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mary · 06-22-2006, 12:04 AM

These are not suggestions...I'm just gathering information...some of these profiles are a little old. But here ya go.

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Leon Powe
Birthdate: 1/22/84
NBA Position: Power Forward
College: California
Class: Sophomore
Ht: 6-7
Wt: 245
Hometown: Oakland, CA
High School: Oakland Tech

NBA Comparison: Larry Johnson

Strengths: Very talented offensive player with the ability to play back to the basket or face up ... Explosive leaping ability despite the knee injuries ... Has great quickness, and crafty at getting around defenders to the basket ... Has a nose for the basket ... Very competitive and talented player, a real difference maker on the college level ... Ball handling is very good for a big forward ... Shooting ability out to 18 feet is good ... Has great upper body strength ... Super long arms and big hands make him like a magnet grabbing loose balls ... Great motor, competes hard ...

Weaknesses: Injuries to his knees have required two major reconstructive surgeries. The fear of another knee injury is there, so proving he can remain healthy through his Junior year would help his chances of getting drafted in the first round ... He's undersized to play power forward in the NBA, but has good athleticism and long arms ... Has good speed, but looks very awkward running the court, his back is always upright, he never leans forward, and his legs don't extend fully ... Lacks the passing ability and perimeter skills to play small forward ...

Notes: Led the Pac-Ten in rebounding as a freshman, two years ago. Came into Cal rated as one of the top 5 prospects in the country.

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Guillermo Diaz
Birthdate:
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Miami
Class: Junior
Ht: 6-2
Wt: 190
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
High School: Miami Christian

NBA Comparison: Bobby Jackson

Strengths: A converted volleyball player with phenomenal athleticism … Incredible leaping ability. Owns (roughly) a 45 inch vertical … Aggressive scorer's mentality … Very competitive player … Great outside shooter with tremendous range, a little streaky, but when he’s on watch out! … Has excellent form on his shot and is clever at creating shots for himself … Has good body strength … Great body control … Very fast running the floor and can push the ball very well … Smart player , tough mentally, doesn’t get rattled easily … Uses pump fakes well to create shots … Understands how to use screens …

Weaknesses: A tweener … Lacks great point guard skills … Can handle and pass ok, but doesn’t understand how to run a team or direct an offense … Probably a small 2 on the next level, with the ability to fill in at the PG position … Still tends to be very out of control … Must work on protecting the basketball and passing … Still learning English which as a point guard is more of a concern for teams … Can get caught up trying to shoot outside when taking strong to the basket would be the better option …

-Aran Smith 2/5/05

WORLD CLASS athlete, and he does have the 50 inch vertical people claim he has. He is extremely fast with and without the ball. Plays with great composure for someone with such an entertaining game. Makes plays whenever he wants to. He plays like he is 6-6 cause he backs down from no one and goes in to the paint like he owns it. His shot is sufficient for high school but will need to get better for college. Has a sense of stardom written on him, you can just sense he has a bright future when you watch him. Unselfish and makes players around him better. The only guy in recent years this exciting on the high school level (other than LeBron) was Jon Hargett, but Diaz has a lot more composure and control.

Notes: Probably wont play in the McDonald's game due to not playing in the summer, but he has the talent to merit a spot on this team.

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PJ Tucker
Birthdate: 5/5/85
NBA Position: SG/SF
College: Texas
Class: Junior
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 225
Hometown: Enloe
High School: Raleigh, NC

BA Comparison: Mario Elie

Strengths: Has a great combination of strength and athleticism ... Intense competitor ... Scores a lot of baskets by overpowering defenders with his tremendous body strength ... Plays with a lot of toughness. Extremely aggresive, intimidates opponents with his nasty demeanor ... Explosive leaping ability and has the strength to go inside and finish ... Strong one on one skills and looks to drive to the basket ... His ability to create shots for himself off the dribble has improved ... Strong defender ... Tremendous rebounder for a 6-5 player ... Great speed in the open court ... Free throw shooting has shown steady improvement ...

Weaknesses: Scores the majority of his points close to the basket ... Lacks a 3 point shot and any real range on his shot ... His passing ability has shown some improvement but he lacks great vision to find teammates off the dribble ... Can be selfish at times looking only for shots for himself ... Lacks great skills for a guard and great size for a small forward ...

