Post by DERRENMATTS on Feb 6, 2005 4:40:58 GMT -5
Tired of skinny post players who get blown back whenever whistles are blown in their direction? Are you frustrated at Mark Blount, who is easily boxed out by anyone on the floor, including guards and players under 6 feet? Are you waiting for some real big men to take care of business in the paint and rebound the ball? Well, help is on the way, folks.
On the college scene are a handful of quality big men who have the size and the skills to play at the next level. And the amazing thing is--these players should be available between the mid to late first round, and even the second round. Though Ainge could possibly make trades to get his hands on high profiled college big men, such as Andrew Bogut, or Chris Taft, he could easily stay put where he is and still get himself a quality big man who can add depth to our roster.
Here's a list of some of the Big Men who should be picked somewhere between 15 - 30 in the draft (assuming they come out this year). I put them in the order I rank them:
1. Wayne Simien: Here's a guy with the total package. He's got good size (6'9", 250 lbs), excellent mobility, and a solid reach. He's got one of the best shooting touches among big men and an excellent turn around fadeaway, which he executes spinning either to his left or his right. He's a good scorer when plays are broken up. Similar to Big Al Jefferson in this regard, though not really at his level. Soft touch close to the basket and even got range extending to 18 - 20 feet. Not hesitant to pull the trigger on an elbow jumper and just as effective with his back to the basket. Really good footwork in the paint, and he's got quick feet to get him where he needs to be. Good explosiveness, which allows him to grab contested rebounds off the carom. He's quicker than most PF's at the college level, even if he's 250 lbs. He actually slimmed down from his 1st 2 years at Kansas, but I wouldn't mind seeing him bulk back up a bit to be able to absorb more blows in the NBA. Not really a shot blocker, but that doesn't mean he's not trying. He just doesn't have the timing down. I project him to be an adequate defender in the NBA and his offense will be where he's most effective. He'd be a terrific PF off the bench for us and his offense will make our second unit even stronger. Kansas has a shot at the title this year, but win or lose, I think Simien declares for the draft and says good bye to college.
2. Shelden Williams: He's similar to Wayne Simien, except not as quick and more of a banger in the paint. Simien is in the Jefferson mode, while Shelden is in the Perkins mode. Looks to power his way inside more than Simien does. Shelden has the body to be a PF in the NBA. Long reach, strong body, sound mobility, solid touch around the basket, and a banger's mentailty. Physically, he's got everything needed to be a successfull pro, though not enough to be a star. Not the scorer Wayne Simien is, but he is a slightly better rebounder (or more consistent rebounder) and a better shot blocker. Last season, and so far this season, he's been averaging 3+ bpg. He also would give us a solid PF/C presence off the bench, but his impact will be more on the boards and on blocking shots. Duke is not going to win the title this year, and they'll lose Shelden to the NBA this summer.
3. Sean May: May has good big man skills and I think he's a solid all around player--but he plays soft. He tries hard, but he's one of those players who prefers to avoid contact rather than drawing contact. He's got good size (6'9", 250 lbs) and he's just as quick as Simien. Soft touch around the basket. He puts the ball on the floor better than Simien and Shelden, and he looks to create his offense by facing the basket. When he receives the ball in the post, he's most likely going to bring the ball up and kiss it off the glass, rather than bump his way in and get close to the rim. If he was 25 lbs lighter and equiped with a better jumper, he would have been a SF. But his size makes him a PF. He's a versatile big man, and if Ainge elects to go after him, May will add a solid scoring PF off the bench. North Carolina could win it all this year, but even if they don't, I think Sean May makes the jump to the NBA. His game is almost at its peak at the college level.
4. Ike Diogu: Here's a warrior in the paint with a scorer's mentality. Too bad he's only 6'7" (and that's on a good day). If he had a few more inches, he'd be projected to go much higher. There's little chance of stopping Ike when he's determined to score. He can get his shot off any opponent--and if he misses, you better be sure to body up on him or else he's going to make the second attempt count. Powerful body, but not bulky. Good athleticism and he can take the beating and not even feel it. He doesn't say much on the floor. But just look at his face and his body language and you know he's there to score. It doens't even look like he cares who his teammates are. Just get him the ball and let him do his job. Very good rebounder for a 6'7" PF. And don't let his short stature fool you because he can block shots with his excellent leaping ability and timing. He's got nothing left to prove at ASU, so he's going to make the jump to the pros after this season ends. Teams are shying away from drafting short PF's, even if they have the talent to play. Because of this, Diogu's draft status will be affected, and he might even slip into the second round. I like Diogu because I think he can add a tremendous scoring, rebounding, and intimidating presence on our second unit. But it remains to be seen if Ainge likes short PF's, as he did give up on Brandon Hunter last summer.
