2008 NBA Draft

jerryd-bayless.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review indiana 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Incredible athlete who can finish with flair in transition … Creates off the dribble extremely well … Shooting mechanics allow him to shoot over taller defenders with his high elevation … Possesses legit three point range that he can make with regularity … Has really learned how to incorporate driving to the basket with his perimeter shot in balance, whereas in the beginning of the season he was single minded settling for the shot … Quality ball handler who owns a quick first step and nice change of speed dribble to get full separation from his defender … Once in the lane his strong upper body and body control allows him to absorb contact and finish … This aggressiveness gives him the ability to get to the free throw line frequently during the course of a game … Makes difficult shots look easy with his ability to pull-up off the dribble or take the step back perimeter shot … Defensively his athleticism gives him great lateral quickness to cover explosive guards … Owns a high basketball IQ and shows a feel for the game that can’t be taught … Understands how to use screens for catch and shoot opportunities … Possesses court savvy to lure aggressive defenders by using fakes and exaggerated movements to sell contact … Quality free throw shooter … Explosive scorer who can put up points in a hurry … Willing passer who has no problem passing the ball to open teammates … Big time competitor with a great work ethic who wants to win every time he steps out on the court … Though he may take time to develop his potential is great …

Weaknesses: Defensively, his arms are not very long, which prevents him from disrupting passing lanes and impacts him from being a quality rebounder … Body language and facial expressions tell a little about his maturity level - clearly has confidence, which is good, but borders closely on cockiness … Needs to fight through screens better when defending … Not a pure distributor - he clearly has a shooting guard’s mentality in a point guard’s body … Tends to over penetrate at times when driving to the basket … To compound issues, once the defense collapses on him he usually resorts to forced passes … Gets frustrated at times when he is defended physically, but to his credit Bayless isn’t soft … Point guard qualities aren’t very cultivated - he'll need some time to learn how to run an offense and most importantly make teammates better … Court vision is evolving but still remains a work in progress … With time, Bayless should become a quality combo guard, but as of right now he clearly excels at the shooting guard position … While greatly improved since the beginning of the season, Bayless is still prone to throwing up the questionable shot …

Matthew Maurer - 3/11/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Arizona

30

45.8

41.0

83.9

1.0

0.1

2.7

4.0

19.7

DIV I Totals

30

45.8

41.0

83.9

1.0

0.1

2.7

4.0

19.7

 

deandre-jordan-1.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review clippers 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Runs the court extremely well for a player his size as he even outruns some guards … Possesses the soft hands to catch most passes thrown into the post without any issues of bobbling passes … Excellent out of position rebounder because of his length and mobility to track down shots … A budding shot blocking presence with his wingspan and explosiveness … Movements are extremely coordinated showing good agility and fluidness, far from mechanical … Possesses smooth footwork due to his foot speed, which quickly corrects any choppiness he may initially have - a rarity for a post player at this stage in his development … Athletically, Jordan can make plays most players his size can’t even think of with his mobility and leaping ability … Has a great motor in that he attacks the basket aggressively, drawing contact … Understands the value of keeping the ball high … Solid finisher around the basket where his athletic gifts make for flashy dunks … Physically, Jordan possesses the body type capable of adding additional weight without sacrificing his athleticism … Shows good touch around the basket on jump hooks that he is able to make with some regularity … Potentially, he has yet to scratch the surface of his talent and should continue to develop by leaps and bounds in the next 2-3 years …

Weaknesses: Offensively, Jordan’s back to the basket skills are still in the developmental stages … He occasional shows flashes of a drop step or baseline spin move, but is clearly more comfortable with put-backs and dunking the ball at this point – this contributes to his high field goal percentage … Not the best rebounder in his area despite having the physical advantage, as he easily gets boxed out … Still not a dominate force in the shot blocking department because he lacks the trimming and court awareness, but to his credit he is improving … Some have questioned his work ethic and maturity level, so one may wonder if a multimillion dollar NBA contract will distract him … Despite drawing a good amount of fouls his poor free throw shooting denies him from taking full advantage … Upper body strength is still a work in progress as Jordan has trouble establishing position in the post without getting rooted out … Would get more scoring opportunities if he concentrated on getting his body wider in the lane – he should give his teammates a bigger target to passes into instead of having them throw risky lobs … Not the biggest fan of physical contact as he takes some period of adjustment, but not what I would label soft … Intensity level and focus tends to waivers during games … Still learning how to effectively defend in the post without creating fouls … Will be a project for any NBA team who selects him …

Matthew Maurer - 2/27/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Texas A&M

