NBA Draft Analysis, 1st Round Steals

Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats, Rd 1, PK 9)
Jordan Bertoncini

Kemba Walker going to the Charlotte Bobcats can be a big help to the team. The reason for this is because the Charlotte Bobcats have been lacking a main leader for the team since Gerald Wallace got traded to the Trailblazers. The Bobcats main scorer now is Stephen Jackson who is not very good in late game situations and has been injured for quite some time this season. Since the Bobcats lacked in scoring, acquiring Kemba was a very good pick to boost their record. Kemba Is a high energy player who gets to the rim and draws fouls against the opposing players getting many into foul trouble. He also can score at will and can play for 37-40 minutes per game. Kemba is not only a key scorer, but he is a great passer and rebounder for a guard. He likes to have the ball in close late game situations and gets the job done in lake game situations. He was the first player in Uconn history to break the 900 point barrier.

Jimmer Fredette (Sacramento Kings, Rd 1, PK 10)
Jeremy Bernstein

Jimmer played 4 years of ball at Brigham Young University. The kid is a flat out ridiculous shooter. I have never seen a human being shoot as well as he does. His range is impeccable and he’s just a lights out shooter. Not only is he a spot up shooter but he can also shoot off the dribble. This year Jimmer was the leading scorer in all of NCAA basketball averaging 28.9 ppg. He’s a terrific free throw shooter as well. Fredette is one of the fiercest competitors that college basketball has seen in a while. His passion for the game is on another level. You can feel his love for the game just seeing his expressions and how much effort and hustle he puts into every possession of every game. One aspect of Jimmers game that gets overlooked is his ability to create shots for players on his team. He spreads the court because he’s such a great shooter which then opens passing lanes and makes it easier to look for the open man. He was the 10th pick in the draft and he was selected to the Sacramento Kings. This was a solid pick and a good fit for Jimmer because they are in a rebuilding stage and they have nice young talent. If he and Tyreeke Evans can mesh together the Kings will be better for years to come. Jimmer reminds me of a young Reggie Miller because of his amazing shooting ability and his passion for the game. The intangibles are there for Jimmer, let’s just wait and see what he can do in the NBA.

Marshon Brooks (Boston Celtics, Round 1, PK 25 )
Arjun Iyer

Marshon Brooks exploded onto the scene in his senior season at Providence. Brooks is a player that has tremendous upside and many think he is not even close to reaching his ceiling. After rapidly ascending draft boards across the league, Brooks eventually landed with the Boston Celtics with the twenty fifth overall pick. The Celtics aren’t getting any younger, and the members of their core group, the big three, are all closing in on the final years of their career, which is why it is becoming much more important for them to hit on their draft picks then in years past. Brooks is a player that has the look of a potential superstar in the NBA, in fact, many NBA talent evaluators have said they see flashes of Kobe Bryant in Brooks’ game, including Kobe’s current trainer, Tim Grover. They both have big hands and long arms, which allows them to keep the ball away from defenders when driving to the basket to finish a layup. Brooks also has the potential to be an elite defender at the NBA level so long as he puts in the effort. His long arms and tall frame will allow him to block a lot of shots and occupy a lot of space, but in college he didn’t put in enough work and his defensive stats were not spectacular. Brooks’ shooting is also an underrated part of his game, as his stats are skewed by his poor shot selection. When Brooks takes good shots, he makes them a large percentage of the time, however he tends to take a lot of bad shots which brings his shooting percentage down to the point where it looks as though he is not a good shooter. If Brooks can work on his shot selection his numbers will go way up. Lastly, Brooks is deadly in transition. He had one of the most impressive ¾ court sprints at 3.09 seconds and can finish in a handful of ways. Overall, look for Brooks to be a prolific scorer in the NBA.