by Bob Radl, Staff Writer
July 5, 2005
The next generation of possible NBA stars was drafted last
Tuesday night in New York. Several of the top picks in this year's draft should
provide immediate help to their respective teams. The NBA draft means more to
teams than its counterparts in other pro sports. The 2005 NBA draft will go
down as the last draft with high school players being included. Future drafts
will require players to wait one year after their class graduates from high school
before declaring themselves draft eligible. The 2005 draft had three point
guards being drafted back to back to back in the first round. Three high school
players went in round one and six more high school seniors went in the second
round. International players were well represented once again as NBA teams
continue to scour the globe for talent.
1. Andrew Bogut, Center, Milwaukee, Bogut is
considered to be a complete big man. He can pass very well for a man of his size,
especially out of double and even triple teams. Bogut has exceptional
fundamentals and a devastating drop step. He can shoot a jump hook with either
hand. He has good lower body strength. He plays with a high level of intensity
and has footwork that been compared to Kevin McHale, the former Boston Celtic.
He had 25 double/doubles in his last year of college ball. Milwaukee badly
needs size on its front line. He should be an immediate starter and is
considered to be NBA ready. Bogut will need to improve his mobility and his
post defense.
2. Marvin Williams, SF, Atlanta Williams is very
athletic with a long wingspan. He is very quick and agile for a player of his
size at 6' 9". He is very effective when facing the hoop as he has a quick
first step. Williams was considered to be the player with the most upside in
the 2005 NBA draft despite the fact that he was the 6th man for NCAA champs
North Carolina this past season. He is an excellent passer and a good rebounder
due to his ability to get off the ground quickly. He plays above the rim. He
was the 2005 ACC freshman of the year. He must improve his strength and his
defense.
3. Deron Williams, PG, Portland, Williams is a very
solid defender and should have a solid NBA career. He is a good rebounder from
the guard position with both size and strength. He has good court vision and
sees the entire court. He can create his own offense. Williams will overpower
weaker and smaller defenders. Speed may be a potential issue as he is not the
fastest player. He is not considered to have as much upside as other players in
the draft.
4. Chris Paul PG, New Orleans, Paul is extremely fast
for a point guard. He has the ability to penetrate the paint, stop on a dime
and drop a catchable pass to his teammates. Paul led the ACC in steals as a
freshman. His foot quickness makes him a great ball hawk and will lead to many
steals in the NBA. He is considered to be mature beyond his years. Paul is
considered to have excellent character. Some NBA scribes consider him to be the
best pure all-around point guard in the draft since Jason Kidd. His lack of
size at 5" 11" could be an issue in the NBA.
5. Raymond Felton, PG. Charlotte, Felton was the
third point guard taken in the first round. He has unbelievable quickness and
can blow by the defenders. He has exceptional athleticism and agility for a man
of his size. He is a good passer with good decision-making instincts. Felton
has good court vision. He may be a tad undersized at the PG position at 6"
0". Felton will also need to work on his outside shot.
6. Martell Webster, SG, Portland, Webster was the
first high school player taken in the 2005 draft. He is long for his size with
a wingspan of almost 7 feet. He has great range on his shot and can score from
anywhere on the court. He has an unlimited arsenal of offensive moves. He will
need to improve his defense, move his feet better and improve his
aggressiveness. He has the total package and could be a star down the road. The
lack of stability and potential negative influences on the Portland roster are
points of concern.
7. Charlie Villaneuva, PF, Toronto, Villaneuva has a
nice inside and outside game. He will be a threat for a double/double every
night. He is very athletic and a solid perimeter defender. His height at
6" 11" allows him to shoot over almost everyone from the outside. He
has been criticized for being weak in the post on defense at times. He is not a
great shot blocker despite his height.
8. Channing Frye, Center, New York, The Knicks were
badly in need of size on their front line. He is very skilled, polished and
fundamentally sound as he can make post moves with either hand. He can hit the
mid-range jumper and runs the floor well on the break. This will make him a
threat on the pick-and-roll on offense. He is a great shot blocker and will
need to get stronger, especially in the lower body, to play in the paint. Must
improve his rebounding to play in the NBA.
9. Ike Diogu, PF, Golden State, Diogu is
considered to be an Elton Brand like player. He may have the best post-up game
in college. His footwork and fundamentals on the block are excellent. He has a
nice shooting touch and is a decent shot blocker for his size. Diogu is
considered to be a tenacious rebounder for his size. Must be able to guard face
up out on the floor. He may be undersized at 6' 8"" to play PF in the
NBA. Some scribes feel he is closer to 6' 7". He will have problems
guarding smaller defenders out in the open.
