[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/03/25/tourney-hype-means-little-nba/
It is titled “Tourney hype means little to NBA”

Terrence Williams 11th, Tyler Hansbrough 13th, Earl Clark 14th, Joe Alexander 8th, Corey Brewer 7th, Tyrus Thomas 4th… You have to love that this guy is the scout who didn’t buy the hype. Of course, he probably did. Then again, he is also saying Andrew Bogut is dominating, so maybe he is blind. The only difference in Bogut this year and any other is that he is healthy and his guards are getting him the number of touches they should. So that is another point off, but regardless, here are some of his reports

THE RISERS

Omar Samhan, Sr., Center, 6-11, St. Mary’s: “I’ve been hearing people say that if he really works on his body between now and the draft like (former UCLA star) Kevin Love did, he can be that type of player,” the scout said. “He does have kind of that Gumby body like Love had, but Love was far more skilled away from the basket, which is good for a kid who doesn’t explode to the hoop. That said, Samhan is really polished on the block on offense. I think he can make it, but to be a starter, all of that hard work he’s put in has to be coming even greater.”

Ryan Wittman, Sr., Small Forward, 6-7, Cornell: “Hey, he makes threes at about 43 percent and he shoots it easy, which tells you the deeper shot won’t be an issue,” the scout said of Randy Wittman’s kid. “He has good footwork curling off the down screen and a quick release. Probably doesn’t have the lateral quickness to guard most guys he’ll see in the NBA, but has the range to at least be invited to summer-league camps. Still a real longshot — and I don’t mean three-point shot — to get drafted.”

Jordan Crawford, Soph., Shooting Guard, 6-4, Xavier: “I have no idea if he’s coming out after this year or not,” the scout said. “He’s had two really efficient games, for him, in the tournament and he’s 21. But, frankly, I think he’s kind of selfish with the ball. He’s obviously Xavier’s main scoring option, but seeing him use an opponents’ defensive focus to create scoring opportunities for teammates is pretty infrequent. By the way, we all knew about Crawford before that video of him dunking against LeBron (James). For someone so focused on scoring, I’d like him more if his shot mechanics and body balance were more consistent. Kobe (Bryant) often sacrifices balance in an effort to get off shots, but his release is so consistent he sometimes gets away with it. If Crawford figures some things out, he has a chance. I hope playing well now doesn’t make him rush to come out.”

Quincy Pondexter, Sr., Swingman, 6-6, Washington: “He really seems to get it this year,” the scout said of the Huskies’ star. “I like how he competes, at both ends. He’s quick, has some bounce and can create a shot against a wide variety of guys. He’s a lot more efficient, which shows the value of staying in school. Kids … stay in school. Seriously, though, he truly has to improve his shooting range, because in the NBA, those tricky moves to the rim end up getting snuffed. I also really like that freshman, Abdul Gaddy, who’s a legit point guard who mostly is playing off the ball for Washington.”

THE ELITE

John Wall, Fr., Point Guard, 6-3, Kentucky: “Point guards don’t turn NBA teams immediately into champions,” the scout said, “unless they’re Magic Johnson and he was 6-9. Wall has the crazy wheels you want, he competes, he’s not afraid to make plays when the game is on the line and those turnovers he’s making figure to come down because NBA rules make it tougher to play team defense like college teams can. In an even more wide-open game than he’s in now, it’ll be hard to pass him up with the first pick.”

Evan Turner, Jr., Basketball Player, 6-7, Ohio State: “Yeah, he’s Mr. Versatility,” the scout said. “Can do a lot of things, competes pretty hard and really thinks of the team first. He’s not a premier athlete, but he’s not bad. With the right team in the right system, he can be a top-notch pro.”

DeMarcus Cousins, Fr., Center, 6-11, Kentucky: “He came to Kentucky with a nasty word called ‘baggage’ attached,” the scout said, “but if the NBA was limited to guys without baggage, you might have to be playing point guard for the Denver Nuggets. Teams will take a close look at him in interviews, but what we’re concerned with now is how hard he competes, which is pretty good, and his way-above-average combination of strength and lost-post foot work. Not a great athlete, in terms of jumping and running like Dwight Howard, but he can go pretty good up and down and his skill level, to me, is off the charts.”

Wesley Johnson, Jr., Small Forward, 6-7, Syracuse: “A premier athlete, he shoots it with range and competes on the glass,” the scout said. “Can he defend? He’s just OK in that Syracuse zone, which is a surprise, because his length and bounce should make him a killer in that thing. He’s decent at putting the ball on the deck for one or two bounces and up into his jumper, but he won’t be a big-time pro until he gets better at that.”

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

Kyle Singler, Jr., Small Forward, 6-9, Duke: “He’s a classic frontcourt tweener,” the scout said. “If he were a little longer, he’d go pretty high as a skilled stretch-four, I think. He has pretty good skill with the ball, but a lack of quickness makes it tough for him to create separation from a defender, so he takes a lot of contested shots. He’s pretty tough, but will have a difficult time guarding guys at the three.”

Devin Ebanks, Soph., Small Forward, 6-9, West Virginia: “Da’Sean Butler is West Virginia’s best player,” the scout said, “and could end up being its best pro prospect if Ebanks doesn’t figure it out. He has enormous potential, has a lot of skill and athleticism, but he’s been pretty disappointing.”

