Another Ming article

Here's an article about Centers in this year's draft:

NBA Draft Spotlight 2002: Centers
June 2, 2002

By Brad Friedman
U.S. Scouting Services

MAMARONECK, NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Finding true big men capable of matching up with the NBA's elite centers is the most difficult task facing general managers.

Seven-footers are rare to begin with; those with mobility and basketball skills are even more rare. In this years draft, two of the latter have surfaced -- 7-5 Chinese native Yao Ming and 7-foot Stanford pivot Curtis Borchardt.

For Ming, the opportunity to play in the NBA has been long-awaited. Mings Shanghai-based team is owned and operated by the Chinese military, which historically refused to grant him his release, wanting to ensure they had collected enough championships in their countrys version of the NBA before letting the dominant Ming slip from their grasp.

Although he finally has been given permission to play abroad, it now seems as if there are more hurdles to overcome. Whichever team drafts Ming is expected to have to buy out his current professional contract, which likely will cost $350,000 -- the maximum an NBA club can offer a foreign team for the right to negotiate with a player under NBA league rules.

Moreover, Mings future owner will be asked to operate basketball clinics for players and coaches in China as well as provide his former Shanghai team with a player in return for their loss.

Even after all that, Ming will not completely be property of his NBA club. He will continue to have to fulfill his obligations to the Chinese national team, making Ming unavailable for NBA summer leagues and training camp.

It is Ming, however, who will get the shortest end of the stick. He will be forced to dish out half his salary -- 30 percent to the Chinese Basketball Alliance and 20 percent to the Chinese sports ministry. When you add taxes and agent fees to the mix, Ming will take in just a fraction of his NBA salary.

Whoever it is who drafts him needs to use a team concept in dealing with the Chinese. Theyre not going to want to feel as if Yao is gone and thats it," said NBA agent Charles Bonsignore, whose agency is the primary source of the Chinese Basketball Alliance in importing American players to their league. "The Shanghai Sharks feel responsible for his development, and rightfully so. They want to continue to be a part of it,

Bonsignore has seen the 236-pound Ming play in China on five different occasions over the last two years..

His first year, I think hes going to have some games where he makes people's jaws drop, and I think hes going have some games where, like all rookies, he struggles," he said. "His second and third year are going to be absolutely amazing. Once he realizes what the NBA is about, I think his mind-set is going to change heavily. Plus, hell be working with a trainer every day. In China, he didnt spend much time in the weight room.

Ming is virtually guaranteed to be a top-three pick, and most have tabbed him as the favorite to go to Houston at No. 1.

For clubs in dire need of a center with a pick outside of the first three, the drafts second-rated center is Borchardt, a reasonable substitute for Ming. The early entry junior is likely to be just as good of a rebounder and shot-blocking force as Ming and could be a quality scorer as well.

Some wonder whether Borchardt can stay healthy. He had rough going early in his collegiate career, but added strength over the last year has increased his tolerance for physical play. It is not out of the question that the late-blooming Borchardt will have an even better NBA career than Ming, whose height may create more fascination than it does practical use.

Outside of that lottery duo, no other center may be selected in the first round.

As a Massachusetts schoolboy star, no one would have ever guessed that 6-11 Dan Gadzuric of UCLA would be a question mark as a first-round pick by the time he reached the NBA, especially if that time came four years later. So great were original expectations for Gadzuric that he toyed with the idea of going directly from the preps to the pros when such a jump was not fashionable.

When Gadzuric did decide to attend college, his freshman year was met with a rude awakening. Gadzuric did not even come close to dominating, instead serving as a role player on a talented UCLA team.

As time went on, however, the 24-year-old native of Holland showed more potential to carry his team. Gadzuric had perhaps the finest stretch of his career over the last month of his senior season.

Hes one of those guys who staying in school four years really helped, noted one Western Conference NBA executive.

California's 6-11 Jamal Sampson is another West Coast pivot with an attractive upside.

Sampson averaged just 6.7 points per game in his only collegiate season and is considerably raw, so he figures to post little to no immediate gains for whoever drafts him.

However, Sampson did provide a glimpse into the future during a victory over Washington last January, posting career highs in points (15), rebounds (17), and blocks (5).

Like Gadzuric, speculation has Sampson as an early second-round pick with a chance to climb into the late first round.

North Carolina 6-11 big man Kris Lang is one of the better low-post scorers available in the draft. There are questions surrounding his toughness holding him back.

Although he possesses considerable size, Lang plays smaller than he is. He was a mediocre rebounder at the collegiate level and never dominated as a scorer like he could have.

Lang lacks an NBA mentality and therefore is considered a second-round pick. There is a lot of talk of him slipping out of the draft altogether, but that would be an injustice for a guy with his skills.

Seven-footer Jason Jennings of Arkansas State is a bit more difficult to assess. A transfer from Arkansas, Jennings strong play over the latter half of his career has to be taken with a grain of salt considering it took place in the lowly Sun Belt Conference.

Jennings is considered a second-round pick, but strong workouts of late that had him displaying surprising quickness have some pegging him for the late first round.

This draft, however, is cluttered with foreign-born centers who match Jennings in size and skills around the basket, so securing a guaranteed contract is an unlikely feat given the competition Jennings faces at his own position. Two such players resided in the United States this past season.

Chris Christoffersen of Denmark, a 7-2 giant, recently finished out a career at University of Oregon, helping the Ducks to their first Elite Eight appearance in 42 years. His biggest claim to fame, however, may be that he was selected as the workout partner for Ming in the Chinese stars U.S. debut at Loyola University in Chicago. The workout drew over 250 NBA bigwigs and media types, granting Christoffersen a unique opportunity for exposure.

Christoffersen has a chance to be a mid- to late second-round pick.

Giedrius Rinkevicius, 7-2 of Bridgton Academy High School in Maine, was slated to attend Missouri next fall. When he didnt make the grade, however, the Lithuanian native declared himself eligible for the draft.

Rinkevicius has NBA promise but is not ready at this point to compete at such a high level. He will likely go undrafted and head back to Europe this summer to play in the professional leagues.

Over time, such leagues are beginning to develop stars on an annual basis. Several second-rounders at center this year figure to come to the league as products of the European professional ranks.

Greek 6-11 big man Lazaros Papadopoulos originally declared for the NBA draft last season. When his stock was not where he had hoped it would be following a mediocre performance at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, Papadopoulos withdrew his name from consideration.

Automatically eligible this year due to his sheer age, Papadopoulos is anticipated to be selected in the early second round. He has the potential to be a solid backup center for years to come.

The country of Georgia must run milk through its water pipes because it has is become a virtual breeding ground for quality low-post players in recent times. Zaur Pachulia, 6-11 and just 18 years old, is the nations latest prodigy. Pachulia is still growing into his body, but observers are raving over his long-term potential.

Considered to be selected as late as the early to mid-second round, Pachulia may turn out to be the steal of the draft five years from now if he ever taps his promise.

It was five years ago that 7-footer Fatih Solak of Turkey first picked up a basketball. Now, in just a few weeks, he is expected to hear his name called on draft day. Solak brings tremendous width at 270 pounds. Toning up his body would add more strength as well as increase his mobility.

Solak will never be much of an offensive threat but has a strong contingent of supporters who believe the probable second-round pick could be an eventual NBA starter. Not bad for a guy whose last career was that of a waiter.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news/20020602/draftdope4.html

JB