Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 10:55 am  |  23 responses

Top 5 Center Prospects, Vol. 2

Need a center? Be prepared to roll the dice.

by Jeff Fox

If you are a GM of a team looking to draft a center in the 2010 NBA Draft it would be helpful if you had a gambling problem. If you don’t currently have a taste for risk, you had better get a stomach for it real quick. Drafting big men is always a risky proposal — normally big men in the Draft aren’t polished prospects and are more potential than finished product. That is never more the case than this year, where the center prospect pool is fraught with peril — plenty of boom or bust prospects. And, to top it off, the top prospect is a notorious head case with a questionable work ethic. Time to roll thDeMarcus Cousinse dice, GMs.

1) (Previous Ranking — 5 -power forward) DeMarcus Cousins | Kentucky | Freshman

Here’s the guy who must be keeping GMs up at night and reaching for the Rolaids. He is a beast of a player, huge (6-11, 292-pounds, 7-5 wingspan) yet highly skilled, with the ability to score downlow or facing the hoops, not to mention his rebounding and shot blocking abilities. Yet, to say there are some red flags concerning him is an understatement. He’s considered a head case and not a very hard worker. He came in to the Pre-Draft Camp with the 12th highest body fat percentage ever (higher than even Shaq’s and Michael Sweetney’s), refused to do the bench press test because he “doesn’t lift weights” and skipped a bunch of team interviews. He could be a star; he could be a total bust. Yet, it still seems someone in the top five will grab him. Let it ride, GMs, let it ride.

2) (1) Hassan Whiteside | Marshall | Freshman

There were no red flags raised concerning Hassan Whiteside at the Pre-Draft Camp. His 7-7 wingspan is one of the largest in the camp’s history, he measured in at a legitimate 6-11 (and a bit) with shoes on and his body fat was only 5.5 percent (as opposed to Cousins’ 16 percent). He’s still a work in progress, but at the very least he should be able to help a team out defensively next year. Whiteside should be gone by the time the middle of the Draft rolls around.

3) (2) Cole Aldrich| Kansas | Junior

While Cole Aldrich comes in at third on this list, he is far less of a bust candidate as Whiteside and Cousins are — that might help explain why he is probably going to be a lottery pick. He also has a massive wingspan (7-5) and will use it to be a defensive game changer in the NBA. While he might never be more than an average offensive player in the pros, he no doubt seems primed to be on his way to a long, lucrative NBA career.

4) (NR) Daniel Orton | Kentucky | Freshman

It’s not very often you see a guy who only averaged 3 points and 3 boards a game in his lone college season be projected as a mid-first round pick. Then again, you don’t see too many prospects with the body and skill level of Daniel Orton. He’s long (7-4 wingspan) and large (6-10, 269 pounds) but is also an excellent athlete, showing his potential to play any style his team needs. But, considering he only averaged 13 minutes a game in college, he’s going to need some time to develop.

5) (3) Solomon Alabi | Florida State | Sophomore

Not to keeping banging on about wingspans, but it does matter in basketball. And Solomon Alabi is another long-limbed player, measuring in witha 7-5 wingspan to compliment his 7-1, 237-pound frame. He needs to add weight and needs more work on his offensive game, but his athleticism and his length make him a potential defensive menace in the pros. He could be a nice pickup for a team selecting in the late first round.

Next in line: Miroslav Raduljica, Serbia; Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford; Jerome Jordan, Tulsa; Dexter Pittman, Texas, Paulao Prestes, Spain.

Read more of Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto and The MMA Manifesto.

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  • Peter Nygaard Posted: Jun.11 at 11:25 am
    -There were apparently some concerns about Whiteside’s maturity level and ego, but they are what they are. I would still take him in an instant.
    -Funny how DeMarcus Cousins has the same initials as Derrick Coleman.
    -Daniel Orton made a mistake entering the draft, in my opinion. Not quite as big a mistake as the team that ends up drafting him, though.
    -When will NBA GMs learn not to take the white-center-on-a-good-college-team player in the lottery? Seriously, I’ve seen this same guy go in the lottery so many times, and he always turns out the exact same way. A good player who sticks in the league but is not nearly worth a first round pick. Holler if you hear me, Vitaly Potapenko, Todd Fuller, Scot Pollard, Michael Doleac, Chris Mihm, and Joel Przybilla. It should be noted that Chris Kaman and Andrew Bogut are both exceptions to the rule. Dudes were absolute studs in college, and it’s translated to the NBA.
    -Solomon Alabi and Jarvis Varnardo are two guys who might not produce much, but they are block machines. They’ll find a spot somewhere.

  • niQ Posted: Jun.11 at 11:33 am
    Wow, your post on Cousins really opened my eyes. He’s a 6’11 red flag.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.11 at 11:45 am
    With Cousins, I should mention that my opinion on him is based entirely on what I’ve read on him. I’ve never met the dude myself. And it’s true – Whiteside does have some people concerned over his maturity – I should have done my research on that. But, compared to Cousins, he’s an angel!

