|
2011 NBA Mock Draft Pits Americans Vs. International Players I'm not crazy enough to declare Kansas's Marcus Morris the best forward in the draft....not as long as Derrick Williams is conscious. But I do think Morris makes more sense than a few of the International players on the market. I'm sure that either Enes Kanter, Jonas Valanciunas, or Jan Vesely is going to turn out to be a top notch player. But I doubt even two let alone all three are going to pan out to be even decent players. Clearly any club who picks Kanter, Valanciunas, or Vesely is banking on that player being the one. But there's little guarantee. Having said that, yes, there's just as much rolling the dice by taking a collegian: plenty of college stars fell flat on their face. But I still think, in this particular draft, the second best front American player--Morris--is a safer bet than the best front court international player. READ MORE: Top 50 Prospects and Where They Could Be Headed
Morris spent three seasons at one of the best programs in the country, and progressively got better each year. Right now, he's a bit undersized to bang in the paint with the bigger NBA stars, but he will get bigger and stronger in time. He also possess a ton of ability around the basket, not just as a rebounder and scorer, but he is a good distributor from inside, averaging nearly two assists per game as a junior. Teams (the 76ers?) looking for a more conservative choice would be wise to target the Philadelphia native.
source: |
