# Looking at the 2005 and 2006 draft...Players I like



## Kekai (Jan 12, 2005)

I like these guys










#45
*Channing Frye* 
Birthdate: 5/17/83
NBA Position: Center
College: Arizona
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 248
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
High School: St. Mary's 
Team Site Profile

NBA Comparison: Jarron Collins

Strengths: Very skilled bigman...Fundamentally sound in nearly every area...Runs the floor well on the break...Great base mechanics on his jumper...Keeps the ball high in the post...Good footwork on the block...Soft hands...Can make his post move with either hand...Steadily improving jump-hook and drop-step...Surprisingly effective spot-up shooter, which makes him a dangerous scoring threat on the pick-and-roll...Outstanding free-throw shooter (about 83%)...Crashes the offensive boards hard...Solid help defender and shot blocker...Enormous wingspan...Boxes out well...Excels at the tip-in and follow-up dunk...Terrific passer out of the post...Solid ball-handler..Defends both the center and power forward position effectively...Always improving his overall game...Even though his scoring average is slightly down, he’s a much better overall player now than he was as a junior...Has impressed many scouts with his stand out senior season.


Weaknesses: Still suffers in lapses in concentration/intensity/consistency...Vanishes for large chunks of time (especially on the glass)...Could use another 20-25 pounds of muscle...Has made nice strides in this area, but still lacking a true killer instinct...Has a tendency to commit stupid fouls/turnovers at the worst times...A “tweener”...Lacks lateral footspeed to keep up with most NBA power forwards...Lacks necessary bulk to bang with NBA centers night in and night out...Not a great leaper...Even with his improvements in these areas, strength and stamina still must improve to compete at the professional level...Can let his emotions get the best of him...Lack of lower body strength occasionally leads to him getting muscled off his spot.


Notes: Named to the Pac-10 First Team as a junior...Go-to move is a power-dribble from the left block into the middle of the lane and a mid-range jump-hook with his right hand.

-Nick Prevenas 2/13/05

Strengths: Runs the floor very well for a guy 6-10 and 240-pounds...Normally has very good hands but they failed him in loss to Kansas, ending Arizona's season...Shooting touch is solid out to 18-feet but most reliable at 15-feet...Very intelligent player, fast learner and a good system guy. Knows and understands his role on the team but is fully capable of being the go-to guy at just about any time... Rebounding skills are above average thanks to his length and positioning. Offensive rebounding and tip-ins are his fortay...Getting much better with his left (off) hand to go along with his deadly right-handed jump hook...Good at turning and shooting almost immediately upon receiving entry pass...Uses the glass on jump shots from tough angles. Always a high percentage shooter (.595 as freshman and .586 as a sophomore) thanks to being in the right places in the offensive flow...Biggest strength is his vast upside and potential. 

Weaknesses: Needs to add more strength...Tends to shy away from more physical play, although his improved strength (added 25 pounds of muscle since freshman year at Arizona) has changed that recently...Not a great leaper or very explosive and that leads to sometimes-flat turnaround jump-hooks in the lane. Also doesn't help his blocked shot numbers, which come mainly from decent timing...Concentration seems to fade at times 











#34
*Travis Diener *
Birthdate: 3/1/82
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Marquette
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 165
Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI
High School: Goodrich 












#14
*Johan Petro*
Birthdate: 1/27/86
NBA Position: PF/C
Ht: 7-0
Wt: 240
European Team: Pau Orthez
Hometown: Paris, France
Euroleague Profile 

Strengths: The top prospect in France, and maybe in all of Europe. Athletic, can run the floor. Great body, Good wingspan, big bones, and pretty strong. Has put on a lot of weight in the past two years. Has good touch on the ball. Still raw on offense but has a little baby hook that he relies on much of the time. He definitely has great potential but has to change attitude on the court and play harder. 

