2003 NBA Draft: Top 15 point guards (by Chad Ford)
1. T.J. Ford, Texas
The line: 6-0, 162, Sophomore
The skinny: Ford's stock got a huge boost when he measured 6-foot-0 and 1/4
in Chicago. He's widely regarded as the top point guard in college hoops. He
may be the fastest player in basketball, pro or college. Has an uncanny
ability to see the floor and deliver it with laser-like accuracy. Call it a
kind of point guard sixth sense -- the same stuff that fuels Jason Kidd's
mojo. His only real weakness is his size and lack of a consistent jumper.
Still, at a recent workout for the Raptors, he was hitting every shot. He's
not for everybody, but there's almost no way he falls out of the Top 10.
Look for him to go as high as No. 4 to the Raptors. He won't slip past the
Bucks at No. 8.
2. Kirk Hinrich, Kansas
The line: 6-4, 186, Senior
The skinny: Hinrich is pulling away from the competition as the second-best
point guard in the draft. Hinrich's workout reviews have been solid to
stellar everywhere he's gone. Hinrich worked out better than any other point
guard they've had in. If the Bucks pick a point guard at No. 8, and T.J. Ford
already is off the board, it looks like Hinrich is the guy. Hinrich has the
size, floor vision, ball handling, unselfishness and long-range jumper that
scouts beg for in a point guard. While some worry about his strength and
lateral quickness, most teams feel he's go as high as No. 8 to the Bucks and
no lower than No. 15 to the Magic.
3. Reece Gaines, Louisville
The line: 6-6, 205, Senior
The skinny: He's 6-6, has legitimate point-guard skills, is a great athlete
and has developed into a legit 3-point marksman. Several scouts used words
like "slick" and "savvy" to describe his play. If teams are convinced he can
be a full-time point guard in the pros, he's got a great shot at the late
lottery. If they think he's a combo guard, he's looking at a mid-to-late
first-round selection. Right now he could go as high as No. 10 to the Wizards
and should slip no lower than No. 15 to the Magic.
4. Leandrinho Barbosa, Brazil*
The line: 6-4, 220, 20 years old
The skinny: Barbosa's had several strong workouts over the past few weeks.
Teams are amazed by his speed, explosiveness, lateral quickness and 6-foot-10
wingspan. A couple of issues are holding him back. How quickly can Barbosa
learn English? That's the biggest question in most scouts' minds. One Western
Conference coach told me he loves Barbosa, but he's afraid to draft him early
because of the language barrier. Your point guard must be able to communicate
with the coach and his teammates. His agent has him in English lessons for two
hours a day; he better make it four. A few teams are also worried about an
unorthodox jump shot. It goes in, but his slow release makes it easier to
block. He's considered a one-year project, but he'll probably go anywhere
from No. 14 to Seattle down to No. 21 to Atlanta.
5. Luke Ridnour, Oregon
The line: 6-2, 167, Junior
The skinny: Ridnour has gotten some pretty mixed reviews over the past week.
While teams like his shooting touch and his innate feel for the game, concerns
about his quickness, toughness and ability to play defense in the NBA are
lowering his stock a bit. Two teams that have worked him out claim they like
him, but don't project him to be much more than a back-up point in the NBA --
especially for the first two or three years. Of course, that's what they said
about Steve Nash in 1996. He'll go as high as the Warriors at No. 11 or he
could slip all the way to No. 20 to the Celtics.
6. Marcus Banks, UNLV
The line: 6-2, 200, Senior
The skinny: Think a poor man's Baron Davis. Banks already has an NBA body and
an NBA-type game. He's strong, can get to the basket at will and already plays
solid defense. He's got great court vision and can really run the break.
However, he has issues. He's an inconsistent shooter from the perimeter, is
turnover prone and scouts fear he's closer to 6-0 than 6-2. His strong workout
in Boston has led many to believe he'll be taken there. He could go as high as
Boston at No. 16 or slip all the way to San Antonio at No. 28.
