All Grown Up: NBA Junior Class

All Grown Up: NBA Junior Class
By Ari Wagner

Three years ago the 2007 NBA draft selected from a formidable group of young talent that reached deep into the 2nd round.

Some players went to high some were stolen and some had the potential but were a classic case of the draft busts.

However, being a thief in the NBA draft is not just legal but looked up at, the sleepers of the draft are going to break out of their shell and produce this season.

With that said, I will break down the draft busts first, and then list the 10-6 top juniors. Then we will break down a few sleepers that have not produced to their potential but will be able to break out this season. Finally, I will unveil the top 5 juniors who are all grown up in the league.

2007 Busts!

Greg Oden 7-foot center out of Ohio State went first overall to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Oden has potential as tall as he stands, but due to injury riddled seasons he has had no chance to even be able to produce like he was predicted.

Oden could easily have been on the sleepers list, because if healthy he is due for a huge season with the young Trail Blazers.

However, due to the fact that he went first overall and has nothing to show for it, he has to lead off the list of draft busts.

Corey Brewer 6-foot 8-inch Small Forward out of the championship Florida Gators, former Most Outstanding Player (AKA MOP) of the final four has been exactly that, a mop, while the rest of the league mops the floor with him.

He is under weight and under talented for the NBA and has done nothing at all to be respected in the league.

A over talented college player, in the right system, Brewer is among the many that have not and probably never will pan out in the transition to the NBA.

#10

Spencer Hawes 7-foot center out of Washington, taken 10th overall by Sacramento.

Hawes has increased his points-per-game 7-points from his rookie season to his sophomore and there are no signs of slowing down this year.

Expect Hawes to average in the area of 15 points and 8 boards this year with 1 1/2 to 2 blocks a game.

With high expectations come pounds of pressure, so look out, because any unproven player can buckle when the heat is on.

#9

Ramon Sessions 6-3 point guard from Nevada stolen late in the 2nd round at 56th by Milwaukee.

He sets Milwaukee Bucks record with 24 assists against the Bulls in his Rookie Season and continues to be a dime dropper night in a night out.

With a career 11 points and 6 assists per game look for him to win the starting point guard spot over rookie Johnny Flynn and continue to improve and mentor the new rookie on how to become a star point guard early in your career.

#8

Marc Gasol 7-footer out of Spain taken 48th overall by the Lakers then traded to the Grizzlies for his brother (Pau Gasol) and has lost 30 pounds this year ableing him to cruise up and down the court getting in great post position this year.

Seasoned in the NBA and the Olympics, Gasol has been taught by the best (Brother Pau) and looks determined to be a stud this year.

The only thing landing him so far down the top 10 is the team he is on, the Grizzlies also have Zach Randolph down low, who is a notorious ball hog, and along the same line he has Allen Iverson and O.J. Mayo who all also hog the ball.

#7

Rodney Stuckey 6-foot 5-inch shooting guard out of Eastern Washington, taken 15th overall by Detroit.

Stuckey has been handed the franchise when all-star guard Chauncy Billups was traded away early last season.

General Manager, Joe Dumars has big plans for Stuckey and there is no reason to believe that he will not deliver.

At almost 14 points per game last year look for him to improve on that by getting in the lane and drawing fowls.

Also, with the additions of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva look for his assist totals to sky rocket this year.

#6

Al Thornton 6-foot 7-inch versatile forward out of Florida State taken 14th by the L.A. Clippers is a future and current star in the league.

Thornton has raised his points-per-game 4 points from his rookie to sophomore season and if he can find a way to get enough touches this year look for all his numbers to go up.

The only problem is, just like Gasol, Thornton has a supporting cast that will eat up too many touches to give him a spot in the top 10 of this list.

But not at all a judge of his game, just a reflection of his team and the possible lack of touches he will lose this year.

Sleepers

Joakim Noah 6-foot 11-inch forward/center out of Florida, had a remarkable post season last year averaging around two blocks per game.

Noah pulled in around 8 boards a game and 7 points along with 1 ½ blocks, but with experience that should all go up, but splitting time with Ty Thomas and Brad Miller should be a challenge, hopefully he accepts it and excels.

Aaron Brooks, a generous 6 foot point guard out of Oregon playing for the Houston Rockets.

With the arrival of Trevor Ariza and the downfall of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Brooks should be able to pick his game up this year as the starting point guard and room to work with in the offense.

#5

Wilson Chandler 6-foot 7-inch, former Mr. Basketball in the state of Michigan in 2005, small forward out of DePaul taken 23rd by the New York Knicks.

Chandler averaged 14 points and 5 boards last year, and this year is going to be a more important part of the offense and should see and increase in minutes and touches, leading for a much better season.

Expect to see a lot of high flying energy basketball out of Chandler, which will be a nice turn of events over there in New York, maybe he can energize a quality season out of the Knicks.

#4

Thaddeus Young 6-7 small forward from Georgia Tech taken12th overall by Philadelphia.

Young his hauling in 5 rebounds per contest and producing around 15 points a night, he also thrifts a little more than one steal.

With Andre Iguodala, Louis Williams and Elton Brand all expected to have big years, don’t think for a minute that Young wont too. He is a quality player all around and will be an offensive priority.

#3

Jeff Green 6-9 small forward out of Georgetown taken 5th by Boston, later traded to Seattle (now the Thunder) for Ray Allen.

Green had an impressive 16.5 points per game and almost 7 rebounds last season along side Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City.

Green is in a perfect system for a player of his age and skill level, giving him the opportunity to develop into the system and the room to develop his offense.

Luckily for the Thunder, Green is a full grown NBA talent and will be for many years to come.

#2

Al Horford, 6-foot 10 power forward taken 3rd from Florida by the Atlanta Hawks is a beast from the South East.

Horford plays like a full grown man night in and night out and should be averaging a double-double this year with more than a block per game.

With the starting job on lock over backup Zaza Pachulia, Horford should stay healthy this year and begin playing like a true elite player in the NBA this season.

#1

The top of the Junior Class is also one of the top players in the whole league, Kevin Durant 6-10 small forward taken 2nd overall out of Texas by Seattle, was the rookie of the year his rookie year.

Durant took down the house last year with over 25 points per game and 6.5 boards. Durant has never averaged less than 20 points per game in the NBA.

Already being talked about with LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwane Wade and Kobe Bryant, look for Durant to absolutely blow up this year and possibly average over 30 points per game.