2010 NBA Draft Forecast

By Mike Dean

February 28, 2006

Hold on to your canes and grab the Geritol, the 2010 NBA Draft could include players who were born in the early 1990’s.  A lot can happen in the next five years, but here are some of the players who could make highlights and headlines in the summer of ’10:

First Round

1 – Renardo Sydney, 6’9”, 210 pounds, PF, Piney Woods HS, Piney Woods, MS – Sydney is big and athletic.  He can score and can take over a game when he wants.  He should continue to grow some more, which will make him more of an inside force.  Sydney can also make the perimeter jump shot.

2 – Terrelle Pryor, 6’6”, 215 pounds, Jeannette HS, Jeannette, PA – Pryor is an impact player who has a good mid-range game.  He uses his size to his advantage to be a good rebounder.  He needs to improve his ballhandling and his three-point shot.

3 – Samardo Samuels, 6’8”, 215 pounds, C, St. Benedict Prep, Newark, NJ – Samuels has great talent.  He is strong inside and finishes powerfully.  He dominates inside and scores from the low blocks.  He should improve his mid-range game to expand the floor and should become more of a factor on defense.

4 – Lance Stephenson, 6’4”, 190 pounds, SG, Lincoln HS, Brooklyn, NY – Stephenson has already shown he can already play with the best high schoolers in the nation.  He’s quick and he can handle the ball.  He can also shoot from all over the court and he can also drive to the hoop.  Stephenson also plays some tough D against his man.

5 – Elmedin Kikanovic, 6’10”, PF, Bosnia – Kikanovic has good skills and good size.  He is best inside ten feet, but he has shown some ability to shoot from the perimeter.  He will need to add a lot of bulk and strength.

6 – Derrick Favors, 6’7”, C, Atlanta, GA – Favors is the big man for one of the better AAU teams around – the Atlanta Celtics.  He has good size already and is getting good coaching.

7 – Jason Bennett, 7’2”, 240 pounds, C, Arlington Country Day School, Jacksonville, FL – Bennett has fantastic size.  He is a tremendous defender and his offense is coming around.  For a big man, he is also learning to play facing the basket.

8 – Travis Releford, 6’3”, 175 pounds, SG, Central Senior HS, Kansas City, MO – Releford can flat-out score.  But he also handles the ball well and is a very good passer.  He creates well for his teammates.  Depending on how much he grows, he could have a future as a scoring point.  Releford has a good body and is a good athlete. 

9 - Jonathan Mandeldove, 6’11”, 225 pounds, C, Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, VA – Mandeldove is a very good athlete who runs the floor well.  His post moves are improving.  He is a terrific rebounder.

10 – Milenko Tepic, 6’6”, Serbia – Tepic is an excellent playmaker.  He’s great on the fast break and runs the floor well.  Defensively, he plays the passing lanes well.  He is a good athlete with good size.

11 – Deon Thompson, 6’9”, 250 pounds, C, Torrance HS, Torrance, CA – Thompson is a big body and has soft hands, long arms, and good footwork.  He has great touch around the basket and is great in the low post.  He passes very well for a big man.  If Thompson improves his mid-range game, watch out.

12 – Alex Stephenson, 6’10”, 210 pounds, PF, Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, CA – Stephenson has good size for playing underneath but needs to add some bulk.  When he does that, he should be a factor on both ends of the floor.

13 – Xavier Gibson, 6’10”, 190 pounds, C, Northview HS, Dothan, AL – Gibson can play facing the basket out to mid-range.  He has a long body and adding strength will help him continue to improve.  He is a good defender, also.

14 – Hamady N’Diaye, 6’10”, 230 pounds, PF/C, Stone Ridge Prep, Simi Valley, CA – N’Diaye has terrific size.  He is from Senegal and has only been playing basketball for a couple of years.  He is a great defender and rebounder.  He plays with a lot of energy and runs the floor well.  His low post game (and overall offensive game) should continue to improve.

15 – Yaroslav Korolev, 6’9”, 195 pounds, SG/SF, Russia – Korolev is a good all-around player with great size and versatility.  He has a great shot and can handle the ball.

16 – LeShon Edwards, 6’5”, 190 pounds, SG, St. Francis HS, Baltimore, MD – Edwards has a good shot and is a good scorer.  He finishes strong and runs the floor well.

17 – Wayne Chism, 6’8”, 235 pounds, PF, Central HS, Bolivar, TN - Chism competes and loves contact.  He has the potential of being a big time scorer with his back to the basket.

18 - Raymar Smith, 6’3”, 185 pounds, SG, King HS, Detroit, MI – Smith loves to attack the basket and finishes strong.  His long-range shot needs to become more consistent.  He handles the ball well and can push it up the floor.

19 – Vladimir Dasic, 6’9”, Serbia – Dasic has a good body and good size.  He lacks aggressiveness, however.  He also needs to finish stronger at the basket.

20 - Drew Gordon, 6’9”, 225 pounds, PF, Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, CA – Gordon has a great build, moves well, and explodes off the floor.  He has good hands and pretty good touch around the basket.

21 – Andy Poling, 6’10”, 200 pounds, C, Westview HS, Portland, OR – Poling has a lot of good moves on offense.  He has a good hook shot and a variety of low-post moves.  He has good size but needs to add some bulk which will help on both ends of the floor.

22 – Aaron Moore, 6’7”, 190 pounds, SG, Dominguez HS, Compton, CA – Moore is another high school freshman with a very promising future.  He has good size for a guard and is not afraid to take (and make) the big shot.

23 – Luigi DaTome, 6’8”, Italy – DaTome is quite athletic.  He can score both inside and outside.  He has good low post moves and is aggressive underneath.  He could make a good small forward in the future if he improves his ballhandling.  DaTome is an excellent rebounder.

24 - Dallas Lauderdale, 6’9”, 235 pounds, C, Solon HS, Solon, OH - Lauderdale is strong and will get even thicker as he develops.  He has gotten taller each season.  He needs to become more aggressive going to the basket.  His size allows him to wear down smaller players.

25 – Ivan Sirsicevic, 6’7”, SG, Croatia – Sirsicevic has good size for a shooting guard.  He has a great long-distance shot and can drive to the basket.  He also has endurance as he plays more minutes than anyone else on his team.

26 - DeAndre Jordan, 6’10”, 220 pounds, C, Episcopal HS, Bellaire, TX – Jordan is long and athletic and runs the court well.  He has good offensive skills.  As he bulks up, his size will allow him to be more of a defensive factor.

27- Jeremy Mayfield, 6’10”, 225 pounds, PF, Gulf Shores Academy, Houston, TX – Mayfield shoots well out to mid-range.  He prefers to play facing the basket instead of playing inside.  If he adds weight and strength in college, he’ll be a factor.

28 - Jon Scheyer, 6’5”, 195 pounds, Glenbrook North HS, Northbrook, IL – Scheyer is an outstanding shooter.  He has a great three-point shot and can shoot off the dribble.  He is a big-game player and wants the ball in his hands.

29 – Aldo Curti, 6’0”, 180 pounds, PG, France – Curti reminds many people of Tony Parker.  However, he has a better body and plays better defense.  He is very quick and handles the ball extremely well.  Curti has a good shot and passes well.

30 - Marques Johnson, 6’5”, 195 pounds, PG/SG, R. Nelson Snider High School, Fort Wayne, IN – Johnson can score, but his size allows him to also be a good rebounder.  He handles the ball well and sets up his teammates pretty well.

Click to second round

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