ESPN Insider: Any Odens or Durants in the NBA draft class of '08? - By Chad Ford

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Any Odens or Durants in the NBA draft class of '08?


By Chad Ford
ESPN.com




Updated: July 2, 2007


Is it too early to look ahead to the 2008 NBA Draft?

Next year's draft doesn't have the sex appeal of this year's draft. There are no Greg Odens or Kevin Durants.


AP Photo/Jeff Gentner
O.J. Mayo has all the tools to be a great guard in the NBA.

But the '08 draft might be richer in point guards than any draft in a long while. Led by Memphis' Derrick Rose and USC's O. J. Mayo, we have nine point guards ranked in our top 30.

The center crop also seems enticing. With Florida's Marrese Speights as the top-ranked center, eight of our 30 slots in the first round are occupied by centers.
But the forward position is terrible. We only have three power forwards and four small forwards in our top 30 at the moment.

To see how everyone stacks up, check out the Top 100 for 2008 -- a draft lacking somewhat in star power, but very, very deep.

Here's why:

1. The college holdovers

A number of talented players decided to skip the draft this year and return to college. At least three of them -- Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, Stanford's Brook Lopez and Arizona's Chase Budinger -- could have been lottery picks this year.

A few others, including Kansas' Darrell Arthur and North Carolina's Ty Lawson, likely would have been first-rounders had they decided to declare.

Then there's a good number of other up-and-coming college players, such as Speights, Cal's DeVon Hardin, Kansas' Brandon Rush and Sherron Collins, UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, Texas' D.J. Augustin and UCLA's Darren Collison.

In short, this might be a draft class rich in college sophomore, junior and senior talent.

2. The incoming freshmen

It might be years before an incoming freshman class tops the 2006-07 class. A record number of freshmen (six) -- Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Mike Conley, Brandan Wright, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young -- were drafted in this year's lottery.

But the '08 freshman class is special, too.

At the top of the list is Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, a super-athletic, sharp-shooting big man who is sometimes called Kenyon Martin with a jump shot.

He's closely followed by Memphis point guard Rose, USC guard Mayo and Indiana combo guard Eric Gordon.

It doesn't stop there. DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M), Donte Green (Syracuse), Kevin Love (UCLA) and Jerryd Bayless (Arizona) are also first-round candidates.

3. International men of mystery

Yi Jianlian was the hot name in 2007, but the rest of the international class was subpar.

In 2008, the talent is stronger, led by French forward Nicolas Batum, who would've been a likely lottery pick in this year's draft after a strong showing at the Nike Hoop Summit. However, he decided to pull out of the draft and stay in France.

He's followed by the hottest young name in Europe, Italy's Danilo Gallinari, a Toni Kukoc-like point forward who is making a major contribution in the Italian league.

Another interesting international prospect is Croatia's Ante Tomic, who entered and withdrew from this year's draft after a dispute with his club. He likely would have been a late first-round selection had he not withdrawn. With a year to grow and get stronger, NBA teams are expecting to see good things a year from now.

Other top international players include Victor Claver (Spain), Omri Casspi (Israel), Rudy Mbemba (Sweden), Nemanja Aleksandrov (Serbia), Artem Zabelin (Russia), Alexy Shved (Russia) and Vladimir Dasic (Serbia).

Conclusion

Overall the 2008 draft seems deep, especially with quality point guards. The draft also appears to be strong at the center position. Forwards, however, are almost nonexistent in this draft.

As the Nike and ABCD camps and international tournaments get underway, look for further reports, including our stock watch.

[bobatundi]

Already looking ahead to the 2008 draft...hilarious.

[FineCubanCigar]

haha, i would expect this on the Hawks forum.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Atlanta is a dead loss.

[mavsmanfromohio]

This is a GREAT draft full of future superstars. I dont know why he would say it wasnt. Love, MAYO, Gordon, Bayless, Rose, Beasley, Thabeet, Hibbert, Budinger, Gallinari and Batum. It is more of a 1-2-3 position draft unlike this years that saw alot of forwards and centers go in the first round.

[Dirkenstien]

Keep an eye out for Chris Loften the strong and sharp-shooting point guard from Tennessee this year. I wanted him to declare this year because an injury kept him from having a great season and I thought we might have been able to nab him with the 34th, but he withdrew after not getting serious consideration in the first round.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

In one year, expect to hear Eric Gordon's name


By Doug Gottlieb
Special to ESPN.com



Updated: July 1, 2007

From now until the next collective bargaining agreement changing the NBA's age-limit, the NBA draft will seem like a showcase for the one-and-done freshmen stars. Although there is a trend to draft winners (six of the top nine players drafted played in this year's Final Four), there will continue to be a trend to get in and out of college while you are hot.

It sounds cynical, but it's true. However, there are still games to be played. So here's a very early look at the top-five prospects for next year's draft heading into this season. The list is in particular order and is subject to change. But as of today...


