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Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Prospects may swamp Draft
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So how long before the Gators flee the Swamp? Sorry, Florida fans, but after watching these young guys go bonkers Monday night, I don’t see how they keep this group together. I’ve already made clear my love for Joakim Noah’s game. And Al Horford already knows some post tricks that guys in the NBA are still trying to learn. Splendid work by the Gators, splendid. I am a bit ticked off that they spanked UCLA because I picked the Bruins weeks ago (ask Hawks assistant Larry Drew), long before they started rolling in the tourney.
All that said, I know we all have a tendency to get hyped up over players after the NCAA Tourney. Everybody always looks better if they’ve shined the way many of these players have the past few weeks. So I have to remind myself to temper these comments with a little reality (the transition for any player from one level to the next can be a painful undertaking depending on the situation and the individual).
But I can’t let that stop me from confessing. So let me share some other thoughts from a rainy Monday night in Jersey spent studying the tube and the NCAA title game.
— Noah’s lack of bulk won’t hinder him nearly as much at the next level because he’s got better basketball instincts and timing on defense than a majority of the men who earn millions playing half as hard as he does. The beautiful thing about his entire package is that his love for the game is pure. He’s from a family that has afforded him opportunities to see the world and live a lifestyle that far exceeds the norm. So he has a huge decision ahead of him. Because if he decides to enter the draft pool, I don’t know how you pass him up at the top. I know, I know. I was calling for LaMarcus Aldridge last weekend. I changed my mind. Noah’s the dude.
— I know Horford’s pops made some mistakes in his career (left school early and never fulfilled his immense potential). But the kid is so advanced. He’s more polished on the offensive side of the ball than I initially thought. And like I mentioned, he’s already sharp in terms of how to seal and beat his man on the offensive end. And he’s a good ball handler for a player his size and has an NBA-ready frame. The early word is that both he and Noah are going back to school … but I’m not buying until the deadline passes.
— UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar is much more ready for the next level than I realized. He’s got an excellent vision of what he can and cannot do (and there doesn’t appear to be much that he can’t do). He can score, pass and run a team the way NBA teams need from their floor generals. If dude comes out, I can see someone snatching him early.
— UCLA center Ryan Hollins is going to be a project at the NBA level. After watching him last weekend I felt like he’d come a long way from his freshman season, when he was unable to gather himself around the basket and finish plays with his superior size and athleticism. It was clear Monday night that he’s still a work in progress in that department.
— Florida junior Corey Brewer is being touted as a top of the first round prospect, but I just don’t see it. He’s so slight (we’re talking Todd Day thin, people) that I have a hard time seeing him making that move before drinking a few more protein shakes. His all-around skills are impressive, no doubt. But I just can’t picture him in the NBA game right now. He’s not like Tayshaun Prince (who is 6-9 with a 7-footer’s wingspan), the patron saint of rail-thin college stars who are trying to prove they can play with the big boys. If someone took Brewer late in the first round I’d understand it. But in the lottery? No sir.
We may all have to revise our opinions on the talent available in this summer’s draft. Depending on who leaves college in the dust, we could have a wildly talented crop of big guys in this draft, which bodes well for the Hawks and other lottery-bound teams. Outside of Greg Oden, I don’t know any of the other big men mentioned for next year’s draft that will be better prospects than either Noah or Horford.
