At the press conference, Daryl Morey mentioned that the Rockets would look to replace Landry in the draft, especially with it being heavy on big men. I think it would be beneficial to have one thread dedicated to the various prospects that Morey could be looking at. Please don't quote this post, as it's pretty long and would just annoy everyone. I got all this information from www.nbadraft.net and www.draftexpress.com . I'll add who I believe will be considered: Derrick Favors, PF Georgia Tech (Fr.) Height: 6'10” Weight: 246 Age: 18 Best Case: Antonio McDyess In Prime Worst Case: Chris Wilcox Strengths: Efficiency Excellent hands Excellent Touch Makes quick moves in the post Ability to contest shots Activity level Defensive fundamentals Defensive potential Lateral quickness Pick and roll defense Shot-blocking skills Versatility to defend multiple positions Huge upside Strong Intangibles Unselfishness Work ethic Young for class Ability to finish around basket Ability to finish through contact Excellent wingspan Freakish athleticism NBA body Excellent rebounder Weaknesses: All-around offensive polish Lacks significant offensive polish Turnover prone Ability to create own shot Ability to put ball on floor Advanced post moves Experience Not always assertive College system makes him difficult to evaluate Got by on instincts at college level Not productive enough Relatively unproven Free throw shooting Jump-shot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Od-U5IF4s DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C Kentucky (Fr.) Height: 6’11” Weight: 270 Age: 19 Best Case: Taller Al Jefferson Worst Case: Derrick Coleman On His Worst Days Strengths: Ability to get to free throw line; Excellent skill-level; Go-to scoring mentality; Mid-range game; Pick and roll play; Scoring instincts; Ability to create own shot; Ability to put ball on floor; Ability to establish position in post; Ability to face the basket; Back to basket scoring; Excellent hands; Excellent Touch; Nimble footwork; Ability to contest shots; Defensive Post Presence; Man to man defense; Post defense; Shot-blocking skills; Assertiveness; Physical Toughness; Potential; High-level productivity; Ability to finish around basket; Excellent wingspan; NBA body; Size for position; Rebounding tools; 3-point range Weaknesses: - Better suited for half-court offense- Out of control at times- Settles for bad shots- Activity level- Commitment to playing defense- Defensive fundamentals- Gambles defensively- Lateral quickness- Body language- Doesn't always know limitations- Doesn't always play hard- Focus- High bust potential?- Intelligence- Maturity - Mental toughness- Off-court red flags?- Questionable intangibles- Passing out of post- Average athleticism- Lacks explosiveness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyoaxVct1vM Cole Aldrich, C Kansas (Jr.) Height: 6’11” Weight: 250 Age: 21 Best Case: Rich Man's Joel Przybilla Worst Case: Josh Boone Strengths: - Efficiency; Likes to mix it up inside; Relatively mistake-free; Ability to establish position in post; Back to basket scoring; Excellent hands; Activity level; Defensive fundamentals; Defensive Post Presence; Shot-blocking skills; Experience; Physical Toughness; Role-player potential; Understands limitations; Excellent wingspan; Mobility; Size for position; Solid frame Weaknesses: Ability to face the basket; Advanced post moves; Lateral quickness; Limited upside?; Mechanical player; Not always assertive; Lacks great range on jumper; Shooting mechanics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4trsJcFNkw Ed Davis, PF/C North Carolina (So.) Height: 6’9” Weight: 225 Age: 20 Best Case: Al Horford Worst Case: More Physically Gifted Udonis Haslem Strengths: Long, athletic, lefty post player who shows a great deal of potential due to his length, athleticism and skill level … An underrated athlete who has very “live” legs and a high motor … Has a great feel for playing in the post offensively, with crafty fakes and up and under moves. Appears comfortable operating in close as well as 8-10 feet away from the basket … Can score in a variety of ways and has tremendous footwork for his age … Shows excellent touch in the paint converting lefty hook shots and looks to dunk everything … His offensive game, while still unproven, shows a great deal of upside … His long arms and explosive leaping ability allow him to finish with explosive dunks even when attacking the basket from a few feet out … Strong rebounder. Hits the glass hard and shows a willingness to battle inside … Runs the floor well with both speed in the open floor and good lateral quickness … He’s a top notch shot blocker for a forward due to excellent timing, explosiveness and length … Appears to have a 7-foot-2 