35

61.7

---

43.7

0.2

1.3

6.0

0.4

7.9

DIV I Totals

35

61.7

---

43.7

0.2

1.3

6.0

0.4

7.9

 

donte-greene.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review memphis 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Mobility is exceptional for his size, simply runs the court like a guard … Has three point range when his feet are set or coming off a screen … Very fluid athlete in his movements … A solid passer blessed with evolving court vision that seems to improve every game … Owns a very smooth turnaround jumper that he makes consistently from 16 feet … Has improved tremendously when catching and shooting … Seems to possess a feel for the game that few have … Dangerous in the open court where he is a great finisher … Uses his long arms and mobility to his advantage when rebounding out of position … Defensively, he has many of the physical skills needed to become better - long arms, mobility, and above average athleticism … Creates mismatches on a nightly basis with his ability to shoot over shorter defenders or use his ball handling ability to drive past slower forwards … Although his skill set seems more suited for the small forward position, has the versatility to play both forward positions, … Confidence is sky high and clearly effective in big moments of games … Makes good use of his length to block shots as a help defender …

Weakness: Defensively, Greene will need to improve his footwork when guarding NBA small forwards on the perimeter … Not as comfortable with his back to the basket opposed to when he is facing it … This is one of the reasons his back to the basket game isn’t very refined … Like most freshmen, his upper body strength is in need of improvement … This lack of strength hurts him when rebounding in his area - small players can often box him out easy … Seems to stand around at times instead of moving without the ball … Settles too much for the perimeter shot instead of driving in the lane and creating contact … This may be due to the fact that he hasn’t fully developed the ability to create off the dribble consistently … Perimeter shooting can go through periods of inconsistency … Struggles to defend physical players in the post, but to his credit this will be less of an issue in the NBA … Could stand to increase his intensity level, especially on the defensive end … Greene's ball handling is solid in the open court, but needs to be tweaked - he can be a little turnover prone when perimeter pressure is applied ...

Matthew Maurer - 1/7/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Syracuse

35

41.8

34.5

70.7

1.3

1.6

7.2

2.0

17.7

DIV I Totals

35

41.8

34.5

70.7

1.3

1.6

7.2

2.0

17.7

 

eric-gordon-1.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review clippers 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Explosive scorer capable of reeling off big time scoring binges in minutes … Physically, Gordon has a unique body type in that he has a compact body and great upper body strength … This is particularly helpful when he slashes to the basket where his low center of gravity allows for cat like body control and strength that enables him to absorb contact and finish … Possesses legit NBA three point range that he can make with regularity … Even more intriguing is Gordon’s understanding of how to move without the ball where he is dangerous coming off screens for catch and shoot opportunities from the three point line … Gets tremendous separation from his defender with his explosive first step and change of speed dribble … Uses a good number of crossovers and power dribbles to get past defenders who try to play him tight … Great free throw shooter … Excellent finisher in transition where he has the explosive athleticism to finish with flair … Despite being a freshmen, Gordon does a great job of staying aggressive and attacking the basket where he creates a lot of contact … Defensively, he shows promise as he is blessed with lateral quickness, quick hands, and good anticipation skills to play passing lanes for easy steals … Plays the game with great maturity, poise and tremendous confidence in his skills … Has become a solid passer off drives to the basket when the defense collapses … Shooting mechanics are exceptional as Gordon needs little time to get a clear look thanks to his quick release …

Weaknesses: Gordon is not the ideal height for the shooting guard spot in the NBA … To compound matters, upon appearance Gordon looks to be 6-3, which is a point guard in today’s NBA … At times gets a little too focused on shooting three point shots … Doesn’t always utilize the mid-range to create shots - most of his offense is comprised of driving to the basket or shooting threes … Defensively, he is still a work in progress - while not terrible, he isn’t exactly a guy that opposing guards fear … Some of this has more to do with his mindset in learning how to be dominate on both sides of the court - right now, most of his focus and energy is towards scoring … Gordon doesn’t protect the ball when dribbling as he tends to get careless with the ball, but to his credit he is doing a much better job as the season goes on … Court vision and decision making when passing the ball are questionable, which often results in a good bulk of his turnovers … Rushes himself offensively and forces shots at times … Despite being such a good athlete, Gordon isn’t a very good rebounder for a shooting guard, which probably has more to do with his body type than effort … With his lower center of gravity Gordon doesn’t have great length …

Matthew Maurer - 2/25/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Indiana

