RE: Peter May Ranks The Draftable Players

[OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>]

After watching some games, the guy I am most impressed with is Battier.
Although we need scoring, I have my doubts about some of these young
talents who might not help much next season.  Battier is the kind of player
we need if we build on the Sixers model:  great defensive players, competent
but balanced scoring, and the superstar (in our case superstars) as the
difference
makers.  The guy is ready to be a defensive stopper in the league, and he
has a 
much better grasp of, and gift for, defense than some of the specialists
we've 
carried on the roster.  He's a 40% three point shooter, and the best
all-around
statistical player in ACC history.  I like him and Tinsley as our two picks,
end
of story.  Make room for them both on the roster and we're in business!

Josh Ozersky	
Marketing Communications Specialist 
Corning Museum of Glass

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Hironaka [SMTP:j.hironaka@unesco.org]
> Sent:	Monday, March 19, 2001 5:02 AM
> To:	celtics@igtc.com
> Subject:	Re: Peter May Ranks The Draftable Players
> 
> Way Of The Ray wrote:
> 
> > In tomorrow's Globe, Peter May will provide you with a look at the top
> > players
> > who could be available in the draft. Ranked in his column, they are:
> >
> > 1) Yao Ming - "Everyone who has seen him raves about him."
> >
> > 2) Jason Williams - No one believes he's staying.
> >
> > 3) Chris Marcus - Player personnel guys love his upside.
> >
> > 4) Jason Richardson - "excellent work ethic."
> >
> > 5) Kwame Brown - The personnel people think he's NBA bound.
> >
> > 6) DeSagana Diop - Has a foot injury.
> >
> > 7) Tyson Chandler - May slide, but " much-coveted athleticism."
> >
> > 8) Eddie Griffin - Scouts think he's coming out.
> >
> > 9) Dajuan Wagner - May rise up via "all-star practices."
> >
> > 10) Frank Williams - Second point guard taken.
> >
> > 11) Eddy Curry - Hanging out with Jordan's fitnesds guru.
> >
> > 12) Joseph Forte - First NC player taken.
> >
> > 13) Troy Murphy - Raef LaFrentz?
> >
> > 14) Shane Battier - "borderline lottery pick"
> >
> > 15) Rodney White - Trentish pro body
> >
> > May's others to look for: Brendan Haywood, Zach Randolph, Kareem Rush,
> > Joe Johnson.
> >
> > May quoting one GM: "'If 90 percent of these guys come out, it'll be a
> deep
> > draft.
> > You may not find a franchise player in there, but you will find guys who
> can
> > score.'"
> 
> I'd be really surprised if the draft went in that order (Eddy Curry at
> #11,
> Brendan Haywood available at #16). The other curious thing is the number
> of top
> players Peter Mayqueen fails to mention altogether. Iowa's Reggie Evans
> led the
> nation in rebounding out of the Big Ten, a notable feat. And if Stanford's
> Casey
> Jacobsen stays four years in school, he'll likely be the most nationally
> hyped
> player since Princeton's Bill Bradley by the time he's a senior. Gilbert
> Arenas
> is a great combo guard and seems like a Joe Dumars-caliber, no-brainer
> pick if
> he falls anywhere after the lottery round. Tayshaun Prince hits big shots
> and
> sounds like he may have some of Mashburn's all-around game.
> 
> Here's the ESPN breakdown of some of the players that Peter Mayqueen
> missed,
> starting with three franchise-player WB's for Way. ;-)
> 
> Joe
> 
> p.s. I hope you all had a wonderful St Patrick's Day.
> 
> 
> ----------
> 
> Casey Jacobsen
> Guard | #23 | Sophomore | Stanford
> Height: 6-6
> Weight: 210 lbs.
> Hometown: Glendora, CA
> Heralded recruit who become Stanford's first option on offense early in
> his
> freshman year and has stayed the first option ever since ... Might have
> the best
> looking stroke in college basketball, owns a picture-perfect release and
> has
> flawless mechanics conducive to maintaining accuracy as he adds range ...