  • SLAM ONLINE | » Hot Topics Posted: Jun.11 at 12:32 pm
    [...] Top Center Prospects [...]

  • wayno Posted: Jun.11 at 12:38 pm
    Yikes…Cousins could be a nightmare to opponents or a nightmare to his own team…it’s hard to tell with him. I hope he gets his head straight before gettin into the League.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Jun.11 at 1:40 pm
    Damn, I didn’t know it was LIKE THAT with Cousins! He seriously refused to do the bench press? Skipped team interviews? I’m sorry, but if I had a top 5 pick, I wouldn’t draft dude. It might cost me my job, but I’d rather have someone who’s not an ***hole. In a perfect world, he would fall all the way down to the Jazz, and Jerry Sloan would either light a fire under this kid’s a** or banish him to the NBDL until he gets his head right.

  • JL Posted: Jun.11 at 2:13 pm
    cousins wouldn’t lift cuz he never works out? wow he needs to become a harder worker. if he doesn’t he won’t make it in the nba. how come none of the center prospects are over 7′ tall this year?

  • JoeMaMa Posted: Jun.11 at 2:18 pm
    The only way I see Cousins getting a fire lit under his ass is if it comes from Avery Johnson. The little general will break him down and then build him back up, which is what we all think the guy needs to make it. Besides, AJ played with TD and Mr. Robinson, so he may find Cousins worth taking, knowing he can mold a young talented big.

  • JoeMaMa Posted: Jun.11 at 2:20 pm
    Oh, and Jeff: I almost laughed when I saw the word ‘Center’ attached to an NBA post. they still have that position? Don’t you mean “very large/slow wing wannabe”?

  • Enigmatic Posted: Jun.11 at 4:46 pm
    @ JoeMaMa – I hear ya but see, I can definitely see Cousins just tuning Johnson out, and Johnson either eventually giving in and letting him play with his bad additude, or losing his job over once again having his players tune him out. But Sloan, on the other hand, he can tune him out all season, that’s just fine with Sloan, he’ll just bench him all season. And ain’t no way Sloan is getting fired.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Jun.11 at 4:49 pm
    Ultimately it’s a moot point though, because Cousins won’t fall to the ninth pick, he’ll end up in either New Jersey, Sacramento or Minnesota.

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Jun.11 at 9:02 pm
    Peter , cole is a defensive beast, hes quick enough to run the floor well and provide excellent help side defense. He will never be known for his offense, aside from the occasional dunk on someones face. And demarcus refused to bench cuz he doesnt lift, shit he better start or his time in the l will be short

  • Lazarus Posted: Jun.11 at 10:38 pm
    dont ever judge a players work ethic by there fat percentage. charles barkley prime example. some people are born with a endomorph body type, dont hold that against em. cousins is going to be the best player in this draft. sanksank. as for not doing the chest press iono, is he one of those cats that only does body weight exercises?

  • Ronald Posted: Jun.12 at 6:43 am
    @Lazarus: Charles Barkley was the exception. Not the rule. The guy was 6’4. Ate pizza and beer before games and still led the league in rebounding. Just like how Elgin Baylor wasn’t able to practice and had to fly from the US Army Base and take connections and still average 29 points doesn’t mean that practice is pointless.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.12 at 8:51 am
    There were serious questions concerning Cousins work ethic even before his body fat was measured. Apparently his agent claims he is in the best shape of his life right now – yikes!

  • Dacre Posted: Jun.12 at 9:12 am
    See, JEff – I don’t kow why you’ve left out big BIAN ZOUREK from Duke. The guy is ALL HUSTLE, is not afraid to get in the weight room, can actually set a PROPER SCREEN, and will be very effective without having to have set plays run for him – I see him as a non-whining Varaj’. With Cousins, your not getting a strong-minded worker. THIS WILL BE HIS JOB. HIS EMPLOYMENT. I wish I was a GM. I don’t know how hese guys get stars in their eyes year in year out….it’s rediculous really.

  • Dacre Posted: Jun.12 at 9:12 am
    Brian Zoubek. Spelt his name wrong… :/

  • Enigmatic Posted: Jun.13 at 6:14 am
    @Dacre – No disrespect, but if former Duke frontcourt “phenoms” like Shavlik Randolph, Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts ended up being busts in the L, Zoubek doesn’t stand a chance.

  • Q-Tip Posted: Jun.13 at 5:05 pm
    Where’s that Larry Sanders cat from VCU I bet he’ll go first round, he’s the same height as Orton and has a much larger wingspan something like 7’7

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.13 at 10:15 pm
    Sanders was on the “next in line” part of my power forward rankings.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.13 at 10:15 pm
    Sanders was on the “next in line” part of my power forward rankings.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.13 at 10:16 pm
    Awesome – I love when my comment gets posted twice.

  • SLAM ONLINE | » 2010 NBA Draft: Five Second Round Steals Posted: Jun.17 at 4:28 pm
    [...] 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 [...]

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