AP: Baby Shaq works out for Rockets

He would be worth the risk if he is satill avaliable. I doubt he wwill be there.

 

He looks more like Baby Two Sandwiches.

It amazes why high school players would enter the NBA draft if they where not going to be in the first round. Go to college.

 

He probably will end up in college. He will go to school if not in the first round.

 

If there is any doubt by now if he thinks he can make it in the NBA, then he should go to college. High schoolers should be 100% sure that they'll be a first round draft pick, so they'll get that guaranteed contract and at least have SOME money

 

He may get picked before the Rockets 2nd round pick but he's basically a project albeit one with a definite upside. Problem is, if they pick him, he's the 12th man at best.

 

i dont understand it his stats are better than eddy curry but he is projected a second round pic and curry was #4 it doesn't make sense to me he looks pretty good too

 

Stats aren't the be all and end all you know. Particularly High School stats.

 

Even as a 12th. man he could be developing and in a couple of years would make a power house of a Power Forward duo with Yao Ming!

 

If we could get him in the 2nd, I think we should definitely roll the dice.

 

People, as krosfyah said, the Rockets will not get him. If he doesn't think he'll be a solid, and I mean SOLID first round pick, he's going to withdraw his name from the draft and go to school. Why? No guaranteed money if you're not a first rounder. Second rounders can get cut during training camp. See Tito Maddox this upcoming year. I guarantee he won't make the Rocket squad. See Korleone Young.

Teams would cut first rounders too, but they usually don't because:

a. it makes them look stupid for drafting the guy
b. they have to pay the guy anyway, might as well keep him around and hope (pray) he develops.

Jason Collier is a prime example.

Perkins has no agent, he's been paying his own way to his workouts. The Rockets are working him out for his benefit. He's a local kid, and the Rockets feel a responsiblity to look after local talent even though they have no expectation that the player will end up playing for the team. He's better off going to a top college program where he will learn the fundamentals, work his way into a possible lottery pick, then come out early, even if it's just after one year. For every Rashard Lewis there a bunch of flameouts.

If Perkins flames out after 2 years in the league making close to the league minimum because he's a second rounder, he won't even go to colllege because he'd have lost his amateur eligibility.
Is it worth the risk?

 

I'll elaborate on what Bailey said...
I could be 6'11" with one arm and an IQ of a peanut and still average a double double in high school. Tons of guys have put up better numbers than Perkins, went to college, and became scrubs there. Where is Perkins from? Beaumont area? Hardly a basketball hot bed. It's one thing if he's travelling around the country playing in tournaments like Lebron or Carmelo, putting up those numbers. It's another if he's dunking over a bunch of midgets. Did he carry his team far into the state playoffs? If you're a high school player thinking about going to the NBA you better have shown leadership.

If he's not projected as a #4 like Curry was, it's definitely for reasons beyond our scope of our basketball knowledge. The scouts and personnel people really know what's going on. Vengeance mentioned his great skills, but his lack of desire. That definitely counts, and I'm sure the scouts have seen that. Maybe he has no left hand, or he has small hands. Slow first step? Who knows. Even if you've seen him in person it's hard to see the faults in his game because of the competition he's played against. But if Vengeance could see his lack of desire up close, then I think that really counts for something.

 

What is really funny to me is that people say, "He should go to college because he could be a lottery pick or a sure 1st rounder."

If that is the case then your team should be taking him in the 1st round unless you think the University of Memphis will develop him better than your organization. If he is available at #27 the Grizzlies better take him. Like others have said: he has skills and he is 6'11 and 290 lbs.

At #21 last season Qyntel Woods makes approx $1 million a year. That means you can invest $1 million a year for 3 years and have your organization develop him, teach him good habits, and benefit from that. It is a very small investment even in the 1st round. At best in 3 years you have a potential All Star, at worst you have another Jason Collier and you cut your ties with him.

Trust me someone is going to promise that kid they will take him in the 1st round and try to get an All Star Center at the bottom of the 1st round. If he can move, catch the ball, and make a layup at his size he has a decent future in the NBA.

 

Someone will definitely take him late first round.

Should Memphis take Darko or Carmelo with the 2nd pick?

oops.........

 

I've actually played against this kid in AAU leagues. Him and Edi (sp?) were on the same team, the Texas Hoops.

