[blackflash234Participant]

My steal for the 2009 NBA draft has to be Marcus Thornton. Many of you might disagree with me but nobody really knows how good he’s gonna be. He can score at will and doesn’t shy back from anyone. The minutes will be there for him in New Orleans and he’ll be asked to score. Pair him up with Chris Paul in the back court and he’ll just explode because Chris Paul makes everyone around him better.

Who’s your prediction for the steal of the 2009 NBA draft?

[BlazermannParticipant]

chase budinger or how ever u spell it he’s a steal a 20 plus man in 2-3 years

[JoeWolf1]

There are different types of steals I feel, a top 3 player in a particular draft taken at 15 or 20 is a steal. In my opinion the guy who is going to be the biggest steal as far as his rank in the draft class in comparison to his selection spot is Jodi Meeks. He has the ability to score at an NBA level and for a pretty weak Milwaukee team he is going to get minutes while learning from Michael Redd. He was taken in the 40’s and when all is said and done I think he will be in the top 15-17 in this draft.

[JNixonParticipant]

Rodrique Beaubois. He’s a true PG and a good looking passer. He defends great with his unbelieable quickness and length, and he has a sweet shot (something I didnt expect). He doesnt have any real weaknesses except he’s not quite strong. I think he’ll be a very good starter when Kidd is done as a starter. He reminds me of Tony Parker with long arms and a better shot.

[MagikKnickParticipant]

<—That guy

ACC Defensive POY
ACC Scoring Leader
ACC POY Runner-Up

[blackflash234Participant]

Chase Budinger and Marcus Thornton were both drafted in the 40’s though.. Chase was taken 44th and Thornton was taken 43rd.

[blackflash234Participant]

Where will the minutes come from for Toney Douglas and Rodrigue Beaubois. When you look at the depth charts, Beaubois is behind Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson and Larry Hughes so minutes won’t be available from the start and the same for Beaubois who will be behind Jason Kidd and JJ Barea and possibly Jason Terry playing some point.

[JoeWolf1]

I know, I’m just more sold on Meeks at this point. I think Thornton and Budinger are good picks and will be good players, but I just think Meeks is going to be a better player right now, just my opinion.

[JNixonParticipant]

I believe Barea is on his way out as a trading piece (Monte Ellis and/or Stephen Jackson deal). Even if Barea doesnt get dealt, I think Dallas realizes Beaubois is the PG of the future and he will be tested and groomed accordingly, which will result in less time for Barea and Terry will see most if not all of his time at SG.

[MagikKnickParticipant]

Yeah, Donnie Walsh is going to ue Nate Robinson as a trading peice to help move E. Curry and/or J. Jeffries, so hes on his way out

Plus The Knicks have no other SG on the roster besides Larry Hughes, so he’ll get most of his minutes there

So that’ll leave just Duhon and Douglas at the point
and keep in mind Robinson*, Hughes, and Duhon are all expiring contracts

[sheltwon3Participant]

The thing is Beaubois is going to be learning behind Jason Kidd. I also think he will get at least 10 min a game this year. He is a perfect change of pace guard to put with Terry and just chanlenge defense with their quickness like Terry and Harris did sometimes. Toney Douglas will not get many minutes this year but the thing is Duhon is probably not coming back so year 2 will be good for him.

[youngmagParticipant]

Jodie Meeks and Darren Collison.Meeks went second round and Collison is very much underrated. I would have to say Blair,Budinger,Beaubois,n Thorton fit the script also.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

dujuan blair and chase budinger… i think blair should have been a lottery pick and i think budinger should have been close…

[los507Participant]

Dante Cunningham is a guy I can see making a impact of the bench for the Blazers.This guy hustles and I would like to see if he can rebound at a high enough rate in the league to play big minutes at the 4 spot.Just knowing how things goes for Oden he could be thrust into some heavy minutes if Oden is hurt or in foul trouble.I think he could eventually be a David West style forward.

[T-WOLF FANParticipant]

I think Jodie Meeks, Marcus Thornton and Dejuan Blair might be the steals of this years draft, but we’ll see… I’m just excited that basketball will be starting soon…

[RalwarezParticipant]

First of all – I would name my candidates – despite of considered as a weak draft this year, it seems that the steel potential is very strong though.

