Interesting stuff from Nick Prevenas of NBADraft.net earlier today:
Now does the 2008 draft feature anyone nearly as talented as Bryant who will be available at No. 13? Obviously not. But circumstance is everything. There is some excellent talent for the taking, even after the Jerryd Bayless/O.J. Mayo/Anthony Randolph types come flying off the board.
D.J. Augustin could excel in the right situation. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
Take someone like Joe Alexander. If he had to come in and carry the load in Minnesota or Seattle, he might never develop his unique skill-set properly. But if he comes into an ideal situation like Portland's, we might be looking at another Shawn Marion.
Could D.J. Augustin step in immediately and command the respect of a dozen NBA veterans while learning the nuances of the point-guard position? Seems like a tall task for the diminutive Texan, doesn't it?
Jason King of Yahoo! Sports checks in with a breakdown of the point guards in this year's draft:
Even Kansas coach Bill Self - whose team has faced each of the guards except Gordon - said he'd have to "think about it for awhile" before he could fulfill a request to rank them.
"They're all so good,"
Self said. "In a lot of ways, they're interchangeable. I guess you could say it's a matter of taste."
NBA scouts and coaches love the options, too, although some said they wished there were more true point guards from which to choose.
"In this class, the only true point guards that will go in the first round are Rose, Augustin and (North Carolina's) Ty Lawson,"
another scout said. "It's too bad there aren't more of them, because there's already a disparity in the league at that position."
DraftExpress.com interviews Kevin Love, D.J. Augustin and Anthony Randolph.
Chad Ford has an updated mock draft today. But the Blazers pick is not updated, still WVU's Joe Alexander, but:
The skinny: Right now it seems unlikely that the Blazers actually keep this pick. They are loaded with young players and have a history of being very active on the trade market. GM Kevin Pritchard is already burning up the phone lines. I think he either packages some of his young players with this pick and moves up, or he trades for a veteran.
NBADraft.net also has an updated mock with the Blazers selecting Chase Budinger of Arizona.
Jonathan Givony of DE, who I spoke with earlier today, said the Blazers have the parts to move up in the draft and go after a player like Arizona's Jerryd Bayless, should they be so inclined. RealGM takes a look at Bayless today:
Athletically, he is enormously gifted. He is very strong for his age and beyond using his exceptional vertical on his jumper, Bayless can powerfully finish lobs in the halfcourt and should also become an efficient rebounder and shotblocker for his size. Categorically, he is fearless in the air and will make a concerted effort to drive to the basket and attack the rim if his team is slumping on offense.
His intangibles are very encouraging thus far, as well. While more of a scoring guard, he has demonstrated the mental maturity to eventually run the point. He knows when to pull back and setup their halfcourt offense in transition when they don't have numbers and is unselfish despite never meeting a shot he doesn't like. He also is an excellent finisher, seemingly always playing better in the second half.
