What about this dude? Yeah, he's young. And I know we have our share of power forwards. But he could grow into the center we need, especially if his frame looks to hold some more weight, as nbadraft.net suggests. Shotblocker, decent scorer. And there are 10,000 Brazilians in Houston (I checked: certainly not as many as, say, Boston, NY, or Miami, but not bad). And the international TV audience! Basketball isn't at soccer or volleyball (yes, volleyball) proportions in Brazil, but you can bet many would follow how his games on TV. Nbadraft currently has him listed as going to the Cavs at #6. That's at about our spot. So here's the info from nbadraft.net: NBA Comparison: Hakeem Olajuwon Strengths: A player with unlimited potential. Very fluid athlete with an imposing physical presense. Looks between 6-9, 6-10. Reminds of Hakeem the way he runs the floor, and his clever offensive game. Passes well. Knows how to score. Very good shot blocker with long arms and excellent timing. pperbody/frame is very impressive and appears to have room to gain another 20 to 30 pounds. Can face the basket and take the ball off the dribble with decent handle, but his future is in the post. Has excellent touch around the basket, decent mid-range shooter. Doesn't get intimidated. At 19, has a good court sense, confidence, and feel for the game, and looks like he can improve immensely. Weaknesses: Must become better at anticipating rebounds. Needs to gain more consistency, learn better defensive technique,(besides shot blocking and taking charges). Has very good feet, but must develop better footwork in the post and positioning for rebounds. Shot mechanics seem to need refinement, (free throw shot has a slight hitch, but it's not horrible) The makings are there but must develop a bona fide killer instinct. From Vinicius Fontana: This year he played for the Brazilian National team, making a great impact in the South American tournament, Americas Cup, and Goodwill Games. He is a very athetic player (very smooth, quick, and a great leaper). He's a spectacular shot-blocker and a natural rebounder, extremely aggressive on the offensive boards but a strong defender too. The player in the NBA he reminds me of is Kenyon Martin, only he has more offensive skills. Weakness - should improve his jump-shot around the basket and take a special atention on the free throw line where his best Shaq impression can be seen.
