| 2007 NBA Draft-Capsules |
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| Written by Admin |
| Thursday, 28 June 2007 22:35 |
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A thumbnail look at the first-round selections of the NBA draft: NO. 1 PORTLAND Greg Oden, c, Ohio State 7-0, 250. ... 15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Buckeyes. ... Most likely the top pick. ... A legit seven-footer with all the physical tools to develop into a dominant NBA center. ... Can dominate on the defensive end. ... Runs the floor exceptionally well. ... Prone to foul trouble. ... Not comfortable playing with his back to the basket. ... Needs to expand his shooting range. --- NO. 2 SEATTLE Kevin Durant, f, Texas 6-9, 225. ... 25.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg -blocker in college. ... Needs to improve his passing. --- NO. 3 ATLANTA Al Horford, f-c, Florida 6-10, 245. ... 13.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.8 bpg Early entry. ... Aggressive in the paint on both ends. ... Has strength and size to become an NBA banger. ... Handles the ball and passes well for a big man. ... Intense player, tends to get in foul trouble. ... Needs to develop more offensive moves in the low post. ... Below average on the free throw line. ... Son of former NBA player Tito Horford. --- NO. 4 MEMPHIS Mike Conley Jr., g, Ohio State 6-1, 180. ... 11.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.2 spg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Buckeyes. ... Has exceptional quickness. ... Makes excellent shot/pass decisions. ... May be the best of the point guards in this draft. ... Great penetrator. ... His outside shot needs work. ... Ability to defend bigger point guards is a concern. --- NO. 5 BOSTON (TRADED TO SEATTLE) Jeff Green, f, Georgetown 6-9, 235. ... 14.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.2 apg Early entry. ... Big East Player of the Year. ... Named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional and Big East Tournament. ... Doesn't have one standout skill, but is well-rounded. ... Is solid in the half court and full court game. .. Strong inside both offensively and defensively. ... Needs to be more consistent with his shot. --- NO. 6 MILWAUKEE Yi Jianlian, f, Guandong Tigers (China) 6-11, 238. ... 24.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg Early entry. ... Will turn 20 on Oct. 27. ... Competed for the Chinese National Team at the 2004 Olympics and 2006 FIBA World Championship. ... An athletic power forward. ... Has excellent quickness and jumping ability. ... Has a good mid-range jumper. ... Will need to get stronger. ... More comfortable facing the basket than with his back to the basket. --- NO. 7 MINNESOTA Corey Brewer, f, Florida 6-9, 185. ... 13.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.8 apg Early entry. ... Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Final Four. ... Long and lean. ... An exceptional defender. ... Excels in the transition game. ... Tough competitor, knows what it takes to win. ... Needs to continue improving the range on his jumpshot. --- NO. 8 CHARLOTTE (TRADED TO GOLDEN STATE) Brandan Wright, f, North Carolina 6-9, 205. ... 14.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Tar Heels. ... Fifth freshman in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win Tournament MVP honors. ... Broke the ACC single-season freshman record with .646 field goal percentage. ... A force near the basket. ... Fluid running the floor. ... Some scouts have questioned his intensity. ... Must gain more upper body strength. --- NO. 9 CHICAGO Acquired from New York Joakim Noah, f, Florida 6-11, 232. ... 12.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg Early entry. ... Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 NCAA Tournament Final Four. ... Has boundless energy and a passion for the game. ... A phenomenal athlete. ... His basketball skills are raw on the offensive end, except for his passing ability. ... Should make his mark as a rebounder and defender while he works on his offensive game. ... Father, Yannick, was the 1983 French Open tennis champion. --- NO. 10 SACRAMENTO Spencer Hawes, c, Washington 7-0, 230. ... 14.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Huskies. ... Has skills around the basket. ... Can finish with a soft touch with either hand. ... Prefers playing with his back to the basket. ... Runs the floor well. ... Outstanding passer for a big man. ... Needs to improve his defensive game. --- NO. 11 ATLANTA Acquired from Indiana M 6-3, 195. ... 18.1 ppg, 5.0 apg M's third all-time leading scorer with 1,669 points and third in assists with 545. ... Performs extremely well in pressure situations. ... A sound floor leader. ... Creates well off the dribble. ... Streaky shooter. ... Needs to improve his defensive intensity. --- NO. 12 PHILADELPHIA Thaddeus Young, f, Georgia Tech 6-8, 220. ... 14.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Yellow Jackets. ... Versatile forward who can score inside and hit the three-pointer. ... Can guard both inside and outside scorers. ... Ball handling needs to improve. ... Needs to gain strength. ... Great attitude, hard worker. --- NO. 13 NEW ORLEANS Julian Wright, f, Kansas 6-8, 225. ... 12.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg Early entry. ... An incredible athlete with a tremendous upside. ... Has a wide wingspan, enabling him to play bigger than he is. ... Can play a variety of positions on both ends of the court. ... Must improve his jumpshot. ... Must improve his upper body strength. --- NO. 14 L.A. CLIPPERS Al Thornton, f, Florida State 6-8, 220. ... 19.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg Led Florida State and the ACC in scoring with a 19.7 average. ... A versatile scorer. ... Likes to face the basket and take defenders off the dribble. ... Physically ready for the NBA. ... Average ball handler. ... Needs to play under control. .. Has been compared to Shawn Marion. --- NO. 15 DETROIT Acquired from Orlando Rodney Stuckey, g, Eastern Washington 6-5, 205. ... 