Name: Marreese Speights Position: Power Forward Height: 6-10 (2.08m) Weight: 245 (111kg) College Team: Florida Gators Nationality: American Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Florida Birthdate: 8/4/1987  Drafted: Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (16th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Strengths: Above average athlete capable of running the floor … Has a great understanding of keeping the ball high on put-backs or on post moves - this lack of wasted movement disrupts defenders from being able to recover … Shows good upper body strength and body control to absorb contact and finish around the basket … Once fouled, Speights is a solid enough free throw shooter to convert the extra point … Displays soft touch around the basket where he has the ability to hit 14 feet from the basket … Great passer when double teams occur due to his solid court vision … Back to basket skills display great promise as he has a nice looking jump hook that he can make with both hands, as well as a quality spin move … Post footwork shows great fluidness and balance … Highly efficient rebounder who has no problem rebounding in his area or out of his position … Quality hands that are soft enough to catch passes without fumbling, yet strong enough to secure rebounds without getting stripped … Displays good lateral movement for his size … Speights' post defense improved as the season progressed … Works hard to disrupt opposing forwards from being able to set-up in the low post … Does a great job of using his mobility on help defense where his long arms make him an adequate shot blocking presence at the collegiate level … Understands where he is in relation to the basket, which prevents him from getting lost too far away/under the basket … Aggressive athlete who plays with the tough demeanor and intensity level that you love to see in a big man … Possesses the body type that can add weight without losing too much mobility or athleticism … Understands what his strengths are and rarely exceeds them …

Weaknesses: Speights' feel for the game is suspect as you may often get the feeling that he's got by in high school and college and by being stronger and bigger than everyone rather than using his basketball IQ … Doesn’t do a great job of establishing position in the post without getting pushed off the blocks … Some of this could be stamina related as he loses the aggressiveness to work the blocks as the game progresses … To compound matters Speights doesn’t always get wide enough for guards to throw easy passes … Despite having the physical advantage there are times when opposing players effectively boxing him out when rebounding … Lacks the explosiveness to be an elite shot blocker at the NBA level … Timing is another hurdle that will hold him back when blocking shots as he bites too easily on fakes … Has solid shooting range from the perimeter, but currently lacks the consistency to be a legit threat … Defensively, he doesn’t always show the effort to effectively keep his body between his man and the basket … Based on his development and athleticism his potential doesn’t show a great deal of upside to improve by the leaps and bounds that NBA GMs find appealing … Back to the basket skills still lack variety and creativity and he fails to have developed a dependable post move that he can make with regularity … There have been valid questions concerning his focus and work ethic … Will be a project for any team drafting him which, makes him a slightly risky selection if taken very early in the first round …

Matthew Maurer - 6/4/08

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 09 April 2008

Created: 09 April 2008

Last Updated: 04 November 2019

Name: Sonny Weems Position: Shooting Guard Height: 6-6 (1.98m) Weight: 201 (91kg) College Team: Arkansas Razorbacks Nationality: American Birthplace: West Memphis, Arkansas Birthdate: 7/8/1986 Drafted: Selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (39th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 04 April 2008

Created: 04 April 2008

Last Updated: 28 February 2022

Name: Robin Lopez Position: Center Height: 7-0 (2.13m) Weight: 255 (116kg) College Team: Stanford Cardinals Nationality: American Birthplace: North Hollywood, California Birthdate: 4/1/1988 Drafted: Selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round (15th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Brother: Brook Lopez

Strengths: For his size, Lopez is an excellent runner of the floor … Does a good job establishing position in the post … Understands the value of not putting the ball on the floor … Owns a premium set of hands that are both strong and soft … These hands enable him to catch difficult passes thrown into the post or hold onto rebounds without getting them slapped away … Back to the basket skills are still in the developmental stages, but he's shown very good signs of a nice jump hook … Post footwork displays good quickness, balance and coordination when executing moves … Has all the physical tools needed to be a great shot blocker at the next level with long arms, explosiveness and timing … Because of his solid lateral movement Lopez is an above average help defender, which alleviates many open looks from opposing players who attempt to penetrate the lane … Plays with a calm fire and doesn’t allow his emotions to get in the way, but make no mistake, he possesses a mean streak … Quality rebounder who uses his body and mobility to grab rebounds in area and out of position … Still has some time before he reaches the ceiling on his potential … When motivated, Lopez can draw a great deal of contact when attacking the basket … Team oriented attitude in that he will do whatever is required, whether it’s being a hustle player diving on the floor for loose balls or providing an energy play such as a power dunk around the basket … Underrated basketball IQ … Court awareness is exceptional for someone with his lack of refinement … Body type suggest adding weight will not hider his athleticism …

