SB Nation User Blog: gogoldenbears

Report: USC coach Floyd submits resignation

gogoldenbears — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:10:42 -0000

Report: USC coach Floyd submits resignation

Wow, USC basketball went down the drain real quick. That program looked to be on the rise after Nick Young and Pruitt to OJ Mayo to DeRozan and then to Renardo Sidney. In a matter of a month or 2, the whole program has really fallen apart...

GSoM Group Project: DeMar DeRozan Full Scouting Report

gogoldenbears — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:06:46 -0000

So here it is...finally. The DeMar DeRozan scouting report. I know you all have been feverishly checking GSoM over the past couple weeks in eager anticipation of this. All joking aside here are my thoughts on DeRozan.

I might update this later on. I had emailed Paragon SC over at Conquest Chronicles (the USC SB Nation affiliate) to get some additional information about DeRozan from people who have seen him play more than I have. However, his basketball writer was on vacation and he is a busy person, so I don't want to bother him too much.

Also, is it just me or are you getting tired of the draft already? Normally, I love it but with all the discussion on here and people trying to sell 10 different players, I just want to get it over with. To much speculation. Anyway, here goes:

Introduction
DeMar DeRozan is a SG/SF who played one year at USC after playing high school ball at Compton HS in Southern California. He is listed most commonly at 6'7" (as low as 6'5") and 220 lbs and fairly strong and defined--the size of Jason Richardson & Vince Carter. He was a high-profile and consensus top 5 recruit coming out of high school. He was seen as a disappointment early in his USC career, with performances that were underwhelming for a top recruit. Fans and reporters noted that he seemed unagressive and didn't seem to have the desire and instinct of a superstar. However, in the latter part of the season he reportedly seemed much more comfortable with the college game and his performances reflected this. His offensive success correlated well with the number of shots and free throw attempts, indicating that when he was more agressive, he performed much better. He decided to enter and stay in the draft on the strength of his late season performances and due to the fact his mother is struggling with lupus. He believes the draft will put him in a place financially to get the best care for his mother.

DeRozan’s decision was hardly a surprise because of his family’s health issues. His mother, Diane DeRozan, suffers from lupus.
"Overall, I think I’m in a great position for the draft," DeRozan said. "I’m also in a great position to do something for my family."
The decision was a difficult one, said his father, Frank DeRozan: "DeMar was torn between going into the draft and staying at USC. He wants to stay, but his mom is real sick."

Offense:

Fast Break--Off the fast break or in situations where the defense is not set, DeRozan excels on offense. He is outstanding running with or without the ball and is always in perfect position to receive a pass and finish strong. In the open court he is Lebron-like. There is something about the way he runs, handles the ball and dunks (the style of jumping and the way they both leap) that strongly resembles Lebron. He is extremely quick and fast in the open court and is an electric finisher.

Midrange/Spot-up--
At this point, the midrange game is the meat and potatoes of DeRozan's offensive game. The majority of his points, especially in the half-court come off midrange jumpers and spot up shots. At times he can struggle to separate from his defender despite his quick first step(see ball-handling), but his leaping ability and leaping quickness allow him to separate and eleveate over defenders. He doesn't get his shot blocked. He has become very good at getting to his spots on the floor (where he is comfortable hitting a shot) a la Carmelo. This enables him to shoot a high percentage. When he spots up, he also is good at finding open spots in the defense where his teammates can get him the ball and he can comfortably get a shot off. Despite these proficiencies, he is very predictable and not very creative offensively (go right, midrange jumper). DeRozan almost never goes to the basket in the half court. He scores off catch and shoot (from off-ball screens), off the dribble going right and offensive rebounds/putbacks/ passes close to basket. He needs to improve his shot, basketball IQ and playmaking ability on offense.
One thing that bothered me about DeRozan's spot up game was his long and slow release motion. He likes to take a sizable hop when catching the ball. He then brings the ball down to his knees before leaping and releasing the ball well above his head. This long, exaggurated motion allows the defender to close out on DeRozan. Luckily for him, his leaping ability allows him to make up for this. It can be noted that this is a fairly common technique on a catch and shoot. However, he can probably not take as large of a hop when catching the ball and bring the ball as low. Also although great jump shooters use this method, the ball doesn't come out as fast as you would like/expect. He admits that his ability to read and react to college defenses evolved over the course of the season. His shot exhibits good arc and ok rotation and is consistent with every shot. He gets great elevation off the floor and his stroke is repeatable. Free throw shooting indicates this--his stroke at the line is good but he still shoots supar percentages.

3pt Shooting--3pt shooting is probably the weakest part of DeRozan's game. He shot only 17% on the year. That said, he only shot 36 3pt shots the entire year, which is a very small sample size. Still, this is an area that can only improve. While he tends to go straight up on midrange shots, he has Tracy McGrady syndrome on his 3pt attempts. He jumps straight up but fades away on his release and kicks out his foot.

Ball Handling--Another weakness in DeRozan's game is his ball handling. He is a below-average ball handler which makes it tough for him to create his own shot. In all of the game footage and highlights I saw of him (both in high school and college), DeRozan seldom went left and definitely preferred to have the ball in his right hand. When DeRozan put the ball on the floor in the half court, he would typically start on the left wing and drive right towards the free throw line and settle for a midrange jumper. He struggles to create off the dribble when facing a good defender. Furthermore, he does not seem to have the ability or desire to drive and finish to the rim and definitely settles for a midrange jumper on many occasions. I would think this has to do with his ball-handling ability and not being able to get all the way to the rim without losing the ball. This lack of ball-handling proficiency seems to cause higher than average turnover numbers for a SG.

Passing--DeRozan seems to be a willing passer. However, because of his lack of ball-handling skills he seldom functions as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Therefore, it is hard to tell how great his court vision and passing abilities are. His A/T ratio was 0.7 last season.