DeJuan Blair – 37th pick – I think no-one believes his impact to the team right away. I think his 11 points and nearly 8 rebounds for 14 minutes per game will be almost as big arguments as Jeffersons play for San Antonio and they will end up in final four, where they´ll beat LA lakers. I won´t consider Blair as a long-term prospect but season 1,2 and 3 should be good for him.

Chase Budinger – 44th pick – He is a great fit to his defensive-minded team – houston lacks a bit simple baskets from half-court game – and Budinger sure as hell has shown he can shoot unbelieveble percentages from field. He is wise, tall and gets a very good elevation on his shot, so he should be able to create his own shot at half-court game or pass the ball well. He´ll make a solid offensive statistics from the bench right away and Houston got an extra gear to use – consider it as a joker as it comes off the bench. He´s minutes will increase during the season.

Marcus Thornton – 43th pick – great offensive player, great consistency from the field considering his position and height. New Orleans got great substances now to the positions 1 and 2. I Think Thornton landed to the right team to him, which will increase his value as a steel. He has a chance to put up a top 15 statistics in NO amongst the rookies and I think he ´s gonna use that chance.

Jodie Meeks – His NBA-readyness has surprised a lot of people – obviously his playing-style fits to the NBA. He will be a contributor and a great back-up to Michael Redd right away. Also he helps to make Milwaukee the most dangerous team beyond the three point lane in NBA – Brandon Jennings, Michael Redd, Jodie Meeks, Charlie Bell plus other defenders – would´nt want to be in a must-win team against such legion of shooters. Milwaukee clearly lacks an inside presence though – even if Bogut stays healthy, but next year´s draft will be full of no. PFs.

I also name a few players, who – I think – gonna put out solid numbers on their rookie season – although they were not excpected to before the summer camps.
35th Detroit – DaJuan Summers – great confidence, good attitude, right team
36th Memphis – Sam Young – true warrior, bit of an underdog due to his size and position, will help to make Memphis team right away.
33th Portland – Dante Cunningham – will open as he gets out of Portland, the most talented team in NBA – part of them sitting on the bench (Jerryd bayless etc.)
25th – Dallas – Rodrigue Beaubois – Not quite ready yet, but will be a major addition to Dallas after a 3 or 4 years. Capable of making the starting point guard position.
28th – Minnesota – Wayne Ellington. Will have the chance and all the necessary tools to help his team right away – and he will.
15th – Detroit – Austin Daye – was considered to spend a next few years in a gym instead of balling hall. He proved he has intention to play the ball right away, and probably gets a chance. Detroit´s young frontcourt is intriguing. (Summers, Daye, Jerebko).
16th – Chicago – James Johnson. Shut down those, who were sure about DeJuan Blair getting drafted to Bulls. Has shown, that he´s a sure bet 10 + 6 at his rookie season – but as a pleasant surprise has shown a great and consistent passing ability – and we talk from 3 to 5 assists per 20 minutes. That may turn him to a real steal for young and talented Chicago Bulls.

So if I should pick one – I´d probably picked at first DeJuan Blair – he turns San Antonio team to me one of the most intriguing teams in NBA from being one of the most boring one. He has a huge upside making his team better right away. But as I dont believe he´s wings (read: knees, weight-problems) gonna carry him on the absolute top in long terms, I would make a back-up pick, too. And that would be Chace Budinger. He has a potential to become an all-star and possible cornerstone of an NBA team, which i believe, he eventually gonna achieve.

[McWinningParticipant]

i dont agree with Beaubois Being like Parker. hes better in those areas but you left out Parker is maybe the best slashing point guard in the game. i think hes more like what Rondo will be if he gets a jumpshot, hes an All-Star possibly but i disagree with the Parkr comparison.

[RalwarezParticipant]

Could also try to guess who´s gonna be the biggest disappointments, considering their college game or speculative potential.

1. Hasheem Thabeet – despite of his great work ethics he never gonna dominate the boards. And you cannot be a true no 2 draft-pick only being tall and blocking shots. Right now he just lacks of aggressiveness, dominative instincts and strong legs and body. Due to that he is no warrior under the boards, and 7-2 is simply not enough to dominate the paint without the passion, energy, hunger and mental strength. I would be happy to be proved wrong.