Weaknesses: Physically, Lopez needs to continue to work on his upper body strength … Back to the basket skills are in great need of refinement … At this moment he lacks any real go-to move and could stand to incorporate more moves such as a drop step or a steady turnaround jumper … Not a great out of position rebounder when being boxed out, which could be a strength related issue … Often tries to tap the ball to himself (ala Dennis Rodman), but lacks the strength to do this while holding off his man … Could stand to expand his shooting range out to 10-12 feet as he has no face-up game … Doesn’t do a good job of holding post position without get pushed away from the basket … Average finisher around the basket, especially after contact occurs … Still prone to mental breakdowns, but to his credit he improved as the season carried on … Doesn’t always look to dominate, which makes him appear passive … Post defense must continue to improve - Lopez will often let opposing players set up position without disrupting them … Lopez is a willing passer, but doesn’t have the necessary court vision to see the floor … Free throw shooting has been an Achilles heel for Lopez - although improved he fails to be consistent … Will be a project for any team drafting him …

Matthew Maurer - 5/28/08

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 01 April 2008

Created: 01 April 2008

Last Updated: 28 February 2022

Name: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute Position: Small Forward Height: 6-7 (2.00m) Weight: 230 (104kg) College Team: UCLA Bruins Nationality: Cameroonian Birthplace: Yaounde, Cameroon Birthdate: 9/9/1986 Drafted: Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (37th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 07 March 2008

Created: 07 March 2008

Last Updated: 22 February 2021

Name: Russell Westbrook Position: Point Guard Height: 6-3 (1.90m) Weight: 190 (86kg) College Team: UCLA Bruins Nationality: American Birthplace: Hawthorne, California Birthdate: 11/12/1988 Drafted: Selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the first round (4th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Strengths: Westbrook is a tremendous athlete capable of making explosive plays … Moves well with the ball in his hands … Has the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself off the dribble … Gets a good deal of separation from his defender thanks to his explosiveness first step … Once in the lane Westbrook has the leaping ability and body control to either dunk the ball or finish with a lay-up in traffic … Willing passer who creates most assists off driving to the basket then dishing it off … Excellent finisher in transition where he is capable of making some high energy plays …Defensively shows good lateral movement, quick hands, long arms and solid anticipation skills to play the passing lanes … These qualities effectively allow him to disrupt and pressure even the most polished players on the perimeter … Has three point range on his jumper when his feet are set … Owns an NBA ready body that is strong and compact … This enables him to absorb contact in the lane and finish … Aggressive mindset provides him with a decent number of opportunities to draw contact for free throw shots … Above average ball handler capable of using various crossovers to get past his man … Despite the height difference of most players at the shooting guard position, Westbrook has no problem shooting over them due to the high elevation on his jumper … Has the ability to move over to the point guard position and provide relief in spot minutes … Court vision isn’t exceptional, but shows great promise … Unselfish player who constantly looks to pass the ball to open teammates … Owns the gym rat attitude to develop and has been labeled a coachable player with a desire to learn … Huge upside, as he's only begun to scratch the surface of his potential …

Weaknesses: A tweener at his position by NBA standards - too short for the shooting guard and lacks the mentality for the point … This could effect his standings with NBA personnel as combo guards with shooting guard tendencies are very hard to convert and don’t have a high success rate … Can become turnover prone when pressured heavily … A streaky perimeter shooter in every sense of the word … This prevents him from being able to consistently use pull-up jumpers from mid-range … Tries too hard going for the spectacular play where he can get a little wild in the open court … Attempts to force driving to the basket when his jump shot isn’t dropping … While he has three point range he’s much better with his feet set rather than having to shoot off the dribble … As a point guard prospect he lacks exceptional court vision and doesn’t always do a good job of analyzing the opposing defense … His shooting struggles and makes him a prime candidate for issues with effectiveness in a half court set … A player with his exceptional level of potential should be considered a high risk high reward pick …

