Jnixon’s Countdown to the 2012 Draft: 60 Prospects in 30 Days (44&43)

 44: Draymond Green, 6’6 235, PF/SF, Michigan State, Sr.

An extremely rare type of combo forward with some of the most well-rounded skills you’ll find in a hybrid forward, Michigan State Sr. Draymond Green checks in. An experienced player who started getting PT as a Soph. on Michigan State’s Final 4 team. Was the Big 10 POY and was a 1^st Team AP All-American as a Sr., and had the 2nd most triple doubles in Michigan State history behind Magic Johnson. All-time leader in rebounds at MSU. Does not look like your average NBA prospect at all. Physically, Green has some concerns. He’s very short for a PF at somewhere around 6’6 and 6’7, and he has a build that, although slimmed down, can get wide if he isn’t careful (like before his Sr. year). He does appear to have a nice wingspan and wide hips though, as well as good strength. Green isn’t very athletic though. He’s not explosive, although his slimmer frame has improved that some, and isn’t particularly quick or fast. He does have great coordination for his size and is able to move around effectively.

On offense, Green is a Swiss army knife who hurts the defense in a number of ways. He likes to function out of the triple threat position from the elbow, and is a matchup problem when he does. As a slasher, Green is hit or miss. He has good enough ball-handling skills to take bigs off the dribble, but he struggles to finish and also struggles to beat more athletic wings or frontline guys. Shows real good coordination for his size off the bounce. Can drive to his right or left, and has a good shot fake. Pretty reliant on his jump shot. Has range out to 23 ft and is effective as a shooter with his feet set. Has a nice mid-range shot as well. His form is a little unorthodox, as he doesn’t get much elevation and kind of pushes the ball from the front of his face, but he usually only shoots deep shots when he has room. Quite possibly the most outstanding area of his game is his passing ability. REALLY good passer for a frontline player, especially at his size. Averaged right around 4 assists a night as a Jr. and Sr., and 3 apg as a Soph. Also has had about a 1.5:1 A:TO in his last 3 years, an unbelievable rate for a frontline guy. Able to find cutters and shooters, and wastes little time with his decision making. Will be a threat in the high-low game at the NBA level, and flashes very good ability passing in the low post too. Played PG for Michigan State at times, just to illustrate how good he is as a facilitator. His passing and IQ is what gives him a lot of the intrigue he has as a prospect. As a low post player, Green is mediocre. He has the hips to seal and the touch to finish around the rim, but not the quickness or explosiveness needed to really be a threat. He doesn’t have a big arsenal of moves down low at all, and usually doesn’t like to go there for offense. Is a nice offensive rebounder, and will get himself some easy baskets by working the glass. Soft hands. Alright at getting to the foul line, and is a probably around a 70% shooter when there. Not going to excel in an up-tempo game, very half-court reliant. Doesn’t run the floor that well.

Defensively, Green is going to struggle. He isn’t quick enough to defend most NBA combo forwards due to their athletic advantages, and is too short to stagnate a bigger PF due to his lack of height and athleticism. Likely to get shot over or blown by. Will have to find a team that can mask his lack of physical tools with a shot-blocking presence or quick handed wings to make pressure for his matchups. Is an outstanding rebounder though, and has the length, soft hands and toughness to fight on the glass. Does an excellent job boxing out and using his hips.

Overall, Green can help a team as a reserve at his best. He can stretch the D, pass like a guard (no exaggeration either), and he works to get scrap plays as well. He’s limited physically, and isn’t an athlete, but his skill level and game are so strong that he will earn looks. There is a chance Green goes in the 1^st round according to some, and if a team can figure out a way to mask him defensively, they might have a good role player in the fold.

43: Renardo Sidney, 6’10 280, PF/C, Mississippi State, Jr.

A supremely talented, yet controversial prospect, ever since he was in HS. Was a consensus top 10 recruit. Sidney got in trouble for receiving improper benefits as a Fr., and had to sit out the year plus the 1^st 9 games of his Soph. season. Got suspended after he was reinstated for detrimental conduct in practice, THEN after that got in a punching match with in the stands of a tournament with a teammate. On top of that, there are weight and work ethic concerns. Just a whole lot of bad things have surrounded him. And Miss. State has had a NCAA tourney level roster his last 2 years, and found a way to still never make it. Physically, Sidney is blessed. He has very good height for a PF/C at 6’10, and his frame, although he hasn’t handled it properly, is very nice as well. He is 280 and has carried extra weight for a while, but he probably would be best served to play at around 265. Has very long arms, probably around 7’4 wingspan. Athletically, Sidney is decent as well. He’s not as explosive as he could be if he dropped weight, but he’s extremely coordinated and fluid for his size and shows natural agility.

Offensively, Sidney is a huge talent who hasn’t put it all together. His low post skills have huge potential, and he has some of the best footwork you can possibly as for in a guy his size. Has a jump hook, spins, a turnaround jumper and a dropstep. Has a really soft touch around the rim too. Extremely good hands and will catch passes cleanly even if away from his body. Flashes the ability to get in and out of his moves quickly, which in combination of his array moves can make him extremely tough to guard down low in spurts. He shows some ability to pass the ball well from the low post, but he rarely ever decides to pass. Will have to adjust to stronger bigs and their length, as he is still needs polish with his low post game, and will likely struggle to be efficient when facing more athletic frontlines until he gets more polish. Can lose interest in the game if he doesn’t get as many feeds as he’d like. Sidney also shows some interesting skills a face-up player. Has raw range that extends to about 22 ft., and isn’t afraid to shoot the deep ball. Sometimes he can fall in love with his jumper and doesn’t use his size as effectively as possible. Settles for jumpers at times when he should look to post or roll to the rim for easier shots. Is effective in the pick and roll game but is more likely to pop for a jumper than roll to the rim. Not going to get you many offensive rebounds, and doesn’t move well without the ball to free himself for easy shots. Shows a below average basketball IQ. Really likes to score, but his whole game suffers when he doesn’t get the touches he wants. Mediocre at running the floor, and can be lazy about getting up the court. Jut OK getting to the line.

Defensively, Sidney doesn’t show much interest in stopping his man. He is terribly unaware of his surroundings and is prone to not being there on rotations and letting guys get behind him in the spots he should be in. He fares better in 1-on-1 situations where he size and length factors more, but he does not understand the concept of team defense and is a lazy off ball defender. Not a great rebounder on the defensive end, and is lazy about boxing out. Needs more urgency and awareness to improve defensively.

In terms of raw offensive talent, there may not be a better big man than Sidney. He can handle the ball well for his size, he has 3-point range on his shot, and he already has a good amount of moves in his low post arsenal. He also looks the part of a big man and is a solid athlete for his size. The thing about Sidney is what seems to be a lagging work ethic and maturity. He hasn’t got it yet, but he still one of the more talented players in the draft. He needs polish, time, to lose the excess weight and to show more willingness to defense and rebounding though. A lot of these issus, along with his history of character concerns make it extremely possible he has an uphill battle to play in the NBA though.