2. Stephen Curry – he is a great shooter, no doubt. But (almost) so is Allen Iverson. NBA is full of great shooters. That does not guarantee anything. He has a hunger to win as few players have. That still is not enough. I think, he is simply overhyped – he is a great shooter, player, leader- CONSIDERING his weight. That means actually, he is relatively good player, what is not enough to become a superstar in NBA basketball game. First of all, he is not a great team player, he is not a great passer, his shot is inconsistent due to his relatively small size, he is less useful at boards, he is less useful at defensive end due to his lack of strength and height. These issues have to be solved or overshadowed with something extraordinary, which would help his team win. 35 point per game is not enough, for example – MJ shot at better percentige from field, was a great defender and above the average passer, solid at boards for example. And yet his team got no rings easily.

3. Jordan Hill. Can´t see right now the actual weapons, actual arguments, which makes him better than most powerforwards. If he works hard, he maybe turns his potential into a real thing after couple of years. But where would that be? Better than Dwight Howard? never. Better than Chris Bosh? Don´t think so, no. Better than Kevin Garnett? Obviously no. Better than, for example Al Jefferson? No way, sorry. Better than Sean Williams? You know – dude from NY Nets? That is already imaginable. How high is that? I would call it a standard replacement bigman.

4. Earl Clark. What a great talent he is. But the most important bodypart of basketball player, the HEAD, is missing right now. No-one knows if that will change in time. Until then, he is just a great talent, but under averige basketball player at NBA level.

5. BJ Mullens. Same things as about Hasheem Thabeet. Sometimes he plays as his parents were forced him to play basketball as a child due to his great size, instead of piano-playing, which he would picked by himself for example. How can your teammates trust you and lean on you as a leading big man on a crue, if you just disappear and think: “I am invisible. No-one can see me right now. Then – obviously – they can´t see, if I wont go after this rebound. How do they know, how tired I am? Look – I´m swetting. That should be convincing. Look, I´m swetting – don´t pass me the ball, make this one by yourself… too. And next one. ”

6. Omri Casspi. Cannot see an NBA material. His playing style as well fits better to europe, where he probably will be in next few years till the end of his career – which could not be unsuccesful at all. But not in USA.

7. Victor Claver. Exactly the same.

8. christian Eyenga. Just… did´nt understand this pick. At that position of draft.

9. Terrence Williams. Obviously went too high. Has great personality, maybe that played a bigger roll as it should. Don´t think, he´s gonna be a total failure, but let Hansbrough, Austin Daye, Wayne Ellington, Toney Douglas, DaJuan Summers, DeJuan Blair, Chase Budinger, Marcus Thornton go and pick Williams over them gonna be probably a decision, they gonna regret.

10. Taylor Griffin. I mean – cmoon? what is wrong with you guys in Phoenix? He is a great athlete, but clearly not an NBA material. He will be gone in two years.

[lalailaParticipant]

16ppg12rpg as a sophmore!! better standing reach than Blake’s! his power, body, wings, footwork..he could easily become top10, and maybe NBA champion this year!

[llperez]

I agree with everyone on your dissapointment list having the potential to dissapoint except Hill. And you argument against him is pretty weak when all you can come up with is he won’t be better then Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh or Kevin Garnett. I mean, if the 8th pick is not better then 3 of the best superstars in the game, that does not mean he is a dissapointment.

As for what he brings to the table, He is athletic, and he has a great face up game for a big man. He can shoot out to 20 feet and he can blow by his man and get into the lane against slower bigs.

[RalwarezParticipant]

I go out for running about an hour and after that we could discuss a little deeper about Jordan hill´s possibilities. Least thing, I would want to do, is make someone look bad without any reasonable arguments. I love this game. Will be back after training.

