Another Brandon Hunter? (Paul Millsap)

[DERRENMATTS]

Check this guy out:

nbadraft.net/profiles/paulmillsap.asp

Paul Milsap from Louisiana Tech, a 6'7", 235 lbs SF/PF who has led the nation in rebounding the last 2 years (and he's going to be a junior this season, which means he led all of college in rebounding as a freshman and sophomore--quite amazing).

He's also kicked up his scoring from 15+ ppg in his freshman year to 20+ ppg as a sophomore. He has a very high FG% (hovering around 58%), and blocks nearly 2 shots per game.

Sounds like another Brandon Hunter--a smallish PF who can score and rebound. NBADraft lists him as the 6th best SF prospect (though he sounds like a PF). I may be visualizing him wrong. I don't know if his body type is stocky and powerfully built like Brandon Hunter, or if he's more in the Justin Reed mode. They list him as a possible power 3, which makes him sound more like Justin Reed than Hunter.

This guy plays in the WAC conference, which happens to be the same conference as my University of Hawaii Warriors team. I will be sure to catch the matchup, either live or on television (assuming it'll be in Hawaii) and give you all my scouting report.

While it may not make sense to grab another SF/PF tweener since we already have 2 good looking prospects in Ryan Gomes and Justin Reed, this Milsap kid is a rebounding machine, and looks like he can be quite a scorer too. Maybe he'll be a second round surprise.

[BCHISTORIAN]

never even heard about the guy. does he have a chance to be better than green, gomes, reed at sf position? don't think so.

i think we should turn our attention draft-wise to centers and pgs or frontcourt depth. we have too many wings

[DERRENMATTS]

I agree. There is only so much roster space to use on wing players (players between 6'4" - 6'8"). At some point, we're going to have to start building our frontcourt depth because who knows how long Blount is going to be here, and Raef isn't getting any younger.

But for some reason, I'm intrigued with Milsap's numbers. Maybe he can outplay Justin Reed or Ryan Gomes (or maybe both?). I'll have to watch him play first before I give him my thumbs up or thumbs down.

[meltinjohn]

This player sounds like he could be a Malik Rose or a Danny Fortson.

[BCHISTORIAN]

like the headline says: another undersized pf

[meltinjohn]

Right. Just like all those guys.

[Roadrunner]

Sounds like an undersized player who performs w/ alot of heart. I don't think we should not draft a player, because one player is slotted. Sounds like a player to watch.

[meltinjohn]

Yea and Milsap could turn out better than Hunter. Hunter also was a 56th pick. You can't always go by where players are picked but in this case with Hunter, we knew why he slid to 56. Hey is there any coincidence that Paul Milsap could be a distant relative of Ronnie Milsap?

[BCHISTORIAN]

who's ronnie milsap?

[meltinjohn]

An older country singer. He sings, "if you walk out on me tonight, cause you know that it aint feeling right, oh darling, THERE AIN'T NO GETTING OVER ME". There ain't no getting over me is the title.

[freshnthehouse]

Ronnie Milsap had a bunch of country hits in the 70s. He was born blind. His mother abandoned him as a baby b/c she thought his blindness was a curse from God. Stranger In This House was a big hit of his, along with countless others. Id seriously consider drafting him.

[DERRENMATTS]

Sometimes, I can't tell if you're playing around or being serious, Fresh ;D I don't know whether to believe that story or not.

[meltinjohn]

Fresh, you know your history huh. I didn't even know he was blind. I wouldn't have missed it for the world was another one he wrote. Derren, I know you heard that one.

[DERRENMATTS]

Boy, Milsap is really coming out to play. I've seen highlights of him on ESPN last night as his team played Texas Tech, and he looks really good. He looks tall enough to play PF, not to mention strong enough and with enough quickness. Had 29 pts and 14 rebs last night, and the game before that, he had 25 and 14.

Might be a guy to take a flyer on if we have multiple late first rounders. Never can have enough big men.

[BCHISTORIAN]

derrenmatts said:

Might be a guy to take a flyer on if we have multiple late first rounders. Never can have enough big men.

that's true