Nerlens Noel has constantly been getting compared to Anthony Davis ever since he committed to Kentucky, but always with a mention that he is a lesser version. I’m here to argue against this notion. Not to say that he’s better than Davis, or that the ‘Brow wasn’t as elite as a prospect as some thought him to be, just that Noel, despite being the projected number one overall pick in the draft to Cleveland (woooohoooo!!!!), is still underrated. If Nerlens and Anthony had swapped teams (Nerlens playing on the ‘11-12 National Champion Wildcats and Davis on this past year’s clusterf*** of a team) that there would have been very little, if any difference between these two players.

In the first 24 games of their college careers (the 24th was Noel’s last after he tore his ACL)

Anthony Davis
31 minutes, 13.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, 1.5 steals

Nerlens Noel
31 minutes, 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 2.1 steals

Very little difference here. Anthony looks slightly better at blocking shots, but Nerlens might be more adept at disrupting lanes. Rebounding is essentially the same, as reflected by their rebounding percentages (18.2% and 16.8%). The biggest thing separating them would be the offensive side of the ball, as Davis posted 62% from the field while Noel managed 59%. Keep in mind, Noel played on a vastly inferior team. Davis’s Wildcats had 4 first rounders drafted in 2012 while Nerlens is the only player likely to go in the first, with Archie Goodwin the only other play on NBA team’s radars. Let’s look at some more statistics…

Davis/ Noel
Block%: 13.8 / 13.2
FG%: 62 / 59
Usage %: 18.8 / 17.4
Defensive Rating: 80.3 / 81.8
Team Assists: 481 / 403
FT%: 71 / 53
FTApG: 5.1 / 4.3

As you can see, when it comes to their offensive production, (the perceived biggest difference) Davis averaging roughly 3 more a night can be argued to be essentially irrelevant, as Davis had far superior guards getting him the ball and was also nearly 20% better from the charity stripe than Nerlens. Anthony was also used more often, and more efficiently, due to the better supporting cast. That, on top of the free throw shooting, easily makes up for that 3 point disparity.

Another thing to remember is that Nerlens wasn’t as good as Davis right away- he walked into Kentucky a much rawer player. If it weren’t for Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, it probably wouldn’t have been a horrible decision for him to stay at Kentucky, rehab, and dominate college basketball when he comes back. But he isn’t. Instead of silencing any doubt of his status as an elite prospect, he’s chosen the riskier route, although it has a much higher reward (first overall pick) than sticking around for the ‘14 Draft.

To sum it up, Nerlens deserves a lot more respect than he’s been getting, and should be the number one pick to Cleveland without a doubt. Out of all the questions and concerns posed towards him, the only with any traction is the ACL tear. But he’s supposedly weeks ahead of his schedule, and doesn’t have any other history of injuries. So despite the fact that Noel’s career started off on some struggles, he still replicated similar numbers to Davis. And if it weren’t for his knee injury, who knows what the second half of the season would have brought for him. For one, Kentucky probably would have made the NCAA tournament. It’s not outlandish to think that he would have even surpassed some of Anthony’s statistics.

Next Thursday, one player is going to be the last first overall pick to shake David Stern’s hand. Might be Alex Len, or Otto Porter, or a darkhorse like McLemore and Bennett. But if the commish hugs anyone other than the high-top faded 7-footer from Everett, Massachusetts, this Cleveland fan will be very upset.

About Dan Cutter

Full-time University of Nebraska-Omaha student, hotel front desk worker, speech and music nerd, overall swell guy. Add me on facebook or follow me on twitter @KidCutskey

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Google+
|
• More Posts (16)

The post Why I Have A Crush On Nerlens Noel: A 2013 NBA Draft Scout Report appeared first on Sports Wunderkind.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers- Nerlens Noel, C/PF, Kentucky

Anderson Varejao is getting up there in age and is injury-prone anyway, and Tyler Zeller looks like a rotational big guy at best. Tristan Thompson has shown good development, but the Cavs need to pair him with a guy who can protect the rim, and Noel does that extremely well. He’s had lots of time to rehab his torn ACL, and likely won’t miss too much of the start of the season. With Noel and TT, the Cavs now have built a strong frontcourt to match their backcourt. Having a great inside defender makes bad perimeter defenders (Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving) look alot better. All they need now is a real starting small forward (sorry Alonzo Gee) and bench depth before a playoff run becomes a possibility.

2. Orlando Magic- Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

The Magic already have Nikola Vucevic, rebounding machine, so not getting Noel isn’t a huge blow for them. But what they could really use is a replacement for Jameer Nelson, who has not aged gracefully. Pairing the dynamic Burke with Arron Afflalo, Tobias Harris, Andrew Nicholson, and Vucevic makes for a very interesting, very young, and very potential laden crop of players. The Magic could be the next Houston Rockets.

3. Washington Wizards- Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown

Trevor Ariza has just one year left on his deal, and he hasn’t exactly lived up to his $7 million a year price tag. With the pairing of John Wall and Brad Beal, the Wizards have the luxury of not needing a scorer with this pick. So they get a guy who can do it all. Porter rebounds, plays great defense, is a good passer and better teammate, and will make a great 3rd option for Washington.

4. Charlotte Bobnets- Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas

This is a definite MJ pick, as McLemore has boat loads of potential as a star in this league. Gerald Henderson is likely gone, and Ben Gordon and Ramon Sessions will be on the final year of their deals in 2013-14, so a once crowded backcourt will be very thin very soon. Ben is the best player on the board and fills a need, as the only person currently capable of scoring on the Bobnets is Kemba Walker, so he’s an easy selection here. Also, I chose Bobnets instead of Horncats because Bobnets sounds dumber and Charlotte is pretty dumb sooo yeahhh.

5. Phoenix Suns- Alex Len, C, Maryland

Marcin Gortat is entering the final year of his contract and his little incentive to resign with the awful Suns and Luis Scola is really old, so look for the Suns to grab some size early on. Len certainly has that! The 7’1”, 255 pound Ukranian left Maryland after his freshman year. He is physically imposing in the post and has an impressive faceup game, but he needs to develop actual post moves and learn how to play some defense.

