5-10 Bynum works on elevating draft status at camp
CHICAGO -- Will Bynum isn't supposed to be here, much less be the most impressive player after one game of the 2005 NBA pre-draft camp. But that was Bynum out there Wednesday, dunking on bigger players, blocking shots and getting to the rim whenever he wanted.
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| Will Bynum's draft status is a head scratcher. (Getty Images) |
No wonder he wasn't among the first 60 players originally invited.
"It's always something with me," said Bynum, who played the past two seasons at Georgia Tech. "I'm always being doubted, but that's good because I've always got a chip on my shoulder."
Wednesday afternoon is about as early as early gets at the pre-draft camp -- first day, first game -- but Bynum's draft stock ought to be on the rise. Matched against Marquette's Travis Diener or Utah Valley State's Ronnie Price at the Moody Bible Institute, Bynum did as he pleased offensively and showed his ridiculous hops by getting called for defensive goaltending.
The only thing Bynum didn't show was a jump shot, and the way he was getting to the rim, why bother? On one fast break, he broke down Price so severely, using a behind-the-back dribble, that a European scout broke into applause.
Don't get too attached, Euro-scout. Bynum might not need a passport to make money at this game.
"I've heard anything from second round to maybe slipping into the first if I do well here," Bynum said. "I've had private workouts for nine teams so far."
He was supposed to add to that number in Chicago, his hometown. With every NBA team in town for the camp, Bynum had set up a number of individual workouts this week. Instead, his agent called Tuesday afternoon with good news: Georgia high school player Louis Williams had backed out of the camp, opening a spot for a point guard. Bynum was it.
"I was already at (another) gym, about to do some workouts, when my agent called," Bynum said. "I just packed up my stuff and came over here."
NBA scouting director Marty Blake says Bynum could be the latest in a line of late camp additions to play his way onto someone's draft board. It first happened in the 1980s, Blake said, when Southern California's Dwight Anderson backed out of the camp and was replaced by Craig Hodges.
"And Hodges played, what, 13 years in the NBA?" Blake said. "It happens."
E. Williams, Mensah-Bonsu, S. Smith updates
Wake Forest center Eric Williams, a junior whose NBA Draft decision could determine the Deacons' 2006 NCAA Tournament aspirations, sounded Wednesday like he'd be back in school.
"This atmosphere ... it gives you that college feeling," Williams said. "It makes you think about what you had in college."
Williams said he'd only stay in the draft if a team guarantees taking him in the first round. He hasn't received such a guarantee yet, and unless his hands improve dramatically between now and the June 21 deadline, he won't get one.
Another junior big man, George Washington's Pops Mensah-Bonsu, sounded more inclined to stay in the draft. Mensah-Bonsu also showed suspect hands, but his athletic ability and strength make him an NBA-quality defender.
"It's too early to be making any decisions," Mensah-Bonsu said, "but today was definitely a positive for me. I rebounded well, defended. I was hoping today would get me off to a good start this week, and it did."
La Salle's Steven Smith won't get a first-round guarantee, but he won't necessarily need one to stay in the draft. A source close to him said Smith was aware of other former La Salle players -- Rasual Butler and Doug Overton -- who carved out NBA careers after being selected in the second round.
Final thoughts
- Chicago State sophomore Deji Akindele cost himself some money Wednesday. He looks great at 7-1 and chiseled 240 pounds, and he shot well in drills, but during the scrimmage he was terrible. Awful. Instead of using his body and athletic ability to dunk on people, he tried a variety of weak finishing moves that were blocked or spun errantly off the glass.
- Indiana junior Bracey Wright played superbly, hitting jumpers and finding open teammates and even diving on the floor for a loose ball.
- Illinois' Luther Head and Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf also stood out, Head for his driving ability and Turiaf for his tenacity and rebounding.
- Former Missouri signee and Cincinnati bust Robert Whaley looked good enough to make money somewhere, but not good enough for that somewhere to be an NBA city.
- Get to know 6-7 Oakland guard Rawle Marshall. He'll be in the NBA some day, perhaps some day soon.
- Marquette's Travis Diener shot exquisitely. Big surprise there.
- Two former ACC players, Jawad Williams of North Carolina and Mike Bell of North Carolina State (and then Florida Atlantic), are nice stand-up shooters but neither can score if denied the perimeter shot.