1. Eric Gordon, Indiana

Gordon would have been the first guard taken this year. He has deep range, a midrange game that is developing and he will finish in traffic as well. Unlike some of his fellow guards in this class, Gordon has no issues with sharing the ball on the floor or baggage off the floor. He is a huge reason for believing that IU is back. But for how long?


2. Kevin Love, UCLA

The most complete big man to enter college basketball in a long time. Love is strong as an ox, a solid athlete, has a tremendous basketball IQ, a ridiculous outlet passer (coaches are raving) and his offensive arsenal is as complete as Tim Duncan's.


3. Derrick Rose, Memphis

Rose has a body and game that is reminiscent of Jason Kidd. He is a fierce competitor who is driven to win and make his teammates better. Although he may not be quite the passer that Kidd is, he shoots it better than Kidd at this age. As good as Memphis was last year, wait until you seen the Tigers with Rose running the show.


4. Darrell Arthur, Kansas

"Slim Shady" is a sleek, face-up forward who should come into his own in Year 2 at Kansas. Arthur has the tools necessary to be great, but he must put it all together. He lacks consistency.


5. Michael Beasley, Kansas State

An incredibly talented power forward who has some Carmelo to his game, only he is a far more tenacious rebounder. He does have some baggage in terms of personal maturity, so a year in Manhattan, Kan., could do him wonders.


Others of note


O.J. Mayo, USC

Ultra-athletic combo guard who enters college with all the hype of LBJ (had LeBron gone to college). He can defend, shoot and finish, but he struggles with knowing what to do when. If Tim Floyd can add discipline and decision-making to his arsenal, Mayo will live up to the massive hype that he sometimes struggles with.


Kyle Singler, Duke

A Dirk Nowitzki type of forward. Has the most developed offensive arsenal of the incoming freshmen perimeter players.


D.J. Augustin, Texas

The best pure point guard returning to college basketball next year. Augustin still needs to develop a more consistent jumper from 3-point range and break out of the massive shadow of Kevin Durant. Big 12 coaches rave about his ability to run the Horn's offense.


Brook Lopez, Stanford

Very skilled at both ends of the floor and more athletic than his East Coast counterparts.


Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

Huge, improving and very bright, Hibbert has come from nowhere to all the way to playing Greg Oden to a draw in Atlanta. Can he stay injury free while keeping the weight off?


Chase Budinger, Arizona

Great talent and he knows how to play, but he needs to work on his poor defense. His lack of lateral quickness does not go unnoticed by NBA scouts. He could very well be a pro beach volleyball star if the NBA does not work out.


Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

Still incredibly raw, but you can't teach height and shot blocking. He has both.


DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M

Should form an incredible 1-2 combo with Joseph Jones at Texas A&M. Jordan is a very athletic big man who is active and aggressive at both ends of the floor.


Donte Greene, Syracuse

Thin pogo-stick type of athlete who will thrive if Syracuse starts to get up and down, which the Orange seem poised to try.


Paul Harris, Syracuse

Do-it-all Paul has all the skills, except a jump shot. Strongest guard in college basketball, but he has no position. If he continues to improve his shooting next year as he did in Year 1, he could get in the lottery discussion, a discussion he was in coming out of prep school.


Tywon Lawson, North Carolina

Exceptionally fast with the ball and a strong finisher in the lane, but his jumper and decision-making leave something to be desired. Lawson can really defend and will have a ton of opportunities to prove his mettle as UNC is a favorite heading into the year.


Darren Collison, UCLA

Loved by his coaches and teammates, Collison may lack the creativity to be a big-time point guard in the pros. However, he has improved a ton the past two years, so anything seems possible.


Taj Gibson, USC

Will be a 22-year-old sophomore, and he plays like a 10-year NBA veteran. Legit 6-foot-9 athlete who is adding strength, the only thing needed to his game.


Returning from Injury


Billy Walker, Kansas State

Would have been a lottery pick this year, but after his second ACL tear, Walker's return will be cause for great interest. A Vince Carter-type of athlete last year, his raw offensive game is supposed to be more refined with the time off.


Ronald Steele, Alabama

Dual knee surgeries after a painful year leave us wondering what will become of the college game's premiere point guard. When healthy, Steele is a scoring point who has a knack for taking over a game in big spots. He was hobbled all of last season and used his guts and head to still be moderately effective. But he will need his knees to get into the league.


DeVon Hardin, Cal

Big-time athlete and shot blocker who has a Stromile Swift-like ability to finish. Had a foot injury this year and is raw offensively, so he wisely pulled out of the draft last month. But with some refining, he should be in the lottery discussion next year.


Back from Suspension


C.J. Giles, Oregon State

After getting kicked off the team at Kansas, he transferred to OSU. Giles has some baggage he needs to overcome. At 6-foot-10 and very agile, his raw talent had him pegged for the lottery until his dismissal.


Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga

Ultra-athletic big man who needs the year to repair his off-court image. On the floor, he needs to play with more consistency. But when he brings it, he is a lottery pick.

Doug Gottlieb is a college basketball analyst for ESPN and the host of "The Pulse" for ESPN Radio.

[alby]

Too much hype for OJ Mayo IMO.