6. New Orleans Pelicans- Anthony Bennett, F, UNLV

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pelicans (it feels weird typing that out still) try and trade Eric Gordon and snatch Victor Oladipo with this pick, but for now, we’re going to pair up Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson with the versatile freshman from UNLV. Bennett is a good athlete and can stretch the floor, and because of this, scouts are hoping he can play the 3 and the 4. His size is very similar to that of Paul Millsap (6’7”, 240 pounds, just one inch and ten pounds ligher), and his wingspan of 7’1” and college numbers (11 boards per 36 minutes, 38% from 3, 70% FT) provide promise that he can do so.

7. Sacramento Kings- Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana

The Kings are in the unique situation of having a depth of talented players at nearly every position, but they still need help at every position. So, they take the top player on the board, the tenacious Oladipo, who, contrary to every other player on the Kings, actually plays defense. And with Tyreke Evans likely out the door, someone is going to have to step up and be the face of the franchise to go along with big Boogie Cousins. Victor could be that player. He’d instantly be the new fan favorite because of his relentless style of player and outstanding athleticism.

8. Detroit Pistons- Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse

Brandon Knight’s production slipped in his second year, and he’s more of a combo guard anyway, and since Detroit is losing Jose Calderon and possibly Will Bynum, they really need a point guard. Carter-Williams won’t take shots away from Knight, Stuckey, and Monroe, as he’s a distributor- and a very good one at that. He had an exceptionally high assist percentage of 40% his sophomore year, double that of Knight’s this year, and it would have put him in the top 5 in the NBA this year, just ahead of Calderon. C-W is also a very good athlete, and his size (6’6”!!) makes him a potential matchup nightmare for other point guards.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves- C.J. McCollum, SG, Lehigh

Minnesota has a lot of nice pieces, but lacks an absolute pure scorer. McCollum has been one of the best in the NCAA all 4 years of his career at the Patriot league school Lehigh. He led the Mountain Hawks with 30 points over Duke in the first round of the 2012 Tournament as just a 15-seed before an injury cut his senior season short after just 12 games. Two concerns with him are his height (6’3.25”), as he isn’t a point guard at the next level, and whether or not the scoring will translate, like it did for Damian Lillard. Also look for Shabazz Muhammad or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope here.

10. Portland Trailblazers- Rudy Gobert, C, France

Portland needs depth and they need it badly. J.J. Hickson is a free agent this summer, so unless if they plan on playing Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland 30+ minutes a night, they need to draft a big man here. The Frenchman Gobert is freakishly big, sporting a 7’9” wingspan to go along with his already big 7’2” frame. He needs to get stronger, but he has the potential to be an elite interior defender, which is something Portland desperately needs.

11. Philadelphia 76ers- Cody Zeller, C/PF, Indiana

Any chance that Philly resigns Andrew Bynum? Probably not. Replacing a guy who never played makes for an easy situation for the middle Zeller, as any production he gives the Sixers is an improvement. Cody’s stock is back up on the rise after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season, due to his excellent combine numbers. He proved he was a legit 7 footer and wowed the scouts athletically with his vert, agility times, and body fat. I just hope for Cody’s sake that he isn’t a bowler.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto)- Steven Adams, C, Pitt

Adams was likely the winner of the combine, after showing off tremendous size, agility, and athleticism, while also shooting the ball better than previously expected. He has the ability to be a great interior defender in the league. OKC should amnesty Kendrick Perkins this offseason, although I’ve heard from Royce Young of the Daily Thunder that that isn’t going to happen. I’m still slotting Adams to OKC anyway, maybe just to make Davis happy, but also because I think he fills an important need for the Thunder.

13. Dallas Mavericks- Gorgui Dieng, PF/C, Louisville

I’m completely convinced that Dieng is going to be a great NBA big man. He’s 6’11” in shoes, has a wingspan of nearly 7’4” (so he’s a legit center) and was the defensive anchor for the best defensive team in college basketball the last two years. Even if Dallas resigns Chris Kaman and Elton Brand, their frontcourt is ancient, and could really use a young, dynamic big guy. Dieng makes life a lot easier for Dirk, too.

14. Utah Jazz- Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany

Schroder is shooting up draft boards as a lightning bolt point guard from Germany. He has an impressive wingspan (6’7” for a 6’2” point guard), his hands are comparable to Rajon Rondo’s freaky, alien hands (Rondo- 9.5” long, 10 wide, Schroeder 8.75” long, 10.5” wide), and he has also apparently received a first round promise from a team. I think it very well could be the Jazz. Mo Williams and Earl Watson are the only point guards the Jazz have, and both are free agents. Schroeder would potentially have a few toys to play with in Utah with the bevy of big men.

About Dan Cutter

Full-time University of Nebraska-Omaha student, hotel front desk worker, speech and music nerd, overall swell guy. Add me on facebook or follow me on twitter @KidCutskey

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Google+
|
• More Posts (16)

The post Mocking the Lottery: 2013 NBA Draft appeared first on Sports Wunderkind.

In case if you’ve been living under a rock the past few weeks (and trust me, as a college student, I accept this as an actual possibility), the NBA regular season is over and the playoffs have begun. Only a few teams remain, which leaves most fans sitting at home, pining over what could have been, watching players that they could have had, do amazing things on one of the biggest stages in America.

While that may sound depressing, there’s always the NBA Draft!! For teams like the Wizards, Bobcats, and my beloved Cavaliers, it is our highlight of the year. From the moment of jubilant hope as a teenager walks across a stage to shake David Stern’s hand and is proclaimed the next savior of a franchise as the number one overall pick to the 60th overall, who likely will do nothing in the league, the draft is a time of hope. Even if you think the picks your team made are bad decisions (my reactions to Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters the last two years say hello), there is no definitive proof that they won’t pan out. As evidenced by Dion’s steady improvements in his solid rookie season and probably like my fourth TT reference throughout my columns already, you can never be sure of what happens.