24.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg Early entry. ... Can play both guard positions. ... A tremendous scorer. ... Can create scoring opportunities. ... Solid mid-range game. ... Has 3-point range. ... Can lose focus on defensive end. ... Needs to involve his teammates more. --- NO. 16 WASHINGTON Nick Young, g-f, Southern Cal 6-6, 200. ... 17.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg Early entry. ... Earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors his sophomore and junior seasons. ... Ranked second in the Pac-10 in scoring (17.5 ppg). ... Has an excellent mid-range game. ... Has a quick first step. ... Has the physical tools to be a competent defender, but needs to play with more intensity. ... Prone to foul trouble. --- NO. 17 NEW JERSEY Sean Williams, f-c, Boston College 6-10, 235. ... 12.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg Early entry. ... Has all the physical tools needed for the next level. ... Great leaping ability and quick. ... One of the best shot blockers in college. ... Must mature. ... A risk after getting kicked off Eagles' team. ... Not very effective offensively past eight feet. --- NO. 18 GOLDEN STATE Marco Belinelli, g, Climamio Bologna (Italy) 6-5, 192. ... 12.9 ppg Early entry. ... Can shoot off the dribble. ... Has a quick release. ... Solid work ethic. ... Quick hands on defense. ... Average lateral quickness on defense. ... Weak rebounder. ... Doesn't attack the basket enough. ... Needs more upper body strength. --- NO. 19 L.A. LAKERS Javaris Crittenton, g, Georgia Tech 6-5, 198. ... 14.4 ppg, 5.8 apg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Yellow Jackets. ... He's young and very raw. ... Has quick first step. ... Excellent body strength. ... Very competitive, great attitude. ... Needs to improve outside shot. ... Needs to learn how to dictate tempo at the point. ---NO. 20 MIAMI (TRADED TO PHILADELPHIA) Jason Smith, c, Colorado State 7-0, 240. ... 16.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg Early entry. ... Good touch around the basket. ... Has improved his rebounding. ... Runs the floor well. ... Still needs to work on playing with his back to the basket. ... Needs more upper body strength. --- NO. 21 PHILADELPHIA (TRADED TO MIAMI) Acquired from Denver Daequan Cook, g, Ohio State 6-5, 210. ... 9.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg Early entry. ... Played one year for the Buckeyes. ... Has excellent mid-range game. ... Has good court vision. ... Has 3-point range. ... Can score points in a hurry. ... Forces his shot at times. ... Ball handling could be stronger. ... Had an up-and-down freshman season. --- NO. 22 CHARLOTTE Acquired from Toronto Through Cleveland Jared Dudley, f, Boston College 6-7, 225. ... 19.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg ACC Player of the Year. ... Has high basketball IQ. ... Intense and aggressive on defense. ... Excellent court vision. ... Hard to match offensively. ... Not overly athletic. ... Doesn't create off the dribble very well. ... Some scouts feel his game has peaked. --- NO. 23 NEW YORK Acquired from Chicago Wilson Chandler, f, DePaul 6-8, 230. ... 14.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg Early entry. ... Has a great combination of strength and athleticism. ... Has a developing mid-range game. ... Has size to defend some power forwards. ... Great leaping ability. ... Needs to improve shot selection. ... Lacks intensity at times. --- NO. 24 PHOENIX (SOLD TO PORTLAND) Acquired from Cleveland Through Boston Rudy Fernandez, g, DVK Joventut Badalona (Spain) 6-5, 185. ... 16.1 ppg, 2.9 apg Unselfish player, gets teammates involved. ... Excellent at catch and shoot. ... Always moving on the offensive end. ... Creative at finishing around the basket. ... Compared to Manu Ginobili. ... Below average rebounder. ... Needs to improve defensively. --- NO. 25 UTAH Morris Almond, g, Rice 6-6, 215. ... 26.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg Has a great frame. ... Explosive scorer. ... Excellent rebounder. ... Needs to improve passing and ball handling. ... Has NBA 3-point range. ... Unselfish player. ... Attacks defenders and draws fouls. ... Has high basketball IQ. --- NO. 26 HOUSTON Aaron Brooks, g, Oregon 6-0, 160. ... 17.7 ppg, 4.3 apg Extremely quick at getting to the basket. ... Dependable perimeter shooter. ... Has leadership qualities. ... Can score points in a hurry. ... Doesnt control the tempo very well. ... Average court vision. ... Size is a concern. --- NO. 27 DETROIT Arron Afflalo, g, UCLA 6-5, 215. ... 16.9 ppg, 1.9 apg Early entry. ... Plays under control. ... Has an NBA body and excellent upper body strength. ... Fundamentally sound. ... Solid court vision. ... Good work ethic. ... Average first step. ... Needs to be consistent with his jumper. ... Needs to improve ball handling. --- NO. 28 SAN ANTONIO Tiago Splitter, f, Tau Vitoria (Spain) 6-11, 232. ... 10.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg The Brazilian runs the court well for his size. ... Possesses solid post footwork. ... Not a prolific offensive player. ... Above average rebounder. ... Soft touch around the basket. ... Must improve on his upper body strength. ... Lacks aggressiveness. --- NO. 29 PHOENIX Alando Tucker, f-g, Wisconsin 6-6, 205. ... 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg A tweener. ... Very athletic. ... Can create scoring opportunities. ... Has good range on his jumper, though streaky. ... Great work ethic. ... Needs to improve ball handling skills. ... Undersized for the small forward position. --- NO. 30 PHILADELPHIA (TRADED TO PORTLAND) Acquired from Dallas Through Denver and Golden State Petteri Koponen, g, Honka (Finland) 6-4, 195. ... 12.4 ppg, 4.1 apg Skilled point guard. ... Possesses high basketball IQ. ... Shoots the ball well from mid-range. ... Has 3-point range. ... Has played against lower-level European competition. |
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