Best Perimeter Players in 2009 Draft

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 22, 2009

Best Perimeter Players in 2009 Draft

Ricky Rubio

Take away the unrealistic Pete Maravich comparisons -- same floppy dark hair, same ball-handling showmanship, but Rubio will never be close to the scorer that Pistol Pete was -- and there's still plenty of hype with good reason. Rubio has the gift of a court presence and leadership that few 18-year-olds can come close to matching. While lacking great speed, a potential concern on defense, he can run an offense at different speeds.

James Harden

Harden seems a certainty to have a long and successful career because he does so many things well, even without the predraft splash of most other projected lottery picks. The top prospect at shooting guard could go in the top three and will probably be taken in the top five.

Jrue Holiday

Making the difficult transition to point guard with very little experience as a primary point guard, Holiday's development will be tracked for years with the potential for a great return or to become a forced pick. It helps that he could become a good defender.

Tyreke Evans

Evans doesn't shoot well enough to make it as a shooting guard, so, at least for now, he'll have to make it at the point. He has great size at 6-5 and the experience of having played there some in college.

Stephen Curry

Big-time scoring threat as a combo guard who, like Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, will have to be more of a distributor than in college. Even without great explosiveness, Curry's quick release means he will be able to get his shot in the NBA.

Brandon Jennings

A pedal-to-the-metal point guard in every way -- plays fast and is his own man who would much rather set the course than follow. Jennings, a Californian who played professionally in Italy last season rather than take the usual college route, will put a great push in someone's offense.

DeMar DeRozan

He is auper-athletic swingman who needs to develop a dependable perimeter game to ensure defenses don't back off and strictly play him to drive. DeRozan may be the ultimate investment among lottery picks, a player who will need a couple of years to begin to pay off, at which time it could become a very big payoff.

Jonny Flynn

Flynn has had some very good showings in workouts and appears to be a certainty for the top 10. With his speed and experience running an offense in pressure situations, it's no wonder.

Gerald Henderson

Henderson is versatile enough to play both wing spots, though at 6-5 he's destined for the backcourt a lot more in the NBA than college, with a varied offensive game to match. His quickness will be an advantage if a team does want to play him at small forward in situations.

Terrence Williams

A swingman who is probably the best perimeter defender in the draft and handles the ball well enough to play some point forward, he has been compared to Doug Christie. An inconsistent offensive game will hold him back.

Jeff Teague

Teague jumped into lottery territory with a sophomore season of improved shooting and range, adding to an aggressive scoring mind-set. He played shooting guard as a freshman and primarily point guard as a sophomore, but at 6-1 and 175 pounds, the future is obviously solely at the point.

Austin Daye

Daye is a talented, versatile offensive threat who can shoot and handle the ball at 6-11. The problem is he's also a rail at 192 pounds, raising doubts about his ability to hang in against the NBA rigors and, therefore, be consistent, too.

Chase Budinger

Budinger uses his elite athleticism and height (6-7) to score in a variety of ways, by rising over defenders for a jump shot in half-court sets or beating the pack to the basket in transition. Defense is the concern.

Ty Lawson

The ACC Player of the Year is small (6-1) but strong and has a history of playing big in big moments.

Eric Maynor

He burst on the national scene in the 2008 tournament and a season later solidified his standing as one of the best true point guards in the country. Maynor is just 164 pounds, though, and will not beat anyone with athleticism.