Power Forwards - 1993 Usenet Draft
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Name: Chris Webber
School: University of Michigan
Height: 6'10"
Weight: ~250lbs
Strengths: Quickness, strength, rebounding, shotblocking, inside passing
Weaknesses: Free Throw shooting
Poop:
One of the best college players I've ever seen. From day one he has
dominated everyone physically. He is stronger by far than anybody who
can stay with his quickness, and anybody that can bang with him he
will blow past. His aggressiveness, great hands, and quick leap make
him a devastating offensive rebounder, and few can stop him down low
once he has the ball. Webber is also an intelligent interior passer,
and a very solid ballhandler. He shoots a flat jump shot with fair
range. His post moves consist of a right-handed jump hook. and a
blindingly quick spin move to the base line. Defensively, Webber loves
to block shots, and is sometimes out of position as a result. He has a
lot to learn about position defense in general.
On the negative side, Webber is sometimes not as active in a game as
you might like. He seems to pick and choose his spots, and as this
year progressed, it became the consensus that his wind was not as good
as it should be. You could see clearly the difference from 1st to 4th
quarter in his rebounding and defense.
His post game is not tremendously refined. By comparison with a Juwan
Howard, his footwork needs work, and he could develop a few more
moves. Webber's "problem" has been that he is able to get by with
great strength and quickness, and hasn't been forced to develop his
low post game. He reminds me of a young Olajuwon in the post. Webber
is not a great shooter, but has pretty good form, and should be NBA
quality here very soon. The worst part of his game is foul shooting.
No two shots look the same. He is a little better this year than last,
but needs quite a bit of work here.
Conclusion:
Chris Webber will be the #1 or #2 pick in the draft. Any problems he
has are the kind fixed by work and experience. He is a monster talent
who will have an All-Star career barring injury.
Scout: Rob Skrobola
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Name: Rodney Rogers
College: Wake Forest
Height: 6'7"
Position: Power Forward
Other positions: Small Forward
Strengths: strength, shooting, rebounding, quickness, attitude
Weaknesses: decision-making, ball handling (minor), passing (minor)
Poop:
Rogers was the ACC player of the year and it was much deserved.
An outstanding athelete, Rogers combines exceptional strength
with a nice touch to be a great inside/outside player with range
to the college three point range (and I expect that it will get
to the NBA three before to long). The only knock on Rogers is
his ball handling and passing, but it looked to be better this year
and I expect that it will continue to improve in the NBA. Rogers
has a great attitude and work ethic and should continue to
improve in all aspects of the game in the NBA. Some people have
pointed out his bad game against Kentucky, but it was a fluke.
Wake just got steamrolled by a UK team that was playing a great game.
I see Rogers a little like a taller Larry Johnson. He will
probably start out as a PF and then move over to SF durning
games to take advantage of his strength. Rogers had two of
the best dunks I ever saw: in the 1992 ACC tourny, Rogers
snatched a rebound with one hand from about 5 feet from the
basket and in one motion, power dunked it over two UNC players.
Then in this years blowout of UNC, Rogers had a 360 dunk on a
break away. He is a sure top 5 pick.
Scout: Craig Simpson
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Name: Douglas Edwards
College: Florida State
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 220
Position: Power Forward
Other Positions: Small forward and center (both very rarely)
Strengths: Strength, inside passing, shooting, unselfish play
Weaknesses: attitude
Poop:
Doug Edwards was FSU's first "big-time" recruit, coming out of a class
that included the likes of Kenny Anderson and Shaq, and being rated
second to Anderson in the class. Edwards had to sit out his freshman
year as a prop-48 case, but came on to be a major force in his
sophomore year. Early in his career, Edwards showed that he was very
strong inside, could pass well in the interior (usually to his
team-mate Dobard for a jam). But Edwards did not posses an outside
shot to speak of, and had a very lazy attitude. As he matured, Edwards
did develope a very solid 18 foot jumper, and changed his attitude -
becoming a very unselfish player (lead the ACC bigmen in assists).
