot and put more intensity into his
defensive play in the NBA.
5. Ricky Rubio, PG, Minnesota, Rubio is considered to be one of the
purest point guards to come along in a long time and the best passer in this
years draft. He has magical ability with the ball and is very creative in
running the offense. He has good size at 65 for a point guard. Rubio has
quick hands and long arms which allow him to get his share of steals on
defense. At age 17, he was the youngest player to ever play in the Olympic
finals in basketball. Rubio will need to improve his perimeter shooting and may
stay overseas if he does not play for the right team.
6. Jonny Flynn, PG, Minnesota, Flynn was the second PG taken by the
Timberwolves this past week. He is a tremendous athlete, has great character,
and was one of the quickest point guards in college hoops. Possessing a 40 inch
vertical leap, Flynn has great body control and good strength for his size.
Despite his athletic ability, his size could be an issue in the NBA. Flynn will
need to add range to his shot and reduce his rate of turnovers in at the
pro-level.
7. Stephen Curry, SG, Golden State, Curry was considered to be by far
the best pure shooter in this years draft. He has quick release and great
range that is NBA ready. Curry can put the ball on the floor and get his shot
off from just about anywhere on the court. He moves well with the ball and has
quick feet. Curry understands the game and is a good passer. His explosive and
athleticism are considered to be sub-par for the NBA. His lack of size may also
be an issue in the NBA.
8. Jordan Hill, PF, New York Knicks, Hill was one of the most
improved college players this past season. He has ideal size and length to play
PF at the pro-level. Hill is a very good athlete, can run the floor well for
his size and can also pop and hit from 15 to 17 feet. He is a great athlete and
takes the ball to the rim very aggressively. Hill will need to work on his
offensive game and passing out of the post at the next level.
9. DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto, DeRozan has the right combination of
height and size to play the wing in the NBA at about 67 and 210 pounds. He is
an incredible leaper and a strong finisher around the rim. DeRozan shots the
ball well from within 20 feet and has good lateral quickness. He needs to
improve his range and shooting consistency. He may need a few years to develop.
10. Brandon Jennings, PG, Milwaukee, Jennings is a quick and
explosive player who plays with confidence that is required to play the pint in
the pros. He has good speed in the open court and change direction easily
without losing speed. Jennings is quick and creative with the ball in his
hands. Jennings has quick hands, possesses good lateral foot speed and enjoys
applying pressure to the defenders. He will need to improve his shooting and
work on his leadership skills at the next level.
11. Terrence Williams, G/F, New Jersey, Williams was the first senior
to be selected in this years draft. He is a superior athlete with a good build
and a nice feel for the game. Williams is a very versatile player who can
easily defend three positions at the NBA level. He also has good vision and
ability to pass for a guy who plays out on the wing. He will need to work on
his perimeter game and improve his shooting.
12. Gerald Henderson, SG, Charlotte, Henderson is a super athletic
player, who excels in the open court and also has a 6 10 wingspan. He
was considered to be one of the more explosive wing players in this years
draft. Henderson improved his shooting a great deal in college and nice a nice
first step to get by the defender. He is a bit undersized for a SG and is also
not a pure shooter. As a wing player, his ball handling skills will need to
improve.
13. Tyler Hansbrough, Forward, Indiana, Hansbrough was a very
consistent and productive player for entire collegiate career at North
Carolina. He plays hard, is a great competitor and good rebounder. He is a good
free throw shooter and can hit the jumper out to about 15 to 16 feet. He lacks
the ideal size to play PF at the NBA level. Hansbrough does not finish above
the rim and will struggle against taller more athletic power forwards in the
pros.
14. Earl Clark, Forward, Phoenix, Clark is a nice combo forward with
a nice combination of size, strength and speed. He is very athletic and
explosive and also has a quick first step. Clark has good instincts, can post
up his defender and has all the tools needed to succeed. Clark will need to be
more assertive in the pros while working on a more complete offensive game.
15. Austin Daye, Forward, Detroit, Daye is a very versatile forward
with great height and length at 6 10. He is a good shooter and can attack off
of the dribble on the wing. His jump is very difficult to block due to his long
arms and a slight fade on the jump shot. Daye will need to get bigger and
stronger to succeed in the pros. He weighs only about 190 pounds so he will
need to add at least 15 or 20 pounds of muscle.
16. James Johnson, Forward, Chicago, Johnson has a nice physical
package of size, strength and athleticism. He has good skills and his long arms
give shim great length to defend opposing players. Johnson will need to improve
his shot selection and show better consistency on offense.
17. Jrue Holiday, Guard, Philadelphia, Holiday was the 2008 Gatorade
High School player of the year and is a long and wiry guard. He can attack and
finish with either hand. Holiday has good court vision and his good speed in
the open court. He will need time to develop his point guard skills and also his
shooting range.
18. Ty Lawson, Guard, Denver, Lawson, who was the third point guard
drafted by the Timberwolves, was eventually traded to the Nuggets. He has
incredible speed and pushed the ball up the court in transition. Lawson is also
quite strong for his size and has solid lateral quickness. His shooting
mechanics need work and his lack of size will make a potential defensive
liability.
19. Jeff Teague, Guard, Atlanta, Teague is a quick and explosive
guard who is a natural scorer. He has great open court speed and loves to push
the ball in transition. Teague has great hands and should be a decent
pro-defender. He will need to improve his shooting stroke and his shot
selection.
20. Eric Maynor, Guard, Utah, Maynor has a great feel for the game and
nice size for a point guard. He has good basketball IQ and solid court vision
wit the ability to find the open man. Maynor is considered to be a high
character player with the experience of four years of college ball under his
belt. He will need to improve his shot selection and also has questionable foot
speed.
