McDonald's All-American game

[DERRENMATTS]

This year's contest wasn't as exciting as the last 2 years'--not as many star potential players. In '03, you had Lebron, in '04, you had Dwight Howard, Sebastian Telfair, Big Al Jefferson, Robert Swift, Josh Smith, etc. This year, the big name players were Gerald Green, Monta Ellis, and Louis Williams, and really not much else.

Gerald Green looks to be a quality player in the future (I don't see him becoming a future star), but beyond him, I don't see anyone reaching the second or third tier star level. Louis Wiliams is a quick player with good perimeter shooting, but he (and Monta Ellis) were looking mighty selfish out there. They didn't display their playmaking abilities last night either. Still waiting to see if they can be good passing PG's.

As for the guys who did impress me, I have to go with Josh McRoberts, Greg Paulus, and Mario Chalmers.

McRoberts is a skilled 6'11" SF/PF who can put it on the floor and finish at the front of the rim. He needs to bulk up more and get used to the contact he'll face in the paint if he wants to be a successful big man. Lot to work on, but I was truly amazed at how skilled this young guy is.

As for my favorite PG of this draft, I will have to go with Greg Paulus. He had some nifty passes that got my attention. Reminds me a lot of Luke Ridnour in the way he passes and the flare he brings with his passing ability--though not as flashy. This guy has that intuitive sense of when, and where, to pass the ball so that it can be most effective. He needs to work on his shooting more, but from this draft class, I like Greg Paulus' PG play. Jordan Farmer showed more as a high school senior last year and I project Paulus to be a notch below him in the future.

Mario Chalmers was the sparkplug off the bench for his team. Came in and started reigning three's, penetrating, and attacking, the rim, and providing the burst of energy for his team. Too short to be an impact starter in the NBA, but I do see him having a somewhat productive career as a bench player, if he gets to the NBA.

I'm going to watch the game a few more times to get a better feel of some of the other players and I'll let you guys know how I feel about them later.

[BCHISTORIAN]

mcroberts caught my eye too

[DERRENMATTS]

Yeah, he's a pretty good looking prospect. How many 6'11" Caucasian guys do you know who can move like he does? Not much. Not being racist here--just stating my observation. He moves like a 6'7" SF, but he's taller than Kendrick Perkins. He can also shoot the three.

I guess you can compare him to Adam Morrison, except give McRoberts a few more inches.

[DERRENMATTS]

The slam dunk competition raised my opinion of Gerald Green a bit higher. He is a terrific athlete with a lot of springs in his legs. But his attitude is what perked my interest. He's a confident fellow, but he keeps it to himself. He's not much of a mouth player--players who like to jaw it up and let the crowd know they're in the house. He's got an aire of confidence but he composes himself really well.

About his jumping ability--the dunk contest demonstrated his ability to jump as high as any high schooler in recent history. But his jumps came on running starts. I'd like to see more of him in game situations to see how explosive he is with only a few steps.

Amazingly, this kid was cut from his basketball team his sophomore year in high school.

[meltinjohn]

DERRENMATTS said:

Yeah, he's a pretty good looking prospect. How many 6'11" Caucasian guys do you know who can move like he does? Not much. Not being racist here--just stating my observation. He moves like a 6'7" SF, but he's taller than Kendrick Perkins. He can also shoot the three.

I guess you can compare him to Adam Morrison, except give McRoberts a few more inches.

This sounds like the next Dirk Nowitzki.

[DERRENMATTS]

Yeah, sort of. I'd say Adam Morrison is closer to Dirk Nowitzki and McRoberts is more like last year's draft pick, Kris Humphries.