However, he still has a little problem with keeping his cool in a
game. Edwards possess a tremendous amount of talent and skill as an
inside player, and should fit in well with the NBA style of play. His
defense, though not awe inspiring, is also solid. A team looking for a
good power forward, and a role player, should do well with Edwards.
Should go early in the 1st round, though the heavy amount of power
forwards in this year's draft could push him down further in the
draft.
Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu)
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Name: Malcolm Mackey
School: Georgia Tech
Height: 6-11
Weight: 248
Position: Power forward
Other position: Center
Strengths: Scoring, rebounding, defense, shotblocking, size
Weaknesses: Inconsistency, leadership skills, aggressiveness, free-throw
shooting
Poop:
Malcolm Mackey showed great promise his first two years, first as a
solid role-player for Lethal Weapon III and then as a surprise leader
in rebounding in the ACC. Expected to take over and dominate his last
two seasons, he often put up very good numbers. However, he would
often disappear in the big games, and the younger players who looked
up to him at those times would tend to fold also. This helps to
explain some of Tech's mysterious losses this year. One of the other
problems Tech faced was the fact that they had to play Mackey at
center, when his true position is power forward. This was a problem
two years ago when Matt Geiger had foul problems, and a problem this
year when Ivano Newbill showed he couldn't play center either.
Mackey has shown he can be a dominant rebounder, being near the
leaders the past three seasons. He is also a very good athlete with
decent post moves. He's also been among the league leaders in blocked
shots, field-goal percentage and scoring. He's both quick and strong.
However, he is often either over-aggressive, resulting in foul
trouble, or under-aggressive, resulting in him disappearing in big
games. His ball- handling is extremely suspect, a problem for someone
who will mostly play forward. His jump-shot is extremely erratic.
Mackey helped his cause by making the all-tournament team at the
Desert Classic in Arizona. He was the leading scorer during the
tournament. Most of his problems are mental, and this can be worked
on with some dedication. He definitely has the body and the skills to
play in the pros; he just needs to be consistent and disciplined as
well. Mackey figures to be a first round pick, possibly late lottery.
Scout: Rob Clough
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Name: Corie Blount
College: Cincinnati
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 242
Position: Power Forward
Other Positions: Center
Strengths: quickness, rebounding, shot-blocking
Weaknesses: late bloomer, offensive game still needs work
Poop:
Agile for his height, Corie Blount also has a bit of bulk. A decent
scorer, good rebounder, with good shot blocking skills, Corie needs to
be a little more mentally involved in his game to stick in the NBA.
Runs the floor well and has a bit of a nasty streak, which helps in
the NBA. Will likely be a late 2nd round pick or a free agent. Corie
might get shipped off to Spain or Europe for a year of seasoning
before giving the NBA a go. A Scott Williams-type player to me, Corie
might need a bit of luck to find a team he fits in with. If he gets a
good match, he might surprise.
Scout: Curtis Hill
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Name: Kevin Thompson
College: North Carolina State
Height: 6'11"
Position: Power Forward
Other Positions: Center
Strengths: Quickness, Passing, rebounding, post moves
Weaknesses: Shooting, lack of intensity, passivity, weight, foul-shooting
Poop:
Kevin Thompson is a former role player who went on to great success
at NCSU. He has been a stalwart on mediocre to terrible teams where
he has had to handle most of the rebounding and virtually all of the
post responsibilities. His main strength is his rebounding; he has
very quick hands that dart in for offensive boards. He also is a true
back-to-the-basket type player who has been a leader in field-goal
percentage in the ACC, mostly on close-in type shots. His actual shot
is not all that great and he had to be forced to take three-pointers
by the coaching staff.
The biggest problem with Thompson, like Malcolm Mackey of Georgia
Tech, is his tendency to disappear at times. And with Thompson in a
leadership role, this often proved disastrous to State's fortunes.