So now that we they have a full season under their belt, and time for reflection, it’s time to make a more refined analysis on the 2012 NBA Draft.

2012 NBA Draft: Revisited

1. New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis, PF/C, Kentucky

Davis performed up to large expectations, despite the hairy circumstance he found himself in New Orleans. They have a star on their team who doesn’t want to be there (Eric Gordon), the lesser of the Lopez twins (Robin), two high potential guys who probably will always be known as that (Al-Farouq Aminu and Xavier Henry) and not to mention, Austin Rivers (shudders). But let’s not pluck apart all the negatives of the Hornets, here are some of Anthony’s awesome statistics from this year that will furrow your brow in astonishment. Per 36 Minutes, Davis averaged 16 and 10, while shooting an impressive 75% from the free throw line (for a big man!) and 52% from the field. He created 3 stocks a game (blocks + steals [just stole this from Simmons’ 3 part of his trade value column]), had a crazy rookie high 21.7 PER, and, despite playing in only 64 games (and N.O. only won 27), Davis still had 6.1 win shares. The only thing keeping this from an A+ is that he did play in just 64 games, which isn’t terrible, but a thin, young big man catching the injury bug is still slightly scary. But watch out. When he develops his jump shot and puts on a bit more weight, hello KG 2.0. It is always easier to find a perimeter scorer than a big man who can impact the game on offense and defense, making Davis an easy selection for number 1…again.

Grade: A

2. Charlotte Bobcats- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky

I was in absolute love with MKG leading up to the draft, and was furious when Charlotte took him before he fell to Cleveland. He didn’t have a statistically impressive rookie year, but that’s not the kind of player Michael is. He is a sefless, fearless, never ending motor guy that plays great team basketball, is good in transition, and has a terrible jump shot. It’s like, really bad. All this being said, evaluating a player like MKG (a “winner”) is difficult to do when, you know, he’s on the BOBCATS. His grade will be incomplete until he gets a chance to be the 3rd best or 2B player on a 50 win team. That is when we will see how talented he is. Kidd-Gilchrist has the potential to end up being the Pippen to someone’s Jordan, but that won’t happen when your Jordan is Byron Mullens. One statistic does matter when referencing MKG- Win Shares. He finished 4th in WS on Charlotte with 2.1, behind Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, and Ramon Sessions. Maybe there is some guard-bias there, but when you’re the fourth most important player on the Charlotte Bobcats, I just can’t justify giving an A or B.

Grade: C+

3. Washington Wizards- Bradley Beal, SG, Florida

After getting off to a sloth paced start (19.3% from 3 the first 25 games of the year), the 19 year old rookie from Florida took off in January and never looked back. Once the calendar flipped over to 2013, Beal shot a blistering 49% from downtown, living up to the “next Ray Allen” comps he often received prior to the draft. So which is the real deal Beal? He won’t shoot as crazy well as he did the second half of the year, but I fully expect him to average 40%+ his entire career. Pre-draft, his shooting stroke was being compared to Ray Allen and was rumored to be the center of deal from James Harden; this kid has a high ceiling. The first few months were just Bradley getting used to the lightning fast speed of the NBA, a difficult adjustment to make, especially with Jan Vesely’s girlfriend hanging around the Wizards locker room all the time, picking on everyone shorter than her (which would be half of Washington’s roster, probably). Once John Wall came back from injury however, Beals came improved dramatically and it would appear that the Wizards have a dynamic backcourt for the next several years. Beal isn’t a good defender, and he needs to refine the rest of his offensive game, but he is still a perfect fit to play next to the dynamically quick John Wall for years to come. If they can assemble a solid supporting cast of rebounders and more shooters, the Wizards could become a *gulp* contender.

Grade: A-

Cleveland Cavaliers- Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse

As it got closer and closer to the draft, it became more obvious that Dion would be the Cavaliers selection. For the second straight year Cleveland took a widely regarded mid-lottery selection with the fourth pick after the player’s stock rose in the final few days leading up to the draft. Dion has been a fascinating case study; from his beef with Boeheim at the ‘Cuse, to becoming the stud off the bench his sophomore season, to his up-and-down rookie year, the one thing we do know about Waiters is that we don’t really know much about him. He definitely had his moments of brilliance (33 points in 29 minutes on 18 shots vs the Kings Jan. 14th, 26 points in 31 minutes on 17 shots vs the Heat Feb. 24th, 28 points in 32 minutes on 17 shots vs the Clippers Nov. 5th). But for every great performance, there was a 3 for 14 night, with Dion driving with his head down and shooting deep range fadeaway two-pointers. This can be attributed to a rookie simply learning, but some player’s never change their style. I think Waiters turns into one of our fearless leader Davis’s favorite types of players in the world, a gunner. J.R. Smith, Monta Ellis, Jason Terry, Jordan Crawford, etc., except while most of those players make their money off of making absurd jumpers, I think Dion is a different breed of gunner. My best-case scenario for him leading up to last year’s draft was a poor man’s Dwyane Wade, but I think that’s incorrect- he’s a gunner version of Dwyane Wade. With roughly the same size, athleticism, and style of play, Dion will just do what Wade does, only less consistently and with less efficiently. Something that should give the Cavs fans hope is that Waiters has been hard at work at the offseason and is in the proverbial ‘best shape of his life’ and has been working on his jumper.

Grade: B-

5. Sacramento Kings- Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

Robinson hasn’t had the opportunity to show much for the Kings yet, as Boogie Cousins and Jason Thom- WHAT?!?! THE KINGS TRADED THE 5TH OVERALL PICK IN THIS YEAR’S DRAFT FOR A ROTATIONAL BIG MAN?!?! THAT’S WHAT THEY HAD IN ROBINSON, AND THAT WAS HIS WORST CASE SCENARIO!!! My head hurts from the screaming and from trying to telepathically murder Geoff Petrie. Does anyone know him? Has his brain exploded yet?? I’ll keep trying.

