Daniel Orton, Kentucky-- 2010 NBA Draft Profile
Position: Power Forward | Height: 6-10 | Weight: 260
Class: Freshman | Age: 19 | Hometown: Oklahoma City
2009 Stats: 3.4 points | 3.3 rebounds | 1.4 blocks | Game Log
NBA Mock Draft Ranking: 21
Daniel Orton on Twitter: @danielorton33 | Daniel Orton Video Highlights: YouTube
Daniel Orton Scouting Report
Strengths: DeMarcus Cousins may have been the most hyped big man in the nation, but Daniel Orton may just be the biggest. A bruising 6-10, 260 lbs, Orton has the size and power GMs covet in the draft. And for such a young kid, he has a very soft touch and maybe even a better set of hands than Cousins, or Patrick Patterson for that matter. Orton catches everything: passes, rebounds, 50-50 balls -- if he gets his hands on it, he's not letting go. Blessed with unworldly length, he has massive upside as a dominating shot-blocker and fierce rebounder. Orton has a brawny body and is physically ready to play against NBA centers and power forwards right now. And while he was rarely relied upon to score in the balanced Kentucky attack, he did show off decent range on his shot, sometimes out to 16 feet. He loves physical play and spends a grave amount of time around the rim waiting for put-backs. Already potent on the offensive glass, Orton has the potential -- not unlike Cousins -- to be a major rebounding force in this league.
Weaknesses: He is still raw and because he played only 13 minutes a game last season, we still don't really know exactly what type of player he is. In other words, how does he play when he's tired? Does he tire easily? How does he respond to foul trouble and adversity? Forget the fact he only averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds; is he truly a guy you can rely on for the next decade to anchor the post? All of these are legitimate question marks surrounding Orton moving forward, and he is still light-years away from being able to earn steady minutes for an NBA team. Given the fact that there were issues internally with his father during the commitment process to UK and thus far during the draft process, his maturity -- or lack thereof -- is certainly a question mark as well. In addition, he is a woefully poor free throw shooter (52.4 percent) and, similar to Donatas Motiejunas, he has no concept of how to defend the pick-and-roll, a staple in every NBA offense. Forecast: The litany of concerns aside, Orton's potential will simply prove too "big" to pass up in the mid-teens or maybe even the lottery. He is a project, yes, but a potentially massively rewarding one at that. There is a cosmic assortment of young 4s and 5s coming up in the game today, so adding a piece like Orton to your arsenal makes a lot of sense. He's probably limited to only playing center and not both frontcourt slots because he's not particularly mobile, but he's only 19, and in two or three years he could transform into a smaller Kendrick Perkins. Perkins himself was a guy who entered the league in comparable fashion, a raw but talented bruiser. If all goes well, Orton can develop into a bullying enforcer down low and durable big man capable of controlling the paint. He won't be an All-Star, but he will be a really solid starter and defensive stalwart in the post; in essence, what every team needs to win.
Daniel Orton Articles:
5/8: Kentucky's Orton, Bledsoe Staying in Draft
3/25: NCAA Eye for the NBA Guy: Sweet 16, East Region
More Scouting Reports: DraftExpress | NBADraft.net
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