Defense:
DeRozan is currently a solid, if unspectacular on ball defender. Still it is hard to judge his overall ability in this category. At USC, Daniel Hackett was typically assigned the role of guarding the opposing team's best perimeter threat so DeRozan didn't always match up against a premiere player. However, he typically guarded one of the opposition's better players and did a respectable job. There is no doub that DeRozan has the physical tools to excel as a one-on-one defender. He has the lateral quickness, strength, length and leaping ability to do so. However, his defensive skills have not been showcased or featured on the collegiate level.
His numbers of blocks and steals don't stand out very much either. He got about 1 SPG last season and 0.4 BPG. He has the ability to rise up and block shots (either off help defense, recovering after getting beat or on the fast break) but doesn't show this skill often enough. The blocks he has are highlight-type blocks but he doesn't get enough of them.

Rebounding:
As a SG, DeRozan would probably be one of the better rebounding guards. As a SF, he is either average or below average. He is a great offensive rebounder who shows a lot of desire and uses his athleticism and leaping ability to get the rebound and then go back up and score. Sometimes he elevates for highlight-type putback dunks. He also shows willingness to fight inside and uses his strength on the interior to get offensive rebounds. However, he doesn't show the same desire on the defensive glass and gets them when they fall to him. In 14 of the 35 games he got more or equal number of offensive rebounds as defensive. (2.4 ORPG, 3.3 DRPG, 5.7 RPG)

Athleticism:
DeRozan's athleticism is undeniable and just as great as advertised. Not much more to say, but he should be in the elite level of NBA athletes--and that is saying a lot. He is an explosive leaper and is extremely quick and fast running the floor.

Intangibles:
Seems very coachable. Doesn't seem like a vocal leader. He is fairly mild-mannered on the court but can get fired up from time to time--like Rudy Gay type.

Here is a quote from DeRozan at his first practice according to Tim Floyd: "Coach, I don't want to talk about the NBA. I don't want to talk about moving on. I want to be the best player I can be for this basketball team. I want you to coach me, I want you to push me, I want you to drive me. There is a lot of stuff I still have to learn."

And Floyd thought: "Boy, this kid gets it. There's not many of them that come to college with his reputation that are willing to hear and listen and get better."

Full Game Observation (USC vs. Michigan State - 2nd Round NCAA Tourney)
DeRozan scored some of the quietest 18 points you will ever see. Even though he was considered the star on the team, in this game he played 3rd fiddle to Dwight Lewis and Daniel Hackett. While he had a solid game scoring, it was hard to notice unless you watched him the whole game. He was pretty efficient scoring the ball with his midrange game and off the catch and shoot. However, what bothered me is taht he didn't seem to want or demand the ball. He was content standing around the perimeter and waiting for the ball to rotate his way. His defensive abilities were hard to observe as USC was playing zone for most of the game. He got caught in screens a couple times but for the most part played solid on ball defense when he had to. In regards to rebounding, he showed energy and desire to box out for offensive rebounds (though they didn't fall his way in this game). On several occasion he took it upon himself to box out larger MSU players and was fairly successful. However, on the defensive end he didn't have nearly the same intensity in rebounding. He got a couple as they dropped right to him.

I was a little off in my initial assessment: in this game he caught the ball on the right wing several times and dribbled left to the free throw line. However, he passed the ball out on those occasions. He scored 8 in the first half off free throws and jump shots (I think he had 5 free throw attempts early on, including being fouled on a 3pt attempt). His opportunities were spread out through the half but overall he didn't do very much. In the second half, he was a lot more active, especially when a few of his teammates got into foul trouble. He took more shots and looked to attack more (though not exactly go to the basket). He attacked the rim only two or three times in the entire game, which was odd to me considering his superior athleticism. On one occasion he hit a nice floater about 8 feet from the basket going right. Another time he had a dunk in transition. I still have never seen DeRozan go left to the basket or finish with the left hand.
Overall he played a solid game, but did not take over or demand the ball the way a 'superstar' or potential superstar should. He has a solid midrange game and has a lot of skill and ability but there's just something missing for me.

Daniel Hackett Cameo: I've mentioned this before but Daniel Hackett is a player who stood out to me. That said, hes not a great player by any means. However, he is an ok (not great) jump shooter, likes to go to to the basket, big PG (played SG until this year) at 6'5" 215 lbs and can handle the ball. He is known as a very good defender. The knock on him is turnovers. He can handle the ball but sometimes makes bad passes into traffic. He is a draft eligible junior who has signed with an agent and has many similarities to DeMarcus Nelson. I would look at him as a UDFA and summer league/training camp invitee. However, he also has an Italian passport and could choose to play overseas. I think he could be a solid backup PG who would fit well with the Warriors (could shift Monta off the ball when he's on the court)

Back to DeRozan...

NBA Outlook:
Interestingly, nearly all of DeRozan's stats in his first year at USC line up exactly with those of Kelenna Azubuike's junior season statistics at Kentucky (it's scary). The only noticable difference is that Azubuike was a much more willing (and better) 3pt shooter. Meanwhile DeRozan got more of his points from mid-range & inside. Also Azubuike shot a better FT% even thought they got to the line about the same number of times (DeRozan a little more). This comparision intrigues me because I have a hard time seeing why a guy like DeRozan is expected to go in the top 10 when someone like Azubuike went undrafted. That said, while Azubuike is a great athlete, I think DeRozan is even more athletic. On tape he seems quicker and seems like an even more outstanding leaper than Azubuike. However, it is clear that Buike had a much more polished outside shot coming out of college. All in all, I see him becoming a Vice Carter (best case), Jason Richardson (likely) or last season's Kelenna Azubuike (worst case) type of player assuming he develops an outside shot and improves on his willingness and ability to get to the rim. Overall he needs to improve his shot and overall basketball IQ. If he is to become a superstar, he needs to find that desire to dominate and carry a team--like Kobe, Lebron, Dwight and Dwayne have.

