by Roven Yau
Special to raptors.com
June 9, 2006

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The third day of the NBA Pre-Draft Camp was a heavy dose of reality for many of the 60 prospects participating at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. With life-changing decisions looming on the horizon, the field clearly began to separate itself between NBA-caliber talent and wishful thinkers.

Renaldo Balkman has impressed with his grit. (Getty Images)

“It’s a reality check for some of them,” Raptors director of player personnel Jim Kelly said. “They have been told that they are good players. They have been written about as good players and probably think they are good players by now. But then they come here and find out they are just like everybody else.”

Last season, 11 of the 60 players that attended the pre-draft camp were taken on the big night in New York. After getting the first-game jitters out of the way, the focus on the second day of full-court competition was all about establishing presence on and off the court.

“The large percentage of these guys here are not going to get drafted,” Kelly said, “So you have to take a close look in the mirror and ask yourself, is this what I want to do?”

CLIMBING UP THE LADDER: One player that turned heads during the morning session was South Carolina sophomore Renaldo Balkman. The scrappy player who helped the Gamecocks to back-to-back NIT Championships, stayed true to his strengths and earned a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds).

Balkman was not considered a high prospect entering the pre-draft camp, but has posted strong numbers across the board. His relentless full-court defence caused two steals in transition and he also dominated the boards with five offensive rebounds.

“That’s what I do, get rebounds and mix things up,” Balkman said. “My objective is to do my stuff and play hard. A lot of people doubted me, so I had to come here and show them I’m better than they think.

Gonzaga's JP Batista got a chance to step in Thursday. (Getty Images)

Balkman, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward, has not signed with an agent, but may change his mind after his performance this week. Unlike some prospects that are consumed by draft positioning, Balkman could be a nice addition for the Raptors late in the second round.

ON THE REBOUND: Forward Kenny Adeleke made not have played for a big-name school, but he has emerged as an active force on the boards at the pre-draft camp. On Wednesday Adeleke, who played at Hofstra and Hartford, led his team with 14 rebounds and was active again during Thursday’s contest with six offensive boards.

“I feel like I’m the most active rebounder in the camp and I play the hardest,” Adeleke said. “So every rebound that comes up I go after it. I love to rebound and that’s what I want to make a living doing.”

At 6-foot-9, Adeleke also has the ability to create points in the post with his size. He went 6-15 from the field to lead his team with 17 points.

“The coaches have done a great job of getting the ball in the post,” he said. “Camps like this are usually for guards, where they put up a lot of shots. I definitely got a lot of post-ups and made most of them.”

Like Balkman, Adeleke’s performance this week may elevate him into late second round pick.

MISC: Centre Michael Southall (La-Tech) and Tedric Hill (Gulf Coast C.C.) did not play on Thursday due to illness. Gonzaga’s JP Batista and UW-Milwaukee’s Joah Tucker filled in.