The Steals of the NBA Draft

Terrence Williams was projected as a low pick, but definitely should have been picked in the top 10. The New Jersey Nets were blessed with the fact that Williams dropped to the 11th pick, because he possesses talent of an eighth or ninth pick.

He is a decent scorer, who can pass and rebound well, and also get a couple of steals per game. He has two of the four triple doubles in Louisville history, and it is believed that he is the kind of player that will get better through the transfer from college to the NBA.

He should start at the SF position, because he is the most qualified.

James Johnson is a well balanced player who is a mastermind on both the offensive and defensive ends of the game. Johnson averaged 15 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game.

He is a one man stat machine, who is arguably the strongest man to come out of this draft. He should have been the sixth overall pick in the draft, but instead dropped all the way to pick number 16 to the Chicago Bulls.

He should get some playing time, but not as much as he deserves due to the multiple talented forwards on the team, including Brad Miller, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas. Hopefully they will realize his ability to rapidly improve his game, and give him some major minutes.

DeMarre Carroll should have been a top 20 pick, but for some reason fell to 27, picked by the Memphis Grizzlies. Back in Missouri, he was an exciting player who could get up and down the court very quickly for his size.

He had the ability to thrive during transition, rarely making a bad decision. He was a key play-maker, and a self-sufficient energy source. He will be able to provide a great source of energy off the bench at the three or four position.

Dante Cunningham, the winner of the most improved award last year was a definite first round pick in a book of talent, but for some reason was picked at 33 by the Portland Trail Blazers, because of his great length and speed.

He averaged 16 points, and 7.5 rebounds per game last year. He was also decent on the defensive end, averaging one block and one steal per game.

Despite his great talent, he will most likely be wasted, being buried within the deep Portland bench. Other players, such as Rudy Fernandez and Channing Frye, are going to be stealing minutes away from this young and talented player.

Dejuan Blair was easily the biggest steal of the draft. He was the 14th pick in early projections, but fell to the San Antonio Spurs at 37.

The only doubts that could be made about him are that his ACLs are shot because of past surgeries, but should not negatively affect his performance in the future.

He could possibly start over Matt Bonner at the center position during the middle of the 2009-2010 season, or he could come off the bench and average double digit numbers in the rebounding category. He is also a great defender, averaging 1.5 steals and 1 block in his last season at Pittsburgh.

Jodie Meeks has proven himself as one of the top players in the country, and certainly one of the best scorers.

He averaged 23.7 points per game in his last year in Kentucky. This was one of the top marks in the country, only behind a select few, including Stephen Curry.

Beginning his career on a rebuilding team such as the Milwaukee Bucks, he will get a great opportunity to get a decent amount of playing time, maybe even having the opportunity to start a few games.

He is a Michael Redd type player, who is getting to play with Michael Redd. He can provide clutch plays, and buzzer-beater shots during any game situation.

Although Nick Calathes is not as athletic as some of the higher draft choices, he is a fundamentally sound basketball player. He is a great point guard, with the ability to score, pass, and even rebound very well.

In his one and only year in Florida, he averaged about 17 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.5 assists per game. He is also a decent defender, who averaged about 2 steals per game.

It is unfortunate that he was drafted by the Timberwolves, who also drafted three other point guards, but he will most likely get some playing time as Minnesota tries everything they can to try to improve their team from past years.

It also helps that they traded one of the point guards away, and another one will most likely be spending a couple more years in Spain, leaving him with only one more rookie guard to share playing time with.

A.J. Price is a speedy point guard, who has faced adversity many times throughout his basketball career, and his life.

He is an extremely versatile point guard, with great decision-making ability. In his last year at UConn, he expressed his versatility by averaging about 15 points, 5 assists, and even grabbing 3.5 rebounds per game.

The Indiana Pacers were lucky enough to get him at the 52nd pick in the draft when he should have been a first round pick. Since the pacers only have one talented point guard, bringing in a strong back-up would be essential to having a great bench.

Patrick Mills is a great player who would have been drafted much higher if he had gone to a different, more scouted school. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor, and to make shots of great difficulty.

He rarely takes bad shots, and he is an unbelievable three point shooter, averaging just about 33.8 percent from the three point line. Last year, he showcased his abilities by averaging about 18.5 points, 4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. He also used his quickness to swipe about 2 steals per game.

It is terrible that he will not be able to showcase his talent in this upcoming season, because just like Cunningham, he is going to be overshadowed by the talented Portland bench.