2009 NBA Draft: PG Preview
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 10, 2009 9:19 PM PDT
46 comments
Bumped up from the FanPosts [ed.]
Well thanks to our fearless leader jsams, I have officially started to get all pumped for the NBA Draft. Now I think many of us can agree that the Sixers should choose a point guard with their first overall selection as we see Andre Miller increasing in age and Lou's inability to consistently run the offense. Lucky for the Sixers, this year's draft is very deep at the point guard position. Instead of concentrating on all of the point guards available, I will just touch on the ones that are likely to fall to where the Sixers will select and even those that could be a diamond in the rough in the second round.
Right off the bat we can eliminate Brandon Jennings from the Italian League, Jeff Teague of Wake Forest (#6 on both DraftExpress and NBAdraft.net), and Stephen Curry (#7 on DraftExpress and #14 on NBAdraft.net). Although NBAdraft.net indicates he may fall to the Sixers after the tournament, I still don't wish to talk to about him because, like our very own jemagee has already said "if he falls, there must be a reason." Curry is not a true point guard and put up those astounding numbers (last year by the way) against very mediocre competition. I can't wait until somebody takes Curry and tries to make him the guy who puts the team in motion. He would be much better used as a wingman coming off screens for threes in bunches.
Ty Lawson - University of North Carolina
Projected #13 DraftExpress and #23 on NBAdraft.net
via i.a.cnn.net
Just named 2008-2009 ACC Player of the Year. Lawson is one of the quickest players baseline to baseline in the country. He has the distinct ability to beat every single player down the court on the inbounds and catching the opposing team off guard. One thing surrounding him that could be a weakness before last year's draft was his mediocre three point shooting. In just the span of one season he has gone from 36% to 46.7% from beyond the arch; even coming when the college three was moved back one foot from last season to this season. Lawson doesn't take a large quantity of two point shots that are not lay ups or takes to the hole, so that part of his game is suspect to how it may translate in the NBA. His incredible instinct to know where the ball needs to be and where his team can take advantage of mismatches solidifies him as one of the best point guards in the college game today. Lawson possesses one of the best Assist/Turnover Ratios at 3.32 and has an outstanding Assist/Possession Percentage of 32% (meaning 32% of his possessions end in an assist). In addition to be named player of the year, he made Honorable Mention for the ACC All-Defensive Team. He should have no problem staying with the rest of the league's guards and has an above average skill at lock down defending. Lawson is the only one of the PG's I have seen play in person. He came to the University of Maryland as an opponent two years ago and about a month ago. Both times he had me in awe at his speed and tremendous ability to finish on the break (something that would greatly benefit him with the system the Sixers like to run.... no pun intended).
Eric Maynor - Virginia Commonwealth University
Projected #27 on DraftExpress and #10 on NBAdraft.net
Mayor became a household name with college basketball fans two years ago when he lead the Rams to an upset victory over Dook (some like to say Duke) in the NCAA Tournament. Maynor has an uncanny ability to take over games late and do anything necessary for his team to win. Although his Assist/Turnover Ratio has declined from 3.32 last season 2.08 this season, he still gets teammates involved as much as a point guard needs to. This decline has resulted from the fact that this year is his first year as the team's first scoring option. In addition, his assist/possession percentage is a solid 22%, yes it's down from Lawson's but Maynor doesn't have the weapons Lawson does that enable him to not shoot as much. Maynor has added a full 8 points per game to last year's average to bring it up to 22 from 14. Along with his scoring ability, Maynor has above average true point guard skills. He has a very quick first step and excellent ball handling abilities that should definitely lead to a successful NBA career. Like Lawson, Maynor's mid-range game is suspect but I figure, with the tutelage of Andre Miller (assuming the Sixers can re-sign him) it should improve greatly. Another weakness Maynor has is that he shoots a measly 36% around the basket (not good considering the Sixers like to fast break and take the ball to the basket).
