NBA Draft 2009: The New Jack Swingmen

Yet again, the NBA Draft yields a plethora of numerous prospects who have seemingly infinite ranges in size and skills in a vacuum, and the 2009 gala affair is no different in some ways, but very different in others. While guards have dominated much of the press concerning who is in play as top selections, there are a few forwards who have gained much of the attention in Blake Griffin, the consensus No. 1 selection from Oklahoma and DeJuan Blair, the Tractor Traylor-esque power player out of Pittsburgh, but two others are enigmas with great upside in the affair.

Chase Budinger was one of the country's best young amateur athletes in the country, not just in basketball as a McDonald's All-American, but as a standout volleyball player who had very high professional prospects coming out of high school. Reminding of Michelangelo's David in stature at 6'7", Budinger captured scouts' attention with his great gifts on the court, able to jump extremely high to finish at the rim and possessing an ability to shoot from all distances at a very solid clip. As a star player at Arizona, Budinger was thought to be an alpha dog as a scorer and defender, but for much of his three years at the university, the young man was often considered a second banana in the way he asserted himself and his draft stock has fluctuated greatly since 2006. Though a first-round talent, Budinger still has had to make changes to his game, namely in how aggressive he approaches his opponents. While no longer seen as a player with superstar potential, Budinger's skill set is such where he may excel moreso in the professional game, where he can have the luxury of better spacing and less pressure to do what he seems to do best, which is fill in the gaps as a solid team defender and spot-up shooter.

Another puzzling talent has also emerged in Gonzaga University's Austin Daye. Thin as a reed and as tall as high-growing sugarcane, the 6'11", 192 lb. small forward had created a stir as a standout college freshman with his ability to dribble and shoot. Using his length as a great advantage against most of his on-court foes, Daye has had his fair share of praise, but also a share in disappointing feedback from scouts. Considered an outstanding talent, Daye has had to prove that he can play among men, considering his inconsistency in collegiate play. The greatest prospect of having Daye from an organization prospective is being able to allow him to develop physically as he continues to hone his perimeter skills. In the future, Daye could be a true star that fulfills his actual star potential.