NBA Draft Stock Watch: Guardians Classic/Preseason NIT

Another excellent field of teams and players at the Guardians Classic and Preseason NIT tournaments this past week provided us more opportunities to evaluate some of the most intriguing NBA draft prospects in the country head to head against outstanding competition. While no one gets drafted based solely off how they played in November, this was a great chance to get an early read on the improvement or lack thereof made by the many excellent prospects in attendance here over the summer. Players here got a great chance to show their stuff to some of the most important decision makers in the NBA that weren’t in Maui, which was still a substantial group. Between the two tournaments there was a fair share of lottery and first round caliber prospects for this year and beyond to evaluate in New York City and Kansas City.

Stats provided are per game averages of the two (Guardians) or four (NIT) game tournaments

Both our 2006 and 2007 mock drafts have been adjusted accordingly based on what we’ve learned so far in the month of November.

The Maui Invitational and its draft prospects has also been profiled.

Stock Up:

LaMarcus Aldridge, 6-11, sophomore, center, Texas

16.5 points, 13 rebounds, 0 assists, 3.5 turnovers, 2.5 blocks, 2 steals, 4.5 fouls, 52% FG, 60% FT

968

Jonathan Givony

Aldridge catapulted himself firmly into the discussion surrounding the potential #1 overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft in June with a couple of stellar November performances. Although he will probably always be a bit on the lanky side—not necessarily such a bad thing considering the love affair the NBA has developed over the past few years with quick and explosive big men over the brawny and bruising types—Aldridge has put on noticeable bulk in key places (with plenty of room to add more) and has changed his mindset enough in his style of play to truly get excited about his potential as a basketball player as the season wears on.

Using his newfound strength to make his presence felt both defensively and on the glass, Aldridge looks like a tougher and more focused player on both ends of the floor and truly appears to be on the verge of breaking out this year if his guards can find a will and a way to get him the ball. A better motor and the hustling spirit you can only dream about from such a skilled big man could very well force NBA scouts and draftniks to reevaluate the comparisons that were made early on his career to finesse power forward types such as Chris Bosh and Channing Frye to more gritty and all-around centers like Dwight Howard or Marcus Camby. For a player that was always considered highly skilled but somewhat soft in his approach the game, this is a great sign. Aldridge still has shown sparks of a beautiful turnaround jump shot in the post, a nice hook shot from 9-10 feet out and the ability to nail the 14 foot mid-range jumper, but is making more of a living off offensive rebounds and high percentage shots in the paint. He’s reached double figures in both points and rebounds in all of his first five games this season, ranking second in the country in total rebounds with 11.6 per game and tied for first in double-doubles. The points will undoubtedly come as well once Texas’ guards--mainly Daniel Gibson--realize the type of talent that is around them and decide to make an effort to actually move the ball around rather than just looking to jack up shots and make spectacular plays. As with last year’s #1 pick Andrew Bogut, the question of who he is putting those numbers up against will probably be raised numerous times in the next 7 months or so, but as with Bogut, that is not something that Aldridge can control. He will get his shot to prove himself against one of the best defensive centers in the country in Shelden Williams on the 10th of December, a tape that will surely be circulated heavily come June.