Prospects picking up momentum If you haven't checked out our latest mock, there's clearly been some momentum by a few players -- mainly Nevada's Luke Babbitt, Texas' Avery Bradley and Fresno State's Paul George. At this point, it's looking more and more likely that both Babbitt and Bradley will be lottery picks. The Utah Jazz (at No. 9) and the Memphis Grizzlies (at 12) have both been high on Babbitt for a while, and the consensus continues to grow daily. I'm not sure whom Babbitt will guard in the league, but NBA teams like players who are ready to come in and score right away, and Babbitt fits the description. Bradley also has gotten more positive reviews in the past few weeks as teams have gone back and looked at more video. The Clippers at No. 8, the Indiana Pacers at 10 and the Toronto Raptors at 13 are considering him. George is another player whose stock is on the rise. That's in part the result of strong workouts in San Antonio and Chicago against Kansas' Xavier Henry. Sources say that George wowed onlookers in both workouts. Look for the Timberwolves to get to him ahead of the Spurs or Bulls. They've been looking for a long, athletic 2 who can spread the floor. Some love for Jeremy Lin I got some interesting feedback from teams about Harvard's Jeremy Lin. I wrote last week that I didn't think Lin was ready for the NBA and that I expected him to go undrafted after a workout I saw in Vegas. However, several teams have since told me they are considering Lin with a second-round pick. Although they agreed with my assessment that he might struggle athletically, they also think his high basketball IQ and ability to score make him a legitimate prospect. Tiny's game measures up Finally, I saw Oklahoma big man Keith Gallon on Monday. His nickname is "Tiny," and if you've seen him play, you know he's anything but. Gallon has been working out in New York for the past week after hiring agent Marc Cornstein. He's been in the gym with Serbian basketball coach Mihajlo Pavicevic in the morning and with strength and conditioning coach Oren Lippman in the afternoon. Gallon was very intriguing. He's quite frankly the best long-distance shooter I've seen for a man his size. He was nailing 65 percent to 70 percent from the NBA 3-point line with ease. His stroke is effortless, and he has deep, deep range. Gallon is also surprisingly light on his feet. He moves well in the post and clearly has the strength to play in the NBA paint. That said, Gallon isn't in great shape. He weighed in at 295 and probably needs to lose another 10-15 pounds. He got tired pretty early in both workouts, though he did get a second wind about 25 minutes into the workout and finished both of them. The key for Gallon will be getting into great shape. Some of that will be diet (he told me he liked to snack on junk food all day), and some of that will be the sort of core conditioning Lippman is doing with him. For the most part, Lippman doesn't have him lifting weights. Instead he has him working on footwork and using ropes and bands to increase flexibility and core strength. The goal is to get him leaner and to improve his stamina. If a team can persuade Gallon to continue this work, he could be a steal. A number of teams are looking at him as a potential first-round pick. "We liked him in high school," one GM said. "We thought he could be a big-time player in college. It didn't work out. But after one year, we're not giving up on the talent." When I spoke with Gallon after the workout, I commented on a tattoo on his neck. It said "Misunderstood." I asked him why he had his tattoo there. "I think my whole life people have misunderstood me," Gallon said. "Everyone says I'm a bad guy or that I won't work hard. But then they get to know me and everything changes. I read stuff about me, and I don't recognize it. I'm willing to work. I've just needed to understand what it was that I need to do. I'm getting that now for the first time in my career. It's hard, but I want to be the best. I think this is getting me there."