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Oleksiy Pecherov
Birthdate: 4/30/85
NBA Position: Power Forward
Ht: 6-10
Wt: 232
Euro Team: Paris Racing
Hometown: Donetsk, Ukraine

Strengths: Athletic European with inside/outside game ... Very skilled big man. Knows how to play close to the basket, but excels outside ... His coordination and height are a great combination ... Plays very well on the perimeter, jump shot out past 20 feet is consistent ... Even knocks down the three point shot ... A real offensive threat with great form and confidence in his jump shot ... Plays very aggressively ... Has a scorers mentality ... Nice quickness ... Loves to face the basket ... Good ball handler for a PF ... Has good rebounding ability with good leaping and good second and third jump ability ... Very strong legs ... Plays hard, good attitude ...

Weaknesses: Not the classic banger of a power forward ... Lacks the foot speed to defend small forwards ... Must become better defensively ... Lacks a great back to the basket game ... Needs to develop better consistency ... Should look to get more arch on his shot ... Lacks the frame to add significant weight, his shoulders are small and seem completely filled out ... In the NBA his lack of bulk will likely hurt him rebounding ...

Notes: Has been one of the top players in his age group in Europe for some time ... Won MVP of the 2004 Global Games competition in Dallas ... Developing well under maybe the top coach in France, Gordon Herbert.

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Joel Freeland
Birthdate: 2/7/87
NBA Position: Power Forward
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 225
Euro Team: Gran Canaria
Hometown: Farnham, England

NBA comparison: Keon Clark

Strengths: Joel has an excellent combination of European technique with American athleticism ... A solid all around player, can do almost everything and do it well ... Has a tremendous upside ... Is tall enough to play the PF position, quicker than most players at this position and taller than most SFs ... An excellent athlete with great leaping ability and runs the floor like a SG ... Has a good shot from outside ... Displays decent footwork ... Finishes every play ... Has good moves around the basket and is not afraid of contact ... Excellent defender, can defend guys with more weight ... Great rebounder ... Can play outside, beating his man off the dribble or shooting from the 3pt line ... Has only been playing organized basketball for 3 years ... Has shown great improvement over the last 6 months ... Plays with great desire and loves a challenge, a hard working guy .. Excellent IQ, great mentality, seems to understand the game very well ...

Weaknesses: Joel must add some pounds to play in NBA against other PF, but it seems as though it won't be a problem for him ... Needs to improve his balls handling skills which can give him versatility to play some at SF position ... Has a very good shot from outside but needs to develop it more ... Needs time playing at a higher level of competition and experience ...

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Sergio Rodriguez
Birthdate: 6/12/86
NBA Position: Point Guard
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 180
Int Team: Estudiantes Club Madrid
Hometown: Santa Cruz, Spain

NBA Comparison: Jason Williams

For Sergio Rodriquez, the nickname "Spanish Magician" wasn't given, it was earned ... His imaginitive, charismatic, off the wall playing style combined with innate leadership abilities, has earned him not only respect, but the interest of many NBA scouts ... Owns a variety of offense weapons, but is at his best when breaking down defenders with his lethal crossover, or feeding a teammate for an easy basket ... Incredible quickness and ball handling ability make taking any defender 1-1 appear effortless ... Most impressive is his ability to find the open teammate in traffic ... He has the uncanny ability to see passing lanes before they open up, thus enabling him to nearly always make the right decision with the ball. While not incredibly gifted athletically, Sergio always finds a way to get the shot up, or draw the foul when around the basket ... Hits open shots, especially in the clutch, and shoots the three ball well enough to keep any defender honest ... Absolutely loves to run the fast break, using his extreme quickness and good finishing ability to convert most of the time ... Quickness and anticipation make him a capable ball hawk, as well as a solid off the ball defender ... His nickname (The Spanish Magician) fits him well, sometimes it appears the moves he makes, and the passes he fires, aren't real ... This kid has a world of talent, and just must continue to develop.

Weaknesses: Not really a physical marvel (6'3, 170 lbs.) as his explosiveness is just average ... Not very strong and can still be pushed around by the bigger guards ... Still prone to being careless with the ball, and can get carried away trying to entertain, making impossible passes, or trying to force a three when a smart play is needed ... Often goes for the flashy play instead of the simple, smart, play Also could use some work on defense, mostly staying fundamental and exerting the same intensity and effort ... Outside jump shot also needs some fine tuning, it is very formidable now, but shot selection and shooting percentage both need improvement.

Notes: Many Spanish scouts compare him to Jason Williams because of his flare for crowd pleasing plays. However, unlike Williams, Sergio has leadership abilities that can allow him to be a better pro. Needs more experience, but has already had a two breakout games with 18 and 14 points.