Right for Warriors?: Sure, why not? I love his potential and personally wouldn't mind the pick. He is definitely the type of player that the Warriors typically like/draft. He is most often compared to Carter, JRich, Buike and Josh Howard, all of whom have been picked/traded/aquired by the Warriors or Don Nelson. Stil, it is difficult to see DeRozan getting any meaningful playing time on this team. He can't handle the ball and isn't a playmaker. Also, he would likely be stuck behind the logjam at the wing positions and wouldn't get much playing time unless he shows something great early on in his rookie season. The truth is that he is currently a duplicate of Kelenna Azuibike, with a less proficient outside shot. Sure he is 6 years younger and probably has even more potential (because he is taller and even more athletically gifted and explosive) but we have Kelenna on the 'cheap' for a couple more years and he would likely take any of DeRozan's playing time until his contract expires (assuming KA would not be resigned after his contract if we were to draft DeRozan). That said, we could use Azubuike as trade bait in this situation, but I'm not sure how much he could get in return. It is likely that KA & someone else we could get at #7 would be more desireable than DeRozan and what KA could get in return. If the Warriors are at all interested in Trevor Ariza, picking DeRozan would duplicate that as well.DeRozan wouldn't be the worst pick, but I would probably say no to picking him.

Visuals:

Poll

Regardless of who is available (outside of Griffin, Rubio & maybe Harden), with all my knowledge about DeMar DeRozan, would I be comfortable picking him (if available) at #7?

Yes, sure why not (he's on the same tier as other projected picks and has high potential)

86 votes

No because I don't like DeRozan (game, bust potential, etc)

22 votes

No because the other guys (Jennings, Holiday, Flynn, Evans, Curry, etc.) are MUCH better options

123 votes

231 votes | Poll has closed

Bryce Harper (Move Over Buster Posey?)

gogoldenbears — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:05:46 -0000

Bryce Harper (Move Over Buster Posey?)

This kid is a high school sophomore catcher (3B is secondary position) and apparently has every tool known to man and then some. (Links to YouTube videos in article).
I know--there's probably only like a 5% chance he actually develops into a quality major leaguer and he's doing this with an alumninum bat but this kid is darn impressive.
Maybe we should tank next year so we can get him in 2011? No, no...just kidding. Really, I'm kidding...

Jrue Holiday's effort, defense and rebounding. i'm really warming up to this guy

gogoldenbears — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:26:49 -0000

Jrue Holiday's effort, defense and rebounding. i'm really warming up to this guy

Warriors 2009 Draft Prospects

gogoldenbears — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:59:44 -0000

EDIT: Added a profile on PG Jonny Flynn who Doug Gottlieb of ESPN has us taking in his mock draft. Added some more analysis post-lottery to Earl Clark, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Brandon Jennings, who seem to be fan favorites and 'realistic' targets at the 7 spot.

I am quite a draft nut and am one of those guys who loves the draft in every sport. Some people think it’s incredibly boring, but as a Warriors and 49ers fan, the draft is what give us a glimmer of hope for the future. As a result, I read pretty extensively about most of the draft prospects and so forth. I am not able to watch all these athletes extensively throughout the year, but here is a quick summary of what I have seen & read about some of the lottery prospects and my thoughts on how they might pan out and fit with the Warriors. The quality kind of declines towards the end, unfortunately. It took way too long to write.

I know these options could/will diminish drastically in a few hours when we find out our pick and can diminish even more on June 15, when players who didn’t sign with an agent can choose to return to school. Still it is fun before then to analyze the players in the 2009 NBA Draft and decide once and for all who our pick should be.

Centers:

If the Warriors choose a center, he must be dominant and a considerable upgrade over Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf. This draft class is weak in the center category with only 1 expected to be taken in the lottery.

Hasheem Thabeet (7’3”, 265, Connecticut, Junior, 22 at start of season)

Pros: Outstanding size and shot blocking skills. Can run very well for his size and is explosive on both sides of the ball. Catches the ball well on offense and gets to a line a solid amount and shoots marginally from the line (63% FT).

Cons: Little offensive ability and no post game. Gets bullied inside by stronger players. The fact that DeJuan Blair put up 22 points and 23 rebounds against him, while he finished with less than 5 each of points, rebounds and blocks should be a huge red flag. Struggles to get position against strong and/or determined players on offense and defense.

Boom/Bust: High boom and bust potential.

Fit for Warriors: (3 out of 5) I hated him before I read a lot of scouting reports and thought he was overrated and was a certain bust. However, it seems like he isn’t as bad as I thought. Thabeet is compared a lot to Dikembe Mutombo, but from reading what fans, scouts, analysts write, he sounds like Andris Biedrins (with more ability/tools on defense and less fluidity/smoothness on offense). He fits because of his defense and rebounding, but I don’t think he is the Warriors biggest need. I would rate him as a higher fit, but I am still scared by his bust potential. African players with undeveloped offensive games have not faired well in the as prospects or in NBA in the last decade.

BJ Mullens (7’0”, 260, Ohio State, Freshman, 19/20?)

Pros: Has great size and physical tools. Very athletic and can run the floor well. Reported to have a polished post game in high school but didn’t show it much in his first year at Ohio State. Was efficient at finishing but not creating for himself. Good touch and skills around the basket.

Cons: Questionable work-ethic. Lack of defensive skills and intensity. Needs to develop post skills. Turnover prone and not a good passer.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom and bust potential

Fit for Warriors: (2) Basically Patrick O’ Bryant Jr. He has all the skills to succeed in this system. He has the skills but unless he ends up on a horrible team, he won’t play and thus won’t develop. On paper, his skills fit well, but as we have seen before, in reality he won’t at all.

