Mock Draft from NBA DRAFT.NET[21-30]

21. *Phoenix Monta Ellis 6-2 175 PG MS HSSr. Birthdate: NBA Position: PG/SG College: Mississippi St. Class: HS Senior Ht: 6-3 Wt: 175 Hometown: Jackson, MS High School: Lanier NBA Comparison: Dale Ellis Strengths: A phenominal scorer ... The top high school scorer since Dajuan Wagner… Season high of 72 points and averages close to 40 … Has a complete offensive arsenal … Scores in a variety of ways … Has a pure shot with NBA range ... Has no problems creating his own shots and is not fazed by double and triple teams … Can beat you off the dribble … Very strong mentally ... Terrific handle and an underrated passer … Has the ability to find teammates with excellent court vision … Very quick and explosive … Will rise up and dunk on you … Flashy player that’s impossible to guard on the high school level … Weaknesses: A tweener ... Lacks great size for the 2 guard position ... Doesn’t have the skills needed to play point … Desperately needs to put on weight as he’s rail thin ... A team will need to be patient with him since he isn't physically strong enough to handle the physical play of the NBA and especially a long season ... Could have trouble guarding bigger off guards ... Shot can be inconsistent at times … -Mike Apodaca 2/16/05 22. Denver Andrew Bynum 7-0 280 C UConn HSSr. Birthdate: NBA Position: Center College: UConn Class: HS Senior Ht: 6-11 Wt: 240 Hometown: Metuchen, NJ High School: St. Joseph HS 23. Sacramento CJ Miles 6-6 210 SG TX HSSr. Birthdate: 3/18/87 NBA Position: Shooting Guard College: Texas Class: HS Senior Ht: 6-6 Wt: 210 Hometown: Dallas, TX High School: Skyline NBA Comparison: Ray Allen Strengths: One of the premiere athletes on the High School level. Very advanced set of offensive skills ... Has the best feel for the game of any High School senior draft prospect ... Plays very under control. Knows how to create shots for himself and others ... Has some point guard skills ... Has an excellent jump shot with good range and very good mechanics ... Good strength for a High Schooler ... Handles the ball well and finds teammates off the dribble ... Has a nice turn around jumpshot ... Long arms make him a nice shot blocker ... Loves to take the ball to the basket, and has an excellent crossover dribble ... Has the strength to take the ball inside and absorb contact and finish ... Good body strength and long arms, always stays on balance ... Plays a good deal in the post on the HS level so he has added post skills ... Weaknesses: Though he has good strength for college, he must gain weight and strength for the NBA level ... As with most High Schoolers he will be a long term project if he enters the draft, but he has developing skills and good athleticism ... Because he is the tallest kid on his HS team, he is asked to play inside, so his outside skills are not developing quite as well ... However, he gets time outside and has good range, and also sees time on the perimeter in the summer with Team Texas ... -Aran Smith 2/8/05 24. Houston Rudy Fernandez 6-5 180 SG Spain 1985 Birthdate: 4/4/85 NBA Position: PG/SG Ht: 6-5 Wt: 180 Int Team: Joventut Badalona Hometown: Palma de Mallorca, Spain Strengths: An impressive talent, wise beyond his years ... Seems better every time you see him ...He has a wonderful bag of tricks, especially offensively ... Excellent one on one guy ... He knows how to take what the defense gives him, knows when to pull up, when to drive and when to pass... In his first "true" year, he had a fantastic season, putting up over double figures in scoring in the most important (toughest) league in Europe ... He has good numbers, but you have to see him play to truly understand how talented he is ... He is so fluid, so composed, so smooth and always under control, he makes the game look so easy... He is not too aggressive but not afraid either ... He makes great decisions, and never gets out of control, which is incredible considering his age ... He has such a court awareness, and always knows how to make the right play, without thinking of himself ahe puts the team first ... He could still be growing and has long arms which add to his length ... He has been playing at the SF spot for Badalona, but can handle either guard positions as well ... Unlike many players as athletic as he is, he doesn't rely on it ... He uses intelligence and skills instead ... Has good quickness and speed and is extremely fluid ... His first step is insane, as is his ability to start and stop ... He's always on balance ... Really excells when pressured and understands how to handle a press ... Stays within the system well ... Uses screens well to gain separation for shots or drives ... He doesn't like to drive into traffic because of his skinny frame, but he is not afraid of contact and if he sees daylight he'll go to the hoop fearlessly ... He has great skills (like Navarro of Spain) to let the ball go early against big men ... He loves to take the big shot and excels in important situations ... He has nice change of speed with the ball in his hands and very good ball handling making him dangerous with the dribble. He also passes extremely well, beating the double team and finding the open man ... He has great vision, he doesn't look for the "oooooh" pass, but the easy (and right) one…. Very good free throw shooter ... In the open court he can lead the fastbreak or fill the lane… he likes to run and the main thing is how fast he is able to change from defense to the break ... He can come off the bench and get into the flow of scoring very quickly …. He can defend bigger players and quicker ones ... Has very quick hands, and reads the passing lanes, and can rip someone from the dibble … With Badalona he lacks touches, because he is not the star of the team. But he is showing glimpses of what the future has in store and that is great things at the highest level: NBA ... Weaknesses: Physically he must get stronger ... He still can get muscled around because of his lack of physical strength ... Doesn't blow you away with athleticism ... He's not a huge leaper, but is a nice athlete that can get to the rim without any problem ... In the NBA he will struggle defensively until he gets stronger ... Notes: Currently playing with the Spanish National Team where he is already seeing minutes at 19 years of age! Last year he signed a long term deal with Badalona which could make his buyout a little difficult. -Cristian Biagini -- 7/29/04 25. Seattle Wayne Simien 6-8 255 PF Kansas Sr. Wayne Simien Birthdate: 3/9/83 NBA Position: Power Forward College: Kansas Class: Senior Ht: 6-8 Wt: 255 Hometown: Leavenworth, KN High School: Leavenworth Strengths: He is an absolute beast on the block. He has an NBA body already and is very strong. Finishes with ferocity rarely seen at the college level. Loves to dunk and does so like he has a personnel vendetta against the rim. He is a dominating rebounder because of his leaping ability, strength and willingness to jockey for position as opposed to just trying to jump over people. He has a surprisingly soft touch around the bucket when he is not ripping the rim off of the backboard. He also has the ability to knock down the mid range jumper just like former KU big men Nick Collison and Raef Lafrentz. He runs well especially considering his bulk and can handle the ball fairly well for his size. Weaknesses: Durability is a major concern for him. In each of the last three seasons he has suffered an injury that has kept him off the court for varied stretches of time. He must have basically an injury free junior campaign if he wants to be a lottery pick, and even if that happens don’t be surprised to see him stay for his senior year. He is not a shot blocker, which is odd because of how aggressive he is in all other facets of the game. He must prove that he can be a go to guy for crunch time buckets, he has had the luxury of playing alongside Drew Gooden and Nick Collison during his first seasons at KU so opposing defenses have never really been keyed just to stop him. In order to develop into a dominant PF at the next level he will need to hone his game in the post by adding a wider array of offensive moves, right now at the college level he is so much stronger then everyone he faces he can just overpower them down low but that trend will not continue on a nightly basis playing against the Karl Malone’s of the world. Maybe a little undersized. Notes: Wayne hails from Leavenworth Ks. and bleeds Crimson and Blue, he has been a lifelong KU fan so the recruitment process was an easy one for coach Williams. Was Kansas Mr. Basketball as a senior and a McDonald’s All-American but was unable to participate in the game because of an injury. He averaged a solid 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in an injury shortened sophomore season. Look for him to become a consistent double-double threat as a junior. -Matt Stock 26. Detroit Andray Blatche 7-0 230 PF NY HSSr. Birthdate: 8/22/86 NBA Position: Power Forward College: Undecided Class: HS Senior Ht: 7-0 Wt: 230 Hometown: Syracuse, NY High School: South Kent Prep (NJ) NBA Comparison: Steven Hunter Strengths: Long and athletic prospect with good potential... Plays well facing the basket and can put the ball on the floor as he has a great handle for someone his size. Has shown a good outside shot but needs to work on his consistency... Gets off the floor quickly and blocks or alters shots... Runs the floor well and gets rebounds do to his length and leaping ability. Weaknesses: Needs to play with more effort and consistency. Dominates some games and is non-existent in others... While he has range on his outside shot he needs to work on being a consistent shooter... Like many of the Kevin Garnett