Grade: F-
Grade for Houston stealing a valuable asset even though he doesn’t fit their offense and hasn’t been terribly productive his rookie year: A+

6. Portland TrailBlazers- Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State

Damian seems like a perfect fit for a terribly tortured yet die-hard franchise. Not only he is exceptionally talented, he’s a relentless worker, and most importantly to Portland fans, he’s durable. Lillard did something no rookie has since Elvin Hayes did it in 1970; he led the league in minutes. What’s even more remarkable is that Lillard performed at such a high level for a sustained period of time while transitioning from playing in the Big Sky conference, against foes such as the Idaho State Bengals (alma mater of Jared Allen!!) and the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Anytime your Per 36 Minutes numbers are worse than your actual numbers, you’re doing something right. Damian averaged 19 points and 6.5 assists, which is great, but something to keep an eye on are his shooting percentages. If he wants to be a franchise caliber star point guard, he’s going to have to be more efficient than the True Shooting Percentage of 54% and Effective Field Goal of 50%. Both are below average for a player of his caliber. Not to take anything away from the well-deserved Rookie of the Year, but just something to make a note on and will hopefully improve.

Grade: A+

7. Golden State Warriors- Harrison Barnes, SG/F, North Carolina

This pick is the epitome of why I chose to do this column. When this pick was first announced, I hated it. Golden State was drafting an overvalued underachiever who could only score, and yet, didn’t have the ability to take a game over, and the Warriors already had two excellent scorers. But now, with the help of a little hindsight, I love the pick. Despite having many of the tools, Barnes just simply will never be the number one option for a team; he doesn’t have that sort of mindset. But when he is the third or fourth option on offense, a guy you don’t expect a ton out of and then you blink and he has 20 points? That’s Harrison Barnes. I think a lot of that is attributed to the way high school athletes are raised (we’ll get to that in a later column for the draft), but it’s great to see Harrison finding his fit. As a part of a fast moving machine in California, playing in front of a freaking crazy crowd, and playing high energy minutes as the 3rd or 4th most important player on the court at any time. Perhaps the most important thing he gives them is a non ball dominant player that they can put into the paint at the 4 if they chose to go away from David Lee (which they absolutely should).

Grade: B+

8. Toronto Raptors- Terrence Ross, SG, Washington

Apologies to Mr. Ross, but if he hadn’t of won the Slam Dunk Title at the All-Star break this year, I would have forgotten he existed. Terrence averaged just 17 minutes a night, scored in double digits only 22 times (despite playing in 73 games), and hit the 20 point mark once. This isn’t entirely Ross’s fault, he does play for Toronto, which already has Demar Derozan, Rudy Gay, and Landry Fields playing at the wing (Colangelo incompetence). When he has played, his production (or lack thereof) has justified his lack of playing time; he shot just 40% from the field and 33% from 3, with a True Shooting Percent under 50% (warning flag low!!) and a PER of 10. It’s unwise to write off a player after just one season, but Ross’s career highlight was likely winning that Dunk Championship. If the Raptors felt confident in his development, do they still trade for Gay? I think not…but then again, it’s the Raptors.

Grade: D

9. Detroit Pistons- Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

I was among the many skeptics of Andre Drummond after he left following his freshman year of college. But drafted at 9th overall to Detroit, where he could hide his offensive ineptitude next to rising stud Greg Monroe? Loved it. If he had been drafted 5 or 6 spots higher, there would have been greater pressure on him to perform and in more minutes, so it’s tough to know if his production would have been the same.The consensus about Andre was that he would play sparingly and be a project player, who the Pistons could hopefully morph into the next great NBA center. No one expected for him to pop off 22 points and 8 rebounds in just 20 minutes in the 6th game of his career at the Oklahoma City Thunder. His Per 36 Minutes numbers do not reflect that of a “project player”, but a franchise anchor (14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals). He is also a rare case in that his True Shooting Percentage (58%) is lower than his Effective Field Goal Percentage (61%). The reason being is that TS% accounts for Drummond’s greatest weakness- free throws. He has to get better. There is no excuse for shooting 37% from the charity stripe for any professional basketball player. I’m positive that this guy is a better foul shooter than Drummond right now.

If Andre truly wants to become the franchise center he has the potential to be, he needs to be shooting at least 50% (we aren’t asking for much, man!!!) otherwise teams will just resort to fouling him every time he touches the ball. If Drummond can just knock that number up 20 points, Detroit will have a formidable frontcourt for years to come.

Grade: A

10. New Orleans Hornets- Austin Rivers, G, Duke

Where to begin on Austin Rivers? Objectively, I strongly dislike him. His entire career I’ve viewed him as cocky and arrogant, and I didn’t buy the whole “he was just a misunderstood kid who matured at Duke and his dad has set him straight” that led up to the draft. His teammates at Duke appear to be better off without him, too. Then there are the numbers the awful, awful, “how the hell was this guy drafted in the lottery” numbers. He shot 37% from the field and 32% from 3, a stunning 55% from the free throw line (!!!), for totals of 6 points, two assists, and barely two rebounds in 23 pathetic minutes a night. He had negative 1.1 win shares this season. The Hornets would have quite literally benefited from not having Rivers on their team. Out of all the players on New Orleans who received significant minutes, Austin had the lowest offensive rating and the highest defensive rating. That means his team was at its weakest both offensively and defensively when he was on the court. Oh, and just for fun. He had a PER of 5.9. Rare to see one that low for a guy who averaged 20+ minutes in 60ish games. I’m not trying to be harsh, or mean, I just think the guy has been protected his entire life by his high school superstar status and his dad (Doc). Austin, you’ve got talent. You could find a niche in this league. But if you continue on the path you are on, you’ll be out of the NBA in a few short years. I don’t believe in giving F’s until they have actually completely failed, and Rivers could theoretically turn it around. Good luck, man.

