Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | June 14, 2005
There's a top-heavy class of point guards ready to enter the NBA. With many of the NBA's worst teams last season having major issues at the point (what else is new?) and a number of top prospects in this year's draft, it's possible that three of the top six picks could end up being point guards and potentially as many as four of the top ten. After that, the class drops off a bit, but there are several players capable of making teams either out of the second round or as undrafted rookies.
Sonics Outlook: Antonio Daniels is a free agent, and while he has expressed interest in returning to Seattle, that outcome is anything but a certainty. With the Sonics other point guards, Mateen Cleaves and sometimes Ronald "Flip" Murray, also free agents, point guard will be an area the Sonics may look to address this off-season. That could mean a veteran complement to starter Luke Ridnour, but could mean a rookie depending on who's available at pick 25. Taking a player in the second round with an eye towards having them serve as a third-stringer would also make sese..
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-1, 180
College: Wake Forest
The skinny: Offensively, Paul is unquestionably the real deal. As a sophomore, Paul averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 assists at the controls of a high-powered Demon Deacon offense. He has the ability to effectively mix scoring and passing, a requisite for top-tier NBA point guards. Very quick, Paul got in the lane for nearly six free throws per game. When opponents backed off of him, he made the 3 at a 47.0% clip during his NCAA career. Any questions about Paul stem from the other end of the floor. He measured in at 6-1 in shoes in Chicago, but that's still on the low side for an NBA point guard. Despite racking up a lot of steals, Paul was an okay defender at best on a Wake Forest team that struggled to slow opponents. That won't stop him from being the first point guard taken, presumably somewhere in the top four picks.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-1, 200
College: North Carolina
The skinny: An extremely highly-touted prospect entering North Carolina, Felton had three great seasons and was voted team MVP as a freshman but really developed as a junior, helping lead the Tar Heels to the National Championship. A pass-first point guard, Felton led the ACC in assists as a sophomore and junior and ranked amongst national leaders. Felton was around 12 points per game all three seasons, but dramatically improved his shooting as a junior, hitting 44.0% of his 3-pointers and 45.5% from the field overall to make him a more well-rounded offensive player. Felton ran the nation's best offense in 2004-05 at a breakneck pace. Though also on the small side, Felton is a better defender and leader than Paul.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-3, 200
College: Illinois
The skinny: Williams pushed his way into the upper echelon of the lottery as a junior while leading Illinois to a one-loss regular season that culminated in a loss to Felton and North Carolina in the NCAA title game. Williams shined during the tournament, recording a pair of double-doubles and scoring 17 points and handing out seven assists against the Tar Heels. He's drawn comparisons to Jason Kidd because of his size, passing ability and work at the defensive end of the floor. Like the Nets star, Williams' shooting is a work in progress; he shot a decent 36.4% from downtown but only 43.3% from the field as a junior. Williams also isn't as quick as the other top point guard prospects. The question for two weeks from today is whether Felton or Williams will be the second point guard taken; on the strength of his workouts, it looks like Felton has the edge.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-4, 200
College: Georgia Tech
The skinny: It wasn't really much fun to be a point guard in the ACC the last two years, now was it? As if Paul and Felton weren't enough to contend with, Jack is also an outstanding prospect. He led the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA title game as a sophomore before an up-and-down junior year for the team. Jack played the role of distributor and scorer to different amounts; as a sophomore, he really looked to dish the ball, averaging 5.6 assists. That number dropped his junior year, but Paul upped his scoring average by three points. His 2004-05 shooting percentages were actually the best of the top prospects - 51.4% from the field, 44.2% from downtown. Jack has good size and is considered a top-flight defensive prospect. He also averaged better than four rebounds per game the last two seasons, strong work from the point. Turnovers are a big issue from Jack, and he's also lacking star potential, but he should be a very solid point guard. Projections have him going anywhere from the late lottery to the late first round.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-5, 185
