Re:Draft Reports

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

    Just in case you all hadn't already figured out my nerdy side, I dug
up some ESPN draft reports on Lorenzen Wright (picked 7th right after
Antoine in the great 1996 draft) and Maurice Taylor (picked 14th after
Derek Anderson in 1997). The Taylor scouting report is very brief (and
disparaging). I've also pasted the Antoine Walker and Walter McCarty
scouting reports, because the 1996 draft coverage is quite detailed and
surprisingly prescient. I guess ESPN got lazy after that year.

    BTW, I apologize for the miserable editing of virtually all of my
posts lately to this list. I make my living as an editor, as you may
know.

Joe H.
"American Rotisserie Geek in Paris"
http://members.xoom.com/Hironaka/maison.htm

****


LORENZEN WRIGHT:
Wright is a long, athletic player who could be a big-time shot-blocker
and rebounder as the 20-year-old continues to mature physically.
"He's a great athlete with a very live body and he could be awesome in
an up-tempo game," says one Midwest Division scout. "There is so much
potential and explosiveness for someone to work with."
Some scouts, however, admit they are very concerned with what they see
as a stagnation in Wright's game.
"I used to be much more positive on him," says one Pacific Division
scout. "I have become increasingly more skeptical since he's been at
Memphis. No one will ever question his athleticism -- he's 6-11, with a
great body and can run and jump -- but it's his inability to sustain
intensity and use his God-given talent that worries me. His skill-factor
just hasn't improved very much."
One scout from the Atlantic Division, reasons that Wright might be a
player who flourishes against better competition and will need to be
challenged. "If someone can get him angry every day in practice, he
could be a monster. He has the talent to be a top-three pick."

MAURICE TAYLOR:
Dan Bonner, ESPN:  "Taylor is a guy that has NBA-type skills, but he has
impressed me as a CBA application of those skills. I think he has good
skills, but I wonder about his ability to apply himself well enough to
play in the NBA."

ANTOINE WALKER:
Walker, who left Kentucky after his sophomore year, is a gifted
offensive player who can put it on the floor, knock down jumpers from 17
feet out and attack the boards. The Chicago native led the Wildcats in
rebounding (8.4) and minutes (27) per game during their national
championship season.

He also has great moves around the basket, but what sets Walker apart is
his passing ability and his gift for finding the open man. "He could be
a guard," says one Central Division scout. "A 6-10 guard. He has great
ball-handling ability and his recognition of double-teams is
exceptional. He could be a special player in our league."

Despite his great offensive skills, Walker couldn't consistently knock
down the shot from college 3-point range. Also he wasn't the most rugged
defender for the Wildcats.

That didn't stop Walker's pro stock from soaring, especially since he
was measured at 6-foot-10 -- two inches more than his listing at
Kentucky. He and John Wallace are probably the top two pure forwards in
the draft and many scouts say they have a better feeling about Walker's
character.

Walker averaged only 14.5 minutes per game as a Kentucky freshman, but
he came on strong in the postseason and was named MVP of the
Southeastern Conference tournament. He then embarked upon a busy summer,
leading all players in scoring (20.5 ppg) at the U.S. Olympic Festival
and finishing second in scoring (20.8) and rebounding (7.8) during
Kentucky's five-game tour of Italy.

WALTER MCCARTY
Despite starting on the national championship team, McCarty made his
best moves after Kentucky's season.

"He might even go in the lottery," one Western Conference scout said
following the postseason all-star camps. "He can shoot the three, he
handles the ball better that most people thought, he can get tip-ins, he
rebounds and he plays really hard. You can tell he loves to play and
that's important."

McCarty averaged 11 points per game and shot 55 percent from the field
at the postseason Desert Classic.

McCarty was hot in the Desert, but he needs to warm up to the idea of
dessert. Kentucky coach Rick Pitino repeatedly got on McCarty to bulk
up, demanding him to get above 230 pounds. Thus far that hasn't happened
and, for that reason, many scouts say McCarty has to be a swingman.

A southern-based scout labels McCarty a "runner," and says the
Evansville, Ind., native is a natural three. He has good quickness and
good hands and he has a stand-still shot that he should eventually be
able to shoot on the move.

One concern, besides McCarty's slender frame, is his tendency to play
out of control. "He has a little wildness in his game and he tries to
make everything look spectacular," one scout says. "He needs to keep it
simple. He usually doesn't have a problem putting up his shot; he needs
to let it come to him."

McCarty played in a big-time program, but because of the system he
played in, some scouts still say he could be the "sleeper" of the draft.
"I think people don't realize how good he can be," one scout says. "He's
got a lot of Robert Horry in his game, and if McCarty can prove to be
more consistent, some team is going to be very lucky to have him."

McCarty, who sat out his freshman season at Kentucky under NCAA academic
requirements, attended Harrison High School in Evansville. Calbert
Cheaney, a third-year guard for the Washington Bullets, also played at
Harrison.

****