Guillermo Diaz PG 6'2'' 185 21 C+ C+ B- C+ C- AA volleyball star before switching to basketball his senior season of high school, Diaz, an early entrant after three seasons at Miami, is one of the most explosive athletes in the draft. Rumored to have a 50-inch vertical jump that actually has been measured at 41-inches, Diaz is very fast and uses his speed to score from all over the court as he averaged 18.6 points per game as a sophomore and 17.2 last season. The problem is that although he is an exceptional ball-handler, he does not yet know how to run an offense. Although his speed is his biggest asset, it sometimes hinders him because he makes mistakes playing out of control. At the same time, Diaz's tremendous ability to create his own shot with a variety of athletic moves should serve him well in the SSBL.
Rajon Rondo PG 6'1'' 175 20 B- C- B+ B C AAfter two years at Kentucky, Rondo hired an agent and declared for the NBA draft. While there are some very positive attributes to his game including an incredibly quick first step, he cannot shoot the ball. Despite not being a great shooter, Rondo is a defensive menace averaging 2.3 steals a game in his career, and he knows how to run a team. One of the better athletes in the draft. He averaged 11.2 points per game last season and shot 48 percent from the floor. Rondo shot a horrible 27 percent from three-point range, and he is not a good free-throw shooter, only shooting 57 percent. His quickness and athletic ability make him an excellent rebounder, as he averaged 6.1 per game to lead the Wildcats last season.
Jose Calderon PG 6'2'' 190 24 C+ B B+ C+ D+ BThis Spanish guard led TAU Ceramica to the Euroleague Final Four last season, 2004, while averaging 13 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in under 30 minutes a contest. He has incredible court vision and has no problem directing the offense. Some say the transition will be tough for a relatively inexperienced Calderon, however he has the foundation to become a real force in the SSBL. Many people also look over his jumpshot, which is near perfect in Euroleague format. His mechanics are incredible, however was never relied upon to score much at TAU. Some also question his potential, with him being 24 years old as a rookie.
Mardy Collins PG 6'6'' 225 22 C+ C C+ B C BA fluid player who is fundamentally sound, Collins is a coach's dream in that he simply gets the job done in a workmanlike fashion and does not commit a lot of turnovers. Collins is not a big-time scorer, as he averaged 16.8 points per game as a senior and a slightly better 17.5 points per game as a junior. Collins is an above average ball handler with an array of hesitation dribbles. He utilizes his long arms well to play the passing lanes well, as his 2.8 steals a game in his junior and senior seasons can attest to. As a senior, he only shot 60 percent from the line. In the beginning of his career, he would appear to be an ideal SSBL backup point guard, which should land him in the mid-to-late first round.
Marcus Williams PG 6'3'' 215 21 C+ B- B B- C- BAfter finishing third in the nation in assists per game as a sophomore with 7.8, Williams went on to lead the nation with 8.6 during his junior year. Williams had eight games of 10 or more helpers and dished out at least five assists in each of his 23 games this past season and 39 of his last 40 games at Connecticut. Considered by some as the best point guard in the draft, Williams had no problem taking over a game if the need arose. Williams will need to work on taking care of the ball at the next level however. He committed 3.7 turnovers per game as a junior, third highest in the Big East. Williams certainly has the size, quickness and ability to play at the next level. He more than held his own against other top college point guards, and he is ready to take it to the next level.
(This actually reminds me of how hyped Williams was, it's a shame he never got things going for himself in the NBA, because he was sure a hell of a player in college)
Kyle Lowry PG 6'0'' 175 20 B- C B B- D+ BLowry is a fearless point guard who spearheaded the four-guard attack which Villanova often used en route to a berth in the Elite Eight last season. A pure distributor, Lowry would be a pass-first point guard in the pros, but, with one of the quickest first steps in college basketball in his two seasons at Villanova, he has the requisite speed and moves to break down his defender. Defensively, he was a magnet for steals, grabbing a Big East high 2.3 per game. Lowry is a pure slasher who only appeared comfortable extending his jump shot to the free-throw line. Lowry attempted a mere 18 three-point shots all of last season, down from 24 his freshman year. Early projections seem to have Lowry as a middle-to-late first round pick, and he took a long time to make his decision. He has not hired an agent, and it would not be unexpected if he decided to return to Villanova for one more season to further develop his leadership and outside shot.
