22. Rudy Gay—Memphis Grizzlies
Gay is young, athletic, and has no idea how to defend, or play off the ball offensively. His learning curve is high, he was tougher last year than his rookie season, and he’s still figuring out how to assert himself without putting himself above the team. His future is bright, but he’s too raw to be higher on the list.
23. Grant Hill—Phoenix Suns
An astute passer and decision maker, a clever baseline scorer, and a reliable mid-range jump shooter, Hill is an ordinary defensive player, lacks explosion, lacks three-point range, and gets by more with his brain than with his legs nowadays.
24. Al Thornton—Los Angeles Clippers
A talented up-and-coming rookie with an NBA body and an effective jumper, Thornton is a talented scorer and rebounder who should improve rapidly with age.
25. Andres Nocioni—Chicago Bulls
Reckless and unabashed, Nocioni is one of only two (Joakim Noah) Chicago Bulls who play with any degree of heart. Nocioni has no concern for his well-being, driving into (and often times, through) crowds of defenders, diving for loose balls, battling for rebounds, taking charges, and scrapping around defensively along the perimeter.
He plays with just as much courage as he does talent.
26. Boris Diaw—Phoenix Suns
A wonderful passer, Diaw is too unselfish for his own good. He often passes up necessary open shots to distribute the ball to well-defended teammates. He’s also defenseless, gets pushed around, and is a below average shooter.
27. Matt Harpring—Utah Jazz
One of the toughest players in the NBA, nobody cuts harder away from the ball than Harpring. All his points come from curling around screens for mid-range jumpers, or simply going through defenders and sealing under the basket for layups or fouls.
He’s hard as a rock defensively, and never gives an inch to anybody. In all honesty, Harpring is a linebacker disguised as a basketball player.
28. Jamario Moon—Toronto Raptors
An athletic finisher who knows how to play off the ball, Moon is an earnest defender and a high-leaping rebounder with limited skills in other areas. He isn’t particularly strong, and his jumper has a slow release, limiting its effectiveness against active defenses.
29. Jason Kapono—Toronto Raptors
Kapono has one trick, to shoot three-pointers, and he performs that trick exceptionally well.
However, unlike Peja Stojaokovic, Kapono can’t even create his own shot by pump faking. His all-around offensive game and even his defense are worse than Stojaokovic’s.
30. Ryan Gomes—Minnesota Timberwolves
A wise, if unheralded player, who has great court vision, passing skills, and a reliable jumper, Gomes was the only player who played with savvy on last year’s Timberwolves team.
He’s a willing defender and rebounder, and cuts with alacrity off-the-ball. Gomes is the rare youngster with a veteran’s feel for the game.
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