North Carolina center Brendan Haywood is having a more
difficult time getting the buzz. Haywood has had a difficult time shedding the
dreaded "soft" label. Haywood is getting sick of all of the "soft" talk much
the way Texas center Chris Mihm did last year.
"I played in perhaps the toughest conference in college basketball and
faced triple teams every night for the last two years," Haywood told Insider.
"Some times I didn't have my best game offensively, but I did what my team
needed for us to win. If I didn't bring points I brought blocks and rebounds."
A poll of several scouts has Haywood likely landing anywhere from 10 to
17.
Chad Ford - Sportstalk.com (June 12th)
Haywood, officially listed at 6-11 1/2 and 265 pounds this weekend, has
impressed NBA scouts with his athleticism. He visited the Pistons two weeks ago
but also had workouts with Vancouver, Houston, Boston and Orlando.
John Niyo - The Detroit News (June 10th)
As a service to the Usenet Mock Draft, www.maurerscouting.com
are providing player and positional rankings.
To see their site, go to www.maurerscouting.com
for full in-depth coverage!
Strengths: Has really learned how to take over a game defensively with his shot blocking
ability ... Runs the court and moves like no 7 footer should .... Converts most
of his shots within 10 feet of the basket thanks to his excellent soft touch
.... Has explosive jumping ability for a player of his size this allows him to
be a super finisher ... Has developed a abundance of low post moves that he has
become quite comfortable with ... Uses a number of spins, hooks shots and up and
under's to confuse opposing players on defense .... Still very young for a
player graduating college at only 20 years old this alone makes him an
intriguing player for NBA Gm's .... Wonderful work ethic strives to be one of
the best and on top of that very coach-able listens and has made incredible
progress as a player ....
Weakness: Haywood's biggest problem is his lack of intensity and energy during some games
he almost looks like he was on another planet .... Needs to make himself a wider
target in the post so that it's easier for teammates to get him the ball ...
While his rebounding skills are good he could still use a tad bit more help on
rebounding techniques such as blocking out and anticipation ... Has a still
evolving offensive game but it's coming .... Although he gets to the free throw
line he doesn't take advantage of it because of his poor free throw shooting
.... Doesn't posses the best stamina although he has improved remarkable since
his freshman year in this area ...