Most of his teammates his last two years were either inexperienced or
untalented or both. His team was hit hard with all sorts of
unfortunate distractions, which may have contributed to his lack of
concentration. His weight was another problem; despite his quick
hands, his lack of mobility didn't allow him to guard a lot of big,
quick forwards in the ACC, and Thompson is not exactly known for his
vertical leap. He does have decent block totals (in the 40's the last
three years), but not great for someone who plays in the post that
much. Another problem is his poor (in the 50% range) free-throw
shooting, problematic for someone who goes to the line a lot.
Still, he has a number of skills. He is a very good passer for a
big man, and they often ran the offense through him. His rebounding
numbers cannot be questioned. And he can score a lot, against good
defenses, when he gets the ball. Thompson will benefit a lot from NBA
point guards, and the fact that he won't be depended on a lot at
first. He needs to work on refining some parts of his game, like
shooting & ballhandling, but he has the body to be a solid role-player
and eventually a steady contributor. I expect him to be drafted
somewhere late in the first round.
Scout: Rob Clough
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Name: Charles Outlaw
School: Houston
Height: 6-8
Position: Power forward
Other position: Center (in a pinch)
Strengths: rebounding, defense, shotblocking
Weaknesses: Lack of an offensive game, size (may be to small for PF)
Poop:
From Dick Vitale's Basketball '92-'93:
"The Cougars will get plenty of help from Outlaw, a premier rebounder
and shot blocker, and the SWC Defensive Player of the Year for the
'91-'92 season. He was the most accurate shooter in Division I (in
'91-'92), but hardly is a scoring machine ('91-'92 11.9 ppg.)
Outlaw's only reliable shot is the dunk."
I saw the Cougar's twice on TV and would have to say the above is
fairly accurate description. I would say that Outlaw's NBA potential
will be limited until he develops a offensive game. As far as defense
goes, I think he could do a good job guarding NBA PFs. So I only
expect him at best to play 15-20 minutes for the team that drafts him,
off the bench with little or no O. I don't see him going in the first
round and maybe not even in the second.
scout: Brian Neal West
More Poop:
"Outlaw is regarded as the top defender among the forward prospects in the
draft. He needs to improve his free-throw shooting and cut down on his
turnovers, though. He'll probably go in the second round."
scout: Basketball Weekly via Craig Simpson
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Name: Rodney Dobard
College: Florida State
Height: 6'9"
Position: Power Forward
Other Positions: Small forward, Center
Strengths: Exceptional leaping ability, defense
Weaknesses: outside shooting
Poop:
Rodney Dobard is a four year starter for FSU. Originally playing as a
center due to FSU's lack of height at the time, Dobard was allowed to
move over into his natural small forward postion as FSU's recruiting
improved. Dobard is known for his incredible leaping ability. He
always does the tip-off for FSU even when 7-footer Andre Reid is
healthy, and consistently beats taller players to the ball. Dobard
became a crowd favorite for his many, many dunks, especially off of
the lob play. Dobard's greatest strength is his defense, however. He
is the all-time leading shot-blocker in FSU history, and was near the
top in this catagory in the nation, even though he is only 6'9".
Dobard has a very serious work attitude, and is fearless on the court
- even against "better" players (as in the NCAA tourney, where he did
an excellent job of defending Mashburn). Dobard's primary weakness,
his lack of an outside shot, is the only thing keeping him from being
a star - but that can be worked on a la Ewing. Dobard has been a
greatly under-rated player (partially due to the other talent on the
team getting attention), but his performance in this year's tourney
may have caught the attention of the pro scouts. Dobard will be a real
steal for any team that takes a chance and drafts him, but will
probably not go before the 2nd round in the draft
Scout: Kevin Delgado (kdelgado@loligo.cc.fsu.edu)
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Name: Harper Williams
School: UMASS
Height: 6'7"
Position: Power Forward
Other possible spots: Center
Strengths: leadership, rebounding
Weaknesses: to small for center will have to play PF, injured hand in
senior season
Poop:
Harper was the heart and soul of UMass for the last two years. He was
a 4 year starter at the center spot, despite being just 6'7". He is a
south paw who will go left if possible. He was the A-10 player of the
year in 1992 and probably would have won it again this year if not for
a broken hand sustained early in the season.