Power Forwards:

A power forward for the Warriors must be the complete package. He must be able to create his own shot inside and needs to be a great rebounder (the weakness of the team) He must also be able to defend all the dominant and athletic 4s in the Western Conference. Preferably, this player would be a threat from mid-range to better pair with Andris Bedirins or Ronny Turiaf and avoid clogging up the lane for our guards who like to get into the lane or post up (Monta & Jax).

Blake Griffin (6’10”, 252, Oklahoma, Sophomore, 20)

Pros: Prototypical size for position and outstanding explosiveness and athleticism for his size. Excellent rebounder and can score around the basket at will. Can get to the free throw line with ease. He has all the physical gifts you look for in a big man and was extremely productive in college. I think everyone can attest to his ability and credentials.

Cons: Not a great defender but could develop into a solid one given his physical tools. Turnover prone. Because of his incredible athleticism, he hasn’t needed to use/show off a dominant post-up or spot-up to put up numbers. He has poor free throw shooting numbers which does not bode well for how his mid-range shot might develop. Durability might come into question after he got thrown around (literally) last year in college.

Boom/Bust: High boom, low bust pick. His physical tools, skillset, performance in college indicate he should be a great player.

Fit for Warriors: (5) He is a fit for any and every team. He is exactly what you look for in a power forward. If the Warriors pull off this lottery miracle, Brandan Wright may be used as trade bait (or perhaps function as a career backup) and Randolph would need to develop SF skills immediately. If this were to happen, would Randolph’s chance of being a bust increase? He has a higher ceiling yet lower floor at PF. He would probably be seen as a better overall player/talent if he was able to translate and develop his skills at SF. However, he has a better chance at succeeding (a little bit of a lower ceiling but much higher floor) as a PF. It is interesting that we could win and lose with the addition of Griffin because of a possible necessary position change for Randolph.

Jordan Hill (6’10”, 235, Arizona, Junior, 22)

Pros: Great size and has gotten stronger/bulkier. Solid post-up skills, but prefers to play from the high post where he can face up and drive to the basket or shoot a jumpshot. His jumpshot is pretty solid and has good range for a power forward. Very athletic and can run the floor well. Loves to attack the glass on both ends of the floor and is a very good shot blocker.

Cons: Not an efficient scorer (possibly an effect of the lack of overall talent on the Arizona team last year). He is also turnover prone has bad habits on offense (traveling). He likes to go one-on-one a lot on offense and forces himself to take difficult shots. In the past he has been foul prone and see as not having a “killer instinct.”

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom & bust potential. Has all the tools to be a very solid player in the league for a long time. He will excel off the pick and roll/pop. Of all the Chris Bosh comparisons in recent years, I think Jordan Hill is the most similar. Sure they have the similar hair, but I think their skillset and body type are very similar.

Fit for Warriors: (3) Good fit, but Warriors have 2 other guys who have been compared to Chris Bosh in Randolph and Wright. Hill has a better traditional offensive game and is stronger and bulkier than both of them. Essentially he combines Randolph’s defensive abilities with Wright’s offensive prowess. As much as I like Hill, he would duplicate our last two drafts.

DeJuan Blair (6’7, 275, Pittsburgh, Sophomore, 20)

Pros: A bull on the block. He has incredible size (horizontally), strength and bulk and can push about anyone (at least in college) off the block. He is a great competitor and hard worker who is very efficient on offense. He has a 7’2” wingspan which allows him to play bigger than his height. Solid post-up game.

Cons: He is extremely short for the PF/C position and people believe he is actually 6’6” (a little taller than the height of an average SG). His post up game could improve as he basically only uses his strength to gain position inside. He has almost a non existent offensive game outside of the post. He isn’t a good free throw shooter and is not a great defender (one-on-one or help) due to his athletic limitations. His reported weight fluctuates between 260 and 290, so weight and conditioning is obviously a concern.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, low bust potential. Some people may say he has high bust potential, but I don’t think that because I don’t think that much is expected from him. Everyone knows what kind of player he is and he knows what kind of player he is, so he will continue to play the same way he does in college. His success will be dictated by the system he plays in. Success of undersized 4s like Millsap, Landry and to an extent Leon Powe and Glen Davis (more of a overall size comparison even though he is 6’8 or 6’9) indicates that Blair can be a very valuable role player on a NBA team.

Fit for Warriors: (3) The Warriors could definitely use his heart, desire, hustle and rebounding on the inside. However, he may be too small and too slow to be effective in Nellie’s system.

Small Forwards:

The small forward position seems pretty set at the moment unless Corey Maggette can somehow be traded. Jackson can be a 2 or 3 and has turned himself into one of the top 3-5 SFs in the Western Conference. Azubuike can also rotate between the 2 and 3. If the Warriors go BPA they could select a SF of the future, if they envision Randolph permanently staying at the 4 spot. For this team, Nelson loves his SFs to be able to cause matchup problems.

James Johnson (6’8”, 235, Wake Forest, Sophomore, 22)

Pros: Great all-around player and scorer who has a variety of ways of scoring. Because of this, he can shoot a very high FG%. He can create shots for himself and has a very good midrange game. Can play a variety of positions (the 3, 4, maybe 2 for short periods) in the NBA. He is a good all-around defender and makes use of his size and length to block shots. He is also an aggressive help defender who can create steals as well. Very good rebounder and solid passer, especially for the SF spot.

Cons: He is not a 3 point threat and doesn’t get to the line often. When he does, he shoots only 70%. He needs to improve his overall offensive and defensive awareness. He can stand to improve his one-on-one defense and his shot selection.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, moderate bust. He is a solid all-around player who can do everything well but is not spectacular at anything. His midrange ability, solid athleticism and overall offensive skills make him a great mismatch at the 3 spot. Reminds me of Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Fit for Warriors: (2) Being a good passer and having outstanding versatility, he is a very good fit for the Warriors at the SF spot. However, he isn’t outstanding and isn’t really needed unless the Warriors unload one of their current players.

