VITALS: 6-0, 165, Lincoln HS (NY) OVERVIEW: Telfair was hyped as the next great New York City point guard since his middle school days and led his Lincoln High School team to three straight city titles before declaring pro. Telfair signed a six-year, $15 million endorsement deal with adidas, although not all the money is guaranteed. Telfair is a cousin of the New York Knicks' Stephon Marbury and a half-brother of Jamel Thomas, who played in college at Providence. Telfair is a solid point guard prospect who is often prone to shooting rather than passing even though his court vision is fairly good. He has struggled at times against other top guards in his class. He also made a name for himself playing in the summer for the Juice All-Stars AAU team. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Telfair is a hard guy to peg. The majority of teams have him in the 20s or 30s on their draft board. But given his upside, a club high in the draft - even in the lottery - could take him. Because he is a risky pick, however, it is more likely he slides. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Kenny Anderson, Darrell Armstrong COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Randy Woods, Erick Barkley ROLE PROJECTION: Sparingly used reserve, future starter. POSITIVES: Speed dominates Telfair's game - he has a great first step and can move east-west as well as anyone in the draft. He uses that quickness to consistently get into the lane, where he creates looks for teammates or finishes himself. Telfair also has great vision and tremendous instincts as a point guard. He was the subject of great media attention during his entire prep career but aptly handled the pressures that came with the spotlight. SHORTCOMINGS: Telfair tends to over-dribble and simply hold the ball too long. At times, he was downright selfish during his high school career, although he showed signs of maturation as a senior. As a scorer, Telfair's outside shooting lacked consistency. Although he may be able to straighten that out over time, he can't do anything about his 6-foot height, which is smallish for the NBA, even for a point man. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "He's got exceptional quickness and he's a true point guard, which are always going to be at a premium in the NBA. Obviously, he's putting himself in the draft before he's physically mature and mentally at the level of kids who have the benefit of a couple of seasons at the college level, but there's a lot to like. - Denver Nuggets assistant general manager Jeff Weltman
