BCS:BraveCaringSoul
July-2nd-2003, 02:31 AM
http://www.nj.com/news/bridgeton/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/105637025765710.xml
NBA Draft loaded with sleepers
Monday, June 23, 2003
With the end of the college and NBA basketball seasons I've been without my true love. At night I lock myself in the bedroom and play "one shining moment" on repeat. Or sometimes I keep the clip of John Starks dunking over Michael Jordan on pause and just stare at it for hours on end. That's a New York Knicks reference just in case you Philly guys didn't get it.
But on June 26 the NBA draft will be held, and for that one day I will get at least some satisfaction for my basketball fix. For that reason I am dedicating my first in hopefully a long series of Top 10 lists to the draft.
We all know who the first three picks are going to be. In order: King James (all hail the multi-millionaire who dunked on pimpled face high schoolers), Darko "you've never seen me play before" Milicic and Carmelo Anthony. After that the draft is pretty much up in the air and the NBA higher ups will certainly be looking hard to find a player considered to be a steal.
Although this draft doesn't feature steal picks that could be future All-Stars, it does feature a lot of guys who will simply, a couple years from now, help a team win. So with that said here it is ladies and gentlemen: The Top 10 steals in the 2003 NBA draft.
10 -- Dwyane Wade (Marquette): While covering Conference USA basketball the past two seasons I got a chance to see Wade play several times. What the public saw during the NCAA Tournament, I've been seeing all along.
Wade's offensive game is versatile. He is apt at slashing to the basket and also can drill the outside shot. With most experts predicting Wade to go somewhere between the eighth and 15th picks, whichever team gets this guy is coming away like Robin Hood.
9 -- Bernard King (Texas A&M): King has the ability to be an explosive scorer at the NBA level. He is at his best when posting up and spinning to either side for an indefensible turnaround jump shot. Oh wait. No, no I'm wrong here. Cross this guy off the list. I thought he was a different Bernard King.
8 -- Dahntay Jones (Duke): It is time for the curse of the Blue Devils in the NBA to fade away. The athletiscism and body Jones possesses is perfect for the NBA game. I don't think he'll ever be an All-Star, but he kind of reminds me of a poor man's Richard Jefferson. If he develops an outside jump shot. ... look out. Not to mention I guarded Jones in the state quarterfinals when I was a senior in high school. I just throw in that little tidbit to impress the lady readers. If of course my headshot isn't enough for you.
7 -- Some foreign guy (Poland, Greece, Russia, take your pick): Who is going to be the next Dirk Nowitzki? It's really any average sports fan guess. We don't get to see these guys play so all we have to rely on is what the "so-called" experts say. What we do know is that these guys are good and they are fundamentally sound basketball players. I guess you can't go wrong with Sofoklis Schortsanitis, a 6-10", 314 lbs, power forward/center out of Greece. His biggest concern is probably how to fit his name on the back of his jersey and not what team drafts him.
6 -- Nick Collison (Kansas): The big guy is going to be a big steal. He is like Mark Madsen but with talent. He plays his heart out every game and does a lot intangible things on the floor with his hustle. Collison is going to make a great role player on an NBA roster. He will never be an All-Star, but he will be a winner.
5 -- Mike Sweetney (Georgetown): Sweetney can flat out score in the post. I'm surprised most people don't have him going in the top 10. I would love to see him end up with the Knicks, who have the No. 9 pick, but judging by recent Knicks picks that's not going to happen. Sweetney averaged 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last year for the Hoyas. If he develops a little midrange jump shot, he'll have an Elton Brand type game. In a couple years Sweetney will be the type of guy to give you 15 and 10 on a consistent basis.
4 -- Derrick Caracter (Terrill Middle School): Why not, right? The 14-year-old can be the first player drafted who is yet to step foot in a high school classroom. Caracter is 6'9", 286 lbs., and can squat 350 lbs on one leg. Last year in middle school he averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists per game. He is the next Kevin Garnett.
3 -- Another foreign guy (Serbia, Hungary, France): Probably half of the guys taken in the top 10 will be from another country. I really hate, and I mean hate, having not seen any of these guys play. What am I supposed to say? This Maciej Lampe guy, a 7-0" power forward out of Poland is one heck of a player. I've seen him play in person a couple times. You know when I've traveled to Poland to watch the Euroleague I can't find a teenager better than him. Last time I saw him, he pulled off a move that nearly made me choke on my polish sausage. I know he's only 17 but this guy is going to be great.
2 -- Jarvis Hayes (Georgia): Potentially could be the biggest steal of the draft. Due to the sanctions against the Bulldogs toward the end of the college basketball season, Hayes was slighted from showing off his abilities on a bigger stage. He can shoot the ball better than anyone in the draft and at 6-7 will be an effective scorer in the NBA. He is a little shaky with his handle, but once that develops Hayes will be a pretty complete offensive package.
1 -- LeBron James (Akron, OH): What a steal! Hang on there's been some confusion. What I mean is James might as well be stealing from the Cavaliers and Nike with all the money he is going to make. I couldn't be more sick of the LeBron hype. He is not even the best player in this draft. Twice I've seen James play in person and although he is talented, he is not going to live up to this hype.
