Draft/James Lang

[Peter Delevett <pdelevett@xxxxxxxxx>]

Gene was asking about a good Website for mock drafts
and player profiles; I'm partial to NBADraft.net.
Another that's not quite as detailed is HoopsHype.com.

Speaking of NBADraft.net, here's the profile for James
Lang, who somebody was just posting about. I gotta
admit, I'd never heard of this high school 7-footer,
but what I read made me hungry:

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/jameslang.htm

Strengths: Has size and explosiveness. Lang is a
wide-bodied post player who tips the scales at around
305 lbs. Will be able to bang in the league right
away. Body could use some toning and trimming but it
doesn't stop him from hurting those in his way. Plays
with a tenacity that coaches beg for in their bigmen.
Will be a force in the league in a few years.
Surprisingly athletic and mobile for his size. Has no
problem running the floor, as his stamina has greatly
improved. Has great hands and utilizes his size
effectively in the post. Has shown the ability to
consistently score down low. Attacks the rim with a
mean-streak that few players have. An excellent
rebounder especially on the offensive end.

Weaknesses: At 305 lbs. Lang could still stand to lose
some weight. Jump shot is nonexistent past 12 feet.
Shooting touch must improve. Needs to play more
consistently to be a major factor at the next level.
His defense needs to be a little better as he will get
in foul trouble because he plays too hard at times.
Footwork can improve the most and take him to another
level. College would benefit his long term potential,
however, it's uncertain if he will decide to go that
route.

Notes: One year ago Lang weighed around 350 lbs. With
a strict diet and a lot of training, he showed his
desire to improve by dropping down to 280 this summer
before gaining some of it back. Was the third leading
shot-blocker during the 2002 ABCD All-American camp. 

---

Another site I found sez Lang averaged 24 points, 16
rebounds and 8 (!) blocks per game last season at
Central Park Christian High School in Birmingham. Only
thing that scares me is, the kid once weighed 396
pounds!! Guys like Oliver Miller and Tractor Traylor
lost a lot of weight for a while, too, but once
somebody gets up to that size you wonder if they can
really keep it down. Maybe he could move in with Jared
from Subway. 


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