AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 12
Monday, March 12, 2007
With my own eyes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rather than accepting the word of NBA scouts (love ‘em but they’re not always the most objective guys and they’re most often ignored by GMs and other decision makers come draft night) and other talking head like myself, I decided to spend a little time Sunday scouting the SEC Tournament title game in person.
Let me say now and make it abundantly clear, I LOVE both Joakim Noah and Al Horford. Both guys have the makings of excellent NBA players. And before you allow any outside opinions influence you (including this one), trust your own eyes on these guys. You’ve seen them. They’re talents.
I want to address Noah particularly, since there has been so much back and forth about his pro potential. I keep cracking up when people knock him down a notch or two on their draft boards because he can’t score.
Do you have any idea how much scoring Noah will be asked to do on the NBA team that drafts him? Hardly any. In fact, his value is greater in me eyes because he’ll be a guy can that can do all the other things. There are a handful of players on every NBA team can score major points for their team on a given night. Scoring is the least of the NBA’s problems.
But highly skilled big men who can run the floor, play with passion, pass effortlessly, handle the ball far better than someone his size should, defend around the basket and do all the little things are fare more valuable to NBA teams than a guy who’s No. 1 marketable skill is scoring (on inferior competition in college but not so much in the league).
Seriously, if Noah’s available anywhere after Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the teams that passes on him is absolutely NUTS! He’s a guy that’s going to immediately infuse his team with a jolt of genuine energy that is hard to come by in this day and age.
And Noah’s as long, lean and athletic as all NBA types love (he’s every drip drop of the 6-11, 232 pounds he’s listed). So no bones can be made about his physical or emotional makeup, which I’m assuming has led to this relentless assault on Noah’s offensive skill set (or lack thereof).
Foolishness, as usual, by those supposedly in the know. Noah’s a player. And if someone is brave enough to pass him up for some guy who’s a better scorer … well more power to him.
