Post#23 » by TheKingOfVa360 » Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:49 am
From ESPN
Jun 2 Update: Q: What player in this draft is getting less attention than he deserves?
David Thorpe: I'd lean heavily to Trevor Booker. NBA execs mention Paul Millsap and Carl Landry when they are discussing Booker. Um, hello? Those are two of the top 18 power forwards in the game! Booker has the "beast" mentality with long arms -- a perfect combination. If his neck was an inch longer, he'd be a lottery candidate. Who cares about neck length?
Q: What player outside of Chad Ford's top 30 could you plug into the rotation of one of the teams in the Finals?
Fran Fraschilla: Trevor Booker gets my vote too. I have always advocated for second-round selections who have what I call "winning skills." These are players that bring high energy on the court, a specific high-level skill and are low maintenance off the court. Booker fits this perfectly.
After four years as an ACC starter, he has competed against -- and in some cases dominated -- guys who are already in the NBA. His power, explosive jumping ability, nose for the ball and experience would make for a great rotation player early in his career on a team like the Celtics. Think of him as a Glen Davis or Leon Powe type, both of whom had knocks on them coming out of college, but helped the Celtics win a title in 2008.
May 31 Update: Booker is an undersized 4 but has a great motor, good athleticism and toughness. He needs to prove he can be an energy player in the mold of Jason Maxiell, Carl Landry and DeJuan Blair. How can he do that? The same way Landry did, by going into every workout and physically dominating. In the late first round, teams are looking for toughness and the ability to help right away. Booker could fit that bill.
Jan 26 Update: Over the course of the past month, Booker is playing like a man on a mission. He is the master of the angry slam -- devastating opponents with his rim-rocking dunks.
After getting off to a so-so start, he is putting together a monster January. He had 21 and 9 against UNC, went for 19 and 9 against Georgia Tech and had 22 and 6 against Duke on Saturday.
He reminds scouts of a player like Jason Maxiell. While he's not a mortal lock for the first round, he's been playing like he's one all month.
Nov 24 Update: We spent some time breaking down Booker's game in our most recent blog entry. Some scouts love him; others are wary of 6-foot-7 (or smaller) power forwards. But few can doubt that he plays with ferocity on both ends of the floor. And that style has been successful in the NBA.
Nov 20 Update: Booker is, in a word, a beast. He's a physical wrecking ball who has elite strength and athleticism. He is a terrific rebounder and shot blocker and has been an emerging force on the offensive end as well.
The problem is that Booker suffers from the same syndrome that DeJuan Blair, Paul Millsap and Carl Landry did -- he's short. While he's listed at 6-foot-7, a lot of scouts feel he'll come in closer to 6-6 and maybe even shorter. He makes up for some of his weaknesses with a long wingspan and explosive leaping ability, but it's a concern for some.
The range on Booker was also wide. Some teams have him as a potential late lottery pick, citing the success of players like Millsap and Landry. Others remain skeptical that players his size can be anything more than role players off the bench. A huge year at Clemson could change some minds and move him more solidly into the first round. If he doesn't progress, he could be a second-round pick.
April 15 Update: Booker flirted with the NBA Draft, but made a good decision by coming back to school. Teams love his toughness in the paint. If he continues to improve offensively, he's got a shot at the first round.