By Rob Salvador and Aran Smith 10/18/04

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Kyle Lowry
Birthdate: 3/25/86
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Villanova
Class: Sophomore
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 185
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
High School: Cardinal Dougherty

NBA Comparison: Tim Hardaway

Strengths: Can get anywhere on the floor whenever he wants ... His heart and passion for the game put him on an elite level rarely seen in today's spoiled basketball players ... Rebounding ability is an unusual attribute for a 6-0 guard ... His ability to lock in and defend makes in special as well ... Extremely quick hands and feet, he is incredibly disruptive on the defensive end ...He plays so hard it is difficult to know where he is on the court at all times, just ask Raymond Felton who got all he wanted in the Sweet 16 last year ... His reputation as a winner is unparalleled and his will to win is as strong as they come ... Natural floor general with the ability to get players shots with his quick decision making ... Very physical, he's able to use his great body strength to overpower guards on both ends of the floor ...

Weaknesses: His jumper off the dribble has been one of the few knocks to his game ... Must develop more cosnisistency on his outside shot ... At 6' foot he is a bit undersized, but plays much bigger ... Having come off a slight ACL tear last year his knee recovered faster than I have ever seen or heard a player come back from an injury like that and play productively that same year. So the strength of that knee will be something to watch throughout his career ... His temper and his ability to keep his emotions in check could prevent him from being a heady floor leader if he allows his emotions to get the best of him.

-Aran Smith 11/1/05

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Saer Sene
Birthdate: 5/12/86
NBA Position: PF/C
Ht: 7-0
Wt: 235
Euro Team: Verviers-Pepinster
Hometown: Thies, Senegal

NBA Comparison: Samuel Dalembert

Strengths: An absolutely jaw dropping physical specimen with his combination of size, length, strength, athleticism and mobility ... Very disruptive defensively and rebounds the ball well ... Has a 7'8" wingspan making him a force as a shot blocker ... Already getting playing time at the Senior level for Pepinster and getting decent minutes and stats ... Runs the floor well ... Great hands, has no problems catching the ball or rebounding ... Extremely agile, he can fall down on the court like a cat, not heavily like most big man ... Very coach-able and a hard working kid ...

Weaknesses: Still doesn't have much offensive game to speak of ... Only began playing basketball in 2003 so he's still learning the game ... Must continue working hard to maximize his great potential ...

