The group of prospects working out for the Knicks on Tuesday includes some names that will be very familiar to college hoops fans.
Trevor Booker (Forward, Clemson)
Booker is a slashing wing forward with jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism. With his quickness and length, he has the potential to be a very good defender, though his lack of height (6-7) will limit his ability to guard some NBA forwards. On the offensive end, his game hasn’t developed as much as hoped; he doesn’t have the size to post up most NBA forwards, and his handle isn’t reliable enough to be a real threat on the drive, though he does have an excellent first step. His jumper showed significant improvement in college.
Sherron Collins (Guard, Kansas)
The Jayhawks’ floor leader was considered a first-round prospect, but questions about conditioning and spotty play this season have hurt his standing on many draft boards, to the point where he could be available to the Knicks at 38 or 39. Apparently, his conditioning has improved significantly since Kansas’ disappointing second-round loss to Northern Iowa; observers at one of the offseason training programs said he’s lost a significant amount of weight, is shooting very well and playing excellent defense. Collins is just 5-11, but he’s very strong, which allows him to play a bit bigger.
Andy Rautins (Guard, Syracuse)
Big East basketball fans will be familiar with Rautins, a key player on Syracuse’s excellent teams of recent vintage. Rautins is an excellent three-point shooter and a very good passer and played solid defense in college as part of Jim Boeheim’s trademark 2-3 zone. It’s hard to project him as a starting NBA guard; he simply doesn’t have the athleticism – but he can probably make a living in the league as a three-point specialist and second-unit scorer.
via Tuesday’s Workouts Bring Familiar Names – Charlie Zegers – MSG.com.
