NBA Draft Watch: Conference Tournaments

Well, the NCAA Tournament is here and that is really the first time the lay-NBA fan gets to see the future stars of tomorrow. So as I watch the tournament I will provide my thoughts on some players that could be suiting up for NBA teams in the very near future. I will update my thoughts after each round.

And, yes, I know the Magic do not have a first round pick this season (given away in the Rafer Alston deal).

Pre-Tournament

There are a few players I would like to get in that I got a chance to watch in the conference tournaments first.

Hasheem Thabeet - I really like Thabeet. He is a big guy who can block shots. I compare him to a young Alonzo Mourning. His defense is way ahead of his offense and he has a lot of energy and a good frame (almost Dwight Howard-like). But I think he was really exposed in two games against Pittsburgh and in the Big East Tournament.

Thabeet is just not a physical guy. He does not do well with contact and he can be taken out of the game pretty easily. I think he needs another year in college to refine his game and get stronger -- he is still incredibly thin for a 7-foot-3 guy. But this is probably the best time for him to come out. He is projected as the No. 2 pick by NBADraft.net. He has slipped to No. 4 according to DraftExpress.com.

James Harden - the forward out of Arizona State has all the tools to be an NBA player. I don't think he has gotten the notoriety he truly deserves because he is playing for a low profile team. But this guy can contribute on the NBA level. The only issue with him is that he kind of disappears when he is not scoring.

That is the thing with college guys, they are used to dominating the scoring on their teams and they simply will not do that at the NBA level. He can score with the best of them when he wants to and has the physical tools to defend and be a good forward. We will see how it goes. I think he could have a breakout tournament for the Sun Devils. NBADraft.net has him going No. 3 in their current mock draft and he is No. 2 according to DraftExpress.

Demarr DeRozan - there are not a lot of great freshman to be coming to the NBA this year. But this guy could be a special one. In the Pac-10 Conference Tournament Finals against Arizona State, he simply took over at times and really pushed his team to the title. He did not finish the game, but he certainly got them started.

He is going to be an NBA player at some point. I don't think he should come out after his freshman year (but that is generally how I feel). He is currently projected by NBADraft.net as the No. 10 pick. He is No. 17 in DraftExpress' mock. So a wide range for this kid.