[JoeWolf1]

Stephen Curry has been working with Chris Paul this summer to improve his pg skills and help him get be ready for NBA ball. You mentioned his lack of strength, but actually if you look at his combine performance he repped 185 10 times which is one less than power forward Jordan Hill. He is strong for a 185 pound 21 year old, and I look for him to improve his strength. He is a little on the short size which will allow bigger guards to post him up, but as being the son of an NBA guard he has had tons of opportunity and connections and seems to be working hard and taking advantage of that. He may not ever be a superstar, but I think he will be a very fine player and a contributer right away. When all is said and done I don’t think he will be considered a disappointment, I don’t think he’ll be a star either, but I think he’ll be a solid 15-17ppg 5-7 apg 1.5 spg guy for his career.

[TheENDParticipant]

I would have to say it would be Chase Budinger definitely and you have to add in DeJuan Blair!

Having said that,I feel there are some players who should have been drafted(at least in the 2nd round)that will be great free agent steals……

-Josh Heytvelt(Biggest glaring weakness is his rebounding)
-Alex Ruoff(Very underrated and was one of the best players at one pre-draft camp…Portsmouth>??)
-Micah Downs(Super athletic and solid defender)
-Dionte Christmas(Taylor Griffin got drafted,so….)

P.S:I think Patty Mills will end up being a great value also for a low 2nd rounder.

[JoeWolf1]

Dionte Christmas looked pretty poor in his summer league games. Mid-season I thought he was a late 1st rounder, but he proved to be an inconsistent shooter, physically on the weak side for a shooting guard, and I think his poor summer league performance sealed his fate as far as playing in the NBA this year.

I like your pick in Heytvelt, he is a Brad Miller clone, he also went un-drafted. A big athletic 6’10” guy with an outside shot can help some team along the line, but he does have some character issues.

[youngmagParticipant]

See Curry isn’t over hyped at all he is a great passer just he had literally no one to pass to and still managed to get 6 assist a game in a college system at one point it was 9. Also hes playing for the fast break Warriors Randolph,Monte, & Jackson in an open court come on thats easy assist so he will be very good regardless. Clark idk about him yet. T-Will will be very good in the NBA the way he can run the court and pass he is the type of SF I want plus he is very athletic he will learn game quickly also because he is getting all the playing time he wants. Other than that your other disappointments are solld.

[RalwarezParticipant]

About Jordan Hill. Well, I´ll bring up some arguments, because I studied a little bit all the data and I remain on my stand about him.
1. Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett are not 3 of the best superstars of the game. These would probably be LeBron, Kobe and Dwyane Wade. Dwight Howard actually competes to the third position with Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade.
Kevin Garnett is most experienced player, a future hall of famer, been years at the absolute top of NBA. But following the statistics – although that does´nt tell everything, it still says much – Best three bigmen in NBA were Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki and Al Jefferson. Based on efficiency rating. If we consider Dirk Nowitzki, as nonorthodox bigman out, then third position would go to Pau Gasol. Then comes Chris Bosh, then Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Amare Stoudemire, Troy Murphy etc. For example, the fifteenth big man in efficiency rating is Shaquille OŃeal. 16th is Marcus Camby. 17th is Carlos Boozer and 18th – Nene Hilario. Nene is the first bigman from this list, with whom in my opinion is possible to compare Jordan Hill. Actually they are quite alike – tools, playing style etc. Both are rather defensively oriented – to block shots and get rebounds. In offence they depend on cheap shots from offensive glass, at their best a simple pick and roll or very deep and well passed low-post. JHill does have a better face-to-basket game, but Nene is clearly better at back-to-basket.
Now. To play more of an outside-inside no 4, being rather small for the position (Hill is 6.9 without shoes) you have to be technical or quick. Hill is technically very raw. From that level he never gonna be a technical specimen. But with good work he may improve his technique to somewhere between inadequate/satisfing level. His Quickness is far from great: he is an explosive leaper, but does not have really explosive foot speed. Hes standing reach is also average at best – players with same or less size – like Earl Clarke, Taj Gibson, even Derrick Brown and Jeff Adrien – have the same reach (ot 0.5 inch less). He is not particulary strong – 10 times bench press is above the average from those, who got into an NBA teams. Therefore I´m not agree about his athleticism. His relative agileness and leaping are coming a little bit from lack of bulk. That gonna change quickly in NBA.