clones these days, Blatche is infatuated with the perimeter. Floats around on the outside at times when he should be down low posting up... Decent speed, but isn’t quick enough to get by defenders at the next level... At almost seven feet tall, Blatche has all the physical tools to make it big in the NBA one day, it just won’t be anytime soon... Will be a project for whichever team decides to select him. Notes: Has made it clear he intends to bypass college and go straight to the league. Will need to show solid progress to be a first round selection. -Mike Apodaca 12/20/04 27. *Utah Jarrett Jack 6-3 202 PG Georgia Tech Jr. Birthdate: 10/28/83 NBA Position: Point Guard College: Georgia Tech Class: Junior Ht: 6-3 Wt: 202 Hometown: Durham, NC High School: Worcester Academy NBA Comparison: Eric Snow Strengths: Very intelligent guard with good competitiveness ... Jack possess great size, strength and good athleticism for the point guard position ... He is an unselfish player with the ability to find the open man ... Jack has very quick hands and a knack for grabbing loose balls in transition ... Has excellent penetration ability and is a great finisher, but usually chooses to drive and dish the ball out… Jack is a great rebounder for his position and has developed a steady three point shot (college range) ... He can also post up smaller point guards and take advantage of his size…His body and athletic tools also make him an good defender... Overall Jack is a physical point guard with good vision and knack for finding the open man. Weaknesses: Jarrett doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, except for the fact that he is prone to turnovers ... Doesn't blow you away with talent, but very solid ... He must become better at protecting the basketball ... His foot speed is good, but not off the charts ... His shot hasn't yet developed the consistency or range required at the next level, but is improving year to year ... He must learn to move without the ball and free up his outside shot when the ball is not in his hands. Summary: All in all Jack is a natural floor leader, who can run a half court team. …Has all the tools to be a nice guard at the next level….Attended to Mount Zion Academy and is an excellent student. -Savneet Singh 28. San Antonio Ike Diogu 6-8 255 PF Arizona St. Jr. Birthdate: 9/11/83 NBA Position: Power Forward College: Arizona St. Class: Junior Ht: 6-8 Wt: 255 Hometown: Garland, TX High School: Garland NBA Comparison: Malik Rose Strengths: Diogu possesses maybe the most refined post-up game in college basketball...Amazing footwork...Very fundamentally sound on the block...Knows how to get himself open...Great at drawing fouls...When he's clicking, he can get an opponent's entire front line in foul trouble......Remarkable free throw shooter (around 90%), which is important because of the amount of times he gets to the line...Good weakside help defender...High basketball awareness...Serviceable perimeter defender but is much more comfortable in the paint...Phenomenal shot blocker for his size...Plays with good intensity...Fantastic rebounder...Terrific hands...Catches nearly every entry pass and comes down with nearly ever rebound...Thick upper body...Once he establishes post position, impossible to push him off his spot...Sets solid picks and rolls to the open spot...Very productive, despite being the primary focus of each opponent’s defensive scheme...Passes well out of the double/triple team...Very coachable...Uses high basketball IQ to make up for lack of lateral footspeed...Great stamina...Seemingly never comes out of the game...Developing a nice perimeter game solid jumper out to the college 3...Very high field goal percentage shooter...Exceptionally long arms...Solid physique...Fantastic body control... Weaknesses: Lack of height will hurt him at the next level...Listed at 6'8" but might be closer to 6'7"...Not nearly quick enough to play or defend the small forward position at the pro level... You will never see the word "explosive" when reading a Diogu scouting report...Similar game to former Iowa St. star Marcus Fizer and we all know where his pro career ended up...If he's not involved on offense the rest of his game suffers slightly...Not a freak athlete...Not a slug by any means, but doesn't run the floor as well as he should...Not much "upside" left...The player you see now is basically the same player you'll see five years from now, for better or worse...At times, doesn't post up with much authority if his teammates aren't looking his way on every trip down the floor...Like Elton Brand in the NBA, always seems to find himself on losing teams, which isn't his fault entirely but still cause for concern... Lack of solid guard play sometimes limits his number of touches...Lack of quickness hurts his ability to step out and defend opposing guards on the pick and roll...Not