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ANTOINE SURRONAY 6-9 232 SF/PF 1989--
A true diamond in the rough for the Frenchmen, Surronay possesses a variety of NBA skills which is reminiscent of current
Toronto Raptors forward Charlie Villanueva. At his young age of 17, he is able to create mismatches out on the floor already
with his offensive and defensive versatility. Offensively, Surronay displays good elevation and mechanics (although the shot
comes out pretty flat) on his jumpshot, and it has been rapidly improving--he even takes three pointers from European
range now, hitting at around 33%. His post game is also vastly underrated, as he can repeatedly take his man off a couple
of spin moves or just bull over him for layups and dunks. He possesses deceptive athleticism and can be unsuspecting in the
moves he pulls towards his opponents. Surronay certainly scores well around the basket area, showing somewhat of a finesse
game as well as a strong game, as well as soft touch. One of Surronay's best aspects is that he can put the ball on the floor,
and his ballhandling skills are pretty advanced and certainly good for his level (may not be for the NBA) and he can repeatedly
get to the basket, using his athleticism and relative strength to do the rest. His rebounding ability is also very special--he
seems to have a nose for the ball, always clearing his team's defensive rebounds and using his large hands to reach over defenders
without going over the back. His strength also helps him to box out decently whenever he feels like it. Defensively, he has
all the tools, with good mobility to guard both the paint and perimeter decently, depending on matchups. He can handle most
average athletes in the NBA, and that's what he will be looking to guard most of the time anyway. He has a decent 7'0" wingspan
as well as decent lateral quickness and the strength to guard his man. His passing ability is merely average for his position,
but he is extremely unselfish, doesn't look to take all the shots or handle the ball excessively, and can certainly play a
cohesive team game. All in all, he is a marvelous prospect that will have NBA scouts salivating once he gets more exposure
in the future. He has a good frame, at 6'9" and 232 capable of putting on more weight, and is capable of playing both forward
positions if need be decently. He is certainly France's prospect with the most potential.
MICKAEL ORGENE 6-6 182 PG/SG/SF 1985--Another of France's
versatile prospects, with a certain bit of polish, but nonetheless is considered a potential player because that's the most
intriguing aspect surrounding his all-around ability. Most of Orgene's potential rests with his potential two-way ability;
at 6-6, he can run an offense decently and handle individual pressure well, displaying good ballhandling skills in the process.
He is extremely unselfish, finds the open man both off and on the dribble, and has the athleticism and length to draw defenders.
His defense has also received a certain amount of praise as well, as he has consistently shown that he can be a shotblocking
force, whether blocking jumpshots or layups by smaller or even equal-sized players. And lastly, his shooting has taken the
biggest steps as now he steps in confidently with his good stroke to even hit shots from the EuroLeague three point territory,
at 38%. He's not an athletic freak, but has the capabilities of being an all-around player who can fit into the cog of any
team in the NBA.
JEREMIAH HENNESSY 6-7 210 SF 1988--Not well known in draft
circles, Hennessy has been operating under the radar most of this season, and the scouts who have seen him range in comparisons
from Mickael Pietrus to Josh Howard. One of the reasons he hasn't gotten much hype as of yet is due to his young age, at only
17 at the time of this report, and he hasn't shown a consistent level of NBA skills yet. But one thing's for sure: Hennessy
is extremely athletic and combines that with NBA-level speed, comparable to many of the wing-level athletes of the NBA. He
doesn't have a blow-away vertical, at roughly 37 inches, but he dunks frequently, plays with a mad passion and scouts can
only see this translating into the NBA and helping to fulfill his potential. His speed off the first, second, and third bounces
are equally deadly, his first step is magnificent, and he frequently attacks the basket without abandon, letting his athleticism
do the rest. Hennessy currently has no really identifiable role with his team, playing all positions ranging from shooting
guard to power forward, but anyhow he wreaks havoc whether corraling rebounds and leading to athletic putbacks or finishing
plays in transition. He is an average rebounder, but he gobbles up a lot of offensive rebounds per game, he just doesn't put
as much stake on defensive rebounds. His defense is improving a little bit, as he's trying to understand the nuances of staying
with his man consistently, but he has great anticipation skills, the heart and the lateral footspeed to stay with his
man which could make him a nice defender someday. Hennessy still lacks great polish and a jumpshot (he takes some, but he
rarely hits), and it's ultimately surprising how little he goes to the line despite attacking the basket frequently (and anyway,
he shoots 61% from the line). His ballhandling skills, all-around fundamentals need work, as currently he is seen as more
of a full-court player who thrives in transition game rather than a half-court player because his ballhandling is suspect.
