Adding Depth at Guard positions through the Draft

[Dan's with the Wolves]

Assuming the Wolves get Utah's pick this year, there are quite a few guards prospects that may be available outside the lottery. While the player selected might not be the starting 2-guard the Wolves need, adding improved depth at the guard positions is definitely something the Wolves need to do. Who do you like for added depth at guard for the Wolves. Here is the list of guards potentially available with Utah's pick.

Terrance Ross 6-6 SG
Kendall Marshall 6-4 PG
Myck Kabonga 6-1 PG
Marquis Teague 6-2 PG
Doron Lamb 6-4 PG/SG
John Jenkins 6-4 SG
Tony Wroten 6-5 PG/SG
William Buford 6-5 SG
Alex Young 6-6 SG/SF
Austin Rivers 6-4 SG
Tomas Satoransky 6-6 PG/SG

The only players I have seen much of are Kendall MarshaIl and Willian Buford. Of the two, I would take Marshall over Buford and have him be Rubio's backup from 8-12 minutes per game. Having a true PG on the floor for all 48 minutes of the game can't be a bad thing can it?

[criteriado]

We don't need more PG. We have Ridnour, Ricky and Barea. We're watching what's going on with Williams and his lack of minutes.
Ricky next year will see 38 min per game

We need a two.

I like Jeremy Lamb....But he's at 11 right now.

[[RCG]]

We have three PGs in Rubio, Barea, Ridnour. We have a more pressing need at SG & C.

Some SGs of interest: Rivers, Ross, Beal, Lamb, that FSU kid from Lithuania.
Some Cs of interest: Leonard, Young, Drummond, younger Zeller, Melo.

We'd have to move up for a couple of those prospects.

[mandurugo]

Barea and Ridnour both seem like small shooting guards to me. They can both dribble and pass, but they don't really look to create for their teammates as a first option. If Malcom Lee can play the role of a pg then perhaps the wolves won't need to look for another guard, but I wouldn't dismiss the idea out of hand.

[[RCG]]

They can both dribble and pass, but they don't really look to create for their teammates as a first option..

Neither does Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook. There are a lot of score first PGs.

[Dan's with the Wolves]

We have three PGs in Rubio, Barea, Ridnour. We have a more pressing need at SG & C.

Some SGs of interest: Rivers, Ross, Beal, Lamb, that FSU kid from Lithuania.
Some Cs of interest: Leonard, Young, Drummond, younger Zeller, Melo.

We'd have to move up for a couple of those prospects.

No doubt there is a bigger need for a starting caliber SG or C. But, I don't know if a starting caliber prospect would be availalbe with the Utah pick.

[Dan's with the Wolves]

Barea and Ridnour both seem like small shooting guards to me. They can both dribble and pass, but they don't really look to create for their teammates as a first option. If Malcom Lee can play the role of a pg then perhaps the wolves won't need to look for another guard, but I wouldn't dismiss the idea out of hand.

I agree. Other than Rubio, the Wolves do not have another player that makes others better. When Rubio sits, we are back to last year's Wolves.

The Wolves need a starting SG that is better than Ridnour, Barea, Ellington, Johnson or Webster. Is Malcolm Lee that guy?

The Wolves also need at least one more ballhandler who is better than Ridnour, Barea, Ellington, Johnson or Webster at making others better. Is Malcolm Lee that guy?

Is there anybody from the list above that can fill either of those two roles? Marshall did it for Barnes at the college level. I have no idea if that would transfer to the NBA.

[Krapinsky]

Two guys i've come across on the interwebs that I like are Will Barton and Jared Cunningham.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jar ... 484/stats/

Listed at 6'4" only, but he's super athletic.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Will-Barton-5737/

I haven't seen them play much as I haven't been following college ball very closely this year. I don't know how adept they are at ball handling, but both seem to get to the line a lot.

[Klomp]

Sleeper pick: Orlando Johnson (UCSB). I think he'll be this year's Norris Cole.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBFPEqECJus[/youtube]

Big West teams know all about UC Santa Barbara star Orlando Johnson, and the rest of the country should get to know him as well if it hasn't done so already.

Not only did the 6-foot-5 guard lead the conference in scoring last season, averaging 21.1 points, but also that makes him the nation's second-leading returning scorer.

Johnson withdrew his name from the NBA draft to return for his senior season and has already impressed this summer by making the USA's World University Games team where he averaged 7.3 points during the trip to Shenzhen, China.

That scoring average might not appear all that exciting, but the rest of the Big West should know that what really benefited Johnson overseas was an emphasis on his all-around game, according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.

