By Craig E. Ganek, Freelance Scouting and Journalism - rcca@worldnet.att.net

DAJUAN WAGNER

Anytime the name Iverson or Francis is used in comparison with a player, franchises take notice. Dajuan Wagner has the magic with the ball in his hands reminiscent of only a few NBA MVP guards. Off the dribble, this former Memphis star will immediately dominate at the next level, and has the potential to become deadly from behind the arc. While his frame scares GMs at the 2-spot, this year's playoffs have proved that teams will not hesitate to finish a game with a backcourt under 6'-4" (Mike Bibby & Bobby Jackson in Sacramento, Kenny Anderson & Tony Delk in Boston).

Wagner's game at the professional level will rival Iverson's scoring point play at Georgetown, as teams will initially try to see if he can become a scoring floor general similar to Baron Davis. Depending on his backcourt mate, Wagner can hopefully play a similar role to Cuttino Mobley in Houston as a unique creator from the wing. In stature, Wagner's already stronger than Mobley and can match his quickness in the open court. While his halfcourt moves will break more than a few ankles, Wagner must utilize his ability to elevate and score from 10', instead of always relying on the aerobatic finishes that were available to him in Conference USA.

The most intriguing aspect of Wagner’s abilities at the age of 19 is a dominating mid-level game. Wagner must utilize these skills to become a productive scorer early in his career, as the paint does not bode well for highflying rookie guards. In the open court, expect a combination of Wagner's youthful excitement and natural athletic ability to dominate during an 82 game season, as many veterans do not move at the same pace during the regular season. Expect him to generate at least 6 to 8 points a night on the outlet pass by simply outrunning his opponents. While his field goal & three-point percentages were inconsistent, Wagner has a shooter’s mentality and a natural rhythm similar to the smooth stroke dominance of a young John Starks. In college, Wagner rarely found a shot he didn’t like and seemed to rush into the first opportunity his teammates gave him. While he often displayed the range that warranted defensive recognition the moment he crossed half-court, Wagner’s poor shot selection began to limit his freedom on the perimeter as the season progressed.

At the next level, Wagner’s offensive game will develop better paired with veteran scorers that ensure he earns his stripes before becoming a focal point in the half-court. Under this pretense, Wagner’s production during his rookie campaign may solely depend on his ability to knockdown open jumpers and finish on the fastbreak. Wagner needs this discipline early in his career to keep him focused on becoming an all-around team player, instead of a young talent more concerned with how many all-star votes he’s getting. In addition, expect Wagner to spend extra time next season proving he’s willing and capable of playing the point, before teams realize he’s more dominating at the 2-spot with his relentless penetration and ability to stretch a defense without the ball in his hands.

Defensively, Wagner has the quickness to immediately guard both backcourt spots out top, while the development of his upper body strength will determine if he can play the 2-spot without becoming a liability on the block. Off the ball, Wagner’s a thief with cat-like reflexes similar to Erick Strickland’s in Boston. With dedicated play over his career, Wagner has the potential to have a career steal’s number rivaling the great John Stockton. On the glass, Wagner will drive opposing coaches crazy with spectacular offensive rebounds and putbacks reminiscent of Robert Pack during the mid 90s. Do not be surprised if he becomes a rebounding threat that puts up numbers similar to Stevie Francis in Houston. While adding up all these unique abilities, it’s amazing how fearful franchises still are of Wagner because he doesn’t have the prototypical size desired for a shooting guard. Regardless, Wagner has all the natural tools and family background to warrant a top 5 draft pick, and more importantly, has developed a reputation as a dedicated gym rat who will do whatever it takes to get to the top.

Dajuan Wagner's projected 5th year averages: 23 ppg. 5 ass. 4.5 reb. 38 % 3-pt.

Dream Scenario: The Washington Wizards…While all arrows are pointing towards a final year for his “Airness”, hopefully the Wizard’s franchise will be drafting with only Kwame Brown, Rip Hamilton, & Brendan Haywood in mind. With MJ’s retirement around the corner and questions regarding Courtney Alexander & Chris Whitney’s permanent future in Washington, the Wizard’s backcourt will soon be in desperate need of a ball dominating guard. Dajuan Wagner would provide this stability and could potentially enable Richard Hamilton to fall into role similar to Scottie Pippen’s point-forward days in Chicago. In addition, Jordan could be the ultimate tutor for this young scorer, as he begins to realize his stock as a GM starts again in less than a year. While differing in stature, Wagner enters the NBA with unmatched athletic ability similar to Jordan’s dominating performances in 1984. In addition, with Wagner knowing Jordan’s on-court tutoring will only last a year, the Wizards could expect him to willingly take a backseat and attempt to absorb the basketball knowledge displayed by this hardwood legend. Since Courtney Alexander never seemed to appreciate MJs teachings, he’s the perfect trade bait Washington needs to combine with their 11th pick to move up and grab the 100-point kid. The Wizard’s frontcourt seems to have at least established an interior presence with Brandon Haywood’s efficient production in the paint and Kwame Brown’s late season emergence as a Kevin Garnett type of athlete. Rip Hamiliton also continues to develop his offensive repertoire at small forward and shooting guard, and Doug Collins would love to bring in a young scoring guard to compliment Hamilton’s open court abilities.

