by Makoy

Created on: May 04, 2009

The 2009 NBA Draft showcases a lot of young guns with great potential. NCAA phenom Blake Griffin and international sensation Ricky Rubio leads the pack of professional ball hopefuls in the draft. In a league that is dominated mostly by big men and already has lots of great guards, a handpicked few from the 2009 hopefuls are eyed to do great in the NBA (by basing it on their collegiate and amateur performances).

1.) Ricky Rubio. Rubio is the youngest player to ever play in the Spanish ACB League and could be the youngest international phenom in the NBA. Standing 6'3, Rubio is the point guard of DKV Juventut in both the ACB and Euroleague. Rubio is a member of the Spanish senior men's basketball team, joining the likes of NBA stalwarts Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa, Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, Raul Lopez, and Juan Carlos Navarro, and was a member of the silver medal winning team in the Olympics and was regarded as one of the better point guards in the tournament. He is known for good foot speed, high basketball IQ, and great court sense. Rubio is expected to end up in the top 3 picks in the draft.

2.) Brandon Jennings. A cousin of NBA guard Marcus Williams, Jennings has starred in Europe with the Italian league club Lottomatica Roma. Jennings potential was evident even in high school. He led his team to a 41-1 card in 2006-07 and averaged 32.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds a game in his senior year. After skipping college to play in Europe, on what many considered as a very risky move, Jennings blossomed into a star. Among Jennings' strengths are his great speed, his ability to makes plays for himself and others, and his great leaping ability.

3.) Ty Lawson. A University of North Carolina standout, Lawson has helped the Tar Heels maintain it's elite status in the NCAA. Known for his court smarts, good long range shooting, and maturity, Lawson averaged 12.7 points in 52.3% FG shooting, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 steals during the 2007-08 season. Should Lawson play for a fast paced team, he is expected to do good in the NBA.

4.) Jeff Teague. Explosive with a very quick first step, Wake Forest's Jeff Teague is heralded as one of the better point guards in the 2009 NBA Draft. Though not originally listed as a point guard, at 6'2, Teague is expected to play the PG role in the NBA. Only on his second year in Wake Forest, Teague has led the team in scoring with more than 21 points a game. Teague has declared his eligibility to the draft and no longer plans to continue his 2 years with Wake Forest left. He could follow another Demon Deacon's footsteps in Chris Paul.

5.) Stephen Curry. Originally played as a shooting guard, Curry was relegated to the point guard roles later on. Son of former NBA guard Dell Curry, Stephen attended Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina and became it's all-time leading scorer with more than 1700 points amassed in his high school career. Known for his outside shooting, Curry is eyed as the next Hersey Hawkins or Ray Allen

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