Can Danny?

BJ Mullens recently declared for the NBA draft and while I can't blame the kid, it does show just how weak this NBA draft is that he can have an average season yet still might be a top 10 pick. At the very worst, I can't see center fetishist Rick Sund passing him up at 19 when the Hawks pick.

I can't remember a March Madness that has been the devoid of NBA talent. James Harden pulled a stunning disappearing act which might have hurt his top 5 status if there was anyone else around to fill it. The high risers are Dajuan Blair but I think both him and Sam Young have major questions surrounding their games. Watching them (and Hasheem Thabeet) beat up college kids reminds me of someone playing a video game on intermediate level. They think they are great but when the move to Expert, none of their little gimmicks work anymore and they are lost. Thabeet needs to get stronger, Blair needs to expand his offensive game, and Young needs a better go-to move than a pump fake.

That being said, I think everyone mentioned has a place in the NBA but the odds are that for most them, that place will be on the bench. A lot of the players seem like they may be late bloomers ala John Salmons or Marvin Williams; players who needed to refine their skills and get used to the NBA style before they could really blossom. If guys do make an impact from day 1, my guess is that they are like Clarence Weatherspoon, Laphonso Ellis, and Corliss Williamson - players who impress from as rookies but then never really get any better.

But the biggest fear for teams in the lottery has to be that many of the raw prospects stay in the draft. There's a good chance that half of ESPN's current top 20 prospects don't enter the draft. Guys like Patrick Patterson and Willie Warren have already said that they intend to stay while the Wake Forest trio seemed to be leaning towards returning after they flamed out in the tourney. Now we all know that these kids could change their mind at any minute however after last year's draft, which saw supposed lotto talents like DeAndre Jordan, Donte Green, and Darrell Arthur plummet, could keep them in college. Even worse, the buzz from scouts is markedly different this year. Last year people wondered if guys were ready for the NBA; this year the scouts are openly questioning whether some of these prized recruits, like Jrue Holliday, are actually NBA material at all.

The workouts are going to be intense this year and, honestly, everyone is going to have to participate. If anyone shies away from competition, it will likely knock them down a few slots. And a couple of good workouts could propel a second round pick to the lottery in no time flat. It should be a wild ride. Unfortunately, since the upside just isn't there, I'm not sure if wild will equal all that exciting.