Earl Clark (6’10”, 230, Lousiville, Junior, 21)

Pros: Very versatile and can play both the 3 and 4. Has outstanding height and has all the skills and tools to be a great player (minus the jumpshot). He has shown he can be a great defender and passer and has very good athleticism for his height.

Cons: Not a good shooter at all and has shot low percentages across the board. Not only is he not a good shooter, he is not a very good scorer. He also seems to lack the ‘killer instinct’. I see him becoming what Lamar Odom is now, whereas Anthony Randolph could develop into what Odom was supposed to be—because of his desire and killer instinct.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, high bust. He is a very similar player to James Johnson, however I believe he has higher bust potential. Though they are both very versatile players, Johnson is a far better scorer and midrange shooter. On the other hand, Clark is probably a better ball handler.

Fit for Warriors: (3) Would be great if he could develop into a better shooter, like the player he is often compared to—Danny Granger. However, not being a great shooting or scoring threat limits Earl Clark’s potential and fit. Management would have to make a firm decision about Randolph's future if they were to pick Earl Clark. If they see Randolph as a future 4, Clark could fit adequately with Randolph because he seems to have better handles and passing ability. However, if they look to develop Randolph as a future 3--this pick would be a duplication. The problem is Clark wouldn't fit on this team immediately with Maggette, Jackson and Azubuike taking minutes away from him.

Shooting Guards:

If the Warriors choose a shooting guard, he must be able to play the point to an extent (playmaking abilities) and have good size and defensive ability/potential to enable Monta to guard the smaller player. Being a good shooter is very much preferable to maximize drive and kick possibilities from Monta and double teams when Jax posts up.

James Harden (6’5”, 220, Arizona State, Sophomore, 20)

Pros: Ultra-smooth lefty with very developed offensive game—people often use the word ‘crafty’. He can finish at the rim but also is an excellent midrange shooter with NBA range. Overall, he has a very high FG% for a guard. Very cerebral player who has a high basketball IQ, especially on the offensive end. Can also be a distributor and playmaker when necessary. Very consistent and great at getting to the free throw line. Great rebounder and has long arms (6’11”) for a guard. Solid free throw shooter and defender. In his highlight videos, he has a surprisingly quick first step to get by a defender.

Cons: Not a great athlete and it will be hard for him to get around defenders in the NBA. Lack of quickness might hurt his ability to defend in NBA. Struggled against zone defense in NCAA tournament and was limited. Though he is a solid playmaker, he needs to improve his ball handling (especially with his off-hand) and learn to shoot better off the dribble.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, low bust potential. Has been compared extensively to Brandon Roy and Manu Ginobili. Because his offensive game is so advanced and refined for his age, it is difficult to believe he wouldn’t at least be an effective scorer off the bench. His overall skill level is very high and he should turn into a very good NBA player.

Fit for Warriors: (5) Outstanding fit for the Warriors. He is a great all-around player who would be great in the backcourt with Monta. He can guard bigger guards and is a very good shooter and solid playmaker. He can be effective without demanding the ball on offense and should be effective spotting up off drive-and-kick and post-up double teams from other players. While he might not have the ball-handling skills to play a true point guard next to Monta, he doesn't really need to. His playmaking and passing skills are solid enough to distribute effectively in the half court. Furthermore, Monta is fairly skilled at running the pick-and-roll and can bring the ball up the court well enough. Even though neither is a true point guard, both together have complimentary skills to be a serviceable enough 'point guard.'

DeMar DeRozan (6’6”, 220, USC, Freshman, 20)

Pros: Freakish athleticism and leaping ability. He possibly has the greatest postential in this class as his athletic ability translates to being an elite scorer and defender. Can play the 2 or 3. Solid midrange game. Great rebounder for a guard. Despite inconsistency, he shot a very high FG% during his year at USC.

Cons: DeRozan is a very raw player overall and didn’t impress much during his time at USC and is still unproven. He didn’t do a lot to answer the questions about him coming out of high school and was very inconsistent. He doesn’t seem to have a ‘killer instinct’ on the court and plays very casually. Not a playmaker and has subpar ball handling skills. A very very poor 3 point shooter last season in college and not a good free throw shooter.

Boom/Bust: High boom and high bust potential. He compares almost identically to Vince Carter in terms of athletic ability, body type, skillset and tendencies. However, he is very raw and unpolished and could turn out to be one of the many great athletes who were not good enough basketball players to succeed in the NBA.

Fit for Warriors: (4) Doesn’t have the point guard skills to be an ideal fit alongside Monta, however, he is a great athlete and midrange player. If he develops correctly, he has the skills to fit any team. However, it unlikely he would get extended playing time on the Warriors unless he shows marked improvement in his game immediately. He is almost the polar opposite of James Harden--outstanding tools and physical ability but underdeveloped game.

Tyreke Evans (6’6”, 219, Memphis, Freshman, 20)

Pros: Great offensive player who can break down a defender, get to the rim and finish. Has a scorer’s mentality. He has point guard skills and Memphis was undefeated (until it lost in the tournament) with him at the point. He is a very good rebounder for a guard and has an insane 7’3” wingspan. Was knocked coming out of high school for not being a hard worker but Calipari said he was the hardest working player he has ever coached. All the physical tools to be a great defender.

Cons: A very poor jump shooter and is very streaky. Shot 27.4% from the college 3. Has NBA range on his shot, but it is not consistent at all. Sometimes he is too flashy. Though he can run the point, he isn’t a great passer and playmaker (1.08 A/T, close to 4 of each a game). Though he has all the tools to be an elite defender, he hasn’t shown the effort on that end. He gets steals but doesn’t work hard enough as a individual perimeter defender.

