I will admit to not watching much college hoops this season. Even my March Madness viewing was drastically scaled back. So here is my question for some of you more ardent college (or Euro or NBDL) hoops fans. Who are some players eligible for this years draft who could immediately make their presence felt in the interior of an NBA defense next season? (My true interest is the Rockets if you would please grant me that the Rocks biggest need is interior defense - primarily C, but PF & SF names are welcome). For this thread only, can we please forget the slam dunkers? I am curious as to players who defend well on the ball, rotate well in team defense, and of course shot blocking and defensive rebounding is always appreciated. Can anyone offer some insight?
Danke german rocketfan - NBADraft.net seems to agree with you: Strengths: A tough and strong player both physically and mentally. Never stops fighting, very competitive and doesn't back down from a challenge. Rebounds very well and has a strong court sense. Strong at taking the ball to the basket. A solid defender. Capable of spectacular finishes and runs the floor well with good body control. This season showed vast improvements in his perimeter game. His outside shot has become very consistent. NBADraft.net compares him to the Celtics' Paul Pierce! IMO, the Rockets need a C but Butler looks pretty solid and you would think he would get invited to a workout. If he is our selection, it would seem that either Walt or Langhi will not be resigned (maybe both). I have also read alot lately about Qytel Woods who has a 2" height advantage over Butler. Woods may be more of a project since he has only played at the Junior College level. german rocketfan - where is Hessen in relationship to Walldorf, Heidelberg & Karlsruhe? I used to work for a German company in that area.
Melvin Ely. Great shotblocker with a developing offensive game. Not real thick, but knows how to patrol the lane. Should have an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Might be available with the Toronto pick, but would probably have to move up a spot or two to get him (He's not worth Houston's own pick).
I agree with Gator on this one. I think that Caron Butler would be the absolute best pickup for the Rockets at the #5 slot. He's an amazing defensive presence, even though he's a little under 6'7". He has unimaginable heart to be great (Barkleyesque) on both sides of the ball. He always hustles the floor and takes great angles in pursuit of the ball, can block, can steal, and can matchup well with other bigger oponents. I feel he could be an above average defensive asset for the Rockets next season and a dominant overall player for years thereafter. By the way, there really are no other spectacular defensive players that we could get with the 5th pick or would warrant a #5 selection in the draft. We will not get Ming!
RN, Butler only had 13 blocks in 34 games. I don't know if it's valid to say he'll be able to block many shots in the NBA. He sounds really exciting though. What do you think of his handles and passing skills? NBADraft.net doesn't think much of them, but others have said differently. He averaged 3 assists a game, it looks like. Could he play the '2'? Not that I want him too - I'm just wondering how well he can handle the ball. I'm starting to buy into the hype and second to Ming, would like to see the Rockets pick up Butler.
Hobbs - Ely is listed at 6'10" and 256#'s. I think this makes him a Nazr/Theo type physically. Do you think he can play some NBA 5? (At least defensively). There may be some surprises at the 14/15 pick. It is not unreasonable to think that at least one of the following - Ely, Chris Marcus, or Stoudamire - will drop to this slot. Especially if more underclassmen declare (like Dunleavy, Jr). Another upside to Ely is that he is listed as a Senior. Hopefully, the Rocks are able to workout Butler and Woods against each other.
I believe Ely is a 5th year senior at that. Yes, I think he can play center. He won't be Shaq, but he's really gotten stronger over his career and I think he's a legit center now. He's stronger than Theo and has much more athletic ability than Nazr. Disagreeing with the NBAdraft.net scouting report, I think he's got a bit of a nasty streak and really enjoys playing defense. He'd be a very good second first rounder for the Rockets.