Matthew Maurer - 5/28/08

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 25 February 2008

Created: 25 February 2008

Last Updated: 28 February 2022

Name: Anthony Randolph Position: Power Forward Height: 6-11 (2.11m) Weight: 200 (91kg) College Team: Louisiana State Tigers Nationality: American Birthplace: Wurzburg, West Germany Birthdate: 7/15/1989 Drafted: Selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round (14th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Strengths: Randolph is an excellent runner of the court for his size … Defensively, he has all the physical tools to develop into an elite defender on the next level … Possesses soft touch to convert shots around the basket … This fluid athlete is an excellent finisher in transition where his length allows for impressive moves … Top notch ball handler who can take opposing defenders off the dribble from the perimeter … This also gives him the ability to ignite fast break opportunities after rebounding the ball … Defensively, his mobility and long arms give him a shot blocking presence when providing help defense … Good rebounder out of position … Offensively, Randolph shows signs of a nice perimeter shot 14 feet from the basket … Improved his free throw tremendously during the season thanks to the refinement of his shooting mechanics … Owns a good looking turnaround jump shot when posting up … Creates a decent amount of contact when he takes advantage of the mismatches his versatility provides … The ability to create off the dribble and long strides creates opportunities for him separate from his defender on drives to the basket … Has loads of potential and is far from touching the ceiling off his development … Possesses the court vision needed to see the floor and the unselfishness to pass … Size for the small forward position is at a premium, even on the NBA landscape … Lateral quickness is excellent for his size which enables him to stay in front of most forwards and guards with few issues …

Weaknesses: Doesn’t always play up to the level of his talent - too often Randolph seems content to coast during games … Body remains undeveloped and will need some work in the strength department … This sometimes effects him greatly where he isn’t able to absorb contact and finish without ending up on the floor … Unfortunately, his body structure suggests that additional weight gain may be difficult for him to keep on … Although physically better suited for the small forward position, his skills are a mix of both forward positions with no real skill set needed to effectively play either position … Examples of this are his back to the basket moves which remain in need of work and his inconsistent perimeter shooting … Can shoot questionable shots and forces shots that are not to his advantage … To his credit some of this was due in part to LSU’s injuries this year - there were times when he took too much responsibility on his shoulders, which lead to turnovers … Still learning the game when it comes to decision making and court awareness … Lacks any real consistency to be successful shooting three point shots right now … Loses focus and sometimes confidence - when his performance isn’t living up to his standards he must fight through … Struggles to establish position on post-up moves when the mismatch is in his favor … Wavering intensity level has dogged Randolph since high school which has led some to question if he takes plays off …

Matthew Maurer - 4/1/08

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 25 February 2008

Created: 25 February 2008

Last Updated: 02 September 2021

Name: J.R. Giddens Position: Shooting Guard Height: 6-5 (1.96m) Weight: 200 (91kg) College Team: New Mexico Lobos Nationality: American Birthplace: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Birthdate: 2/13/1985 Drafted: Selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (30th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 15 February 2008

Created: 15 February 2008

Last Updated: 28 February 2022

Name: Javale McGee Position: Power Forward Height: 6-11 (2.11m) Weight: 235 (107kg) College Team: Nevada Wolf Pack Nationality: American Birthplace: Flint, Michigan Birthdate: 1/19/1988 Drafted: Selected by the Washington Wizards in the first round (18th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft

Strengths: Has the NBA size and, most importantly, the athleticism for the power forward position … Runs the floor exceptionally well for a player his size … Has the body type to add necessary weight without sacrificing any athleticism … Shooting touch from mid-range is decent 15 feet from the basket … Solid finisher in transition or around the basket where his length and leaping ability allow for impressive finishes … Defensively, he shows great promise blocking shots with his long arms, explosiveness and mobility … Has shown great improvement passing the ball, which was below average in the beginning of the season … Has shown some developing post moves with a decent looking jump hook and turnaround jumper … Ball handling ability enables him to get the ball on the perimeter and gain separation to drive to the basket … Uses his length and athleticism to snare a good portion of rebounds out of position … Has the physical traits that should prepare him for good development in the post with soft hands to catch passes and smooth foot work that enables McGee to maintain balance … Moves well laterally, which allows him to provide great help defense … May have the most upside in the entire draft, which speaks of how far he is from his ceiling …

