This year's shooting guard class lacks a surefire superstar but has a number of solid options with Brandon Roy at the top. Other options include one of the top shooters anywhere in JJ Redick, plus versatile guards Ronnie Brewer, Mardy Collins and Rudy Fernandez who all have the ability to play some point guard, as well as standout athletes such as Maurice Ager and Richard Roby. Here's a look at the top shooting guards available for this year's draft: Brandon Roy 1.) Brandon Roy 6-5 195 SG Washington Sr. -- Roy doesn't blow you away with any aspect of his game, but he's as NBA ready as any player in this draft and the most complete all around shooting guard available. He has a shot to go in the top 5 picks and should be long gone when his hometown Seattle Supersonics select at 10. Roy is a cerebral player with a great understanding of the game, and has shown the versatility to play point guard in college (should be able to fill in some in the league) and excels in important situations. 2.) Maurice Ager 6-4 202 SG Mich. St. Sr. -- Ager could end up the top shooting guard in the draft. He raises his level of play in big games and has a great package of skills to go with tremendous speed and athleticism. Teams have been impressed with his character, he's a guy that will give solid effort and should find a place just outside the lottery. 3.) JJ Redick 6-4 190 SG Duke Sr. -- Look for Redick to be the second shooting guard off the board. He's the ultimate specialty player in this year's draft. A lot of his success will depend on the team that drafts him and how they use him. Although his overall game showed a lot of development, on the next level his bread and butter will be knocking down open jump shots. There are some questions about his size and ability to defend and create shots for himself. Some scouts feel a lot of his success is due to Duke's system and that he isn't much different from former Duke standout Trajon Langdon, who is having an excellent career in Russia.4.) Ronnie Brewer 6-7 217 SG Arkansas Jr. -- Has one of the ugliest jumpers, which doesn't bode well for a "shooting" guard, however he does a lot of things well. First he has NBA genes, his Dad was a first round pick and he's been around basketball his entire life. Next he has an NBA body with excellent strength and quickness. He should be an excellent defender. His ball handling and passing skills are also intriguing. Brewer has a shot to go late lotto, and should find a spot in the late teens if he slips.5.) Mardy Collins 6-6 205 PG/SG Temple Sr. -- Collins could also get some looks in the late lottery area but based on early workouts it appears he's likely to slip to the mid-to-late first round area. Collins is similar to Brewer in his ability to handle and pass. He has a better jump shot than Brewer, but lacks Brewer's strength and athleticism. Both players are excellent defenders.6.) Richard Roby 6-6 190 SG Colorado So. -- Roby has as much potential as any shooting guard in this year's class. But with just 2 years of college, he's still raw and lacks the maturity level of some of the players above him. His inconsistency leaves some major question marks. For a player with immense physical gifts he has a reputation of coasting at times, will he have the desire to continue to work hard on his game?7.) Rudy Fernandez 6-6 172 PG/SG Spain 1985 -- Fernandez lacks tremendous potential, but he's had a great end of the year playing in Spain and has a precocious feel for the game. He lacks great strength, but has solid toughness and should be able to add some weight. He's a high effort, high intangibles type of player. 8.) Mike Gansey 6-4 205 SG W. Virginia Sr. -- A very cerebral player, has the ability to make those around him better and contributes in a variety of ways. His outside shooting has developed to the point where he is arguably one of the top half dozen shooters on the college game. One of those players that has the will and desire to outwork and outperform superior athletes. Gansey has a legit shot at the end of the first round.9.) Denham Brown 6-5 220 SG UConn Sr. -- Never broke out into the star that some expected he would, but had a solid career at UConn. He has thrived playing on the Canadian National team. At UConn, Brown had the most success when he had the SG position all to himself. He should do well in the right situation as he shows strong all around skills and athletic ability. Look for Brown to find a spot in the early to mid second round.10.) Arron Afflalo 6-5 210 SG UCLA So. -- Afflalo's stock took a major hit with his disappearance in the national title game where he failed to have an impact. His versatility, defense and shooting ability make him an intriguing prospect, but the lasting impression of him was his ineffectiveness in the Final Four. Add to that Afflalo is closer to 6-4 than 6-5 and he becomes a long shot for the first round. He's an excellent prospect, but his stock dictates that he should return to UCLA for his Junior year.http://nbadraft.net/draftbuzz059.asp
Yeah I read the list earlier today. I mainly agree w/ a lot of it but I really do think Richard Roby is rated to high. hes been doing horrile in the workouts and his stock has fallen big time. I think him and Rudy Fernandez should switch places.
