The 2012 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 28, in New York City. As we have done for the last several years, RTC’s team of writers (including Andrew Murawa, Kevin Doyle, Evan Jacoby, Matt Patton, and Danny Spewak) will provide comprehensive breakdowns of each of the 35 collegians most likely to hear his name called by David Stern in the first round on draft night. We’ll work backwards, starting with players who are projected near the end of the first round before getting into the lottery as June progresses. As an added bonus, we’ll also bring you a scouting take from NBADraft.net’s Aran Smith at the bottom of each player evaluation.
Note: Click here for all published 2012 NBA Draft profiles.
Player Name: Draymond Green
School: Michigan State
Height/Weight: 6’6” / 235 lbs.
NBA Position: Small Forward
Projected Draft Range: Late First/Early Second Round
Overview: Perhaps the best and worst thing about Draymond Green is that he is a basketball player. It might seem like an odd statement to make, but part of the problem with projecting the Michigan State All-American is figuring out exactly what kind of position he will play in the NBA. In college, he did a little bit of everything and to be fair he did it all very well, but there was not one aspect of his game that jumps out at you. Unfortunately, the ability to do everything tends to be undervalued in many ways by the NBA when it comes to drafting players because teams are more focused on finding players with elite level talents to fit into the team game with the exception of a handful of well-rounded superstars. Still Draymond does a couple of things — rebounding and outside shooting, in particular — well enough that plenty of teams will be willing to take a chance on him even if gets passed over by several players who were not near the caliber of player that he was in East Lansing. Green’s all-around ability — averaging 16.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a senior — may not be fully utilized in the NBA, but a few of his skills should be showcased at the next level.
Will Translate to the NBA: Green will most likely become a solid role player who basketball fans remember more for his all-around play at Michigan State than whatever niche he carves out for himself in the NBA. He will probably find spots as a second unit player to showcase his all-around skills, but he will probably be confined to a player who is used in spots for his ability to rebound and hit outside shots. The factor that will limit his playing time at the next level is his relative lack of height at his position. If he finds the right spot he could flourish, but if he does not wind up in the right situation he could end up being one of those players who basketball fans combing through rosters point to and talk about how he could help another team.
Needs Work: For all of Green’s talents, the one thing he most lacks is elite explosiveness. We are sure that most of you are probably muttering that he cannot really develop explosiveness and that is true to a degree, but with a little work, strength training and some help with his diet, he could gain that extra half-step he needs to have a long NBA career. Of course, Green will need to be careful with this in that his bulk has also been an asset when he underneath battling bigger players to grab rebounds. He needs to maintain this while still utilizing the upper body strength needed to battle in the paint. If Green can do this and continue to work on his outside shooting — he shot 36.6% and 38.8% from three-point range his last two years after rarely attempting an outside shot his first two seasons — he should have a home in the NBA for a long time.
Comparison Players: The names that we hear thrown around the most often in comparison to Green are Jared Dudley and Udonis Haslem. Both of them seem like decent comparisons although neither possesses the all-around game that Green has shown. However, they do play the type of game that Green will need to learn to play if he is going to be successful in the NBA. In reality, Dudley is probably a better comparison and player for Green to model himself after. Both players can shoot from the outside and can grab a few rebounds, but neither is known for being explosive.
Best Case Scenario: Green learns to accept his status as a role player rather than the do-it-all star that he was in college. If he continues to work on his shooting to extend to NBA three-point range or even hitting a long jumper he should be able to hang around the league for a long while. Throw in his rebounding and ability to pass and you have the makings of a player who should be able to fit in with most teams and on the right team could be a key ingredient to a deep playoff run. He isn’t necessarily the type of player you will build a team around in the NBA, but he is one who should fit in nicely with a team that needs someone to make “basketball plays.”
Best NBA Fit: This might sound obvious, but Miami would be a really good fit for Green. Obviously playing with two guys like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade should make anybody look better. Ok, other than everybody that Pat Riley has brought in to fill a role so far. Still, Green should be able to fill the role that Haslem was expected to when Wade convinced James and Chris Bosh to take less money to free up some cap space for him. Green would be able to hit the open jump shots that Wade and James create and also be willing to do the dirty work in the paint needed to win close games against good teams. Perhaps best of all he should also be available in the late first round and would not be a stretch either way enabling the Heat to pick up a nice replacement piece for Haslem who clearly has not performed up to the value of his contract.
Scout’s Take (from NBADraft.net): “No one gets more from their abilities than Green who appears a step slow physically. Green can bring the ball up the floor and make passes to set up teammates. He has a winner’s mindset and a tremendous feel for the game. “