Jordan Farmar PG 6'2'' 175 20 C+ B C+ B- D+ BOutstanding court vision makes Jordan Farmar a very capable point guard. He clearly elevated the play of his UCLA teammates in their drive to the 2006 championship game and clearly was the leader of that team. Farmar is an excellent passer and ball-handler, but sometimes his aggressive style causes him to make too many turnovers. He averaged 3.8 turnovers per game in college. He does have a keen knack for knowing precisely when to push the tempo and when to slow the game down. He has the ability to score as well as find his teammates. Last season, he averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. He is a capable outside shooter, but he can be very streaky. He shot 41 percent from the floor in his college career and 33 percent from three-point range. He has the skills to be a decent backup point guard in the NBA and finding true point guards is not an easy task.
Dee Brown PG 6'0'' 185 22 C+ B- B- C+ D+ BHe declared for the 2005 NBA Draft, but he withdrew after breaking his foot at the Chicago pre-draft camp. On the bright side, Brown had a chance to prove his critics wrong. With former backcourt teammates Luther Head and Deron Williams in the NBA, Brown had an opportunity to prove that he could indeed play point guard. Although he averaged 5.8 assists last season, he struggled with his shot as defenses focused on him more than ever because Illinois had a far less talented team. After shooting 50 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point range his junior year. But his dismal shooting his senior season, including 32 percent on his three-point attempts, only raised more doubts about him. However, there are some intangibles to Brown's game that still are very intriguing, mainly the blinding speed he possesses. When his shot is falling, he is extremely dangerous because his quickness and ability to go the basket have to be respected. He averaged 14.3 points per game his senior season.
Daniel Gibson PG 6'2'' 190 20 C+ B+ C C+ D BIn his sophomore campaign, Gibson's promising game regressed and raised many questions. He is a very capable scorer from the outside or driving to the basket. For a point guard, he has good size, but there are questions about his ability to run a team. He played mostly point guard as a freshman and averaged 3.1 turnovers a game. Gibson started as soon as he stepped on the campus and averaged 14.2 points per game as a freshman and 3.9 assists. He is a good three-point shooter, shooting 39-percent in college, and should improve in that area. Last season, Gibson averaged 13.4 points per game and decreased his turnovers to 1.9 a game, as he played more shooting guard. His quickness allows him to beat most defenders off the dribble. Gibson has quick hands, is a solid on the ball defender and averaged 1.8 steals his freshman year. Although he flashes promising point guard skills, he is turnover prone.
Louis Williams* PG 6'2'' 175 19 C+ B C+ C+ D- BWilliams is still undecided about whether or not to hire an agent and officially declare for the SSBL. He has good foundation for a PG, but really loves to play off the ball as a scorer. His scoring ability is unmatched, as he can shoot, dribble and drive. His defense is questionable, especially if he does play off the ball in the SSBL, he will need to get stronger in order to match up against taller 2 guards. Many compare him to a poor man's Ben Gordon, with his ball handling and shooting ability, as well as his lack of height and strength.
Will Blalock PG 6'1'' 195 23 C B C+ C+ D BBlaclock can take the ball to the basket or pull-up in the lane, having a good touch near the basket and nice elevation and balance on his pull-up jumper. Blalock runs the break just as well as he does a halfcourt set, making good decisions and getting the ball to the open man. Defensively, his team exclusively played zone defense, so it’s tough to assess how he’d adjust to playing man-to-man in the pros. At 6’0, he’s slightly undersized for a point guard, though has the length to partially make up for it.
Sergio Rodriguez PG 6'3'' 170 20 C+ C+ B+ C+ D+ BRodriguez is one of the most exciting point guards in Europe. From a very young age, he was flamboyant with the basketball, trying passes that made coaches gasp and often surprised teammates. As he has matured, he still likes to make the flashy passes, but now he often puts just the right touch on them, allowing his teammates to grab them and get easy scores. He already possesses SSBL ready handling skills, and is an above average scorer despite his role in Europe. His defense needs some work, but Rodriguez should be able to make an impact right off the bat for any team that drafts him.
Gerry McNamara PG 6'2'' 182 23 C B+ C+ C D DWas a key part of Syracuse's title win in 2003 with Carmelo Anthony, however decided to stay in school until he graduated, and is the only key player left from that team after Hakim Warrick was drafted last season by the Vancouver Grizzlies. McNamara possesses an incredible shooting ability which only seems to shine as the game is on the line. His passing ability is adequate, but probably not enough to excel in the SSBL to be anything more than a spot up shooter off the bench. His defense rivals that of Jason Kapono, and he can't get to the basket very well. Any team looking to draft a shooter will take a good look at McNamara.