Why I consider him as a possible disappointment, considering he went at 8. Yes, but he went as a third big man from this draft, and is considered more of a project, which means, he should have a huge upside. But if time goes by and upside does´nt turn into a really solid player, it would be disappoint me. A few examples, what would not disappoint:
Spencer Hawes – 10th at 2007
Channing Frye – 8th at 2005
Andrew Bynum – 10th at 2005
Andris Biedrins – 11th at 2004 – actually he is only a year older than JHill
Al Jefferson – 15th at 2004 – clearly a project when were drafted, 2 years older than Hill
David West – 18th at 2003
not to speak about Chris Kaman, who went 6th at the same year.
Nene Hilario – 7th at 2002
Amare Stoudemire – 9th at 2002
Mehmet Okur – 38th at 2001
not to speak about Carlos Boozer, who went 35th at 2002

etc. I found a list of bigmen, who went at early 2round, and who´s are at level where I think Hill is going to land after few years:
37th – Ronny Turiaf 2005
49th – Andray Blatche 2005
57th – Marcin Gortat 2005
31th – Anderson Varejao 2004
34th – Dan Gadzuric 2002
56th – Luis Scola 2002
26th – Samuel Dalembert 2001
etc.

It projects draft position no 8 as pretty good place to be, if you want get better than just solid big man. No 8 position, if you choose project over contributor – should get you really dominant and star material bigman. If u´ll fly under this, then I would call it disappointment. So JHill has pretty good load of responsibility in front of NYK, but so has NYK in front of their fans. My guess would be – JHill went too high as he really looks athletic in this relatively weak draft. At the moment, however, On the table are
+ agility, explosive leaping ability which brings him solid numbers of blocks and rebounds, but nothing spectacular. Nice midrange shot mechanics, which may turn into a consistent contributor for him. Developing face-up game, which could widen his opportunities in offence spectacularly, in case it hit´s the NBA level. Right now it is´nt.
– Size, height, strength, technique, experience, reach. No special weapon.

[JNixonParticipant]

You consider Christian Eyenga a disappointment? He was the last pick of the 1st round for a team that didnt have any weaknesses they could fill that deep except for a defensive minded athletic guy for the future. I think Eyenga is going to be a good rotation player, he has a good shot and is a very good defender already. He just needs to polish his skills a little more and he will be a decent player in the NBA.

And Bird, he has the build of Rondo and his athleticism, but that’s it. Beaubois isnt quite the passer, defender, ball-handler or rebounder Rondo is. And Rondo doesnt have the shot Beaubois has. Outside of physical ability, they arent similar at all.

[llperez]

well, I give you credit for coming with a much better and detailed argument. But surely you have to see the fallacy in simply saying he will dissapoint because he will not be better then Bosh, KG, and Dwight. All three of those guys are all star franchise big men. That is the same exact thing as saying that Brandon Jennings will dissapoint because he won’t be better then DWill, CP3, or TParker. That is just not a good argument no matter how you want to break it.

We can disagree on his skills and it really is just a matter of opinion until we see what he does in the league. But having watched him plenty the last couple years, he has improved in all facets dramaticly. His offense is actually way ahead of his defense at this point which why many scouts are throwing out comparisons with Amare Stoudemire. 6-9 without shoes is not small for pf. That equates to about 6-10 1/2 with shoes which is plenty tall. He is an offense minded big, with a very solid face up game and rebounding abilities. He should excel in D’Antoni’s offense.

The only real weaknesses he has that I can see are that when he tries to bang with physical bigs, he tends to play small and bring the ball down low or settle for soft attempts around the hoop. But I think he will improve in those areas and become a very good player. Even if he never becomes an all-star like the other guys you mentioned, if he starts gives 15 and 10, then that would be far from a dissapointment.

[RalwarezParticipant]

i agree with you with this one. If he does give a 15/10 consistently, I´ll eat my words and admit, that I was wrong. But if he gives Under 14 ppg and under 8 rpg, then I will consider him as disappointment. Of course, no-one expect these numbers at rookie-, or even at sophomore season, but in third year the numbers should already become something like that.

[Toronto16Participant]

I agree with Rodrique Beaubois as being the steal.