Harper gained national recognition after grabbing 15 or so rebounds in
the 2nd round of the NCAA's against Conrad McRae and Syracuse. He may
not have the size, but makes up for it with his passion. He was the
tallest player in UMass's rotation (30-5 record) in 1992.
His range extends out to 18-19 feet. He will take that shot without
hesistating if left open. He hit the game winning 3 pointer against
Syracuse to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in 1992. He scored well over
1000 pts in his career (i don't have the number). I could see him
taken in the late 2nd round by a current NBA power that is looking for
a role player.
Scout: Scott D. Granowitz
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Name: Brian Hendrick
School: California
Height: 6-9
Position: power forward
Other Possible Spots: spot minutes at center in a small unit
Strengths: nose for the ball, scores from post or out to 15 feet
Weaknesses: recovering from knee injury--mobility a question
Poop:
Hendrick was All-Pac 10 his first three years, with numbers
in the range of 15 points & 8 rebounds. Due to injury his stats
were down as a senior, although he posted a number of
double-doubles in Cal's late season run as his mobility and
confidence improved. Hendrick is a hard worker who came in
exclusively as a post scorer but developed a reliable jumper
and some moves off the dribble during his time at Cal. Hendrick
has never been spectacular, relying on hustle, long arms,
subtle post moves and solid court smarts. Until
the injury, he was improving steadily and expanding his game,
but Hendrick never projected as an NBA star or big scorer.
His game and personality are well suited to the role of
defender, rebounder and opportunity scorer. He'll need to show
he's healthy at every opportunity before the draft and he
still may not be taken. Don't be surprised if he manages to
hang on somewhere even if he has to go the free agent route.
Scout: Ken Bowers (kbowers@esrc1.berkeley.edu)
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Name: Evers Burns
School: U of Maryland
Height: 6-8
Weight: 247
Position: Power Forward
Other Position: Center (in case of emergency!)
Strengths: Scoring, strength, power, rebounding
Weaknesses: Foul shooting, size, weight, foul-proneness
Poop:
Evers Burns went from being a football prospect to one of the best
frontcourt players in the ACC. He showed flashes of promise his first
two years that were realized in his junior year, when he scored 15.9
ppg and averaged 7 boards a game. He was the anchor of a very young
Maryland team as a senior, leading the ACC in scoring for a time. He
was the only true low-post threat that Maryland had, but still dealt
with double-teams well.
Evers' best attributes are his scoring and rebounding. He has range
out to 16', and a decent jumphook. He has a big body and knows how to
use it, and was not intimidated by other big players in the ACC. He
is very effective in the halfcourt set and possesses decent post
moves.
Now the bad news. When he gets fouled, he doesn't make many of his
shots. His career FT% has hovered at around 60% for most of his
career. Also, he's not much of a defender, with low steals/blocks
numbers; but what's worse is that he's extremely foul-prone. This
only gets worse when his weight is up past 250; he fouls a lot because
he gets beaten down low. He doesn't get up and down the floor very
quickly either, limiting him somewhat for a running team.
Burns was recently named to the All-Tournament team at the Desert
Classic. He was the third leading scorer at that pre-draft event. He
would be a good selection for a half-court team that needs some inside
muscle and scoring. He has the potential to be a valuable role-player
for years to come.
Scout: Rob Clough
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Name: Gary Trost
College: Brighman Young University
Height: 6'10"
Position: Power Forward
Other positions: Center, small forward
Strengths: strength, rebounding,tough attitude, very hard worker
Weaknesses: not a scoring threat, not an incredible athlete
Poop:
Trost has been overshadowed by the great Hype that Shawn Bradley
received, but Gary has proven to be an outstanting ball player. He
was All-WAC center the last two years, and honorable mention
all-american this year. He led his team to two WAC championships and
two NCAA appearences in the last two years while racking up a total of
50 wins over those two seasons.