21. Darren Collison, Guard, New Orleans, Collison was one of
the quickest point guards in college and has a high basketball I.Q. He is a
true leader and can easily get ball defenders when penetrating the paint.
Collison has long arms for his height, which allow him to play bigger then his
size. He will need to hit the weight room and great stronger and also needs to
improve his shooting consistency.
22. Victor Claver, Forward. Portland, Claver is considered to be a
top prospect to be good small forward in a few years. He has a nice frame at 6
91/2 and a long wingspan while being able to run the floor with decent speed
and agility. He has decent passing skills and good court vision. Claver may be
caught between the two forward positions. He does not have the power and
strength to play in the low post and lacks the agility to play out in space on
defense.
23. Omri Casspi, Forward, Sacramento, Casspi is an athletic slasher
who will beat opponents off of the dribble. He has worked on his shooting
ability and can hit the jumper out to about 16 or 17 feet with some degree of
reliability. His lateral quickness is solid so he can defend a SF out on the
wing. Casspi will need to get stronger and work on his shooting mechanics. Some
scouts have also questioned his willingness to be a team-player.
24. B. J. Mullens, Center, Oklahoma City, Mullens is a talented big
man who possesses NBA size to succeed at the next level. Possessing terrific
hands, Mullens is very explosive off of the floor. He runs the floor well for
his size and has decent quickness. Mullens has raw offensive skills and will
need to get much stronger to play in the post in the NBA. He probably would
have benefited from another year or two of college ball.
25. Rodrigue Beaubois, Guard, Dallas, Born in Guadeloupe, Beaubois is
an incredibly quick and fearless point guard. His huge wingspan of about 6
10, gives him a nice advantage on both ends of the court for a guard at just
over 6 foot. He could be a lock down defender. Beaubois will need to refine his
offensive skills and gain more experience. His shooting consistency must
improve.
26. Taj Gibson, Forward, Chicago, Gibson is an efficient player and
somewhat underrated as an athlete. At, 6 10, he has a nice soft touch around
the rim and has a huge wingspan at 7 4. Gibson also runs the floor well for
his size. Gibson is frail for his height so many scouts wonder how ell he can
play in the post in the NBA. He will need to add muscle and strength for sure.
27. DeMarre Carroll, Forward, Memphis, Carroll is a very active
player who plays with a great deal of energy at each end of the floor. He runs
the floor well for his size and can finish on a fast break. Carroll has the
length and lateral quickness needed to be a good one on one defender in the
NBA. He will need to improve his offensive game while adding mass and muscle to
his frame.
28. Wayne Ellington, Guard, Minnesota, Ellington is considered to be
one of the better shooters in the years draft. He has a compact form, shoots
with great balance, and has a nice soft touch. Ellington can stop on a dime and
pull up to hit his shot. Ellington is considered to be weak and has a light
frame by NBA standards. He will also need to work on his defense and his
intensity.
29. Toney Douglas, Guard, New York, Toney is projected to be a combo
guard at the next level. He can play at a high pace without making too many
mistakes. Douglas has a nice shooting touch with good balance and a low center
of gravity. Because of his size, Douglas may struggle against quicker point
guards and the bigger athletic wing players.
30. Christian Eyenga, Guard/Forward, Cleveland, Eyenga was a surprise
choice by the Cavaliers. He played in Europe but at what was considered to be a
junior varsity level of competition. Eyenga is an athletic and long player with
great all-around physical ability. He lacks the fundamental skills for the NBA
and is very raw offensively.
Notable players selected in the second round of the draft include the following:
35. DaJuan Summers, Forward, Detroit, Summers is an athletic wing
player whose size and physique make him a promising talent. He has wide
shoulders and good leaping ability to grab rebounds. Summer can score, pass and
is considered to be an unselfish player. He needs to reduce his turnovers and
become more of a leader.
36. Sam Young, Guard/Forward, Memphis, Young is a great athlete and
has a strong body for NBA play. His shooting has improved during the course of
his college career. Young should also be a slid NBA defender with a nice
combination of size, length and athletic ability. Young does not have fluid
movements for a wing player and must also improve his ball handling at the next
level.
37. DeJuan Blair, Forward, San Antonio, Most NBA scribes had Blair
being drafted in the mid to late first round. He is a powerful post payer and a
very strong rebounder. Young is a good passer for his size, has a strong court
sense with excellent vision and is a great offensive rebounder. The lingering
question with Blair will center on his ability to get in better shape. He lacks
mobility for an up tempo game at his weight. Blair is also seen as a bit undersized
to play power forward in the pros at about 6 6.
40. Derrick Brown, Forward, Charlotte, Brown is a seen as a very
explosive player who is a great leaper at 6 8. He has a nice release on his
jump shot and has improved his accuracy in college. Brown can finish around the
rim due to his long arms. He will need to show more determination at the next
level and also work on his defensive game.
44. Chase Buddinger, SG/SF, Houston, Buddinger is a versatile and
athletic wing player with some decent upside. At 67, his size can present a
match up problem for defenders. He has great leaping ability and runs the floor
well in transition. He will need to work on his mid-range game and also improve
his lateral quickness on the defensive end.
55. Patrick Mills, PG, Portland, Mills, who played for Australia in
the 2008 Olympics, is a very quick guard with good ball handling skills. He is
a fundamentally sound and skilled player who looks to shoot first and pass
second. Mills has long arms that help him get steals. His relative lack of size
at 60 and only about 175 pounds will allow teams to post him up. He will also
need to improve his shot selection and his decision making in the pros.