10. Andrew Bynum, Center, Los Angeles Lakers, Bynum
has the size the Lakers sorely need. He has a tremendous physical presence with
a wingspan of 7' 4". He has great mobility and a small but effective set
of moves in the post. He will need time to develop and must learn to run the
floor better and improve his conditioning. Players with his combination of size
and mobility are a rare combination. He is a bit of project and should have a
minimum impact for the next two or three years. He has good skill level for a
big man of his age. Possible lack of conditioning is also a concern.
11. Fran Vazquez, C/F, Orlando, He is a low risk pick
for his age. He has a good set of offensive skills but must improve his
defensive presence. He can get the ball in the basket. He has played at a high
level in Europe for some time. He should be able to help the Magic immediately.
12. Yaroslav Korolev, SF, Los Angeles Clippers, He is
small forward with a variety of skills. He can handle the ball out on the
break. He is considered to be a high risk pick at age 18. He may be sent back
to Europe to get more seasoning as he is a couple of years away from being
ready to play in the NBA. His father played professional ball in Russia.
13. Sean May, PF, Charlotte, May was the third
Tarheel to be selected in the 2005 NBA draft and the second to go to Charlotte.
He was the most notable player to play in the last NCAA tournament. He has
great hands and long a reach for his height. He has a great touch and can run
the floor well for his size. May possesses all of the tools need to become a
complete NBA post player. His soft hands allow him to catch almost everything
thrown his way. His wingspan allows him to player bigger then 6' 8". He
must improve his perimeter defense and tone his somewhat bulky body to be able
compete against the more athletic power forwards in the NBA.
14. Rashad McCants, SG, Minnesota, McCants was the
fourth Tarheel to go in the draft. He is a gifted offensive player with a
diverse offensive game. He can shoot the ball effortlessly from deep on the
floor. He makes good decisions and can pass the ball very well for a shooting
guard. He must improve his defense a great deal. Some scribes considered him to
be the most complete offensive player in the draft. He will most likely
struggle playing against other off guards that are 6' 6" and taller night
in and night out in the NBA.
15. Antoine Wright, SG, New Jersey, He is very good
athlete and a good shooter with terrific range. He is a quality basketball
player. He is a good slasher and ball handler. Like many draft picks, he needs
to improve his defense.
16. Joey Graham, SF, Toronto, Graham should be a
solid contributor on the wing for the Raptors. He is athletic and fits the
up-tempo style of play of the Raptors. He is a good physical specimen with
great leaping ability. He has an effective jump shot with range out to 18 feet.
Graham plays hard, hustles and is a good defender. He has four years of college
under his belt, making him one of the most NBA ready players in this draft. He
will need to improve his vision, passing and ball handling skills.
17. Danny Granger, SF, Indiana, He can hit the open
shot and has great range. He is similar to Scottie Pippen. He is good defender.
He must improve his ball handling and his passing. He is a good shot blocker
for his size and has quick hands, allowing him to play the passing lanes well
on defense. He possesses great intensity and passion and could be a shut down
type defender in the NBA. Durability is a concern as he has missed parts of
three seasons with back and knee problems.
18. Gerald Green, SG, Boston, He is a very good
athlete with great explosiveness. He can really get off of his feet. He has a
quick and effortless release on his jump shot. Green has good ball handling
skills for a player standing 6' 8". His long arms and athletic ability
make him a good shot blocker. He has star potential and must improve his
strength and put forth a more consistent effort every night on the court. Some NBA scribes feel he could be another
Tracy McGrady.
19. Hakim Warrick, PF, Memphis, Warrick is a big time
NBA athlete. NBA experts feel he can play both the #3 and #4 in the NBA. He can
bother people defensively. His long arms and intensity make him a good
rebounder on both ends of the floor. He has very good footwork for a man of his
size. He has good skills, but not great skills. He was a nice pick for the
Grizzlies at #19. He will need to improve his perimeter game put on more muscle
for the NBA game.
20. Julius Hodge, SG, Denver, Hodge had a productive
career in college. He is long and versatile. He competes and plays with a
swagger at times. He has good ball handling skills, court vision and passing
ability for a man of his size at 6' 6". He needs to improve the
consistency on his shooting and the range on his shot. He also is considered to
be a tad weak for his size.
21. Nate Robinson, PG, New York, Robinson is very
explosive and plays an up-tempo game. He has incredible speed, but needs to
improve his ball handling. He has quick hands and rebounds well for his size.
