Spring Break
Few hidden diamonds
Ben Bradea
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Sports
Year after year, a handful of rookies come into the NBA and are able to have an immediate and major impact on their teams. Expectations are high for those who are selected early as a lottery pick; however, these are not the only players who contribute in their first year. I'm talking about late first round, second round, and even undrafted picks that are not as highly touted as lottery choices.
A few examples that have contributed very nicely this 2008-09 season are: Nicolas Batum, Mario Chalmers, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Anthony Morrow. These four players have all seen significant action on the court this year for their respective teams, while Batum, Chalmers, and Mbah a Moute all start for teams who are making a push for the playoffs. Chalmers and Mbah a Moute were both selected as second round picks, while Morrow entered the league undrafted!
This brings me to the draft class of 2009. While watching college basketball this weekend, many players that crossed my mind as potential successful players in the NBA have not been surrounded by much hype coming into this draft. As we all know, the draft is another three-and-a-half months away, but the critical stretch for all college players will come this month as March Madness approaches. AJ Price, Terrence Williams, Jodie Meeks and Taj Gibson are four players that can prove to be steals for teams in the 2009 NBA Draft.
AJ Price is a senior point guard for the UConn Huskies. Price is a big, strong and physical point guard who can get into the lane and make plays. One of his bigger assets is getting to the free throw line effectively, because he can overpower opposing guards with ease. He is a decent defender who combines his good strength with a talented amount of quickness and technique. His shot can be streaky at times, but he has the ability to get in the zone and become unstoppable. NBA comparison: Andre Miller.
Terrence Williams is a senior shooting guard for the Louisville Cardinals. This guy is the definition of an athlete with great size and strength. Williams uses his tremendous leaping ability and strength well to overpower opponents and attack the rim. He is a high-flyer with the strength to finish in traffic. He gets well in the passing lanes and in the open court is a nightmare for the opposition. NBA comparison: Poor man's Dwayne Wade.
Jodie Meeks is a junior shooting guard for the Kentucky Wildcats. Meeks is an athletic player who has great scoring ability while maintaining great efficiency from the field. Meeks has nice body strength for the shooting guard position. He has a great release and good form on his jump-shot, though his range is well behind NBA 3 point range. Meeks is known to get hot and can score many points in bunches. NBA comparison: Kevin Martin.
Taj Gibson is a junior power forward for the Trojans of Southern California. Gibson is an extremely efficient and consistent player. He is an underrated athlete, possessing nice length and the ability to get off the ground quickly. In the post he is extremely patient with a touch around the basket that is very soft. NBA comparison: Brandon Bass.
Ben Bradea, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
A few examples that have contributed very nicely this 2008-09 season are: Nicolas Batum, Mario Chalmers, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Anthony Morrow. These four players have all seen significant action on the court this year for their respective teams, while Batum, Chalmers, and Mbah a Moute all start for teams who are making a push for the playoffs. Chalmers and Mbah a Moute were both selected as second round picks, while Morrow entered the league undrafted!
This brings me to the draft class of 2009. While watching college basketball this weekend, many players that crossed my mind as potential successful players in the NBA have not been surrounded by much hype coming into this draft. As we all know, the draft is another three-and-a-half months away, but the critical stretch for all college players will come this month as March Madness approaches. AJ Price, Terrence Williams, Jodie Meeks and Taj Gibson are four players that can prove to be steals for teams in the 2009 NBA Draft.
AJ Price is a senior point guard for the UConn Huskies. Price is a big, strong and physical point guard who can get into the lane and make plays. One of his bigger assets is getting to the free throw line effectively, because he can overpower opposing guards with ease. He is a decent defender who combines his good strength with a talented amount of quickness and technique. His shot can be streaky at times, but he has the ability to get in the zone and become unstoppable. NBA comparison: Andre Miller.
Terrence Williams is a senior shooting guard for the Louisville Cardinals. This guy is the definition of an athlete with great size and strength. Williams uses his tremendous leaping ability and strength well to overpower opponents and attack the rim. He is a high-flyer with the strength to finish in traffic. He gets well in the passing lanes and in the open court is a nightmare for the opposition. NBA comparison: Poor man's Dwayne Wade.
Jodie Meeks is a junior shooting guard for the Kentucky Wildcats. Meeks is an athletic player who has great scoring ability while maintaining great efficiency from the field. Meeks has nice body strength for the shooting guard position. He has a great release and good form on his jump-shot, though his range is well behind NBA 3 point range. Meeks is known to get hot and can score many points in bunches. NBA comparison: Kevin Martin.
Taj Gibson is a junior power forward for the Trojans of Southern California. Gibson is an extremely efficient and consistent player. He is an underrated athlete, possessing nice length and the ability to get off the ground quickly. In the post he is extremely patient with a touch around the basket that is very soft. NBA comparison: Brandon Bass.
Ben Bradea, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com
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