5. Austin Rivers: The next Kobe Bryant, or the next Jerryd Bayless?
I don't think there's a more polarizing player in the draft than Rivers. Fans and scouts tend to either love him or hate him. I know several teams have him ranked in the top 10 on their Big Boards. I know several others that have him in the second round. How's that for a draft range?
Rivers does model his offensive game after Bryant -- for better and for worse. He's a super-aggressive scorer. He's got a killer crossover, has mastered the fade away J and wants the ball in his hands at the end of close games. He loves himself some hero ball.
Again, for good and for bad, Rivers also has modeled his off-the-court behaviors to emulate Bryant. He works hard. He's tough. He's super confident. However, he's also got a wrap as a selfish player who bristles at teammates and doesn't know how to share.
Factor in Rivers' pedestrian shooting numbers, poor free-throw shooting and poor assist-to-turnover ratio, and suddenly he looks very un-Kobe-like.
But the real concern for Rivers is that he physically doesn't hold a candle to Bryant. He's not as big, not as long and not as explosive as Bryant was. Take away Bryant's size, length and explosiveness and Kobe isn't Kobe. That's why, in some respects, Rivers looks a lot like Raptors combo guard Bayless.
Whichever team takes Rivers will be taking a risk. It is one that could pay off big time, or one that could blow up in a team's face.