Grade: D—

11. Portland TrailBlazers- Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois

Meyers is an intriguing guy. After a pretty good sophomore year at Illinois, he declared for the draft, and the Blazers saw something they liked in him. Leonard is a good athlete for his size (7’1”, 245 lbs), and has shown a decent offensive game. He shot 59% this year from the field this year, and NBA.com’s advanced stats page shows that he was 20-45 from midrange for a promising 44%. Meyers played in most games this year, at about 18 minutes a game, and came up with only a 12.5 PER. So despite his efficiency shooting, he struggled in many other aspects of his game. I think his ceiling is pretty accurately described by his Per 36 Minutes statline, a respectable 11 points and 8 rebounds a game. Nothing spectacular, but solid production. He’ll be able to make some splash plays, but unless he learns how to play great defense or develops actual post moves, Leonard is likely a 3rd or 4th rotational big man for his career, a la Nazr Mohammed. Which isn’t a terrible thing! It just isn’t what you want from a lottery pick.

Grade: C

12. Houston Rockets(traded to Oklahoma City Thunder in James Harden deal)- Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut

For whatever reason, Scott Brooks has decided to give almost no playing time to the 20 year old rookie from UConn. He player just 147 minutes across 23 games, so any statistics collected on him have nowhere near enough data to provide us an accurate portrayal of what Lamb might do in the NBA. However, in 21 games in the D-League, Jeremy looked pretty good. He averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assits, on 49/35/88 splits, and a highly efficient 23.5 PER. Obviously those numbers won’t immediately translate, they are promising. If the Thunder let Martin go, Lamb could end up playing 30 minutes a game and assuming Harden’s previous role.

Grade: Incomplete

13. Phoenix Suns- Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

So, the Suns lets Goran Dragic go, only to trade for him again, and then they drafted another point guard? Ok… makes sense that Lance Blanks was fired. His interesting decisions are definitely worth a “KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!” Outside of the fact that the Suns drafted a guy who can only play point guard to back up their best player when they have tons of other glaring needs, nearly every fear teams had about Marshall came true. He can’t score (37% from field, 7.8 PER), he can’t defend, and he’s stuck playing only point guard. Kendall was drafted for his passing ability, which was his one positive. He posted a 29% assist percentage despite a poor supporting cast, which put him just out of the top 20 in the entire league. If Marshall can up his shooting percentage to not terrible, and figure out ways to defend, he could still be a serviceable point guard in the NBA… or he’ll be Johnny Flynn.

Grade: C-

14. Milwaukee Bucks- John Henson, PF, North Carolina

Lost in LARRY SANDERS!!! mania was the solid play of the 2012 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Henson. He only shot 48% from the field, which isn’t very good for a big man, but his offense is still very raw. His Per 36 Minutes numbers are still very impressive! 17 points, 13 rebounds (5 offensive!!) and 2 blocks would make any team squeal in delight. The question is if John can sustain these numbers over longer stretches of time, as he only averaged 13 minutes in the 63 games he played in this year. When SANDERS! got hurt towards the end of the year, Henson got inserted into the starting lineup and played REALLY well. If he builds on this next year, the Bucks will have an incredibly intimidating (yet skinny) frontcourt.

Grade: B+

Non-Lottery Picks

15. Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Orlando in Bynum deal)- Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s

Harkless probably could have benefited from an extra year in school, but came on later in the year to play pretty well for the Magic. He’s shown potential as a long, athletic defender at the 3-spot, and most importantly, someone who plays well with Vucevic and Tobias Harris. Think Trevor Ariza from the Lakers years.

Grade: B

16. Houston Rockets- Royce White, PF, Iowa State

Such a compelling and intriguing character and story behind Royce White. But what’s not fun is that he has yet to play a single game in his NBA career, and likely never will for the Rockets. It’s not fair to call this one a failure, as it isn’t really the Rockets fault, and you can’t say that White played poorly- he just never played.

Grade: Incomplete

17. Cleveland Cavaliers- Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

Tyler made 2nd Team All-NBA Rookie mainly because of all the minutes he played, averaging 26 in 77 games (and 55 starts) for Cleveland. He’s shown some signs of promise, but a PER of 11 and shooting percentages of 43% really drag them down.

Grade: C-

18. Houston Rockets- Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

Jones played in just 19 games for Houston this year, but looked great for their D-League Affiliate, averaging 19 points, 9 boards, and posting a PER of 24.1. Can he do the same thing against athletes of his caliber? Time will tell, as the Rockets have little plan for their forward slots outside of Thomas Robinson.

Grade: Incomplete

19. Orlando Magic- Andrew Nicholson, PF/C, St. Bonaventure

The four year starter from St. Bonaventure (which is in New York if you didn’t know) looked pretty good when given the opportunity for some minutes. He shot 53% from the field and 78% from the free throw line, had a PER of 15, and his Per 36 Minutes numbers show a 17 points per game average. However, his rebounding percentage (11%) is not what you want from a big.

Grade: B

20. Denver Nuggets- Evan Fournier, SG, France

Fourier was the first foreign prospect off the board this year, and didn’t play much for a very deep Denver team. Then the end of the year happened, where George Karl recognized how his shooting (49/41/77 splits) and play in transition fit perfectly with the Nuggets’ style of play, and he actually started a playoff game. Fournier looks like a late-round steal for Denver, as a great shooting two guard with slashing ability. Similar to Rip Hamilton in the glory days of the mid 2000’s Pistons.

Grade: A

21. Boston Celtics- Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

I loved this pick, solely based on the image of thousands of drunk Boston fans yelling “SULLLLYYYYYYYYYYY” in their accents. Jared also had a solid rookie campaign, per 36 minutes he averaged 11 points and 11 boards on 49% shooting. Due to the famed back troubles, he did play in only 45 games. If he’s able to stay injury-free, he should be a productive rotational power forward in the league for years to come, and will most likely end up starting for Kevin Garnett once the big guy leaves forever.

Grade: B-

22. Boston Celtics- Fab Melo, C, Syracuse

Fabricio Paulino de Melo played in just 6 games for Boston this season (I spelled out his full name to add some length to his little bio here, also hence my explanation). In 26 minutes a night across 33 D-League games, Fab averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds, and an impressive 3 blocks. With Boston’s aging frontcourt it is likely he could see more playing time next year, which should be frightening for Celtics fans.

