Jeff Green vs. Brandan Wright

What a crazy, fluctuating market. I think with the multitude of web reporters this year, that people are so desperate to get SOMETHING, any new tidbit of "news," that it's becoming silly. I'd hate to have to rely on this for my living.

Case in point: Jeff Green was ranked around #12 a week ago, and Brandan Wright was the solid #3. As the draft nears their value appears to be flipping, with Wright dropping like Brady Quinn, and Green creeping into the first half dozen. Keeping that in mind, along with rumors that the Bucks like Green, this article in the NYTimes provides an interesting opinion about both players, from a guy who played against them in college:

BRANDAN WRIGHT, forward, North Carolina — Forecasting Wright’s career is a tough call. Brandan has the talent to be good. When I guarded him in the Dean Dome he displayed great touch around the basket and an effective spin move, and he dropped in hook shots like a kid tossing pennies in a wishing well. Here’s the catch: People are rating him the third best player in the draft, but when we played North Carolina we considered him the third biggest threat on the team. We were more worried about Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough. Wright is an awful shooter and ball-handler. We didn’t bother to chase him outside of eight feet, choosing instead to allow his defender to play off him and sag into the lane. It’s not that I don’t think he’ll be a contributor down the road for somebody, it’s just that in this draft a top-five pick has to be better than a complementary player.

JEFF GREEN, forward, Georgetown — In the mold of a Scottie Pippen or Lamar Odom, Jeff Green can do it all. Almost. In the Georgetown summer league this past year I found myself facing Jeff in a tip to start the game. Knowing he would almost certainly win a fair jump, I leaned against his hip with my left forearm on the way up. The result was he flailed wildly at the ball, and I calmly tipped it back to my point guard. The game later went to overtime. As we stepped up for the second tip Jeff looked at the ref and said, “Watch Steve, he cheats on the tip.” The ref looked at him incredulously and I quipped back, “Maybe I’m just more athletic than you, Jeff.” I won that tip too. A guy with his passing ability should be fine as long as he has some talent around him, and this past year at Georgetown he showed signs of turning into a player who wanted to take big shots down the stretch. If he turns into that guy, watch out. Either way, he makes you better with his versatility.

So maybe Green isn't all that bad of a choice? Who knows? Woeful thinks they may end up trading the pick.