Last night I decided to create my own free wordpress blog to get back into blogging every once in a while. I wrote my first article today discussing my sleepers in next week's NBA draft.
I think the full article is a bit too long to put here, so I'll quote a few excerpts from it and post a link to the full article for those interested in reading.
I apologize in advance if it's against forum rules to post links to other blogs, but I thought this would be alright since it's just a harmless free wordpress blog that probably has a handful of hits at this time, lol.
Through good health, mark my words, Quincy Miller will be the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft. People seem to have forgotten that he was unanimously considered a top five prospect coming out of high school, before a December 2010 ACL tear had increased doubt regarding his professional prospects. Even so, he was constantly talked up as a lottery pick throughout his freshman season at Baylor. Now, for some reason, he appears to be pegged as a mid-to-late first round pick on nearly every mock draft you can find.
All I know is this: if Miller isn’t taken in the lottery, there will be a large group of general managers drinking away the pain five years from now. The kid can play. Any time you have a long 6’10” athlete with ball skills and a motor, you’ve got something worth investing in. But a long 6’10” athlete with ball skills, a motor and natural scoring instincts from the block to the three-point line? What’s not to like? Miller has some maturing to do both physically and mentally, like any 19-year-old does, but he’s got the natural gifts that scream “game changer” and “mismatch nightmare” at the next level.
But make no mistake about it, Draymond Green is a player. He’s got an outstanding feel for the game, a high basketball IQ and strong rebounding ability to go along with a dynamic set of offensive skills. Much like Royce White, he can put the ball on the floor and is a magnificent passer for a guy of any size, except Green can shoot it a heck of a lot better. He can score inside, outside and from mid-range.
The thing that really sells me on Green, though, is natural intangibles that you simply cannot teach. This guy is tough as nails and a born leader with a contagious attitude. As Green said himself in a pre-draft interview, the one word to describe himself is “winner.” Small forward, power forward… it doesn’t matter. He’ll probably play a little bit of both. While his flaws won’t disappear overnight, I have a hard time believing he won’t be a productive ballplayer at any level of basketball.
He can put the ball in the basket, too. Barton is very aggressive off the dribble, where he likes to get to the rim and create for himself and teammates. He doesn’t have the most consistent outside shot at this point, but he has a terrific mid-range game and finishes above the rim. Naturally, he is also dynamite in transition. He’s got the speed, floor game and scoring instincts to make a lot of things happen with the ball in his hands.
Though he can make plays offensively, he is arguably more intriguing on the defensive end. His quickness and length are outstanding tools on the perimeter, and he seems to have the anticipation skills to put his defensive potential over the top. He can move his feet to stay in front and his tremendous length really helps him make a lot of deflections and force some turnovers and tough shots. As his 8.0 RPG average suggests, Barton also gives you an extra rebounder from the wing.
Barton has a long way to go in the weight room and he’s going to have to put some time into that jumper if he wants to stretch the defense, but with time and effort, he has a chance to be a two-way game changer down the line.
Check out the full article hereWhat do you guys think? Feel free to comment or expand on my list with some players you might like in the draft. It's draft time baby, I love this time of year!
Topic: Check out my new article - 2012 NBA Draft Sleepers (Read 2355 times)