My impressions, well compared to me, this kid was big, big He had a decent range, as I recall he pulled up and made a 3-pointer. So he's not all power, I believe he has a decent shot he can hurt you with.

The word was that Edi was better than him. Heard this from a kid who was on the same team as them. Basically, Edi got the edge because he was alot quicker and mobile, and could handle the rock better. Perkins is no Griffin when dribbling, but he's also no point guard. He's probably what we wish Eddie was.

Make no mistake, he's also no Amare. He sure as hell is built identical to him, IMO. Damn these 18 year olds! Wait, Amare's 20. Perkings is legit 18, however. But Perkings doesn't have the explosiveness Amare used, so he'll never be that type of player IMO.

Bottom line, late first rounder or 2nd rounder to me, in this draft. Meaning, Welcome to Memphis Perk.

 

Hey, I don't call out many folks on this BBS but Rainmaker, how can you be so ignorant about Texas High School Basketball.
Kendrick Perkins and Beaumont Ozen went like 92-10 over the last 3 seasons, either playing for or winning the the state 4A championship each of those years, losing last year to a Dallas Lincoln team featuring Chris Bosch (this years #4 pick?) and Bryan Hopkins. Beumont Ozen was ranked in the Parade Top Ten all 3 years Kendrick was there and spent a lot of the time at #1

They played annually in the Academy Sports tournament here in Houston against the likes of Oak Hill Academy wth Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Westchester with Hassan Adams, and Midwest City OK with Shelden Williams and many other nationally ranked teams.

I don't have the numbers in front of me but I believe between Beamont Ozen, Willowridge, Dallas Lincoln, and South Oak Cliff , Texas High School teams have spent more time on USA Today's #1 spot than any other state.

Kendrick averaged 27.5 PPG, 16.4 ribbys, 2.5 steals, 7.8 Blocks and 4.5 assists! I doubt you could do that in junior high Y-ball. He was a EA Sports All-American, a McDonalds All American ,a ABCD all -star. and an early signee for John Calipari at Memphis.

I admit I am stumped how Kendrick could have been considered a lottery pick at graduation for 3 years and now he somehow has dropped to a second rounder measured against a bunch of Euro's. But realistically, a player of his size, skills and proven track record has got to be picked in the first round.

As for college or pros question. Why should a young man who's future is in professional basketball risk injury in the college game?
Hell, even if he played in some backwater Israeli league he would make 10 times more than he would in the real world with a college degree. It seems smarter to me to take second round money and sit on the IR all year working on my skills within a professional program than living in a dorm room.

If Kendrick were available to the Rockets at the 44 th pick , they would take him. Besides he will be a PF in the pros.

 

I kinda agree. I think they were like 92-3 over the past 3 years. The Rockets should draft him. He has a nice offensive post game already...but it's his decision. Maybe someone will pick him...

And oh yeah. Carmelo Anthony played for Oak Hill? I thought he won the NCAA Championship or whatever the Hades they call it in college basketball with Syracuse uni. ?

 

He didn't say he played for them last year, when Melo was at Syracuse. He was a freshman last year, meaning he was at Oak Hill two years ago

 

Gene, I have no problem with you calling me out when I deserve it, and it looks like I deserve it here. I really don't follow high school basketball in Texas, yet I do remember reading something about him last year. Somehow it slipped my mind.

My main point is still that in general, stats don't mean that much when you are evaluating talent, especially at the high school level. They certainly help, but they are not the end all. Almost every player at a major div I school was a star in high school, and a lot of them put up similar numbers to Perkins. The fact that he was the best player on a powerhouse team definitely means something, I agree. However, that was my general point, and my lack of knowledge about high school basketball doesn't change that view.

The fact that he has slipped from lottery pick to last first / early second in the draft projections leads me to believe that there is something about his game that needs some major work, and his physical skills aren't good enough to put him in the lottery like Amare. Amare was/is very raw, yet his lack of polish wasn't enough to prevent him from being a top pick. Heck, some teams were thinking about taking him #1. If Perkins is physically comparable to Amare and put up similar numbers and was on a great team (my ignorance), then by all accounts he should be a lottery pick too, right? Yet, there is something the scouts see that says he should be a late round pick.

And well, I will try to be less in the future. Call me out again if you see fit.