[NYK2010Participant]

On Jordan Hill some ppl say he has a game like Bosh others say Mikey Moore who knows. I also heard that Hill was the 2nd most ready big going into the draft behind Griffin. Hill has a lot to prove but he will probably get decent minutes. I’m not going by a few summer league games where he didn’t go inside much and the pace of the game seemed to be his biggest foe. He does have a good mid range jumper just need to take the ball inside give him some time.

Some sleepers in the draft

Chase Budinger, though who knows how much playing time he gets with reports of Tmac returning early, Battier and Ariza
Austin Daye he’ll learn from Tayshaun Prince how to play with that body frame and probably be better offensively than him.
Tony Douglas, he plays defense, is a gym rat and showed he can run a team even if it was only in summer league.
DeJuan Blair, a lot of teams especially the Cavs, Mavs& Blazers will be kicking themselves for passing on him late in the 1st round & early 2nd.
Jodie Meeks, most likely is groomed to replace Redd in a couple of years could be exciting team with Jennings and if Bogut ever reaches his potential.
Jrue Holiday, he has top 10 talent probably could’ve used another year in college where he played out of position but he’s a good defender smart move by Philly.
Ty Lawson, not sure why he dropped so low, the Twolves traded him instead of Flynn wrong move. He’s a winner and goes to the perfect team for him behind Billups he can learn from him & be a back up PG.

[McWinningParticipant]

yeah but you can say the same for comparing him to Parker. Parkers the much better scorer while Beabois has the better defense and shot. i dont agree with passing because when you are surrounded with scorers like he is and hes a super passer he should get as double double its easy to get a lot of assists in that offense.

[JNixonParticipant]

But he’s much more comparable to Parker than Rondo or any other player. And I believe Beaubois can develop that aggressive slashing mindset that Parker has. Parker didnt pop up in the League and play as aggressive as he does now if you remember. He was that shy kid that was trying to distribute the ball among veterans for a title contender. Beaubois has the ability to develop into that type of scorer, he has the same shiftiness and agility. And more range on his shot already…

[McWinningParticipant]

yeah maybe but off the bat i dont think so. yeah he could develop into a really good scorer.

[JNixonParticipant]

I dont think he’ll be as good as Tony Parker is off the bat either, it was just a comparison. That’s what he plays like, I think he can develop into that when given a chance later. If he was as good as Parker, he would be the opening day starter…

[McWinningParticipant]

i dont know Parker might be the best slashing point guard in the league he has some really sick moves that it would be really hard for other players to equal.

[JNixonParticipant]

He has quickness and alot of floaters and shots around the basket, Beaubois has quickness and alot of floaters and shots around the basket. And a jumper with range, he could actually be better than Parker with experience.

[RalwarezParticipant]

Cannot agree on this mather either. Everyone has been working this summer hard at NBA. Cannot say, that 10 x 185 pounds bench press shows any strength. Actually it is quite weak result, considering his relatively leight weight, so his strength is below the average.
I could bring up a stupid, but true example – I´m playing some basketball, too, on the 3. strongest league in my (small) country – so i´m an amateur, but i practice about 5-6 times a week. I´m in a relatively good shape, but cannot compare myself, of course, with NBA rookies. I am at same weight as Stephen Curry – 6.2, maybe 0.5 inch taller, and my weight is 190 pounds. My result in bench press would be about 12 – 14 times, as i make 3 series about 9 – 10 times each with a 220 pounds — and I´m at the thin side of a frame-type. That makes me quite strong in my own team, but far from being physically capable at NBA level. So my guess would be – Stephen Curry can consider himself physically ok, not good, but ok, if he can benchpress about 3 x 10times with 200 pounds. That makes about 14-15 times his own bodyweight.
If you dug deep into the results of draftees measurements, you noticed, that few guys pressed only less than 10. Let´s see, who they were:

Earl Clark – 5 times – he is weak and wieri. (228 pounds)
Joe Ingles – 3 times – did´nt make it to the NBA team
Omri Casspi – 2 times – did´nt make it
Demar DeRozan – 5 times – that is a surprise, if I´m honest (211 pounds)
Terrence Williams – 9 times – that is a big surprise, too (213 punds)
Greivis Vasgues – 1 time – did´nt make it
Dionte Christmas – 3 times – did´nt make it
Gerald Henderson – 8 times
Tyreke Evans – 7 times
Jrue Holiday – 6 times
Eric Maynor – 8 times
Rodrigue Beaubois – 3 times
Darren Collison – 9 times
Patty Mills – 8 times

that´s it. 14 out of 50. Two of them pressed 9, 3 of them pressed 8.

