James Harden Scouting Report (Image: Zuma Press)

The aspect of Harden’s game that the scouts love the most is his ability to put the ball in the hole. Last year, as a sophomore at Arizona State, Harden averaged 20.1 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the three-point arc.

Despite not being an explosive athlete, Harden can score thanks to his very good jumper and his smarts around the basket. Even in the NBA, he should be able to score right out of the box.

The question marks in his game mostly surround his height. At 6-foot-5, Harden isn’t the optimal height you’d want from a shooting guard. He also isn’t enough of a playmaker to be a point guard. Add in his average athleticism and he might get overwhelmed by the bigger players in the NBA.

That said, he has very long arms and his overall basketball IQ should allow him to compensate for any shortcomings. When it comes to flat out scoring, Harden has to be considered to be near the head of the 2009 NBA Draft class.

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When it comes to his NBA potential, the first thing scouts marvel at is his shot-blocking ability. In his three years at Connecticut, he averaged 3.8, 4.5 and 4.2 blocks per game, respectively. In his junior season, his 10.8 rebounds per game average was also very impressive.

Expect whichever team that drafts him to use him as a defensive center in the mold of Dikembe Mutombo. Thabeet is a relatively safe pick because he’s sure to at the very least be a quality option when it comes to protecting the basket.

Offensively, he’s definitely raw. He averaged 13.6 points per game on 64% shooting from the field last year but most of that success was due to his height alone. In the NBA, he’ll have to learn how to finish near the basket around strong players who he won’t be able to overwhelm.

All in all, Thabeet should become a solid center in the NBA. He doesn’t have huge potential and could get off to a slow start due to being a raw player, but his defensive ability could prove to be invaluable.

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1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet

3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ricky Rubio

4. Sacramento Kings – James Harden

5. Washington Wizards – Jordan Hill

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans

7. Golden State Warriors – Brandon Jennings

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry

9. Toronto Raptors – Jrue Holiday

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Earl Clark

11. New Jersey Nets – DeMar DeRozan

12. Charlotte Bobcats – DeJuan Blair

13. Indiana Pacers – James Johnson

14. Phoenix Suns – Jonny Flynn

15. Detroit Pistons – Jeff Teague

16. Chicago Bulls – Austin Daye

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Ty Lawson

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – Eric Maynor

19. Atlanta Hawks – Gerald Henderson

20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough

21. New Orleans Hornets – B.J. Mullens

22. Dallas Mavericks – Terrence Williams

23. Sacramento Kings – Chase Budinger

24. Portland Trail Blazers – Victor Claver

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Gani Lawal

26. Chicago Bulls – Danny Green

27. Memphis Grizzlies – Darren Collison

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Sam Young

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Omri Casspi

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Marcus Thornton

Watch the 2009 NBA Draft on June 25th on ESPN.

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1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Griffin will go number one overall. This athletic bigman has a chance to be a double-double machine.

2. Ricky Rubio, Spain
One of the most hyped players from Europe of all-time, Rubio already has a lot of fans in the United States.

3. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
A big shot-blocking center, Hasheem Thabeet will tempt teams with his huge size and wingspan.

4. James Harden, Arizona State
Every team could use more scoring and Harden is the best shooting guard in the draft.

5. Jordan Hill, Arizona
A great athlete, Hill has a huge amount of potential in the NBA.

6. Stephen Curry, Davidson
Dell’s son is a fantastic shooter who can spread defenses right away.

7. Brandon Jennings, Lottomatica Roma
He struggled in Europe but scouts were high enough on him that he won’t drop too far.

8. Demar DeRozan, USC
Coming into this year, DeRozan was a top-flight prospect. While not as hot, he’ll get picked near the top.

9. Earl Clark, Louisville
Clark has the type of body that will allow him to be a multi-purpose player in the next level.

10. Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Lawson was the best player on the best team in the nation. His speed will seduce.

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First of all, Meeks is only 6-foot-4. As a shooting guard, that is shorter than the height NBA scouts prefer. On top of that, he doesn’t possess long arms or extreme athletic ability to make up for his lack of height. Although he’s strong, it’s difficult for strength alone to give a 6-foot-4 player the ability to play shooting guard in the NBA.

Secondly, his hot shooting this season has seemingly come out of nowhere. In high school, Meeks was known as a good shooter but not a great shooter. In his first two seasons in Kentucky, Meeks didn’t shoot or play very well. His explosion this season may be looked at with a skeptical eye since he doesn’t have much of a history.

All that said, if Meeks can continue his current level of play, his numbers alone will likely get him looks at the end of the first round and throughout the second round. For Meeks, it might be best to come back for his senior year to give NBA scouts more of a look at what he’s capable of doing over the long haul.

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1. Blake Griffin
2. Ricky Rubio
3. James Harden
4. Hasheem Thabeet
5. Stephen Curry
6. B.J. Mullens
7. Al-Farouq Aminu
8. Brandon Jennings
9. Jrue Holiday
10. Gani Lawal
11. Chase Budinger
12. Austin Daye
13. Patrick Mills
14. Earl Clark
15. Damion James

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The most impressive aspects about him are his fundamentals and his power around the basket. Once he gets the ball down low, he’ll figure out a way to score. He’s also a very good rebounder and an improving defender.

In his freshman season at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 28.4 minutes per game. He shot 56.8% from the field and helped Oklahoma to a better than expected season.

To see Blake Griffin in action, watch this video highlight reel:

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Check out the Ricky Rubio video:

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1) Demar DeRozan, Compton High School
DeRozan is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Compton, California who is headed to USC next season. DeRozan is an explosive guard who can score from above the rim. His jumper is decent and his basketball IQ seems to be high for a high school player. Look for him to make an immediate impact at USC and then in the NBA.

2) Ricky Rubio, Spain
Rubio has been a Spanish legend for years now. He’s been called the Pistol Pete of Spain and he is surely a fun player to watch. The question is whether he can keep improving and get stronger. He’s played against top competition for a long time so there isn’t too much of a worry that he’d be overwhelmed by the NBA.

3) Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy
Jennings is a pure point guard who will be headed to the University of Arizona. A left-hander, Jennings is a good athlete who has shown all the skills to be a quality point guard at any level. Although he’s only 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, his toughness and competitiveness has never been questioned.

4) Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Griffin is a freshman for the Oklahoma Sooners. While he’s eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft, many expect him to wait until the 2009 draft to make his jump to the NBA. At 6-foot-9 and over 240 pounds, Griffin is a strong player with good size and a good motor. He’s also surprisingly athletic for his size.

5) Samardo Samuels, St. Benedicts Prep
Headed to Louisville, Samuels is a skilled low post player who should flourish on the college level. Whether he is able to make the transition to the NBA isn’t as guaranteed because he stands 6-foot-8, which is not the optimal size you’d want in a power forward. Nonetheless, his skill level is very high.

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