Grade: Incomplete

23. Atlanta Hawks- John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt

Jenkins was drafted because of his elite 3 point shooting in college (44% in his career at Vanderbilt), and while he didn’t light it up the NBA like he did the SEC, he shot a respectable 38%. If John wants to stick around in the league, however, he needs to become the elite shooter Atlanta drafted him to be…so basically Kyle Korver. (Some NBA GM’s are just clueless, yeah?)

Grade: C

24. Dallas Mavericks- Jared Cunningham, SG, Oregon State

Jared is an interesting combo guard who played in just 8 games for Dallas, and only 15 for their D-League Affiliate, where he only shot 33% from the field. He’s more of a defender, but Cunningham’s offensive shortcomings will likely have him as a career D-Leaguer/Overseas guy.

Grade: D

25. Memphis Grizzlies- Tony Wroten, PG/SG, Washington

When Memphis drafted Tony Wroten, they knew he wouldn’t be an offensive firecracker, and his 38% mark supports that. But the reason the Griz drafted him is because they’re hoping to groom him into the next Tony Allen. If it pans out, it’s brilliant. That would require playing him, something Lionel Hollins has not been willing to do, much to Zach Harper of CBS Sports’ chagrin.

Grade: B

26. Indiana Pacers- Miles Plumlee, PF/C, Duke

This pick surprised most people (and enraged Pacers fans), as most people had a 2nd round grade on Miles at best. He played 55 minutes for Indiana and 457 for their D-League Affiliate across 15 games, where he averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds. At best, he’s the next Jeff Foster. If you know who Foster is then you understand, and if you don’t, well, then, exactly.

Grade: D

27. Philadelphia 76ers- Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi State

Some mocks had the Mississippi State big man rising into the lottery, but he barely made it into the first round. Moultrie still looked pretty good in the 12 minutes he averaged over 47 games for the Sixers, averaging a 12 and 10 per 36 minutes, as well as a promising 16.7 PER. Arnett deserves more playing time next year to see if there might be something to him and a coach who isn’t the insane Doug Collins might actually play him.

Grade: B-

28. Oklahoma City Thunder- Perry Jones III, F, Baylor

This pick made a ton of sense for the Thunder, as Jones has a ton of potential. He also has an identity crisis, as Perry thinks he’s a small forward/Kevin Durant type when he’s really a rotational high-energy power forward. Think Anthony Randolph on the Nuggets. Hard to believe this guy was once in consideration as a number one overall pick.

Grade: C+

29. Chicago Bulls- Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

He still has a lot to learn, and needs to become more efficient shooting the ball, but Marquis Teague showed lots of promise as a high-energy, great leadership backup point guard for Chicago this year, which is exactly what he will be with Nate Rob gone.  Could one day become a thinner Jarrett Jack type.

Grade: B-

30. Golden State Warriors- Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt

Festus not only has one of the coolest names the NBAs ever seen, he also had a productive rookie season despite being the 30th overall selection. He play 15 minutes a night for the Warriors (even starting 41 games when Bogut was out) where he played good, hard defense, threw his body around, and grabbed rebounds. Not much to his offensive game (only 6 points per 36 minutes) but that’s not what Golden State needs from him. Ezeli will be a solid spot-starter/rotational big man in the NBA for years. He already knows and has bought into his career role, which is one of the most important things for these last-pick players.

Notable 2nd Rounders-

Most of the 2nd round picks barely saw the court, which isn’t completely out of the ordinary, but for only 3 of the 30 to make any sort of impact is rare. The following three players are the 2 round picks who appear to have decent NBA careers ahead of them.

34th, Dallas, Jae Crowder- High energy and good defense from another Marquette Golden Eagle in the NBA.
35th, Golden State- Draymond Green- He likely won’t sustain his magical shooting transformation that we saw in the playoffs, but expect a long NBA career for the hard-nosed Green.
49th, Magic, Kyle O’Quinn- Another big man from a small-ball college, looked efficient on the offensive end and has good per 36 minutes numbers.

About Dan Cutter

Full-time University of Nebraska-Omaha student, hotel front desk worker, speech and music nerd, overall swell guy. Add me on facebook or follow me on twitter @KidCutskey

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Google+
|
• More Posts (16)

The post Revisting the 2012 NBA Draft appeared first on Sports Wunderkind.

About Davis Mattek

20 Year old student of English at Kansas State University. Writer for Sports Wunderkind, The Fake Football and Hockey, and various other media outlets. Fan of the Cowboys, Thunder, Avalanche and Royals

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Facebook
|
• Google+
|
• More Posts (146)

The post Call For Sports Wunderkind Mailbag Questions! appeared first on Sports Wunderkind.

The tournament field has been trimmed from 68 to 16, and we’ve already seen quite a few prominent teams with NBA talent eliminated. Players such as Otto Porter of Georgetown, Anthony Bennett of UNLV, Shabazz Muhammad of UCLA, and Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State are considered elite prospects in June’s  NBA Draft, but they are now watching the tournament from their dorm room couches. The remaining 16 teams may still have a shot at the title, but most seem to lack that one guy who is capable of going off for 40 in any game, like some of the above players. However, these teams are still chalk-full of NBA talent. I’ve selected one player from each team and ranked them from 1-16 so you can keep an eye on specific players and see if they’d be a good fit for your favorite NBA team. And also, you probably need something to do, considering the fact that your bracket has probably already been busted. It’s March Madness, baby!!!

Is Ben McLemore KU’s top NBA prospect?

16. Cleanthony Early, Forward, Wichita State

At the bottom of our list is Early a 6’8”, 215 lbs junior forward for the Shockers, who averages 13.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. A true shooting % of .564 shows his efficiency, as well as his 25.6 PER in his first year out of community college (keep in mind college PER’s are significantly higher than the NBA’s). Early won’t be coming out… early… and likely won’t be drafted after his senior year. However, his size and leadership for Wichita State (16 points in the Gonzaga upset, 21 against Pitt) will probably land him in the D-League and give him a shot at making the league someday.

