2010 NBA Rookie Preview: 5 Undrafted Rookies Who Will Have The Biggest Impact
With training camps less than a week from opening for all teams it's time we take a look at some players who will be using these camps to earn their spot in the NBA.
Some of these players have already made a name for themselves this off-season through the NBA Summer League either in Orlando or Las Vegas.
I will take a look at the five players who I think will not only have great training camps but will bring an impact to their teams during the 2010-11 NBA Season.
So without further ado here are the Top 5 Undrafted Rookies.
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5. Ben Uzoh (Signed Partial Guaranteed Contract With New Jersey Nets)
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Ben Uzoh is 6'3'' 196 lbs combo guard, quick enough to get past bigger defenders and long enough (6'9" wingspan) to shoot over top smaller guards. For comparison shake Uzoh has the same measurements as a certain rookie named John Wall.
Now obviously Uzoh doesn't have the talent that Wall does-as showed by their draft selections-but Uzoh is that same type of big guard that could be a match up nightmare for opposing teams.
During his four years at Tulsa University Ben Uzoh started in 140 out of 141 games. His stats for his career looked like this: 13.8 points (1,951), 5.0 rebounds (705) and 3.0 assists (425) in 141 games. He is the only player in school history to rank among the top-10 for points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots
Uzoh was a three time All-Conference USA selection (two second-team honors and one first-team) and had a good showing during the summer league.
With the Nets rumored to be moving Devin Harris to try and get Carmelo Anthony look for Ben Uzoh to get plenty of chances to prove himself next year.
4. Ryan Thompson (Training Camp Invite From the Utah Jazz)
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If the last name Thompson sounds familiar to you then you've heard of Ryan's older brother Jason. Jason plays for the Sacramento Kings and has had a stellar career thus far (11.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG).
However unlike his older brother Ryan is not 6'10". Ryan stands at a mere 6'5" and weighs only 214. But he plays hard whenever he steps out on the court and he knows how to play the game of basketball.
Ryan Thompson, as a junior, was named First Team All-MET, First Team All-MAAC, National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team All-District 1 and collegeinsider.com Mid-Major All-American.
Thompson ranked second in the MAAC in scoring (18.0), first in minutes played (38.2), second in three-point field goal percentage (.422), seventh in assists (3.3), eighth in field goal percentage (.509), eighth in free throw percentage (.773), 11th in rebounding (6.5) and 11th in three-pointers made (32).
However unlike his older brother Ryan was not a lottery pick, he wasn't even drafted. After good showings in workouts and summer league Ryan has latched on with the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz let their star undrafted rookie of last season, Wesley Matthews, go in free agency. Maybe Ryan Thompson can step in a fill that role for this years Jazz team.
3. Matt Janning (Signed Non-Guaranteed Contract With Phoenix Suns)
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Northeastern University graciously lists Matt Janning as 6'4" and 198 lbs. Now after watching him compete in the Orlando Summer League (with the Boston Celtics) and the Vegas Summer League (with the Phoenix Suns) I can say that those two measurements are doing Janning justice.
Yet, Janning found the perfect team to capitalize on his greatest strength-shooting. Janning has a sweet stroke and is in range as soon as his feet hit the gym floor.
As a senior at Northeaster Janning averaged 15.4 PPG 41.2 FG% 32.9 3PT% 3.1 APG. Not the greatest numbers-hence why he went undrafted-but Janning showed what he was made of this summer.
He showed enough to impress the Phoenix Suns to bring him in for their Training Camp. With the loss of Amare Stoudemire and the addition of Hedo Turkoglu the Suns will be a different team.
Head coach Alvin Gentry already mentioned the possibility of Steve Nash playing off ball more and I can see Janning fitting in that same type of spot up shooter role for the Suns.
2. Sherron Collins (Signed Partially Guaranteed Contract With Charlotte Bobcats)
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Sherron Collins was the leader, heart and soul of last year's Kansas Jayhawks team. Normally that would be great but after finishing their season with a disappointing second round upset against Northern Iowa.
Before that game though, the Jayhawks were running like a well-oiled machine for the 2009-10 season. Led by Collins and fellow senior Cole Aldrich, this Jayhawk team had many believers.
Yet Collins performed well in his career at Kansas University. In his final season he had numbers of 15.5 PPG 42.6 FG% 37 3PT% and 4.5 APG.
Sherron Collins right now is behind DJ Augustin and Shaun Livingston on the Charlotte Bobcats depth chart and neither of those two have asserted themselves as top flight point guards yet.
Collins has a chance if he slims down and gets the Larry Brown stamp of approval Collins could find himself getting significant minutes on a team that just last year made it to the playoffs.
1. Samardo Samuels (Signed Contract With Cleveland Cavaliers)
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Samardo Samuels was supposed to be a lottery pick. Samardo Samuels was supposed to dominate the Big East. Samardo Samuels was supposed to be the next big thing at the University of Louisville.
Samardo Samuels wasn't supposed to go undrafted, but on June 24, 2010 that is exactly what happened. Now Samuels is forced to start from the bottom and make his way back to the top.
I think he found the perfect team to sign with this off season. Nobody knows what to expect out of the Cleveland Cavaliers this year, except that they won't be as good with Lebron taking his talents to South Beach.
All Samardo has to do now is go into camp and play his heart out, do whatever new head coach Byron Scott asks and he can find his way into the rotation in no time.
Courtesy of new teammate Daniel Gibson's twitter page (@1BooByD_Gibson): "I still can't understand how the big fella Samardo Samuels my new teammate out of Louisville go undrafted? He A Beast."
Brandon Jefferson is a student at High Point University and a writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @DOTcom_2.
