5 Things: Draft Special

The NBA Draft is tonight and with a very weak draft class, there should be some very interesting moves made. Only hours away:

5) International Men of Mystery: Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas, Jan Vesely, and Donatas Motiejunas (Josh loves the Donatas). What do all these names have in common? They're all projected top 20 picks, European, and most likely busts. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Euros are soft except for the Dirk. Kanter has very limited game footage to evaluate and he's being drafted solely on potential and individual workouts (see Darko Milicic) which is usually not great. He's also sat out for a whole year while practicing with the Kentucky Wildcats. Valanciunas, Vesely, and Motiejunas are basically typical Euro-hyped prospects that are very tall and long and have a "good motor," whatever that means. One of these guys may actually be good, but there's been too many Nikoloz Tskitishvili's in the past to make me believe in these guys.  

4) Potential & Sleepers: Bismack Biyombo, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and the Morris Twins. What do these guys have most in common? They're probably the most hyped players in the draft that are continuing to soar up the draft boards. I love Klay Thompson's game a lot and he's got great blood lines. He's an excellent scorer and he really reminds me of Kevin Martin. I also like Kawhi Leonard because I think he does everything well, but nothing great. He's getting comparisons to Gerald Wallace and I think he'll need time to develop and contribute the way Wallace has in his career. Leonard is still very young and very raw. As for the Morris Twins and Biyombo, I don't really like them too much. Marcus Morris the better prospect is an undersized power forward that wants to be a small forward, he's pretty cocky and claims he has a better mid-range game than Carmelo. He also believes that he and his brother are better than the Lopez twins. Really? Markieff may end up being the better twin brother in the end, but he should have spent one more year in college. Bismack Biyombo is considered to be Ben Wallace 2.0. With him, it's a hit or miss. He will either be a beast or a bust. Serge Ibaka or Adonal Foyle (No offense buddy). He has no offensive game whatsoever, but he's "19" and may develop into a great player, and he is definitely the most intriguing player in this draft.

While the players mentioned above are getting all the shine, there are a couple of guys in this draft that I think are not getting enough love. The first one is Tristan Thompson, After playing only one season at Texas, I compare him to Marcus Morris and if he had played another 2 seasons at Texas, he could have been a much better prospect than Morris and a potential top 5 pick. He's still young so he'll need time to develop, but he is already an excellent offensive rebounder and a great weak side defender. The offensive game will come and he just needs to work on being more consistent. Marshon Brooks and Josh Selby are two players with stocks going in opposite directions. Brooks' is going up while Selby's has been declining since he graduated high school. However, I like both guys. Brooks is your poor man's Kemba or Jimmer in this draft and he will just fill it up. An amazing scorer and underrated rebounder (7 rpg). Selby was considered by some as the best freshman in the class of 2010. However his freshman season was cut in half due to receiving improper benefits and while he played for Kansas he never really seemed to fit or provide the impact that was expected of him. He's undersized as a shooting guard and his attitude is a question mark, but his potential is what could make him special.  Lastly, Justin Harper. He's a faceup power forward that played four years at Richmond so his game is pretty polished. He's good with his feet and has a solid shooting touch making him great for the pick and pop. Watching him in the tournamnet makes me believe that even though he'll be 22 by opening night, he can still develop a solid back-to-the-basket game and become a David West-type power forward in the league.

3) Kemba vs. Jimmer: The two were the darlings of the college season, one a national champion & player of the year, the other a legend all across the nation from the Great Salt Lake to the mecca of basketball. As their collegiate careers came to a close, the pandemonium surrounding the two did not stop. Jimmer was asked to stop attending classes while Kemba's championship run rocketed his stock into the top 10 of most mock draft boards. Kemba's game has not been as knit-picked as Jimmer, as he's drawing comparisons to Tim Hardaway and from me, Allen Iverson. He's quick with a killer crossover, a consistently improving jumper, and he posesses that "it." That killer instinct that only few players possess. The only criticism I have of him is that he'll be a score first point guard and he's a little undersized, but Cardiac Kemba will be just fine in the league.

The bigger question is Jimmer Fredette. One day he's projected to go as high as 7th to the Kings and the next day he drops to 17th to the Knicks. He's gotten comparisons to Adam Morrison, J.J. Reddick, Mark Price, any other great white scorer at the collegiate level, and even Eddie House. The one sure thing about Jimmer is that he will sell tickets especially if he becomes a Jazz (collegiate city) or Knick (hometown team). He's been criticized for his lack of size, his lack of defense, and his inability to play without the ball, but I see something special in this guy. I believe he will be to basketball what Tim Tebow is to football. It's hard to not cheer for Jimmer. He's a great guy and he's worked really hard to become the player that he is. He doesn't lack the confidence and is a strong competitor. The dude is straight chiseled, he can create his own shot, he can shoot the lights out, and given the right team he can definitely succeed. Ben Gordon is who he will be in this league, remember that folks.     

2)  Trades Galore: Every season during the draft, there are plenty of trades made. Veterans and superstars traded for high lottery picks, trades for cash, and trades for future draft picks five years later are all a part of the extravaganza. With a weak free agency, an inevitable lockout on its way, and an unknown CBA to be determined, there will be plenty of moves made before the NBA is officially closed with no business. Already rumored to go are veteran point guards like Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Baron Davis, and Raymond Felton. There has been a Pau Gasol for Kevin Love and the 2nd Pick proposed, Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith have been mentioned, and one of the craziest proposals I heard while watching ESPN's Around the Horn yesterday was Jeff Van Gundy suggesting LeBron James being traded for Dwight Howard. Teams are going to be desperate to make moves knowing there's exactly one week left to do it, so expect a lot of action tonight. There are so many crazy trades that may happen and some will definitely happen.   

 1) The Best Player in the Draft Will Be: Brandon Knight. Yup I said Brandon Knight. Why? In the words of my favorite commentator, Bill Raftery, the man has "Onions!" He is super clutch and besides that I love his size (6'3, 185, and long) and smarts on and off the court (4.0 student, Academic All-American). I've always loved his game and in his only season at Kentucky, he was able to lead his team one round further than John Wall did his Freshman season. His game is just like his hype in the draft, quiet. He's not flashy and he won't blow you away, but he will be consistent and he will be a very good developing point guard for many years in the league.  He can also play shooting guard and he reminds me of Jrue Holiday with more size and athleticism. Despite the knock on his ball-handling, I personally like him more than Kyrie Irving, and he's probably the most sure thing in this draft besides...

Chris Singleton. I think Chris Singleton is highly underrated and is the best overall defender in this draft. He is not going to be a great scorer and isn't very quick, but he is athletic, strong, and big (6'9, 225). He can shoot the rock and he is a very good rebounder especially on the offensive glass. His stock is decent, but probably would have been better if he had not broken his foot and missed 8 weeks of the season. His impact was felt however in the later rounds of the tournament when he returned. He most likely won't be a superstar in this league, but he will be a very good starting small forward for many years.

Other than these two guys, and Kyrie Irving, I believe that every player in this draft is a question mark and being an expert at evaluating prospects is impossible, but that's what makes the draft so great. Who knows, maybe when it's all said and done, Jimmer Fredette may be a superstar scorer and Bismack Biyombo becomes the greatest shot blocking, defensive forward the league has ever seen. You never know and that is why tonight's draft is worth watching.