7. Zoran Planinic, Croatia*
The line: 6-7, 215, 21 years old
The skinny: Planinic wowed teams like the Nets, Spurs, Sonics and Bucks in
individual workouts. His surprising athleticism, lethal outside shot and
knack for finding the open man have teams scrambling to get him in for a closer
look. When you're 6-foot-8 and considered a "pure" point guard, teams are going
to notice. It's not inconceivable Planinic could work his way up to No. 14 to
the Sonics, but it's more likely that, with more strong performances, he'll end
up at No. 22 to the Nets or No. 28 to the Spurs. There's still a possibility
that he slips into the second round.
8. Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's*
The line: 6-0, 190, Junior
The skinny: Nelson helped himself in the Chicago camp, but did he help himself
enough to make it into the first round? He's already got an NBA body, can take
his guy off the dribble at will and is an excellent rebounder for someone his
size. But he's still just 5-foot-11 without shoes. He'd be much better off
returning to school and coming out next season when things aren't quite so
crowded.
9. Chris Thomas, Notre Dame
The line: 6-1, 182, Sophmore
The skinny: He's a true point guard, but his size and lack of strength are
scaring teams away. The word in Chicago was Thomas would stay in the draft no
matter what. Early predictions by some that he was a mid-first-rounder appear
to be way off. Someone like New Jersey or Minnesota could gamble on him in the
first round. More likely, he'll be an early second-round pick.
10. Troy Bell, Boston College
The line: 6-2, 183, Senior
The skinny: No one helped his stock more in Chicago than Bell. He shot the ball
well, proved he was capable of running the point and excelled at most of the
physical tests teams ran him through. Right now he's projecting as a Bobby
Jackson-type instant scorer off the bench. Will that be enough to get him into
the first round? Bell caught the Lakers' eye at No. 24, and Minnesota will take
a long look at No. 26, but most likely, he's now an early second-rounder.
11. Maurice Williams, Alabama*
The line: 6-1, 183, Sophmore
The skinny: Williams is a slick point guard with all of the requisite tools. He
has superb handles and a killer crossover that helps him get the ball to the
basket. He loves to drive and dish and is also solid running the pick and roll.
He plays in control and has a nice mid-range game. He's also a strong floor
leader. He does have his flaws, however. He gets abused at times on the
defensive end. He has the strength and size to be a good defender, but hasn't
shown the effort. He isn't a great athlete. He's quick, but not explosive. He
needs to work on his jumper, especially his 3-ball. After just a so-so
performance in Chicago, expect Williams to drop out of the draft and return to
school. If he doesn't, he's a second rounder.
12. Paccelis Morlende, France*
The line: 6-3, 190, 21 years old
The skinny: The next Tony Parker? Morlende was actually once ranked higher
than Parker in France. He's a great athlete with good size for a point guard.
However, he doesn't have Parker's "knack" for running the point. Still, he's
intriguing and the reviews from the few workouts he's done are positive.
Right now, it looks like Morlende is stuck in Round 2.
13. Kristaps Volters, Latvia
The line: 6-2, 185, 22 years old
The skinny: When NBA scouts start traveling to Latvia, you know there's
something to his game. Volters could be this year's Milos Vujanic. He's an
electric point guard that zooms up and down the floor and is lethal from long
range. His dad was a legendary coach on the Russian national team. He's fallen
off the radar screen a bit because of where he plays, but lately he's gotten
a lot of attention from scouts. He's a second rounder.
14. Marcus Hatten, St. Johns
The line: 6-2, 163, Senior
The skinny: Size. Size. Size. If he were 6-foot-5, he'd be a lottery pick. He's
an explosive scorer who can absolutely dominate a game when he gets it going.
But is he a point guard? His underwhelming performance in Chicago didn't help
anything. He's stuck in the second round.
15. Jermaine Boyette, Weber State
The line: 6-2, 187, Senior
The skinny: Boyette was a dominant scorer in both the PIT and the Chicago
pre-draft camp, but teams still wonder if he can handle point guard duties in
the NBA. Someone will take a chance on him in round two.
Others to watch: Steve Blake, Maryland; Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh; Jason
Gardner, Arizona; Julius Barnes, Stanford; Derrick Zimmerman, Mississippi
State
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