Post by Spencer on Aug 1, 2010 15:01:32 GMT -5
2004 Draft Notes
The #1 pick in this draft is a two man race between Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Both could easily go #1 and both should be franchise players. Melo is a #1 option type scorer who can also rebound very well at SF. D12 is a legit elite defensive player with the size and strength to develop into a very good offensive player as well.
Here’s a position by position look at the rest of the 2004 Draft class…
Centers…
Anderson Varejao is a very nice effort player who loves to work on the defensive end. His length allows him to block shots and create steals…Robert Swift is a good athlete that can run and is extremely young. He has the size and athleticism you ant in a young big man project but he is just that, a project…Rafael Araujo is big and strong but doesn’t really have much touch around the basket, or enough lateral movement to be a good defender…Ha Seung-Jin is tall strong and can block shots. Other then that, he doesn’t offer much…Pavel Podkolzin is pretty much the Russian version of Ha without the shot blocking….
Power Forwards…
Al Jefferson is young and strong. He’s a beast on the boards and shows the making of a solid post game. Jefferson is a pretty poor man to man defender, but he makes up for it slightly with the ability to block some shots…Josh Smith is a athletic freak. He can run and jump like a much smaller player. He has good size and that size is even more impressive because of his immense wing span. He can score, block shots and get steals…Emeka Okafor is a very good defender and rebounder that may not have much upside left. He isn’t a freak athletically like some others, and he’s a little older then the top big man prospects…Andris Biedrins is a very nice big man spect. He can rebound very well and is a pretty good defender and shot blocker. Biedrins biggest weakness is his FT shooting. Its bad…Kris Humphries is more of a tweener forward. He has good enough size, but he doesn’t really have a power game. More of a jump shooter then a post player. Late 1st Rounder…
Small Forwards…
Luol Deng is a top 8 pick. Deng has a nice balanced game. He can score he can defend and he has good size for a 3…Trevor Ariza is a very good athlete who can score some, defend some and has some upside. Should be a solid mid to late 1st Round selection… Josh Childress is a solid player. He can shoot some and defend some. Hes a good mid range shooter and a very good ball handler. Should be a solid starter in BBS…Donta Smith is a very good athlete. He can jump, he’s got good speed and he has some nice basketball skills as well. He is very raw, a project to say the least…Dorell Wright is similar to Smith, but might be a little better athletically and little worse in overall basketball skills. Boom bust type.
Shooting Guards…
Andre Iguodala is a big time talent that is good at almost everything, but great at not one thing. He can score, defend, handle. Very solid all around player but wont be a franchise guy…Ben Gordon is a tweener who is a great shooter. Not big enough to really guard 2’s and not enough of a play maker to play 1…Kevin Martin is a big time scorer and great shooter. He’s all offense. He can shoot 3’s and has a deadly mid range game. Might be a sleeper…JR Smith is a big time player who is extremely hot and cold. He does have some flaws defensively and he tends to lose focus. Should go late Round 1...Tony Allen is a big time defender who loves to go to the rim. He cant shoot and he doesn't dribble too well though...
Point Guards…
Devin Harris is super quick. He can get to pretty much any spot on the floor at will. He may not be a true PG, but he is a big time talent who should be a good player…Sebastian Telfair is a big time ball handler and passer who lacks any amount of defensive ability. Also because of his physical liabilities its possible he’ll never be more then a backup…Shaun Livingston is a great defender, mostly because of his inane reach. He is also extremely fragile and has had trouble developing offensively… Jameer Nelson was a great college player whose game may not translate to BBS. He is tough and strong but he may not have the quickness to guard opposing PG’s…Chris Duhon is a solid PG who can shoot and defend. Probably doesn’t have the athleticism or upside to ever be more then a backup though…Delonte West is a nice offensive player. He has nice ball handling ability and he can shoot. Defensively he isn’t much though…Beno Udrih is a hard worker and he could maybe be a starter one day. He isn’t flashy, but he has some solid intangibles…Sasha Vujacic can shoot. He isn’t much of a defender or passer though. Just a role player…
The #1 pick in this draft is a two man race between Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Both could easily go #1 and both should be franchise players. Melo is a #1 option type scorer who can also rebound very well at SF. D12 is a legit elite defensive player with the size and strength to develop into a very good offensive player as well.