From: Croatia
The skinny: Despite being only 21, Ukic should be better prepared to contribute right away than many Europeans entering the league. Considered a late first-round pick last year, Ukic pulled out and played well in the Adriatic League, averaging 18.5 points and 4.3 assists per game (the latter a more impressive mark than it sounds because assists are harder to come by on the Continent). Ukic is a talented athlete with good size who has performed very well against top competition, including a much-ballyhooed performance in the 2004 Nike Hoop Summit, when he apparently outplayed 2004 lottery pick Sebastian Telfair. Ukic needs to improve his shooting and put on some weight, but he could come in and play a role a la Beno Udrih in San Antonio.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 5-9, 180
College: Washington
The skinny: In case you haven't watched SportsCenter in the last two years and don't live in the Northwest, Robinson was the most exciting player in college basketball the last three years. Just 5-9, 180, Robinson is a high-flyer whose alley-oop finishes and tip follow dunks were a staple on "Top Plays" during his sophomore and junior seasons. (One of them, "Daddy's Boy," his dunk over Jordan Kent, the son of Oregon's coach, hangs to the immediate left of my computer.) After seriously flirting with the draft last year, Robinson came back to UW for his junior season and averaged 16.4 points per game to lead the Huskies to the Pac-10 Championship and a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Robinson's 5-9 height is the biggest issue, but he should be capable of playing a key role off the bench in the NBA a la Earl Boykins.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-2, 175
High School: South Gwinnett
The skinny: Inspired by the performance of Shaun Livingston and Telfair last year, a couple more high school point guards have entered this year's draft and could be taken in the first round. Williams is 6-2, meaning a definite move to the point despite the fact that his point-guard skills are currently lacking. That makes him something of a project, but Williams has the talent to justify it. He won the Naismith Award as the nation's top prep player, and scored 20 points in both the Nike Hoop Summit and the Jordan Classic.
NBA.com profile
The measurements: 6-4, 175
High School: Lainier
The skinny: After measuring in at a solid 6-2 1/4 without shoes at the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp, Ellis may have more latitude than Williams to play shooting guard in the NBA. Like many Mississippi prep stars, Ellis racked up big scoring numbers, averaging 38.4 points as a senior. His 4,167 career points are the most ever by a Mississippi high schooler at the 4A or 5A level. Ellis was named co-Player of the Year by
Parade magazine, but his attitude has been questioned.
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The measurements: 6-1, 165
College: Marquette
The skinny: Diener comes from a basketball family and competed against his cousin, Drake, who played at DePaul. He's a heady player with good court vision who averaged 7.0 assists per game in addition to 19.7 points as a senior, earning All-Conference-USA First Team honors. Diener's size is his biggest shortcoming. Not only does it (in concert with a lack of quickness) hurt him at the defensive end of the court, but he's not a great finisher either, hitting 42.0% of his shots as a senior. But Diener is a fine outside shooter who shot 40.5% from 3-point range.
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The measurements: 6-2, 190
College: Washington
The skinny: Robinson and Conroy combined to form the heart of Husky basketball the last two seasons as Washington went from also-ran to Pac-10 Champions. A walk-on when he first arrived at UW, Conroy left as the school's all-time leader in assists as well as with the top single-season assist mark. A decent scorer, Conroy subverted his ego to set up his teammates and led the Pac-10 in assists. He's also a quality defender with the size and speed to become a top one-on-one defender in the Eric Snow mold. Conroy may have played himself into the second round with his performance in the Portsmouth and Chicago Pre-Draft Camps.
| OTHER POINT GUARD PROSPECTS |
Daryl Dorsey, Rome (WBA) - A playground star with the nickname 'Majic,' Dorsey is automatically eligible for the Draft after playing in the ABA (where he was Rookie of the Year) and now the tiny WBA.
Daniel Ewing, Duke - Moved to point guard and played well as a senior; good shooter, well-rounded, but not outstanding in any area.
John Gilchrist, Maryland - Score-first point left school after disappointing junior season.
Aaron Miles, Kansas - Good defender and ballhandler who teamed with Sonics forward Nick Collison on 2003 NCAA runner-up.
Filiberto Rivera, UTEP- Another rebounder/defender battling Miles and Conroy for spots in the second round.
