2011 NBA DRAFT REVIEW: Part V-SECOND ROUND OR SECOND RATE?

Felipe M




Before we take a look at the first fifteen 2nd round picks, we look back at the last few drafts to see how those draft classes have produced gems in the very treacherous 2nd Round of the NBA DRAFT:

• 2010: Out of 30 players selected, I do not see one player who is in an NBA roster.  I don't even see one player that might have played a minute last season!
• 2009: At least five 2nd rounders can say that they are on an NBA team with the best of the bunch being DeJuan Blair and Marcus Thornton.  Blair averages about 21 minutes/game, while Thornton has been successful with limited time as a feature player, he is already playing for his second team and the latest club, the Sacramento Kings, seem to have a short leash on him with the drafting of Jimmer Fredette.  
• 2008: At least 7 players are still with an NBA team, but a lot of these players are solid, but unspectacular, with guard Goran Dragic possessing the most upside of this class.  
• 2007: A lot of players should be seasoned by now.  Assuming the players selected were mostly freshmen and had decided to stay in college, a lot of these players would be finishing their rookie seasons in the NBA or be 5th year seniors in college.  Still, I count 5 players still with NBA clubs and clearly the best player, a foreign player, is Marc Gasol with the best American player drafted in Ramon Sessions who is already playing for his 3rd NBA team and has only averaged 25 mins/game. 

The point is that very few 2nd round picks make a big impact in the NBA and most of the players end up being role players at best.  So fast-forward to the present-- many NBA fans have been anticipating Tyler Honeycutt's long-term potential as many had predicted for the UCLA standout to be selected in the 1st round.  Based on recent history, Honeycutt has a steep uphill climb ahead of him as the 2nd round has not developed talent that can produce like a 1st round pick.  And now picks 31-45:

31.  Bojan Bogdanovic from Croatia is a 6'7" player who has potential to be an impressive offensive player in the NBA though lack of size is a concern according to the ESPN panel.

32.  Justin Harper, out of Richmond, as stated in another article will probably be the next Ryan Anderson for the Magic--a player with a nice mid-range game who is also a defensive liability.  

33.  Kyle Singler from Duke is finally picked and according to former Duke player, Jay Bilas, "he's a complete player" and only needs to work on his "shooting rate."  Jay Bias (sic) was certainly on his game on NBA Draft night.  Singler will be lucky if he comes close to being the next Josh McRoberts, but does remind me a bit of Mike Dunleavy Jr.  Regardless, Duke players, more often than not, always struggle to transition from the college to the NBA game and Singler will not be an exception to that rule.

34.  Shelvin Mack from Butler who Jay Bias (sic) described as simply "a winner" was supposed to go the Wizards.  If that's the case, he will be logging a lot of bench time.  Mack plays fearless, but at times looked overmatched against better teams with better athletic players.

35.  Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA) was finally picked.  A disappointing night, his NBA future looks bleak.  If he does go down into NBA oblivion, he will go down with a fight as he definitely has the tools to be known commodity.  Is a great passer despite proving to be too sloppy with the ball in college.  A very good athlete, he needs to hit the gym and get stronger.  

36.  Jordan Williams from Maryland is 6'9" and 245 lbs so he's a big guy and was an established rebounder in college.  However, despite his size, he struggles on offense, especially against bigger and taller players.  Worse, Jay Bias (sic) compared him to Michael Sweetney.  Yikes!

37.  Trey Thompkins out of Georgia has similar size as Williams, but actually has a more polished offensive game as he's comfortable in the post and as a spot-up shooter.  However, he's not very athletic and he's another player who NBA scouts grew highly concerned over his conditioning.  It's only the rest of your life you have to worry about, so why work on your conditioning, right?

38.  Chandler Parsons from Florida is the SEC player of the year.  The 6'9" forward loves to shoot the rock, but has been known to be physically and mentally weak.  Usually players with that profile get eaten up in the NBA.  Best of luck!

39.  Jeremy Tyler was a highly regarded high school player that told the NCAA to go fly a kite and went overseas (most recently in Tokyo) as he took the Brandon Jennings paradigm into making it in the NBA.  At 6'10", 262 lbs., he definitely has the size to be a successful big man.  However, ESPN foreign expert, Fran Fraschilla did state that his "skill level is low."  On the bright side, he was coached by former NBA coach, Bob Hill.  So, yeah!

40.  Jon Leuer out of Wisconsin was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks so he doesn't have to travel far to be with his NBA team.  Like many big men coming out of this draft, NBA teams are looking for centers who can stretch the floor with their ability to shoot.  As the scouting report was given on draft night, Leuer reminded me more and more of former NBA big man, Matt Bullard.  Hooray?

41.  Darius Morris (Michigan)--hey, a Laker sighting!  A point guard with size, Morris does not have a good 3-point shot, but has good "court-vision."  I predict that Morris, if he makes the team, will see very few minutes on the court.

