NBA Comparisons for the Top Prospects in the NBA Draft: Part 2 [Prospects: 10-1]

Due to "Blogspot" image restrictions, I've been forced to break this post into two parts. Here's Part 2:

10. Willy Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky, So. - Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

With Cauley-Stein, you know what you're getting. He's never going to stretch the floor, dazzle you with his post moves, or probably be anything more than a dump-off target and put-backer on offense. I don't even think that Chandler has performed a post move in the last 5 years. However, on the boards, you're getting a hustler and a grinder who isn't afraid to get hurt or hurt someone else. And on defense [I know you're never supposed to start a sentence with "and", but whatever, Cauley-Stein's size, physicality, and wide-receiver caliber athleticism allow him to be an All-Defensive Team level rim-protector [averaging 2.9 blocks per game in just 23.8 minutes per game].

9. Aaron Gordon, SF/PF, Arizona, Fr. - Shawn Marion, Dallas Mavericks

Aaron Gordon isn't a shooter. But he can do just about everything else at a highly-above-average level. NBA executives love players like that, as they should. Gordon has [running out of good metaphors for athleticism] insane hops, near-perfect body control, excellent coordination, lateral quickness, strength, and great size for a combo-forward. But he doesn't just have NBA-level physical tools. Gordon has a great basketball IQ, and he's always finding holes in the defense, which is how he generates his points despite being 3rd [4th before Brandon Ashley's season ending injury] in Arizona's pecking order. Like Marion, Gordon is also an underrated passer.

8. Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse, Fr. - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

This is where the comparison game gets scary because now, we're dealing with all-star-level players. Unlike Gordon, Ennis isn't blowing anyone away with his physical traits. However, Ennis has underrated quickness and really knows what he's doing. He takes all of the right steps at the right speeds and is a much better shooter than he's given credit for. Ennis shot 35% from three-point-range and is very comfortable creating for himself. Ennis dished out nearly 6 assists per game and finished top 10 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Ennis isn't afraid of the big moment and would be the ideal floor general for any team in need of a point guard. All of these traits make him comparable to Parker.

7. Marcus Smart, PG/SG, Oklahoma State, So. - Jason Kidd, retired [primarily with the New Jersey Nets]

Marcus Smart is a playmaker. Not a point guard, not a shooting guard, not a combo guard. He's a well rounded player with his only two major flaws being his jump shot and his temper, but I'm sure you've heard plenty about his temper. I was tempted to compare Smart to Dwyane Wade, but his upside just wasn't high enough. So I went with a "safer" [read: still not safe at all but at least I'm not comparing him to arguably the best shooting guard of his generation]. Smart's per game averages were the following: 18 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.9 steals. Pure playmaker. Also, it's worth noting that Smart and Kidd are vocal leaders.

6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky, Fr. - Chris Webber, retired [primarily with the Sacramento Kings]

Hear me out, I know I sound crazy. I'm not saying that Julius Randle is on Chris Webber's level right now. I'm saying he can develop into a Chris Webber-type player. Webber had 6 seasons in which he averaged a double-double. Randle led the entire NCAA in double-doubles and averaged one throughout the season. Webber tended to do most of his damage on offense in the post, which is where Randle does approximately 99.9% of his damage. Randle has a mean-streak in the paint , the same way that Webber did. If coached correctly, Randle can develop into a Hall-of-Famer.

5. Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana, Fr. - Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

While Randle is banking on his production, Vonleh is heavily riding on his potential to carry his draft-stock. Luckily for him, he has boatloads of potential.Vonleh is your prototypical "Stretch-4" in today's NBA. Despite being the 3rd option on his team, Vonleh put up 12 points, 9 rebounds, and nearly 3 "stocks" [combined steals and blocks] while shooting 52% from the field and 48% from three-point range. Much like Bosh, Vonleh is a do-it-all big-man with a sweet shooting stroke from the outside. They're also both lefties so that helps too. Plus, Noah Vonleh looks like he could probably be Bosh's son.


4. Dante Exum, PG/SG, Australia, 1995 - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

I was tempted to go with Penny Hardaway here, but he only had a 3-year prime before his body fell apart, so I went with the closest thing I could find.Westbrook is a matchup nightmare for opposing guards on both sides of the hardwood. on offense, Westbrook uses his size, scoring instincts, and athleticism to get his way. On defense, he uses his size [again], lateral quickness, and active hand to poke the ball away. Exum is cut from the same tree as Westbrook and is arguably already the better passer.

3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke, Fr. - Paul Pierce, Brooklyn Nets / Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

This was a tricky one. Melo and Paul Pierce are two completely different players, perhaps even opposites. However, Parker is a special player [as Dickie V will tell you every time you watch a Duke game] who shows similarities to both players. Parker is a dominant scorer, like Carmelo. He's ready to step in from day one and score 20 points per game. He's more than just a scorer, though. He's a terrific rebounder [nearly 9 per game], like Carmelo. However, he's perfected the step-back jump-shot [Pierce's signature move] and finds ways to contribute despite having average athleticism and not having the most muscle-tome. Like Pierce, Parker is a vocal leader on the floor and has all of the intangibles necessary to succeed in the Association.



2. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas, Fr. - Tracy McGrady, retired [primarily with the Houston Rockets]

Had his career not been cut short by injury, we'd be talking about McGrady as arguably the greatest
scorer ever. Wiggins isn't on that level just yet, but he certainly has the potential. From 1999-2008, there wasn't a season in which McGray scored under 21 points per game [injuries began taking their toll during the 2008-09 season]. Wiggins has
scored those same scoring instincts.After a slow start to the season, Wiggins bounced back to average nearly 18 points-per-game while playing within the offense. Wiggins has superstar potential and is closer to reaching it than most people realize.

1. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas, Fr.  - Hakeem Olajuwon, retired [primarily with the Houston Rockets]

I really didn't want to do this. I really did not want to compare anyone to a top 20 player of all time, but Embiid is scary good. We were all expecting an unpolished athlete who needed at least a year to learn the nuances of the game. Boy, was everyone wrong. Embiid looked like a veteran, not just an ordinary veteran, but a superstar veteran. His footwork and post game were light years ahead of everyone else's in the NCAA. He was wreaking havoc on the defensive end. He was dishing out crisp passes, and was extremely fundamentally sound. He hadn't played organized basketball until the age of 15, and he was fundamentally sound. Like he'd been studying the game of basketball from a textbook. He has less than 4 whole years of basketball experience and he's performing dream shakes and sky hooks. The sky is the limit for this kid.