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UCLA Pair Part of Point Guard Heavy Draft
In recent years, we have seen how drafting a point guard can help change the face of an NBA franchise. Think of the impact Chris Paul has had on the Hornets, Deron Williams in Utah, Rajon Rando with the Celtics, or just this past year, what Derrick Rose brought to the Bulls. If you are a team in need of a point guard this year, the crop of point guard prospects is deeper than any draft this decade, possibly of all time, and could produce a couple players who may have the impact of the aforementioned young NBA floor leaders. Two prospects who play “the one,” Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison played their college ball at perhaps the most storied of all programs, UCLA.
Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, and Stephen Curry join Holiday in a group of players that could be picked in the lottery to run the point at the next level. That list doesn’t include Tyreke Evans who ran the point at Memphis, but figures to be a two-guard in the NBA. Add in the likes of Eric Maynor, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Nick Calathes, and Patrick Mills, and I have 10 point guards being taken in the first round in my latest 2009 NBA Mock Draft. It’s possible that number could grow to as high as 12 if Holiday’s teammate Collison or Florida State’s Toney Douglas sneaks into the first round.
Jrue Holiday
Despite grossly underachieving in his freshman year at UCLA, Holiday is catching the eye of many NBA teams. Holiday was highly recruited coming out of high school, but played out of position with the Bruins, spending more time at the off-guard than the point since Darren Collison was already the squad’s established leader. He struggled in Ben Howland’s offense which is more a grind-it-out style rather than an up-tempo system which would better fit Holiday’s game. Still, based on his potential and athleticism, Holiday decided to declare for the 2009 NBA Draft and could possibly go as high as No. 4 to Sacramento. Playing at possibly the most high-profile program of all may give Holiday an advantage over other rookies in adjusting to the bright lights of the NBA. “At UCLA you’re definitely an icon at school, around campus and pretty much everywhere you go because of the stature that UCLA has built, and it definitely prepares you for NBA life,” Holiday told me at the NBA Draft Combine.
Darren Collison
As for Collison, he would have been better off declaring for the NBA Draft after his sophomore or junior season when he was considered a possible lottery pick. Returning to UCLA and putting together a less-than-stellar senior season really hurt his stock as he will most likely be taken early in the second round. There is a chance that due to his experience, quickness and shooting ability, he could end up being selected in the latter part of the first round. “I’m an unselfish teammate, I’ve never been on a team where it’s ‘I’ and we have to work around an individual. A team that takes me will get a great point guard because I’ve been in school for four years so I know what it takes to win at the second highest level and I’ve been to the final four three out of the four years,” Collison said at the 2009 NBA Draft combine.
Truly, this is the NBA’s Golden Age of point guards. Older veterans like Steve Nash, Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups are still in their prime or just slightly dropping off it. They’ll be remembered among the games’ all-time greats because they played in a era where young star floor-generals like Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose also emerged. The Association’s talent level at the point will only increase with the 2009 draft class.
“This is the draft you want to be in right now if you’re a point guard. Everyone’s getting so much credit, from Jonny Flynn, to me, to Eric Maynor right on down the list because everyone knows they need point guards to win ballgames, to take that next step. And teams need a first string and a second string the whole game to be solid, and all the point guards in this draft have the potential to do that,” Collison said.
Written by Paul Banks of NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
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