Five Overrated Players That Will be Drafted Too High

Five Overrated Players Who Will Be Drafted Too High

1. Patrick O’Bryant. His stock skyrocketed during Bradley’s improbable Sweet Sixteen run. At 7 feet, he’s seen as the best “pure center” in the draft, and I’ve heard some teams are considering him in the middle of the lottery. A good rebounder and decent athlete, he needs to bulk up. His offensive game is raw. I don’t see anything too special about him, but since centers are rare, he’ll get taken higher than his game warrants.

2. Marcus Williams. He’s a good player, but unspectacular. While he has good basketball IQ, he’s a subpar NBA athlete, which was on display at the combine. There are questions about his character due to off-the-court troubles and poor conditioning. Normally, I don’t think he’d be a lottery pick, but this year’s draft is very thin on point guards, so he’s crept up to the middle of the lottery. His status as “the best pure point guard in the draft” will get him chosen ahead of better players.

3. Rajon Rondo. I wanted to put Rondo in the “Players who should have stayed in school” category, but I really just haven’t seen his supposed “potential.” He’s immature, and got benched by Tubby Smith for part of last season. He’s quick, but he can’t shoot. Even his free throw percentage is bad (57% last season). Why would you use a lottery pick on a guard who can’t shoot?

4. Hilton Armstrong. I just don’t see anything special about Armstrong. He’s pretty athletic, and I guess at 6’11”, that’s all you need to get selected in the late lottery (as some have projected for Armstrong). He’s a good shot-blocker and plays hard, but his offensive game is very undeveloped, and he’s a liability when the ball is in his hands. I’m not a big fan of drafting someone mainly based on size.

5. Cedric Simmons. I’m always suspicious about guys you hear little to nothing about during the college season, but whose stock is suddenly high come draft time. Simmons is athletic and can block shots, but he’s not very strong and will get pushed around. His offensive game is pretty raw, and his ballhandling is questionable. Recent reports have him going as high as the late lottery. He’s too young, and won’t have developed yet (if he ever does) when his rookie contract is up.

Adam’s Comments. Simmons is a good call. I saw him work Sheldon Williams pretty good during the ACC season last year, but other than that, I don’t understand where all this heat is coming from. The latest reports say Boston is going to take him which makes no sense given that they already have Al Jefferson, who is a better version of Simmons. Odd. I obviously disagree with you about Marcus Williams but I’m on board with the rest. I recall rooting for Bradley to upset Kansas and being amazed whenever O’Bryant converted a hoop. Now he’s a lottery pick? What? Can you say “Next Michael Olowakandi”?