Top players in the NBA draft

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1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma power forward, 6-8½, 248 pounds

Comment: He has a strong, explosive body. He's a skilled scorer in the lane. He doesn't shy away from physical play and he dominated in a great basketball conference.

2. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut center, 7-1¼, 267 pounds

Comment: Great post defense is among the hardest things to acquire. He needs to improve offensively, but has already progressed greatly as a scorer from his freshman season.

3. Ricky Rubio, Spanish point guard, 6-4, 180 pounds

Comment: He's an exceptional dribbler/passer who can control the ball in heavy traffic. He needs a better jump shot and sometimes he attempts the great play when something simpler would have been just as effective.

4. Stephen Curry, Davidson guard, 6-2, 181 pounds

Comment: A safe pick in a dicey draft because he's such a reliable jump-shooter and smart passer. Needs to improve his strength and would benefit from playing with a shooting guard with some ballhandling skills.

5. Jordan Hill, Arizona power forward, 6-9¼, 232 pounds

Comment: Maybe the best athlete among the power forwards, but that cuts both ways. He tends to lean on raw ability (quickness, leaping ability) and has holes in his game (he turns the ball over a lot). Improved as a rebounder, and while he's added some bulk, 232 pounds is light for the pounding he'll take in the NBA.

6. James Harden, Arizona State shooting guard, 6-4, 222 pounds

Comment: A polished scorer at shooting guard who generally makes good decisions on when to shoot and when to pass. The problem is he's limited athletically, which hurts his ability to create his own shot off the dribble and to defend effectively.

7. Tyreke Evans, Memphis guard, 6-4, 221 pounds

Comment: A strong combo guard; how well he can play the point could determine whether he's just a rotation player or have greater impact. A strong guy with a great wingspan (6-11¼), Memphis featured him by spreading the floor to isolate him on defenders.

8. Jonny Flynn, Syracuse point guard, 5-11¼, 195 pounds

Comment: He might be the best penetrator off the dribble in this draft. He has the upper-body strength to hold up in the lane and the court vision to find teammates when the defense converges on him.

9. DeMar DeRozan, Southern Cal shooting guard, 6-5½, 211 pounds

Comment: Has major potential as a driver, but his inconsistency calls into question how much he strives to be dominant. Doesn't play with the attacking intensity of a Tyreke Evans. Has shown little range on his jump shot.

10. Gerald Henderson, Duke shooting guard, 6-4, 215 pounds

Comment: A smart all-around player who should be an above-average NBA defender. Doesn't yet have the shooting range you want from an NBA 2-guard, but good workers can develop range just by putting in the time at the gym.

11. DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh power forward, 6-5¼, 277 pounds

Comment: Don't be misled by his height. Blair has the wingspan (7-2) to continue the rebounding impact he had in college. Worked hard to remake his body, losing 35 pounds since the end of the season.

12. Terrence Williams, Louisville shooting guard/small forward, 6-5, 213 pounds.

Comment: A versatile and productive swingman who was as responsible as anyone for the Cardinals' success in the Big East. Usually wing scorers with his athleticism don't excel at subtler skills, but Williams is a fine passer and a relentless defender.