Sixers' Draft Profiles: Daniel Orton

#1 - John Wall  

#2 - Evan Turner

#3 - Derrick Favors

#4 - DeMarcus Cousins

#5 - Wesley Johnson

#6 - Al-Farouq Aminu

#7 - Ed Davis

#8 - Cole Aldrich

#9 - Greg Monroe

#10 - Daniel Orton

#11 - Ekpe Udoh

#12 - Hassan Whiteside

#13 - Donatas Motiejunas

#14 - Patrick Patterson

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Mr. "Wait, he only averaged 3 points?" Daniel Orton, after the jump.

Scouting Reports

DX:

They like him for his body.

The main intrigue around Orton's potential as an NBA player revolves around his physical tools. Standing 6-10, with a wide, chiseled frame, an excellent wingspan and above average athleticism, Orton passes the look test and then some for what NBA teams seek from at a player at his position. He is fairly nimble, runs the court competently, can get off his feet, has a solid second bounce and very good hands on top of that. 

Here's how he got his 3 points per game.

Orton can carve out space in the post with his huge frame, create shots for himself with some interesting spin moves, shows very nice touch around the basket, and finishes extremely well at the rim thanks to his outstanding length and strength. He even stepped outside on rare occasions and knocked down a 15-foot jumper, displaying solid mechanics in the process.

Raw is the word.

Orton still has a long ways to go on this end, as his skill-level is unpolished and his decision making can be extremely poor-often looking like he can't wait to shoot the ball as soon it reached his hand, and throwing up some very questionable looks in turn ... He has no left hand, is a poor ball-handler and lacks considerable experience on this end of the floor. He doesn't quite know how to use his body as effectively as he possibly could, and doesn't always show the type of toughness and intensity you look for from a player fighting for minutes on a crowded roster.

Average rebounder thus far.

[He is] just an average rebounder from a statistical standpoint, failing to pull down even 10 boards per-40 minutes pace adjusted.

He has a lot to learn on defense as well as offense.

He also does a nice job sticking his long arms in the right place and coming up with steals, although he has a tendency to gamble at times excessively and pick up cheap fouls by swiping at the ball unnecessarily. He'll also bite on the occasional pump-fake and give up too much space in the post thinking he'll be able to recover with a spectacular block ...

Does he have off-the-court problems?

Perhaps more worrying is the recent behind the scenes chatter about potential off-court concerns. The fingerprints of Orton's father were all over his every move on the recruiting trail, in reported heated discussions with Kentucky's coaching staff about his inconsistent playing time throughout the season, and now regarding his draft declaration decision, to the point that some wonder whether this could become a distraction for the team that picks him down the road.

ESPN:

Star potential?

He needs to improve his offense, but if he does, he could be a star down the road.

Daniel Orton on Twitter

@danielorton33

Comparisons

DX: Best case - Kendrick Perkins

Worst case - Pervis Pasco

YouTube

Orton shatters backboard (and missed the dunk)

Daniel Orton highlights

My take:

I haven't formed much of an opinion on Orton yet. He seems like a baseball prospect. Whatever team drafts him is going to have to commit time and effort in developing him. I don't see any scenario where the Sixers are in a position to take him, because I think taking him in the top 10 is a major reach. I wouldn't have him ranked this high.

Up next: Ekpe Udoh