Some Thoughts on March Madness
If they come out in this year’s NBA Draft, I don’t see how any general manager could pass up the opportunity to draft:
1. Roy Hibbert*
2. Al Horford (will be the best pro of the UF players)*
3. Jeff Green*
4. Julian Wright (may not awe, but is fundamentally flawless)*
5. Brandin Wright (reminds me of Hakim Warrick, but a little taller and more refined at this point)*
6. Aaron Afflalo (solid player who will have a long NBA career)*
7. Mike Conley, Jr. (quality leader and has potential to be something special at the next level)*
8. Brandon Rush (game similar to Caron Butler)*
9. Corey Brewer (needs some more strength and a better jumper, but could be just like Doug Christie or Larry Hughes)
*In that order, after Oden and Durant, of course.
After watching Georgetown-UNC yesterday, I realized four things:
1. They were getting hosed by the officials. How does UNC shoot 30 free throws to Georgetown’s 9? It is not like Georgetown only hoists up three pointers. That was insane. It was like Dick Baveta was reffing that game.
2. Tyler Hansbrough just won’t be anything more than a role player at the NBA level if he doesn’t work on his quickness and jumper. He just looks too much like Craig Smith at this point. Sure, he’s tough and strong, but there are too many holes in his game. He’ll get killed in the post by quicker players with refined post up games. Do you honestly think he could guard Duncan or Garnett on the block. He’ll just lay on them and pick up quick fouls.
3. Roy Hibbert will be a solid NBA center, which means he could average 6 pts and 6 rebounds a game and qualify. Seriously though, I think Hibbert’s defensive presence, soft hands, and good footwork are the three most important qualities to have if you are going to be a true NBA center. Hibbert has all three of those things, and last night, he showed a toughness and ability to alter shots even after he got into foul trouble.
4. Jeff Green is flat out good. There are very few holes in his game. At 6′8″, he has all the intangibles to play the small forward or shooting guard and be able to guard anybody on the court. He can shoot the ball well enough on the perimeter. He has a solid in-between game, and his post up skills are exceptional, especially if he will play against smaller shooting guards. I really like everything that he has to offer. I’ve tried to come up with a current NBA player that he reminds me of, and the closest I could find was Josh Howard. That’s a pretty good comparison, and Green is taller and probably stronger right now.
One more thing: Jo Noah needs to add some serious muscle. Right now, I can’t see him being anything more than a hustle guy. He looks too much like the second coming of Mikki Moore, who has become a solid contributor at this point after many seasons under his belt. The only problem is that Noah’s over-the-top antics open him up for some “Welcome to the NBA, punk”-type of posterization by the current regime.