He uses his athleticism, grit and speed way too much to get things done, and that works against his competition, but not the
NBA. He has great potential, especially with his NBA build at what could be his future for the small forward position. We
will probably hear his name for years to come.
JAKIM DUPAS 6-5 180 SG/SF 1987--Like Hennessy above him, Dupas's
game is mostly prevalent upon his athleticism. Although not his quick as Hennessy, Dupas is more athletic, with an amazing
40' inch vertical, and he is capable of throwing down highlight reel dunks even over bigger players as well. He has shown
inconsistent ballhandling skills driving to the basket for himself, but he has shown the potential to keep a low center of
gravity while dribbling to ward off multiple defenders in attacking the basket. Once he gets to the basket, he can show creativity
in body control in doing reverse layups or layups, or may simply go for the sheer dunk. The second-strongest aspect of Dupas's
game is his physical tools, relating to the potential he holds on defense; he has nice lateral quickness and always seems
to get a hand on the ball at times, resulting in deflections or steals. He anticipates passes well and that normally leads
to fastbreaks where he may dunk for himself. However, Dupas has been accused before of being only a "dunker", which he may
only be at this stage. He is not mentally apt on defense and gets burned at times despite his ability to stay with his man,
and his jumpshot lacks great consistency--he can be prone to missing open shots at time. He is still raw and unrefined right
now, lacking great height, weight and wingspan (6'7" wingspan) as well. He has shown some improvement this season, but not
consistent enough. He will get more chances in the upcoming years, however, to polish his all-around game which also includes
weaknesses in rebounding (doesn't pursue it enough) and passing (a bit selfish).
VOLCE HARBIN 7-2 262 C 1987--A giant whose sole role
is playing defense and rebounding currently, Harbin shows some grasp of defensive concepts, tries to avoid the foul, and is
pretty good at doing so while playing a decent intimidator role on defense. Harbin accumulates a lot of blocks simply by his
height and being around the painted area, blocking a lot of layups and even jumpshots at times straight-up. He doesn't look
to block shots weakside as his lateral quickness and reaction time isn't quick enough in that aspect, but he rotates and anticipates
where the ball is going to be shot from around the painted area. He also accumulates rebounds just by his height and displays
solid box-out ability as well; he has shown he is capable of rebounding somewhat like Jeff Foster, getting 10+ in roughly
25-30 minutes. However, although Harbin's defense is legit as he plays in a decently competitive French team, his offense
is far lagging behind; he has trouble catching passes with small hands, and his ballhandling skills and coordination in his
post moves are extremely poor. He lacks fluidity and does not have much touch, as most of his shots careen around the basket.
He is a poor free throw shooter (53%) as well. He has been accused of being somewhat "soft" on offense, not looking to receive
the ball much and just being satisfied with his defensive role. He gets most of his points off open dunks or putbacks. That
will have to change in the NBA, as he will need to show some offensive role simply to keep defenders honest.