15. Vander Blue, Guard, Marquette
Blue, a junior, has been the absolute definition of clutch for the Golden Eagles. He scored 16 points, including the game winning layup with 1 second left against Davidson before lighting Butler up for 29 with a barrage of huge 3’s at the end of the game. His regular season numbers are also impressive at 14.8 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists, but his mark of 2.2 turnovers per game is a red flag for a 6’4” guard. However, Marquette seems to produce solid players in the NBA who find roles somewhere, like Jimmy Butler, Wesley Matthews, Jae Crowder, Steve Novak, and… forgetting someone… oh yeah, Dwayne Wade. Blue has a chance to be drafted after his senior season late in the second round, and could have a role on a contender as a high-energy bench guard.

14. Damyean Dotson, Guard, Oregon
While I love me some Arsalan Kazemi, the senior forward is only 6’7” and doesn’t have the athleticism or potential that Dotson does. Damyean is a 6’5” shooting guard who is long and rangy, and whose shot has developed well in as the season has gone by. In 7 games in March (2 regular season, 3 conference tournament, 2 NCAA tournament) Dotson has shot a lights-out .457% from 3. His game against St. Louis was particuarly impressive, going 5-6 from deep and scoring 23 points, leading the Ducks to an upset over the 4 seed Billikens. Dotson is only a freshman and has room to develop, so he could actually end up being better than a lot of players on this list.

13. Ramon Galloway, Guard, La Salle
Galloway is a 6’3” senior guard who transferred after two years at South Carolina to play in his hometown of Philadelphia at La Salle. As a upperclassmen he’s averaged 12.6 points on .438% shooting from the field and impressively .426% from behind the 3-point arc. He’s been clutch in the tournament, with games of 21, 19, and 24 against Boise St, Kansas St, and Ole Miss. Galloway may be undersized but will get a look from teams, possibly in the second round, due to his elite shooting from deep. He reminds me of Andrew Goudelock from the College of Charleston, who is of similar size and shooting numbers, who has played sparingly with the Lakers in two years and is currently in the D-League.

12. Patric Young, Center/Forward, Florida
Patric Young is the junior starting center for the Gators, and stands at a solid 6’9” 250 lbs. A highly recruited, 5 star player out of high school, he hasn’t quite lived up to his hype, but has still had a productive career at Florida with room to grow. The past two years he’s been good for 10 points, 6 boards, and strong defense game in and game out. His production isn’t that far behind former Gator big-man Joakim Noah. Young would actually  have almost the same numbers as Noah if his free throw percentage didn’t flirt with the .500 mark. Young is still raw, athletic, and teeming with potential. If he were to leave this year, a late 1st round team would take a long look at him, while he would be more likely to go 2nd round.

Patric Young is a productive young player for Florida and has lottery level talent.

11. Shane Larkin, Point Guard, Miami (Fl)
Larkin leads the Hurricanes in points and assists per game in their best basketball season in recent memory. The junior point guard may only stand 5’11”, but he shoots a staggering .486% from the field and .406% from beyond the arc. Larkin had a huge ACC tournament, scoring 20, 23, and 28 points while also only sitting for four minutes combined all 3 games. Shane never came out of the championship game against North Carolina. His leadership, resilience, and shooting ability will makeup for his short stature, but not enough to make him a guaranteed NBA starter. He does however have the potential to be a first round pick and to have a productive career for years to come.

10. Nick Johnson, Guard, Arizona
Another very highly touted high school prospect, Johnson, a 6’3” sophomore has the potential to develop into an Eric Gordon type player, as an slightly undersized shooting guard who not only finds ways to score, but also rebounds and distributes well. Nick improved vastly from his freshman year, jumping from a .369 shooting % all the way to .450%. For all his talent, Johnson only had the 3rd most shot attempts for Arizona this year, a number that’ll increase with leading scorer Mark Lyons’s graduation. If he flourishes in the main role with the Wildcats, Johnson could potentially be a lottery pick.

9. Sherwood Brown, Guard, Florida Gulf Coast University
Admittedly, I may have a slight man-crush on the long-dreaded shooter from this year’s biggest surprise Cinderella, but I think he has a real shot at the NBA following his special senior year at FGCU. A career .384% shooter from 3, with his 6’4”, 200 lbs frame, has an NBA body and skillset. His 24 point, 9 rebound game against the mighty Hoyas of Georgetown came with Otto Porter, one of the best all-around players in the NCAA, guarding him. Brown doesn’t have the elite athleticism or shooting ability to likely be a starter in the NBA, but there’s something about Sherwood that makes him special.

8. Deshaun Thomas, Forward, Ohio State
The leading scorer of the Buckeyes is one of the nation’s top players, but has still not quite lived up to expectations this year. Thomas is averaging 19.7 points per game, but on a not very efficient 15.7 shots. His field goal % dropped from .520 down to .445, but some of that is due to the increased shot output. His 3 point % has stayed steady, and actually raised his free throw shooting by a whole 9 percentage points to 84%. While he hasn’t suffered a free-fall, his draft stock has slipped, and Thomas is generally seen as a mid first rounder at best, and a likely fringe 1st-2nd by many. Deshaun still could provide NBA teams value as a backup small forward with solid shooting abilities and good athleticism.

Deshaun Thomas needs to have a strong rest of the tournament to help his draft stock.

7. Gorgui Dieng, Center/Forward, Louisville
The junior starting center for the Cardinals is the junior Dieng from Senegal. Gorgui has almost averaged a double-double the last two years, and if you’re a fan of rounding up, then he accomplished that feat this year (10 points, 9.5 rebounds a game). Dieng is a solid 6’11”, but has a terrifying 7’6” wingspan (take a shot, everyone). Raw offensively, he’s generates most of his points in the pick-and-roll and by putbacks. Where he really has some NBA scouts interested is in his athletic ability, motor, and defensive potential, as Dieng has been the Cardinals anchor the last few years, playing on two very good defenses. But his biggest downside is that he is already 23 years old, so it’s unlikely he’ll make a big leap developmental wise. Gorgui is still however a solid first round talent that could go in the teens.

