Best Draft Prospects: Power Forwards
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Best Draft Prospects: Power Forwards
Anthony Bennett
He will miss pre-draft workouts after having rotator cuff surgery in May. Bennett is an explosive athlete, has a credible back-to-the-basket and face-up game and legitimate three-point range (38.3 percent last season). He's something of a tweener, but if he settles into a position, Bennett has superstar potential.
Cody Zeller
Zeller tested well at the combine, showcasing tremendous athleticism. Teams will want to see how he shoots from the perimeter at individual workouts, but there is no denying that Zeller is a skilled offensive player. "He's a 7-footer who can score," a Western Conference GM said. "I can work with a talent like that."
Tony Mitchell
His production tailed off last season and reports of poor effort -- reports Mitchell confirmed to the media and team officials at the draft combine -- will stick with him for a while. Still, Mitchell is a tantalizing talent with undeniable inside-out skills.
Mike Muscala
Muscala wasn't the most athletic big man at the draft combine, but his diverse offensive skill set didn't go unnoticed. Muscala defined himself as a stretch 4, and he shot the ball well from 10-15 feet. He will have to show at the individual workouts that he is physical enough to match up with opposing power forwards.
Jackie Carmichael
Strong and physical, Carmichael averaged 9.7 rebounds as a junior and 9.3 as a senior while playing about 30 minutes per game. His offensive game is limited, but Carmichael could find a home in the NBA as a dirty-work player.
Trevor Mbakwe
Mbakwe acknowledged at the draft combine that he'll have to answer for some off-court issues, including an assault case that caused him to miss the 2009-10 season and a DWI that nearly led to his dismissal from the Minnesota team last season. He's also less than two years removed from ACL surgery and is already 24 after being granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2012-13. But Mbakwe is an excellent rebounder and hustle player, making him a potential second-round pick.
Livio Jean-Charles
Jean-Charles turned heads with a 27-point, 13-rebound performance for the World team at the Nike Hoops Summit in April. He is a top-notch athlete with a 7-2 wingspan.
Erik Murphy
Murphy is a stretch power forward type who made 45.3 percent of his 4.4 three-point attempts as a senior, when he averaged 12.2 points in 26.4 minutes. He didn't attempt a single three-pointer among his 80 shot attempts in limited minutes as a freshman, but that number grew to 30 as a sophomore, 140 as a junior and 159 as a senior.
Bojan Dubljevic
Dubljevic has been productive for Valencia in Spain's highly regarded ACB League. His strength is his ability to stretch the defense with his perimeter shooting. Whether he can defend in the NBA despite a lack of athleticism remains to be seen.
Richard Howell
Howell is a superb rebounder: He averaged an ACC-best 10.9 boards in 31.6 minutes as a senior last season. He's undersized but makes up for it with strength and toughness.