Seattle SuperSonic Draft Candidates: Kosta Koufos

After taking a look at possible picks the Sonics could take with their #4 pick, SeaTown Sports will now be look at who the Sonics can take with their 1st round #24 pick.

Kosta Koufos. Funny name? It's greek. Some other Greek NBA players include: Peja Stojakovic, Jake Tsakalidis, and Antonis Fotsis. Alright, here we go......

The Run Down:

• 2008-09 Season Averages: 14.4ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.8bpg
  
• Height: 7'1", Weight: 245, Position: Center, Class: Freshman
  
• 19 years old
• Best case comparisons:
  
  • Mehmet Okur
    
  • Zydrunas Ilgauskas
    
• Worst case comparison: Esteban Batista

Strengths:

• Size
• Wingspan
• Frame
• Hands
• Scoring Instinct
  

Weaknesses:

• Explosiveness at rim
• Shot-selection
• Left-Hand
• Predictable Post-game
• Passing

My Take: Mock drafts have Kosta falling anywhere from the #16 pick to the #27 pick in the first round. Some mock drafts have the Sonics grabbing this center at the #24 pick. If the Sonics draft a point guard whether it be OJ Mayo or Jerryd Bayless with their #4 pick, strong consideration of drafting a center with their second 1st round pick is a possibility. One of the centers that might be available is Kosta Koufos.

After reading the scouting report on Kosta he reminds me of a poor man's Spencer Hawes of some sorts. Like many of his europeon counter-parts, Kosta's offensive game is his main strength. He has a right-hand hook he goes to in the low-post, but other than that, lacks anything close to a post-up game. Besides the lack of a back to the basket game, Kosta can score anywhere within the three point arc. His consistent scoring ability at the mid-range is what has gotten teams interested.

On the other end, Kosta's defense is superb. He rotated and played well within Ohio State's 2-3 zone. He has excellent timing on his blocks which is evident with his 1.8 blocks per game average. It's hard to find mobile centers that can play solid defense like Kosta which is another upside teams see in him.

Despite his offensive prowess and his solid defense, Koufos has serious holes in his game. Since he doesn't post-up a lot, he rarely gets to the free-throw line. As a byproduct of this, NBA defenders will have an easy time bullying Koufos at the low-block, limiting his offensive options. When double-teamed another serious flaw is found, he can't pass well.

Conclusion: Kosta would have been better off staying in school and improving his skills before jumping into the draft. If the Sonics draft him, there is a good possibility of having him play overseas to develop his game further before he starts playing in the big leagues. Personally, I wouldn't like for the Sonics to draft another center. I believe that Petro, Swift, or Sene can turn into solid centers at the NBA level and this pick can go toward improving other weaknesses in the roster.

Sources: nbadraft.net, draftexpress.com

Previous Candidates: Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, Anthony Randolph, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love