Mark’s Top Five Draft Prospects for the 2010 NBA Draft

John Wall- At 6’4” with a 6-9 wingspan, Wall has the physical stature to defend shooting guards at the NBA level. He has been compared to Chicago’s Derrick Rose albeit a bigger and perhaps more versatile player given his size. He has the ability to create his own shot and get to the foul line where he converted at 75%. His quickness and size allows him to take the ball inside and be an effective scorer near the basket against bigger players. He is an above average passer but has a tendency to turn the ball over as well. Opposing defenders often try to force Wall to his left as he tends to play stronger going right and needs to develop more balance in that area. He is viewed as NBA ready and will be expected to contribute immediately.

Evan Turner-At 6-7, Turner has the size and quickness to guard smaller and bigger players effectively and is a quality passer and rebounder. His strength is his ability to not only get to the rim but finish inside, however he did not draw fouls as one would suspect for a player that had the ball in his hands the third most in the college game (excluding primary ball handlers). Turner has guard skills in a big body and that ability to handle the ball enabled him to drive and create his own shot but he often settled on the jump shot as his primary weapon. Because of his versatility, he was the focus of opposing defense’s which helped free up team mates and this versatility makes him one of the more rounded players in the draft.

Derrick Favors-Standing at 6-10 and weighing close to 250 pounds, Favors is a physical specimen that NBA teams love. He might still be growing at 18 years of age which could mean a few more pounds to throw around in the post where he’s most effective. With his size, soft hands and quickness, Favors was a deadly 61% from the floor which consisted of a variety of put backs and in close jumpers. Despite his soft hands, he was turnover prone for a guy that didn’t see the ball often. His physical stature makes him a natural rebounder and defensive force near the basket. His age and lack of experience means he’ll need to improve his game (offensive) significantly before he can make an impact. That means Favors needs to develop an effective jump shot and be able to dribble the ball without turning it over. His 62% at the line is sub par at any level and the team that drafts him must be patient as he polishes his all around game especially offensively.

DeMarcus Cousins-The NBA is always looking for big men who can clog the middle and challenge shots, rebound and score and the 6-11 Cousins can do it all to varying degrees, thanks to his size and strength which he used to carve out plenty of room to generate offense or chase down rebounds. The knock on him is his age and experience and sometimes a tendency to become a spectator on the floor which many see as a lack of focus. Perhaps his biggest problem was in fact playing on a team with several high profile players and an up tempo style that didn’t necessarily match his strengths. He is a bigger version of Derrick Favors with maybe more potential in the long run but his conditioning and desire are questionable.

Wesley Johnson-The 6-7 forward had the size, quickness and strength to do a little bit of everything on a talent heavy Syracuse squad. He was a dependable ball handler and made the most of scoring opportunities despite sharing the wealth with a multitude of scorers. His physical abilities enabled him to defend multiple positions as well as rebound and score in the paint. He has excellent range and the intelligence to play to his strengths but seems to shy away from the game’s physical side and doesn’t get to the line as much as he should. For someone who will be expected to put the ball on the floor and create shots at the next level he needs to work on his passing and ball handling skills. Many believe he has limited upside and it’s what you see is what you get with him.

There are a number of projections and virtually every team is listening to trade offers and the normal wheeling and dealing as everybody looks to improve their draft position. I’d be surprised if these players were drafted in this order with every team having different needs. We’ll know a lot more by 12 AM EST on Thursday.