Pre-Thanksgiving Top 14

1. Shabazz Muhammad
2. Alex Poythree
3. Nerlens Noel
4. Cody Zeller
5. Tony Mitchell
6. Alex Len
7. Archie Goodwin
8. Rudy Gobert
9. Ryan Harrow
10.  James McAdoo
11.  Dario Saric
12.  Isaiah Austin
13.  CJ Leslie
14.  Otto Porter

Sleeper Alert #2 -- Tornike Shengelia

6'9 220 SF/PF from the Republic of Georgia.  No-brainer 2nd rd pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Sleeper Alert!

Prospect:  Alex Young

School:  IUPUI

Height:  6’6

Weight:  212 lbs

Age:  22

NBA Position:  SG 

Statistics

Year	Team	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3pt%	FT%
2008/2009	IUPUI	10.8	3.5	0.8	0.8	44	28.2	59.7
2009/2010	IUPUI	18.3	4.5	1.2	1.5	48.8	39.6	67.1
2010/2011	IUPUI	19.7	6.4	2.4	1.4	47.6	33.3	73.3
2011/2012	IUPUI	20.4	5.9	2.2	1.6	42.4	33.9	81.7

For the majority of you, this may seem like an odd first topic for a blog focusing primarily upon the top NBA prospects.  However, I’ve always considered myself to be a bit of an underdog story, so I could not think of a better starting point than letting my readers know about one of the bigger sleepers out there.  Alex likely won’t even get picked in this year’s NBA Draft.  But, with that said, it is my contention that little separates him from some of the more highly regarded prospects and that he could be a valuable role player on many NBA rosters as a draft selection or free agent training camp addition.  

Let’s start with Alex’s physical tools.  He possesses excellent overall size for the NBA perimeter.  He is a long 6-6 with an imposing, above-average wingspan for a player his size, and he has an NBA ready body with additional room for strength development within his frame in the years to come.  Alex is an above average athlete who is a long strider with excellent body control and sneaky vertical explosiveness out in space.  With all of that said, it is an important to note that Alex clears the first hurdle to enjoying a long NBA role player career, being able to hold his own physically.

When you watch Alex play, you quickly identify his NBA weapon – perimeter shooting ability.  Other draft websites cite his shooting percentages as a reason to doubt his shooting ability.  That is one reason why this blog is different; I don’t close my eyes to what is plain to see.  Watch Alex shoot from range and from the free throw line and try to tell me he is not a natural born, deadeye shooter.  They also don’t take into account that his opponents are solely focused on stopping him.  Imagine being face guarded by 1-2 defenders for 40 minutes.  Do you think your percentages and looks at the basket might decline and might not accurately reflect your abilities when on a team of NBA athletes and other equally skilled players?  If a prospect is going to survive in the NBA as a role player, he must have at least one high-level skill that he brings to the table.  Alex can flat out shoot the basketball with range extending well beyond the 3-pt line.  He has excellent mechanics from the hips up and a quick release.  He could stand to improve his base by becoming straighter up and down.  Open shots are rare in the NBA, especially on bad teams who lack an inside force that commands consistent double teams, so it is vital that a shooter be able to create open looks.  Alex is equally as comfortable shooting off the bounce as he is in static situations.  His previously mentioned quick release, good release point, and length allow Alex to create open looks on demand.  Additionally, his innate ability to take and make tough, contested shots help the translation of his scoring ability to the next level and increases the chances that, with some NBA seasoning, he can develop additional areas to his offensive game (ie. post game) despite some minor concerns about his athletic explosiveness in tight quarters/half-court.  

In addition to his perimeter-shooting prowess, Alex is a confident, capable, and creative ball handler vertically and side to side.  However, he needs to tighten up his handle and become more efficient in its use at the next level.  His feel and understanding for the game as well as his willingness to make the right play partially derives from having played some point guard at both the high school and college levels.  This is most evident when out in transition where Alex effortlessly leads the break as a dynamic (triple threat at all times) 6-6 point guard with no sign of the ball slowing him down at all.  Thanks in equal parts to his solid first step and the ever-present threat of his perimeter shot, he is consistently able to get in the lane.  His long strides combined with his long arms give him great extension at the rim.  But what makes his driving ability the most intriguing for me is the “Euro-style” sleekness in Alex’s exploitation of angles using his body control, various release points, and clever step through moves.  He is somewhat left hand dominant with his finishes but this is not uncommon or debilitating for him as a prospect as he shows the ability and confidence in making moves to either side and shooting over either shoulder.  Combing his handle, shooting ability off the bounce, and point guard like mentality/skills it is easy to envision a dynamic swingman coming off pin downs and/or operating in the pick and roll.

As a defender, Alex translates nicely thanks in large part to his versatility.  His length, athleticism, and NBA body allow him to defend the 2-3 positions.  He has quick, active hands on the defensive end and isn’t afraid of hitting the defensive glass to help out his big men.  In short, Alex is a good enough defender to avoid it being a reason for him to not be a legitimate NBA prospect, which is another important hurdle to being a NBA role player prospect.  That probably sounds like a less than stellar compliment for Alex, but it is meant as more of another check box marked off for him as a NBA prospect.  He will hold his own and only get better defensively.   

NBA Comparison:  C.J. Miles

Andre Drummond High School Video

As I started my research on Mr. Drummond, I came across a video of him back from his high school days. Quite simply, it is one of the more eye popping highlight films I've ever seen considering we're talking about a 6'11 250 lb 17-18 yr old at the time. Just thought I'd share the video with the followers of this blog....

Welcome to my blog!

I have always been in love with the game of basketball.  At an early age, I found myself dissecting the game and the players who play it.  I have been fortunate enough to exercise this passion in a quasi-professional manner as an assistant video coordinator with the Portland Trail Blazers and as a regional NBA scout for Marty Blake - the Godfather of scouting basketball.  In the near future, there will be a second page - "About Me" - on this site that will give you a better idea of my personal and professional backgrounds.

The purpose of this blog is to be different than all of those other NBA Draft websites.  While those sites are entertaining, I have always found them to be lacking in substance from a talent evaluation perspective.  This blog will hopefully satisfy our mutual desire for that advanced information on the top NBA prospects.  In addition to blog posts detailing my thoughts on individual prospects, there will also be a permanent fixture in the form of a "Prospect Ranking" big board that will help you prioritize your viewing of tomorrow's NBA stars.  

Please sign up as a follower of this blog if you haven't done so already, thanks!  And always feel free to make comments to the blog posts as I am a firm believer that hearing multiple opinions and challenging each other's views is the best approach to coming to an accurate consensus on NBA prospects.

Take care!