1999 NBA Draft: The Underrated Ten
Posted: Monday June 14, 1999 04:29 PM
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Andre Miller led Utah to the NCAA championship game as a junior. Stephen Dunn/Allsport |
By Tom Heitz, Turner Sports
Unlike the three other major professional sports, most of the players taken during the NBA Draft -- especially in the first round -- will be names with which the majority of fans are familiar. During the college basketball tournaments we had gotten a sniff of some of the better players and then received a little taste with all the hype leading up to the Draft (June 30th, 7 PM on TNT).
With that said, there are still those unknown players who will be taken. Whether it's because they attended a small school or weren't the "go-to-guy" on their respective teams, there will be those who, when picked, will cause most fans to ask, "Who's he?"
Because we all like lists, the following are potential draftees who could make an impact in the NBA but are not considered the best of this year's bunch. They are the underrated ten of the NBA Draft.
1. Shawn Marion , SF, 6-5 UNLV
ed only one season of Division I basketball but showed enough talent (18.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg) that he might go in the lottery. Marion really made a name for himself while at Vincennes Junior College where he was clearly a big fish in a small pond. Might be a tad small to play forward, but his athleticism will keep him in the league
2. Jelani Gardner , PG, 6-5 Pepperdine
Yes, he's had his problem's while at Cal when he accepted cash from since-dismissed head coach Tod Bozeman, a talented point guard who stands 6-5 is always attractive to NBA scouts and that is why a team will take a chance on him. If he had a jumpshot, then we'd be talking about him going in the lottery.
3. Tim James , SF, 6-8 Miami (Fla)
Put up solid numbers this past season and carried the Hurricanes to one of their most successful seasons ever. James is a strong inside player who proved that he can face up and bury the medium-range jumper. The biggest questions are his ball-handling and passing skills. James had totaled only 83 assists in 115 games for Miami.
4. Antwain Smith , SF, 6-6 St. Paul's College
You've probably never heard of him nor his school, but this guy can play. He impressed at the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp with his shooting and now it appears he might go early in the second round. To give you an idea how small St. Paul's College is, it needed the jersey that he was wearing for a draft promotions shoot returned so it could be retired.
5. Chris Herren , PG, 6-2 Fresno State
Always seems to be in trouble and always seems to be hurt, but the fact remains that when he plays, he's effective. Played the point this past season for Jerry Tarkanian's up-tempo Bulldogs and averaged over seven assists a game. His out-of-control style of play will elicit comparisons to Sacramento's Jason Williams, but Herren's game is more like that of Chris Childs'.
6. Andre Miller , PG, 6-2 Utah
It's hard to classify a guy who's expected to be one of the top dozen players taken as "underrated", but Miller just never seems to get his due. He led the Utes to the NCAA championship game as junior and was the catalyst during the USA's gold medal run during last summer's Goodwill Games. But all we hear about Miller is that he can't shoot, he can't run and he can't jump. And that's too bad because Miller is a point guard who likes to pass, set up his teammates and doesn't care about how many points he scores. In other words, he's the anti-Damon Stoudamire.
7. James Posey , F, 6-7 Xavier
His great leaping ability and defensive intensity will make him a first-round pick but his offensive game will keep him from being a top-ten choice. There have been a lot of players with similar games as Posey (remember Kenny Walker and Willie Burton?) who didn't remain in the league because they never scored consistently. If Posey, who's outside shot has improved over the last year, can become as aggressive on offense as he is on defense, he'll have a nice career.
8. Rodney Buford , SG, 6-5 Creighton
Long and slender shooting guard who can create and shoot. Played well in Chicago last week and showed improvement in his rebounding and defense. Again, not playing for a major college program will prevent him from getting picked in the opening round, but his long-range shooting ability (he made 44% of his three-pointers during his senior season) will keep him on some team's roster next year.
9. Tyrone Grant , PF, 6-7, St. John's
Simply a blue-collar player who was the core of a Red Storm team that came within one game of reaching the Final Four. A wrist injury has hampered his effectiveness over the last six months and he's considered too small to be an effective big-forward in the NBA, but his rebounding and inside game will make some team take a chance on him in the second round. His game is comparable to Vancouver's Michael "The Animal" Smith.
10. Melvin Levett , SG, 6-3, Cincinnati
Tremendous athlete who won two post-season slam dunk contests. His defense is already NBA-caliber and his shot is improving. Still, his high-flying act will draw fans to whichever team picks him and that's something that can't be taught. Hit the game-winning shot vs. Duke early last season, handing the Blue Devil their only regular-season defeat.
Tom Heitz has been involved with Turner Sports production for four years, and currently provides behind-the-scenes analysis for the NBA on TNT. Scooter Vertino contributed to this column.
Provided courtesy of TNT, copyright 2003
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