The main part i don't agree with on these rankings is having Maurice Ager at number two. I think he is really the number four shooting guard in this draft behind Reddick and Brewer, and i am sure most of the other teams would think so to.
This order was way off in my opinion. Ager at 2? Brewer at 4? What??? Here's my analysis: 1. Brandon Roy The most complete game in the draft by far and does everything well. I find it very humorous when I read scouting reports that say: "He does everything well, but nothing spectacular." It kills me. Media always finds a way to rip any player. But since when is having a complete well-rounded game a bad thing? Roy gets my prediction for Rookie of the Year in 2007. 2. Ronnie Brewer He may have poor shooting mechanics but he is a good defender, very versatile and can play the 1, 2, or 3, very athletic, a very good defender, and he is a good slasher as well as a guy that can set up a teammate. He has been one of my favorite players in the NCAA for a good year now and he does a lot of things well. I think in time his shooting will improve, and he will be a pretty good player. 3. JJ Redick He may be a little short and not overly athletic, but the boy can shoot lights out from any spot on the court. He can have his nights where he shoots 5-18, but you bet your balls he's comming back shooting 55% the next night. Consistancy will develope over time and repitition. He is not a guy that can fall back to the PG position at times like Roy or Brewer, but he is a solid 2-guard. I think he will have a solid career, nothing like his college career, but a solid one. 4. Mardy Collins Think Aaron McKie with more offensive production. He is a very good defender like Brewer, and also is a 6'5'' PG, that can also play off-guard if you need him to. He can score on and defend both guard positions and he is a heads up player. He doesn't do anything that blows your mind, but his overall solidity is impressive to me, and I think if he slips anywhere past 17-18 he is a steal. 5. Maurice Ager He is a good scorer that can hit the big shot. He, like Redick, is a little undersized, but he can definitely score the basketball in different ways. He is an explosive athlete who can knock down the trey with ease as well as take you off the dribble in some situations. The only knock on his is defensive intensity. If he gets that down, he could be a suprise player down the road. 6. Mike Gansey Again, a shorter SG, but he is so underrated in my opinion. His shooting mechanics and realease is almost picture perfect and his percentages reflect that. He is an exceptional 3-point shooter but he also has a nice mid-range game as well. What gets me though is his consistancy. He is very reliable and a guy that shows up and brings offensive production every single night. He is a guy that hustles his ass off and plays 110% at all times. But, like Ager, 1-on-1 defense is his biggest weakness (but is a good team defender), and what makes his 1 slot below Ager is athleticism. He isn't a guy who is very quick, but he still find a way to get it done. If he goes into the mid 2nd round like projected I will be mad. 7. Shannon Brown He may only be a 6'3'' SG, but he is tough and stronger than most think. He is Tony Allen with a better jumpshot (and maybe not quite as good on defense, but can get the job done defensively). He is an explosive althete as well and might impress you with the dunks be can do, despite being only 6'3''. But what I like is that he has PG abilities and can drop back as a point and play solid basketball. The only thing I can really think of to label as a big weakness is his size and maybe playmaking ability. He could be anywhere from the early 20's to early 2nd round, but he is going be a solid player regardless. 8. Allan Ray This year's Luther Head in the right place. He is a very good shooter and can knock 'em down from all places 15-25 feet from the basket. He's very consistant and has a quick 1st step. But, he is not a guy that can transition well into a PG. I don't think he can come in and run the point in the NBA, therefore the next Luther Head. He is only 6'1'' or 6'2'', but at the same time, when a team goes small, this guy can be very effective offensively and can light it up shooting the ball. 9. Richard Roby He is a good scorer and has a pretty jumper, but he isn't a good defender and he doesn't have a good all-around game at all. He has his nights where he gets in on the glass, but a consistant effort knocks him off a little bit. He could develope into an ok backup in time, but I'm not sure. If he developes his other skills like his ballhandling and decision making, he could be a solid backup. But as of right now, he probably won't play too much. 10. Dehnam Brown He can create his own shot and he is pretty athletic and strong for a SG. He is an underrated defender and gets the job done. But he is a very streaky scorer and inconsistant. That is going to pay a toll on his career. He has the size and athleticism to play, but getting consistant minutes will all depend on his exterior offensive improvement. I didn't put any international players because I havn't seen any international wings and I don't even know enough about them to put them on my list.