Boom/Bust: High boom, moderate bust potential. He incredible overall talent. If he can develop his defensive skills and intensity (he has the tools) and his jumpshot he will be incredible. If not, he may be a bust, even though, in my opinion he has enough developed basketball skills and too much talent to bust completely. Draftexpress compares him to Larry Hughes and for better or worse, I see that. I think he will be better though…

Fit for Warriors: (4) His ability to run the point, get to the rim and defend big guards makes him a great player to pair with Monta in the backcourt. His inability to knock down an open jumpshot makes him a poor player to pair with Monta. Both players like the ball in their hands and I am concerned that with Evans, Monta, Corey Maggette and Jax, we would have too many players that like to go one-on-one. I saw some other GSOMers compare him to Jamal Crawford. While he does shoot a low percentage from the floor, I think he is much more content and adept at going to the basket than Jamal. At the same time, Evans likes to isolate and go 1-on-1 a lot. To Jamal Crawford's credit, I saw him deferring to teammates in the tiny portion of the year where Monta, Jax, Maggette and himself were all 'healthy'. Evans doesn't seem like he would be willing to do that.

Gerald Henderson (6’4”, 210, Duke, Junior, 21)

Pros: Explosive athleticism and leaping ability and can score in many ways. Very good intangibles and is a good leader, hard worker and has a high basketball IQ. Solid rebounder for a guard and improved each year at Duke. With the exception of the first month of the season, he was very consistent last year.

Cons: Undersized for his position. Has asthma which can limit his minutes on the court. Decent but not great shooter. He is not a particularly great playmaker or defender and was very average on the college level in those categories.

Boom/Bust: Low boom, low bust potential. I don’t expect him to develop into that much. At the very best he will be a average/solid starting SG and at the worst he will be a solid role/bench player—a Shane Battier type of career. He is too athletic and smart of a player not to have moderate success, but he has several limitations that

Fit for Warriors: (2) Doesn’t have great potential nor does he have the skills and tools that are necessary as a backcourt mate for Monta.

Terrence Williams (6’6”, 220, Louisville, Senior, 22)

Pros: Great athlete who can stuff the stat sheet with points, rebounds, assists and steals (good rebounder for a guard). Pretty strong and can play and guard multiple positions on the floor. Has point-forward capability and can handle the ball.

Cons: Not a great scorer or shooter and can disappear offensively. Has a lackadaisical attitude and doesn’t have a “killer instinct” on the court.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom and bust potential. As I have said before, lack of “killer instinct” is usually a sign for me that a player will not reach his full potential. While I really like his skills, I really don't see him becoming a great NBA player. His college track record hasn't shown otherwise.

Fit for Warriors: (4) Williams would be a good fit. He has great versatility and can play point-forward which makes him good for Nellie’s system. Seems like he is a solid defender (who has all the tools) and could play with Monta because of his ability to run the point and defend larger guards. Shooting ability could be a concern though.

Point Guards:

A true point guard is probably he most desireable position to add in this draft, and luckily it is the deepest position. Because Monta lacks true point guard abilities, it would be ideal to find a guard who can distribute, yet guard larger players. For the record, at the very least, all the players on this list would be an upgrade over CJ in their ability to run a team.

Ricky Rubio (6’4”, 180, Spain, 19)

Pros: Very creative player and outstanding passer with great court vision. He is a very good ball handler as well and has a high basketball IQ. He also has great size for his position and a lot of international experience against top flight talent (Olympics and against much older players in Europe). He plays defense with a lot of intensity and effort and has outstanding intangibles.

Cons: Rubio’s biggest weaknesses are his lack of great athleticism and explosiveness which could limit his scoring ability in the NBA. He is also not a great shooter or scorer on offense.

Boom/Bust: High boom, low bust. Despite his physical limitations and shooting/scoring ability, he should be able to shine on the next level because of his ability to handle the ball, passing ability, and defensive intensity.

Fit for Warriors: (5) He is exactly what the Warriors need in a point guard. Despite not being the most athletic player, he gives great effort on defense and is big enough to defend players that Monta cannot. He has great court vision and playmaking skills on offense and would instantly make the players around him better. He compares favorably to Jason Kidd.

Jrue Holiday (6’4”, 185, UCLA, Freshman, 19)

Pros: Has great size and height for the PG position. He is very adept at running an offense and an excellent perimeter defender. He is an excellent rebounder for a point guard as well. He is an unselfish team player who can play in any system. He is a skilled finisher at the rim and can play the 2 guard position like he did this year at UCLA (due to Darren Collison’s presence). He is a fairly polished overall player. If he showed anything this year at UCLA it is the fact that he seems like a great teammate who is comfortable doing what it takes for the sake of the team's success.

Cons: Struggled immensely at UCLA and did not put up very good numbers at all. He shot low percentages and scored in single digits. His assist and rebounding numbers were not especially impressive either. Furthermore, Holiday is not an explosive athlete, but is solid and smooth and should be serviceable on the next level. He didn’t showcase all his advertised skills leading people to wonder about his overall potential.

Boom/Bust: Moderate Boom, moderate bust. I think he has the skillset to be a very solid and successful NBA player. Watching him play, you get the sense he is very comfortable on the floor and knows what he is doing. However, the fact that he performed so poorly this year scares me a bit. Even though he played out of position on a half-court oriented team, someone with his supposed talent level should be able to produce a lot more than he did. His shooting percentages were very scarily low. In terms of his personality, on first glance he might seem to lack a "killer instinct" like a lot of the other prospects I've described. However, with Holiday, I think it is just that he is a soft-spoken, team-oriented and hard working individual. He doesn't crave the spotlight, but his competitiveness shows on the court. Attitude is definitely not a problem with Holiday.

