Dumars was trying to sell his pick last year like a hooker on the corner, but no one wanted it. Denver has sold their first rd pick a few times as have the suns.
If we can get a late 1st rounder I would take a good look at couple of the following prospects: Arnett Moultrie 19yrs old 6'11 PF: NBA Comparison: Jermaine O'Neal/Marreese Speights Strengths: Late blooming post player with a bright future ... Has an excellent combination of length and agility ... Explosive big who plays above the rim and displays good body control ... Moves exceptionally well for a player his size showing the ability to run the floor like a guard ... Plays a physical game with good strength and willingness to mix it up inside ... Solid offensive game with nice potential. Shows good creativity on post moves using spin moves and up-and-unders and good touch around the basket ... Likes to face the basket and take opponents off the dribble, but can also create with his back to the basket ... Can effectively take opponents off the dribble all the way out past the 3 point line (tremendous foot speed for a 4) ... Effectively utilizes the turnaround hook shot ... Good form on his shot with a solid baseline jumper ... Displays excellent hands, a necessity for quality post players ... Shows the ability to catch and shoot from 3 point range (shot 37 3s converting on 11 as a freshman) ... Weaknesses: Should continue to extend range and improve on his outside shooting ... Free throw shooting was surprisingly low for a player who shows solid form (54 FT% needs to improve) ... Can be too enamored at times with facing the basket and neglect his physical strength inside ... Shows solid rebounding ability but could improve with a little more attention to details, boxing out and finding his man and using post position, instead of just relying on his physical attributes ... Not a great passer. Needs to cut down on the turnovers and improve on his a/to ratio ( 0.6 apg to 1.7 to) ... Shows the type of body that will be able to put on strength with no problem but currently (at 230 lbs) could stand to bulk up some .... Lance Stephenson 19yrs old 6'5 SG: NBA Comparison: Aaron McKie/JR Rider Strengths: Nineteen year old freshman with an NBA-ready body ... At 6'5 210, has a rare combination of power and quickness ... Relentless attacker of the basket, seeking out contact and getting to the free throw stripe where he converts at a high % ... Excellent penetrator with a quick first step ... Utilizes change of pace dribbles, cross-overs and spin moves to get into the lane ... Able to slither his way in between small creases ... Superior ball handler with a flare for the dramatic (good or bad) ... Good court vision. Aesthetically pleasing shooting stroke ... Supreme accuracy on pull up J's, especially when dribbling to his left ... "Easy" three point range. Has shown flashes of lock down on the ball defense with his strength and 6'10 wingspan Weaknesses: Legitimate question marks surrounding his character and mental makeup (high school carrer marred by an assault charge) ... His on court body language is awful ... Often seen pouting, dragging his feet, arguing with referees and yelling at teammates ... If he believes he should get the ball and doesn't, or doesn't get a call, he's inclined to allow it to affect his game and take a play or two off ... Despite his athletic gifts, lacks explosive elevation on his jumper and on drives to the rim ... Tends to fade away and abort follow-through on his jump shot from time to time ... Capable of making the spectacular pass, but does not always make the simple, smart pass ... ... Devin Ebanks 20yrs old 6'9 SF: NBA Comparison: Corey Brewer Strengths: Long and lean small forward possessing a 'smooth' game ... His wingspan is incredible (7'3) and he seemingly gets his paws on every ball ... Prolific rebounder (8.5 RPG). Particularly innate offensive rebounder (3 per game) ... High percentage shooter, rarely takes a bad shot (47%) ... Very soft touch around the basket. Crafty with a variety of release points ... Knows how to get shots off in the paint ... Exhibits excellent body control ... Shows promise with his mid-range jumper ... Gets good elevation and has picturesque shooting mechanics ... Appears comfortable at the free throw stripe where he shoots 74% ... Will occasionally take his game into the post and shoot over smaller defenders ... Thrives in transition as he runs the floor very well and takes long, loping strides ... Makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands ... Good passer averaging 2.7 assists per game ... Has the ability to see over the defense and find cutters ... Versatile defender with the ability to guard multiple positions ... Often matches up with the opponent's top perimeter threat ... Moves his feet pretty well for 6-9, and his length can bail him out if he's beaten off the bounce ... Has a fire in his eyes at the defensive side, something very rare. Weaknesses: It's hard to say whether he's gotten less aggressive or more unselfish ... There are games where he simply doesn't look at the basket ... Seems lost offensively at the moment- as if he's unsure what his game is ... His field goal attempts per game have gone up from 8 to 10, but most of his shots come as a result of offensive rebounds or broken plays ... Shot mid-range jumpers regularly last season, but appears hesitant as a sophomore ... Lacks any range whatsoever, shooting 13% from three as a freshman and 11% this season ... Needs to enhance this dimension of his game to keep opponents off balance ... His ball handling is a work in progress. Not quick with the ball in his hands and very right hand dominant ... Has difficulty beating defenders off the dribble, and quite frankly, rarely tries to ... Lack of strength is a major concern as he gets knocked off balance easily ... Avery Bradley 19yrs old 6'3 PG/SG: NBA Comparison: Monta Ellis Strengths: A scorer in every sense of the word, he looks to attack at all times and does not let up … Possesses a natural feel for the game and has a knack for putting the ball in the hole from every angle … He has one of the most pure jumpshots of anyone in his class … Gets off the ground quickly with great elevation, making his shot very difficult to contest … Shooting off the dribble is his forte, as he is always under control and well balanced … Defenders have to play up on him because of his shooting, which allows him to get into the lane … He combines a quick first step with a variety of nice moves off the dribble … His great athleticism allows him to finish above the rim and over bigger defenders … As a defender, he puts in a consistent effort, add in his physical abilities and he has a chance to become a stopper… Though undersized, his big wingspan allows him to play much bigger than his size … Weaknesses: At 6’3 he is undersized for a SG and he lacks the extreme quickness and skills required to play the lead guard position … He gets tunnel vision and becomes focused strictly on getting his own shot … As a distributor he is subpar, since his decision making and passing skills are limited ... Solomon Alabi 22yrs old 7'1 C: NBA Comparison: Samuel Dalembert Strengths: Has really come a long way in a short time ... 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 ... A fluid athlete who gets up and down the floor well ... 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 ... Has a massive wingspan (7'5) 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 ... 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 --RB