Weaknesses: Has still slow foot work, not helped with lazy attitudes at times. Shot is not developed and doesn’t even look for the ball yet. Doesn’t move well on offense and could get a lot more done especially offensive rebounding. Has to play harder. Defense is limited right now in having a great body to deny shots or change their way. Could be but is not a shot blocker, and doesn’t move feet quick enough to guard smaller post players. Reaction is still slow. 

-Babacar Sy

Notes: Has a very bright future. Excels with the ball close to the basket. Excellent shotblocker. Inevitably compared to countryman Jerome Moiso due to his style of play and raw athleticism, but has a greater future because of his strong motivation level. Began playing basketball at the age of 12. Started basketball some years ago, played for the under 18 national team at just 16.










#1


*Daniel Gibson *
Birthdate: 2/27/86
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Texas
Class: Freshman
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 190
Hometown: Houston, TX
High School: Jesse Jones 

NBA Comparison: Chauncey Billups

Strengths: Point Guard with advanced scoring skills ... Scores well within the flow of the game and does a good job of setting the table ... Combines excellent quickness and athleticism with competitiveness and drive ... Great court vision and reaction speed to find open teammates ... Has a killer crossover dribble ... Shoots the 3 ball well, which also makes his crossover that much more lethal ... Good basketball understanding and decision maker ... Excels in the open court and loves to push the ball up quickly... He is not the passer and floor general that TJ Ford was, but he has better size, and much better shooting ability ... His size makes him an intruiging prospect ...

Weaknesses: Experience... He has been thrown right in the fire as an instant starter in his freshman season at Texas, but he has handled it well ... His half court game is a work in progress ... Still must become comfortable with the nuances of the PG position, controlling the tempo, getting everyone involved, etc... He has the ability to be the type of point guard that makes everyone else better, he just needs time to further develop those skills ... 
-Aran Smith 12/27/04










#1

*Hakim Warrick *
Birthdate: 7/8/82
NBA Position: SF/PF
College: Syracuse
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-8
Wt: 220
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA 
High School: Friends Central 
Team Site Profile

NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby

Strengths: An unbelievable athlete who can jump out of the gym with the best of them. A highlight real waiting to happen. His incredibly long arms and intensity make him a ferocious offensive and defensive rebounder. Gets off the floor almost instantaneously. Possesses a nice turnaround jumper and decent ball handling skills for a player his size. Has the potential and desire to not only become an offensive force, but a shut down defender as well. A very exciting player to watch with huge potential. 

Weaknesses: Everything he does is based on his superior athletic ability. Despite his ball handling skills, Hakim is still very raw. His points usually come from fastbreaks, tip-ins, and putbacks. He tries to dunk everything on the offensive end and block everything on the defensive side. Perimeter game is suspect, despite good form on his outside shot. MUST put on muscle if he has any plans of ever playing pro ball, he is very thin and is easily out-muscled. Free throw shooting and interior defense are also concerns. 

Notes: Hakim has the potential to become a very good player, but must learn to rely on more than his other worldly athletic ability. If he learns to collect himself and show some patience, his offense will improve dramatically. It seems as though Coach Boeheim is going to use Hakim on the interior in his early years at SU and then slowly bring him out to the perimeter as his shot and ball handling mature....Nicknamed "Skinny" by his friends due to his extremely slender frame. Upside is definitely there. 
-Savneet Singh










#2 


*Nate Robinson*
Birthdate: 5/31/84
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Washington
Class: Junior
Ht: 5-9
Wt: 181
Hometown: Seattle, WA
High School: Rainier Beach

Strengths: World class athlete... Simply on another plane with everyone else athletically... 42 inch vertical leap and 4.4- 40 yard dash speed... Very strong... Get’s to the hole at will... Able to finish at the rim well because of strength and jumping ability... A jitterbug... Constantly moving... Solid defender who is rarely beat off the dribble... Extremely quick hands and is always in the passing lanes... Rebounds well for his size... Excellent at positioning himself around the hoop... Decent ballhandler who plays at top speeds for the full game... Excellent condition... Rarely tires and excels at the end of games when most players are fatigued.... Does whatever it takes to win... Fearless... Doesn’t back down from anyone... Has a killer instinct... Excellent in the open court as he has great court vision and often finds teammates with nifty dishes... Also played defense and returned kicks for the UW football team... Decided to focus on basketball his sophomore year, but rumors are circulating that he will return to the gridiron... Possible NFL future....