> Arches
> back, elevates, and kicks his legs out allowing for powerful drive behind
> the
> ball ... Great arc and rotation, shoots off his fingertips ... Because he
> is so
> gifted in his long-range scoring abilities, opponents must defend him to
> limit
> his perimeter opportunities ... This opens things up for the dribble
> drive, and
> he does this well ... Quick in his initial burst but lacks breakaway
> speed, so
> he'll often have to use his size to ride defenders into the lane ...
> Sensational
> when he reads the hole in traffic, won't elevate much to finish but
> converts on
> one-handed swooping tosses ... Solid handle, can really lose his opponent
> on the
> crossover ... Draws fouls with his aggressiveness ... Remarkably savvy,
> his
> presence of mind makes him a reliably efficient player ... Former
> McDonald's
> All-American ... Brother, Brock, played at San Diego, and Adam, at Pacific
> ...
> Father, Von, played at San Diego St. and built a regulation halfcourt in
> his
> backyard complete with breakaway rims, a college three-point line, and
> lights
> for night basketball.
> 
> Jason Kapono-UCLA
> Height: 6-7
> Weight: 199 lbs.
> Hometown: Lakewood, CA
> Prolific scorer on the perimeter, a pure shooter at 6-7 ... Great range
> and
> touch, converts very difficult three point attempts ... Hits in spot up
> situations or off the dribble, which makes him particularly impressive ...
> Has
> the size to shoot over the defense ... Sets his feet well ... Follow
> through on
> pullups needs improvement ... Splendid ballhandler for his size, can help
> out
> against the press ... Manufactures opportunities offensively, gets himself
> looks
> ... Moves well without the ball ... Doesn't have great hangtime, and that
> can
> hurt him in finishing off drives in traffic ... On the box, he wheels and
> deals,
> but can lose track of where he is in relation to the basket ... Touch
> obviously
> makes him a factor in close vicinity to the basket though his lack of
> strength
> can hinder his efforts to get good position and this causes him to flock
> towards
> the perimeter ... Great passer ... Not a big rebounder ... Entered the NBA
> Draft
> at the conclusion of a spectacular freshman season ... Concerns about his
> ballhandling and ability to create his own shot fueled speculation that he
> could
> slip into the second round, consequently causing him to withdraw his name
> from
> the draft ... Former McDonald's All-American ... Came from the same high
> school
> program that produced legendary Bruins Ed and Charles O'Bannon.
> 
> Brett Nelson
> Guard | #10 | Sophomore | Florida
> Height: 6-3
> Weight: 185 lbs.
> Hometown: St Albans, WV
> Already a legend in his hometown ... Comparisons to fellow West Virginian
> Jerry
> West are inevitable, but also reminds of John Havlicek ... Has uncanny
> vision
> and passing creativity ... Display flair in the open court ... Will score
> in
> spurts ... Elevates extremely well on his long-range jumper, allowing him
> space
> to shoot over defensive pressure with amazing accuracy ... Proficient
> scorer off
> the dribble ... Paralyzing crossover into a pullup ... Nifty handle ...
> Hesitation dribble to attack the gap ... Composed finisher, settling into
> one
> handers off the glass ... Loves the runner from the wing or in the lane,
> seemingly measuring his shot as he elevates ... Also converts on dipsy-do
> finishes ... Diversity of his offensive game makes him tough to defend,
> though
> he thinks pass before shot ... Sharp distributor, finds passing lanes that
> aren't supposed to exist ... Great instincts, on defense he shows a nose
> for the
> ball on steals ... Turnovers and fouls are both something that he
> significantly
> needs to cut down on ... McDonald's All- American ... First prep sophomore
> to
> lead the state of West Virginia in scoring.
> 
> Reggie Evans
> Forward | #32 | Junior | Iowa
> Height: 6-8
> Weight: 245 lbs.
> Hometown: Pensacola, FL
> Big-time junior college recruit ... Has worked hard in the weight room and
> owns
> considerable physical ability ... Not as polished as he could be with his
> back
> to the basket, but often compensates for that weakness with his strength
> and
> agility ... Far from one-dimensional, he's extremely proficient from the
> perimeter to the point of rarity for a 6-8, 245 pound specimen ...