Weaknesses: Physically, McGee must continue to add more upper body strength and weight to his body … Because of this he seems to struggle to establish position when attempting to post-up … Doesn’t do a good job of getting his body wide - guards will often have to lob difficult passes over the defense to get him the ball … Must focus on boxing out when rebounding in his area, as he can get outworked by players when he has the physical advantage … This often makes him a liability to recover offensive rebounds, which is regarded by most as the game's most important aspect for a big man … Offensively, his back to the basket moves are raw and remain a work in progress … When blocking shots McGee’s timing needs work as he tends to bite on fakes with some regularity … Will be a project for a team drafting him as he is clearly still learning the game’s nuances … Defensively, he doesn’t do a good job denying post position and simply allows his man to gain space without any disruption … Poor free throw shooter that lacks a routine and has a habit of looking at the ball during his release instead of focusing on the rim … McGee doesn’t know his limits as a player, which can be frustrating when he attempts shots that are beyond his comfort level … Seems to have problems with his confidence and currently lacks the mental toughness to fight through when things aren’t going his way ... Can get man-handled when he fails to match the physicality of power post players … Lacks the body strength to absorb contact and finish in traffic …

Matthew Maurer - 4/28/08

Father: George Montgomery

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Written by The Draft Review

Published: 08 February 2008

Created: 08 February 2008

Last Updated: 10 September 2019

Name: Mario Chalmers Position: Point Guard Height: 6-1 (1.85m) Weight: 195 (88kg) College Team: Kansas Jayhawks Nationality: American Birthplace: Anchorage, Alaska Birthdate: 5/19/1986 Drafted: Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round (34th pick overall) of 2008 NBA Draft.

Strengths: Chalmers applies a good deal of defensive pressure on the perimeter with his long arms, quick hands and anticipation skills … These physical attributes allow him to aggressively disrupt passing lanes for steal opportunities … Owns a nice change of speed hesitation move to create space from his defender … Possesses legit three point range that he can make with regularity … Gets a decent amount of his passes off drive and dish situations … Flourishes in transition where his long arms and body control allow him to make great finishes … Quality rebounder for his size thanks to his long arms and toughness … Capable of stepping up for clutch plays in crucial moments … Possesses some point guard qualities in that he has a great feel for the game and is very unselfish with the ball … Team oriented player who will do whatever is needed for his team to be successful … Does a great job of moving without the ball … He often will run off screens for catch and shoot opportunities … Despite his aggressive defense he stays out of foul trouble and knows when to gamble as opposed to going after every ball … Dangerous stand still shooter who can pick an opposing team off from the perimeter when his feet are set … Quick release on his jump shot enables him to shoot with little time needed … Possesses a winner's attitude and plays the game with great poise ...

Weaknesses: Tends to make questionable choices on drives to the basket when his feet are off the ground … This often leads him to force difficult passes … Athletically, he is a quality athlete but is far from special for someone at his position … This can limit him at times when he has to finish in heavy traffic … Doesn’t possess a tremendous first step to gain separation from his defender … Despite his size, Chalmers hasn’t played nor displayed a great deal of point guard qualities … At his best he is a combo guard capable of playing both guard positions, but could clearly struggle with both roles in the NBA … Ball handling ability and court vision are not on par with other point guard prospects due to lack of experience and development … Can become a little too aggressive attacking the basket because he has a tendency to overpenetrate and force things … Defensively, Chalmers' lateral quickness could stand some room for improvement … Ability to run a team offense are huge question marks - while his production was great this past season, teammates Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins were clearly more responsible for running the offense and ball handling duties … Can be a bit turnover prone when heavy defensive pressure is applied … Shooting off the dribble from the perimeter is underutilized and, for the most part, inconsistent at times … He can be somewhat predictable offensively - opposing defenders often know that Chalmers' first option is to drive to the basket while shooting off screens is his second option - this speaks about his creativity in one on one situations … Potential for development is minimal as he isn’t going to grow by leaps and bounds …

Matthew Maurer - 6/23/08

Details

Written by The Draft Review

Published: 08 February 2008

Created: 08 February 2008

Last Updated: 28 February 2022