Gordon Hayward, Soph., Small Forward, 6-8, Butler: “He’s really skilled and plays hard,” the scout said. “He was a guard in high school until a pretty big growth spurt and you can see those skills on display. He has pretty decent north-south speed for his size, but the lateral quickness, or lack of it, will make him a question on defense. But he’s a lot better at putting the ball on the floor and going vertically past a defender than some people think. He can shoot it, but sometimes has to take shots with guys in his grill. At the next level, whenever that is, he’ll be more of a guy who gets clean looks off of dribble penetration from a teammate.”

Ekpe Udoh, Jr., Power Forward, 6-10, Baylor: “This kid has really improved,” the scout said. “A pretty good, but not great athlete, he’ll compete on defense and on the boards. His offensive repertoire has expanded to the point where he can be a quality pro.”

[JNixonParticipant]

I agree with all of that stuff..

[QUINCEY]

ive been saying this about guys like bledsoe and favors and a couple other guys all along.. and even ont he nba level. the fans go crazy over a guy much more then the scouts do. thats why i say alot of people on here are unrealistic and dont look at the big picture

[SlimParticipant]

very insightful…

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

with MOST of this…..comparing Samhan to Kevin Love is pushin it…..I will drink the kool-aid on him after they play Baylor…

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I’m interested to see Gordon Hayward’s game in the NBA

People forget this guy has alot of skill. I agree with the site saying he’s not a “Rah-Rah” guy but I believe he can be a effective player in the NBA with time. Maybe a 15-7 type player in his prime.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I wish they had Greg Monroe’s take.

[JNixonParticipant]

I agree with that too. He’s no Kevin Love, but he’s no slouch either. I would compare him to a guy like Ike Diogu.

I don’t see Hayward getting 15-8 ever in a season in the NBA. He’s not going to be a big factor on the glass, and he’s likely going to be a spot-up shooter and straight-line slasher. At best I think he gets like 10 ppg and 4 boards

[QUINCEY]

i cant agree more with the point guards dont turn teams into champions immediately. those who think wall can from day one need to read this

i remeber saying the same thing about turner as far as a athlete when some compared him to penny.

i really think singler can be a better luke walton in the nba

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

Going to be another situation where the rich get richer…….he can really help a team that is winning (a la Ty Lawson)….he is not going to be a star but coming off the bench he can really be valuable to a team like Dallas or Orlando coming off the bench right away…..he is the type of guy who will also be willing to buy into the team concept…….but he can REALLY help himself tonight with a good game and ultimately with a win draftwise……I wish this trend of the tournament having so much to do with a players stock but that’s just the way it is…..just more examples of NBA GM’s being LAZY!!!!!

[QUINCEY]

he will have a hard time getting much playing time on dallas or orlandos team even though hes pretty good

[QUINCEY]

this post will not sit well with some people on this site who think this site has alot of connections since they have a opposite view of players stock going up in the tournament. or down. maybe they will realize that this sites views is there opinions not information from nba scouts

[sheltwon3Participant]

Evans is a guard who helped his team become relevant and I think Wall can do the same. Kings would have made the playoff if in the East

[QUINCEY]

lol..no the kings would not have

[QUINCEY]

there record against the east is 9-18

you multiply that by 3 and they have a record of 27-54

thats 81 games

[JNixonParticipant]

Yea the Kings aren’t a good team no matter what conference they’re in…

[midwestbbscoutParticipant]

Without Kevin Martin b/c now Evans is the only person that can score….

[SlimParticipant]

“Evans is a guard who helped his team become relevant and I think Wall can do the same. Kings would have made the playoff if in the East”

Evans is 20ppgSG he gets to the line a lot, Kings are still bad

Philly are a playoff contender with a good-great Pg (andre miller left= lottery)
Bucks were near playoffs with RJ and Villanueva

certain teams have certain needs and point guard as ur best scorer can only do so much…

[knicksfreakParticipant]

Bledsoe was gaining interest way before the tourney and his value is high because of lack of PG’s in the draft. I’m not saying hes a bona fide NBA starter but his value in the draft is up due to lack of competition.

Favors has interest due to his hype out of highschool and physical skills. I think he has played himself out of the top tier of players in this draft but has recently worked his way back into contention with the 2nd tier.

This article is nice and I agree with the sentiment of it. I look at guys like Tyrus Thomas and Brandon Rush who were chosen higher than they should have been due to March madness.

[QUINCEY]

imnot sure wall can do the same. evans is alot more powerful then wall so even when his jumper isnt falling he can over power guys. wall isnt nearly as powerful and if his jumper isnt falling he will struggle more then evans would. jenning has shown waht can happen when youre jumper isnt falling. i think just like jenning though wall will be able to impact the game with his great court vision and passing

[SlimParticipant]

wall is a bigger threat in the open court

evans is a bigger threat in the half court tho

strength or athleticism; or no athleticism and great jumper

GREAt players find a way to get it done,

[QUINCEY]

yeah and we dont know if wall is a great player. we know he’s a very good college player and we can guess what he will be in the nba but we dont know.

and eveans is just as big of threat int he open court on the nba level as wall is on the college level

[QUINCEY]

and neither is GREAT right now so im not sure why you said GREAT

[SlimParticipant]

^ I wanted you to say it first so I didnt sound like a hater

[Author]

Posts