Daniel Orton has spent the last few weeks letting UK fans know that he knows what he’s doing and that he didn’t appreciate any of the criticism that came from UK fans. UK fans have spent the last few weeks letting Orton know that they’re severely disappointed that he did not finish the semester as he said he would. Now an article by Hoopsworld.com ranks Daniel as one of five players they feel are severly OVER HYPED!
I wish Orton the best, but he may want to reconsider his tone with UK fans if this is any sign of what his NBA experience could turn into. I think he can be a contributor in his first year and I think anyone that is drafted in the first round has made the right decision by entering the draft. However, the concerns listed below, do point out that whoever takes Orton, will be taking a BIG risk.
[QUOTE][FONT=Tahoma][B]Avery Bradley, Point Guard (Texas) –[/B] Mock drafts have to be really unnerving for the Bradley camp right now because he’s all over the place. You can find him anywhere from the top ten to the second round depending on what outlet. While definitely a first-round talent, Bradley has too many question marks to warrant a selection in the lottery. [/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][B]Daniel Orton, Center (Kentucky) –[/B] Stuck behind two of the nation’s best big men in Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins, Orton played a very limited role as a freshman at Kentucky. During his spot minutes he showed some very intriguing skills that led many to believe if he played elsewhere he’s put up far bigger numbers than the three points and three rebounds he averaged at UK. [/FONT][FONT=Tahoma]
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[FONT=Tahoma]Orton’s trip to Chicago was quite revealing though, and not in a very good way for him. He measured in shorter than expected at 6’9.5 in shoes and was below average athletically with just a 24″ vertical leap. It’s Orton’s injury history that is most alarming though.
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[FONT=Tahoma]In his final two years of high school Orton had two separate and serious ligament issues in the same knee and also broke his wrist. It’s a little troublesome that the only time in the last three years he’s gone injury free is when he was playing just 13 minutes a night this past season. Orton’s a risky investment for a first-round pick due to being unproven and potentially unreliable. [/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][B]Cole Aldrich, Center (Kansas) –[/B] Aldrich benefits from both overhyping and a lack of talent at his position. There never seems to be a lot of depth at center and there happen to be several teams in the top ten that need help at the five. Aldrich is almost universally recognized as a lottery pick, but he could end up being one of the most unproductive from this year’s class.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][B]Hassan Whiteside, Center (Marshall) –[/B] There’s no type of player that gets more overhyped in the draft process than the young seven-footer. Whiteside passed on scholarship offers from several high-major schools because he felt more comfortable with the coaching staff at Marshall. He started off the season on the bench, but here we are a few triple-doubles later and he’s basically a lock to go in the lottery. The belief is that he won’t fall past Houston at 14, if they do indeed stay there. [/FONT][LEFT][FONT=Tahoma][B]Solomon Alabi, Center –[/B] Unlike a couple other players on this list, Alabi measured true to what he was believed to be in college. At 7’0 with a 7’5 wingspan Alabi is not lacking in the length category to stay the least. He does leave a little bit desired when it comes to strength and offensive game though. [/FONT][/LEFT]
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You can read the [URL=”http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16363″]complete article here…[/URL][/LEFT]