Here’s a position by position look at the rest of the 2004 Draft class…
Centers…
Anderson Varejao is a very nice effort player who loves to work on the defensive end. His length allows him to block shots and create steals…Robert Swift is a good athlete that can run and is extremely young. He has the size and athleticism you ant in a young big man project but he is just that, a project…Rafael Araujo is big and strong but doesn’t really have much touch around the basket, or enough lateral movement to be a good defender…Ha Seung-Jin is tall strong and can block shots. Other then that, he doesn’t offer much…Pavel Podkolzin is pretty much the Russian version of Ha without the shot blocking….
Power Forwards…
Al Jefferson is young and strong. He’s a beast on the boards and shows the making of a solid post game. Jefferson is a pretty poor man to man defender, but he makes up for it slightly with the ability to block some shots…Josh Smith is a athletic freak. He can run and jump like a much smaller player. He has good size and that size is even more impressive because of his immense wing span. He can score, block shots and get steals…Emeka Okafor is a very good defender and rebounder that may not have much upside left. He isn’t a freak athletically like some others, and he’s a little older then the top big man prospects…Andris Biedrins is a very nice big man spect. He can rebound very well and is a pretty good defender and shot blocker. Biedrins biggest weakness is his FT shooting. Its bad…Kris Humphries is more of a tweener forward. He has good enough size, but he doesn’t really have a power game. More of a jump shooter then a post player. Late 1st Rounder…
Small Forwards…
Luol Deng is a top 8 pick. Deng has a nice balanced game. He can score he can defend and he has good size for a 3…Trevor Ariza is a very good athlete who can score some, defend some and has some upside. Should be a solid mid to late 1st Round selection… Josh Childress is a solid player. He can shoot some and defend some. Hes a good mid range shooter and a very good ball handler. Should be a solid starter in BBS…Donta Smith is a very good athlete. He can jump, he’s got good speed and he has some nice basketball skills as well. He is very raw, a project to say the least…Dorell Wright is similar to Smith, but might be a little better athletically and little worse in overall basketball skills. Boom bust type.
Shooting Guards…
Andre Iguodala is a big time talent that is good at almost everything, but great at not one thing. He can score, defend, handle. Very solid all around player but wont be a franchise guy…Ben Gordon is a tweener who is a great shooter. Not big enough to really guard 2’s and not enough of a play maker to play 1…Kevin Martin is a big time scorer and great shooter. He’s all offense. He can shoot 3’s and has a deadly mid range game. Might be a sleeper…JR Smith is a big time player who is extremely hot and cold. He does have some flaws defensively and he tends to lose focus. Should go late Round 1...Tony Allen is a big time defender who loves to go to the rim. He cant shoot and he doesn't dribble too well though...
Point Guards…
Devin Harris is super quick. He can get to pretty much any spot on the floor at will. He may not be a true PG, but he is a big time talent who should be a good player…Sebastian Telfair is a big time ball handler and passer who lacks any amount of defensive ability. Also because of his physical liabilities its possible he’ll never be more then a backup…Shaun Livingston is a great defender, mostly because of his inane reach. He is also extremely fragile and has had trouble developing offensively… Jameer Nelson was a great college player whose game may not translate to BBS. He is tough and strong but he may not have the quickness to guard opposing PG’s…Chris Duhon is a solid PG who can shoot and defend. Probably doesn’t have the athleticism or upside to ever be more then a backup though…Delonte West is a nice offensive player. He has nice ball handling ability and he can shoot. Defensively he isn’t much though…Beno Udrih is a hard worker and he could maybe be a starter one day. He isn’t flashy, but he has some solid intangibles…Sasha Vujacic can shoot. He isn’t much of a defender or passer though. Just a role player…