He has averaged (over both years) 29.9 mins/game,14.6 pts/game, 6.8
rbs/game, 0.5blocks/game, 2.4 assists/game. He is the true image of a
hard working player. He would make an excellent 3rd or 4th guy off
the bench who can play any position in the front court. He has great
hands and plays terrific defense. He also has the ability to step his
game up a level when the game is very close or when he is playing
against tougher teams. His biggest weakness is that he is not a
scorer. His role is more of a Larry Krystkowiak(Utah Jazz) or Kurt
Rhambis (?). He may be drafted late, or some team may get a great
deal by signing him as a free agent.
Scout: Eric W. Stroup
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Name: Jerry Walker
School: Seton Hall
Height: 6'7"
Position: Power Forwards
Other Positions: Center
Stengths: Defense, attitude, toughness, effort
Weaknesses: Too short for either of the power positions; offensive game
Poop:
Jerry Walker is probably the ultimate Jersey guy. He's not pretty,
he's not the most talented, and he's not the biggest, but he gets
the job done. At 6'7", he's probably too short to play power forward
in the NBA. Then again, that's what they said about Barkley and
Larry Johnson. I'm not saying that Jerry's the next Barkley or LJ,
but his hard work on both ends of the court usually makes up for his
lack of size (or at least, height - he shakes the floor at a very
muscular 245 lbs). Jerry's never been afraid to step away from a
challenge. When Seton Hall center Anthony Avent graduated and Luther
Wright proved too fat to be counted on, Walker volunteered to play
center for PJ Carlessimo's Pirates. He didn't do that bad a job -
the only players who ever really exploited his height disadvantage
were Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning (depending on who was
playing center at the time). Walker used his bulk to bully his way
around the low post, where he's developed some very nice moves,
most notably a baby hook shot (although it probably won't work in
the NBA). Still, Jerry knew that the days of Wes Unseld in the NBA were
over, and that if he wanted to have any kind of pro career, he would
have to go back to power forward and prove he could play there. His
tenacious defense, which made him a multiple selectee to the Big
East All-Defensive team, proved even stiffer against competition closer
to his size, but his offensive game suffered. He had become used to
maneuvering his way around in the low post, but with the now-svelte
Wright clogging the middle, Walker had to take his game outside, and
he didn't really have the shot to enable him to do that. He looked
most comfortable when he was on the floor without Luther. This means
that Jerry would probably be ideally suited to a team like Atlanta or
Indiana, where the center shoots from the perimeter while the
power forward is given the post. Unfortunately, both of those teams
have drafted power forwards the last few years (Keefe in Atlanta, and
Davis in Indiana). Walker will probably make it into the NBA, probably
as a second-rounder, largely because he comes to play, day in and day
out. If he has a bad game, it's not for lack of trying. Eventually,
Walker could turn out to be a very valuable bench player to a good
team (imagine how much better Chicago would feel if they had Jerry
to sick on Mason and Oakley). Whoever winds up taking Jerry Walker
might not wind up with the most talented, or the most physically
endowed player, but they'll wind up with one of the toughest and
hardest working ones.
Scout: Alan Sepinwall
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Name: Bryan Sallier
School: Oklashoma
Height: 6'8"
Position: Power Forwards
Other Positions: Center
Stengths:
Weaknesses:
Poop:
Had a choice of football and basketball coming out of highschool and
most likely will have the same choice for the next level. Extremely
powerful and a force when motivated but often appears to be
unmotivated. Range to 15' on the J. Decent handler and passer but
tends to make bad decisions. A second round choice.
Scout: Milton C. Thompson
More Poop:
He's aggressive on D, very much an Oklahoma mold of forward (i.e.,
a 3-guard more than a forward). However, can play at the spot.
Good, but sometimes streaky shot, reasonable from the 3-point line,
and very much a Billy Tubbs style player - runs well in the trap,
can get the turnover and the rebound, and very tenacious on defense.
However, inconsistencies with shot and lack of refined talent means
he won't go til mid-to-late 2nd round.
Scout: Kokopeli
Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner