Ed Weiland

SF is the most difficult position to assess by far. This is mainly because the position offers a wide range of looks and responsibilities. I’ve zeroed in on some important numbers, though it isn’t like a player needs to hit every benchmark to be considered a strong or weak prospect. As analyst we just need to look at the entire package offered by any prospect and make a decision from there. Scoring: At least 18 P40 is expected and the higher the better. For efficiency the number I look … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Small Forwards

For shooting guards I look at 6 benchmarks. These have historically been numbers that SGs who made any significant impact on the NBA have hit as college players. Hitting over 50% on 2 pointers or at least very close to it. This higher the better, as usually is the case. Scoring 20.0 points per 40 minutes. This one seems almost set in stone. There have been very few successful SGs who didn’t score 20 P40 regardless of how impressive their other numbers were. A combined rebounds, … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Shooting Guards

From what I can tell this is considered the top position in this draft. I have to say that I find this group to be well below stellar and pretty much the weakest PG class in years. Once we get past Kyrie Irving this group is a group of prospects who will be remembered as good college players and another group, mainly freshmen, who never lived up to the hype. What I will say about this class is there are a lot of PGs who are worthy of at least a look, hence a rather long list. Here are the … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Point Guards

These are players who don’t easily fit into either the SF or PF groups. They have skills and weaknesses of both. I rank them separately, because the position they eventually end up playing in the NBA will be determined by what team drafts them, which skills they work on and other factors that are too difficult to predict right now. This year we also have two of the best forwards and players available who fit into this category in Derrick Williams and Marcus Morris, making it one of the few … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2011: Combo Forwards

The 2010 draft is nothing more than an appetizer for the big free agent drama that’s about to commence. This draft still matters though and needs to be looked at. If there is one characteristic that stands out in this draft it is length. I think the 2010 draft should be called the wingspan draft. I count 12 players in this draft with a wingspan over 7’4”: Hassan Whiteside, Dexter Pittman, Hamady N’Diaye, Demarcus Cousins, Larry Sanders, Cole Aldrich, Jerome Jordan, Solomon Alabi, Derrick Favors, … [Read more...] about NBA Draft 2010: Draft Grades