A little more than three weeks ago, I wrote a column proclaiming my choices for this year’s NBA Draft winners and losers.
But after thoroughly analyzing the post-draft NBA Summer League that takes place annually in Las Vegas, I’ve found that I excluded several winners, some of my winners are actually losers and some of my losers are winning more than my winners.
Does that make sense? Allow me to elaborate.
First of all, shame on me for excluding the New Orleans Hornets from the winners’ circle after they chose Darren Collison with the 21st overall selection. I underestimated the gritty UCLA alumnus, and once again, he has proven me wrong.
There were other point guards in the draft with more upside, potential and athletic ability than Collison, but few with the determination, poise and experience. In four games, Collison is averaging almost 19 points and four assists in 27 minutes.
But what is more impressive is how Collison has matched up with other small guards selected ahead of him. In a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Collison and ex-Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn, who was selected No. 6 overall, went head to head for about 15 minutes before Collison sprained his left ankle.
But in those 15 minutes, Collison tallied 18 points and had no turnovers. Flynn finished the game scoring 24 points and dishing out four assists, but had six turnovers.
In addition, in a game against the Golden State Warriors, Collison outplayed No. 7 overall selection Stephen Curry by racking up 14 points and four assists, as opposed to Curry’s nine points and three assists.
Unlike former UCLA guard Russell Westbrook, Collison lacks uncanny athleticism, but what he does have is a perfect amount of patience blended with experience and a high basketball IQ.
Anyone who watches him play will quickly notice that Collison rarely takes contested shots. He sufficiently finds a way to get four or five wide-open threes each game. Mix that with his always-improving floating jump shot and the guidance of the NBA’s best point guard in Chris Paul, and Collison has a chance to be a legitimate starting point guard in the near future.
On another note, someone who hasn’t been so impressive: Curry. Previously, I shamefully dubbed Curry the second-best player in this year’s draft behind Blake Griffin of the Clippers.
Oops.
Contrary to Collison, Curry consistently takes contested shots.
The only problem with that is Curry is only 6 feet 3 inches tall with below-average athleticism.
In five Summer League contests, Curry has shot 29 threes and made 10. That’s only 34 percent from someone who is supposed to be a stellar long-range shooter. And you have to believe that percentage will go down once the season starts and Curry gets in there with the big boys.
But the most troubling of Curry’s statistics so far is his 32-percent shooting from the field.
Ouch.
The fact is, Curry is too slow and not a good enough passer to play point guard, and too slow and not big enough to play shooting guard. He has trouble breaking down quicker guards off the dribble.
He is essentially easy to guard as long as you don’t allow him to shoot wide-open jumpers.
Griffin, who I listed as a loser in my previous column, looks more like a winner who might turn a losing Clippers squad into a potential winner.
The No. 1 selection is averaging 20 points and almost 12 rebounds in four games. And similar to his college days at Oklahoma, opposing teams are predicating their entire defense around the power forward, which makes Griffin’s numbers even more impressive.
As for the other UCLA player selected in this year’s draft, Jrue Holiday, things don’t seem to be going that well, to put it lightly.
Holiday has scored in the double digits in only one of the five Summer League games for the Philadelphia 76ers/New Jersey Nets, and the team is yet to record a victory, losing by an average margin of 17 points per game.
Holiday is thought to be a natural point guard, but this has yet to show this summer. How, you may ask? To put it in perspective, in his five Summer League game appearances, Holiday has recorded 16 assists and 17 turnovers.
Ouch … double ouch.
Maybe Holiday should have taken a page from Collison’s book and not left school until he was absolutely confident that he could perform on the next level, regardless of what his projected potential may have been.
Hopefully, Holiday can turn it around and cause me to eat my words in the future, but until then, I still believe he should have stayed.
If you think Collison and Holiday are long-lost twin brothers, e-mail Watson at bwatson@media.ucla.edu.