NBA Draft 2009: Draft Grades

by Ed Weiland

This is a draft of a few good and several slightly-above-average prospects. Right now I would say that Rubio and Evans have the best shot to become great players. After that we have a few good-to-very good in Griffin, Harden, Lawson and Blair. One who would be called potentially valuable in Thabeet. There are a few projects who could pay off down the road in Derozan, Claver, Daye, Johnson, Holiday and Mullens. I think when this draft is finally analyzed it will look a lot like the 1989 draft. That draft featured several good PGs and perimeter players. The best big players in that draft were all taken later in the process. I could easily see 10-12 points and wings from this draft becoming effective players. I could also see BJ Mullens and Dejuan Blair becoming two of the best inside players taken in this draft. Continue reading NBA Draft 2009: Draft Grades…

NBA Draft 2009: Centers

by Ed Weiland

Going over the centers has been somewhat of a revelation. I expected that I would be knocking both Thabeet and Mullens while bulding myself to a near freak out over the fact that no one seems interested in John Bryant. I thought I might even call this the worst center class ever. It isn’t. Both Thabeet and Mullens have a chance to become very good NBA players and I still like Bryant. What’s lacking in this class is depth. There just aren’t many players worth talking about after the top 3.  Continue reading NBA Draft 2009: Centers…

NBA Draft 2009: Power Forwards

by Ed Weiland

The 2008-09 college basketball season saw a couple of historically great rebounding performances by Dejuan Blair and Blake Griffin, the top 2 players in this group. Here are the best rebounding seasons ever, or at least in the past 20 or so years, as measured by rebounds per 40 minutes by NCAA sophomore PFs:  Continue reading NBA Draft 2009: Power Forwards…

NBA Draft 2009: Combo Forwards

by Ed Weiland

This is the other half of the small forwards, or more accurately a 3^rd group of forwards. The role they’ve been playing mostly in the NBA has been the PF in a small lineup. The NBA keeps veering smaller and quicker as teams deal with the perpetual shortage of good big men. This pushes PFs to playing more center and creates a role for players like this who used to be considered too small to play PF at the pro level. Continue reading NBA Draft 2009: Combo Forwards…

NBA Draft 2009: Small Forwards

by Ed Weiland

As a group the SFs have always been the toughest nut for me to crack. The other positions all seem to have a few stats I can look at to make a fairly simple (or so it seems at the time) call on a player’s prospect-worthiness. With SFs there’s really no hard-and fast rule. I just have to look at the entire picture and try to see something good.

Continue reading NBA Draft 2009: Small Forwards…

About Hoops Analyst:

Hoops Analyst is the premier destination for in-depth basketball analysis, insight, and commentary.