Viewing NBA TV a thought crossed my mine as co-host Dennis Scott detailed his visit to NBA rookie orientation. Have you ever considered the fact there are 60 or so players drafted every year? Generally 1^st round choices make a team’s final roster cut, it’s more difficult for 2^nd round picks and free agents to earn an NBA roster position. The number is sometimes fluid however the roster of most NBA teams contains 14 players.  See where I’m going with this math problem?  Let’s assume Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers both gain roster spots with the Hornets, the 13^th and 14^th player on last seasons roster might be history. The 13^th and 14^th players are left scrambling for a job; they have 
options available however none guaranteed.  

They might attempt to latch on with a Euro or Asian team. They can also chose to hook up with an NBA D-League or one of the other minor leagues in existence. This scenario repeats every year at the end of training camps throughout the NBA. Basketball is a pyramid; at the bottom of the pyramid are the thousands of high school and AAU players of the world. In the middle portion are collegiate players; near the top are professional players in leagues spread about the world. At the pinnacle of the pyramid are NBA players, the journeyman and the super star player included all have managed the climb to the top and demonstrated talent beyond others. Those who manage to reach the top are deemed the best of the best. Next time you have one of those discussions and someone says to you how “easy” it is to make an NBA roster counter with these points.

I took the opportunity to view the Under Armour Elite 24 3-point shoot out and slam dunk on ESPNU. I was impressed with Conner Frankamp’s 3-point shooting; the most impressive part for me was it took place on an outdoor court. If you’ve played on any outdoor court you must adjust your shot based on wind conditions. Although it wasn’t extremely windy Frankamp was clearly the best participant in the contest. For those who might not be familiar with the prospect he’s a 6-0 155 pound guard from Wichita (KS).

ESPN’s Top 100 Class of 2013 prospects they list him number 36. This has been a basketball filled summer for Frankamp. On July 7 he verbally committed to Kansas, he then went out the next day and won a gold medal. “Wichita North senior guard and Kansas recruit Conner Frankamp scored 22 points to lead the United States to a 95-62 win over Australia in the gold medal game of the FIBA U17 World Championships on Sunday at Kaunas, Lithuania.” There is no question, he can shoot---can he tailor his game to that of a point guard once he arrives on the campus at the University of Kansas? (varsitykansas.com)

I’ve written a number of stories regarding high school and in some instances collegiate prospects; of course any prospect comes with a disclaimer especially those out of high school. I think he exhibits highly developed game skills and should he continue to improve should become a talent. Okay let’s discuss Karl Towns Jr. Towns Jr. is a Class of 2015 prospect from Metuchen New Jersey; he stands 6-11 and weighs 235 pounds. A number of athletes his height and taller their movement on the court and around the basket is sometimes mechanical. I certainly would not make that statement regarding Towns Jr. he is one smooth operator, in addition he has developed range on his jump shot. He’s received offers from seven schools but made no commitment yet. I don’t attempt to compare players but in this instance I’ll go out on a limb, Towns Jr. game appears to be tailored close to Kevin Durant or Dirk Nowitzki.