42.  Davis Bertans out of Latvia was convinced to enter the NBA draft as it was reported that the San Antonio Spurs all, but guaranteed that he would be selected by the club.  Fran Fraschilla says that Bertans is a "great shooter," but also stated that it would be at least 2 years before he makes it with his NBA team.  

43.  Malcolm Lee (UCLA) goes to the Bulls; another athletic guard who is already considered a good defender, but needs to continue to work on his shot.  

44.  Charles Jenkins out of Hofstra finally gets selected as it was predicted that he had a chance to sneak into the first round.  A combo/hybrid point/shooting guard, he will go to a team that already has two polished players like that in the Golden St. Warriors.  I predict a lot of sporadic time in his future.  

45.  The last player that will be covered is Josh Harrellson from Kentucky going to the Knicks who is a Brad Miller-type of player who can dish and shoot the ball and at 6'10", 275 lbs, perhaps even clog the middle for the Knicks.  Jay Bias (sic) was not too thrilled with this pick as his analysis included a joke about Harrellson bringing back into fashion the jean shorts look.  That's why Bilas gets paid the bick bucks.  

And so concludes our coverage of the NBA Draft.  ESPN made it seem that a lot of these players were NBA ready, but a lot of these players have low potential and are, for the most part, one-dimensional as many NBA teams were looking for athletic swing-men who showed that they could play good defense, especially at the perimeter, where premiere players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade make a living shredding defenses apart.  Already looking forward to the 2012 draft and hoping that the NBA lockout gets resolved quickly.  

      

2011 NBA DRAFT REVIEW: Part III

Felipe M.






Picks 21-25: Not a bad pick for the Portland Trail Blazers as they are getting older and Nolan Smith gives this team much needed speed.  Reminds me a bit of former Duke guard, Jay Williams--before the motorcycle accident, of course.


One of the best stories of last year's NCAA tournament was the rebounding machine of Morehead St., Kenneth Faried.  However, at 6'7", he is undersized and because of this, reminds me of Danny Fortson.  The Nuggets can definitely use a guy like Faried who brings a lot of energy and toughness on the court.


Nikola Mirotic from Montenegro eventually goes to the Bulls.  It was reported at the time of the draft that he had a $2 million buyout in his contract and was reported at the time of the draft that he would have to wait 4 years before making it to the NBA.  Fran Frashilla did mention that if it weren't for all the barriers in selecting this player, Mirotic would be a "mid-lottery pick."  Was also compared to Luis Scola.  Yet another European player that won't be with his NBA team anytime soon.  


Another former baseball player selected?  No!  It's just Reggie Jackson from Boston College going to the Thunder.  Jay Bilas predicted that this 6'3" guard is a scorer and because of that, had a shot to be the first scoring option off the bench.  Also has a "very quick first step"--so the Thunder drafted a poor man's version of Ben Gordon.  Not too shabby.


When MarShon Brooks (out of Providence) was selected by the Celtics, I couldn't help but be perplexed at this selection.  Described as a player who plays horrible defense, I just didn't see how he would fit with the Celtics.  Then reports came out that he would be traded to the Nets.  A player who plays horrible defense going to the Nets?  Yes sir, he'll fit nice and perfect with that club!  All joking aside, the 6'5" perimeter guard is described to have the ability to score at will.  Plus the Nets needed a shooting guard so it's win-win.


Picks 26-30: Jordan Hamilton out of Texas would eventually end up in Denver. More on what he will mean to the Nuggets in a later post.  Nevertheless, at 6'8" he would be another undersized power forward along with Faried.  But as a shooting guard, he's a matchup nightmare!  Unfortunately, he is considered a defensive liability so I can only imagine how clumsy he will look guarding quicker perimeter players.  Plus NBA teams grew weary of his conditioning.  Wow, good luck with that whole conditioning deal in Denver. 


The Celtics get their man by trading for JaJuan Johnson from Purdue.  The Big 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year fits perfectly on this team.  Boston emphasizes defense as a core necessity towards their success and Johnson personifies that emphasis.  Johnson also has good shot-blocking ability and is no slouch on offense as the ESPN panel was impressed by his mid-range game.  However, Jay Bilas believes that his body frame will limit Johnson's ability to get bigger and stronger, but considering the type of player he is, the Celtics probably don't mind that at all, if they even buy Bilas' theory.  


(It gets better for the Celtics as they were able to also select Johnson's teammate at Purdue, E'Twaun Moore, who will not get an in-depth look in my draft review, but is worth noting that these college teammates will also be playing in Boston and are clearly the type of players that the Celtics were looking for).


As a Bulls' fan, I was hoping that the Bulls would keep Norris Cole (out of Cleveland St.) as Derrick Rose's backup.  However, he would eventually find his way to the Miami Heat, making him just another player to keep around for salary cap purposes.  Described as very athletic and plays decent defense.  Not flashy, but might be a solid pro. 


