Cracking The First Round

The majority of attention surrounding the NBA Draft is directed toward the top-10 picks, or even the ladder half of the lottery.

However, as we’ve seen with the San Antonio Spurs, the players who teeter-totter back and forth between the first and second rounds can make huge impacts in the league (i.e. Tony Parker, Danny Green, etc.).

In a draft class that might not produce a “star” player, there is a great deal of depth. Teams will be able to find longevity and consistency toward the end of the first round and even going into the second round.

For players, getting drafted in the first round makes a difference in salary and hype.

Three players whose draft stocks are gaining momentum and could possibly land in the first round are Isaiah Canaan (Murray State), Phil Pressey  (Missouri) and Archie Goodwin (Kentucky).

Isaiah Canaan – Murray State 6’1”  195 lbs

2012-13 Stats
21.8 ppg

4.3 apg

1.5 spg

43.1 FG %

Canaan is very intriguing because he’s another mid-major player with an elite shooting ability from behind the arc. His potential is a as a poor-man’s Stephen Curry but with more athleticism. Canaan played all four years at Murray State.  ESPN’s Chad Ford has Canaan going 21^st overall to the Utah Jazz, but other mock drafts still have him on the borderline.

In his senior year, Canaan shot about 37 percent from three and about 43 percent overall from the field.  He has the dagger factor that most teams want to have on the floor when the game is on the line. Canaan maintains good balance off the dribble and can rise up and shoot with the Eiffel Tower in has face, let alone a hand or two.

He’s a bit undersized at 6’-1”, but his offensive attributes offset that. He’ll likely have to adjust to life as an NBA point guard, and that’s always a question, but that was also the biggest area Curry needed to improve on when he left Davidson.  Canaan averaged about 4 dimes a game, but if Curry can modify his game, Canaan can as well.

Phil Pressey – Missouri 5’-11.5” 177 lbs

2012-13 Stats –

11.9 ppg

7.1 apg

37.6 FG %

32.4 3-pt %

The only real knock on Missouri’s Phil Pressey is that he sometimes slips into a shooting coma. Put that aside for a second to acknowledge that Pressey is one of the best pure passers in the draft. He has court vision that is equal to, if not better than, that of Michigan’s Trey Burke who is a projected top-10 pick.

Pressey is extremely quick in the open court. He sees cutters before the cutters see the cut lanes. He resembles a young Jameer Nelson with his ability to run an offense, but Pressey is much faster in transition than Nelson was at this age. Pressey has a high motor, and with the right coaching staff, can develop into a starting point guard in the NBA.

A good fit for Pressey would be the Los Angeles Clippers at pick No. 25. Los Angeles is reportedly shopping back-up point guard Eric Bledsoe, who has drawn a lot of trade interest from other teams.

The Clippers, if Bledsoe is dealt, could take Pressey and allow him to mature behind Chris Paul the same way Bledsoe did – assuming Paul opts to re-sign with the Clippers.  Pressey would thrive in that offense, and now with Doc Rivers at the helm, he could mature quicker than expected.

Archie Goodwin – Kentucky 6’-5” 198 lbs.

2012-13 Stats –

14.1 ppg

2.7 apg

4.6 rpg

44 FG %

Goodwin is widely compared to Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook because of he’s extremely athletic, can score at will, but he also has Westbrook’s loose cannon tendencies.

The Kentucky freshman shows an explosive first step and can get to the basket going to his left, which is an important attribute if he’s expected to play point guard because he’ll then have the quickness to match and the size to overmatch defenders.

He desperately needs to improve his three-point game. Goodwin shot only 64 times from deep last season and hit about 26 percent of them. It would not be surprising if he gets the same space to shoot that former Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo received – and is still getting for that matter.

The Phoenix Suns, at pick No. 30, could draft him because they seem to be down on last year’s lottery pick Kendall Marshall. If the Suns want to go with a point guard, Goodwin could go there.

Again, all of these guys have been projected as second-round picks for the most part. That could change on draft night.