Looking for Gottlieb's draft article

jogo · Apr 19, 2006

Looking for Gottlieb's "Here's what the pro scouts would say" ESPN article. Can anybody post it? Thanks.

Sooner423 · Apr 19, 2006

Should be an interesting read. Attention Espn Insider subscribers.

bplld · Apr 19, 2006

There will be people who will call this the weakest draft in NBA history. While there is no doubt the recent mass exodus from high school and the related depletion of talent at the college level has hurt this draft, there are always players to be found.

Take 2002 for example. That year, the entire lottery was filled with busts, but Carlos Boozer emerged from the second round. In 2001, Gilbert Arenas was a great second-round steal.

With many quality underclassmen making their decision in the last couple of weeks to become eligible for the draft, it's time to take a look at some of the top names in the context of how an NBA scout would look at them:

Adam Morrison
Quick notes: Awkward, fiery, defensively challenged, scoring machine, well-developed offensive skill set
Overview: Forget the Larry Bird references; Morrison is a vastly different player. Morrison's competitive desire, though, might be his biggest strength -- and his ultimate weakness.

Morrison has a tendency to chase the ball like a moth chases light, which simply will not work in an NBA structure. He does, however, want the ball to take (and usually make) every timely shot for his team.

Don't be deceived by the gawky way in which he runs. Morrison is quicker than you think, stronger than he looks and is a difficult matchup because he can hit you inside with awkward low-post moves and outside with increasing range. Morrison loves to go right and has an uncanny ability to fade away so his shot is virtually unblockable, thus his lack of true explosive speed is hidden by his feel for various ways to score the ball.

Defensively, he's a zone waiting to happen. It's not that he lacks the speed, quickness and long arms to at least be a viable defender. It's whether the desire to be one ever hits him.

Say what you want about Morrison, but there is one thing for certain: Whatever team he plays for eventually will be able to count on 15 and maybe upward of 20 points a night from a guy who knows how to score.

LaMarcus Aldridge
Quick notes: Long, rangy, soft, skilled, can score with back to basket and face up from 17 feet and in.
Overview: Aldridge might very well be the No. 1 overall pick, but the sight of him being pushed continually off the block by Glen Davis might have sent shock waves across the teams that think Aldridge can be their next star big.

The most common comparison thrown around is Marcus Camby, and while Camby has had a highly effective NBA career, he's never been the star he was in college. If that's the case with Aldridge, his label of being soft, especially with his back to the basket, might stick.

Make no mistake about it -- Aldridge is at least 6-foot-11, has long arms, a nice hook shot and an immense level of skill for a guy who has played all of a season and a half of college basketball. Still, there are some questions.

Tyrus Thomas
Quick notes: Long … longer … longest, ridiculous athlete, upside galore, mean streak that came out in key situations, raw, highly unproven, no position, can't shoot.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
With his ridiculous athleticism, Thomas could be the No. 1 overall pick.Overview: In a draft filled with uncertainty, the one thing that is certain is that Thomas is considered the pick with the largest upside in this class. Thomas can jump to the moon, blocks everything in sight, catches mostly everything thrown this way and is not afraid to compete with older, stronger, more refined players.

However, he has improved at a sensational rate in the two years since he nearly attended North Texas. Can we expect that same curve of improvement over the first four years of the NBA career?

Like Aldridge, as well as Dwight Howard two years ago, Thomas is considered a sensational kid. He has a smile that lights up a room and lacks a posse that will follow him around on the road for 41 games a year. With no apparent baggage, Thomas might supplant Aldridge as the No. 1 overall pick.

Rudy Gay
Quick notes: Smooth, effortless motion, at times disinterested, extremely long, more complete game than you would think.
Overview: Gay is a more refined guy who seemingly has all the tools to be a star. He has the length to guard three positions, goes left as well as to the right, seems to have improved his range on his 3-point jumper and can create Morrison-type separation in the lane.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Gay has all the tools to be great, but does he have the hunger?
The problem is … is he a killer? Gay might be the first player from Baltimore to be considered too nice on the court. UConn coaches told me Gay's a great kid, his mom's a great lady, but only the fact that he's a lock to be a top-five pick is making him go to the NBA draft.

Say what you want about Morrison's lack of athletic ability, but he'll tear your heart out to win a game. Gay seems OK with having three or four nice dunks, a couple of nice, high-arcing jump shots, and packing a shot or two with style, but he lacks the killer instinct that makes players stars in the NBA.

It is possible that he's just not selfish enough, or driven enough, to be a big star at the next level. In that league, nice guys really do finish last, and Gay is one nice guy.

Rajon Rondo
Quick notes: Wiry, huge hands, long arms, potential lockdown defender, solid passer in transition, average decision-maker in halfcourt, poor shooter, surly disposition.
Overview: Rondo was handed the keys to the Cadillac that is Kentucky basketball and drove it like he was constantly looking around for the Maybach that belonged to him.

