More 08 Draft Discussion

After unveiling the Pre-season Rookie Ranks and going over the draft picks again, a few more thoughts jumped out:

1. Who is Jason Thompson, C, Sacramento Kings?

The big fella hails from Rider is a small private university with two campuses in Lawrenceville, NJ and Princeton, NJ. Thompson is the first Rider basketball player to ever be drafted. In 08 he was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference POY and averaged over 20-and-10. He scored in double figures in all 34 of Rider's games. He also put up big numbers against superior competition:

He went for 24-and-15 in a 72-63 loss to North Carolina State. Then followed that up with 24-and-7 in an 82-69 loss to Kansas State. More importantly, he outplayed Michael Beasley, who uncharacteristically had just 13 points alongside 10 rebounds.

Against the toast of the MAAC, Siena, Thompson did the same: 23-and-21 in an 89-75 win, and 22-and-12 in a 74-53 loss. Recall that Siena, a 13-seed, dispatched Vanderbilt 83-62, before falling to Villanova 84-72 in the Tourney.

With that said, the numbers are obviously encouraging. So are the splits against the best competition he faced.

As a King, he will however face some obstacles and so it is difficult to project how he will perform. After all, this is essentially the same pick they made last year (Spencer Hawes, 10th pick). What's more, is he any better than Sheldon Williams, whom the Kings acquired from the Hawks in the Mike Bibby trade? With Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Mikki Moore, Hawes, and Williams already in the mix, Thompson's minute will likely be slim.

2. Remember Chris Doulgas-Roberts, G, New Jersey Nets?

The Memphis Tiger slasher fell to the fortieth pick.

Unlike Thompson, CDR is a known commodity. He got plenty of TV time with the elite Tigers--especially in the Tennessee showdown and the NCAA tournament.

A lot of folks point to the Tennessee game and the Kansas Championship game as a measuring stick because they were the two toughest games of the season for CDR and the Tigers. They were also Memphis' only two losses.

In the UT game, Doulgas-Roberts was rather ineffective, notching just 14 points in the 66-62 loss. As for the KU Championship game, it is hard to call his performance a short-coming, considering his 22 points and the quality of the Jayhawks team. Regardless, he faced judgment for those two games and the Tigers ultimate second-place finish.

Is that the reason he fell to 40? Or is it because he is 6-5 and just 190 pounds? Or something else?

Whatever the reason, it is probably unfair because he can flat-out score. He is a classic NBA SG and an underrated defender. On a team like the 2009 Nets, everyone will get their chances, and that is essentially what CDR needs. Don't be surprised if he busts out for a handful of 20-point games. Let the young Rip Hamilton comparisons begin.

3. There is not a better scenario for Brandon Rush than in the Pacers offense

The recent NCAA Champion was one of the most consistent players in the last three years. He averaged 13-and-5 each year in Lawrence, KS. While those numbers don't jump out, remember that he shared the ball with Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur, and even Sasha Kaun. He was never the featured player in the offense because no one was.

With that said, Rush is an elite player. Like most pundits have said, he is big at 6-7 and NBA-ready after his tenure at KU and a National Championship. On top of that, Jim O'Brien's offense in Indiana is tailor-made for players like Rush--effective mid-range and three-point scorers. This is not to say that Rush will evolve into an NBA All-Star (he very well may), but rather to project him as a career double-figure scorer in the NBA.

Every great team needs a player (or two) like Rush. Effective scorers who can hold their own on defense. This is exactly what Rush offers. The 13-and-5 he averaged at KU is not out of question by year 2 for the Pacers.