NBA Draft Stock On the Rise: Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday
Tyreke Evans (photo. Kelly Kline)
When we were going through an edit of the NBA Draft preview for Dime #49, Pat changed the entry as it was written for Tyreke Evans. I don’t remember what it said before, but here’s how it reads now: “Prolific scoring workout beast. Draft stock will only go higher as he kills workouts leading up to the draft.” No truer words could have been predicted. ‘Reke’s stock is shooting up – he’s supposedly coveted by the Timberwolves at No. 6 now. And rumor is that other draftees – James Harden and DeMar DeRozan – don’t want to work out against him.
“He’s definitely a good fit there,” one high ranking NBA executive with a pick just a few spots below Minnesota’s suggests. “He can play with Randy Foye or without him, you can mix and match him with all kinds of guards, as long as you’re willing to put the ball in his hands. With that wingspan, he can even guard some small forwards. He gives you tremendous versatility in that regard.”
Evans isn’t the only one making a jump. UCLA’s Jrue Holiday spent his freshman season playing out of position because Darren Collison held down the point for the Bruins. I remember going to see UCLA at the Garden during the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and Holiday was actually running the high post for Ben Howland. That offers some explanation behind his unimpressive numbers – 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.5 apg. But scouts aren’t holding that against him. He runs the floor like a gazelle, and he’s more athletic than previously imagined. Check him out on Day 2 of the combine elevating and easily throwing down dunks with both hands at the end of fast break drills.
He’s leapfrogged Eric Maynor and Ty Lawson according to some sources, and sits as the fourth or fifth best PG on some draft boards. He could be even higher on others. ESPN.com’s mock draft had Holiday going fourth to the Kings.
Who do you like more – Evans or Holiday?
Source: Draft Express
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Kobeef says:
I’d take Evans
Jrue is like an unproven version of Russell Westbrook.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Michorizo says:
I love these articles leading up to the draft…thanks dime
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Scott says:
Evans looked like a beast in college… I wouldn’t be surprised if he somehow made it all the way up to the 3rd spot.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
CCB says:
Real quick, look at the Jordan Classic picture of Reke. What do you see? I can’t help but notice how long his damn arms are. He is turning the corner on a defender and the ball is less than a foot from his hands and his back is damn near straight up which allows him to still see the floor and maintain control of the rock once he makes his decision. Most guys when they turn the corner on someone they are leaning into the dribble which typically forces them to take an extra dribble to make a pass or to shoot. Reke’s arm length allows him to create better and to get off the really awkward “step” layup, that he did so much during the tourney, when he picks up the dribble to attack the basket. We saw it all year here in Memphis, the kid is going to be the real second coming of Magic Johnson.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Ekstor says:
i haven’t seen tyreke evans… being a west coast guy, i have seen holiday and while his numbers are not impressive, his ability and natural talent was obvious. i spotted westbrook as having nba-ability long before the scouts started to drool over him… and i’ll tell you now that holiday’s upside is even greater!
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:36 pm
manuel s. says:
Seriously Mr.Katz?? Were we watching the same game? In your comment:
I remember going to see UCLA at the Garden during the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and Holiday was actually running the high post for Ben Howland. That offers some explanation behind his unimpressive numbers – 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.5 apg. But scouts aren’t holding that against him.
That was actually one of Holiday’s best games of the year. No scouts will hold that game against him. UCLA lost but Holiday was something like 6-8 shooting with about 15 points on a night when the team only scored 52pts. That was a game against Beilein’s infamous 1-3-1 zone. Come on! No one else could score from the high post and that’s why Holiday was there. To use that game to somehow justify a mishandling of Jrue is not only specious, it just makes you look plain dumb.
Next…
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:34 am
ctkennedy says:
evans is jamal crawford with way lesser range
holiday is more athletic kirk hinrich i rather have the scorer and deal with the d later cause o is so much harder to teach
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 am
ctkennedy says:
evans is jamal crawford with way lesser range
holiday is a more athletic kirk hinrich i rather have the scorer cause offensive is so much harder to teach than defensive
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
doc says:
Give me Evans because I saw him a lot and he a problem.