Michael Gross is a staff writer for the News and can be reached by e-mail at mgross@sjnewsco.com
NBA Draft loaded with sleepers
Monday, June 23, 2003
With the end of the college and NBA basketball seasons I've been without my true love. At night I lock myself in the bedroom and play "one shining moment" on repeat. Or sometimes I keep the clip of John Starks dunking over Michael Jordan on pause and just stare at it for hours on end. That's a New York Knicks reference just in case you Philly guys didn't get it.
But on June 26 the NBA draft will be held, and for that one day I will get at least some satisfaction for my basketball fix. For that reason I am dedicating my first in hopefully a long series of Top 10 lists to the draft.
We all know who the first three picks are going to be. In order: King James (all hail the multi-millionaire who dunked on pimpled face high schoolers), Darko "you've never seen me play before" Milicic and Carmelo Anthony. After that the draft is pretty much up in the air and the NBA higher ups will certainly be looking hard to find a player considered to be a steal.
Although this draft doesn't feature steal picks that could be future All-Stars, it does feature a lot of guys who will simply, a couple years from now, help a team win. So with that said here it is ladies and gentlemen: The Top 10 steals in the 2003 NBA draft.
10 -- Dwyane Wade (Marquette): While covering Conference USA basketball the past two seasons I got a chance to see Wade play several times. What the public saw during the NCAA Tournament, I've been seeing all along.
Wade's offensive game is versatile. He is apt at slashing to the basket and also can drill the outside shot. With most experts predicting Wade to go somewhere between the eighth and 15th picks, whichever team gets this guy is coming away like Robin Hood.
9 -- Bernard King (Texas A&M): King has the ability to be an explosive scorer at the NBA level. He is at his best when posting up and spinning to either side for an indefensible turnaround jump shot. Oh wait. No, no I'm wrong here. Cross this guy off the list. I thought he was a different Bernard King.
8 -- Dahntay Jones (Duke): It is time for the curse of the Blue Devils in the NBA to fade away. The athletiscism and body Jones possesses is perfect for the NBA game. I don't think he'll ever be an All-Star, but he kind of reminds me of a poor man's Richard Jefferson. If he develops an outside jump shot. ... look out. Not to mention I guarded Jones in the state quarterfinals when I was a senior in high school. I just throw in that little tidbit to impress the lady readers. If of course my headshot isn't enough for you.
7 -- Some foreign guy (Poland, Greece, Russia, take your pick): Who is going to be the next Dirk Nowitzki? It's really any average sports fan guess. We don't get to see these guys play so all we have to rely on is what the "so-called" experts say. What we do know is that these guys are good and they are fundamentally sound basketball players. I guess you can't go wrong with Sofoklis Schortsanitis, a 6-10", 314 lbs, power forward/center out of Greece. His biggest concern is probably how to fit his name on the back of his jersey and not what team drafts him.
6 -- Nick Collison (Kansas): The big guy is going to be a big steal. He is like Mark Madsen but with talent. He plays his heart out every game and does a lot intangible things on the floor with his hustle. Collison is going to make a great role player on an NBA roster. He will never be an All-Star, but he will be a winner.
5 -- Mike Sweetney (Georgetown): Sweetney can flat out score in the post. I'm surprised most people don't have him going in the top 10. I would love to see him end up with the Knicks, who have the No. 9 pick, but judging by recent Knicks picks that's not going to happen. Sweetney averaged 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last year for the Hoyas. If he develops a little midrange jump shot, he'll have an Elton Brand type game. In a couple years Sweetney will be the type of guy to give you 15 and 10 on a consistent basis.
4 -- Derrick Caracter (Terrill Middle School): Why not, right? The 14-year-old can be the first player drafted who is yet to step foot in a high school classroom. Caracter is 6'9", 286 lbs., and can squat 350 lbs on one leg. Last year in middle school he averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists per game. He is the next Kevin Garnett.
3 -- Another foreign guy (Serbia, Hungary, France): Probably half of the guys taken in the top 10 will be from another country. I really hate, and I mean hate, having not seen any of these guys play. What am I supposed to say? This Maciej Lampe guy, a 7-0" power forward out of Poland is one heck of a player. I've seen him play in person a couple times. You know when I've traveled to Poland to watch the Euroleague I can't find a teenager better than him. Last time I saw him, he pulled off a move that nearly made me choke on my polish sausage. I know he's only 17 but this guy is going to be great.
2 -- Jarvis Hayes (Georgia): Potentially could be the biggest steal of the draft. Due to the sanctions against the Bulldogs toward the end of the college basketball season, Hayes was slighted from showing off his abilities on a bigger stage. He can shoot the ball better than anyone in the draft and at 6-7 will be an effective scorer in the NBA. He is a little shaky with his handle, but once that develops Hayes will be a pretty complete offensive package.
1 -- LeBron James (Akron, OH): What a steal! Hang on there's been some confusion. What I mean is James might as well be stealing from the Cavaliers and Nike with all the money he is going to make. I couldn't be more sick of the LeBron hype. He is not even the best player in this draft. Twice I've seen James play in person and although he is talented, he is not going to live up to this hype.
Michael Gross is a staff writer for the News and can be reached by e-mail at mgross@sjnewsco.com