Melo 2003 draft scouting report via chad ford... Similar to Parker's

[Kane3387]

Cool read . Ford's scouting report from 11 years ago on Melo below. Similarities there with Jabari. Link also below. Interesting to see the Lebron vs Carmelo debate comments in there. Darko is even mentioned lol!

The scouting report on Anthony reads as follows:

He's a fluid scorer. Can score off the dribble or stick the mid-range jumper. Is very creative when he slashes to the basket. Does a good job of getting to the line. Good ball handler. Above average passer. Excellent finisher on the break. Likes to post up smaller guards. Can score with his back to the basket. A superb rebounder for someone his size, thanks to long arms and a willingness to get in the paint. A good but not great athlete. Doesn't have the hops of Vince Carter or the quickness of Kobe Bryant. His defense needs work. He needs to hit the weight room. Is a decent long-range shooter, but doesn't really have the range right now to hit the NBA 3. At times he dominates the ball too much and doesn't get his teammates involved in the flow of the game.

Most important to scouts, however, has been Anthony's work ethic. He's worked hard on filling the holes in his game. He's improved his jumper and ball handling. His decision-making on the court is growing by leaps and bounds. He's popular with his teammates and is generally considered to be a kid who won't make waves at the next level.

Anthony's improvement has his coach wondering whether he'd be better off waiting another year before bolting to the NBA.

Indeed, Anthony gave a handful of NBA GMs a heart attack last Sunday after his team thumped Oklahoma. Said Anthony: "This is my first time going to the Final Four and, hopefully, not my last."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney03/story?id=1533960



For fun if you want to see how Darko was thought if as the next Kevin Garnett:

Carmelo is as NBA ready as any player in college basketball, and will likely have a bigger impact immediately than Darko Milicic. He also would have bigger fan appeal in the short run. He has a household name after Syracuse's Championship run, and though he's clearly not on the level with LeBron in marketability, he has a decided edge over Milicic in this department.

So has Carmelo really passed up Darko on some teams draft lists? Depends who you ask. Right now, Syracuse championship run is fresh in everyone's minds. Come draft time, a players potential will start to weigh more heavily than their past accomplishments. Darko has a higher ceiling than Melo. With his size and versatility, he has the potential to become similar to his idol Kevin Garnett.

Even if a team needs a wing player more so than a post player, it's hard to see a team passing on Milicic. Darko is a "once-in-a-GM's-lifetime", or better yet "...GM's-tenure" type talent. Since teams began scouting players overseas, not one prospect of Darko's caliber has come along. He is a proven entity having competed against even better competition than either James or Anthony. He has essentially been a professional for over 2 years now after joining Hemofarm at age 15. There are some who suggest he's older than his records suggest 17, which most likely is not the case. Regardless, he will be one of the best players in all of the NBA in a few years.

http://www.nbadraft.net/draft-buzz-42203

[KCattheStripe]

Man, remember Darko?

[Vox_Populi]

Regardless, he will be one of the best players in all of the NBA in a few years.

Hindsight is 20/20 but still....

[footey]

That report was written before Carmelo led his college team to the NCAA championship as a freshman.  His draft stock obviously jumped up after that.  Still, I agree that it sounds quite similar to an assessment of Parker.

[staticcc]

If you can draft MElo 2.0, you draft him IMO. I still like Wiggins better, but Melo 2.0 IF Chad is correct, would be a great consolation prize.