NBA draft questions galore
V-MAIL: June 6
Q: Where do you see Dan Dickau of Gonzaga going in the NBA draft? Could he be a nice pickup for the Los Angeles Lakers, who need a shooter/ball-handler in the triangle offense? I appreciate all you do to support college basketball. -- Jeff Jackson, Riverside, Calif.
VITALE: Teams need players like Dickau because he can make shots on the perimeter and he's automatic from the foul line -- do you hear me, Sacramento? The bottom line is that Dickau can be an asset to any team. I see him going late in the first round. The Lakers would love to have a player like him off the bench.
Mike Dunleavy's diverse skills (including passing) make him a complete player.
Q: How could you leave Mike Dunleavy out of your draft top 5? He's a lock -- no way will Caron Butler or Chris Wilcox go before Dunleavy. Dunleavy will win the 2003 rookie of the year. -- Keith Wright, Kernersville, N.C.
VITALE: At the time I wrote that, there were questions whether Dunleavy would be part of the draft. Obviously, his stock has risen, and I now believe he will go in the top five.
Q: How can Juan Dixon not even be in your top five draft picks? That's a travesty. You think Jay Williams the choke artist or the guy from China really deserve more respect than Dixon? -- Scott Miller, Silver Spring, Md.
VITALE: If you really want to know what I think about Dixon, read what I wrote on my Web site recently about him. It was the story about seniors not getting enough respect, especially Dixon. The kid is a winner and he should go higher than people are projecting, which is basically late first round or early second round. He will not go in the top five, you can take that to the bank.
Q: Why is Jared Jeffries held in such higher regard than Tayshaun Prince? Prince may not make the first round while Jeffries is considered a lottery pick. They are the same type of players, except Prince has better ball-handling and Jeffries may be better in the low post. Has anyone watched films when the two played one another? There is no comparison. -- Daniel Logan, Kentucky
VITALE: There's a difference in the style of play. Jeffries has a great upside. He's young, talented and can really pass the basketball. Jeffries needs more upper body strength, and so does Prince. Both need to be more consistent making the perimeter shot.
Q: I'm not hearing enough about Cincinnati senior Steve Logan. He's second behind the Big O in career scoring for the Bearcats. Logan spent four years in college and should get more recognition and NBA mention. -- Corey Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio
VITALE: Logan is one of those players people question because of size. He can make shots and always finds a way to prove the critics wrong. I hope he can do it again.
Q: As good a player as LeBron James is, do you think the NBA should let him enter the draft early if he wanted to? Why or why not? -- John O'Grady, Waseca, Minn.
VITALE: LeBron James is not part of this year's draft. He plans to return for his senior year of high school, and then likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft. James is one of those rare, rare talents, according to all of the experts who have seen him play. I haven't heard anything negative from anybody about his talent level.
Q: I'm a big fan of Brandin Knight of Pittsburgh. What are his chances of making the NBA if he has a great senior season? Great college guards sometimes don't get drafted (for example, Ed Cota and Chris Carrawell). -- Tim Wooters, Morristown, N.J.
VITALE: It's a little early to talk next year's draft, but Knight has to work on a few things, most notably his free-throw shooting. He has to be able to stroke it at a rate of at least 65 percent. He has been hitting under 50 percent from the line. Knight does so many things well, and Pittsburgh is going to be one of the blue-chip teams in the nation next season.
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