wingspan, or close … Does not have a superstar attitude, he has a workman's approach to the game that is refreshing to see from such a talented player … Weaknesses: Needs to add strength … Does not have a big (wide shoulders) frame so he's never going to be an overpowering type of post guy, but he can certainly add 20-25 lbs and be a finesse type of 4 ala Chris Bosh ... As a freshman he was unable to finish well through contact when attacking the rim on dunks. Added strength will make him a terror around the basket as he’ll be able to fully utilize his great length and improve his finishing ability … Should look to extend his range, developing a consistent mid-range shot … He has good touch and it will likely be a matter of practice and repetition and he will be able to develop a reliable J. His lefty jump hook shot shows nice potential but he often came up short on attempts as a freshman … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZMR3Bd8Vk0&feature=player_embedded Patrick Patterson, PF Kentucky (Jr.) Height: 6’8” Weight: 223 Age: 20 Best Case: Carl Landry (lol) Worst Case: Kris Humphries STRENGTHS: Efficiency; Executes offensively; Likes to mix it up inside; Pick and roll play; Relatively mistake-free; Setting screens; Ability to establish position in post; Back to basket scoring; Excellent hands; Excellent Touch; Jump-hook shot; Basketball IQ; Coachable; Experience; Intelligence; Maturity; Physical Toughness; Potential; Role-player potential; Strong Intangibles; Understands limitations; High-level productivity; Ability to finish around basket; Ability to run the floor; Athleticism; Excellent wingspan; NBA body; Strength; Free throw shooting; Improved perimeter shot; Mid-range Jumper WEAKNESSES: Ability to put ball on floor; Advanced post moves; Left hand; All-around defense; Defensive awareness; Man to man defense; Jack of all trades, master of none?; Average size; Average rebounder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlLf5TzDwFI Jan Vesely, PF KK Partizan Belgrade (Intl.) Height: 6’11” Weight: 240 Age: 19 NBA Comparison: Yi Jianlian Offensively, Vesely can still be described as a fairly raw player, but he’s made huge strides from when we first saw him play at the Reebok EuroCamp in Treviso back in June of 2008. His role has increased significantly as this season has moved on, and he’s recently looking much more comfortable putting the ball on the floor and attempting to create his own shot. Still obviously not a great ball-handler or shot-creator, Vesely is showing more and more potential in this area, mixing in the occasional crossover or hesitation move, and being able to get to the basket very well thanks to his long strides and terrific first step. While he appears to be gaining confidence in his ability to put the ball on the floor, he still looks more comfortable in a complimentary role. Considering the different ways he can impact the game, that’s not a bad thing at all when projecting him to the NBA. Vesely is the type of player who is constantly out in transition thanks to the speed and determination in which he runs the floor, and will attempt to finish everything around the rim with a powerful dunk, often looking like he’s trying to tear the basket down in the process. The terrific 62% he shoots from inside the arc clearly isn’t a fluke. He doesn’t have much of a post-game at this stage, but is getting more opportunities to utilize his size in the paint with quick moves, something that he can clearly continue to develop as his frame fills out. As a shooter is where Vesely needs to continue to improve, as he’s just 11/38 (29%) from beyond the arc on the season in 33 games, not being neither prolific nor consistent at this stage. His release is a bit on the slow side, as he gets quite a bit of legs underneath him, but considering his 6-11 size, getting his shot off isn’t going to be much of an issue, its more about improving his range and consistency. The 62% he shoots from the free throw line probably needs work as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zlB5w08_Es Donatas Motiejunas, PF/C Benetton Treviso (Intl.) Height: 7’0” Weight: 215 Age: 19 Best Case: Andrea Bargnani Worst Case: Channing Frye STRENGTHS: Excellent skill-level; Mismatch Potential; Scoring instincts; Ability to create own shot; Ability to put ball on floor; Ball-handling skills w/either hand; Excellent hands; Excellent Touch; Footwork/Post-moves; Turnaround jumper; Potential; Level of competition; Solid passer; Ability to run the floor; Athleticism; Size for position; 3-point range; Perimeter shooting potential; Pick and pop potential WEAKNESSES: Inability to establish position in post; Ability to defend position at next level?; Ability to fight through screens; Commitment to