David Thorpe 的 Need instant impact? Draft a UK Wildcat

let's examine the 10 most NBA-ready players in the draft.

1. John Wall

Speed is perhaps the most important physical advantage a player can have in this league, and Wall is loaded with it. [...] his talent with the ball is evident, and often his pure speed will allow him to dominate parts of games no matter whom he is playing against.

2. Patrick Patterson

Patterson ranks second because of the intangibles he possesses, along with his better-than-expected size and talent. Defensively, he should make huge strides due to his college experience, as well as his quickness and maturity. [...] Patterson will be able to defend most 4s and many 5s, and flourish in any defensive scheme. He also has an excellent offensive game, so earning playing time -- and trust -- from his coach should be easy.

3. Evan Turner

Turner is often compared to Brandon Roy, and fairly so. [...] Turner, like Roy, finds ways to impact games thanks to his mind and skill level. One big advantage that crafty guys have over pure speed guys is their ability to adjust and figure things out on the fly.

4. DeMarcus Cousins

A team would make a mistake by treating Cousins like most other players, coaching him for a few hours a day and then leaving him alone. Cousins needs more than that, and if he gets it, he could be the NBA Rookie of the Month in November. He has all the tools to be an impact guy right away; that much is certain. Hands, feel, skill, size -- all are huge pluses for him

5. Gordon Hayward

NBA coaches have to play guys who can fit into their system on both sides of the court and help out with the tougher parts of the game like rebounding and hustle. Even if Hayward struggles as a perimeter shooter, he performs so well at other parts of the game that it will be hard to keep him off the court. Think of him as the perimeter version of Jonas Jerebko, only better.

6. Dominique Jones

he has the requisite scoring talent and crazy confidence to pound his way into a team's rotation. I'm a little worried about his shooting from 3, but I think he'll get more open looks than he got at USF and he'll still be a very effective driver. The lane opens up in the NBA far more than it does in college, and he'll use his excellent length to hurt people in the paint.

7. Derrick Favors

Favors has a great combination of size, athleticism and hands. [...] he'll no doubt get a lot more dunks in the pros thanks to the added space he'll have to play with [...] If Favors can lock in as a rebounder and become a top player in that category next year, he'll shoot up my rookie report rankings.

8. Ekpe Udoh

He should be able to defend most centers, but what makes him potentially special is that he'll likely also be able to guard perimeter-based 4s. He moves fluidly for a guy his size [...] I also think he's going to be a better shooter in the pros, enabling him to play in the pick-and-pop game right away.

9. James Anderson

Anderson is another guy who seems ready to score at the NBA level. Like Turner, he's been an extremely productive player without tremendous physical talents, always something I look for in players. He can be utilized as a spark off the bench

10. Damion James

James has the one talent that every NBA coach covets possibly more than any other -- a super hot motor.