2010 NBA Draft: Portland Trailblazers Draft Grade

Portland Trailblazers Draft Picks


Elliot Williams 6'4'' Shooting Guard

Elliot Williams is the transfer from Duke. That was a good thing in the long run, because it showcased many things scouts couldn’t see at Duke.

At Memphis, he showcased his ability to run the point guard position. However, he played most of the year at the two guard position.

Williams is a very long athlete which compliments well when trying to defend multiple positions.

His jump shot has improved, and will probably see Williams playing the role
of the slasher. Because, in my eyes he is stuck between the one and the two.

Nothing bad about that just shows his versatility and how well he can adjust his mindset for the game.

Armon Johnson 6'3'' Point Guard

Armon Johnson is a 6'3", left-handed point guard, with the ability to score the basket at will.

He is very quick on the court, which benefits transition plays. It also translates well in the one-on-one situations. He uses his speed to blow past the defender and uses his vision to either kick it out, or keep it himself and score the basket.

Along with his driving ability is his jump shot. He gets a lot of lift on his shot, and doesn’t hesitate to take the shot. That can sometimes be a good thing or bad thing.

But he is equipped with a high basketball I.Q. and knows his limit on offense and won’t exceed it very often. Not unless he's doing the impossible—which I was happy to witness a few times.

But enough with offense. Let’s talk a little defense.

With his 6'3" frame, he is able to get into the defender and not allow him to get in his offensive set.

Very key for teams in the West that display some of the best point guards in the NBA.




Acquired off trades

Luke Babbitt 6'8'' Small Forward

Luke Babbitt is a 6'8'' 220 pound scoring machine.

He has a natural feel for offense and scores in a variety of ways. Sometimes he likes to shoot the ball. His shot ranges all the way to about the NBA three-point line. Right now, I can already see Babbitt shooting consistently from the NBA three-point line.

Babbitt is going to be able to shoot consistently from mid-range as well. When Babbitt is getting ready for his attack, when the defender is in front of his dribble-drive he likes to pull up for the mid-range jumpers.

Babbitt is very aggressive with his offensive attack and doesn't back down from any defender.

Even without the ball, Babbitt is a threat on offense. He moves well and you can lob it up to him for the alley-oop slam.

Analysis:


The Trailblazers needed to help their backcourt out a lot. With both of these picks they get two potential players that can play the point guard position. 


Williams and Johnson playing with Andre Miller in the backcourt will be a great learning experience for both rookies.


Not to mention, adding a player like Luke Babbitt to the wing is beneficial to the guards. He is a lights out shooter and good slasher. 


Draft Grade: B-




Written by DeAnte Mitchell

2010 NBA Draft: Names You Should Know Before Draft Day

This upcoming NBA draft has a nucleus of star power. You have John Wall, the sensational talent, and Evan Turner the most dynamic player in the draft. That was only naming two prospects.

The buzz behind the draft is mostly about whom the Wizards should select at No. 1, or how John Wall would fit with Arenas.

Basically this is John Walls’ draft. The player everybody loves to talk about and they have reasons. He is a great player and will be one of the best point guards in the NBA one day.

But there are always those guys that are not being looking at with that same kind of potential. Many people tend to focus on the players of the media choice while other like me looks at all the prospects. There are many of prospects in this NBA draft that many of you may have never even heard of that is going to go in the first round or second round and still be a superstar.

Look out for these players, they deserve the respect everybody is giving those selected few.

Luke Babbitt, SF 6’8’’ Nevada

Luke Babbitt is one of those unknown talents that will have to make a name for himself. He is a 6’8’’ forward but many people don’t know what position he is designated at. One thing, Babbitt is a fierce competitor and will survive in the NBA.
During the NBA Draft combine he displayed his wonderful shooting tactics, hitting 75.7 percent of his shots, which was fourth at the combine.
Babbitt has now raised his draft stock into lottery status but still isn’t getting enough respect for what he does.

Mikhail Torrance, PG 6’5’’ Alabama

Many scouts believe that Torrance blends right into this weak point guard class. Even after the numbers he put up at the NBA draft combine.
He was the third best shooter out of everybody that participated, shooting 75.9 percent and hitting a total of 88 shots out of 116. Not to mention, his ¾ court sprint was among the best at the combine with 3.17. To make it sound amazing, John Wall ran a 3.14

Torrance is a good point guard and has raised his draft stock to first round status.

Trevor Booker, PF 6’7’’ Clemson

6’7’’ and power forward are two words that usually don’t mix in the NBA. However in this case, we’ll make an exception. Booker is a great prospect, he ran the fastest ¾ court sprint at the combine—yes he beat out John Wall—and put up 185 22 times.
He excelled at the NBA draft combine and but still teams are scared to take a guy his height to spark the post.

Let’s not forget what DeJaun Blair is doing for the Spurs. He was in the talks for

Rookie of the Year and Booker is a similar player.

Grevis Vasquez, PG 6’6’’ Maryland

As I dig deeper into the NBA draft prospects I still believe the point guard class is weak but not as weak as I thought.

Grevis Vasquez has also had a good combine and he thinks himself that his draft stock has raised tremendously. Stating we’re in for a surprise come draft day. Vasquez will be a good prospect in the NBA and it just a matter of time before scouts start respecting that.

Written by DeAnte Mitchell