Monroe Looks At The Draft's Top Centers

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062408draftcenters.en.322f82d6.html

NBA: Mike Monroe looks at the draft's top centers

There is no Greg Oden awaiting a lucky team in the 2008 NBA Draft. There may not be a LaMarcus Aldridge or Andrew Bogut. What this draft has is good depth among big men, including centers. Stanford’s Brook Lopez, one of a slew of 7-footers who may go in the first round on Thursday, seems likely to be the first center taken, perhaps as high as No. 3.

Express-News NBA writer Mike Monroe breaks down the best of the centers available.

Brook Lopez
7-0, 260
Stanford
Age: 20
PPG: 19.3
RPG: 8.2
BPG: 2.07
Comment: Well prepared to make an immediate contribution in NBA, he might go to T-Wolves if they back away from O.J. Mayo.

Kosta Koufos
7-0, 265
Ohio State
Age: 19
PPG: 14.4
RPG: 6.7
BPG: 1.18
Comment: He’s a Greek in name and passport only. Grew up in Canton, Ohio. Skinny, so needs to eat more Souvlaki.

Marreese Speights
6-10, 245
Florida
Age: 20
PPG: 14.5
RPG: 8.1
BPG: 1.36
Comment: Emerged from shadow of Gators stars Joakim Noah and Al Horford last season, with plenty of untapped potential.

DeAndre Jordan
7-0, 260
Texas A&M
Age: 19
PPG: 7.9
RPG: 6.0
BPG: 1.26
Comment: The enigma of the first round, a non-starter at A&M, with mediocre numbers. As one GM who liked his workout put it: “I have no idea why he didn’t play, but you presume something was very wrong.”

Roy Hibbert
7-2, 278
Georgetown
Age: 21
PPG: 13.4
RPG: 6.4
BPG: 2.2
Comment: A solid citizen and hard worker who stayed in school all four years. Hmmm ..... sounds a lot like a potential Spurs player.

[timvp]

Roy Hibbert
7-2, 278
Georgetown
Age: 21
PPG: 13.4
RPG: 6.4
BPG: 2.2
Comment: A solid citizen and hard worker who stayed in school all four years. Hmmm ..... sounds a lot like a potential Spurs player.Yeah, a Spurs player if the Spurs want to become the slowest team on the planet.

[Blackjack]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062408draftcenters.en.322f82d6.html

NBA: Mike Monroe looks at the draft's top centers

There is no Greg Oden awaiting a lucky team in the 2008 NBA Draft. There may not be a LaMarcus Aldridge or Andrew Bogut. What this draft has is good depth among big men, including centers. Stanford’s Brook Lopez, one of a slew of 7-footers who may go in the first round on Thursday, seems likely to be the first center taken, perhaps as high as No. 3.

Express-News NBA writer Mike Monroe breaks down the best of the centers available.

Brook Lopez
7-0, 260
Stanford
Age: 20
PPG: 19.3
RPG: 8.2
BPG: 2.07
Comment: Well prepared to make an immediate contribution in NBA, he might go to T-Wolves if they back away from O.J. Mayo.

Kosta Koufos
7-0, 265
Ohio State
Age: 19
PPG: 14.4
RPG: 6.7
BPG: 1.18
Comment: He’s a Greek in name and passport only. Grew up in Canton, Ohio. Skinny, so needs to eat more Souvlaki.

Marreese Speights
6-10, 245
Florida
Age: 20
PPG: 14.5
RPG: 8.1
BPG: 1.36
Comment: Emerged from shadow of Gators stars Joakim Noah and Al Horford last season, with plenty of untapped potential.

DeAndre Jordan
7-0, 260
Texas A&M
Age: 19
PPG: 7.9
RPG: 6.0
BPG: 1.26
Comment: The enigma of the first round, a non-starter at A&M, with mediocre numbers. As one GM who liked his workout put it: “I have no idea why he didn’t play, but you presume something was very wrong.”

Roy Hibbert
7-2, 278
Georgetown
Age: 21
PPG: 13.4
RPG: 6.4
BPG: 2.2
Comment: A solid citizen and hard worker who stayed in school all four years. Hmmm ..... sounds a lot like a potential Spurs player.

Damn! Now that's some in-depth analysis.

Thank god we've got a guy like Monroe, who never mails it in. :lmao

[mrspurs]

another shine the pine list........meaning no disrepect to the thread starter....go spurs go

[montgod]

Interesting... no Robin Lopez?

[my2sons]

koufos is listed at 265 heavier than all the other 7 footer except for hibert, but he's too skinny....

[Rummpd]

You put Hibbert in the middle next to Duncan and the Spurs are very solid with some scoring, rebounding and shot blocking. He obviously would not be a David Robinson athletically or anywhere as skilled as Duncan was in college or is today, but this guy would be a steal in the Spurs can get him. Coach Thompson's dad (the former coach) who does DC radio (980 AM) these days is very high on him and believes that it is a joke that Hibbert is not in the lottery vs. others that never helped take a team anywhere at the NCAA level - he said "he will at the very worst be a solid NBA player for years, believes he will be a starter, and could well end up surprising a lot of people" Spurs should go get Hibbert!

[The Truth #6]

Is Coach Thompson a reliable narrator? He sounds like he's boosting Georgetown more than anything.

[Rummpd]

Understood he has a connection but he also said RH has many of the same skills and desires of other Georgetown bigs who went onto star, but does it in a "quieter and more unselfish way" - sounds like a good Spur.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

You put Hibbert in the middle next to Duncan and the Spurs are very solid with some scoring, rebounding and shot blocking. He obviously would not be a David Robinson athletically or anywhere as skilled as Duncan was in college or is today, but this guy would be a steal in the Spurs can get him. Coach Thompson's dad (the former coach) who does DC radio (980 AM) these days is very high on him and believes that it is a joke that Hibbert is not in the lottery vs. others that never helped take a team anywhere at the NCAA level - he said "he will at the very worst be a solid NBA player for years, believes he will be a starter, and could well end up surprising a lot of people" Spurs should go get Hibbert!

Hibbert is overrated and has peaked as a player. Hell no. I'm shocked that someone in the Georgetown hoops cult would be pimping another Georgetown kid when his son stands to benefit in the recruiting wars by having a lotto pick. :rolleyes

There's a reason Hibbert went from top 5 pick last year if he would have come out to in the 20s this year, and it's because we've already seen his best.

[baseline bum]

What did that take to write, Mike? All of 5 minutes?

[Marcus Bryant]

What did that take to write, Mike? All of 5 minutes?

No kidding. We could turn out E-N columns left and right in here.

[duncan228]

No kidding. We could turn out E-N columns left and right in here.

Aren't you? :)

There are some posters here with great insight. Lots of what I read on SpursTalk is better than anything local or national concerning the Spurs. I'm convinced Monroe, and others, are getting ideas from ST.

[Marcus Bryant]

Aren't you? :)

There are some posters here with great insight. Lots of what I read on SpursTalk is better than anything local or national concerning the Spurs. I'm convinced Monroe, and others, are getting ideas from ST.

Man, what I would give to see a post by ducks end up in the Express-News.

[duncan228]

Man, what I would give to see a post by ducks end up in the Express-News.

:lmao Sometimes ducks makes more sense than they do.

Especially McDonald. I'm wondering if he'll still have the job in the fall.