Point guards, etc. - Dan Wetzel

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

Does Wetzel really consider Lebron James and Travis Hansen to be
point guards? I don't understand this.

Also, it is really interesting that so many of us on this list, including 
myself, remain such staunch supporters of PG Steve Blake.  Why won't 
the sun rise to hear him crow?  Why has his name not been mentioned 
by important draft gurus, even on the second round? 

Seems to me that this bumper crop of point guards is overrated,
each one seemingly the victim of a career-stunting tragic flaw. 
They are either too short, too raw, too tweener, too shoot-first, etc. 
Yet Ridnour is projected at #14;  Blake projected at nada.

What are we missing here? 

Egg
-----------------------------------------------
Seeing all the points, decisions to be made 

By Dan Wetzel, SportsLine.com Senior Writer 
June 9, 2003

CHICAGO -- Marty Blake was kicking around professional basketball even 
before he helped found the Continental Basketball Association in 1946. So 
when the current director of scouting for the NBA declares the upcoming 
NBA Draft "the year of the point guard," he has the historic gravitas to be 
taken seriously. "The draft is just loaded with point guards," said Blake 
last week here at the NBA pre-draft camp. 
 
Maurice Williams has the talent, but the pool might be too deep for him to 
be a first-round pick this year.

Alabama sophomore Maurice Williams agrees, although he does so with a 
shake of his head. It is a tough year to be a point guard, which might force 
Williams, a player with unquestioned first-round ability, back to 
Tuscaloosa for another year of seasoning. 

Not because he isn't good enough for the NBA, but because this year, he 
isn't better than a lot of the other guys who also are good enough. 

"It is tough," said Williams. "There are a lot of point guards this year. 
I feel comfortable I can play in this league it is just a matter of where 
I am going in the draft, 

"You have to just go by what teams want. If a team likes you, they'll draft 
you. If not, they'll draft someone else. It's not a gimmie. This year it is 
not a no-brainer." 

High schooler LeBron James, Texas' T.J. Ford, Oregon's Luke Ridnour, 
Kansas' Kirk Hinrich, Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa and Louisville's Reece 
Gaines are, according to NBA executives, considered first-round locks. 
That's six point guards before you get to the murky area of the late 
first round, where Williams is hoping to get picked and earn a 
guaranteed contract. 

The problem is, he isn't the only one. 

Williams is battling Saint Joseph's junior Jameer Nelson, BYU's Travis 
Hansen, Boston College senior Troy Bell, UNLV senior Marcus Banks, 
Notre Dame sophomore Chris Thomas, Washington State junior Marcus 
Moore, Mississippi State senior Derrick Zimmerman and others for the 
guaranteed deal that comes with a first-round selection. 

To make matters worse, the teams with the last two picks in the first 
round -- Dallas and San Antonio -- are unlikely to pick a point guard. 

"It's just crowded this year," said Blake. "Sometimes this happens." 

Which is why all of the underclassmen point guards need to think long 
and hard about returning to college for another season. They have ability, 
but the timing simply is awful. 

"I am going to listen to what I hear from (coach Phil Martelli)," said 
Nelson. "I know he is calling around because I know he has my back. 
If it's not first round, I'll probably head back. It's tough, though. It's 
not 
like I am going to grow." 

At 5-11, Nelson won't. He is the best pure point guard in the mix of 
contenders -- a likely preseason first-team All-American -- but the 
height is too much to overcome this year. Even the seniors feel the 
crunch and the frustration. Just last year, only three pure point guards 
were first-round selections, and that includes Frank Williams (No. 25) 
and Gonzaga's Dan Dickau (last at No. 28). But that was last year. This is 
this year. Something Williams knows all too well. 

"If I don't like where I am at I'll go back to school," Williams said. 
"I feel I should have a pretty good idea. But it's not easy. Next year, 
I may be in a situation where I am not even thought of as a first-rounder. 
You never know what may happen. You have to go when the opportunity 
is there." 

Here is our advice to the underclassmen and high school seniors who 
are considering the jump to the NBA at all positions. We spoke to scores 
of NBA personnel and to the players themselves. Since advice is free, 
we are free to pass out ours. 

Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's: The junior is a remarkable talent, and 
would be the best pure point guard in college basketball next season 
if he returns. And he should. While it is true he won't be able to solve 
the height problem ("unless I visit a doctor that can put some more 
skin on my feet or something," he joked) he isn't going to be a 
first-rounder this year. Let the crowd clear out, leave a legacy in 
Philly. 

Maurice Williams, Alabama: Would probably be selected ahead of Nelson, 
but unless he gets a team to guarantee a first-round selection, another 
year in Tuscaloosa where the ball is all his will only help. This is an 
NBA talent who could wind up a lottery pick with another year of school. 

Marcus Moore, Washington State: The junior is pretty good, just not 
quite good enough right now. He was quick to squash the idea that he 
didn't want to return to Pullman and play the half-court set for new 
coach Dick Bennett. "Coach Bennett is a great guy and I wouldn't mind 
going back and playing for him at all. And I hope you put that in there." 
Another year can only help. (Egg: I believe Moore has withdrawn from
the draft).

Notre Dame's Chris Thomas: The sophomore skipped the pre-draft camp 
and tried to impress the league with individual team workouts. According 
to the buzz, the league wasn't overly impressed, and Thomas is a 
second-round guy right now. Considering how good a situation he has back 
in South Bend, another year is a no-brainer. 

James Lang, Alabama high schooler: Lang actually has signed with an 
agent so he has no NCAA eligibility, but he made the right choice 
anyway. School doesn't interest him, and there is no need to square-peg 
it. He was the only high school player with the courage to compete in 
the pre-draft camp and that alone impressed scouts. He is a 6-9 big man 
with decent athletic ability. He has weight issues (316 pounds) but has 
lost about 40 pounds this spring working out. If he keeps that up, he will 
make money next year. 

Ndudi Ebi, Texas high schooler: The Arizona signee is 6-10 and a fabulous 
athlete. We aren't entirely sold on his actual basketball skills, but at 
this point, the NBA has no way of scouting that. He may wind up in the 
first round on potential alone and if not, someone will put him on a roster. 
Would he be a better player with a few years under Lute Olson? Of course.
 But talking with Ebi reveals he has virtually no interest in attending
 college. Might as well go pro. 

Charlie Villanueva, New York high schooler: Not as athletic as Ebi, 
but at 6-9, he is a better player. Is that enough? He is a borderline 
first-rounder right now with the option of joining the national 
championship favorite at Connecticut. This is a tough choice. With 
Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in the fold, he won't be handed the ball a 
la Carmelo Anthony and won't put up huge numbers as the third option. 
But he risks a lot by turning pro now. His heart appears to be in the NBA, 
so he needs to do some honest soul-searching. If he thinks he can handle 
life within a team structure and the reality that he won't be a one-and-
done guy, then go to UConn. If not, stay in the draft. 

Andre Emmett, Texas Tech: The junior doesn't have a guaranteed roster 
spot waiting for him back in Lubbock. He'll have to ask back on the 
team in a face-to-face meeting with Bob Knight. That would probably 
not be an easy thing to do, but Emmett should suck it up and get it done. 
He is a terrific player, but his shooting range isn't even at the college 
3-point line. To be an off guard in the NBA, it needs to be extended. 
Go back, work on the deep game and enjoy another season under Knight. 

Kendrick Perkins, Texas High schooler: A 6-11 center, Perkins should 
go to the University of Memphis. One NBA team said they tested him 
and found he had 27 percent body fat. He has a reputation among scouts 
for loafing and other than size, there are few recognizable skills. The 
NBA loves height, so who knows for sure, but a couple seasons of getting 
in shape and learning the game will reap millions down the line. Go 
become a Tiger. 

Travis Outlaw, Mississippi high schooler: At one point, he was a sure bet 
first-rounder, but the hype has dulled. He should have played at the 
pre-draft camp, where his athleticism would have excited people. Right 
now scouts say he is too thin, too unpolished and too immature (this is 
a small-town kid) to risk a few million of guaranteed money on him. But 
in the next breath they talk about his upside. It is a tough call. To be 
safe -- and if he is indeed eligible to play at Mississippi State -- he 
should consider school. But staying in the draft isn't a terrible option. 

Josh Powell, North Carolina State: The junior big man might have already 
signed with an agent by now, so this could be a moot point. But if not, he 
shouldn't. There is little evidence that Powell will be drafted at all, 
especially after a sub-par pre-draft camp. The best recommendation 
here is go back t