“I think they’ll both get picked mid to late second
round,” said an NBA scout.
Sasha Kaun recently signed a three-year contract for CSKA Moscow, where
he will return to his native country in Russia. The scout said
Kaun’s signing should work in his favor on draft night.
“That’s a thing that appeals to teams,”
he said. “You can draft him and leave him overseas. I think
it will (favor him being drafted) because you still can draft him and
retain his rights while he’s playing significant minutes over
there. That’s the best team in the world outside of the
NBA.”
The scout isn’t completely sold on Kaun’s NBA
future.
“I think in the right situation, he could be a third string
center for somebody,” he said. “I don’t
think it’s a given, though. It’s got to be the
right situation. I could see him having a long career over in Europe,
too.
“(If he eventually makes the NBA), he’s not going
to see a lot of minutes.”
The scout calls Kaun a very raw player.
“He’s got such an elementary game,” he
said. “He’s going to be a low mistake guy,
he’s going to rebound, he’s going to get easy
baskets that are created for him by others. He’s not a great
shot blocker, though, but he’s big and strong. You can put
him in there and he’s got six fouls.”
This scout said he could see Utah taking Kaun in the second round since
he’s head coach Jerry Sloan’s-type
“no-nonsense, strong, tough kid.”
Darnell Jackson is also a tough player. However, the scout thinks
Jackson is a “long shot” to make the NBA.
“But I think somebody will take a chance on him in the second
round,” he said. “I wouldn’t rule it out
(of Jackson’s chances of someday playing in the NBA). I
don’t think it’s a definite no, but I
don’t think he’s a lock, though.”
“He’s that rugged, blue collar four man,”
the scout added. “I kind of compare him to Chris Richard from
Florida (the 6-9 forward-center played his rookie year with Minnesota
last year, averaging 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg). At least he can step out and
shoot a little bit. He’s athletic for being kind of
a big, husky guy. I’m not sure on his feel for the
game.”
On Thursday night, both Kaun and Jackson will find out if the pro
scouts feel they have “game” for the NBA.
More On The NBA Draft
This NBA scout feels Chicago will draft Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with the first pick.
“It’s so hard to get an elite point
guard,” he said. “Michael Beasley is going to be a
very good pro, too, but those elite point guards are hard to find. I
don’t think (Rose) is going to make as big an impact
immediately, but I know how hard the kids works and how bad he wants to
be successful. I just think in time he will be a franchise-type
player.”
And then there's Beasley, who will surely go to Miami with the second
pick if Chicago indeed selects Rose. The scout said he’s not
concerned that Beasley is only 6-8 1/4 in shoes after being listed as
6-10 at K-State.
“No, not at all,” he said. “He plays big.
Charles Barkley was 6-5 and he scored abound the hole. Michael Beasley
shoots it better than Barkley. When he’s around the basket,
he moves bigger bodies. He’s strong and he’s wide;
he’s long and he’s got big hands. (His size)
doesn’t worry me at all.”
However, this scout doesn’t see Beasley being a franchise
player.
“Those franchise players have a way of making everyone around
him better,” he said. “I don’t think
that’s in his nature. I think he’s going to put up
franchise player numbers like 20 and 10, but (a guy like) Zach Randolph
did that and I wouldn’t consider him a franchise player. For
me, there’s probably only about 10 legitimate franchise
players in the league.”
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