Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Age |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Class |
School |
Prediction |
1. |
Derrick Rose |
PG |
19 |
6-3 |
205 |
Fresh |
Memphis |
Top 3 |
| Strengths- Unbelievable strength and control around the rim. Great ball handler and has exceptional vision in the open court. Impossible to guard one-on-one. Leaping ability and creativity in the air make him a constant threat at all times in the paint. One of the quickest guards in the nation and with his size, he’s tough to stay in front of. Great defender that is a constant threat to steal the ball. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Not a consistent shooter from outside 16-feet. Needs to work on free throw shooting. Not reliable from the line when it counts. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Jason Kidd/Deron Williams | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He could end up being the best point guard in the NBA at some point. If he doesn’t develop an outside threat, he’ll be the young version of Jason Kidd. If he does develop a jump shot from deep, he could be a Baron Davis-type threat. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- I don’t think he’ll end up being a top-3 point guard but he definitely will succeed at the NBA level. Jason Kidd was never able to develop that jump shot and even though it isn’t such a dire need for Rose, he still will need the 3-point shot to make him dominant. Perennial All-Star for sure. | ||||||||
2. |
Jerryd Bayless |
PG |
19 |
6-3 |
190 |
Fresh |
Arizona |
Top 10 |
| Strengths- One of the best one-on-one players in this draft. Nearly impossible to guard in isolation without bringing a guy or two over to help out. Great first step and lethal leaping ability let him get to the basket quickly and throw down some serious dunks. Nearly impossible to block on his jump shot. Consistent shooter. Great passer and sees the floor extremely well. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Might be a better shooting guard than a point guard because of his scoring ability. In-between point and shooting guard positions. More of a scoring point guard than a distributor. Doesn't rebound at all despite his athletic ability. Not a motivated defender. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Jay Williams/Kirk Hinrich | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He's one of the best prospects in this draft and has the potential to be a very dangerous scorer. But he may end up being more Gilbert Arenas than what Jay Williams should've been. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- He's not going to be a great player, but he'll be a really good second or third option for a great team in this league. | ||||||||
3. |
Russell Westbrook |
PG |
19 |
6-3 |
189 |
Soph |
UCLA |
Lottery |
| Strengths- The most explosive offensive player in the draft. He's lightning quick in the open court and is constantly looking for someone to dunk on. He electrifies the crowd and his team with unbelievable plays at least 2 or 3 times per game. Good vision in the open court. A threat to steal the ball with his great reach and quick reflexes. Tireless worker. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Not a traditional point guard. Not a great dribbler and still makes too many mistakes with passing. Turnover prone. Sometimes plays too fast. Hesitant shooter from outside. Needs more consistency with his shooting. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Monta Ellis | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He's a better outside shooter and a better playmaker than Monta Ellis. He could be that dynamic. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- He's a lock to be the steal of the lottery and may go top-10. He will be a 20-point scorer for years. | ||||||||
4. |
D.J. Augustin |
PG |
20 |
6-0 |
180 |
Soph |
Texas |
Lottery |
| Strengths- Excellent floor leader that has great vision and directs his teammates flawlessly. NBA body for a point guard that allows him to take punishment in the paint and still be able to finish. Legit NBA three-point range and a consistent jumper from outside. Exceptional passer and dribbler. Doesn't waste dribbles. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- His size is a bit of a concern. Nobody believes that he's actually 6 feet tall and believe he could be as short as 5'9". Sometimes is too unselfish instead of finding the best way for his team to score -- which is him. Turnovers are a little more frequent than you'd like. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Jameer Nelson | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He has the potential to be a top 15 point guard in this league. His quickness and strength remind you of a better Jameer Nelson. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- He's already made it. He followed up a strong freshman season with a better sophomore campaign and will carry his success into the NBA. | ||||||||
5. |
Mario Chalmers |
PG |
21 |
6-2 |
170 |
Junior |
Kansas |
Late 1st to 2nd |
| Strengths- Maybe the most complete point guard in the draft in terms of point guard skills. He's a deep threat. He comes up big in clutch situations. He is a good passer with great vision. Solid ball-handler. Can get to the basket and finish. He's also a good defender against big and small point guards. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Some believe that he isn't a true point guard in the NBA. He's not quite quick enough to be a top-20 point guard. He's not a great dribbler. You'd definitely like him to be more reliable at the free throw line. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Earl Watson | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He has the potential to be the best backup point guard in basketball. But is he good enough to be a full time starter? | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- Mario Chalmers can play at this level and will probably split his career as a starter and first man off the bench. | ||||||||