YIAGO HEINESS 6-2 167 PG 1984-- Heiness is a decent prospect with
a small chance of cutting into the latter stages of one of 60 slots of the 2006 draft. First of all, like most French prospects,
he combines good speed with good athleticism which are both NBA-level. He is at his best in transition game where he can outquick
defenders and get easy layups or even the occasional dunk. He also has a long wingspan (6'7") which unfortunately isn't utilized
enough as he rarely looks to play with defensive aggression and stays too far behind his man. Unfortunately for Yiago, although
he has a decent jumpshot with proper mechanics and good stroke for the EuroLeague, he lacks great consistency from anywhere
after 18 feet. He can take NBA three pointers, but they just won't look pretty. Yiago has little point guard skills as well,
and although he can make the flashy pass, he seems to have trouble running any sort of structured offense and hasn't gained
much primacy with his teammates over the years. He needs to improve his floor general skills and overall court vision within
the offense. His weight is also a concern, needs at least 20-30 more lbs. Overall, his lack of passing ability, range, and
weight makes him somewhat of a raw player, and if he is picked, it is purely on potential. Teams do like athletic guards though
so someone may take a flyer on him.
SLALAINE PIETERS 6-8 225 PF 1985-- Pieters is a big
man with solid mobility, athleticism, post touch and passing skills. He is a bit undersized and certainly underweight for
the NBA big man position, but he can play both forward positions at duty and is capable of makng the transition with his solid
skill set. Pieters is an all-around player whose best asset is probably is hustle and rebounding, but that probably won't
work as well in the NBA with his lack of height. He does all the little things that keeps the team together, such as passing
well to open shooters and cutters, utilizing his athleticism to go up-and-under for layups, hitting swinging hook shots or
turnaround J's with some inconsistency, but showing that prowess at the same time. He can play solid rotation defense in the
EuroLeague but he has trouble guarding bigger players. He may actually thrive better in the NBA moving one position down,
as teams can use a glue-guy such as him.
VAUMONDE FORDE 6-1 170 PG 1986-- Forde is an
athletic point with an okay grasp for the team concept and decent passing ability, but he has primarily gained his reputation
for being a nice defender. Forde displays great lateral quickness, helped by his athleticism, and reacts well to get steals
when necessary or stay with his man to force his opponent to a tougher shot. What's most impressive is that when his opponent
changes gears, he reacts well and even improvises to stay with his man relentlessly, and if need be, organizing his team's
interior defense to step up and make the necessary rotations as well. His off-the-ball defense is undefined as he prefers
to stick with his own man, but it looks like he is capable of excelling in this area as well. On offense, Forde utilizes the
same improvisation skills to get his teammates touches, but he lacks the natural point guard talents of ballhandling and passing
at ease, finding the open man. He doesn't do a good job of setting up his teammates and rather they play a sort of slow-paced,
inefficient sort of offensive game that generates few points. Forde's offensive ability, however, is horrendous; teams leave
him open as he has a poor jumpshot, releasing the ball from a 90 degree angle rather than a 45 degree one, and displaying
unorthodox mechanics which never seem to go in upon his release. He rarely attacks the basket as well, which is strange given
his athleticism. He seriously needs to work on his offensive and combine that with a better passing game, otherwise he'll
be fairly one-dimensional as only a defensive player in the future.
AUGO BERCHER 6-4 190 SG 1985--Bercher is
a fairly athletic two-guard who utilizes his athleticism to develop a pretty sound offensive game. His athleticism is most
prevalent in the elevation he gets in his shot, in which he combines smooth form and good mechanics to hit his jumpshots from
a solid clip. He has a sound NBA mid-range and three-point range game already. On offense, he is a solid passer as well from
the shooting guard position, never bogging down the offense and creating plays for others off the dribble if necessary. Although
rarely utilized, Bercher is capable of using his athleticism to gain a step on his man and either pass or attack the basket
well. He can also play solid, but not great, defense staying with his man, although rarely picking up steals. He can
certainly hang with athletic guards in the NBA at about the same size as he is. What his major weakness is is that he is bordering
on being very sound, but utilizing his abilities to the fullest. He has nice athleticism but rarely plays great lockdown defense
or attacks the basket like he is capable of, and that hurts his potential. He has not done that for the last 3-4 years, and
rather he is relying on his shooting and solid passing/rebounding fundamentals as assets. His height is also a detriment and
he can be considered a tweener type. There are concerns whether he may be a one-dimensional shooter in the NBA as well. Whatever
it is, Bercher has another year to show what he's truly capable of.
Yeah. Prospects for 2006, 2007 and 2008.
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