Darren Collison - UCLA
Projected #23 on DraftExpress and #24 on NBAdraft.net
via bloggingwiththedevils.freedomblogging.com
Collison tested the NBA draft waters last year but was encouraged by coach Ben Howland to return for his senior season at UCLA. Collison hasn't distinctively gotten any better in most areas of his game but has made some subtle improvements. First off he is from Rancho Cucamonga which is probably the most fun hometown to say. Collison has slightly improved his scoring but has improved his Assist/Turnover Ratio by about .5 and as an above average Assist/Possession Percentage of 27%. The best part about Collison is that he is arguably the best perimeter defender in college today, something the Sixers greatly need. Not only would his perimeter defense help, he shoots an astounding 92.3% from the free throw line. Now as a Sixers fan nobody can tell me they would not love to have a guy who could do that considering the amount of games the Sixers have lost this season from missed free throws. Collison has a knack for finding the open shot and is back up by his 53.7% shooting this season. His three point shooting is suspect as it has gone down a full 10% from last season which could be from the fact that the line was moved back (not something to be encouraged about considering the NBA line is even further back). As proven from his college game, Collison needs one if not two succesful wing players to be a force on the court (which he should have on the Sixers assumign Iggy and Thad get to move to the 2 and 3 respectively). The only problem with Collison is that there really isn't much upside to him and that he may not ever be a consistent starter in the league.
Jonny Flynn - Syracuse
Projected #28 on DraftExpress and Not Entering on NBAdraft.net
Flynn is a little shorter (6') than the average point guard in the NBA. What Flynn lacks in size, he makes up for with explosiveness and quickness off the dribble. Flynn would be a project and would ridiculously benefit from being under Andre Miller for about 2-3 years. Flynn's court vision is one of his strengths as he seemingly always finds the open man when he runs the half-court offense. He averages near 7 assists a game (6.4) and has an Assist/Turnover Ratio of 1.95 for the second straight season (not to mention an above average Assist/Possession Percentage of 26%). He gets to the basket very easily and has a knack for finishing while also going to the free throw stripe (almost 200 FTA's this season while shooting an average 77% from the line). One thing he must improve on is that when he does drive to the basket, he only wants to shoot and if that doesn't work out, he refers to a jump pass that normally gets tipped or stolen (sound like anyone the Sixers have now?). Flynn must improve his three point shooting if he wants to be successful in the NBA and become a franchise point guard seeing as he's only shooting 34% from outside this season. Although Flynn doesn't put up the flashy numbers in college that the others above have done, he does have a tremendous upside much like Rajon Rondo did when he was drafted.
AJ Price - UCONN
Projected #43 on DraftExpress and #27 on NBAdraft.net
AJ Price didn't get off to the best start to his college career. He was caught stealing laptops his freshman season which lead to a season-long suspension and tore his ACL last season in the tournament. Many scouts have compared him to a Mo Williams type player. Price's points and assists have gone down this season while his turnovers have gone up. This is not a fact that you want to see as a fan of an NBA team who needs a point guard. Even though his turnovers have gone up he still possesses a solid 1.81 A/TO Ratio and a 24% A/POS Percentage. Price possesses many true point guard skills such as being a floor general, making smart passes, and distributing the ball evenly. Price normally stays on the outside during playing time as shown by his decrease in FT's by a full 60 shots this season from last (took only 86 FT's this year). Not only did his FT's decrease, but his FT% went down from 75% to 70%, definitely something the Sixers are not looking for. One aspect of his game that is very good is his three point shooting. Price is shooting 42% from the trifecta, which is an increase in 6% even coming from an increase in attempts. Price is looking like a second round pick right now and probably will not be selected by the 76ers as I expect them to use their first round pick on their next PG.
Tyreke Evans - Memphis
Projected #15 on DraftExpress and Not Entering on NBAdraft.net
Evans was the #1 recruit in the country according to many scouts this season and just like Derrick Rose the year before, he landed in Memphis. He started out playing the 2 guard but because of Memphis' early round struggles, Evans was switched to play the point. Evans is a flat out scorer who has great body control and runs the break better than any point guard (maybe with exception to Lawson) in the country. He has a tremendous ability to finish around the basket and get fouled en route. Since moving to the point Evans is averaging 3.77 assists per game and 18 points. The one problem with running him at the point is that he is a ball dominant player. Plays at Memphis are all run around him which could be why his scoring average is what it is. He doesn't shoot particularly well from the 3 point line (30%) and also very poor shooting off the dribble (25%). Evans defense, on the other hand, is a plus towards his draft stock as he becomes a hassle for other teams because of his ability to get in the passing lanes. Another positive that would come from Evans going to the Sixers is that he is a hometown hero from nearby Chester. If the Sixers want to increase attendance and awareness, I do believe Evans will be their selection if still available. Evans' size is something that can create mismatches on the offensive end as he stands at 6'5", taller than most PG's in the league. Many say he should move to SG but as shown this year, he has trouble shooting the outside shot and excels with his first step dribble and getting to the basket and finishing.
