Glen Davis - King Hippo from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out - I'm not trying to pick on the guy, but he struggled to keep weight off while attempting to earn a big payday. On top of that he's carrying all those pounds without NBA money. Can you imagine what he could do with some post-game spreads, a NBA contract, and that extra $106 per diem? Hot damn. That said I like Big Baby's footwork and offensive game. I'd be excited to see the Glen Davis Era in Boston if he slipped to #32. Hopefully he does not pull an Oliver Miller.
Jared Dudley - It is not every June that the ACC player of the year goes all out at the Orlando Predraft Camp. The fact that Dudley did says a lot about how NBA teams view him. At 6-7 he won't be able to play power forward in the NBA. But he can shoot better than a lot of people realize and has already dropped weight in preparation for the next level. It would be interesting to see him land in San Antonio. Regardless based upon expectations going in, fans of their respective teams will be a lot happier with Dudley's play than Brandan Wright's. That brings me to Double Dragon II, one of the great underrated Nintendo games. It was released in 1988 and managed to be difficult, exciting, and beatable all at once. I challenge you to find a game from that era with a better set of moves. Did I mention that it takes place in New York after a nuclear bomb hit, Billy and Jimmy Lee joined forces after previously battling, and Billy's girlfriend Marion was allegedly gunned down at the start the game? Just as Double Dragon II is no Mario 3, Dudley is no Kevin Durant. But the BC standout will still get the job done. Bonus points because Dudley's time spent playing with Sean Williams is reminiscent of the time Sega merged Double Dragon with the bizarre Battletoads.
Jeff Green - Now that Green is officially in the draft folks around the NBA are excited about the versatile forward who has been compared to Lamar Odom. I don't follow college basketball all that closely so I did wonder if Green was a college guy that did a lot of things well but nothing spectacular. However, after reading up on him my concerns appear unwarranted. With apologies to this message board I'm going with a Yoshi comparison. Do you remember how revolutionary Super Mario World, one of the first Super Nintendo games, was? Well despite the new, bigger game, Mario's cape, and everything else Yoshi still stood out. Green has the potential to go to a team with an established star and shine in his own way. Bonus points because everyone speaks highly of Green.
Tiago Splitter - Arkanoid - People who really follow the NBA draft (sadly I don't fall into this group) have known about Splitter for years. And even though the days of a fan base not immediately revolting when Dirk Nowitzki gets traded for Tractor Traylor are long over, Splitter is still a bit of an enigma. NBAdraft.net points to his mobility, basketball IQ and soft touch as strengths while simultaneously wondering about Splitter's toughness, durability, and passive approach at times. Therefore, Arkanoid is an appropriate comparison mainly because the game's popularity is not necessarily in line with its game play. It was a simple game that people loved. So while draft buffs continue to love Splitter, it is conceivable that he will never play in the NBA. I also wonder how people would feel about Splitter if he were named Doug Smith and hailed from Iowa.
Spencer Hawes - Bayou Billy - This game was memorable because it was a thinly disguised rip off of Crocodile Dundee. Despite its plot pilfering, Bayou Billy was fun in its own right. Meanwhile, Hawes has a lot of potential. I am not sure we'll ever understand how Hawes and Martell Webster missed the playoffs while playing on the same high school team, but the former Washington Husky could make a name for himself in the NBA. Currently a lot of people see him as a Brad Miller clone, which is not a bad thing. Only time will tell. Get it? Just as Bayou Billy ripped off Crocodile Dundee Hawes is the second coming of Miller. You know it is a bad comparison when it needs that kind of extra explanation.