Justin's Draft Day Players To Watch

Every year I pick five players that I feel will be instant contributors for their respective teams, if not franchise players. This year is no different. This draft has been labeled "weak." In fact, one anonymous NBA executive said, "this draft is the weakest in decades." I do not totally agree with the comment, after all, the 2001 and 2002 drafts have not left us with much to rave about. I will admit, this draft appears to be weaker than some of the more recent, but at the same time provides us with plenty of potential and upside.

Speaking of upside, I hate that word. The majority of this class will be evaluated on upside instead of what they have actually done. I thought the whole point of the "one and done" rule was so some of these high school pretenders can be evaluated against talent equal to their own, or better. As we have learned with this class, the "one and done" rule has helped, but is not the answer. Prospects such as Jrue Holiday, BJ Mullens and Demar Derozen were ranked 4, 5, and 8 respectively coming out of high school according to ESPN. While producing stats just good enough to get them draft buzz, all three prospects were disapointments. Fortunately for them, this year's class is weak and, even with seasons that did not live up to the hype, all three will most likely be lottery picks on Thursday night.

With all this said, this draft has plenty of contributors and future upside, but very few players to build a franchise around. I am now going to give you the five players you will want to pay close attention to this upcoming season, with the exception of Blake Griffin.

1. Tyreke Evans
This is my favorite player in the draft. I remember first reading about him in a hoops magazine when he was a sophomore in high school. He had generated major buzz in the Philadelphia area, as well as some national exposure. At the time, he was living in the shadows of the OJ Mayo, D Rose, Mike Beasley class. Once his time came, he shined as a high school senior and took his game to Memphis. A guy with many skills and no exclusive position, Evans excelled as a point guard in Memphis' running offense. To keep it short, this guy is 6'5 and could still be growing because he is only 19 years old. Besides his height, he has a freakish wingspan at just above 6'11. He is a standout on defense, can guard multiple positions, he's quick and uses his strength at the rim when driving to the basket. Scouts say his weaknesses are his jumpshot and his tendency to ignore teammates while trying to take over the game. His jumpshot is only a weakness in comparison to many of the other things he does well. Most likely, he ignores his teammates at times because he is used to being the best player on his team. His transition to the NBA will change that. The bottom line is, this kid is ready to play now and in a few years will be a matchup nightmare for most point guards.

2. James Harden
James Harden is an interesting prospect in this draft. While he is a consensus top six pick, his hype is not built on upside. Harden is only 19 years old, but has the game and maturity of a player much older. I've heard many interviews with this kid and he appears to have his head in the right direction and knows what he wants. I recall him mentioning he is not worried about being a top pick. Instead, he is more concerned about going to a team where he fits in well and will be successful. Harden has the ability to be a great role player. At Arizona, he was the featured player averaging 20 pts, 5 rebs, and 4 asts as a sophomore. Harden's game is very crafty and with him being left-handed, he has drawn many Manu Ginobli comparisons. He is 6'5, surprisingly more athletic then people thought, with a max vertical of 37'', and strong, with 17 bench reps. Harden can create his own shot as well as creating for teammates. With a very high basketball IQ, put him next to Kevin Durant or OJ Mayo and he will be highly productive.

3. Terrence Williams
Terrence Williams was one of my favorite players to watch this past season. He put Louisville on his back as he scored, rebounded, and created shots for teammates. In case your wondering, he averaged 12 pts, 8 rebs, 5 asts ad 2 stls a game, playing small forward/shooting guard. At 6'5, with a passion to play defense, I am officially calling Terrence Williams "Mr. Do It All." This kid is full of talent and can help any team that drafts him. I do not see him as a starter this year but because of his competitive nature, he will make his presence known in the rotation. In a few years Williams will polish his game and he will become a household name. For now, expect him to be a solid defender, a great energy guy and more YouTube highlights.

4. Dejuan Blair
Dejuan is a great player to watch. Even if you were not a fan of the Pittsburgh Panthers this year, it was hard not to root for this guy. He plays the game with such a passion and a big heart. His love for basketball is shown throughout the game with smiles for just about 40 minutes, as he forces his will on his opponent through domination. Blair is very undersized for a pro power forward but has the skills and strength to get the job done. Over the course of the year Blair has been characterized as overweight leading announcers to make comments such as, "I wouldn't want to be behind this kid in the cafeteria line, you might get nothin." The overweight jokes actually swayed many people's opinions on Blair's ability to be successful in the NBA. I've heard several comparisons to TRACTOR TRAILER. Comparisons must have reached Blair because since the draft process has started, he's lost over 20 pounds and really developed his game. With his dominance in workouts, there has to be another reason why people can't believe in this guy. So many began questioning the durability of his knees he had surgically repaired in high school, but now that all the tests have come back and have shown there has been no further damage to Blair's knees, what reason can people find not to like him? Here is my take on Blair: he dominated Hasheem Thabeet multiple times, almost breaking his arm going after a rebound in one of the games. Blair is at least 8 inches shorter then Thabeet, so why is Thabeet a projected top three pick and Blair is a projected 9-16? I see a problem here. Whoever picks this kid will instantly fall in love with him.

5. Sam Young
Sam Young, or should I call him grandpa. The big knack on Sam Young is his age. Yes, he is 24, making him much older than the majority of this draft class. To be honest, does that really matter? Young is a projected late first round draft pick. At that point, most GM's are just looking for guys that will actually see the court. For that reason age is irrelevant. Young is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of player. At Pittsburgh he averaged 19 pts, 6 rebs a game. Equipped with a strong body frame and super athletic ability, Young is ready to play defense at the next level right away. Having the ability to catch and shoot from mid range and beyond makes him a threat offensively. Young will not go to a team and start, but much like Terrence Williams, he will earn valuable minutes for whatever team drafts him. I see Young developing into a Mickael Pietrus off the bench, using his athleticism to focus on defense and becoming a marksmen from outside.