Weaknesses: Listed at 5-9, but is closer to 5-7... Shot is questionable at this point... Inconsistent at times... Often get’s too wild and tries to do too much, but when he plays within himself he can do great things... More of a scorer than a shooter right now... Needs to distribute the ball more... Height along with shot are the biggest issues...

-Mike Apodaca










#34

*Andray Blatche *
Birthdate: 8/22/86
NBA Position: Power Forward 
College: Undecided
Class: HS Senior
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 225
Hometown: Syracuse, NY 
High School: South Kent Prep (NJ)

NBA Comparison: Jonathan Bender

Strengths: Long and athletic prospect with good potential... Plays well facing the basket and can put the ball on the floor as he has a great handle for someone his size. Has shown a good outside shot but needs to work on his consistency... Gets off the floor quickly and blocks or alters shots... Runs the floor well and gets rebounds do to his length and leaping ability.

Weaknesses: Needs to play with more effort and consistency. Dominates some games and is non-existent in others... While he has range on his outside shot he needs to work on being a consistent shooter... Like many of the Kevin Garnett clones these days, Blatche is infatuated with the perimeter. Floats around on the outside at times when he should be down low posting up... Decent speed, but isn’t quick enough to get by defenders at the next level... At almost seven feet tall, Blatche has all the physical tools to make it big in the NBA one day, it just won’t be anytime soon... Will be a project for whichever team decides to select him. 

Notes: Has made it clear he intends to bypass college and go straight to the league. Will need to show solid progress to be a first round selection.

-Mike Apodaca 12/20/04



* 2006 Draft...*

Especially if JJ is gone...









#32


*Sean Banks *
Birthdate: 1/20/85
NBA Position: Small Forward
College: Memphis
Class: Sophomore
Ht: 6-8
Wt: 206
Hometown: Oradell, NJ
High School: Bergen Catholic 
Team Site Profile 

NBA Comparison: Cliff Robinson

Strengths: Big, athletic wing with nice shooting and scoring ability ... Runs the floor well ... Good leaping ability ... Has a knack for finding the hoop … Shows good aggressiveness on the offensive side of the court ... Can knock down the outside shot or drive to the hoop and finish … Gets to the free throw line well … Has very good overall body control … Was named freshman of the year by a number of publications ... 

Weaknesses: After losing his eligibility, the attitude and question marks surrounding him have severely damaged his stock ... Seems to settle for the outside shot rather than drive to the hoop at times … Streaky shooter … Body needs to mature and continue to develop… Needs to play with more aggression and intensity specifically on the defensive end of the floor… Must work on his ball handling ability ... Considered by many a headcase… Has had numerous off-court problems including a few run-ins with the law … Was arrested three times during a seven month period during his senior year of high school … 

Notes: Almost surely will be in the 2005 draft after being declared ineligible and wearing out his welcome at Memphis.

-Mike Apodaca 1/25/05










#23


*Louis Williams *
Birthdate: 10/27/86
NBA Position: SG/PG
College: Georgia
Class: HS Senior
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 175
Hometown: Lithonia, GA
High School: South Gwinnett 