Fit for Warriors: (4) His size and skillset are ideal fits for the Warriors at the PG position. However, since he has shown a very weak jumpshot and isn’t an explosive, lighting quick athlete (like Tony Parker, Barbosa or Monta), he could really struggle offensively when matched up with athletic wing defenders in the NBA. He won't be flashy but he should be a solid guard who does what you ask of him. Right now, I seem him as Chauncey Billups without the jumpshot. For some reason, I see him being a Sam Cassell type of player eventually (if he is able to get that jumpshot) and having a Sam Cassell type of career--very solid.

Brandon Jennings (6’1”, 170, USA, 20)

Pros: Explosive and very athletic point guard with a combination of skills. Can get to the rim with ease and finish above the rim. Very good passer and good shooter. Great ball handler with outstanding vision. Very complete skill set offensively. Developed maturity, intangibles and work ethic while in Europe.

Cons: Slight build, small frame and not very tall. He could get pushed around by bigger guards in the NBA. Often too flashy and tries to make spectacular plays. Not a great defender, who doesn’t put in very much effort on that end of the floor. Not a good rebounder either. Struggled a lot in Europe and didn’t get the playing time he desired. Did not shoot well at all and struggled with turnovers while abroad.

Boom/Bust: High boom, moderate bust. Playing in Europe for a year has certainly tempered expectations. He probably would have much greater expectations had he gone to college in the United States and played well. The best thing that Europe has done for him is that it has forced him to learn to play within a system and not be flashy. He has dealt with knowing that he will be taken out of the game immediately if he doesn’t perform at the level expected of him. This experience should make him much more humble and coachable on the NBA level.

Fit for Warriors: (3) Elite skills with exciting potential but too slight to play next to Monta. His maturity level and the way he was forced to learn in Europe makes a better potential NBA player in my opinion. He was not pampered and raved about the way he would probably be if he went to Arizona/college. Instead, he was forced to play team ball and showed him you can't get away with being so flashy once you're in the pro game. His skills are very Baron Davis-like even though he doesn't have the size and strength. Jennings would be as flashy a pick for the Warriors as the player he is. He may indeed turn into an All-Star because he has the althleticism and has a much more developed offensive game than most of the other prospects in this draft. It really depends what direction the team wants to go. If they want to get more defensive/rebounding oriented, this is obviously not the pick (even guardwise, as there are better defensive and rebounding guards). However, if they want to stick with the exciting, high scoring, minimal defensive teams that the Warriors have become associated with in years past, Jennings has the potential to be great.

Stephen Curry (6’3, 185, Davidson, Junior, 21)

Pros: Outstanding shooter with great range. High basketball IQ, with strong overall skillset and intangibles. He was a go to scorer with a very effective and efficient offensive game. Unlike other great college shooters, he can create his own shot. Excellent shooting percentages. Great at getting to the line and really filled the stat sheet last year.

Cons: Not a great athlete and not very good size. He played serviceably at point guard, but is not a true point and had high turnover numbers. He didn’t display very good defensive skills. Was shut down by elite opponents.

Boom/Bust: Low boom, moderate bust. By now, people aren’t expecting Curry to be a great player. If he is a good shooter and backup, most fans should be satisfied. He could be a very solid starter and scorer on a team with a superstar guard/wing player who handles the ball a lot (Lakers, Cavs, Heat, etc.). However, if he is looked as the go-to playmaker as both a scorer and distrbutor, he will struggle.

Fit for Warriors: (1) Excellent shooter but not good enough of a point guard and doesn’t have the size to defend bigger guards.

Eric Maynor (6’2”, 175, Virginia Commonwealth, Senior, 22)

Pros: Very productive with a diverse offensive game. He can be a playmaker—as shown by his high assist numbers—but also is a high scorer. He is very experienced and a great on floor leader who can carry a team. He is a great scorer who gets to the line a lot and shoots very good percentages across the board. Efficient player.

Cons: He is not an elite defender and doesn’t have great size. Although he has excellent intangibles, he doesn’t quite have the athletic ability to match. Despite being a good shooter from inside, his 3 point shot could improve, especially in transitioning to the NBA.

Boom/Bust: Moderate Boom, low bust. He is not an elite athlete, but he has skills and intangibles that will make him an outstanding backup point guard at the very least. His leadership skills and ability to score as well as distribute well are skills that translate to being a solid player in the league.

Fit for Warriors: (3) His size doesn’t make him a viable candidate for the backcourt with Monta. However, he is very skilled and a good leader, which the Warriors could definitely use. He has the skills to come in and play immediately for Nellie.

Ty Lawson (6’0, 195, North Carolina, Junior, 22)

Pros: Outstanding speed and quickness. Good strength for his size. Very good ball handler who put up great numbers during his season at UNC. Very efficient offensive player. Had outstanding shooting percentages last season, especially from 3 point line. Good at getting to the line. Had a very high A/T ratio.

Cons: Despite his shooting numbers last year, his shot is still most often called into question. People question the number of attempts and his ability to shoot off the dribble and his overall midrange game. Some think his success was due to the fact he played in an uptempo college system which suited his game well. He is very small which could limit his defensive ability on the next level.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, moderate bust. It is hard to say if he is a product of the system or not. He has very unique skills and abilities and his college numbers (and size) compare favorably to Chris Paul. However, his basketball and leadership skills don’t stand out the way that CP3’s did in college.

Fit for Warriors: (3) His speed, quickness could be devastating when paired with Monta, but he is way too small for this backcourt.

Jonny Flynn (6’0", 172, Syracuse, Sophomore, 20)

Pros: Outstanding speed and quickness. Very good scorer. Extremely productive in the best conference in college basketball. Loves to take his defender one-on-one, break him down and go to the rim. Very good at drawing contact and fouls and a decent free throw shooter. Good assist numbers. Fairly good midrange shooter.