6. |
Tyrone Brazelton |
PG |
6-0 |
180 |
Senior |
W. Kentucky |
Mid to Late 2nd |
|
| Strengths- Lightning quick guard with the ability to dominate on offense against NBA caliber backups. Great first step and a fantastic handle with the ball. Great range on his jumper and can knock it down at any time. Big game player that doesn't shy from responsibility. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Not a very good distributing point guard. Turnover prone. Too much of a scoring guard, which ensures that he probably can't be trusted running an offense. Lacks ideal size. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Aaron Brooks | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- I think an Earl Boykins or maybe even a Bobby Jackson type of impact is possible for Brazelton. He just needs to learn how to run an offense and direct traffic. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- I think he's a dynamic scorer that is too good to keep out of this league. He'll get drafted and be this year's Aaron Brooks. | ||||||||
7. |
Mike Taylor |
PG |
22 |
6-2 |
165 |
Senior |
Iowa State |
Mid to Late 2nd Round |
| Strengths- | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- | ||||||||
8. |
Sean Singletary |
PG |
22 |
6-0 |
175 |
Senior |
Virginia |
Late 2nd to undrafted |
| Strengths- | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Speedy Claxton | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- | ||||||||
9. |
Goran Dragic |
PG |
22 |
6-4 |
200 |
N/A |
Slovenia |
Late 2nd to undrafted |
| Strengths- Very quick guard that gets to the basket easily with his long reach. One of the toughest Euro guards of the past few years. Good, unselfish passer. Strong defender. Tenacious in hawking the ball. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Tries to do too much and turns the ball over a lot because of it. Pretty poor shooter despite his 60% shoot clip from Euroleague tries to suggest. Needs to add range to his jumper. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Beno Udrih | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He could end up being a very good spot starting point guard in the NBA. Beno Udrih resembles his game and that's probably his ceiling. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- He's a bit of a project, but bringing him into a very good team at the end of the second round could really benefit his growth. Definitely will make a roster if drafted. | ||||||||
10. |
Anton Ponkrashov |
PG |
22 |
6-8 |
214 |
N/A |
Russia |
Late 2nd to undrafted |
| Strengths- His size is very tempting for a point guard. Great passer and dribbler that can get pretty creative and dazzle the crowd. Great floor vision that allows him to hit any open man. Good finisher around the rim. Jumper won't hurt his team. Great at using his size around the basket. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- He's quick for his size but not for an NBA point guard. He's not very motivated or interested on defense and even if he was, his lateral quickness prevents him from being effective. Will be destroyed by any quick guard in the NBA. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Shaun Livingston after knee injury | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He could end up being a small forward version of Boris Diaw, but will probably waste years in the league trying to be a point guard. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- I think he'll get drafted because of his size but will be stowed away in Europe for a couple of years before getting his chance. Career 6th man at best. | ||||||||
11. |
Mantas Kalnietis |
PG |
21 |
6-5 |
194 |
N/A |
Lithuania |
Late 2nd to undrafted |
| Strengths- Tall point guard that has the ability to make plays with great creativity and good athleticism. Great leaper for a point guard that can get above the rim in a hurry. Extremely quick guard that gets by defenders with relative ease. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Extremely inexperienced and not a very good shooter. He's not very strong and will need to add muscle to take physical play in stride. Very raw offensively. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Sergio Rodriguez | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- This guy has the potential to be a Jose Calderon type of impact player but it isn't very likely. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- He's a project that will most likely come to the NBA when he's 27 or 28 like Juan Carlos Navarro. Definitely worth taking late in the second round. | ||||||||
12. |
George Hill |
PG |
22 |
6-2 |
180 |
Junior |
Indianapolis |
Late 2nd to undrafted |
| Strengths- Great scorer that gets in the paint and puts the other team in foul trouble. Strong body control that allows him to finish after contact. Good outside shooter with pro range. Good athlete. | ||||||||
| Weaknesses- Doesn't always make sound decisions as a point guard which leads to turnovers. More effective as a two-guard but far too small to play that in the pros. | ||||||||
| Pro Comparison- Anthony Johnson | ||||||||
| Pro Potential- He could definitely be a Ben Gordon type off the bench if he can become a smarter, more mature decision maker on the court. | ||||||||
| Likelihood to Succeed- This is a bad year for him to declare. He still has eligibility and should go back to school for his senior year and try to sneak into the 2nd round next year. It won't happen this year. | ||||||||