a superior ball handler. Notes: Has scored in double-digits in every game at Arizona State. -Nick Prevenas 1/5/05 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strengths: Extremely skilled and refined player on the low block. Has a variety of effective post moves and can use either hand equally around the basket. Solid footwork and very soft hands allow him to be quite fluid and the game comes naturally to him. Possesses excellent body control and the ability to finish after drawing the foul. He뭩 made more foul shots than any other player in the Pac-10 has attempted. Statistically, the best freshman post-player in the conference since Shareef Abdur-Rahim despite seeing relentless double and triple teams, as well as zone defenses designed to stop him. Excellent from the foul line at nearly 80%. Has an accurate and consistent jumper out to 18 feet and is very comfortable facing up. Ball skills are above average and his game is well-suited for the two-man pick and roll game that is so prominent in the NBA. Very cerebral player who understands his strengths and limitations and plays within himself. A throw-back type player with a very strong, solid body and a fundamentally sound game. Weaknesses: Short by NBA standards as a 6-8 power forward. Probably lacks the athleticism and lateral quickness to play small forward. Not particularly explosive off the floor, and must rely instead on body control and positioning. Only average in terms of running the floor in transition and finishing on the break. Has a slower than average mechanism on his jump-shot, though his form is very solid. Gathers himself before jumping; not a quick-leaping player. Won뭪 be a serious shot-blocking threat at the professional level. Height and comparative lack of athleticism make his ability to rebound and defend at the highest level a legitimate question mark. -Chris Karpman ASUDevils.com Notes: His full name is: Ikechukwa Somotochukwa Diogu. Born in Buffalo, N.Y. 29. Miami Kennedy Winston 6-6 220 SG Ala. Jr. Birthdate: 7/29/84 NBA Position: Shooting Guard College: Alabama Class: Junior Ht: 6-6 Wt: 230 Hometown: Pritchard, AL High School: Blount NBA Comparison: Rip Hamilton Strengths: A natural scorer…Good athlete, with explosive first step and can rise…Good speed down the floor on the break…Sound shooter with deep range and solid from the line…Can get by his man and into the lane…No mid-range fade, but has a nice floater when penetrating…Can handle with either hand…Solid passer, and good with entry pass…Decent moves in the post, with an up and under and good use of pivot foot…Decent footwork on both ends…Great body control, can really contort in the air to get a shot or pass off…Decent distributor once he gets in the lane...Decent rebounder, who goes after it on the offensive glass...Good height for NBA 2G at 6'6-6'7 Weaknesses: Thin, very slight frame and weak…Does not look as though he gives all out effort, will not dive for balls, do the dirty work and little things…Does a lot of standing around and floating on offense…Will get careless with the ball and is turnover prone…Does not fight through screens on D, or set good screens on O is not a good defender at all, but has the ability to get much better…Can really be taken by aggressive/physical players…Opponents seems to dribble drive past (almost through) him with ease…Does not go for the ball on D-won't jump passing lanes or go after steals/blocks…Really needs to work on a number of areas, especially intensity. -Benjamin Eggar 30. *New York Randolph Morris 6-10 266 C Kentucky Fr. Birthdate: 1/2/86 NBA Position: Power Forward College: Kentucky Class: Freshman Ht: 6-10 Wt: 266 Hometown: Fairburn, GA High School: Landmark Christian Morris is very crafty around the basket. He has several solid post moves that include a very effective drop step, a nice spin, good jump hooks and unstoppable rebounding. Morris is a smart player around the basket as well. He knows when to settle for a jump shot or to take his defender to the basket. He’s very mature in his game and has a strong array of moves.....Still growing, Morris will most likely break the seven-foot mark. He already has a thick physique and has a chiseled frame. He doesn’t shy away from physical contact. That could be accredited to playing with fellow junior prospect Dwight Howard.....Morris needs to work on becoming a dominating defender. He can become a good shot blocker and defensive stopper with his size. He does a good job of blocking out defenders but he could always get better at it.....He’ll also have to work on drawing his jumper out to the 12 to 15 foot range in order really round off his skills. He doesn’t need to rely on that type of talent but it’s always nice to have a center who isn’t timid when forced to take an outside jumper.....Morris is a great prospect with a great future ahead of him. -Justin Young - 9.25.02