32

43.3

33.7

83.4

1.3

0.6

3.3

2.4

20.9

DIV I Totals

32

43.3

33.7

83.4

1.3

0.6

3.3

2.4

20.9

 

derrick-rose.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review chicago 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Physically, Rose exceeds even the prototype model of an NBA point guard with his size and athleticism … Tremendous ball handler who uses a wide assortment of crossovers, stutter steps and change of speed dribbles to get separation at will … Excellent finisher when driving to the basket where his body control and strength allow him to convert difficult drives or absorb contact and finish … Defensively, he has all the physical tools to be a premium defender with his quick hands, lateral movement, long arms and anticipation skills … Gets a great deal of steals by disrupting passing lanes … Tremendous in the open court where he can dominate most defenders one on one or set up streaking players … Court vision is superb in that he knows where everyone is at all times … Does a great job of attacking the basket and drawing fouls from opposing defenders … Has a great understanding of the game that enables him to instinctively make plays that few his age can … Rose possesses many of the point guard qualities you look for - he knows how to control the tempo, be a leader, make players around him better, and most importantly remain unselfish … Work ethic has been praised by many around him … Has yet to come close to his potential, which is truly exceptional … Dangerous finisher whose leaping ability enables him to finish with flair … Uses his size, strength and athleticism to make an impact rebounding the ball, which is a rarity for a point guard … Although not an efficient shooter, Rose has tweaked his shooting mechanics since leaving high school …

Weakness: Defensively, Rose must not focus so much on gambling for steals – he can get away with this in college because his lateral quickness allows him to recover, but on the NBA level this tendency will be exposed … While he has made inroads to improving his perimeter shooting, Rose isn’t very consistent at the moment … This often enables his defender to play him for his drive … Lacks the consistency to be a threat shooting from mid-range or pulling-up from mid-range … Prone to getting out of control on his drives to the basket … Tends to throw up extremely difficult shots when he would have been better off passing the ball … Not as efficient running an offense in a half court set … Has picked up a great deal of offensive charges this season as opposing defenders just set their feet right before he explodes to the basket … This can be alleviated if he plays a little more under control and does not rush himself … While Rose definitely leads by example, some feel he should be more vocal on the floor … With his physical gifts, Rose could easily post-up most point guards he faces, but still hasn’t taken full advantage of this with his underdeveloped post up moves …

Matthew Maurer - 1/28/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Memphis

40

47.7

33.7

71.2

1.2

0.4

4.5

4.7

14.9

DIV I Totals

40

47.7

33.7

71.2

1.2

0.4

4.5

4.7

14.9

 

michael-beasley.jpg 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review miami 2008 NBA Draft - The Draft Review

Strengths: Versatile scorer, who despite his size, is a smooth athlete capable of putting up big numbers … Dangerous in the fast break where he is able to finish with ease … Fundamentally, he has many of the rare skills that most power forwards lack - ball handling, perimeter shooting and moderate quickness … This versatility allows him to exploit match-ups from the high post where his foot speed is better than most college power forwards or centers … If his match-up guards him for the drive, Beasley will shoot from 18 feet out … Has three point range when his feet are set … Has improved greatly shooting off the dribble from mid-range … Tremendous rebounder due to his great hands, effective boxing out, and the mobility to grab any rebounds out of position … Makes some very tough shots when driving to the basket thanks to his body strength and control … Aggressive plays like these earn him a good number of trips to the free throw line … Physical player who does not shy away from contact and has the competitiveness to keep dominating, no matter the game’s outcome … Has impressive court vision to see the floor and make passes when motivated … Extremely confident player who feels he is the best on the floor, and many times is … Potentially, Beasley is still developing...

Weakness: One of the biggest question marks regarding Beasley is what position he will play in the NBA … Despite being 6-9 he doesn’t have the look of a power forward and his total skill set isn’t refined just yet to play small forward … Athletic, but not on the level that many place him - he's more smooth than explosive … This really impacts him when it comes to shot blocking … If Beasley is to play the small forward position he must improve on ball handling, which is slightly above average, but not good enough to consistently take his defender off the dribble … Many have questioned his maturity level … Tends to be overaggressive on defense which leads him to pick up quick fouls … He must keep his emotions in check and control his frustrations when things aren’t going his way … Mental approach and intensity level fall off when he’s not involved offensively … Back to the basket skills are extremely underdeveloped … Shows solid mechanics on his perimeter shooting but still goes through bouts of inconsistency … Still learning the game from a mental standpoint … Selfish in that he will ignore double teams despite seeing them and still no pass out … Defensively, Beasley must improve on his perimeter defense if he is to play small forward...

Matthew Maurer - 1/3/08

Statistics

SEASONS

GP

FG%

3PT%

FT%

SPG

BPG

RPG

APG

PPG

2007-08 Kansas State

33

53.2

37.9

77.4

1.3

1.6

12.4

1.2

26.2

DIV I Totals

33

53.2

37.9

77.4

1.3

1.6

12.4

1.2

26.2

 

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