Top Ten Sleepers of the 2006 Draft
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
1. Randy Foye- I thought about not including him here because everyone is all over him....But he should be the first pick in the draft. And if not there go to Atlanta. But Billy King is an ass, so he'll slip. There is no one in the draft that’s ready to help out an NBA team more than Foye. If he goes to Minnesota he needs to check the mail for his ROY trophy.
2. Marcus Williams- There isn’t a better passer in the draft and as Jay Bilas described him, “Marcus Williams may not be a speed merchant but he’s a gamer.” (Oh man the commentating has already started to be ridiculous)
3. Shannon Brown- He flew up the charts with some great workouts. If he goes to Utah, where I’m mocking him, watch as the slowest (whitest) team on the planet becomes suddenly much faster.
4. Quincy Douby- Very undersized at 6’3”, but is the second best shooter in the draft behind Redick. He seems to love challenges though, which is evidenced by his 9-3 pointers against Syracuse. (He scored 41 in that game while his counterpart G Mac had 2)
5. Sergio Rodriguez- Was a lottery pick last year, but an injury filled season dropped him to the end of the first. He’s awful defensively but his court vision is amazing and he’s only 20. On a personal note he idolizes Jason Williams, which earned him the nickname Spanish Chocolate…..seriously.
6. Kyle Lowry- He’s a physical guard with one hell of a first step. He’s also a poor shooter, but his defense will have teams swooning over him in a year or two. If the right team picks him, The Suns, he could backup Nash and move Barbosa to the two where he could drive more.
7. Mardy Collins- Has great size at 6’6” for a combo guard. He’ll have trouble with quicker guards, but if the projected teams take him (Nets, Knicks, Cleveland) he better learn quick. He’ll be facing D Wade for the next 10 years.
8. Guillermo Diaz- The rumors are that Diaz has a 50” Vertical. While that’s probably an exaggeration, he is probably the most athletic player in the draft behind Tyrus Thomas. Diaz is an ex-volleyball star in the midst of still learning the game of basketball. He is also a tweener because he projects as a PG, but will most likely be a 2. (Miami, who has zero picks, is in love with him and might swing a trade)
9. Louis Amundson- Has the energy of an entire team, and would a great fit for poor defense teams (ahem…Wizards), but has the worst free-throw percentage I have ever seen. 28% in 2004-2005. But when you compare that to a 58% FG Percentage…you can take the good with the bad. Doesn’t really have a clear cut position in the Association.
10. Leon Powe- Injuries and size have him slipping in the draft. 6’8” is not the ideal height for a PF, but it’s been done in the past. He’s another guy who should go to a team that lacks rebounding (Ahem! Wizards.)
Honorable Mention: Ryan Hollins, Pops Mensah Bonsu, Paul Milsap, Curtis Stinson, Yotam Halperin, Brandon Bowman, David Noel
2 Comments:
I'm a huge D. Horton fan, but it's going to be tough for him to crack the second round. With that said, somebody should take a flyer on him.
Super Sleeper from deep in my homer allegiances: Daniel Horton