Monday, December 31, 2007

Richard Hendrix - NBA Draft Prospects

Number: 17.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.3 spg, 60% FG, 54% FT

About Him: Richard Hendrix dropped 20 pounds over the summer to streamline his now 6'8", 250lb body, but he did not lose any of his strength. Hendrix is a load on the block. His strength is his, well, strength. He is very good at getting position on the block, and has crafty moves when he gets the ball. His go-to move is a little righty jump-hook, but he has gotten better at finishing with his left. He's improved his range, and can now consistently hit jumpers to about 17 feet, and has even it a couple three pointer's this year. Hendrix is also very good defensively down-low. He is too strong to be backed down and uses his low center-of-gravity to knock people out of position. His is shorter than one would like, but he is long, deceptively athletic, and has great timing when it comes to blocking shots. His lateral quickness needs improvement if he is going to be able to cover quicker power forwards. His greatest asset for an NBA team right now is his rebounding ability. He is as good as anyone in the country at blocking out, and has a knack for getting rebounds in traffic against bigger opponents, mainly because he takes up so much space.

Comparisons: Paul Millsap, Charles Oakley

Bottom Line: Hendrix is never going to be a player that will be able to take over a game, but he plays hard and is very good at what he does. He could be a good, productive role player for the right team. He could go anywhere from the mid-to-late first round to early second round.

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