Every NBA Draft has a few hidden gems.
If you are looking to accurately judge an NBA team’s ability to scout and identify future NBA talent, checking out how the team drafts when they have prime draft position isn’t the best method. It doesn’t take an astute eye for talent to realize that LeBron James or Dwight Howard or Kwame Brown (OK, maybe he isn’t the best example) would be future stars in the NBA. But if a team is consistently good at picking out gems in the second round, then you know you are dealing with a quality front office. It’s no coincidence that the Spurs have been one of the League’s best teams over the past decade while also excelling at plucking quality players from poor draft spots — the Spurs grabbed Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola and DeJuan Blair all in the second round (not to mention getting George Hill and Tony Parker with late first round picks).
But getting a quality player after pick No. 30 isn’t as easy as the Spurs make it look; generally only a little more than half of the players picked in the second round ever see an NBA court. Here are five guys currently projected to go in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft who are worth taking a chance on.
Stanley Robinson | SF | Connecticut | Senior
Guys with Stanley Robinson’s athleticism and size (6-8, 7-foot wingspan) generally are off the board by the time the second round begins. While he still is more of an athlete than a basketball player, he is worth a gamble in the second round due to his extraordinary athleticism. With a little more polish and mental commitment to the game, he could become an impact player at both ends of the court.
Solomon Alabi | C | Florida State | Senior
Considering we just wrote about Solomon Alabi in our last column, we won
‘t spend too much time on him here. But if a 7-1 player with a 7-5 wingspan, who still has plenty of room to develop considering he hasn’t been playing organized ball for very long, falls in to your lap in the second round, you are obligated to select him. Aren’t you?
Devin Ebanks | SF | West Virginia | Sophomore
It wasn’t so long ago that Devin Ebanks was projected as a future lottery pick; now he’ll be lucky to go in the first round. Ebanks underwhelming sophomore season seems to have severly soured his stock, however, he still is only 20 years old. His age, combined with his athleticism, length (6-8, 7-foot wingspan) and knack for grabbing boards makes him worth investing in in the second round.
Jerome Jordan | C | Tulsa | Senior
Similar to Alabi, a player with Jerome Jordan’s potential and size (7-1, 7-5 wingpsan) don’t generally last until the second round. While he is almost 24 years old, Jordan has only been playing serious basketball for about five years, so he still has plenty of untapped potential. He’s worth a second round pick if only for his defensive potential — add in his ability to knock down outside jumpers and you might have yourself a steal of a pick.
Willie Warren | SG | Oklahoma | Sophomore
Willie Warren is another guy who formerly was projected as a future lottery pick only to have his stock plummet his sophomore season. While Warren wasn’t able to prove that he could be a NBA point guard, he could be an explosive scoring threat off the bench for an NBA team, like the player he is most often compared to, Ben Gordon.
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