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Bruno
05-19-2009, 10:58 AM
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05HJ0xydxe0p3/340x.jpg
Height: 6-9
Weight: 235 lbs
Birthday: 02/10/1987
College: Saint Joseph's

DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ahmad-Nivins-1230/)
nbadraft (http://www.nbadraft.net/players/ahmad-nivins)

duncan228
05-25-2009, 04:49 PM
The best fit (http://www.examiner.com/x-1175-Philadelphia-College-Basketball-Examiner~y2009m5d25-The-best-fit)
Ari Bluestein
Philadelphia College Basketball Examiner

Dionte Christmas, Dante Cunningham and Ahmad Nivins are all working out and trying to impress the scouts, coaches and general managers from the 30 NBA teams. All the while, experts, websites and analysts are projecting where all the NBA prospects will land in next month’s NBA Draft. Now with the NBA Draft Lottery behind us, the chatter is starting to heat up about who is going where. So the key question for this examiner is: Where will the top three prospects out of the Philadelphia end up at the next level?

First we have the Temple sharp-shooter Dionte Christmas. He has a tremendous value to any NBA team because of his ability to not only knock down the college three-point shot, but he has shown the ability to go beyond the NBA three-point range and calmly knock down a trey. According to NBADraft.net (http://www.nbadraft.net/2009mock_draft), Christmas is projected to go early in the second round to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are a team that has struggled mightily throughout the young franchise history and adding a shooter like Christmas could help a budding superstar like O.J. Mayo. But are the Grizzlies the best fit for Christmas?

Even though this examiner is from the City of Brotherly Love, the Philadelphia 76ers would be a perfect fit for Christmas. He played high school and college ball in Philadelphia, so why not make it a trifecta and put him on the 76ers roster. The Sixers desperately need a shooter to complement slashers like Andre Igoudala and Lou Williams and big man Elton Brand. Many would say that the one missing piece for the Sixers could be that shooting guard that can be a real threat from three-point range. The answer could be Dionte Christmas if general manager Ed Stefanski makes a trade to grab a second round pick and make the selection of the hometown star.

Villanova forward Dante Cunningham has a similar projection according to NBADraft.net (http://www.nbadraft.net/2009mock_draft) as the website’s mock draft has him going directly after Christmas to the Detroit Pistons early in the second round. In the NBA, Cunningham will be a great rebounder any team can bring off the bench for about 15-25 minutes per game. Looking at the Pistons roster, the core of the team is getting older. Players like Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace can still compete, but they are getting to the point where they need some young talent to help out.

With three picks in this year’s NBA draft, the Pistons will get three talented players to be able to fill this void. In this case, I have to agree with NBADraft.net that Cunningham would be a good fit for the Pistons. He will be able to relieve Wallace at the power forward position and he could potentially become a decent starter in the NBA. He fits the Detroit mentality of tough, hard-fought basketball and he would instantly become a fan favorite in the Motor City.

Finally there is Saint Joseph’s big man Ahmad Nivins, who is not even projected to be drafted according to NBADraft.net (http://www.nbadraft.net/2009mock_draft). As previously stated in another article on the Examiner, this writer believes Nivins could be the best pro out of all three of these players. Nivins has an array of offensive moves and with his 6’9” frame and long wingspan; he can make those moves in the NBA as well. If Nivins indeed goes undrafted, which is possible because he is a well-kept secret, I can guarantee that he will be picked up by an NBA team to work out in the summer and the pre-season.

A team that could be a good fit for Nivins would be the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, like the aforementioned Pistons, are another team that is not getting any young. Former MVP Tim Duncan still can put up double-doubles on a regular basis, but he has become more injury prone and has noticeably slowed down. Other than Duncan, the Spurs don’t have another solid offensive threat in the post. Nivins would do the dirty work and be happy to back up Duncan while he is still around and then later potentially work his way into the starting lineup. Former Drexel Dragon star forward Malik Rose made a home in San Antonio as a member of the Spurs for nearly a decade. Now, maybe another small Philadelphia school big man will win the Spurs fans over like Rose did several years ago.

benefactor
05-25-2009, 06:47 PM
Not a lot of good on him defensively. If he goes undrafted he might be worth a camp invite.

duncan228
06-19-2009, 10:53 AM
Few second-round prospects have risen in the eyes of executives the way St. Joseph’s forward Ahmad Nivins has in the offseason. Nivins, a strong, 6-foot-9 forward, was the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 Player of the Year. Nivins visits the Spurs over the weekend.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129005

Mr. Body
06-19-2009, 03:39 PM
If he's there in the 50s, grab him.

MaNu4Tres
06-19-2009, 04:49 PM
If he's there in the 50s, grab him.

I second this.

Biggems
06-19-2009, 11:08 PM
I want him at 53.....but it would be even better if we signed him as a UDFA.