Top NBA Draft Prospects

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 21, 2008

Top NBA Draft Prospects

Michael Beasley

(Note: Early-entry candidates who did not sign with agents can withdraw from the draft by June 16. The draft is June 26.)<br><br> Beasley, Kansas State's first All-America since 1959, averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in his only collegiate season. The inside-outside threat also shot 53.2 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three-point range. He is projected to be one of the first two players selected.

Derrick Rose

Rose is expected to challenge Michael Beasley for No. 1 pick honors after showing off his ability as a pure floor leader in lifting Memphis to the national championship game. With a more reliable outside jump shot, Rose could be close to the complete package at his position.

Jerryd Bayless

The speedy slasher and explosive finisher is in the mix to be the second guard picked, after Derrick Rose. A bit undersized, Bayless might have to play more point guard in the NBA than he did at Arizona, where he averaged 19.7 points and 4.0 assists.

Brook Lopez

Regarded as the No. 1 center in the draft, Lopez showed his stuff on the national stage with 30- and 26-point performances in the NCAA tournament.

Danilo Gallinari

As a versatile 19-year-old with deep shooting range, Gallinari has been the best player on his team in the Serie A and the tough Euroleague. He is the top international prospect and one of the more skilled players in the draft.

O.J. Mayo

Mayo's predraft workout circuit surely will include questions from NBA teams about allegations that he accepted money while at USC. Beyond that, though, Mayo figures to impress with his offensive game, the main reason why he will be a high pick.

Eric Gordon

Gordon won't have any difficulty adjusting to the deeper NBA three-point line; his shooting range is unquestioned. He slumped late in the season (after injuring his wrist) and finished with more turnovers than assists, but his scoring ability off the dribble and as a jump shooter make him attractive.

Anthony Randolph

One scout said the slender Randolph "has the most upside of anybody" and likened him to Chris Bosh when the Raptors' All-Star was a freshman at Georgia Tech. Randolph doesn't turn 19 until July.

Kevin Love

The "knows-how-to-play-the-game" line applies neatly to Love, a first-team All-America who scores inside and out, rebounds well and is an accomplished passer. Love will need to improve his conditioning going forward.

DeAndre Jordan

The ultimate "upside" prospect, Jordan played sparingly in two NCAA tournament games and was a part-time starter throughout a season in which he averaged 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. But the NBA-type athleticism and size -- more than the freshman production -- is why Jordan is being talked about as a potential lottery pick.

Darrell Arthur

Arthur showed flashes of dominance -- a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against Memphis in the NCAA final certainly didn't hurt -- in a relatively modest amount of playing time (24.7 minutes a game) with the well-balanced national champions.

Nicolas Batum

The 19-year-old considered entering the draft last year after impressing scouts at an All-Star game between top U.S. high school players and a group of young international pros. A scout described him as one of the top five athletes in the draft, but Batum struggles with his perimeter shooting and overall consistency.

D.J. Augustin

Able to emerge from Kevin Durant's shadow as the Longhorns' go-to guard, Augustin, whose lone weakness may be his size, won 56 games in two seasons and was a consensus All-America last season.

Kosta Koufos

The Greek sensation follows Greg Oden's path of one-and-done with the Buckeyes, but his numbers (14.4 points per game, 6.7 rebounds) were not as impressive as last year's No. 1 pick (15.7, 9.6). Unlike Oden, Koufos can make deep jump shots.

Russell Westbrook

Westbrook jumped from nine minutes a game as a freshman to 34 as sophomore. A big-time slasher and leaper, Westbrook lacks range on his jump shot and still must prove that he is capable of playing minutes at point guard.

JaVale McGee

The skilled big man averaged 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds and led the WAC with 2.8 blocks per game. His mother, Pam, a former U.S. Olympian and WNBA player with the Sacramento Monarchs, has nicknamed her son the Big Secret.

Joe Alexander

A manic worker, Alexander has been known to sleep in West Virginia's basketball arena and work until exhaustion. As a junior, he broke out with 16.9 points a game and showed an ability to body up underneath in Bob Huggins' offense.

Chase Budinger

Budinger didn't improve his stock with a so-so sophomore season and still might return to Arizona. If he remains in the draft, Budinger has the skill set to be considered for a lottery spot.

Donte Greene

Another year of seasoning with the Orange wouldn't have hurt as Greene needs to add strength and become more discerning with his shot selection. Nevertheless, his length, athleticism and raw talent are tempting calling cards.

Jason Thompson

For four years, Thompson was the big fish in the small-pool MAAC. Now he is expected to jump from a bus league -- which he owned with 20.4 points and 12.1 rebounds in addition to 2.7 blocks -- to the first round.

Chris Douglas-Roberts

Better known for his feel for the game than his physicality, the Detroit native has a creative offensive mind and is known for his ability to adapt on offense. He thrived in John Calipari's dribble-drive offense.

Brandon Rush

Fresh off his clutch play during the Jayhawks' national title run, Rush -- who has watched his oldest brother, Jaron, go undrafted out of UCLA and his other brother, Kareem, selected with the No. 20 pick out of Missouri -- is expected to go in the first round.

Top NBA Draft Prospects