CANADIAN DUO ROAD TO THE NBA DRAFT 2011

The hard work now begins for Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. With the NBA finally having determined the order of selection for its June 23 draft, the two young men from the GTA can go about the business of convincing general managers they’re worthy of guaranteed employment. The University of Texas teammates are in Chicago this week taking part in the NBA’s pre-draft combine, one of the most significant steps in the evaluation process.

Thompson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Brampton, is seen in most circles as a lottery (top 14) pick, while Joseph, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Ajax, is projected as a late first-rounder in many early prognostications.
Guessing precisely where they’ll be picked is impossible this early in the process but the Chicago camp — which includes drills and individual meetings with interested teams — will go a long way to making the picture clearer.Scouts and team officials rave about Thompson’s athleticism and work ethic. A handful of them said privately at Wednesday’s draft lottery that he should clearly go in the top 14.
Thompson, 20, may not be the tallest of the big-man prospects, but a 7-foot-2 wingspan helps make up for it.
“I really like the way he competes,” one Eastern Conference executive said at the lottery. “He plays hard at both ends.” It would be a stretch to think the Raptors, with the No. 5 selection, would have much interest in Thompson. They already have a plethora of young power forwards and centres under contract, but are looking for a rim-protecting, physical presence. While the left-handed Thompson played mostly centre at Texas, he’s projected to be a power forward in the NBA and the Raptors are likely to look in other directions.
For Joseph, the draft combine will give him another shot at convincing general managers that he’s worth the guaranteed contract that goes with being a first-round pick.

There were those who were surprised he declared for the draft but the 19-year-old has already been through one mass workout — in New Jersey a couple of weekends ago — and will get his game in front of all 30 teams this week in Chicago. “I know I have to get stronger and just tune up everything . . . coming off pick and roll, quicker release (on his jump shot), just everything,” Joseph said after a workout for the New York Knicks earlier this month. Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo is in Chicago along with the team’s scouting and coach staffs. But, he said after Toronto fell to No. 5 from No. 3 at Wednesday’s lottery, whether he’ll be able to find someone who’ll have an immediate impact remains to be seen. “It’s very early to say . . . with so many young players and so many things uncertain about the roster right now, it’s hard to say whether or not the No. 5 pick will be a rotation guy, an impact player next year (or) will it take a few years to get everything you want out of that pick.”

By Doug Smith of Toronto Star

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