Howard/Bynum pre-draft scouting reports
Posted: Sat Aug 4, 2012 6:37 pm
I know many people have commented on the similarities of the pre-draft critiques of Howard/Bynum and Drummond, so I thought it would be interesting to actually dust off some old scouting reports. Regarding Howard, some of his perceived upsides, "He's not afraid to crash the glass and is an excellent shot blocker," and downside, "The biggest complaint from scouts is a perceived lack of passion," sound very similar to those made of Drummond. However, when reading the full scouting report, it can be seen that at the time of the draft, Howard was a much more polished prospect. The critiques of Bynum and Drummond seem to be much more similar.
Dwight Howard: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft/d05/tracker/player?playerId=18627
"Upside: At his size, he can do just a little bit of everything. He dominates in the paint but also has the ability to step out and hit shots on the perimeter. His ball handling is very good. He's murder on the fast break. He's quick off the dribble and off the floor. He's not afraid to crash the glass and is an excellent shot blocker. He hustles, has a nose for the ball and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He's mature, a hard worker, has a great attitude and has improved dramatically over the course of his three years playing high school ball."
"Downside: Not much. The biggest complaint from scouts is a perceived lack of passion. "You hate to claim that a guy might be too nice for the NBA, but that's about the most that I can come up with," one scout told Insider. 'I'm not sure he really has the edge that the great ones like Garnett and [Amare] Stoudemire had." Every other scouting report is pretty similar. Comments like "he needs time to develop" or "he needs to be a little nastier" are about the only negative things you hear. When Insider saw him in a workout in mid June a few more things stood out. He wasn't in great shape. His shot was all over the place and he seemed to struggle to pick up some basic low post moves."
"Insider Projection: Is he the next Kevin Garnett as he claims? Or is he the second coming of Kwame Brown, as another scout warns in hushed tones? Along with Okafor, he's a consensus top two pick in the draft. The Magic might take a chance on him at No. 1. More likely the Clippers will trade the pick to a team desperate for a power forward."
Andrew Bynum: http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/d05/tracker/player?playerId=18773
"Chad Ford's Analysis: So much for instant impact. Is Bynum the next Shaq? Bynum has the size and ability to be a dominant big man in the league. But he's a ways away. A few months ago he wasn't even on the radar screen. But he was good enough at the McDonald's All-American game that he intrigued everyone. He was awesome in a workout for the Lakers and they were sold. He's an intelligent kid who is pretty skilled, but I doubt Phil Jackson is going to use him for a while."
"Positives: Standing a legit seven feet and weighing 300 pounds, Bynum is huge. He has long arms and is athletic and very mobile for a guy of that size. Best of all, he's not afraid to get a little dirty in the paint. Get him on an NBA weight regimen and he could be an absolute monster."
"Negatives: He's still very raw offensively and really could use a few years at a top program like UConn. Weight has been an issue in the past. He could stand to lose 20 pounds. Some scouts wonder if he's the second coming of Desagana Diop."
"Summary: The big kid is raw, but he's stunned teams with his skills and size in workouts. Rumors abound that the Lakers have made him a promise at No. 10."
Dwight Howard: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft/d05/tracker/player?playerId=18627
"Upside: At his size, he can do just a little bit of everything. He dominates in the paint but also has the ability to step out and hit shots on the perimeter. His ball handling is very good. He's murder on the fast break. He's quick off the dribble and off the floor. He's not afraid to crash the glass and is an excellent shot blocker. He hustles, has a nose for the ball and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He's mature, a hard worker, has a great attitude and has improved dramatically over the course of his three years playing high school ball."
"Downside: Not much. The biggest complaint from scouts is a perceived lack of passion. "You hate to claim that a guy might be too nice for the NBA, but that's about the most that I can come up with," one scout told Insider. 'I'm not sure he really has the edge that the great ones like Garnett and [Amare] Stoudemire had." Every other scouting report is pretty similar. Comments like "he needs time to develop" or "he needs to be a little nastier" are about the only negative things you hear. When Insider saw him in a workout in mid June a few more things stood out. He wasn't in great shape. His shot was all over the place and he seemed to struggle to pick up some basic low post moves."
"Insider Projection: Is he the next Kevin Garnett as he claims? Or is he the second coming of Kwame Brown, as another scout warns in hushed tones? Along with Okafor, he's a consensus top two pick in the draft. The Magic might take a chance on him at No. 1. More likely the Clippers will trade the pick to a team desperate for a power forward."
Andrew Bynum: http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/d05/tracker/player?playerId=18773
"Chad Ford's Analysis: So much for instant impact. Is Bynum the next Shaq? Bynum has the size and ability to be a dominant big man in the league. But he's a ways away. A few months ago he wasn't even on the radar screen. But he was good enough at the McDonald's All-American game that he intrigued everyone. He was awesome in a workout for the Lakers and they were sold. He's an intelligent kid who is pretty skilled, but I doubt Phil Jackson is going to use him for a while."
"Positives: Standing a legit seven feet and weighing 300 pounds, Bynum is huge. He has long arms and is athletic and very mobile for a guy of that size. Best of all, he's not afraid to get a little dirty in the paint. Get him on an NBA weight regimen and he could be an absolute monster."
"Negatives: He's still very raw offensively and really could use a few years at a top program like UConn. Weight has been an issue in the past. He could stand to lose 20 pounds. Some scouts wonder if he's the second coming of Desagana Diop."
"Summary: The big kid is raw, but he's stunned teams with his skills and size in workouts. Rumors abound that the Lakers have made him a promise at No. 10."