The Spurs quickly replace George Hill with Corey Joseph out of Texas. The Spurs were very high on Joseph apparently as even Jay Bilas, who always has more positives than negatives things to say about these players was very nonchalant in describing Joseph's game.  The only thing he could come up with was that he knew better than to question the San Antonio Spurs.


And finally, with the last pick in the 1st round, the Chicago Bulls select Jimmy Butler from Marquette or as I like to call him, the NBA's version of The Blindside (the story goes that he was abandoned by his mother at the age of 13, only to be adopted by a family who helped nurture him).  A 6'7" perimeter player, he is described as "a humble kid," and I wouldn't be surprised if John Paxson pushed to draft this player as he tends to lean on these low risk, high character, collegiate players.  Bilas was impressed by this player's versatility and defensive skill (but after 30 draft selections, we already know that Jay loved, for the most part, every player's versatility and defensive skill)--I remember when the Bulls drafted a player like this.  His name was Thabo Sefolosha. 


The Second Round is Next, but first we wanted to make sense of these trades in our next installment of the 2011 NBA DRAFT PREVIEW....

2011 NBA DRAFT REVIEW: Part II

Felipe M.

Picks 11-15: The Golden State Warriors picked up Klay Thompson, a guard that can shoot from anywhere and brings much needed size to their backcourt. Plus his athletic ability, along with his size, might help a porous defense.

The Jazz's second pick in this round is used on Colorado's Alec Burks. Burks put up some big time numbers in college, but is not a very good shooter. But his willingness to improve his game on both offense and defense might have won him over in Utah. The Jazz have had a very successful draft thus far.

The Phoenix Suns pick Markieff Morris with the unlucky 13th pick as his twin brother, Marcus, showed a lot of emotion when his sibling's name was announced. Markieff joins another twin, Robin Lopez (unless he gets traded away as many rumors would suggest) in the Suns' frontcourt. This is a nice addition for Phoenix as they needed an athletic big man at forward and is comfortable scoring via jump shots or banging on the inside. Plus he looks like a very hungry rebounder.

Speaking of Marcus, he immediately gets selected by the Houston Rockets. Marcus was getting a bad reputation for being a tweener player. Where Markieff was clearly a power forward, NBA scouts were not sure where Marcus' talent would make him successful as always the case with players like Marcus, he's either too slow to be playing at small forward, or undersized to be playing power forward. However, the experts also suggested that he's a better inside scorer than Markieff. Either way, Marcus Morris is a great fit in Houston.

The Indiana Pacers selected the very "long" and huge heart of Kawhi Leonard from San Diego St. Definitely a player that the Indiana Pacers needed. Unfortunately, Leonard would be traded to the San Antonio Spurs. More on that in a later post.

Picks 16-20: The Philadelphia 76ers feeling left out from picking a foreign player, but not wanting to pick a foreing player with an expensive buyout, select USC's Nikola Vucevic. This guy is really huge at 6'11" and 260 lbs. A guy with a decent mid-range game, Jay Bilas predicted that he can easily add a consistent 3-point shot to his arsenal. Plus he's a good rebounder. The 76ers have had good luck picking in the 1st round lately so I will consider this selection another slam dunk on their part.

Knick fans were anticipating a slam dunk of their own as their team was ready to make their pick. They were left disappointed when Iman Shumpert from Georgia Tech was selected. A tall athletic guard, Shumpert impressed New York with his willingness to play defense. On a team where their two best players don't really care much about defense, this pick makes sense--even if the Knicks picked too high for this kid.

Chris Singleton (not to be confused with the former White Sox and Oakland A's player) from Florida State is selected by the Wizards. Like many players in this draft, Singleton has very little offensive skill and an even weaker jump shot, but he was picked for his size (6'9", 230 lbs, and wingspan of 7'1") and the potential to be a defensive force. Reminds me of Taj Gibson, but with less of an offensive game.

Tobias Harris out of Tennessee was selected by Milwaukee. Described as a "versatile" perimeter player with a "high basketball IQ," this player has a reputation for his hard work and for being a gym rat. On the downside, Harris was one of the few players in this draft whose lack of athleticism was a major concern. I think he will succeed right away, especially with Bucks' head coach, Scott Skiles, who loves to coach players like Harris.

And finally, after doing the math and using my powers of decuction to its fullest, it looks like the Rockets end up with Donatas Motiejunas at #20. A seven footer who Fran Fraschilla (ESPN's expert on foreign players) described as a player who needs to improve his rebounding skills (red flag) and has a very blase disposition as even his European coaches would be very upset at his attitude (double red flag). Despite all of this, Fraschilla admitted that Motiejunas would've been a top 15 pick in last year's draft. Wow!

Part III is available now...