The NBA season is just past its halfway mark and there are a number of teams that have stopped thinking about the playoffs and have started thinking about the NBA draft [Insider subscription required]. Overall, this year’s crop of players is considered weak, and there isn’t a clear cut #1 pick.
For now, there seems to be a consensus on the top three, and they’re all underclassmen. Connecticut’s Rudy Gay is a long, athletic small forward who has good range on his jumper. I’ve seen him play a couple of times and, thus far, he seems a bit soft. He floats around the perimeter and doesn’t seem to have much of a midrange game. He also doesn’t seem very intense, which is a problem when you start talking about taking someone with the #1 pick.
Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison is the sentimental favorite for a lot of (white) fans. He has a Larry Bird quality about him and is a fierce competitor. He has a ton of range on his jumpshot and has an excellent midrange game. His only weakness is his athleticism, and it is more apparent on defense. This is only going to get worse at the next level as he’ll be playing small forward in the NBA.
The third player is LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas. He’s going to be a power forward in the NBA and has a good offensive game, both facing the basket and with his back to it. The only knock on him at this point is that he’ll need to add muscle to his frame.
With this much uncertainty over the best player in the draft, it will likely come down to which team wins the lottery. That team will probably draft the player that best fits their needs.
I say “proabably” because there is no telling what the Blazers or the Hawks would do. (Last year, they both passed on Chris Paul to take small forward projects.)
