No Guarantees: NBA Second Round Gold Digging

OMG, have you heard?

There are these two guys, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, that are really good at basketball. I wonder which one is better?

Alright, now that I've gotten the prerequisite fawning out of the way that is required of seemingly any and all discussions of the upcoming NBA draft it is on to more intriguing things. Because in all honesty, the Oden vs. Durant debate is played out at the moment. They are two entirely different types of players, and any team that ends up with either of them will be very pleased. End of story. What I find to be a far more interesting discussion is one that can be epitomized in two words: Paul Milsap. No, this is not going to be a discussion about pro prospects from Louisiana Tech, or one about the drafting prowess of the Utah Jazz. I am more interested in second rounders, namely ones that are going to contribute on the pro level.

The success this year of Milsap, the undersized power forward that led the NCAA in rebounding for four consecutive years, shines light on a very simple fact; certain traits carry over better than others from the college to the pros. To further examine this point, lets look at some of the most successful second rounders of recent drafts:

'06:
Paul Milsap
Daniel Gibson

'05:
Salim Stoudamire

'04:
Anderson Varejao
Chris Duhon

'03:
Luke Walton
Steve Blake
Kyle Korver
Jason Kapono

'02:
Carlos Boozer

'01:
Gilbert Arenas
Mehmet Okur
Earl Watson

'00:
Michael Redd
Marko Jaric
Eddie House

Three things jump out from this list. Somehow, good shooters from college seem to be good shooters in the pros (Korver, Kapono, Redd, House, Stoudamire, Arenas). Also, gritty rebounders seem to remain being gritty rebounders in the pros (Boozer, Varejao, Milsap). As well, efficient floor leaders remain being effective on the NBA level (Jaric, Watson, Blake, Duhon, Gibson). So what are the three things here that translate well to the NBA? Rebounding, passing, and shooting. Wow. Imagine that. Those almost seem like, fundamentals or something. I mean, from watching recent NBA drafts, I thought the most important traits to look for in a draft pick were length and size. I mean, why else would a team like the Sonics draft guys like Robert Swift, Johan Petro, and Mouhamed Sene? I mean, they are all tall, and that is what is important, right? (Tangent: If there is one thing in professional sports drafting that is more certain than the Detroit Lions drafting a crappy first round wide receiver at every available opportunity, it is the tendency of the Sonics to draft raw centers. I think I am going to die laughing when they draft Hasheem Thabeet out of Uconn this year. You know it is going to happen. I mean, he is 7-3. That is THREE WHOLE INCHES better than a seven footer! He is obviously going to be a great pro. Obviously.)

You know where this is all headed. So, who are going to be the second rounders that we are going to be talking about at this time next season? Which players working on non-guaranteed contracts will have cracked the rotations and/or starting lineups of their new teams?

Mustafa Shakur, Arizona: Shakur has quietly had a breakout year for the Wildcats, averaging a career high 7.3 assists per game. Looking over the course of his career Shakur's assists, A/TO ratio, and steals have improved every season. He does however, have a tendency to dissapear in the points column. I could definitely see Shakur catching on as a solid backup and eventually a spot starter.

Rashad Jones-Jennings, Arkansas Little-Rock: So a 6-8 power forward out of a mid major school eh? Indeed. Jennings leads the nation in rebounding at 12.8 per contest, despite this being only his second season of Division I ball. He is the type of player that reminds you that rebounding is as much about effort and attitude as it is about height and athleticism. Think Charles Oakley, Dennis Rodman, Ben Wallace, Charles Barkley. They were all undersized, but they wanted the board more than anyone else on the floor. What team wouldn't be helped by having such an effort player coming off the bench for them?

Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech: Jackson is not afraid to shoot the three, and is hitting a career high 47.6% from behind the arc this season. While there are probably better pure shooters available, Jackson also possesses the ability to take his defender off the ball and score in a variety of ways. Four years of playing under Bob Knight doesn't hurt either. Jackson could provide instant offense off the bench for an NBA franchise.

Now, I'm not saying these guys are going to be stars. Very few second rounders ever are. These players do however, have a solid chance to come in and contribute to an NBA club right out of the gate, more than can be said of many of the raw centers and European experiments selected in the first round of the draft. Now I must be off, I have 273 more articles to read tonight comparing Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. *Sigh*