6. Michael Carter-Williams, Point Guard, Syracuse
Carter-Williams is one of the more interesting prospect left in the tournament should he chose to leave after his sophomore season. Standing at 6’5”, his height makes him an unusual fit as a point guard, but once you watch him play, that doubt is laid to rest. Michael has a great handle and is a natural distributor, as evidenced by his 7.6 assists per game. He’s gotten some comps to Kendall Marshall, but that’s not really fair, as Marshall looks like he runs in quicksand while C-W isn’t Ty Lawson, but he does have good speed and footwork. He disappears at times, and is only shooting an alarming 39% from the field, but if this kid figures it out, he’s a lock for the lottery.

5. Mason Plumlee, Forward/Center, Duke
The middle Plumlee just barely edged out Carter-Williams to be our first player in the top 5. Mason has exploded in a huge senior year, leading the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, and blocks, as well as being the emotional leader and the face for a team without any true stars, which is uncommon for Duke. Perhaps most impressive of the change in Plumlee’s game is his 15 percentage point jump in free throw shooting, from an abysmal 52% last year to a respectable 67% this year. That big change shows how dedicated he is to improving his craft and being the best basketball player he can be, which is something that the NBA scouts have taken notice of. Plumlee could very well go in the lottery for a team looking for a solid third big man, similar to a less athletic version of Derrick Favors. These are sorts of players that you look back on 10 years later and wonder why your favorite team passed on.

4. Jeff Withey, Center/Forward, Kansas
My inclusion of Jeff Withey in this article means that I’m leaving Ben McLemore out, despite the fact that he’s projected by most to go in the top 3. The reason for this is two fold; one, he’s played pretty awful in the tournament, and two, WITHEY HAS PLAYED AWESOME AND I LOVE HIM. He could very well be the next LARRY SANDERS! Yeah, JEFF WITHEY! looks pretty good. The fifth year senior was a complete unknown until he exploded in his junior year, jumping from 6 minutes to 25, and the production came with it. Jeff’s final year in Lawrence has produced an impressive 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and of course, 3.9 blocks per game. While Mason Plumlee may have more impressive numbers, I have Withey ranked higher mainly because of that last statistic. To delve further into it, Withey’s block percentage (number of shots taken while he’s on the court divided by number of blocks by Withey) is an incredible 13.7%. That is the same percent that the single man block-party known as Anthony Davis had at Kentucky last year. Jeff is also a legit 7 footer, and he’ll make some NBA team very happy for years to come with WITHEY! roaming the paint. Shot-blocking is an elite skill that translates at the NBA level, meaning Withey will end up a first round selection.

3. Trey Burke, Point Guard, Michigan
If Trey were a few inches taller (he’s listed at 6’0”), there’s a good chance he’d be at the top of my list. Burke is one of the four finalists for the Naismith Award, and rightfully so. He’s lead Michigan to it’s best season since the Fab Five days on 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals a game. My favorite part of his game is that from his freshman year to this year he upped his assist total (4.6 to 6.7) while dropping his turnovers (2.8 to 2.2), all while playing one less minute per game! That is truly impressive improvement. It shouldn’t even be a question as to if Burke is a lottery pick. I don’t want to throw a Chris Paul comparison out there, because that’s not fair to anyone, but his game certainly reminds me of CP3 at times. A much more likely scenario is Ty Lawson. If I’m an NBA GM picking in the top 10 and need a true point guard, I’d pounce on Trey Burke as soon as I can.

2. Gary Harris, Shooting Guard, Michigan St
Gary Harris is awesome. Simple as that. On a pretty experienced Spartan team, Harris is second in points as a freshman at 13.1 points a game and has a very impressive True Shooting Percentage for his age, at 60%. He’s been pretty consistent all year long, even scoring 18 points on 7-13 shooting in his second game of his career in a victory against Kansas. But Gary’s best game of the year came in the 3rd round against Memphis, where he scored a career high 23 points on just 9 shot attempts. He’s still developing on the defensive end, but he has the work ethic, quick feet, and strength to be a good defender in the NBA. If he leaves this year, Gary might not be a lottery pick, as scouts would like to see another year of him against the tough Big 10, but if he takes a step in the right direction, look for Harris to go in the top 5 of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Gary Harris is a legit NBA prospect.

1. Victor Oladipo, Guard/Forward, Indiana
Really, all you need to know about the Naismith Award favorite is the posted video. But seriously, Oladipo is the real deal. A 6’5” guard with length, and an incredibly high motor, Oladipo has been the source of consistency throughout the Hoosiers season. His lockdown defense and improved jumpshot has catapulted him into the discussion of the number one overall pick, along with Marcus Smart, McLemore, and Nerlens Noel. Let’s just rattle off some of Victor’s stats, here; 59% shooting from the field, 43% from 3, 67% true shooting, 7.7 win shares, 126.3 offensive rating and 86.7 defensive rating. Basically, he’s been unstoppable on both ends of the court this year for Indiana. While his offensive game likely won’t stay this boiling hot forever, and won’t translate perfectly to the NBA, in a draft class full of not very many sure things, Victor is the type of player who is almost bust-proof because of his defense. Worst case scenario is that he ends up a level headed version of Tony Allen, which any team would LOVE to have. I see quite a bit of Andre Iguodala in Oladipo. A long, productive NBA career awaits him after this season, likely his last as a Hoosier. Essentially, there is no Hasheem Thabeet in him. Since Creighton, my hometown team, was eliminated against Duke, and assuming that Florida Gulf Coast finally succumbs to being a 15-seed, I’m pulling for Mr. Oladipo to cut down the nets.

About Dan Cutter

Full-time University of Nebraska-Omaha student, hotel front desk worker, speech and music nerd, overall swell guy. Add me on facebook or follow me on twitter @KidCutskey

• Mail
|
• Web
|
• Twitter
|
• Google+
|
• More Posts (16)

The post Sweet 16 NBA Prospects: One Prospect Per Team appeared first on Sports Wunderkind.