He has a 42-inch vertical leap and ran a 4.40 yard dash. Robinson is at his
best in the open court where he can use his court vision. His shot ids
questionable at times and is most likely closer to 5' 7" than 5'9' as
listed in the school program.
22. Jarrett Jack, PG, Portland, He is big and
strong with long arms at 6' 3". He can make open shots and attack the rim
well. He can penetrate and finish well for a point guard. Jack can also post up
smaller point guards. He must improve
his ball handling, as he is prone to turnovers. He will also need to improve
the range and consistency on his jumper.
23. Francisco Garcia, G/F, Sacramento, Garcia has
great range and a good passer. He is a good roving defender, but not a great on
the ball defender. He can block shots and also get some steals because of his
long arms. He may be a man without a position, but is considered to have a
solid work ethic and passion for the game.. He is a good free throw shooter. He
needs to work on his durability and his on the ball defense.
24. Luther Head, PG, Houston, He has a great vertical
at 39". He has a great mid-range jumper. He can play both the point and
the off-guard. He moves well without the ball and knows how to use screens to come
off of players. He has good dribbling skills and a solid work ethic. He will
need to improve his point guard skills in the NBA as he played off the ball in
college.
25. Johan Petro, C, Seattle, Petro is athletic and
has a NBA body at age 19. He has great potential and a nice touch on the ball.
He is still raw on offense. Seattle may select to keep him overseas to get more
seasoning. He needs to improve his intensity and improve lateral ability to
guard smaller players in the post.
26. Jason Maxiell, PF, Detroit, He is an outstanding
shot blocker for his size and can also rebound well. He is strictly a low post
back to basket player. He needs to improve his overall skills for the NBA.
27. Linas Kleiza, SF, Denver, He is big and
strong and can knock down open shots. He could become a good NBA player if he
can become more coachable.
28. Ian Mahinmi, PF, San Antonio, Mahinmi has only
played basketball for four years as he was a former volleyball player. He is a
relentless rebounder. The Spurs will try to develop his game, as he is very
raw. He has the tools to be good down the road. The Spurs may let him mature
and improve in Europe.
29. Wayne Simien, PF, Miami, Simien has great
character and a good feel for the game. He has a NBA body already and can be a
dominating rebounder. He has a huge heart and wants to win. He will give the
Heat a nice body off the bench. Simien had many injuries in college so his
durability is a concern. He could be a real sleeper. He is big and broad and
will knock people down in the paint.
30. David Lee, PF, New York, He is a solid athlete
with a great lateral movement. Lee is considered to be very athletic for his
size. He had a great pre-NBA draft camp.
31. Salim Stoudamire, SG, Atlanta, Stoudamire is a
very explosive scorer with great range on his jumper. He may be the best pure
shooter in this draft. His size will be his biggest limitation in the NBA, as
he does not have the passing ability and leadership skills to be a true PG. He
is too short to be an effective off-guard at 6' 1".
32. Daniel Ewing, PG, Los Angeles Clippers, Ewing is
considered to be a very intelligent player with nice agility and leaping
ability. He is a smart passer with good vision and court awareness but needs to
improve his overall game to become a NBA point guard. Ewing is still learning
to play the point after spending most of his career on the wing.
35. Ricky Sanchez, SF, Denver, Sanchez was considered
to be the best young player in Puerto Rico. He handles the ball well and has a
nice three point shot. He is terribly thin at only 190 pounds on a 6' 11"
frame. He will need to add 20 to 30 pounds and increase his strength to play in
the NBA. Sanchez will most likely need some seasoning in a developmental
league.
38. Travis Diener, PG, Orlando, Diener will make his
living as three point specialist in the NBA. His long range shooting is quite
good. He is considered to be an adequate passer, but not a great one. Hs lack
of athleticism and quickness will be a detriment in the NBA.
44. Martynas Andriuskevicius, Center, Cleveland, Andriuskevicius
was considered to be a first round draft selection by many NBA scribes. He
slipped to the Cavs at #44. He will be a real project for the pros. He runs the
floor well for a man of his size at 7" 3" and has good coordination.
He has the ability to make moves to either the left or the right. He is rail
thin for his height and will need to get bigger and stronger real fast. His
offensive game is limited and raw by NBA standards. Check back here in about
three years.
51. Robert Whaley, PF/Center, Utah, Whaley was a man
amongst boys when he finished his college career for tiny Walsh College in
Canton, OH. He has a NBA body and will need to make a transition to playing
against top-flight opponents every night in the NBA.