"[World University Games] coach (Matt) Painter said he was looking at bigger things," Johnson said. "He told me, 'You did everything else -- you rebounded, you played defense, you're passing the ball ... I know you'll be able to score the ball, but it's the other things, like being a play-maker, which will get you on the team.'"

...

"They really opened his eyes to the value of defense," [UC Santa Barbara coach Bob] Williams said. "Over there, he was asked to be the stopper. As a coach, what do you think? I'm just smiling. Absolutely. All of a sudden, your best player realizes that he has the ability to be the stopper?

"I feel really, really good about what he's learned, and also about the relationship he had with the coaches and the interaction with the players from all different levels. He had an unbelievable experience."


Look for Johnson to team up with backcourt mate James Nunnally as the Gauchos look to capture their third consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Long Beach State is the favorite to win the regular-season title, but UCSB is right there, especially with Johnson becoming an improved player.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketba ... e-overseas

This is Orlando Johnson dunking on some poor soul during a summer league game. A word of warning to Martin Breunig, who seems to be on receiving end of such “posterizations,” watch out if you see Johnson steamrolling down the lane.

How good is Johnson? Well, Lorenzo Romar coached him at the World University Games this season.

“He’s strong. Athletic,” Romar said. “He’s really good. He’s definitely a bonefide NBA prospect. He can shoot the ball outside. He’s a tough cover, no doubt about that.

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports ... rylink=cpy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtJC-WDEWss[/youtube]

[Ojmayo]

Mayo is the answer. Trade Luke, Wes and Beasley for Mayo.

[Klomp]

Mayo is the answer. Trade Luke, Wes and Beasley for Mayo.

Wow I had no idea that OJ Mayo was draft eligible...

[KG_And1]

Wow, talk about overpaying...

[Klomp]

I don't know if/when he'll enter his name, but this kid looks good.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Paul-Lacombe-6310/

Much of Lacombe's intrigue as a prospect revolves around his athleticism and ability to push the tempo and make things happen with the ball in his hands. These things that haven't been as readily apparent when playing in Pro A France against older players this season, but are surely still bubbling underneath the surface waiting for him to feel more comfortable with his role. Standing 6'5 with very nice leaping ability and good speed in the open floor for a guard in the European game, Lacombe is at his best in up-tempo situations, sparking the break with his quickness and capacity for finishing above the rim.

When the game slows down, Lacombe shows the ability to get to the rim off the dribble with a nice array of crossovers and a solid first step –looking more like an American player than a European one in the process. More of a finesse player around the basket, Lacombe struggles to get all the way to the rim against quicker defenders and has a hard time finishing in a crowd on the senior level, but got the job done regularly on both fronts in U20 competition and was extremely impressive slashing to the rim against Spain in the semifinals. Prone to force the issue at times, Lacombe will need to learn to pick and choose his spots better to be effective against more athletic defenders.

In addition to his ability to score off the bounce, Lacombe is also a fairly good passer for his size. Showing good vision in drive and dish situations, the Venisseux native did a fine job running the point on the Espoirs level. If he can tighten up his handle, continue to add bulk to his frame, and cut down on turnovers, he could emerge as a quality secondary ball-handler down the road.

In the LNB, Lacombe's role, and perhaps the most promising aspect of his offensive repertoire, revolves around his perimeter jump shot. His mechanics are pretty impressive, as he has an extremely high release point, very good touch, and the ability to pull up off the dribble. With little wasted motion in his mechanics, the name of the game for Lacombe moving forward will be consistency and shot selection. He's shot just 2-16 from distance in the French League and Eurocup this season and forces some tough attempts from way beyond the arc.

Defensively, Lacombe shows a very good activity level, constantly moving his feet and trying to take his matchup out of rhythm. However, he's a bit over-aggressive at times when closing out, and allows penetration unnecessarily. If Lacombe can continue to work on his body, he could emerge as a solid defender in the European game since most of his mistakes are correctable.

Moving forwards, Lacombe is a player who is very much worth keeping an eye on. His biggest issue at the moment is that he is not terribly consistent and still hasn't translated his game to a higher level of competition, but the tools are there for him to emerge as an interesting prospect as he continues to make strides in those two areas.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd1pyiKDITo[/youtube]

[shangrila]

Yeah, I'm definitely a fan of Orlando Johnson. He looks like he could be a solid rotation player in the league that'd slip because he's too old or whatever the usual reason is.

Lamb and Buford also seem like solid options. Both would fit in well beside Rubio and can handle the ball a little, while also being able to space the floor. I'd also take a chance on a guy like Rivers if he came out, or even Barton.

I'll also throw out Bradford Burgess' name. He's not a well known pick and has fallen off a few mocks lately, but he's kind of a do it all player that lacks aggression in hunting for his shot.