NBA Comparison: Allen Iverson

One of the most explosive offensive weapons in High School right now…A high flyer who can rise like few his size, and finish with a flare around the bucket…Has solid form and rotation on his J…More of a set shooter from deep, as he doesn't use much leg lift on his jumper…Developing a mid range game to compliment his deep J and explosive drives would make him an even stronger offensive threat…strong handle, with an explosive crossover…very quick with the ball, and can get by his HS competition with little difficulty…solid passer in the lane, but at 6'2, the NBA will make him fail as a PG before it allows him to play SG, and is no NBA PG…to be a SG, must get stronger, and maybe grow several inches, to play the NBA Point, he must vastly improve his court vision, passing, and ability to make his teammates better and run an offense…has solid footwork on the offensive end and does well at getting his feet set before he puts up a shot…very aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, and moves very fluidly and with a purpose when off the ball…Uses screens and gets himself open for shots well…decent defender man on because he's quick with quick hands…needs to step up his defensive focus and intensity as he'll have lapses that opponents can take advantage of…can steal the dribble, but doesn't jump passing lanes well, and not a strong team defender…has solid defensive footwork on the perimeter, but his mental lapses are consistent right now…decent rebounder for his size due to his great leaping, but wonder how well he can do on the next level there…is an excellent player in the transition game both offensively and defensively, on the offensive break, his ability to hit from deep and finish at the rim are ideal…his shot selection is sometimes poor, but he is conscious of such lapses and will settle in…the vocal leader of his South Gwinnett and AAU team, while backcourt mate Mike Mercer is the director of the action on the floor.
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/headshots/ike-diogu-hd.jpg
Short and sweet: A real player, with definite NBA game. As a HS JR, he's not there yet, but he has the requisite skills and with continued work will get there, and be a solid player. His biggest question mark may be what position? He's a natural scorer, so can he develop into a scoring point, like Stephon Marbury, or does he have to play an Allen Iverson scoring role alongside a bigger point? Also, will he improve his defense and other lacking areas to compliment the things he does best and make him an elite player as he gets older? Committed to play for the University of Georgia, expect him to explode onto the SEC right away on a very thin Bulldog roster as a scorer in 2005-6 season.

-Benjamin Eggar -- 2/17/04
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Williams is by far the best scorer in his class. He can play on the perimeter and burn defenders with his NBA range. Or he'll blow by his defender with his amazing first step, which is his best attribute. There aren’t many that can defend it. His athletic ability allows him to play above the rim with ease. Loves to go baseline and attack the basket. 

Williams can play the point and his court vision is pretty solid. But really excels playing as a pure scorer. He does a good job of penetrating to the basket and finds the open player on the block. 

Defensively he could improve. But most players in high school could. Williams has shown he can play with quicker players but sometimes seems so content just scoring points. Has extremely long arms and blocks a lot of shots as well as quick hands for steals. 

Despite being so young, he's very mature and handles the pressures of being a "superstar" so young. He doesn’t shy away from top competition and wants the ball in his hands when it matters. Williams has untapped potential and should be considered one of the best players in the 2005. 

-Justin Young










#5
*Ike Diogu *
Birthdate: 9/11/83
NBA Position: Power Forward
College: Arizona St.
Class: Junior
Ht: 6-8
Wt: 255
Hometown: Garland, TX
High School: Garland 


NBA Comparison: Malik Rose

Strengths: Diogu possesses maybe the most refined post-up game in college basketball...Amazing footwork...Very fundamentally sound on the block...Knows how to get himself open...Great at drawing fouls...When he's clicking, he can get an opponent's entire front line in foul trouble......Remarkable free throw shooter (around 90%), which is important because of the amount of times he gets to the line...Good weakside help defender...High basketball awareness...Serviceable perimeter defender but is much more comfortable in the paint...Phenomenal shot blocker for his size...Plays with good intensity...Fantastic rebounder...Terrific hands...Catches nearly every entry pass and comes down with nearly ever rebound...Thick upper body...Once he establishes post position, impossible to push him off his spot...Sets solid picks and rolls to the open spot...Very productive, despite being the primary focus of each opponent’s defensive scheme...Passes well out of the double/triple team...Very coachable...Uses high basketball IQ to make up for lack of lateral footspeed...Great stamina...Seemingly never comes out of the game...Developing a nice perimeter game solid jumper out to the college 3...Very high field goal percentage shooter...Exceptionally long arms...Solid physique...Fantastic body control...


