“With the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select…” So, the Wizards have three picks in this year’s draft, but will they select anyone from the ACC. Let’s breakdown the players and see what Chad Ford, ESPN’s NBA draft guru, thinks.
Top 5 Picks:
Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech)—long athletic big man with freakish jumping ability. Great rebounder and shot blocker. Attacks basket very well and finishes strong. He needs to continue to work on his offensive game and develop a go to move or two.
Lottery Picks:
Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)—has a crazy 7 foot, 4 inch wingspan with a good midrange game and is an excellent rebounder. He has also improved his ball handling but he needs to work on his 3 point shot and get some more strength.
Ed Davis (North Carolina)—While he is very raw, he’s got the size, athleticism and shot-blocking ability that a team would need.
1st Round Selections:
Solomon Alabi (Florida State)—a long, athletic big man with great shot blocking ability and he runs the floor very well for a big man. He is a charismatic kid with natural leadership abilities but he is still very raw on the offensive end of the floor.
2nd Round Possibilities:
Ganai Lawal (Georgia Tech)—a long athletic power forward that is very tough and physical that plays very solid defense. He has good hands but he is still raw on the offensive end and is lacking in basketball IQ
Trevor Booker (Clemson)—a tough physical player willing to do the dirty work. Has developed his low post game and gotten some range on his shot but he is undersized for his position.
Sylven Landesberg (Virginia)—a strong, athletic slasher that finishes very well at the rim. He’s an excellent free throw shooter, good ball handler, and solid rebounder for a guard. However, he is an average defender and can be streaky from the perimeter.
Greivis Vasquez (Maryland)—I covered Vasquez in my feature on him but to recap he is a combo guard who thrives on penetration, passes very well, and has an excellent feel for the game. His passion can be both a positive or a negative depending on the situation, and he needs to work on his jumper.
Brian Zoubek (Duke)–has what you can’t teach in that he is 7-foot-1. He is a terrific rebounder specifically on the offensive end and projects as a backup center.
John Scheyer (Duke)—an excellent shooter with deep range. He also has good ball handling and basketball IQ. However, he isn’t the best of athletes and struggles to create his own shot.
So those are some of the ACC hopefuls, but there are two other players of interest from this area:
Greg Monroe (Georgetown)—has a 7 foot 2 wingspan with very good basketball IQ and he can score from anywhere on the floor especially in the low post. He also is a very strong passer. His one knock is that he lacks explosive athleticism.
Larry Sanders (Virginia Commonwealth)—I turned to Robby Robinson, the voice of the VCU Rams, to get information and he said, “Some will say his shot blocking ability, some will say his high ceiling (he’s played 6 years of organized basketball), some will say his ability to rebound. Personally, I think that his ability to run the floor and catch the ball will be his biggest asset. He’s got a seven foot frame but he runs the floor like someone 6’6…and he’s got great hands.”
I think Derrick Favors has a chance to be a pretty good player and I also like Monroe and Sanders. I think both of them bring skills which translate very well to the NBA. As for a bust, I am not sold on Aminu and just am not seeing him justify a lottery selection. I think the Wizards will take John Wall with the first selection (I know I went out on the ledge with that). However, I also think that if Alabi falls that they could pick him with the last selection in the first round because they do need some height. Ted Leonsis has also said that he wants to build the Wizards through the draft so we will see how they do this year.
So who do you think will be the biggest steal? Who will be the biggest bust? How will the Wizards use their picks?
