1998 Draft Prospect Scouting Report a BSH Production

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Good morning guys. In this Article I will be looking in depth at a lot of our draft prospects. I'll try and give what i perceive as strengths, weaknesses, and best fits (within reason). 

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Player Profile:

Dirk Nowitzki

Age: 19  Height: 6'11"  Weight: 210

Potential: Offensive Superstar

Strengths: Nicknamed Dirk 'Nomiss'zki as a young foreign player, Dirk possesses an elite offensive arsenal as he showed in the Nike Hoops Summit scoring 33 which is an all time high in points. He shows ability to hit a shot anywhere on the floor, and as a 7 footer, the rare ability to create his own shot either by putting the ball on the floor, playing in the post, or the catch and shoot. Dirk has the ability to be a massive force on offense, and any team that takes him will be able to run their offense through Dirk. Although Dirk may not be a rim protector, you can pretty much ignore offensive ability with the guy you put next to him. He'll be that good. Dirk has been a pro for 4 years already with DJK Würzburg; don't expect his transition to take too long. 

Weaknesses: As with most young prospects, Dirk needs to add weight to his frame as well as strength to battle down-low with opposing big men. Dirk also is not a very good rebounder. Any team who drafts him will have to wait around 5 seasons before he stop becoming a net negative on the boards. Because of his penchant for shooting jumpers and from the 3 point stripe, don't ever expect him to be an average offensive rebounder. Dirk also does not show a bull dog mentality on defense. Despite his height and wingspan, he's not a very strong rim protector. Despite his flaws, he will possibly be the most dynamic scoring PF the league has seen., 

Best Fits:    

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Player Profile:

Vince Carter

Age: 21 Height: 6'6" Weight: 215

Potential: Franchise Centerpiece

Strengths: Scoring, Finishing, everything offensive. There's been a lot of debate on if Vince Carter or his UNC teammate Antwan Jamison is the better prospect. Rest easy NBA, I'm here to answer that Debate. Vince Carter is your guy. Carter is an athletic freak that has all the tools. Carter actually has a more potentially more well rounded offensive skill set than fellow 2, Kobe Bryant. While Bryant relies on getting to the rim and taking contested jump shot, Carter is slightly more explosive at the rim and has a better 3 point shooting stroke. Carter is the only prospect in this draft who's ready to take over a team tomorrow and be the centerpiece. Carter could be a rare rookie All star. 

Weaknesses: The offensive end is where comparisons between Bryant and Carter stop. On the defensive end, Carter tends to relax throughout the game until the final minutes when the game is on the line. He has all the physical abilities to be a great defender, but it's unclear if he has the desire to be a lockdown on that end. Carter also doesn't seem to create turnovers and tends to foul at a high rate. On the offensive end, sometimes Carter falls in love with his jump shot, which isn't bad, but with Carter's ability at the rim, you want him in 100% attack mode 100% of the time. 

Best Fits:    

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Player Profile:

Paul Pierce

Age: 20 Height: 6'7" Weight: 220

Potential: All-Star Offensive player. Great 2nd best player. 

Strengths: Intangibles and scoring. While Pierce isn't the hyper athlete that Vince Carter is, his stat line will be close. Pierce is second to none as a scorer and even has some enviable defensive qualities. Although Pierce may be a step slow for a defender, he makes up for it with his IQ and ability to create turnovers. Pierce is good at handling the ball and can have an offense run through him. Pierce has the ability to close a game and take the last shot.

Weaknesses: Pierce is not a great athlete. He really is a true 3, less of a wing. Putting him at the 2 spot would probably result in bad match-ups on the defensive end. PP has tunnel vision on offense and has a long way to go as a passer. Would be a very low level best player in this league. While his stats may add up to the some of the league's best stars, he won't have the same contribution in areas that aren't quantifiable. Pierce also won't be a great contribution on the boards as a lot of other 3's but he won't be bad.

Best Fits:      

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Player Profile:

Larry Hughes

Age: 19 Height: 6'5" Weight: 185

Potential: Multiple Time All Star Backup

Strengths: Larry Hughes is an all around guard with near ideal height for the 2 spot. He's an above average scorer with some range. You can trust him with the ball as he's not prone to heavy turnovers. Hughes has the versatility to play the 1 and 2; wouldn't confuse him for a wing though. Extreme knack for creating turnovers on the defensive end. Has a nose for the ball. Hughes is also a very solid man to man defender. 


Weaknesses: Needs the ball in his hand majority of time to excel. Probably shouldn't be a team's top option, but would be a solid #2. Rail thin, may not be able to play the 2 until he puts on weight. Isn't elite at anything offensively. Can't effectively slide to the 3 even for spot minutes at this point in his career. May think he's a superstar but will have to get used to the idea of playing a role.

Best Fits:     

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Player Profile:

Mike Bibby

Age: 19 Height: 6'2" Weight: 190

Potential: Potential All Star

Strengths: Mike Bibby can do it all at the PG position. Athletically he possesses a good first step and a mean crossover to get to the rim. The All American has lethal range and will open the floor for any team. He was second in scoring only to teammate and fellow prospect Michael Dickerson on the team. Bibby also lead the team in assist and was a hound when it came to creating turnovers averaging a jaw-dropping 2.4 APG for the Wildcats. He also doesn't shrink in the moment. Last year (1997) Bibby lead the Wildcats over Paul Pierce and the #1 overall Kansas Jayhawks in the tournament. Kansas feature what will be 4 BA players in Pierce/Pollard/Lefrentz/Vaughn. Bibby will be best on a team who needs a scoring punch. 

Weaknesses: Although Bibby is a good passer, he's more in the new mold of the scoring PG. He will often drive the the goal and pass out looking for a bail out which lead to his 2.9 Turnovers per game in college. Sometimes Bibby gets into a gear where he struggles to manage the offense is more worried about creating his own shot. Bibby may struggle at the rim in the NBA. Although he has that quick first step, he doesn't posses elite jumping ability and will struggle to finish over the NBA's best big men. 

Best Fits: