[B-ball fanParticipant]

He seems to have a great feel for the game. He had 6 assists and 5 blocks against Duke to go along with 18 points. Will he go in the lottery? I think he definitely should. I think he could be a better pro than Favors and Whiteside.

[butidonthavemoney]

There are two things that worry me about him.

1. His poor efficiency.
2. His defensive rebounding.

I think that he is currently a bubble lottery pick, but some nice workouts could push him over the edge.

[Bryant24Participant]

He got potential to be a great defender needs to work on his low post game and get bigger is it me or do he look like something from stars wars dude look funny

[knicksfan7Participant]

On Udoh he has really good handles, made me think of Greg Monroe’s handles. He also has a killer instinct that showed me a lot that he can succeed on the next level.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Ekpe Udoh is good but he will NOT be better then Derrick Favors.

[butidonthavemoney]

He is universally listed at 240 lbs. So that is great size for the power forward position. He should even be able to play some center if he really is 6’10” 240 lbs with a 7’3″ wingspan.

[weballin.netParticipant]

I expect him to be picked at the end of the first round. He had some troubles against good inside players and was born in 1987, so is like four years older than Favors!! He is a very good pick after the 20th spoth as he can play both inside position and has always shown good basketball iq as a passer.

http://www.weballin.net

[SlimParticipant]

Ekpe Udoh Rant

1) Times I’ve seen him I thought he was a “small” forward.

2) Not that he isnt big but “power” isnt the first thought that comes to mind. He is just so fluid it makes me think he could play the perimeter a little bit.

3) I guess I’m still looking for the next Durant lol. Maybe Udoh could guard him?! jk jk!

4) Maybe he can guard the “stretch 4s”, with jump shot repetition he can be a face up player

I know people want to pigeonhole players into 1 position but I think it is important for players to learn how to play back to the basket, short corner, and on the perimeter and general, rebound and go coast 2 coast etc.

Either way his skill set is enticing,
IDK but please dont respond by saying he’s strictly a 4, I like to think outside of the box and if I were a coach and my team were in need of a mismatch-spark

I would consider playing Udoh on the wing, but most teams are undersized or the coach is 2 scared to do that.

Maybe Udoh isnt quick enough to guard the perimeter now, but if he slimmed down?

Either way I wonder how his career will turn out. I see him bulking up and guarding 4s. But maybe he can be like Jeff Green and do both?

[SlimParticipant]

@ butidonthavemoney

240 lbs I would have guessed 230!

[butidonthavemoney]

I was shocked too!

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/ekpe-udoh

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ekpe-Udoh-1220/

http://espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31889

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=19448&draftyear=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnbadraft%2fdraft%2ftracker%2fplayer%3fplayerId%3d19448%26draftyear%3d2010

All say 240.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

The NBA is moving away from purely back to the basket PFs. Many of the good pfs in the NBA spend time on the perimeter. Udoh already has perimeter skills.

[GrandmamaParticipant]

I think Udoh is full of potential, both offensively and defensively. Watching the games against Duke today I noticed that Udoh actually handles the ball on the wing quite well, didn’t know he could put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He still needs work in that area, but already showing that ability further adds to his potential. He does need to add some weight but has the frame to do so without losing any athleticism. If he comes out this year or next, I feel he has a shot to be a lottery pick.

To the guy knocking his defensive rebounding, Baylor plays a 2-3 zone which limits players rebounding abilities. When you aren’t playing man to man it’s difficult to body up on someone and box them out for a rebound. I actually noticed Udoh today boxing out very well for someone playing in a zone, so I’m not sure your argument is legit.

[butidonthavemoney]

I remember writing a song about you.

Anyway, watch him play. He does not box out very well at all. He only had 3 defensive rebounds in the game and on the season has a pretty poor defensive rebounding rate per 40 minutes.

“For example, Ekpe Udoh has gotten worked on the defensive glass repeatedly today. Sometimes I wonder about his body, toughness down there.”

“Also tough to rebound when you don’t fight to box out.”

From Draftexpress earlier today.

And I never used it as an argument, did I? I said it worries me, and I assure you, I’m not the only person worried about Udoh’s defensive rebounding.

[SlimParticipant]

Either way just looking at his body I think he’ll have to improve his perimeter skills to maximize his potential.

Or bulk up a prototypical shot blocker etc.

1) He’ll have to learn to “rebound and go” imo. That’s what I would learn to do if I were him.

2) But how many teams can afford to have a big man run the break?

3) That alienates the PG who’s job it is to run the break

4) unless the team is designed for speed, eg Derrick Rose can run the wing

5) does the coach trust Udoh enough to hone those skills

6) or will he say no Udoh!, “grab ball” “pass to PG”

7) will he end up like Earl Clark who is an offensive force but cant run the break bcuz its not his “job”

I dont think perimeter slashers–fastbreak players

are in high demand just look at Brandon Bass and JJ Hickson who has upside but
a perimeter 3 playing the 4 is more “en vogue”
—

I think Udoh is unique and I like his personality on the court wish him the best of luck

[joecheck88Participant]

why does everyone have to bulk up? there arent many true power players in the league anymore. ex look at some power forwards dirk nowitzki, chris bosh, pau gasol all would not be considered power players. look at a smaller rookie fromlast years draft taj gibson, he weighed in at like 224. everyone said he def needs to bulk up but it hasnt hurt him much(not as much as some had thought). the game is mobile pfs that can put the ball on the floor enough to drive and knock down a 18 footer. why yes he could stand some work on the weight room, ots not like he needs to gain 25 pounds of muscle. its absurd. at his current strength he could be a very servicable backup in the nba right now. point is ypu can be a all star player at the 4 and not be a power player(not saying udoh is an allstar but he doesnt have to be 265 to be a great player either)

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Bulk does matter for what he does. If people are going to look at his blocked shots and think he give a team a defensive presence, they have to account for the fact that he is very light in the lower body. Teams will post him up and go right at him. The lack of lower body strength will impact how he is impacted when someone puts a body on him when he crashes. Taj Gibson has had some success this year because he make the right rotations defensively, he rolls off screens, and plays within himself. He is a dime-a-dozen talent, but because he is in a good fit right now and does what he is coached to do. It is a good way to hang around the league for a while. Bad teams don’t become good because of Taj Gibson, and they won’t because of Udoh.

I agree that he can be a serviceable backup PF, but at what point does a team want to take a backup PF? If people are talking lottery putting him in the same sentence as Favors and Monroe, they are asking for him to fail.

[joecheck88Participant]

im not putting him in that category but udoh is already bigger than gibson and a little more fluid offensively. yes he could use some weight but who at the pf spot would he need alot more strength. i look at the 4s of today and most arent big strong physical guys. gasol, bosh, aldridge, garnett, nowitzki, green, villanueva, scola, josh smith, david west, etc. those guys dont scare me down on the block and they are probably the top pfs in the league. the only guys i would be worried about are z randolph, amare, and maybe blake griffin. so tell me why is bulking up so important? he is listed at 240 and i think 245 is about average for most pfs. power forwards need to be mobile to be special ala bosh, dirk, and gasol and having strength is just icing on the cake ala amare. i dont think he can be amare strong so i think he is already close to playing weight.

[joecheck88Participant]

im not putting him in that category but udoh is already bigger than gibson and a little more fluid offensively. yes he could use some weight but who at the pf spot would he need alot more strength. i look at the 4s of today and most arent big strong physical guys. gasol, bosh, aldridge, garnett, nowitzki, green, villanueva, scola, josh smith, david west, etc. those guys dont scare me down on the block and they are probably the top pfs in the league. the only guys i would be worried about are z randolph, amare, and maybe blake griffin. so tell me why is bulking up so important? he is listed at 240 and i think 245 is about average for most pfs. power forwards need to be mobile to be special ala bosh, dirk, and gasol and having strength is just icing on the cake ala amare. i dont think he can be amare strong so i think he is already close to playing weight.

[joecheck88Participant]

and i meant im not putting him in favors/monroe category. and i think taking a solid backup depends on the team drafting. but i thinks its after pick 18.

[RotelaParticipant]

Udoh has great potential, he can even knock down 3’s…….he needs to be more aggresive on the offence though and also work on his athletism, with the way he has improved i expect more consinstency from him in terms of scoring because he is already a good defender.

[lalailaParticipant]

it would be pretty interesting to discuss about him BUT better than Favors?? better than 4 years younger already bigger and pretty much believe as good player – Derrick Favors? no way.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Incredible array of ignorance, Better than Favors?

Let’s see how that great Duke front line has done against bigs:
JaJuan Johnson: 23 points, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 5 rebounds
Jamal Boykin: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block
Derrick Favors (ACC Final): 22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
Reggie Johnson (filling in for an injured Dwayne Collins): 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
Dwayne Collins: 21 points, 9 rebounds
Trevor Booker: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Greg Monroe: 21 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Solomon Alabi: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
John Henson: 14 points 8 rebounds, 2 assists
John Henson: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks
Alex Oriakhi: 8 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks
Art Parakhouski 23 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks
Jerome Jordan 12 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block
Jon Leuer: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal
Al-farouq Aminu 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Jordan Williams: 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks

THIS WASN’T A RARE OCCURRENCE!!!

[JNixonParticipant]

I’ve been saying it since the beginning of the year. Udoh is a lottery talent with very little downside. He’s a better prospect than Cole Aldrich IMO. He can handle the ball very well for his size, making him a mismatch, he has a nice 1st step, can pass very well, and can shoot consistently from 18 feet out. I like this guy and at worst he seems like a guy that can block shots, rebound, and be a pick-and-pop threat without scoring much with his back to the basket. At best he seems like LaMarcus Aldridge with shot-blocking ability.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Taking Zoubek off the dribble constitutes a good first step? Consistent from 18, despite a ton of evidence to the contrary like the whole inefficient scorer thing in conference. Better prospect than Aldrich? On what planet is a legitimate center ever a lesser project than a guy like Udoh?

[JNixonParticipant]

Who said anything about Zoubek? I’ve seen him play more than this one game, unlike probably you and most people who watched him for the 1st time yesterday. And he shows a very nice 1st step every time. Especially for a guy that’s 6’10” 240. You said the other day that LaceDarius Dunn could play in the NBA, but question if Udoh can? Do you understand how backwards that is?

What evidence says he can’t score from 18 feet in?

I think he’s a better prospect than Aldrich because he’s already a better passer,a more versatile scorer, and a better shot-blocker (which is saying something), and he played in the same conference so there is little to no difference in competition. He only averaged a point less than Aldrich in Aldrich’s best season, and Udoh just became an offensive threat for the 1st time in his college career this season. That shows that he has serious scoring potential, and not alot about his scoring is all that polished.

[QUINCEY]

i think favors has a better future but its not certain enough to say NOT because hes better then he is right now and no one can say that favors is gonna get much better. no one can say if hes not gonna decided not to work real hard onces he gets there and just rest on his physcial talent. when i see ekpe play i get visions of emeka in college. but not as good

[QUINCEY]

i dont think hes a better prospect then cole though or a better player. i expect him and other big men to average more points then cole since cole had alot more weapons then just about any other big man in the country. as of now i doubt any team will pick him over cole. i do think hes a first rounder though but he doesnt completely stand out like other first rounders

[JNixonParticipant]

I’m comparing the success Aldrich had 2 years ago. When it was really only him and Sherron Collins doing the heavy lifting. It really doesn’t matter though, because Udoh will be a PF and Aldrich will be a Center for the most part in the NBA.

[QUINCEY]

2 years ago wasnt cole a freshman on a title team?

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

No, JNixon-Iggy9, I have watched him. I have seen Kansas come up with the great strategy for taking him out of a game by having a Morris twin put a body on him. I have seen that Baylor is a zone team and many of his blocks come from the scheme where he comes over from the blind side. I have also seen that he is such a possible mismatch a Southland Conference team went triangle and two on Lace and Tweety to take them out of the game and challenge Lomers, Udoh, Acy, and Jones to beat them. They took it to the final two minutes despite less athletic, less skilled, and not playing anyone over 6’6. But feel free to continue to think I hadn’t watched Baylor before yesterday. Nothing like trying to brush aside opposing views as ignorant when you don’t have a lot of backing of your own case.

Also, if you have seen him so much that you find him to be a better shot blocker than Aldrich is it that playing in the same conference they both averaged the same number of blocks per? Was that game against Morgan State really telling for you?

Evidence of his lack of consistency? How about 46 percent shooting in conference and 25 percent from behind the arc. Yeah, a real LaMarcus Aldridge.

[JNixonParticipant]

LaMarcus Aldridge shot better than 25% from 3 in college? Aldridge doesn’t even shoot 3’s anyway and neither will Udoh. He’s not a post player. He functions from the mid-range, which is why he shot 46%, which is not bad for a face-up player at the college level or the NBA either.

He’s a better shot-blocker because he can contest jump shooters too, unlike Aldrich. Both have great timing and length, but Udoh is a more versatile defender and shot-blocker.

When they went triangle and 2, that left open shots for Anthony Jones. I watched that game too, if your talking about the game in the NCAA tourny.

[JNixonParticipant]

Last season I mean Quincey.

[QUINCEY]

oh ok…i agree hes a more versitile shot blocker because hes more athletic but i dont think scouts think hes a better prospect then cole. i highly highly doubt he goes before cole

[JNixonParticipant]

I do too, but it really doesn’t matter where you get picked. It matters how you play. It’s kind of comparing apples to oranges a little, because Udoh is more of a PF in the NBA and Aldrich will play exclusively at C.

He may be a better prospect now, but I think Udoh will be a better NBA player at the end of the day.

[QUINCEY]

true. but cole will get picked because hes a better prospect now and in the future.. i just dont see ekpe being a better future prospect because the nba is full of guys or are similar to him and its much harder to find a center with good foot work and offensive ability

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Aldridge didn’t take a three in college, but he wasn’t a sub-50 percent shooter in conference play like Udoh. Also, by the time Aldridge was 22 years old, he was averaging 18 per for Portland with a great amount of that coming from pick-and-pop displaying significantly better form.

Udoh is a better shot blocker because he can contest perimeter shots done largely because of the amount of time he spends on the wing of a zone defense? Wow, that really seems applicable to the NBA.

[JNixonParticipant]

They can pick him there, but that doesn’t mean he WILL be a better prospect. It’s all prediction. It could just mean a team could need a center worse than power forward, or they need a defensive presence more than a guy who scores down low for complimentary purposes.

And for whatever it’s worth, when they matched up this season they were nearly identical in their stat line: http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300202305

[QUINCEY]

yeah the stat line isnt worth too much and of course it doesnt mean he will but it does mean the chances of him being a better player is higher

[JNixonParticipant]

Aldridge played the low post alot more than Udoh in college. And Udoh will still be able to block a good deal of shots, probably not the 3 or 4 he does in college, but 2 blocks isn’t out of the question at all.

[QUINCEY]

2 would be saying something…he would have to start and play alot of minutes..it would seem that thats easy but suprisingly 2 blks a game is alot harder then it seems only 4 players average 2 or more blks a game.. i just dont see him getting the time or being good enough to move into the top 5

[JNixonParticipant]

Yea 2 is tough, but this is a guy that averaged 4.0 for most of the season and I can see him getting the time to do it for some good stretches in his career.

[QUINCEY]

didnt emaka average 4 a game or more as well..you think he has the talent to start at pf?…over who for which team that has a first round pick if you had to guess?

[JNixonParticipant]

I could see him be a future starter for lotto teams like the Rockets, 76ers, Knicks, Pistons, Pacers and Grizz depending on where they pick. If he falls out of the lotto, the Spurs, Suns, Bobcats and Bucks could all use him for the future.

[JNixonParticipant]

Oh, and Okafor averaged 2 blks in a season before, and he got 1.9 another time. At best I think Udoh gets 2 blks in a good deal of years, and at worst I think he gets like 1.7 or something like that.

[QUINCEY]

i can see that at the best best very best but worst can be lower easily

[QUINCEY]

emaka had those blocks at best and he was a much better shot blocker then ekpe so i actually dont see him getting 2 blks a game even at his best..he actually has less blocks this year in more games then okafor had in less games as a freshman

[JNixonParticipant]

Yea it could definitely be lol. I just like his shot-blocking. It’s the surest thing to transition to the NBA IMO.

[butidonthavemoney]

1. Aldrich is a much better defensive player in my opinion. He takes charges, takes his own man out of the game, and helps his teammates. Udoh is primarily a shot-blocker right now. Aldrich is also a better rebounder.

2. Udoh’s productivity/efficiency are not ideal. For productivity he doesn’t score many points per 40 minutes. Monroe, Favors, Davis, Cousins and Aldrich all average more points (per 40) than Udoh, with a better field goal percentage. He also averages the least amount of rebounds out of those players (blame the zone if you want). As for efficiency he turns the ball over at a high rate (though Favors and Monroe are worse), and didn’t manage to hit a 50% clip from the field on the season. In his favor, he shoots 68.5% from the line, which is better than Monroe, Favors, Davis, Cousins and Aldrich.

3. Scouts tend to question his toughness, but I don’t really see that. I think he is just loose (if that makes sense). He has good handles and a good passing ability but he never seems to keep dribbles low and he doesn’t make crisp passes.

4. His offensive instincts are promising, and he can block shots defensively. That alone will get him in round 1.

5. Udoh is a bubble lottery pick. I could see him going to a team that really wanted Monroe. One of my favorite things about him is his frame. He could easily get up to 255-260 and be able to play either position in the post comfortably, so that may factor into being a higher draft pick.

Personally, I think it would be a mistake to take him over Davis, Monroe, Favors, Aldrich, Cousins, or maybe even Motiejunas.

[QUINCEY]

some one needs to tell that to all those other guys who blocked alot of shots in college but it didnt trasnlate to the nba

[B-ball fanParticipant]

He makes crisper passes than just about every other big man projected to go in the first round of this draft with the exception of Greg Monroe possibly.

[QUINCEY]

i dont think ive ever heard or read anywhere about him being that good of a passer. ill have to check out draftexpress to see if they list his passing as being that good

[butidonthavemoney]

He is a good, smart passer. He just doesn’t always put enough mustard on it. Loosey. Negative assist to turnover ratio. Brackins, Motiejunas and even Favors make snappier passes.

I would probably agree that he is the second best passer/play-making big man in the draft, though. Obviously behind Monroe.

[butidonthavemoney]

“Aren’t many NBA bigs who can block shots AND pass like Ekpe Udoh can.”

– Draftexpress

[QUINCEY]

its probably better for him to come out this year.. he will be 23 in 2 months and if he stayed would be 24 by the time he got to the nba

[QUINCEY]

which is why i said ill have to check out draftexpress to see how they view him…he drops a tad lower in my eyes after seeing he will be 23 by the time the nba season starts so he should be more advanced then most other centers in college if not all

[JNixonParticipant]

Yea he is old for the class. He’s probably gone, which sucks because Baylor could be title worthy if he returns.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

” Aren’t many NBA bigs who can block shots AND pass like Ekpe Udoh can.’

– Draftexpress

To be fair, he also tweeted that he doesn’t watch much NBA outside NY which is to say he is devoid of the NBA. This is the time of year where a lot of people forget to actually watch the NBA and see the major difference in strength, athleticism, intelligence, and coaching at that next level. Dominic McGuire was a big time shot blocker, creator, and athlete in college. Jared Jeffries was a lottery pick with that same profile coming out of Indiana. Earl Clark has the same tags as Udoh, plus he was as smooth as they came, as was Austin Daye. Renaldo Balkman has his little period where people liked what he was doing because he was long, athletic, could block a few shots, unselfish, and played hard. Then he went to Denver and they saw that they already had guys who can bring energy and block shots. Mikki Moore pops his head in the league from time to time. Heck if we are just talking about blocking shots and passing while ignoring the numskullery, Darko does both when he wants to play. Fabricio Oberto and Biedrins can block shots and pass the ball. Notice these aren’t starters (other than Darko) and they are all over the NBA. The hyperbole really needs to be tamed.

[Author]

Posts