playing defense; Defensive awareness; Defensive Post Presence; Gets backed down in post; Doesn't always play hard; Experience; Mental/Physical toughness?; Questionable intangibles; Cultural adjustment to NBA; Strength; Defensive rebounding; Poor rebounder; 3-point shooting percentages http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E37MBYJ-w7k Greg Monroe, PF/C Georgetown (Fr.) Height: 6’11” Weight: 240 Age: 19 Best Case: Brad Miller Worst Case: Josh McRoberts STRENGTHS: Ability to get to free throw line; Craftiness; Decision making; Excellent skill-level; Executes offensively; Versatility; Ability to create own shot; Ability to face the basket; Excellent hands; Basketball IQ; Coachable; Unselfishness; Basketball instincts; Left-handed; Young for class; Court vision; Passing skills; Coordination; Fluidity; Mobility; Solid frame WEAKNESSES: Turnover prone; Ball-handling skills w/either hand; Activity level; Defensive Post Presence; Man to man defense; Consistency; Mental/Physical toughness?; Ability to finish w/either hand; Average athleticism; Ability to shoot off the dribble; Inconsistent shooter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnMEmDeteMc Ekpe Udoh, PF/C Baylor (Jr.) Height: 6’10” Weight: 240 Age: 22 Best Case: Rasheed Wallace W/out The Attitude Worst Case: Solomon Jones Strengths: In the post, Udoh has a very nice jump-hook he likes to turn to, even if he doesn’t always have enough girth to establish great position down low. He’s an excellent finisher as well, shooting 66% from the field on the season so far. The place that he shows even more intrigue is on the perimeter, as he appears to have improved his footwork and shooting touch quite a bit, and has become much more effective attacking defenses off the dribble. Weaknesses: Udoh also seems to lose some focus and intensity defending off the ball, although part of this may be attributed to his conditioning, which appears to be a work in progress coming off an 18-month absence from competitive play. Adding strength and gaining experience will only make Udoh more effective on this end of the floor, as there is no question that he can develop into a very solid defender and rebounder in the NBA in time, which even without his budding offensive skills would already make him a solid rotation candidate. Watching him play, it’s tough not to think about the way Jordan Hill rocketed up draft boards right around the same time last year. Udoh might not be quite as explosive as Hill, but he’s got excellent physical attributes in his own right and is much more polished on both ends of the floor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOf661ENT0k Solomon Alabi, C Florida State (So.) Height: 7’1” Weight: 230 Age: 21 NBA Comparison: Samuel Dalembert Strengths: Has really come a long way in a short time ... Intriguing bigman with great size and developing skills ... Has soft touch on his shot and has shown excellent improvement in his offensive game ... Comfortable shooting within 10 feet of the basket and can hit jumpers (out to 10-15 feet) as well as hook shots ... Excellent agility for a player his size ... A fluid athlete who gets up and down the floor well ... Has a chance to be very good if he continues to work hard and improve ... Great footwork for a center ... His post skills are showing a lot of improvement and his confidence is growing ... Aggressive attacking the basket and get a lot of dunks due to his length, and explosiveness ... Good hands, which is unusual for African born players ... Has a massive wingspan and a tremendous basketball body ... Has worked hard in the weight room and gained a great deal of strength. appears as though he can get a lot stronger too ... Length makes him a dominant defensive presence in the paint ... An effective shot blocker who's numbers (2.1 bpg in 22 mpg) can improve with more playing time ... Quality free throw shooter for a big man at 68%, which should improve ... Weaknesses: Still a work in progress and has a ways to go before he figures out all that he's capable of ... Appears to struggle against 7-footers. Also can be thrown off some by physical players ... Gets himself in trouble at times by trying to do too much offensively, particularly putting the ball on the deck and trying to make a move to the basket ... At times looks awkward and his lack of a "feel" for the game and experience is apparent ... Still working to the point where making plays with the ball (passing, catching, reacting) becomes second nature ... Does not show very good passing ability yet nor vision ... Gets the ball stolen away when he doesn't keep the ball high ... Had a stress fracture in his foot as a freshman so there could be some question marks regarding his health, although he played his entire (redshirt) freshman season injury free ... He's already close to the age of a senior despite being just a sophomore, so detractors will point to that as a negative. Also being African will cause some to question his listed age, but by all accounts, it is correct ... Notes: Scouts feel he has a great chance to be a better pro than #2 pick in 2009 Hasheem Thabeet ... Could be primed for a breakout sophomore season in 2009-10 ... Hasheem Thabeet’s potential struggles in the NBA could adversely affect his draft stock … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i4NkZ8RbU4 Larry Sanders, PF/C VCU (Jr.) Height: 6’9” Weight: 235 Age: 21 NBA Comparison: Theo Ratliff Strengths: Post player with tremendous defensive upside due to his unbelievable length: has a 7-foot-7 wingspan (His arms need their own insurance policy) plus good timing and explosiveness ... Already a bigtime shot blocker and is on his way to becoming an absolutely dominant one. As a freshman he averages just 16 minutes per game but is already tied for 10th in the country in blocked shots at 3.0 per game. His block per minute average is the best in the country ... Very fluid and fast running the floor. Shows a solid motor, hustling the floor and fighting for rebounds ... Has excellent foot speed and lateral quickness for a bigman ... His offensive game, while raw shows potential to develop ... Has a huge frame and should be able to put on plenty of weight without affecting his mobility ... Shows a solid shooting form with a high release. Just needs time to polish it ... Weaknesses: Has very little offensive skill level ... Still learning the game, developing fundamentals, basic stuff such as boxing out and setting proper screens ... Having just two years of high school ball under his belt, he struggles to do some basic things such as catching and shooting and converting shots inside the paint ... Must learn to become more disciplined as a shot blocker. He gets into foul trouble far too easily. Must learn to wait until the shooter leaves the floor before jumping himself ... Must develop a more reliable shot. His free throw shooting (50%) needs development. Repetition and focus on it should increse his effectiveness over time ... Right now, opponents are able to body him and get shots off. Adding bulk will allow him to stay on balance and prevent opponents from neutralizing his shot blocking ability with contact ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0t3iKQCkzY Hassan Whiteside, PF/C Marshall (Fr.) Height: 7’0” Weight: 235 Age: 20 NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby/David Robinson Strengths: A legit 7-footer with excellent size, strength and potential ... Has good agility and run/jump athleticism ... Very intriguing combination of physical attributes (7-feet and 230 lbs with a 7-6 wingspan) and an explosive athlete ... Imposing defensive presence due to his length and leaping ability ... Already a force defensively averaging 4.4 blocks per game in just over 20 minutes per game (through his first 7 games) ... An excellent rebounder, using his size and strength well on the glass at both ends ... Shows an exuberance for the game and should continue to develop as he gains experience ... Shows some nice things offensively with developing post skills and touch on his shot ... He is still in the early stages in his offensive development, so sticking around college 2-3 years would benefit him in the long run ... Weaknesses: Still a work in progress offensively. At times looks awkward in the post but appears to be gaining confidence ... He's born in 1989, so he's nearly 2 years older than the average freshman. But his upside is unmistakable ... Needs to work on his free throw shooting (currently shooting below 40%) ... Feel for the game is still raw, but not terrible ... Still needs to develop his upperbody strength (at 230) but has a solid frame and muscle mass to work with ... Needs to develop his passing skills to find teammates when doubled ... Should work on his post skills and develop better range on his shot ... Also must look to become more sure handed and cut down on turnovers, although he shows soft hands, and should be fine as he gains experience ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwmJkidSVx0 ----------------- Of these players, I love Whiteside's potential; love Monroe's work ethic and pedigree (big man from Georgetown? yes please.); Intrigued by the international prospects (Vesely is supposedly flying up draft charts); I think Cousins is a bonafide stud and will go Top 5; haven't seen enough of Favors to have an opinion; Udoh is also flying up draft charts and seems to have a lot of potential (has recorded multiple triple doubles already this year.. as a PF!). Who do you like?
What about Aminu from Wake Forest? He's a bit of a tweener, but he has the athleticism to be a Josh Smith kind of PF. But out of these, Whiteside would be an absolute steal. But one of my friends up at Marshall says that he'll probably come back for one more year because by next year his draft stock will be huge. But if we were to come out of this draft with Whiteside, and then have two early first round picks the next two years? That would just be unfair.
I want Cousins but he won't be available unfortunately. I'd like to get Whiteside, but I have the feeling Monroe is a Morey type of guy, even though/because his stock has dropped a bunch this year.
I'm like my players with good size and athleticism. My List: 1. Whiteside 2. Favors 3. Sanders - 7'7 wingspan 4. Davis 5. Alabi I like Greg Monroe too. He might be the most skilled big in this draft.
It's funny that they compare Whiteside to David Robinson. The Rockets could be a twin towers scenario with Yao retiring in the next 2-3 years and Hassan Whiteside starting at PF as the young rookie(Duncan).
Morey would probably be fine picking any of those players that fall to him this year. Only Alabi is projected to fall to the late first round, and just like the rap sheet said, Thabeet's struggles probably hurt his stock, but man only a sophomore...that said, he shares Thabeet's lack of tenacity and is easily taken out of games by physicality. You just can't teach something like hunger for the ball. Some guys have it (Landry, Blair, hell even Dorsey), and some never will.
wow....this is something to get excited about. the worse we play the better our chances of grabbing one of these guys.
My realistic favorite is Hassan Whiteside. I would love to somehow get Demarcus cousins, but thats not happening. It might be a stretch for us to get Hassan even. We might need to move up a few draft picks to get this guy.
I feel like our range will allow us to draft either Donatas or Greg Monroe. I am fine with taking one of those 2 as well. Would love to hopefully get Hassan if we can or trade up to get demarcus.
I'm with you -- I think we'll have to move up considerably to have a shot at Whiteside or Cousins. I really like Monroe as well (Georgetown big man!), but I think we'd have to move up to grab him as well (top 10). I didn't include Aminu because I felt like he was a tweener and not something the Rockets should really go after. I never thought of the Josh Smith comparison, but that's actually a pretty good comparison (best case scenario.) I'm more inclined to look for the Rockets to select a legitimate big man - someone with size who can rebound, defend, and work well with Yao. This would seem to take out Patterson (short - 6'8") as well, but I included him because he was strictly listed as a PF. Aminu was listed as a hybrid SF/PF -- another reason why I left off Wesley Johnson and Stanley Robinson. As far as Whiteside goes, I'd be willing to bet he turns pro. Morey's podcast said a lot of guys slated for next year would most likely declare early, whereas next year a lot of college kids will most likely stay in college (due to the impending NBA lockout). I've also seen tweets from draftexpress such as: The more I read about him, the more I'm convinced that he's going in the top 5.
Obviously, if we could pick ANY of these guys you would go for the cream of the crop (Cousins, Favors, Whiteside) but don't sleep on Monroe. He's the type of passer and high post operator that could really thrive in Adelman's offense. Definitely a guy capable of playing either frontcourt spot (at least on the college level) but translates more as an NBA four. Plus, there are concerns regarding his motor and so-so athleticism -- definitely a possibility he could be available when we're up to bat. P.S. Wouldn't be easier if we already found our Carl Landry replacement in Jordan Hill?
Right now, based on where I think we'll end up drafting (12th-14th)... I hope we have a legit chance at nabbing Patterson or Monroe. Cousins and Favors will almost certainly be gone by then. I've liked what I've seen of Cousins, he's big and tall but also gifted enough to use his athleticism along with his size to get easy buckets. Favors I haven't really seen at all, Whiteside is way too raw right now. You throw him out on an NBA court next season and he won't fare better than Thabeet. I think he's more of a project right now. Monroe is a great fit for the offense because he's a guy who really understands basketball and he makes good decisions. Patterson I think is a little more polished offensively in terms of his shooting. He's nothing special in terms of defense and rebounding, but he's certainly got the tools to be the next Carl Landry.
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