Over at nbatalk.com, it was reported that dermarr johnson was as impressive as darius miles and peterson (if not more impressive). It said that dermarr touched 12 1/2 feet on one of the hawks vertical jump tests. Also said he was so cocky that he thought of skipping his senior year in high school to go to the nba. Now that's confidence. ------------------ "Don't they get cable in Canada ?" Keith olbermann, after watching hakeem block terry catledge's shot 5 times.
He reminds me of a taller Larry Hughes. Dermarr fits really well with this team and if he is left on the board then rockets will most likely go after him. But the hawks like him alot and I dont think they will pass him up. ------------------ President of the Moochie Norris FAN CLUB
that means Miller will go to us....I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Dermarr and Larry Hughes? Larry Hughes couldn't hit an open jumper if his life depended on it. ------------------ Rockets fans wanted at hoopsboards.com Draft Chat, NBA Chat, Team Chat, and more!
Dermarr will be a player that wants to be a leader. That means a Larry Hughes player, I dont see him as a great shooter in the nba but as a player that takes alot of shots and avgs alot of points. ------------------ President of the Moochie Norris FAN CLUB
i meant thompson because he apparently has a high vert. im not sure their game is similar. but dermarr is more athletic than we give him credit for, thus if he was at #9, i think we should take him ------------------ "Don't they get cable in Canada ?" Keith olbermann, after watching hakeem block terry catledge's shot 5 times.
Here is the article gr8-1 is referring to, it has some interesting stuff on both Johnson and Miles. Cincinnati freshman DerMarr Johnson grinned slyly after Hawks scout Chris Grant bet him $10 that he couldn't touch the top of a 12 1/2 foot bar. Johnson, a 6-foot-9 shooting guard with a 40-inch vertical leap, took a running start and slapped the bar on his fourth attempt. Then he looked over at a smiling Grant. Easy money. "You want that in 10 ones?" Grant asked, and the two started laughing. But after completing a grueling two-hour workout with the Hawks on Saturday at the Philips Arena practice court, Johnson didn't get paid. "I'm not too worried about it," Johnson said. He's focused on a bigger payday --- June 28 --- when the NBA Draft will be held in Minneapolis. The Hawks hold the sixth pick, and general manager Pete Babcock and new coach Lon Kruger began the process of evaluating draft candidates in person this weekend. On Friday, they looked at Michigan State 6-6 senior Morris Peterson, the smooth-shooting left-hander who helped lead the Spartans to an NCAA championship in April. Johnson shot around for the Hawks later in the afternoon, then worked out with East St. Louis high-schooler Darius Miles the next day. Missouri silky sophomore point guard Keyon Dooling was expected to join Peterson on Friday but backed out because of a conflicting appointment with Detroit. Still, Babcock and Kruger were impressed by the players they did see. "All three are very athletic," Babcock said. "There is a big difference as far as development because Mo Peterson played for four years. He has a decided edge in terms of maturity. But. . . . Darius and D.J. are phenomenal athletes. There is a lot of potential because each is so young." Johnson is a native of Washington who just turned 20 last month. In high school, he considered going pro after his junior year --- "I wanted to be the first one," he said. --- but he eventually wound up at a prep school in Maine. There was little doubt he'd leave Cincinnati early --- especially after getting a tattoo on his left arm that reads "NBA, King of the Court" back in October. The Hawks were the first team he worked out with since declaring for the draft. His height, athleticism and shooting ability make him very appealing. Miles, 18, is a 6-8 forward who signed with St. John's but opted to go pro after hearing that he could possibly be a top-seven pick. The Hawks were the third team Miles has visited in as many days. He also worked out for the Magic and the Rockets, when he started developing some tendinitis in his right knee. It limited his explosiveness some during the exhausting "superman" drill, where Miles had to do drop-step dunks for one minute. He'll need some seasoning, but his play in transition, flashy ball-handling and ability to block shots --- he has an 87-inch wingspan --- have drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett. And Kruger is well aware of what Miles can do. He once recruited him for Illinois. "Yeah, he attended our camp as a ninth-grader," Kruger said. "Now, I'm looking at him from a different light, for sure." Kruger also is familiar with Peterson, a former Big Ten foe whom Kruger wouldn't mind having on his side for once. Peterson has worked out with six other teams since graduating last month and said the whole experience has been tiring and awe-inspiring --- from eating lunch with Julius Erving in Orlando to the little things, like wearing NBA socks. "You see the logo," Peterson, 22, said. "Only guys in the NBA get to wear these. That's a good indication that I'm getting there. . . I've dreamed of being in the league since I was 5. But it seems like the closer it gets, the longer it seems." The next step for the Hawks is the NBA pre-draft camp this week in Chicago. Afterward, they expect to bring in about seven more players before making a final decision. "After visiting with them, watching them, you see who fits in best with the organization," Kruger said. "Then on the 28th, the process takes care of itself." ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
On DerMarr Johnson comparisons, he is an athletic version of Glen Rice as Clutch has in his profiles. An athletic Steve Smith would also be pretty accurate. This guy does have a deadly stroke, his shooting pct strangely fluctuated for whatever reason at Cincinnati, maybe zone defenses, maybe lack of enough opportunities. However, if you watch him closely, his mechanics are very good and he is looking like he is going to develop into a very good NBA shooter. He looked athletic off the dribble but this 40 inch vertical is completely amazing. Plus he is anywhere from 6-7 to 6-9 with long arms. Johnson is definitely going to be a major star in the league. Also, that 87 inch wingspan on Miles is just crazy. That is a 7-3 wingspan for your small forward. Anyone who got to see the McDonald's Game and Nike Hoops Summit saw how active he is on defense. He is all over the court; imagine what kind of havoc he is going to cause with arms that long and his continous roving on defense. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
MManal, Thanks for posting your opinions about draft picks on the board (you too, RF34). One thing I've read about Darius Miles is that he sometimes loses focus on the court and doesn't always put forth the effort. I watched that McDonald's high school game and simply freaked out at how active he was. He was a 6'9" blur out there. It seemed like everybody else was on cruise control while he was accelerating from beginning to end of the game. With the past history of the lottery and the propensity for duds to be drafted in the top-10, I wouldn't mind if the Rockets took a gamble on this kid. From what I hear now, though, he may not even be around at #9. ------------------ ?
I'm hoping Miles slips to us at #9, but I don't really see it happening. However, the past few years, the HSers have either risen really high (Bender), or dropped (Lewis). He had a good Atlanta workout. Chicago could draft him, at either of their picks. #5 too Orlando wouldn't be too strange. We've gotta hope for the best. A guy out of HS, who works on defense? You gotta be kidding me? ------------------ Rockets fans wanted at hoopsboards.com Draft Chat, NBA Chat, Team Chat, and more!
was rashard as highly regarded as miles ? someone give me a scouting report ? i had heard the garnett comparisons also, but i think miles may be better. ------------------ "Don't they get cable in Canada ?" Keith olbermann, after watching hakeem block terry catledge's shot 5 times.
I have never really agreed with the Garnett comparisons. I like using a comparison to Tracy McGrady for Darius Miles. What amazed me though was when I saw that eye popping 7-3 wingspan thing in the article. That basically means that Miles is like McGrady but with LONGER arms. McGrady flies all over the court blocking shots, can you imagine what he could do with a 7-3 wingspan? There are centers in this league that dont have arms that long. I think the reason people like to compare Miles to KG is b/c they both have such a long and lanky frame along with incredible athletic ability. However, Miles does not have the shooting range of KG who has expanded himself out to 3 pt land. McGrady's shooting range was also very limited when he turned pro, but like Miles he had excellent ball handling skills, open court game and hops. Miles is such an intriguing prospect with his major activity on defense, his explosive speed in the open court and his incredible "freakish" athletic ability. He has already been bulking up after the HS season ended, and if he can develop his perimeter skills, he should be a very special player in the NBA. As far as Miles falling to 9, I seriously doubt it. I would be pretty shocked if Jerry Krause passes him at 7 but stranger things have happened. Both Miles and Johnson appear to be cementing themselves as top 8 picks. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
hey clutch told u the hawks would like him heheh thats why i have him picked by the hawks on my mock draft. lets hope it comes through on drat day. Francis3 thats an excellent comparison to hughes. except i think he is a much better shooter. ------------------ --TEX
