Post by zeropointzero on Sept 30, 2010 4:02:47 GMT -5
1. Greg Oden (B- D+ C- B B A): What more could you ask for from a draft prospect? He's 18 years old, could end up 7'1'' if his owner chooses to make him grow (although we all know Oden needs no extra inches :heyoooooo:) and looks like he'll be a double-double machine from day 1. The best teams in the league all have guys who protect the rim exceptionally. That isn't a coincidence If everything pans out, he's the next: Alonzo Mourning.
2. Chris Paul (C+ B B C+ C A): If Deron Williams can step in right away and deliver 19 and 9.7 a game, what is Chris Paul capable of in the NBA? The only reason Paul ranks 2nd instead of 1st in the Dirty Dozen is because of age. Paul broke a lot of hearts when he decided to return to Wake Forest, but I doubt GMs will be shedding any tears when they finally get their hands on CP3 in the draft, as he is clearly the most NBA ready of any prospect in the class. If everything pans out, he's the next: Chauncey Billups.
3. Rajon Rondo (C D+ B B C+ A): What? How can someone who can't score a lick crack the top 3 ahead of players like Brandon Roy or Joakim Noah? Look a little closer to find the answer. What do ALL teams in the league need from their PG? Smart decision making and hard-nosed defense. Now granted most teams towards the top of the lottery need someone that can put the ball in the hoop, but when you draft Rondo you get a guy who will make average players better just due to his presence. If everything pans out, he's the next: Brevin Knight.
4. Brandon Roy (B C+ B- C+ C A): I have Roy ranked here for 2 reasons. One is out of all the remaining 06 prospects, he has the best individual skill (inside scoring) and when you can grab a player with A potential who possesses one NBA ready skill (B or higher), you have to do it. Especially when he essentially has 0 holes in his game at the moment. Additionally, as we see more teams experiment with their rosters, a player that can handle the ball as well as Roy becomes even more valuable to a team. If everything pans out, he's the next: Stephon Marbury.
5. LaMarcus Aldridge (B C C C+ B- A): This is going to sound bizarre, but here it goes: I have Aldridge ranked this "low" because I think he is only capable of being a franchise player. What's the problem with that? The players ahead of him are already well rounded in ways that will allow them to contribute positively to their teams, even if they never come close to maximizing their potential. With Aldridge, if he doesn't improve key facets of his game (defense & rebounding, namely) he'll probably end up being a guy that helps his team on one end but is nowhere to be found on the other. If everything pans out, he's the next: Chris Webber.
6. Rudy Gay (B- C+ C B- C+ A): When I think of Rudy Gay, one word comes to mind: versatility. At 19 years old, Rudy is still young enough to get bumped an inch to 6'9''. If that happens, you're talking about a player who could potentially play anything from SG to PF in a run-n-gun offense. He has no real glaring weaknesses, meaning at the very least he'll probably contribute off the bench on any team that drafts him. If everything pans out, he's the next: Grant Hill.
7. Joakim Noah (B- C- C B- B- A): As superstars like Alonzo Mourning and Shaq get older, it could be this year's draft class we look back on as the genesis of the next wave of elite big men in the league. Noah finds himself solidly behind Oden, and slightly behind Aldridge in the pecking order of rookie post players, but teams that put a premium on defense may opt to go with Noah rather than Aldridge, sacrificing scoring for a step up on the defensive side of the ball. If everything pans out, he's the next: Kevin Garnett.
8. Monta Ellis (B- C+ C+ C C- A): What do you do if you can't draft Brandon Roy? Grab his mini-me, Monta Ellis. Ellis gives teams a similar skill set to BRoy, only his 6'3'' frame means SF is out of the question for him unlike Roy. I mentioned earlier some of the more experimental lineups being used now in the league, so a player like Ellis who may not be enough of a standout at either guard spot may be extremely valuable as a hybrid guard who plays big minutes off the pine. If everything pans out, he's the next: Allen Iverson
9. Saer Sene (C D C- B- B- A): Surprised? Think about this, if your rookie busts and doesn't improve hardly at all, do you want the player that will take things off the table, or the player that will leave the table as is? Every season there are defensive oriented big men that command large 1 year deals in free agency to act as the enforcer to star players on playoff teams. So why not lock up that enforcer as a rookie for cheap? If everything pans out, he's the next: Kendrick Perkins
10. Shelden Williams (B- D+ D+ B B- B): The dreaded B, the polarizing attribute that many in the league view as the ultimate turn-off. Much like men look for more than B's on a woman, many GMs view B potential players as finished products, incapable of future All Star games and Player of the Game honors. But what happens when the player is as good as Shelden Williams? Here's a hint -- you draft him and then laugh at the owner who took the C C C C C A player ahead of him. If everything pans out, he's the next: Ben Wallace
11. Andrea Bargnani (C+ B C+ C C A): Being a great GM takes more than just doing the obvious. Sometimes you have to make a circle fit into a square, and that's what will be required for Andrea Bargnani's GM when he hits the league. He is 6'10'' and doesn't play anything remotely like the big men in the NBA. But at the 3? Well all of the sudden you have one of the most versatile offensive prospects in the game. It's just up to you to craft the lineup around him to showcase him (or hide him?). If everything pans out, he's the next: Peja Stojakovic.
12. Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant (B- B C C C A): Okay you can call me a hypocrite. I rank Oden number 1 over Paul due to age, and here I have the youngest guy in the draft ranked behind Shelden freakin' Williams. But look at the ratings instead of the name. Looks good, looks great, looks.....wait a minute. Exactly. Beyond his ability to put the ball in the hoop, Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant doesn't possess a single plus-skill yet. Do you really wanna have to hold your breath and cross your fingers that much next training camp? If everything pans out, he's the next: Rashard Lewis
2. Chris Paul (C+ B B C+ C A): If Deron Williams can step in right away and deliver 19 and 9.7 a game, what is Chris Paul capable of in the NBA? The only reason Paul ranks 2nd instead of 1st in the Dirty Dozen is because of age. Paul broke a lot of hearts when he decided to return to Wake Forest, but I doubt GMs will be shedding any tears when they finally get their hands on CP3 in the draft, as he is clearly the most NBA ready of any prospect in the class. If everything pans out, he's the next: Chauncey Billups.
3. Rajon Rondo (C D+ B B C+ A): What? How can someone who can't score a lick crack the top 3 ahead of players like Brandon Roy or Joakim Noah? Look a little closer to find the answer. What do ALL teams in the league need from their PG? Smart decision making and hard-nosed defense. Now granted most teams towards the top of the lottery need someone that can put the ball in the hoop, but when you draft Rondo you get a guy who will make average players better just due to his presence. If everything pans out, he's the next: Brevin Knight.
4. Brandon Roy (B C+ B- C+ C A): I have Roy ranked here for 2 reasons. One is out of all the remaining 06 prospects, he has the best individual skill (inside scoring) and when you can grab a player with A potential who possesses one NBA ready skill (B or higher), you have to do it. Especially when he essentially has 0 holes in his game at the moment. Additionally, as we see more teams experiment with their rosters, a player that can handle the ball as well as Roy becomes even more valuable to a team. If everything pans out, he's the next: Stephon Marbury.
5. LaMarcus Aldridge (B C C C+ B- A): This is going to sound bizarre, but here it goes: I have Aldridge ranked this "low" because I think he is only capable of being a franchise player. What's the problem with that? The players ahead of him are already well rounded in ways that will allow them to contribute positively to their teams, even if they never come close to maximizing their potential. With Aldridge, if he doesn't improve key facets of his game (defense & rebounding, namely) he'll probably end up being a guy that helps his team on one end but is nowhere to be found on the other. If everything pans out, he's the next: Chris Webber.
6. Rudy Gay (B- C+ C B- C+ A): When I think of Rudy Gay, one word comes to mind: versatility. At 19 years old, Rudy is still young enough to get bumped an inch to 6'9''. If that happens, you're talking about a player who could potentially play anything from SG to PF in a run-n-gun offense. He has no real glaring weaknesses, meaning at the very least he'll probably contribute off the bench on any team that drafts him. If everything pans out, he's the next: Grant Hill.
7. Joakim Noah (B- C- C B- B- A): As superstars like Alonzo Mourning and Shaq get older, it could be this year's draft class we look back on as the genesis of the next wave of elite big men in the league. Noah finds himself solidly behind Oden, and slightly behind Aldridge in the pecking order of rookie post players, but teams that put a premium on defense may opt to go with Noah rather than Aldridge, sacrificing scoring for a step up on the defensive side of the ball. If everything pans out, he's the next: Kevin Garnett.
8. Monta Ellis (B- C+ C+ C C- A): What do you do if you can't draft Brandon Roy? Grab his mini-me, Monta Ellis. Ellis gives teams a similar skill set to BRoy, only his 6'3'' frame means SF is out of the question for him unlike Roy. I mentioned earlier some of the more experimental lineups being used now in the league, so a player like Ellis who may not be enough of a standout at either guard spot may be extremely valuable as a hybrid guard who plays big minutes off the pine. If everything pans out, he's the next: Allen Iverson
9. Saer Sene (C D C- B- B- A): Surprised? Think about this, if your rookie busts and doesn't improve hardly at all, do you want the player that will take things off the table, or the player that will leave the table as is? Every season there are defensive oriented big men that command large 1 year deals in free agency to act as the enforcer to star players on playoff teams. So why not lock up that enforcer as a rookie for cheap? If everything pans out, he's the next: Kendrick Perkins
10. Shelden Williams (B- D+ D+ B B- B): The dreaded B, the polarizing attribute that many in the league view as the ultimate turn-off. Much like men look for more than B's on a woman, many GMs view B potential players as finished products, incapable of future All Star games and Player of the Game honors. But what happens when the player is as good as Shelden Williams? Here's a hint -- you draft him and then laugh at the owner who took the C C C C C A player ahead of him. If everything pans out, he's the next: Ben Wallace
11. Andrea Bargnani (C+ B C+ C C A): Being a great GM takes more than just doing the obvious. Sometimes you have to make a circle fit into a square, and that's what will be required for Andrea Bargnani's GM when he hits the league. He is 6'10'' and doesn't play anything remotely like the big men in the NBA. But at the 3? Well all of the sudden you have one of the most versatile offensive prospects in the game. It's just up to you to craft the lineup around him to showcase him (or hide him?). If everything pans out, he's the next: Peja Stojakovic.
12. Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant (B- B C C C A): Okay you can call me a hypocrite. I rank Oden number 1 over Paul due to age, and here I have the youngest guy in the draft ranked behind Shelden freakin' Williams. But look at the ratings instead of the name. Looks good, looks great, looks.....wait a minute. Exactly. Beyond his ability to put the ball in the hoop, Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant doesn't possess a single plus-skill yet. Do you really wanna have to hold your breath and cross your fingers that much next training camp? If everything pans out, he's the next: Rashard Lewis