-Aran Smith 11/22/05

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06-22-2006, 12:04 AM	#25
mary Troll Hunter Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Sports Heaven! Posts: 9,898	Player Profiles for Late First Round Draft Choices These are not suggestions...I'm just gathering information...some of these profiles are a little old. But here ya go. ************************************************ Leon Powe Birthdate: 1/22/84 NBA Position: Power Forward College: California Class: Sophomore Ht: 6-7 Wt: 245 Hometown: Oakland, CA High School: Oakland Tech NBA Comparison: Larry Johnson Strengths: Very talented offensive player with the ability to play back to the basket or face up ... Explosive leaping ability despite the knee injuries ... Has great quickness, and crafty at getting around defenders to the basket ... Has a nose for the basket ... Very competitive and talented player, a real difference maker on the college level ... Ball handling is very good for a big forward ... Shooting ability out to 18 feet is good ... Has great upper body strength ... Super long arms and big hands make him like a magnet grabbing loose balls ... Great motor, competes hard ... Weaknesses: Injuries to his knees have required two major reconstructive surgeries. The fear of another knee injury is there, so proving he can remain healthy through his Junior year would help his chances of getting drafted in the first round ... He's undersized to play power forward in the NBA, but has good athleticism and long arms ... Has good speed, but looks very awkward running the court, his back is always upright, he never leans forward, and his legs don't extend fully ... Lacks the passing ability and perimeter skills to play small forward ... Notes: Led the Pac-Ten in rebounding as a freshman, two years ago. Came into Cal rated as one of the top 5 prospects in the country. ********************************************** ****** Guillermo Diaz Birthdate: NBA Position: Point Guard College: Miami Class: Junior Ht: 6-2 Wt: 190 Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico High School: Miami Christian NBA Comparison: Bobby Jackson Strengths: A converted volleyball player with phenomenal athleticism … Incredible leaping ability. Owns (roughly) a 45 inch vertical … Aggressive scorer's mentality … Very competitive player … Great outside shooter with tremendous range, a little streaky, but when he’s on watch out! … Has excellent form on his shot and is clever at creating shots for himself … Has good body strength … Great body control … Very fast running the floor and can push the ball very well … Smart player , tough mentally, doesn’t get rattled easily … Uses pump fakes well to create shots … Understands how to use screens … Weaknesses: A tweener … Lacks great point guard skills … Can handle and pass ok, but doesn’t understand how to run a team or direct an offense … Probably a small 2 on the next level, with the ability to fill in at the PG position … Still tends to be very out of control … Must work on protecting the basketball and passing … Still learning English which as a point guard is more of a concern for teams … Can get caught up trying to shoot outside when taking strong to the basket would be the better option … -Aran Smith 2/5/05 WORLD CLASS athlete, and he does have the 50 inch vertical people claim he has. He is extremely fast with and without the ball. Plays with great composure for someone with such an entertaining game. Makes plays whenever he wants to. He plays like he is 6-6 cause he backs down from no one and goes in to the paint like he owns it. His shot is sufficient for high school but will need to get better for college. Has a sense of stardom written on him, you can just sense he has a bright future when you watch him. Unselfish and makes players around him better. The only guy in recent years this exciting on the high school level (other than LeBron) was Jon Hargett, but Diaz has a lot more composure and control. Notes: Probably wont play in the McDonald's game due to not playing in the summer, but he has the talent to merit a spot on this team. ********************************************** ****** PJ Tucker Birthdate: 5/5/85 NBA Position: SG/SF College: Texas Class: Junior Ht: 6-5 Wt: 225 Hometown: Enloe High School: Raleigh, NC BA Comparison: Mario Elie Strengths: Has a great combination of strength and athleticism ... Intense competitor ... Scores a lot of baskets by overpowering defenders with his tremendous body strength ... Plays with a lot of toughness. Extremely aggresive, intimidates opponents with his nasty demeanor ... Explosive leaping ability and has the strength to go inside and finish ... Strong one on one skills and looks to drive to the basket ... His ability to create shots for himself off the dribble has improved ... Strong defender ... Tremendous rebounder for a 6-5 player ... Great speed in the open court ... Free throw shooting has shown steady improvement ... Weaknesses: Scores the majority of his points close to the basket ... Lacks a 3 point shot and any real range on his shot ... His passing ability has shown some improvement but he lacks great vision to find teammates off the dribble ... Can be selfish at times looking only for shots for himself ... Lacks great skills for a guard and great size for a small forward ... ********************************************** ********** Oleksiy Pecherov Birthdate: 4/30/85 NBA Position: Power Forward Ht: 6-10 Wt: 232 Euro Team: Paris Racing Hometown: Donetsk, Ukraine Strengths: Athletic European with inside/outside game ... Very skilled big man. Knows how to play close to the basket, but excels outside ... His coordination and height are a great combination ... Plays very well on the perimeter, jump shot out past 20 feet is consistent ... Even knocks down the three point shot ... A real offensive threat with great form and confidence in his jump shot ... Plays very aggressively ... Has a scorers mentality ... Nice quickness ... Loves to face the basket ... Good ball handler for a PF ... Has good rebounding ability with good leaping and good second and third jump ability ... Very strong legs ... Plays hard, good attitude ... Weaknesses: Not the classic banger of a power forward ... Lacks the foot speed to defend small forwards ... Must become better defensively ... Lacks a great back to the basket game ... Needs to develop better consistency ... Should look to get more arch on his shot ... Lacks the frame to add significant weight, his shoulders are small and seem completely filled out ... In the NBA his lack of bulk will likely hurt him rebounding ... Notes: Has been one of the top players in his age group in Europe for some time ... Won MVP of the 2004 Global Games competition in Dallas ... Developing well under maybe the top coach in France, Gordon Herbert. ********************************************** ********* Joel Freeland Birthdate: 2/7/87 NBA Position: Power Forward Ht: 6-11 Wt: 225 Euro Team: Gran Canaria Hometown: Farnham, England NBA comparison: Keon Clark Strengths: Joel has an excellent combination of European technique with American athleticism ... A solid all around player, can do almost everything and do it well ... Has a tremendous upside ... Is tall enough to play the PF position, quicker than most players at this position and taller than most SFs ... An excellent athlete with great leaping ability and runs the floor like a SG ... Has a good shot from outside ... Displays decent footwork ... Finishes every play ... Has good moves around the basket and is not afraid of contact ... Excellent defender, can defend guys with more weight ... Great rebounder ... Can play outside, beating his man off the dribble or shooting from the 3pt line ... Has only been playing organized basketball for 3 years ... Has shown great improvement over the last 6 months ... Plays with great desire and loves a challenge, a hard working guy .. Excellent IQ, great mentality, seems to understand the game very well ... Weaknesses: Joel must add some pounds to play in NBA against other PF, but it seems as though it won't be a problem for him ... Needs to improve his balls handling skills which can give him versatility to play some at SF position ... Has a very good shot from outside but needs to develop it more ... Needs time playing at a higher level of competition and experience ... ********************************************** ******* Sergio Rodriguez Birthdate: 6/12/86 NBA Position: Point Guard Ht: 6-3 Wt: 180 Int Team: Estudiantes Club Madrid Hometown: Santa Cruz, Spain NBA Comparison: Jason Williams For Sergio Rodriquez, the nickname "Spanish Magician" wasn't given, it was earned ... His imaginitive, charismatic, off the wall playing style combined with innate leadership abilities, has earned him not only respect, but the interest of many NBA scouts ... Owns a variety of offense weapons, but is at his best when breaking down defenders with his lethal crossover, or feeding a teammate for an easy basket ... Incredible quickness and ball handling ability make taking any defender 1-1 appear effortless ... Most impressive is his ability to find the open teammate in traffic ... He has the uncanny ability to see passing lanes before they open up, thus enabling him to nearly always make the right decision with the ball. While not incredibly gifted athletically, Sergio always finds a way to get the shot up, or draw the foul when around the basket ... Hits open shots, especially in the clutch, and shoots the three ball well enough to keep any defender honest ... Absolutely loves to run the fast break, using his extreme quickness and good finishing ability to convert most of the time ... Quickness and anticipation make him a capable ball hawk, as well as a solid off the ball defender ... His nickname (The Spanish Magician) fits him well, sometimes it appears the moves he makes, and the passes he fires, aren't real ... This kid has a world of talent, and just must continue to develop. Weaknesses: Not really a physical marvel (6'3, 170 lbs.) as his explosiveness is just average ... Not very strong and can still be pushed around by the bigger guards ... Still prone to being careless with the ball, and can get carried away trying to entertain, making impossible passes, or trying to force a three when a smart play is needed ... Often goes for the flashy play instead of the simple, smart, play Also could use some work on defense, mostly staying fundamental and exerting the same intensity and effort ... Outside jump shot also needs some fine tuning, it is very formidable now, but shot selection and shooting percentage both need improvement. Notes: Many Spanish scouts compare him to Jason Williams because of his flare for crowd pleasing plays. However, unlike Williams, Sergio has leadership abilities that can allow him to be a better pro. Needs more experience, but has already had a two breakout games with 18 and 14 points. By Rob Salvador and Aran Smith 10/18/04 ********************************************** Kyle Lowry Birthdate: 3/25/86 NBA Position: Point Guard College: Villanova Class: Sophomore Ht: 6-0 Wt: 185 Hometown: Philadelphia, PA High School: Cardinal Dougherty NBA Comparison: Tim Hardaway Strengths: Can get anywhere on the floor whenever he wants ... His heart and passion for the game put him on an elite level rarely seen in today's spoiled basketball players ... Rebounding ability is an unusual attribute for a 6-0 guard ... His ability to lock in and defend makes in special as well ... Extremely quick hands and feet, he is incredibly disruptive on the defensive end ...He plays so hard it is difficult to know where he is on the court at all times, just ask Raymond Felton who got all he wanted in the Sweet 16 last year ... His reputation as a winner is unparalleled and his will to win is as strong as they come ... Natural floor general with the ability to get players shots with his quick decision making ... Very physical, he's able to use his great body strength to overpower guards on both ends of the floor ... Weaknesses: His jumper off the dribble has been one of the few knocks to his game ... Must develop more cosnisistency on his outside shot ... At 6' foot he is a bit undersized, but plays much bigger ... Having come off a slight ACL tear last year his knee recovered faster than I have ever seen or heard a player come back from an injury like that and play productively that same year. So the strength of that knee will be something to watch throughout his career ... His temper and his ability to keep his emotions in check could prevent him from being a heady floor leader if he allows his emotions to get the best of him. -Aran Smith 11/1/05 ********************************************** ***** Saer Sene Birthdate: 5/12/86 NBA Position: PF/C Ht: 7-0 Wt: 235 Euro Team: Verviers-Pepinster Hometown: Thies, Senegal NBA Comparison: Samuel Dalembert Strengths: An absolutely jaw dropping physical specimen with his combination of size, length, strength, athleticism and mobility ... Very disruptive defensively and rebounds the ball well ... Has a 7'8" wingspan making him a force as a shot blocker ... Already getting playing time at the Senior level for Pepinster and getting decent minutes and stats ... Runs the floor well ... Great hands, has no problems catching the ball or rebounding ... Extremely agile, he can fall down on the court like a cat, not heavily like most big man ... Very coach-able and a hard working kid ... Weaknesses: Still doesn't have much offensive game to speak of ... Only began playing basketball in 2003 so he's still learning the game ... Must continue working hard to maximize his great potential ... -Aran Smith 11/22/05 ********************************************** ********** __________________ "I don't know what went wrong," said guard Thabo Sefolosha. "It's hard to talk about it."