> Outstanding
> rebounder and highly effective at setting screens ... Has improved his
> entire
> game, especially his offensive footwork.
> 
> Gilbert Arenas
> Guard | #0 | Sophomore | Roster
> Height: 6-3
> Weight: 188 lbs.
> Hometown: North Hollywood, CA
> Easily one of the most talented young guards in the country ... Prolific
> mid-range scorer ... Brilliant first step ... Hard to defend in one-on-one
> situations because he has such good change of direction speed ... Good
> stutter
> step, crossover to shake his opponent ... Gets himself clean looks off the
> dribble ... Elevates well into his shot, releasing at the highest point
> ...
> Smooth and consistent follow through ... Mechanics become more erratic
> when he
> has to add range on his shot ... Finishes well, double clutch reverse,
> floater
> ... Flair in the open court ... Good rebounder at his size ... Can play
> some
> point guard if need be ... Surprisingly advanced shot selection that
> rarely
> comes from players as young as he ... Despite sensational high school
> career he
> was snubbed from many of the more reputed all-star games and all-American
> lists,
> proving to many that he was overlooked during his high school days ...
> Just 17
> years of age during the first half season of his career ... Father,
> Gilbert,
> played football at the University of Miami with future NFL stars Jim Kelly
> and
> Otis Anderson.
> 
> Tayshaun Prince
> Guard | #21 | Junior | Roster
> Height: 6-9
> Weight: 215 lbs.
> Hometown: Compton, CA
> Lithe lefty is a one-time McDonald's All-American ... His lankiness makes
> for a
> Gervinesque quality, but also reminds of former ABA superstar Connie
> Hawkins ...
> Comes complete with a tremendous wingspan of seven feet ... Solid first
> step and
> foot speed, though he is not explosive and utilizes his size ... Takes
> long
> strides on silky smooth attacks at the seam, keeping his man on his
> shoulder and
> shielding him from getting in front of his shot ... An excellent finisher
> off
> drives, he uses his rangy frame to go over the top of the defense by
> extending
> on his follow through or using his long wingspan to swoop shots off to the
> side
> of traffic ... Gets his shot off against most defenders in one-on-one
> situations
> ... Doesn't always exploit his size well enough though ... Tends to sag
> outside
> and settle for long-range jump shots, an area of his game that he has
> fortunately improved upon ... A hot-cold shooter ... Has a feathery touch
> ...
> Gets under the ball and pushes it out on his release with the palm of his
> shooting hand ... This gives his shot a lot of arc, but virtually no
> rotation
> ... With his hands as big as they are it is very difficult for him to get
> good
> rotation on his shot because it is tougher to release the ball off the
> fingertips with an oversize hand ... Really measures up on his jumper and
> this
> slows down his entire shooting rotation ... Has continued to add
> considerable
> weight and must keep doing so in order to improve his ability to score and
> rebound in the paint ... Not enough of a threat in the post ... Does have
> a spin
> move to the basket followed by an up and under in which he uses a little
> floating one-hander to complete ... Great tracking ability as a rebounder
> ...
> Decision making needs work ... Has the physical skills to be a potential
> defensive stopper ... Brother of Pepperdine forward Tommy Prince ...
> Starred in
> his prep days at national powerhouse Dominguez High School, in Compton,
> California where he played with one-time Georgetown guard Kenny Brunner
> and
> current USC Trojans football
> player Jason Thomas.
> 
> ---------------
> 
> Others who are getting good pro scouting hype: Omar Cook, Kenny
> Satterfield,
> Udonis Haslem, Dan "Dutch Boy in the Paint" Gadzuric plus guys like Sean
> Lampley, Michael Bradley, Joe Crispin, Juan Dixon, Kirk Hasten, Jason and
> Jaron
> Collins, Michael Wright, Terence Morris. It's a longer list than that,
> with a
> lot of names I've neglected to mention.