ESPN Insider: NBA Draft IN and OUT List The NBA Draft resembles the weather this time of year. You're never quite sure which way the wind (or is that hot air?) will blow, temperatures rise and fall by the hour and you'll need an umbrella to keep dry from all of the B.S. falling from the sky. There are currently 85 or so prospects who firmly believe they are a lock for the first round. Of course, they believe that because there are 20 or so agents who have told them they are a lock for the first round. Of course, the agents believe that because unnamed general managers (they're always unnamed) have told them that if the agent's player is available when a certain team picks, he'll receive strong consideration. Got that? How do you sift through all of that muck? It isn't easy. I personally believe in volume. You call as many people as you can and then try to put together the pieces. NBA folks won't always tell the truth when it comes to draft prospects, but they aren't coordinated enough to pull off a mass smoke screen. Two weeks of individual workouts have given us just enough information to be dangerous. Who's hot and who's not? Here's the first edition of the NBA Draft IN and OUT list. On Monday, Insider will take a look at 10 sleepers who'll be in Chicago and have a chance to move themselves up into the first round with a strong pre-draft camp. IN Caron Butler, F, UConn: Three workouts, in New York, Houston and Memphis, have left three teams stunned. Teams knew about Butler's toughness, NBA body, athleticism and his ability to play both inside and outside. But his perimeter shooting, ball handling, and basketball IQ have blown them away. The word has spread fast that Butler may be, next to Duke's Jay Williams, the player most prepared to contribute immediately to his NBA team. Of course, teams were saying the same thing about Rodney White last year. The difference is that Butler is a tenacious defender and a proven leader. If the Rockets can't swing Yao Ming, and can't come up with a trade to their liking for Williams, don't fall out of your chair if Butler is the No. 1 pick in the draft. They were that impressed. Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, F, Brazil: The mystery man was finally unveiled and teams were blown away with his athleticism. He's already worked for seven teams: the Cavs, Bucks, Knicks, Pacers, Bulls, Suns and Clippers. He has an NBA body, a huge wing span, really attacks the boards, is a good shot blocker and has some offensive skills around the basket. He also surprised teams with a decent mid-range jumper. No one is under any illusions about the kid; he's still a project. But he's only 20 years old, has played on some good teams in Brazil and has the NBA body to perhaps play center when he matures. If teams are convinced his contract problems with Vasco de Gama are solved, he could sneak into the mid lottery. Qyntel Woods, F, Northeast Mississippi CC: Questions about a few off-the-court issues are still swirling but the few teams that wondered whether Woods had enough game to play in the NBA are now true believers. In the past two weeks Woods has worked out for the Rockets, Suns, Bucks, Wizards and Knicks. Several teams remarked that his ball-handling skills for a 6-foot-9 player were unsurpassed. He's a phenomenal athlete and has a good understanding of the game. What he lacks is a commitment to defense. If he can convince teams that he's serious about becoming a star, and will dedicate himself to the game on and off the court, he moves back up into the top five. If he can't, he'll slip into the late lottery. Jiri Welsch, G, Czech Republic: He made a quick one-week trip to the U.S. and got in workouts with the Rockets, Suns, Jazz and Raptors before returning to his team in Slovenia. At 6-foot-6, he has the size, athleticism, versatility and fundamentals that teams like. While he's probably more two guard than point guard, he's shown enough ball-handling skills and court awareness to convince teams he's worth the risk. He'll be back in the U.S. a week before the draft to get in workouts with the Bucks, Pacers, Hornets and Blazers. He's probably secured his status as a mid first-round pick. Jason Jennings, C, Arkansas State: Got off to a slow start by pulling out of Portsmouth at the last minute. But in individual workouts, Jennings has shown surprising quickness, a soft shooting touch and decent athleticism. His workouts with the Grizzlies, Suns and Lakers all went well. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, told Insider that Jennings is planning on playing in Chicago. A strong performance there should push him into the first round. OUT Chris Marcus, C, Western Kentucky: He's literally out. Marcus is expected to announce today that he's pulling his name out of the draft and returning to school for his last season. Marcus' stock has been slipping all year. Last year he was projected as a high lottery pick. This year he may have fallen out of the lottery altogether. He never quite got back into shape after a mid-season injury. His reluctance to hire an agent and work out for NBA teams had created a pretty negative buzz. If he goes back to school, gets into shape and dominates, he'll move back into the rarified lottery air. Curtis Borchardt, C, Stanford: Borchardt hasn't been able to work out either due to school issues, but it hasn't helped his stock any. Teams want to get him in and take a look at his feet. There are still plenty of questions about Borchardt's ability to stay healthy. With Marcus out of the draft, Borchardt becomes the No. 1 U.S. center and is still a likely lottery pick. However, league sources told Insider that he's still on the fence about the NBA. He may just follow Marcus back to school. Chris Wilcox, F, Maryland: A mild hamstring pull has forced Wilcox to cancel all of his workouts before Chicago. While teams are still high on him, they want to get a good look. After Chicago, he'll have two weeks to try to impress 10 teams. That's a lot of flying and jet lag. Right now, Hilario and Amare Stoudemire are stealing all of the buzz. Juan Dixon, G, Maryland: Speaking of Maryland players, it looks like Dixon has basically been a bust in workouts. Teams have brought him in with the other top point guards (usually Dan Dickau, Frank Williams or Steve Logan) to see how he'd do running a team. The early word isn't great. The word around the league is that Dixon is skipping Chicago. It could be a big mistake. Workouts emphasize athleticism. What Dixon has going for him, tenacity and leadership, would show in Chicago. Melvin Ely, F/C, Fresno State: His workouts have gone OK, but it's become painfully obvious that he doesn't have the athleticism or the upside that some of the less experienced power forwards do. Hilario, Stoudemire and even Marcus Haislip will probably go before Ely, who looks like he may slip into the 20's. UConn's Caron Butler and Brazil's Nene Hilario are hot. Western Kentucky's Chris Marcus and Stanford's Curtis Borchardt are not. I would be pretty upset if the rockets selected Butler with the #1 pick in the draft even thought he is one of my favorite players. The only way I would be happy is if we traded down then took him.
I couldn't help but laff while reading this thinking about all of the posts from the Clutchcity.net's "Insiders". This is o so true!
