Aaron Craft, Junior, Point Guard, Ohio State
Overview:
If the NBA playoffs are any indication, times are changing. Celtics fans felt like they lost because Avery Bradley was out. Grizzlies fans felt like Tony Allen was not operating at 100 percent for their series. Thabo Sefolosha was arguably the sole reason the Thunder – Spurs series turned around, once he was focused on stopping Tony Parker. And Shane Battier had quite a finals performance. What do all of these men have in common? They are spectacular defenders who don’t play inside. The wave of great, on-ball, defending guards and small forwards is upon us. Aaron Craft can be drafted on a Thursday and be ready to defend NBA guards by Saturday. Throw in his passing skills, ball handling ability and his worst case scenario as a pro is a lifelong backup guard. There seems to be no logical way Craft does not stick in the NBA.
Final Projection:
With a lack of a great shooting touch and perhaps a lack of upside as well, Craft will not be drafted too high. That is how the NBA draft works. Teams target upside over production. Nevertheless, Craft will be a monster contributor to whichever team takes him. His across-the-board numbers in college, along with his court smarts and tenacious defense make Craft one of the lowest risk draftees in the nation as far as bust potential.
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