Weaknesses: Lack of height will hurt him at the next level...Listed at 6'8" but might be closer to 6'7"...Not nearly quick enough to play or defend the small forward position at the pro level... You will never see the word "explosive" when reading a Diogu scouting report...Similar game to former Iowa St. star Marcus Fizer and we all know where his pro career ended up...If he's not involved on offense the rest of his game suffers slightly...Not a freak athlete...Not a slug by any means, but doesn't run the floor as well as he should...Not much "upside" left...The player you see now is basically the same player you'll see five years from now, for better or worse...At times, doesn't post up with much authority if his teammates aren't looking his way on every trip down the floor...Like Elton Brand in the NBA, always seems to find himself on losing teams, which isn't his fault entirely but still cause for concern... Lack of solid guard play sometimes limits his number of touches...Lack of quickness hurts his ability to step out and defend opposing guards on the pick and roll...Not a superior ball handler.


Notes: Has scored in double-digits in every game at Arizona State.

-Nick Prevenas 1/5/05
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Strengths: Extremely skilled and refined player on the low block. Has a variety of effective post moves and can use either hand equally around the basket. Solid footwork and very soft hands allow him to be quite fluid and the game comes naturally to him. Possesses excellent body control and the ability to finish after drawing the foul. He’s made more foul shots than any other player in the Pac-10 has attempted. Statistically, the best freshman post-player in the conference since Shareef Abdur-Rahim despite seeing relentless double and triple teams, as well as zone defenses designed to stop him. Excellent from the foul line at nearly 80%. Has an accurate and consistent jumper out to 18 feet and is very comfortable facing up. Ball skills are above average and his game is well-suited for the two-man pick and roll game that is so prominent in the NBA. Very cerebral player who understands his strengths and limitations and plays within himself. A throw-back type player with a very strong, solid body and a fundamentally sound game. 

Weaknesses: Short by NBA standards as a 6-8 power forward. Probably lacks the athleticism and lateral quickness to play small forward. Not particularly explosive off the floor, and must rely instead on body control and positioning. Only average in terms of running the floor in transition and finishing on the break. Has a slower than average mechanism on his jump-shot, though his form is very solid. Gathers himself before jumping; not a quick-leaping player. Won’t be a serious shot-blocking threat at the professional level. Height and comparative lack of athleticism make his ability to rebound and defend at the highest level a legitimate question mark. 


Just my thoughts sorry so long lol


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Sean Banks will be forced to come out this yr cuz of getting kicked off the team and I don't think he can come back. He will be a late 1st/early 2nd tho, in our range.

That's a good list tho. Some guys I think will be in our range and some won't.


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## Lukasbmw (Jul 30, 2004)

The Suns have the Chicago pick this year (possibly) and the Knicks pick next year. It's still possible both will be lottery. Chicago just doesn't strike me as a .500 team.


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## Kekai (Jan 12, 2005)

dissonance19 said:


> Sean Banks will be forced to come out this yr cuz of getting kicked off the team and I don't think he can come back. He will be a late 1st/early 2nd tho, in our range.
> 
> That's a good list tho. Some guys I think will be in our range and some won't.


Oh ok thanks forgot all about that. I guess we won't be picking him up then. Too bad I thought he was a really good player and could be a good player for us especially if JJ leaves.


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## Kekai (Jan 12, 2005)

Lukasbmw said:


> The Suns have the Chicago pick this year (possibly) and the Knicks pick next year. It's still possible both will be lottery. Chicago just doesn't strike me as a .500 team.


I never heard of us having the Knicks pick. What is it from? I hope we have it that would be good for us. Chicago is playing good ball right now. I don't think of them as a good team, but they have been playing good for like the past 30 games...I don't think its luck or a fluke. They will make the playoffs most likely, and we'll get their mid first round pick I think.


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