if we look at some not-very physical guys results, we see:

Jeff Teague – 13 times, 175 pounds
Toney Douglas – 15 times, 183 pounds
Jodie Meeks – 14 times, 211 pounds

But physical specimen:
James Harden – even 17 times, at 221 pounds.
Luke Harangody – 23 times at 240 pounds
Derrick Brown – 20 times at 225 pounds
Dante Cunningham – 18 times at 227 pounds

So that about his athleticism. It´s below the average. Being a son of former NBA player is an advantage, but he always had that. At this stage of his career and age these connections, knowledge and opportunity does´nt count as much as earlier, i ´d think. Know he should be his own man.
I agree with you, that he will be most likely a fine player and a contributer right away. But in my opinion he has been projected as a future star in NBA, what may, and may not happen. Due to his eager to improve, I would not denie his chances to become a star player, but at this point I rather would not bet on him. My guess – at rookie season: 11-12 points per game with relatively poor percentage from field, 2.5 assist, 1 steal. Throughout the career – 14-15 points ppg with below the average % from field, 3-pointers under 40%, near 4 apg, 1.2 spg. Which, nevertheless, is quite solid statistics for an NBA player.

(When all is said and done I don’t think he will be considered a disappointment, I don’t think he’ll be a star either, but I think he’ll be a solid 15-17ppg 5-7 apg 1.5 spg guy for his career.)

[RalwarezParticipant]

At last i would name some players, who looked good at summer leagues and should be noticed before season begins – maybe they make it to the NBA team later on.

Joey Dorsey – actually he is on Rockets roster, but last season he got nearly 0 minutes in main league. At Vegas summercamp he showed, that he was a man amongst boys, showing exclusively only two-figured numbers on boards, taking 20 at his best game.

Cartier Martin, who also earned his contract afterall, should be intriguing prospect to follow – how will this D-league-grown guy manages in real league.

David Monds – Big guy, who contributed for LA Lakers bigtime at summercamp, looked good at scoring and attacked the glass hard. One of the most interesting players in Vegas summer league out from the draft. Has very nice midrange jumper.

Ben McCauley – silent but effective bigman

Quincy Douby – felt comfy at summerleague, faught his place in the roster. We´ll see how it goes in the league.

Marcus Williams – he, of course, is already at Memphis roster, but still would want to mark him – he passed the ball at will and was one of most dominant playmakers with Jonny Flynn and Brandon Jennings

Leo Lyons – did his work honestly, deserves definitely something.

Gary Forbes – a typical small forward from D-league, did his job just well and earned himself a contract, if I´m not mistaken.

Marcus Landry – looked ok. Took shots and put the ball to the basket.

James Augustine – a good bigman. (Chicago) I´m even a little bit surprised, he did´nt earn a contract from Chicago.

Ahmad Nivins – big guy worth mentioning (Dallas). Great competitor, attacking offensive glass very well.

Othyus Jeffers, shooting guard from D-league. Anthony Roberson, offensive-minded guard from Chicago Bulls.

[JNixonParticipant]

Someone PLEASE give Pooh Jeter a chance! He’s super good as a scorer…he’s a decent enough PG too

[Pistol Pete. The PelicanParticipant]

i’m going to go with a first and second round steal, my first round steal is brandon jennings at ten, i only say this because in my opinion he should have been picked higher and I do think he will be one of the top 3 players from this draft along with griffin and stephen curry(opinion)

i think he will one day be a player that will give you 17 points and 10 assists, and for a point guard that is great along with his allen iverson like steals getting like 2.5 a game.

my second round steal is dajuan summers, i think he will be better than thornton(who is from my hometown i know him personally), meeks,and budinger

i think he could be a antawn jamison type player that can play inside/out and play that hybrid 3/4 position that is becoming more consistent these days, i’m predicting he will be a 18 and 8 player as soon as they trade tayshaun prince which could be soon.

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