NBA Draft chart

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 20, 2009 | by Curtis Pashelka

Point guards

Name School/club Age Ht. Wt. Ppg. Apg.

1. Ricky Rubio DKV Joventut 18 6-3 180 10.0 6.1

2. Stephen Curry Davidson 21 6-3 181 28.6 5.6

3. Tyreke Evans Memphis 19 6-5 195 17.1 3.9

4. Jonny Flynn Syracuse 20 6-0 196 17.4 6.7

5. Jrue Holiday UCLA 19 6-4 199 8.5 3.7

6. Brandon Jennings Lottomatica Roma 19 6-1 170 6.3 2.0

7. Ty Lawson North Carolina 21 6-0 197 16.6 6.6

8. Eric Maynor VCU 22 6-3 164 22.4 6.2

9. Darren Collison UCLA 21 6-1 166 14.4 4.7

10. Nick Calathes Florida 20 6-5 185 17.2 6.4

11. Patty Mills Saint Mary's 20 6-0 175 18.4 3.9

-- OVERVIEW: Rubio introduced himself to American audiences at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the hype surrounding him hasn't slowed down. More of an electric playmaker than a dynamic scorer, he would be a nice fit for either Memphis or Oklahoma City, even though he's not in love with the idea of playing in either locale. Curry was more of a scorer during his first two seasons at Davidson but became the team's point guard as a junior and turned into one of the better passers in the NCAA.

Evans can get to the free-throw line and loves to have the game in his hands, but he nearly had as many turnovers per game (3.6) last season as he did assists. Flynn is quick and aggressive but can sometimes be out of control. Holiday had to play off the ball at UCLA because of Collison's presence, so perhaps his true potential hasn't yet been realized. He's helped himself with solid workouts.

Jennings didn't exactly light up Italy with his play in 2008-09, but it's possible the NBA game will better suit his playmaking style. Defense is still an issue, though. Lawson is an unselfish player whose assist-to-turnover ratio was better than 3-to-1. Even though he can get to the basket, his jumper is a question mark. Collison is one of the most experienced guards in the draft but isn't terribly explosive, and one has to wonder about his upside. Mills' quickness is unquestioned, but the knock on him is how well he distributes and if he can consistently hit outside shots.

Shooting guards

Name School/club Age Ht. Wt. Ppg. Rpg.

1. James Harden Arizona St. 19 6-5 222 20.1 5.6

2. Gerald Henderson Duke 21 6-5 215 16.5 4.9

3. Jeff Teague Wake Forest 21 6-2 180 18.8 3.3

4. Terrence Williams Louisville 21 6-6 213 12.5 8.6

5. Marcus Thornton LSU 22 6-4 194 21.1 5.5

6. Wayne Ellington North Carolina 21 6-5 202 15.8 4.9

7. Jermaine Taylor Central Florida 22 6-5 207 26.2 5.2

-- OVERVIEW: Harden is the youngest of all the top shooting guards, but he may be the most skilled. He shot 48.9 percent from the field last season for the Sun Devils, can create his own shot and doesn't mind playing defense. He is prone to turnovers, but that shouldn't prevent him from being a top-five pick. Henderson is fundamentally sound with a high basketball I.Q., but he's not necessarily a go-to guy. He also had just a 33.6 percent 3-point field goal percentage last season.

Teague is an explosive athlete who can get to the rim and also has good range, but he almost had as many turnovers per game last season (3.4) as assists (3.5). Williams might be the best defender and rebounder of any draft-eligible shooting guard, but he sometimes settles for bad shots. Thornton was asked to do a lot at LSU, something that should serve him well as a professional. He can make a shot as he's being closely guarded, just don't ask him to be a floor general.

Ellington is a good shooter who may have a bigger upside than people realize, but he struggled last season to create his own shot. Taylor doesn't mind contact and can finish around the basket, but his shot selection is a bit iffy sometimes, and his commitment to defense is also questionable.

Small forwards

Name School/club Age Ht. Wt. Ppg. Rpg.

1. Demar DeRozan USC 19 6-7 207 13.9 5.7

2. Austin Daye Gonzaga 21 6-10 192 12.7 6.8

3. Sam Young Pittsburgh 24 6-6 210 19.2 6.3

4. Chase Budinger Arizona 21 6-7 216 18.0 6.2

5. Victor Claver Pamesa Valencia 20 6-10 218 7.1 3.6

6. Omar Casspi Maccabi Tel Aviv 20 6-8 219 8.8 3.1

7. Jonas Jerebko Angelico Biella 22 6-9 210 9.2 5.5

-- OVERVIEW: DeRozan was thought to be a one-and-done player when he committed to the Trojans, and last season, it wasn't hard to see why. He has an above-average midrange game, can score in transition and can defend multiple positions. He lacks polish, though, and may need a year or two to round into form. Daye, with a nearly 87-inch wingspan, has a big upside. However, he's skinny and isn't terribly strong.

Young plays closer to the basket than some of his fellow small forwards and won't give teams much of an outside game, but he's physically tough and can catch and shoot. Budinger loves to get out in transition and can finish around the basket, but he isn't necessarily a go-to guy, and there's a question about his ability to defend.

Claver is fundamentally sound and can hit 3s. Typical Euro, right? Not necessarily. Although he has to learn to be more assertive, he can finish around the basket and doesn't mind playing defense. Casspi can do a little bit of everything and proved he could be effective when he came off the bench for Tel Aviv. However, he has a tough time creating his own shot and isn't terribly strong. Jerebko is something of tweener and isn't assertive offensively, but he is versatile, technically sound and good defensively.