**Prospects 5 - 8 to be posted on the next post.
On the college scene are a handful of quality big men who have the size and the skills to play at the next level. And the amazing thing is--these players should be available between the mid to late first round, and even the second round. Though Ainge could possibly make trades to get his hands on high profiled college big men, such as Andrew Bogut, or Chris Taft, he could easily stay put where he is and still get himself a quality big man who can add depth to our roster.
Here's a list of some of the Big Men who should be picked somewhere between 15 - 30 in the draft (assuming they come out this year). I put them in the order I rank them:
1. Wayne Simien: Here's a guy with the total package. He's got good size (6'9", 250 lbs), excellent mobility, and a solid reach. He's got one of the best shooting touches among big men and an excellent turn around fadeaway, which he executes spinning either to his left or his right. He's a good scorer when plays are broken up. Similar to Big Al Jefferson in this regard, though not really at his level. Soft touch close to the basket and even got range extending to 18 - 20 feet. Not hesitant to pull the trigger on an elbow jumper and just as effective with his back to the basket. Really good footwork in the paint, and he's got quick feet to get him where he needs to be. Good explosiveness, which allows him to grab contested rebounds off the carom. He's quicker than most PF's at the college level, even if he's 250 lbs. He actually slimmed down from his 1st 2 years at Kansas, but I wouldn't mind seeing him bulk back up a bit to be able to absorb more blows in the NBA. Not really a shot blocker, but that doesn't mean he's not trying. He just doesn't have the timing down. I project him to be an adequate defender in the NBA and his offense will be where he's most effective. He'd be a terrific PF off the bench for us and his offense will make our second unit even stronger. Kansas has a shot at the title this year, but win or lose, I think Simien declares for the draft and says good bye to college.
2. Shelden Williams: He's similar to Wayne Simien, except not as quick and more of a banger in the paint. Simien is in the Jefferson mode, while Shelden is in the Perkins mode. Looks to power his way inside more than Simien does. Shelden has the body to be a PF in the NBA. Long reach, strong body, sound mobility, solid touch around the basket, and a banger's mentailty. Physically, he's got everything needed to be a successfull pro, though not enough to be a star. Not the scorer Wayne Simien is, but he is a slightly better rebounder (or more consistent rebounder) and a better shot blocker. Last season, and so far this season, he's been averaging 3+ bpg. He also would give us a solid PF/C presence off the bench, but his impact will be more on the boards and on blocking shots. Duke is not going to win the title this year, and they'll lose Shelden to the NBA this summer.
3. Sean May: May has good big man skills and I think he's a solid all around player--but he plays soft. He tries hard, but he's one of those players who prefers to avoid contact rather than drawing contact. He's got good size (6'9", 250 lbs) and he's just as quick as Simien. Soft touch around the basket. He puts the ball on the floor better than Simien and Shelden, and he looks to create his offense by facing the basket. When he receives the ball in the post, he's most likely going to bring the ball up and kiss it off the glass, rather than bump his way in and get close to the rim. If he was 25 lbs lighter and equiped with a better jumper, he would have been a SF. But his size makes him a PF. He's a versatile big man, and if Ainge elects to go after him, May will add a solid scoring PF off the bench. North Carolina could win it all this year, but even if they don't, I think Sean May makes the jump to the NBA. His game is almost at its peak at the college level.
4. Ike Diogu: Here's a warrior in the paint with a scorer's mentality. Too bad he's only 6'7" (and that's on a good day). If he had a few more inches, he'd be projected to go much higher. There's little chance of stopping Ike when he's determined to score. He can get his shot off any opponent--and if he misses, you better be sure to body up on him or else he's going to make the second attempt count. Powerful body, but not bulky. Good athleticism and he can take the beating and not even feel it. He doesn't say much on the floor. But just look at his face and his body language and you know he's there to score. It doens't even look like he cares who his teammates are. Just get him the ball and let him do his job. Very good rebounder for a 6'7" PF. And don't let his short stature fool you because he can block shots with his excellent leaping ability and timing. He's got nothing left to prove at ASU, so he's going to make the jump to the pros after this season ends. Teams are shying away from drafting short PF's, even if they have the talent to play. Because of this, Diogu's draft status will be affected, and he might even slip into the second round. I like Diogu because I think he can add a tremendous scoring, rebounding, and intimidating presence on our second unit. But it remains to be seen if Ainge likes short PF's, as he did give up on Brandon Hunter last summer.
**Prospects 5 - 8 to be posted on the next post.