Well there are most of the PG's available where the Sixers will be picking either in the first or second round (depending on where they want to pick one). I was going to include Patrick Mills (who I dearly love) and Nick Calathes but since the weekend games, both draft boards have taken them off completely and put them into the 2010 draft. Let me know what you guys think and what your choice for the PG of the future would be. Right now I think my order would be: Lawson, Collison, Maynor, Evans, Flynn, Price.
And in ture LibertyBallers form is a fantastic YouTube clip
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Dude, fantastic. Just fantastic.
Especially love the YouTube clip at the end.
Is it bad that I like Johnny Flynn just because he wears a headband?
No, seriously, I’m not sure if one point guard jumps out at me more than any other, but Lawson would be nice.
None of this years prospects scream “true point guard” to me except Ricky Rubio.
i think collison
is the definition of a point guard… it’s just that many scouts are skeptic as to whether he can be a starter in the nba
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions
He’s be a step up over every point guard on the sixers roster currently except probably andre miller
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
and if the sixers re-sign miller to 2 or 3 years
collison could learn under miller what it takes and prove the scouts wrong
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions
That’s EXACTLY the ideal situation and what I hope the sixers have planned (not collison per say, but 2-3 years for milller draft replacement to learn)
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Collison looks like he's my guy.
For the simple fact that you guys think he’s the purest point, and barring a monster NCAA tournament, he’ll definitely be available where we pick.
by Jordan Sams on Mar 11, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions
i really want lawson
but i have a feeling he will have a ridiculous tourney and move up in the draft so I would have to agree with darren collison
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I like Lawson a lot.
But he almost seems out of reach.
by Jordan Sams on Mar 11, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually – i’m just wondering guys who will be in the draft – i don’t pay too mcuh attention to the prospect sites because i think sometimes they vary their rankings to get traffic (nbadraft.net changes their rankings a lot)
Maybe not necessarily all schools but what aobut ‘major conference’ schools
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions
out of the big east and the acc (the two power conferences this year)
the leaders are lawson (8.9 assists per 40 w/o pace adjusted) and levance fields from pitt (9.6 assists per 40 w/o pace adjusted)
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions
So who is levance fields – is he draft eligible – and what else can he do :)
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
he is a senior at pitt
but he’s undersized, not very quick, bad outside shot, and doesn’t get to the basket…. pretty much he is just really smart and knows where the ball needs to go…. also he is benefiting from playing with two probable big east 1st teamers in dejuan blair and sam young…. right now i haven’t seen any draft board that has his name on it
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Damn :(
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions
socttie reynolds is not a true pg
he is more of an undersized wing player who will have to go to school one more to develop…. we’re talking about point guards, dante cunningham not one of those
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Who leads the NCAA in assists per game / assists per 40 this year?:)
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 11, 2009 8:45 AM PDT reply actions
out of all the ncaa or the ones who are considered nba prospects?
if out of all the ncaa its johnathan jones at the university of oakland but if you just mean nba prospects it’s ty lawosn (7.7 per 40 pace adjusted)
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 11, 2009 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions
I think collison will be a very solid nba point guard for a while. His quickness, decision-making ability and mid-range jumpshot will make him a staple on some team for a number of years. I’d still love Maynor. But as I said before, I want Budinger and McNeal or Price in round 2. If we re-sign Miller that is. Please no Evans. I’d be happy with Flynn too. I’ve seen basically all of his games and he is just flat gutsy. Kid can play. I’m more than ready for the draft.
hoping Flynn stays in school
As a Syracuse fan I am really hoping that my man Jonny Flynn stays at the Cuse.
March Madness College Basketball Forum >>> http://marchmadnessforums.com
2009-2010 starting guards
Would you rather have…
Andre Miller and Willie Green
or
Ty Lawson and Anthony Parker
As TK76 noted, there’s a good chance we won’t be able to sign Parker if we re-sign Miller. So, if Miller leaves, we could sign Parker, but we’d probably have to start our draft pick (Lawson?) at point guard.
Just something to consider.
i would rather draft lawson
and have miller and iggy at the guard positions with thad, speights, and sammy to complete the lineup…. although i wouldn’t mind parker, if it meant not being able to have miller teach the future point guard, i would have to decline on that option… this is a league where if you have a really good pg (chris paul, deron williams) you can be a factor no matter who else is on the team and i truly believe that if miller stays to teach either a lawson or collison the ropes, they can become a great pg in the NBA
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 12, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
and when i say speights in the lineup
i mean elton brand… haha i haven’t seen him play in so long i forget he’s on the team every now and then
by Tanner Steidel on Mar 12, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure
..and you’re definitely not alone in suggesting that lineup. Having Miller around to groom Lawson or Collison would be fantastic.
