NBA star of tomorrow

The new NBA season has just started, but many teams are still not satisfied with their rosters, and are planning for the medium- to long-term. Considering the propensity for picking undergraduates or high school players, there are a few whom you may see in the next NBA draft.

Everyone is looking for size, hopefully, a seven-footer who can move around the basket and make the big play. It’s so hard to find them, scouts wished they came in pairs, so you could always carry a spare.

Well, their wish has come true.

Meet Brook and Robin Lopez, twin seven-footers out of Fresno, California.

Brook is ranked 39th in the 2006 class. His brother, Robin, also seven feet tall, is 69th on the rivals.com list released Wednesday. Brook wears a military buzz cut, while Robin has the typical California-style curly, dirty-blonde hairstyle. Both gained attention playing for the Elite Basketball Organization (EBO), a group that recruits promising high school players and takes them all over the United States to compete. The EBO/EA Sports team, coached by Darren Matsubara and led by the twins, topped two major national tournaments last July. Brook has been scouted as a strong rebounder and solid defender, though his offensive game needs a little work, and his range is still limited.

The 18-year old brothers have committed to attend Stanford next year, and will be the second set of twins in the past decade to play for the Cardinals. Jarron and Jason Collins starred for Stanford from 1997 to 2001 before being drafted into the NBA. The Lopez brothers, playing on different teams, stood out in the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival last July.

The Lopezes (who are, unfortunately not Fil-Ams) also have a lot of athleticism in their family. Their eldest brother, Alexander, also played basketball at Washington and Santa Clara, while their mother, Deborah Ledford, was a world-ranked swimmer who won a silver medal in the 1967 World University Games in the 200 individual medley.

Another pair of brothers, this one with a historic last name, may also be prematurely pulled into the NBA, if scouts would have their way.

The University of California brags of having the progeny of UCLA and Los Angeles Lakers forward Jamaal Wilkes in their line-up. The 6-6 "Silk" started his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors who won the 1975 NBA title by sweeping the Washington Bullets. Wilkes was a smooth shooter for the Showtime-era Lakers championship squad of the 1980’s with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, winning three titles in the decade.

His older son Omar (who looks very much like his father), is a 6-4 guard who is jumping to the University of California from Kansas University to be closer to home. Omar was ranked 56th in the US among all graduating high school players in 2003.

More intriguing, though, is the prospect of seeing his 19-year old son, Jordan, in an NBA uniform. The freshman is 6-11 with a soft jumper, and, though he’s been listed as a power forward/center, prefers to play small forward. This writer saw the reed-thin (205-pound) Wilkes as a high school senior in last year’s adidas Superstar Camp in Suwanee, Georgia, last year, and scouts were impressed with his change of position. Wilkes almost picked Stanford, where he would have been part of a huge frontline in 2006, what with the Lopezes coming aboard next year.

"Jordan is the most skilled freshman big man we have had in terms of passing and shooting, and as a ball-handler," Cal head coach Ben Braun says.

But NBA scouts may have a hard time convincing Jamaal to let either of his sons skip their remaining college years to turn pro.

On the other side of the globe, people are starting to talk about 18-year old Steve Weigh. The 6-6 forward, considered the best high school player out of Australia, surprised MBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Detlef Schrempf, and even NBA Slam Dunk champions Josh Smith and Desmond Mason at a camp in Shanghai five months ago. Weigh topped the all-star game at the adidas Superstar Camp in Shanghai with 21 points on 9 of 15 shooting (including 3 of 4 from three-point range). He was also runner-up in the slam dunk contest.

Weigh then cemented his big-game reputation suiting up for the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) team that saw action in the Jones Cup. His three-pointer against the Philippines put the game away. In another game, he scored 32 points. Reports state that Weigh might end up in Utah, following in the footsteps on his countryman, NBA top draft pick Andrew Bogut.

Don’t be surprised if you see any of these players stepping up onstage at next year’s NBA Draft. By then, they’ll definitely be ready.

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This writer would also like to thank Burnham Hotel for their hospitality over the long holidays, and for the quaint, cozy, homey feel of what Baguio was really like. You may contact Burnham Hotel through 074-4422331 or fax 074-4428415.