News » Draft News

NBA Draft Lottery Projections

2.  Derrick Rose 6’3 Fr. PG Memphis
STATS: 14.2 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 46% FG, 68% FT STOCK: Up VERDICT: The most explosive point guard in recent memory is unstoppable attacking the basket in addition to being a great playmaker.  Very unselfish.  Still needs to work on his jump shot, but it’s improving.  He was the best player on the floor in the Memphis-Tennessee game (23 points, five rebounds, five assists).

3.  Brook Lopez 7’0 So. C Stanford
STATS: 19.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 49% FG, 78% FT STOCK: Up VERDICT: The best seven-footer in the draft offensively is no slouch as a shot-blocker, either, having rejected nine shots in his last three games.  Scouts still want to see more effort from him on the boards and his sub-50% field goal shooting doesn’t help, but nonetheless, he has begun to separate himself from the other seven-footers.

4.  OJ Mayo 6’4 Fr. G USC
STATS: 20.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.7 TO, 1.4 SPG, 45% FG, 80% FT STOCK: Up VERDICT: His critics were ready to write him off after he shot 8-23 from the field and combined for 15 turnovers in back-to-back losses against Washington State and UCLA, but it appears that hitting that “low” is just what Mayo needed to find his groove as he was named Pac 10 POW the following week.  He’s been white-hot as of late, hitting 19 of his last 28 attempts from 3-point land while USC won three of four during that span.  His 37 point performance against Arizona State on Saturday, not to mention the fact that you have to go five games back to find a game that he turned the ball over more than twice, boosts his current form even more.

5.  Eric Gordon 6’3 Fr. SG Indiana
STATS:21.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 3.6 TO, 45% FG, 85 % FT, 38% 3FG STOCK: Steady VERDICT: Unlike Beasley, Gordon has come back to earth-- at least a little.  After rising to #2 in our January mock draft, he has struggled as of late shooting just 17-48 from the field and 4-21 from downtown over IU’s last four games.  He did, however, shoot an amazing 49 free throws over that stretch (connecting on 41 of them).  We don’t expect this guy to stay cold for much longer.

6.  Jerryd Bayless 6’3 Fr. G Arizona
STATS: 20.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.8 RPG, 3.3 TO, 1.0 SPG, 47% FG, 82% FT, 42% 3FG STOCK: Steady VERDICT: Bayless had three straight games in which he scored at least 31 points during one stretch last month, but he hasn’t been as dominant since.  He got into early foul trouble in the game against OJ Mayo and USC (a game that every NBA scout had their eye on) and he finished just 2-6 from the field and committed six turnovers.  Nonetheless, many still consider him the second best point guard prospect in the draft (behind Derrick Rose) and he’s a near-lock for a spot in the lottery if he goes.