Here is a brief look at some of the latest risers and sliders going into tonight's NBA Draft.
Guys sliding fast:
Josh Selby, 20 - Kansas: Incredibly talented slasher who has had subpar workouts and lacks the focus necessary to be a consistent NBA player. Probably a lottery talent who could very well slide out of first round.
Reggie Jackson, 20 - Boston College: Never worked out for any teams after having knee surgery before the Chicago pre-draft combine. He has the size (6'3"), length and overall playmaking ability to be a starting point guard at this level, but injury concerns could also force him to slip into the second round.
On their way up:
Tyler Honeycutt, 20, and Malcolm Lee, 21 - UCLA: The general consensus is that guys coming out of UCLA are but a fraction of the players they'll become as pros, due to the constricting coaching style of Ben Howland. Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and even Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have all become better pros than just about anyone thought they'd be. I'm starting to think such will be the case with at least one of these two. Lee is a Jamal Crawford type of talent; he has the big 6'5" frame, can handle it and can really score. Honeycutt is a terrific rebounder that can play both the 2 and 3, and he's a super athlete with a refined stroke. Both guys could be steals late in the first.
Iman Shumpert, 20 - Georgia Tech: I've never really understood the hype with Shumpert. On paper, he has all of the physical tools GMs covet in a lead guard. He's 6'6" with a strong handle and can lock up, but he -- like Selby -- was a massive high school recruit who never dominated at the collegiate level. In the right system, he could become a valuable NBA player, but I'm not yet convinced.
Norris Cole, 22 - Cleveland State: Cole is another guy I've been high on for quite some time. A tremendous slasher who can break just about anyone down off the bounce, he's a scoring point guard who also loves to create for others. Like Jimmer Fredette, he HAD to put up huge offensive numbers in college for his team to win, but I also draw parallels between the two in that they both can effectively blend facilitation duties with scoring. Cole is likely to come off the board early in the second, but could even sneak into the first. That's how impressive he has been.