Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A closer look at point guards in the draft

Derrick Rose: Rose has a great combination of speed and strength. Plus, he's an unselfish player, so guys will want to play with him. His shooting touch from the foul line and 3-point range should improve over the next two years; in the meantime, teams will dare him to shoot. And, as we've all seen, he's excellent in the open floor. Will be a great pick N roll player

Defensively, he can defend the ball and will be able to defend post-up point guards like Baron Davis. He can also defend off-guards, if necessary. If he's drafted by Chicago, Ben Gordon could defend smaller point guards with Rose defending the opponent's off-guards. [photo at left]

Jerryd Bayless: A super-quick scoring point who can put points on the board. He doesn't really have a point guard mentality, but I think he'll be a good NBA player.

D.J. Augustin: I feel too much is made about small point guards. (I loved Earl Boykins and Speedy Claxton, and both had productive years.) Augustin is a great leader who will make his team's scorers' jobs easier because he knows how to get the ball to the right guy at the right time and in the right spots. He's one of the few college players I've seen who can run the pick-and-roll.

Russell Westbrook: What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Westbrook averaged just nine minutes per game. Athletic and quick, he can really push the ball and will be best on a transition team.Great athlete !

Mario Chalmers [photo at left]: A combo player who can defend either position, I think Chalmers will eventually be a third guard in the NBA, but not a starter. Chalmers plays under control, is such a smart player, and has been well coached, so he'll get solid minutes next season as a rookie. I love his on-court demeanor and think he'll be an excellent player for many years.


George Hill: Hill can shoot the ball consistently, a combo scoring guard not a true point guard but should be a solid NBA player.