My problem – which is really the counter-argument to the lineup you proposed – is that it doesn’t include a shooter. Iggy’s not bad, but no one would list him among the NBA’s top 30 shooters… probably not the top 50, actually. He can knock down shots now and then, but he lacks consistency. Parker has a 46% field goal percentage and a 42% three-point percentage for his career. I’d much rather start him so Brand has someone reliable to kick the ball out to from the post.
That basically makes Thad our sixth man and, frankly, I don’t have a problem with that. Both he and Speights can easily get 25-28 minutes per game subbing in (Thad for Iggy and Brand; Speights for Brand and Dalembert).
Finally, if we re-sign Miller and don’t sign Parker, we’re still stuck without a legitmate shooter on this team. We’d have to luck into finding a really cheap diamond-in-the-rough free agent or trading Lou/Reggie/Willie for someone worthwhile. Can either happen? Good lord, let’s hope so.
Nick Calathes is ranked in the top 10 of the 2010 draft – if for some reason he comes out a year early – he might slip to the sixers – i like the kid
Speights was kind of the same deal – projected top 10 pick if he waited a year – but came out a year earlier than expected
And yes, I know it’s north dakota state, but a guy worth 50K to buy a late second round pick and see what he can really do might be this guy
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ben-Woodside-5502/stats/
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 14, 2009 2:01 PM PDT reply actions
nice piece
I havent looked at 2010, but if the class isnt weak, then calathes shouldnt be a top 10 pick. ive said before that hes my favorite player in college but hes just too slow. you cant beat his size and vision though. I dont think hell come out this year either, and florida wont make the tournament most likely.
Id love to get AJ Price in the 2nd round, hes just a winner. Lawson is clearly the highest profile guy of the bunch so he should have the highest expectations. Ive also said before that Tyreke could easily be a hometown pick. I like both him and Calathes because of their size. Either one could run the offense but play on the court with Lou Will, who could just focus on scoring, while not being too small in the backcourt
Lawson’s toe injury might be a blessing in disguise for the sixers. If the injury scares away enough teams he may fall to our pick (i doubt it will scare teams away but one can dream.)
I have a feeling Johnny Flynn's going to be a top 10 pick after the tourney.
by Jordan Sams on Mar 18, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Lawsons toe injury (unless it’s really serious) won’t scare anyone off – every one knows what he is (good and bad) – if the toe is a serious lingering injury – then no one should draft him.
As for Flynn – i hate the fact that 3 weeks / 6 games can make a guy much higher than he probably would ahve been before the tourney – it’s an elucidation of the poor scouting and evaluation of NBA scouting if a guys rating from a major school can change so much in such a short period of time. I can understand Curry from Davidson last year if people didn’t know who he was, but if you aren’t scouting all the major conferences, hire more scouts, or just use a random number generator to draft
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 18, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
So i watched a bit of the VCU game and must say that Maynor looks small to me, plus he didn’t look very interested in playing defense.
Guess I’ll have to find more full game video of him online
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 20, 2009 6:51 AM PDT reply actions
I'd take that as a pretty good indicator.
I’m falling in love with Johnny Flynn.
by Jordan Sams on Mar 20, 2009 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Anyone watching Kansas ND State on line? I"m just listening – and woodside is putting on a show but dudes only 5’11 :(
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 20, 2009 10:17 AM PDT reply actions
He’s the guy keeping ND STate in the game – #10
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 20, 2009 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I just saw.
He isn’t projected to be a first-rounder is he?
by Jordan Sams on Mar 20, 2009 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
He’s not projected as a second rounder even :) But he’s got good 3 point range, good shooting percnetages and he has some nice assist lines
he’s just short and – well – he plays at north dakota state – he’s just a sleeper point guard i found while i was perusing the sorting function at draft express
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 20, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Hell i’d put 50K into buying a late second round pick to get him – i think he’s a solid back up point guard in the NBA and he can shoot the three
"Someone created the box score," Morey says, "and he should be shot."
Blocked shots — they look great, but unless you secure the ball afterward, you haven’t helped your team all that much.
by jemagee on Mar 21, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
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