Meeks vs. Curry

For over a year, Davidson's Stephon Curry has been college basketball's best shooter. This is said as a statement of fact, not as someone's opinion. From channel to channel and analyst to analyst, there is no debate.

On the various draft boards, Curry is a lottery lock. Hoops Addict has him at #5 and Draft Express has him at #9.

Where's Jodie Meeks? Neither Draft Express or Hoops Addict has Meeks in its 2009 1st Round, and Meeks is all but ignored when the analysts predict the player of the year candidate and mention Blake Griffin, and throw out other names like Hasheem Thabeet, Tyler Hansborough and Curry. What does Meeks have to do?

I admit, I have not watched Meeks play extensively. In fact, I missed his really good games when he dropped 50+ and burst on the national scene.

However, I do not understand Meeks' absence from a mock draft. Sure, Meeks is a junior. But, so is Curry. Maybe Meeks is unlikely to enter the draft; speculation suggests that Curry may stay for his senior year and pursue Pistol Pete's scoring record.

Meeks is a bigger body who stays in perpetual motion. He had a great shot (8/10 from three against Tennessee) and can get to the rim as well.

This is not an anti-Curry post. I love Curry's game. However, like Monta Ellis, I believe Curry is a shooting guard, not a point guard, and I believe the comparison between two of the best shootrs in the country is fair. I understand that Curry proved it on the big stage in the tournament last year.

However, if they played shirt and skins at the local Y and nobody entered the gym knowing who was who, I wonder how many people (NBA GMs, mock draft gurus) would pick Curry and how many would take Meeks.