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Sports Sound-Off is revamping! We're going to podcasts now! Kyle Nishida & Matthew Zimmer will discuss all the major components of today's sport topics! Coming soon to ZimCasting.com.

Previously, SSO was a radio show on KUGR.org on Saturdays from 8-10pm, starring Kyle Nishida, Justin Rice, Matthew Segal, and Matthew Zimmer.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

A Selected Preview of the 2013 NBA Draft

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While Kyle, Justin, and Matt have been previewing which NBA prospect will go to which team I decided to take an in-depth look at some of the top headliners in this years 2013 NBA draft that consist of each prospect’s strengths and areas to improve on based upon what analysts have compiled and an analysis of what team would be a good fit for each of these prospects.

1.     Ben McLemore: 6-5, 190 Ibs, SG, Kansas, class: FR.
Strengths:
·      Finishes strong to the basket.
·      Incredibly athletic.
·      Great range, strong ability to shoot 3’s.
·      Plays bigger than advertised, listed at 6-5, has the wingspan of a 6-9 guard.
·      Very disciplined.

Areas to improve on:
·      Still maturing, has only scratched the surface with his capabilities.
·      Can be too aggressive at times.
·      Needs to improve ball handling.
·      Can be a streaky shooter at times.

Team that would fit him best: Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the 1st overall pick in the draft and Ben McLemore could fall in their lap If Cleveland chooses McLemore they will be getting a tremendous athlete that can score in more ways then one. While McLemore does need to improve his ball handling, the Cavs have Kyrie Irving to distribute the ball and call the plays on the court. The Cavaliers with picking Ben McLemore will have two franchise players to build a team around and could have one of the best backcourts in the NBA.

2.     Nerlens Noel: 6-11, 206Ibs, PF/C, Kentucky, class: FR.
Strengths:
·      Game impact on defense, rebounding, and athleticism.
·      Great shot blocker.
·      Dominates in the paint.
·      Very athletic for a big man.
·      Has the wingspan of a 7-4 player.
·      Fundamentally sound, makes good decisions with the ball.

Areas to improve on:
·      Needs to improve his game on offense.
·      Listed as a PF/C but might be small as a C, needs to put on more weight.
·      Raw player needs to improve on his shooting.

Team that would be a good fit: Charlotte Bobcats.
Nerlens Noel might be taken off the board before the Bobcat’s 4th pick but if available during the 4th pick the Bobcats should pull the trigger. Though the Bobcats have been a horrible team for the last several years the organization is slowly rising based on the talent that has come from previous draft picks (Kemba Walker). By adding Noel the Bobcats would be getting a standout defender that is one of the best-shot blockers to come out in recent years. While Nerlens Noel needs to improve on his shooting, the Charlotte Bobcats have players that are standout shooters in Kemba Walker and another good shooter in Ben Gordon. Picking Noel would greatly improve the Bobcat’s defense that as a team allowed over 102 points on average per game to opposing teams last year.

3.     Anthony Bennett: 6-7, 240 Ibs, SF/PF, UNLV, class: FR.
Strengths:
·      Has a good jump shot. Good ball handling for a guy that does not play the 1 or 2 position.
·      Can shoot the 3 pointer.
·      Very athletic, plays with a 7-1 wingspan.
·      Very efficient player, does not get tried easily, would play 40 minutes a game at UNLV.

Areas to improve on:
·      Oversized as a SF, undersized as a PF.
·      A Major concern is his health issues; in high school he could not finish his junior or senior season.
·      Can be frustrating at times by not giving his all.

Team that would be a good fit: Washington Wizards.
The Washington Wizards have point guard in John Wall who is an outstanding shooter and passer and center in Emeka Okafor who is one of the best true defensive centers in the NBA. However, the Wizards are missing a player that can posses both Wall’s attributes in scoring and Okafor’s in rebounding (Bennett averaged 8 rebounds a game at UNLV). Anthony Bennett would be able to bring both attributes to the Wizards. While Bennett has been flagged for not playing his all, a motivated coaching staff can turn him into an overall fantastic player that will mainly be used as a small forward.

4.     Trey Burke: 6-1, 190 Ibs, PG, Michigan, class: SO.
Strengths:
·      Fierce competitor.
·      Gives it his all every game, great leader.
·      Great ability at running plays and being a floor general.
·      Strong ball handler and pesky defender.
Areas to improve on:
·      Undersized as a point guard.
·      Could struggle to compete with bigger and more athletic point guards.
·      Averaged less then 7 points a game at Michigan last year.
·      Lacks speed and is not a dynamic finisher.

Team that would be a good fit: New Orleans Pelicans.
Trey Burke is projected by many mock draft sites to be selected by the Pelicans at pick #6. Burke will not necessarily be the lights out shooting guard like former New Orleans guard Chris Paul but that is ok because the Pelicans have scorers in power-forward Anthony Davis, and shooting guards Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers. With the addition of Burke the Pelicans would get a solid defender and a great floor general that will be able to feed the ball down low to Davis or kick it out to Gordon or Rivers to nail down a 3 pointer.

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