Ed O’Bannon Scenario: The Los Angeles Clippers…As the draft approaches, NBA experts continue to hammer home the idea that Wagner’s confidant and cocky attitude will blend in perfectly with the Clippers. While Wagner would be a steal with the 8th pick, does L.A. want to continue surrounding their all-ready young freewheeling talent with a 19 year-old isolation specialist. The Clippers need to look for frontcourt help with the possible departure of the Candyman, and assist in relieving the rebounding and low-post scoring pressure Elton Brand faces each night. While Olowokandi finally made great strides this past season, if he does sign a new lucrative contract with the Clippers will he continue to develop into a dominating presence in the middle? And are they sure Elton Brand’s in for the long haul in L.A.? With these issues unsettled, the Clippers need to invest in frontcourt stability and let Dooling (or McInnis), Richardson, & Miles play every available minute over the next two years.

CARON BUTLER

Before Caron Butler’s recent accent on NBA draftboards, collegiate coaches were astounded that scouts seemed to be searching for a flaw in what they felt was the definition of a true hardwood gem. Butler’s versatile game at Connecticut consistently received praise, as he become a unique player in today’s NCAA to actually meet the often-unreasonable expectations established for these athletes at an early age. In his current situation, the only question marks regarding his professional development have focused on the adjustment period he will need to feel comfortable spending the majority of his time on the wing, instead of on the baseline or with his back to the basket. Expect Butler to quickly answer those critics using Antonio Walker’s formula for success: If you can consistently put the ball in the basket, eventually they won’t care where you are on the floor.

In the past, players entering the draft were deemed high risk if they were expected to play a different position from were they thrived at in college. While Butler’s game resembles an athletic power forward in a small forward’s body, in today’s NBA teams realize the potential commodity Butler represents as a scorer who may flourish splitting minutes at various positions. Butler definitely seems to have established a style of play that will guide him along this prosperous path, and his skyrocketing stock proves teams understand his versatility may take a struggling team to the next level.

While many scouts describe him as an inside-out threat, the reality is that Butler’s game has much more to offer. From any place on the hardwood, Butler is a threat to light up the scoreboard with a unique ability to always create enough space to get off a clean shot. Even in the rare occurrences when Butler seems locked-up, he has the athleticism to elevate over defenders and a quick release to match. As far as his jumper, Butler seems to improve his range as the game goes on and loves to shoot with a man in his face. Butler combines these skills with instinctive play around the basket and a competitive fire that warrants the fanfare of an elite player and possible can’t miss in this year’s draft. A decade ago, Butler would have be a lock to be taken with the first or second pick, but in the last few years GMs seem to prefer unproven 17-year old 7-footers who have trouble setting their alarm clocks. Not until recently had teams begun to realize how the injury problems and slow development of these behemoths does not match the current rookie contract structure.

Next year, it’s hard to find a scenario where Butler would not be a consistent competitor night in and night out at small forward, while greatly improving a team’s overall rebounding prowess. Similarly to Quentin Richardson in L.A., consistently creating rebounding advantages against your opponent at the smaller positions can lead to victories even in instances when the shots aren’t falling. In addition, Butler adds a unique ability, not often seen in the elite youngsters of NBA, to dominate on the baseline by understanding how devastating a breakdown from this area is for a defense. Combine this with low post moves that have a natural street flair and Butler has the potential to not just produce, but bring fans into the stadium.

Defensively, while Butler is nowhere near his ultimate potential, he has the ability to match-up each night simply off his athleticism and competitive nature. Guarding the speed demons on the perimeter will give Butler the greatest test early in his career, but expect coaches to match him up with these highfliers with the belief that this will speed up his learning curve. Within a short time, expect Butler to become a superb on ball defender once he understands the isolating game played at this level. Off the ball, he has the ability to roam with the same enthusiasm Richard Jefferson provides in New Jersey. On the defensive glass, while Butler dominated at points during his collegiate career without much of a disciplined block-out, he needs to find his man at the NBA level or players like Shawn Marion will simply embarrass him on offensive putbacks. Players with his competitive fire will quickly adjust any aspects of his game needing improvement without reluctance, as his love for the game will motivate him to dominate and become an elite player at this level.

Caron Butler’s projected 5th year averages: 20 ppg. 7.5 reb. 3.5 ass. 37% 3-pt

Dream Scenario: Cleveland Cavaliers…Hopefully the Cavs have given-up on the 7 footers with foot problems, and can concentrate on adding to an already exciting and underrated backcourt consisting of Andre Miller, Ricky Davis, and possibly Wesley Person. Butler’s game would compliment the aggressive penetrating style of Miller and Davis, while adding excitement to an organization in desperate need of another superstar. Imagining these guys running the break and out-rebounding opponents with a smaller line-up that would enable the Cavs to rotate their unproven frontcourt players without the pressure to produce. Andre Miller’s acclaimed potential stardom resembles Jason Kidd’s, in that he needs to be surrounded by athletic scorers with a fundamental understanding of the game. Butler has these skills and would enable Miller to take a break from always have the ball in his hands, as he has the natural ability to create off isolations. If the Cavs can lock-up Miller and Davis, expect this scenario to bring success both in the win column and in the box office.

Ed O’Bannon Scenario: The Atlanta Hawks (Attempting to trade their way into the lottery)…Butler’s ability to create scoring opportunities with his aggressive off-ball movement, would be limited as Jason Terry’s style of play would cause Butler to spend too much time standing and watching from the wing. While Tim Thomas’s career can not officially be labeled a disappointment yet, his natural abilities at small forward were not utilized as he become a stand and shoot swing-man resulting from the core group of players in Milwaukee. Butler’s development must not fall into a similar situation if he wants to maximize his potential and become an inside-out threat resembling Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. In addition, the Hawks are still trying to find a spot were Demarr Johnson feels the most comfortable, and this could limit the space available for Butler to maneuver. Overall, the Hawks have unique group of players that are still establishing a competitive style, and Butler’s game should not be sacrificed in order to develop a group of players that may be out of town in a few years.