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2013 NBA Draft Stock
Updated 11/22
2013 NBA Draft Stock: Buying
Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse, Soph. Stuck behind Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters, and Brandon Triche a year ago, Carter-Williams had to wait his turn on the Orange team, but has emerged as one of the breakout players so far this season. His stat line this season is ridiculous: 12.4 points, 10.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 steals per game.
At 6-6, Carter-Williams has unique size for the point guard position, but he uses that to his advantage as a slasher and defender. His court vision is incredible, but he doesn’t shoot that well from distance. Regardless, Carter-Williams might be the top point guard prospect in the 2013 NBA Draft and would certainly be a lottery pick if he left Syracuse after this season.
Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown, Soph. As expected, Porter has become a terrific all-around talent for the Hoyas. He is doing a little bit of everything on the floor and has made strides with his outside shooting. The 6-8 forward is a bona fide lottery prospect, and the scary thing is that he is nowhere near reaching his full potential.
Greg Whittington, G/F, Georgetown, Soph. Porter isn’t the only Hoya sophomore catching the eyes of NBA scouts. Whittington has made a leap this season as a long wing who can score it from the inside or outside, and he is actually averaging more rebounds per game than Porter. Whittington hasn’t shot the ball all that well this year, but is a capable perimeter threat. His size is also attractive for the next level and if he decides to leave Georgetown after this season, he would be in the discussions as a mid-first rounder.
Vander Blue, SG, Marquette, Jr. A highly touted recruit out of Madison Memorial High School, Blue had his share of ups and downs during his first two years at Marquette. The exit of Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder left a void in scoring for the Golden Eagles, and Blue has emerged as the team’s top offensive threat.
Blue’s biggest development has been his outside shooting. He connected on just 21% of his triple tries the past two seasons but is hitting 47% from distance this year. Blue remains at his best in transition, but he is looking much more comfortable and confident with his perimeter stroke. That has him back on the NBA Draft radar.
Fuquan Edwin, G/F, Seton Hall, Jr. With the reputation as an outstanding perimeter defender, Edwin popped onto my radar last year. His athleticism and ability to get to the bucket is also an important weapon to his game, but this year he has shown strides as an outside shooter. Edwin has connected on 51% of his three-point attempts and is a legitimate first-round prospect if he bolts from the Pirates after this season.
2013 NBA Draft Stock: Selling
Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh, Fr. The New Zealand native is loaded with upside and based on size and potential alone, would be a first-round pick. However, Adams is far from being a polished big man and would be best served sticking around Pittsburgh to hone his craft before making the jump to the league. Doing that could vault him into the 2014 NBA Draft lottery.
Mouphtaou Yarou, C, Villanova, Sr. Because of his size and athleticism, Yarou was once considered a possible first-round pick, but he has done nothing this season to prove worthy of being drafted at all. His offensive game remains limited, and his production has actually decreased from a year ago as both a rebounder and shot-blocker, which were considered his two biggest strengths.
Trent Lockett, SG, Marquette, Sr. I was expecting the Arizona State transfer to have a breakout senior campaign in his lone season with the Golden Eagles, but he has been rather disappointing. Lockett struggles creating his own shots and has not been as efficient from three-point range as he was with the Sun Devils. He also lacks the explosiveness at the rim to be a true draft prospect.
2013 NBA Draft Stock - Dec. 20
2013 NBA Draft Stock - Dec. 14
2013 NBA Draft Stock - Nov. 22
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Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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