Five months ago, he was a lock to be the first point guard taken, but his awkward jump shot leaves me wondering just how he will be able to keep defenses honest at the next level. While he has the arrogance that Rudy Gay lacks, it doesn't necessarily play out as quality leadership while he's running the point. In fact, Kentucky didn't make its move this season until Rondo was moved to the 2.

Rondo can single-handedly change a game with his defense and finishing around the basket. Dare I say, he's the new and not-really-improved version of Rod Strickland? Believe it or not, that's a compliment to Rondo. Strickland was very respected in NBA circles. He never missed around the basket, created for his teammates and defended at a high level, despite the lack of a jump shot.

If Rondo can improve on his perceived leadership issues, he can be a starting point guard while his jump shot develops.

Nick Fazekas
Quick notes: Long, skilled, can shoot out to 22 feet.
Overview: With shooting and size at a premium in the depleted draft pool, Fazekas would be a solid pick if you are a playoff team and can develop him. He has tremendous scoring and rebounding ability around the basket, can pick-and-pop with the best of them, and even though he has a weird running gait, he's deceptively athletic. If he can add 20-25 pounds, he'll play in the NBA for 10 years.

Guillermo Diaz
Quick notes: Springy, tweener, lacks court sense, major-league athlete, has solid range to 21 feet.
Overview: For some reason, Diaz decided to sign with an agent although the buzz around him has diminished a bit from his sophomore year. He is about 6-2 and has no real position on an NBA floor. Despite that, his ability to shoot and jump over people when he enters the lane probably will allow him to make a team as either a late first-rounder or a second-round pick. I like Miami backcourt mate Robert Hite's game better for the next level.

Thomas Gardner
Quick notes: Athlete, shooter, scorer, needs to learn better guard skills.
Overview: Gardner is a highly draftable player with an NBA physique and the ability to get his own shot off the dribble or the catch. While he's not a true 2, he can mask it by finding ways to put the ball in the basket. A bigger, stronger, less prolific version of Ben Gordon.

Richard Roby
Quick notes: Silky smooth, 2-guard with a nice game using screens to catch and shoot.
Overview: Roby can put the ball on the floor and create and has the size in the lane to get his shot off against more athletic defenders. He is a consistent scorer and seems to have the potential to score more as he develops the ability to create fouls through penetration.

Paul Millsap
Quick notes: Strong, athletic, high basketball IQ, perfect worker bee for a playoff team that needs a rebounder.
Overview: While he might not be taller than 6-8, that matters little because he knows his strengths and plays to them -- and the NBA game is more about defining one's skill and specialization. He dominates the boards and scores in and around the basket, and there is no one better or more developed at the college level.

Marcus Slaughter
Quick notes: Great rebounder/scorer with range out to 18 feet.
Overview: Uncanny ability to get to the line and shoots a high percentage when he gets there. He's somewhere between a 3 and 4, but he's still draftable because of his athleticism and tenacity on the glass.

Curtis Stinson
Quick notes: A 2-guard in a 1's body, great off the dribble, average off the catch, streaky shooter, creative passer, lacks some sound fundamental decision-making.
Overview: Stinson should be able to come into the league in the mold of Gordon, Troy Hudson, Eddie House and others who are essentially scoring 1s or combo guards. He needs to improve his consistency on his long-range jump shot, but with the shot clock winding down, he can create his own shot and is a willing passer.

Quincy Douby
Quick notes: Deep range, wiry, strong combo guard who can score points in a hurry.
Overview: Douby fits into the same mold as Stinson, only he shoots the ball at a much more prolific clip and probably is two inches taller. Douby has unlimited range and a knack for taking and making the big shot. A willing passer and an above-average defender, Douby might be this year's Luther Head.

Josh Boone flushes a tip rebound with some help from UConn teammate Hilton Armstrong.Josh Boone
Quick notes: Body like Tarzan, finishes like Jane.
Overview: Boone seemed to have a bewildered look on his face at times this year. Put Millsap's tenacity into Boone's body and you have a heck of a player. Still, some NBA scout will stake his career on Boone, because as the saying goes, if you are going to make a mistake, make a big mistake. Boone is quiet and, at times, too polite on the floor and the lack of fire in his belly is the only thing keeping him from being a star.

Three juniors who are testing the waters
Brandon Heath
Another combo who can score in a hurry. He has unlimited range, but is a poor decision-maker and will take (and sometimes make) any shot. He probably will come back to school, but his shot-making ability is the type that, if he got it going in Orlando at the predraft camp, might allow him to stay in the draft as a first-round pick.
Mustafa Shakur
Came along nicely at end of the season. Was rated ahead of Chris Paul coming out of high school and seems to read those old articles and tries to become something he is not. Shakur probably will play in the NBA, but not this year.

Will Blaylock
Great ballhandler, below-average long-range shooter, can make anyone look bad while he's going by you off the dribble. While he has some skills passing the basketball, he's overly fancy in everything he does, so his turnovers sometimes can match his assist levels. He should return to school.
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Here it is. link

This doesnt give u the page under my account right? Because if it does, i need to know.

Glish21 · Apr 19, 2006

No it just links to the beginning of the article

jogo · Apr 19, 2006

Thanks bplld!

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