Cons: Not a good 3pt shooter and or rebounder--even for a guard. Lots of turnovers. Needs the ball in his hand to be effective. If size is a concern for Ty Lawson, it might be even a bigger concern for Flynn. He is about the same height (probably smaller than the listed 6'0") and a lot less bulk. This could limit him as a defender. Wasn't a great defender in college anyway and doesn't even get many steals given his quickness.

Boom/Bust: Moderate boom, low bust. He is a great penetrator and has decent midrange game so I expect him be a solid backup guard at the very least. Reminds me a lot of D.J. Augustin in terms of his size and game.

Fit for Warriors: (2) Like Lawson, his speed, quickness could be devastating when paired with Monta, but he is way too small for this backcourt. Furthermore, he seems to need the ball in his hand much more than Lawson to be effective. Flynn could be better running the half-court offense and scoring in the half-court, but Lawson seems better in space.

Jrue Holiday vs. DeMar DeRozan

gogoldenbears — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:17:17 -0000

Jrue Holiday vs. DeMar DeRozan

Top 50 Players to Build Around

gogoldenbears — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:17:12 -0000

Top 50 Players to Build Around

Pretty interesting idea for rankings. There are 3 Warriors on there-- Monta (#33), Randolph (#35) and Biedrins (#39)

Cal UDFAs

gogoldenbears — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:41:42 -0000

Cal UDFAs

I don't know if this is relevant to the 49ers, so someone can delete it but here is an update from the California Golden Blogs about where the local Bears went. Looks like Rulon Davis, who many fans wanted, landed with Mike Nolan and the Broncos.

Cal's Christopher to see if he's NBA material

gogoldenbears — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:07:51 -0000

Cal's Christopher to see if he's NBA material

Some of you may have already seen this, but here's a pretty interesting read about PC deciding to test the draft waters. I think its a good opportunity for him to work out in a lot of the pre-draft camps, but all signs point towards him coming back for his senior season. After fouling out with 10pts and a poor shooting performance yesterday and just not being NBA ready period, we should see him back unless he gets a first round guarantee (unlikely).

On another note, Jerome and Theo sound like they'll be back (I don't see why not) and Jamal and DJ Seeley quiet any rumors (which I had never heard before) that they might be transferring.

Also some tidbits on Harper Kamp's knee...

Baron Davis = Stephon Marbury (Just Say NO to Stephon)

gogoldenbears — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:10:35 -0000

i've read a lot of posts from people who are interested in bringing stephon marbury in. personally i think no since he hasn't been a good player for 3 years and is on the downside of his career. his stats have declined significantly. however, i recently read a poster compare his recent struggles to those of baron in new orleans and imply that if we could turn baron's career back around, we could do the same with marbury (see SONNYG).

i disagree completely. when we picked up baron he was 26--still very young and theoretically approaching his prime. though baron had a reputation for being a menace on the court, so to speak, with coaches, he never had any trouble off the court. plus to my knowledge i never saw baron struggle on the court as much as marbury. as much as i hate to speculate about effort, it is hard not to.

as i did more research on their careers, it seems that baron's career has mirrored marbury's more than marbury's would have the potential to mirror baron's. although i would rather take a chance on a young PG instead of marbury (can you say shaun livingston?), i will admit that this doesn't say anything about marbury's future. i just did some research and found this theory very interesting so i thought i would share it with all of GSOM in a fanpost.

now, marbury is 31 (baron is still younger at 29) in fact thinking marbury can mirror barons revival at this point is looking at the situation at the opposite angle. baron's career seems to mirror marbury's more than marbury's will mirror baron's. in fact, baron's career seems to be marbury's career happening in a 2-3 year delay. lets take a look (keep in mind that baron is YOUNGER):

1. marbury had many disputes with coaches early in his career--so did baron

2. marbury had minor injury problems and struggled to play full seasons with minnesota & new jersey--baron had more serious injury problems in new orleans

3. marbury had his best scoring season in his last season in an injury shortened season in new jersey--baron had his best scoring season in his last season in an injury shortened season in new orleans

4. marbury was traded to phoenix and had arguably the most overall personal and arguably team success of his career playing with an exciting team including shawn marion and amare stoudemire. he led his team to an exciting playoff berth and had a VERY good playoff series in his second to last year with the team--baron was traded to GS and had the most overall personal and arguably team success of his career playing with an exciting team including stephen jackson and monta ellis. he led his team to an exciting playoff berth and had VERY good playoff series in his second to last year with the team

5. suns struggle initially the following season and marbury goes home to the NY knicks (for essentially nothing in return to the suns) and has 2 very successful years, then 3 disastrous ones (both personally and team-wise for various reasons) --warriors fail to make the playoffs the following year and baron goes home to the LA clippers (for technically nothing in return to the warriors--cap space excluded).

if this logic continues, in his first 2 years in LA and lead the clippers to the playoffs next year and get swept in the first round. baron will work even harder the following year to get them back again--but fail. by year 3, he will feud with mike dunleavy in a very unsuccessful season and mike dunleavy will be fired. elgin baylor isiah thomas will run the clippers into the ground and baron will lose concentration and suffer with declining personal statistics and play a very low number of games. by year 5 baron will be labeled a former star, current team cancer with a huge contract and some posters on some blog somewhere will be advocating bringing a 34 year old baron davis to their team after a large buyout to backup and tutor their young combo guard into becoming a quality pg.

also ironically the nets became good after marbury left--picking up jason kidd. phoenix reloaded, got nash and became really good after marbury left. new orleans rebuilt and eventually got really good after baron left (cp3, chandler, west, peja). the teams all did it in different ways: can the warriors continue this pattern?

basically, by my theory (of baron = marbury) it looks like the warriors were wise to not sign baron to a long term (more than 2 year) contract. again this could just be coincidential correlation and is just a theory but i find it very interesting.

any thoughts?