Kyle O'Quinn is a sleeper in this draft. He's a little short for a center at 6'8.5 barefoot, 6'10 in shoes, but he has a 7'5 (!) wingspan, tied for the longest in this class. And he's filled out nicely at 240 pounds. He hits over 60% of his 2-pointers, and averages around 16 points a game. He has some moves on the block and is a good passer. He can also hit an open jumpshot, so defenses will have to respect him away from the basket. He shot 76% from the line his junior year and 70% his senior year. Defensively, he's a beast. He averaged 3.4 (!) blocks his junior year and 2.6 his senior year. Given how badly we need a shot-blocker, his presence should be greatly appreciated. He rebounds pretty well at over 10 per game as well. Oh yea, and Morey is rumored to be interested in him.
O'Quinn is far better than Greg Smith offensively and defensively. O'Quinn scores much more than Greg Smith with much higher efficiency and can shoot. O'Quinn blocked over 3 shots a game in college while Greg Smith blocked 1 shot a game. O'Quinn also rebounds at a much higher rate and is a better passer. The only similarity I see is that they are pretty much the same size.
I've never seen him play bc I don't really watch college, but why wouldn't he just be a 4. Based on your measurements, he sounds similar to Elton Brand.
He may be able to play the 4, many draft sites have him listed as a pf/c. He's a little slow though, so I see him mostly as a center.
More on O'Quinn. http://www.nbadraftblog.com/2012-articles/may/the-case-forkyle-oquinn.html Excellent wingspan!!!
I actually think O'Quinn will make it to the 1st. If we were to get one Boston's picks, would it be a reach to draft him there? A Melo-O'Quinn duo would be a block party off the bench.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/43058/kyle-oquinn I think Kyle will struggle a little to score against very good competition, but his shot blocking, defense and rebounding will make up for it.
I like O'Quinn. Really professional. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9nG7dp8MieI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If they end up trading back in the draft this year I could definitely see them picking up him or maybe even Miles Plumlee. Both of those guys would be good late 1st round picks who can give you minutes off the bench their first year. Its going to be interesting to see what the Rockets do this summer with their big man rotation. First off you have Camby who would like to come back, but lets face it... the guy will get offered more than the veterans minimum. I think they would love to have him back, but at the end of the day its going to be Marcus' call on whether he's fine with a reduced role and lower salary in Houston to finish out comfortably as a lockeroom glue guy for the young guys to learn from or if he wants to chase one more pay day with a team like maybe Cleveland or the Bucks (two teams that I see as darkhorses to try and aquire Camby) Then there is the Dalembert situation. You basically only have until the end of draft night to move him to a team that basically just wants his buyout. There also might be a team that wants the depth at the center position, but the first reason is probably the easiest to assume. That being said, Dalembert is still a quality center at times although he has trouble finding his way on the court late in 4th quarters. Then there is Greg Smith. Is this guy going to pick up the fundamentals quick enough to not get leap frogged by a rookie like O'Quinn, Ezeli, or a Nicholson type of big who might give you more potential and also out-perform you on the court in the short term? I think the Rockets will end up moving around their picks quite a bit, and will somehow end up with a big in the 2nd round like O'Quinn or Ezeli. I would have to assume that there is a good chance they still bring Smith in to training camp, but there is a good chance they could get a quality big like Plumlee, and the other guys mentioned who is a better options as your 3rd center. Or on the other hand, they might be able to draft a guy like Leonard or Zeller and then try to move Dalembert while retaining Camby. Who knows. I could see either happening but more than likely Im predicting they move back and take a guy like O'Quinn rather than using their 14/16 picks to draft a big like Zeller or Leonard. I think the Rockets would not view them as franchise changers, and probably views them being late 1st rounders whose stock is rising just because they are tall.
That was a good interview, he came off like an old pro. (Especially compared to all the interviews I've seen of Lamb.) 6'10" with shoes? I'll take it.
What about aquiring a 2nd rounder and drafting the 6'11" Henry Sims from Georgetown? Sims emerged as one of the more unique big men in college ball, after averaging in double figures while leading his team in assists and blocked shots. Sims has great size and deceptive quickness, and possesses a feel for the rim that allows him to score in the paint. If Sims can continue developing the midrange game, he's be able to contribute in a variety of ways to an NBA front court. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/41734/henry-sims
I actually like Sims. He and O'Quinn played well together during the Portsmouth Invitational. They made a good big man duo.
I wouldn't be upset if we traded back to 21 and 22 and selected Cunningham (21) and O'Quinn (22). Then with 16 we can take Moe Harkless.
You can't tell me you don't like this guy. He shines in every interview. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SC0xowspVng" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
