NBA Draft Update - Bill Walker, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Brandon Rush, Joe Alexander

Here are the latest rumblings from the upcoming NBA Draft and some potential prospects, via ESPN & Chad Ford, and my analysis/opinions:

Bill Walker, G/F, Kansas State: Walker was one of the biggest NBA prospects before he ruptured his ACL as a freshman in 2006. When he came back he was apparently overweight but has since dropped 30 pounds and has been impressing scouts in Chicago, via ESPN's Chad Ford. At 6ft8 and I'm assuming a slimmed down 225lbs, Walker definitely have the size and athleticism to excel on the next level. I do think he needs to improve his shot though from what I have seen of him at Kansas State. He does however have Paul Pierce like strength going to the basket which I would imagine would be how he scores the majority of his points early on in the NBA. It looks like Walker will be skipping the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, which I will be covering May 27-30, and he will try to focus on private workouts against other top small forwards in the draft. Most mock drafts have Walker going in the second round right now but it seems like he has improved his draft stock enough where he could be a borderline lottery pick.

Brandon Rush, G/F, Kansas: Brandon Rush has always been somewhat of an enigma when it comes to the NBA and its scouts. Some people love his combination of size, athleticism, and a great shooting stroke but others question his heart, desire, and aggressiveness. After watching his workout, Chad Ford said Rush reminds him of Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, but I don't really see that comparison. I think Johnson is more fluid than Rush, who is usually described as smooth but to me most things he does on the court seem a little awkward if anything. I think Rush is the type of player who would fit in perfectly with a playoff caliber team like the Hornets, Spurs, or even Orlando, where he could thrive because he wouldn't be the focus of the offense. I just noticed Ford has him going # 22 to the Magic and even as high as # 15 to the Suns, so I guess my Orlando thought makes sense then.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, G/F, Memphis: There's no doubt that Chris Douglas-Roberts is an old school type of player who just knows how to get buckets and score. Chad Ford said he spoke to many scouts who have Douglas-Roberts ranked above Brandon Rush because of his scoring ability. At 6'7 & 200lbs, Douglas-Roberts has the body type of George Gervin but not the jump shot. He does find other ways to score and it looks like that is all the NBA scouts are concerned with. Both of the mock drafts I saw had him going to Orlando, so I would imagine that if Rush isn't available when they pick, they will go after Douglas-Roberts. I also think he would fit in great with the Spurs at # 26, who need someone else who can create their own offense. However, he might not be around that late in the draft. A team like Cleveland at # 19 might be a good fit for him as well.

Joe Alexander, G/F, West Virginia: Alexander burst onto the NBA radar at the end of the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament with his spectacular play. At 6'8 & 230lbs and with great athleticism, Alexander is one of top 3 small forwards in the draft along with Italy's Danilo Gallinari and Syracuse's Donte Greene. Alexander has been wowing teams in workouts and is considered almost a sure fire NBA Lottery pick. I have seen a few mock drafts who have him going # 13 to Portland and he does seem to be the type of player they are looking for when it comes to both ability and character. I have also seen Alexander going as high as # 8 to the Milwuakee Bucks, which is probably only possible if top prospects like Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and Russell Westbrook slip in the draft. Chad Ford seems to think teams like the Blazers, Suns, & Raptors will all take a long look at Alexander.

Also of note is Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo and here is what Ford has to say about him:

He is a very explosive athlete who attacks the basket. He's a streaky shooter, but when he's hot, watch out. He's debating whether to play in Orlando. If he does, I could see him moving up draft boards. After the first few point guards are off the board, teams will be looking in the late first round and Pargo will be interesting.

I also get alot of people coming to the site looking for information on players such as Rhode Island's Will Daniels, Xavier's Josh Duncan, Memphis' Joey Dorsey, and UMass' Gary Forbes.

So where are these players projected to be drafted? Well, these players are all projected as second round draft picks at best, and to be quite honest, even the best mock drafts have trouble projecting exactly what teams will do with their second round picks. In fact, most NBA mock drafts don't even project the second round, so it is often hard to even find information regarding the second round.

That being said here is what has been floating around as far as projections go for these guys:

Will Daniels, SF, Rhode Island: Since he skipped the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and he hasn't been projected to be invited to the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp, I'm going to assume he is going to go undrafted, unless some team promised to pick him in the second round. Right now NBADraft.net has him going to the Bulls at # 39 but their second round mocks are usually not that accurate this far before the draft.

Josh Duncan, SF/PF, Xavier: Duncan is expected to participate in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp but from what I can see, unless he lights it up in Orlando, then Duncan will go undrafted. None of the mock drafts I have seen have him being drafted.

Joey Dorsey, PF/C, Memphis: Dorsey, who is participating in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp, is a lock to get drafted. I'm pretty sure he could step right in for any team and play a solid 15-20 minutes off the bench at the very least. He has almost no offensive game but he will definitely help any team that chooses him because of his rebounding and defense. I have seen Dorsey projected to go in the second round at #32 to the Sonics or #47 with the Wizards but I would be shocked if he dropped all the way to # 47. Early second round would be my bet.

Gary Forbes, SF, UMass: Forbes had a great showing at the Portsmouth Tourney and he will look to improve his stock even more at the Orlando Camp. Forbes could definitely shoot up to the early second round with a strong showing in Orlando but right now is projected as a late second round pick, possibly going to the Sonics. I have a feeling Forbes will play well in Orlando and end up getting picked somewhere in the early second round.

Also check out these interviews with O.J. Mayo, Joe Alexander, and Chris Douglas-Roberts.