Orange County Register

Draft pronosticators, NBA general managers and NBA coaches have come to a consensus: the 2008 NBA draft is deep in talent.

So, who will emerge as the toughest rookie to guard in the 2008-2009 season - O.J. Mayo? Derrick Rose? Michael Beasley?

Or maybe a sleeper, like Brandon Rush?

Last year’s draft supposidly had an impressive array of talented entries too, but only six rookies finished the 2007-2008 season with double-figure point scoring averages.

Seattle’s Kevin Durant, the second-overall pick in last year’s draft and the reigning NBA rookie of the year, ended the season with a 20.3 points per game average.

Of course, the first-overall pick in last year’s draft, Portland’s Greg Oden, missed the entire season while recovering from micro-fracture surgery on his knee.

After Durant, there was a huge drop. Clippers’ rookie Al Thornton finished second among rookie scorers at 12.7 points. Thornton was the 14th overall pick.

Behind Thornton was Juan Carlos Navarro of Memphis (10.9), who already had played five seasons in Spain when he was selected in the second round of the 2002 draft by the Washington Wizards. Navarro subsequently played five more years in Spain, then had his draft rights traded to the Grizzlies last summer.

Seattle’s Jeff Green (10.5), who was the fifth-overall pick by the Boston Celtics, gave the SuperSonics the NBA’s top rookie scoring duo. Green came to Seattle in last year’s draft-night trade that sent Ray Allen to the Celtics.

Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola (10.3), another seasoned international player posing as a rookie, was fifth among rookie scorers this past season. Scola played one year in Argentina and eight years in Spain.

The San Antonio Spurs, who arguably have the NBA’s best international scouting network (Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, former Spur Beno Udrih), originally drafted Scola in the second round in 2002. The Rockets acquired the rights to Scola in a trade last summer.

The only other rookie to average double figures in points was Atlanta’s Al Horford (10.1), who was the third-overall pick in last year’s draft.

Name three players from the 2008 NBA draft class that will average double figures in scoring as a rookie in 2008-2009.

Which rookie will be the top threat to score 20 or more points against the Lakers?

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