Lance Stephenson played well for the Indiana Pacers in the Orlando Summer League.

Occasionally, NBA general managers and professional scouts get it wrong and allow a first-round talent to slip into the second round. Monta Ellis, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer, Dennis Rodman, Michael Redd and Gilbert Arenas were all taken in the second round the year they were drafted into the Association and they’ve all had decent pro careers.

OneManFastBreak.net Publisher and Editor Joel Huerto examines the five best second-round picks from the 2010 NBA Draft:

– Derrick Caracter, forward (6-8, 260), L.A. Lakers (58th pick): Caracter has been more impressive than Devin Ebanks, who was taken 15 spots before him. Caracter averaged 15.4 points on 59.2% shooting and 8.6 rebounds in five summer league games. The Lakers have been impressed with the way the forward from UTEP has handled himself in ballgames and during practices. When matched up against DeMarcus Cousins (No. 5 overall pick, Kings), Caracter held his own and played hard every minute he was on the court. Caracter is very smart and doesn’t mind physical contact. He’s comfortable scoring around the basket and has a nice short jump hook to go with his face-up game. The Lakers run a very complex triangle offense, so you have to possess a high basketball IQ to wear the purple and gold. Caracter fits that mold and it would be a stunner if he’s not on their opening day roster. (Caracter video courtesy of NBA.com)

– Hassan Whiteside, center (6-11, 225), Sacramento Kings (33rd pick): All the pre-draft reports said that Whiteside was a project and needed to get physically stronger if he’s going to make an impact in the NBA. But, while playing on the Kings’ summer league team in Las Vegas – a team that boasted Omri Casspi and DeMarcus Cousins – Whiteside was able to hold his own and wasn’t overmatched against bigger and stronger competition. Sure, he needs to add a few more pounds to his frame, but you could see why Kings general manager Geoff Petrie liked him so much on draft night. He’s long and he could potentially be an excellent shot-blocker.

– Lance Stephenson, guard (6-5, 200), Indiana Pacers (40th pick): Played point guard for the Pacers in the Orlando Summer League and displayed very good ball-handling skills and a nice burst to the basket. At times he still dribbled too much and stalled the offense, but when he kept the ball moving he was able to find open teammates for easy baskets. Stephenson was a highly regarded prospect coming out of Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., the same school that produced Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair. But his stock went down after a subpar season at the University of Cincinnati. Some scouts went as far as saying he may have peaked in high school. Stephenson redeemed himself with strong workouts at the pre-draft combine, and he could inject some much-needed attitude and flair to an otherwise very bland Pacers franchise.

– Gani Lawal, forward (6-9, 229), Phoenix Suns (46th pick): Georgia Tech Derrick Favors garnered much of the attention leading up to the draft and on draft night, but Lawal is the one who has adjusted to the NBA pace better than Favors. Lawal brings a physical presence for a Suns team that just lost All-Star forward/center Amare Stoudemire to the New York Knicks. Although Lawal will never be a 20-point scorer in the NBA, he can add a lot of toughness to an otherwise soft frontcourt in Phoenix.

– Luke Harangody, forward (6-7, 240), Boston Celtics (52nd pick): Showed a very dependable 3-point shot during the Orlando Summer League. He’s a shorter version of Brian Scalabrine, but a much better rebounder. Harangody is kind of a tweener, too slow to play small forward and too short to be a full-time power forward. But what he lacks in size and quickness, Harangody makes up for it with his hustle and skill. At 240 pounds, Harangody adds plenty of beef to an already beefy frontcourt in Boston with Kendrick Perkins and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

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DeMarcus Cousins of Mobile, Ala., lists Memphis as his top college choice.

The 2009 McDonald’s All-American boys basketball were recently named and of the 24 names in the West and East rosters, two stood out because of what it said under the last column – undecided.

Lance Stephenson of Lincoln High School from Brooklyn, N.Y., and DeMarcus Cousins of LeFlore High School from Mobile, Ala., have yet to sign with a college team next season, and all three have a boat-load of teams they are considering.

Cousins, a 6-11 versatile center who could potentially turn out to be the best player of this year’s high school class, has mentioned Memphis, Kentucky, Kansas State and Washington as his top three, but Memphis is the front-runner. Stephenson has about six or seven schools aching to land the best prep prospect to come out of New York City since Sebastian Telfair.

The complete rosters for the McDonald’s All-American Game in Miami:

EAST TEAM

13 Kenny Boynton, Jr. G 6-3 190 American Heritage School, FL (Pompano Beach, FL) Florida

32 Dominic Cheek G 6-6 185 St. Anthony High School, NJ (Jersey City, NJ) Villanova

15 DeMarcus Cousins C 6-11 265 LeFlore Magnet High School, AL (Mobile, AL) Undecided

34 Derrick Favors F 6-9 235 South Atlanta High School, GA (Atlanta, GA) Georgia Tech

24 Milton Jennings F 6-9 215 Pinewood Preparatory School, SC (Cottageville, SC) Clemson

4 Ryan Kelly F 6-10 217 Ravenscroft School, NC (Raleigh, NC) Duke

33 Alex Oriakhi C 6-9 240 Tilton School, NH (Lowell, MA) Connecticut

30 Peyton Siva G 6-0 175 Franklin High School, WA (Seattle, WA) Louisville

1 Lance Stephenson F 6-6 220 Abraham Lincoln High School, NY (Brooklyn, NY) Undecided

7 Dexter Strickland G 6-3 180 St. Patrick High School, NJ (Rahway, NJ) North Carolina

11 Dante Taylor F 6-9 230 National Christian Academy, MD (West Chester, NY) Pittsburgh

2 Maalik Wayns G 6-1 185 Roman Catholic High School, PA (Philadelphia, PA) Villanova

WEST TEAM

1 Avery Bradley, Jr. G 6-3 180 Findlay College Prep, NV (Puyallup, WA) Texas

3 Abdul Gaddy, Jr. G 6-3 183 Bellarmine Preparatory School, WA (Tacoma, WA) Washington

31 Keith Gallon C 6-9 293 Oak Hill Academy, VA (Huffman, TX) Oklahoma

13 Xavier Henry G 6-6 225 Putnam City High School, OK (Oklahoma City, OK) Memphis

22 John Henson F 6-10 200 Sickles High School, FL (Odessa, FL) North Carolina

33 Wally Judge F 6-9 230 Arlington Country Day School, FL (Landover, MD) Kansas State

5 Tommy Mason-Griffin G 5-11 192 James Madison High School, TX (Houston, TX) Oklahoma

32 Mason Plumlee F 6-11 220 Christ School, NC (Winona Lake, IN) Duke

1 Renardo Sidney, Jr. C 6-10 250 Fairfax High School, CA (Los Angeles, CA) USC

21 Michael Snaer G 6-5 200 Rancho Verde High School, CA (Moreno Valley, CA) Florida State

12 David Wear F 6-10 225 Mater Dei High School, CA (Huntington Beach, CA) North Carolina

24 Travis Wear F 6-10 230 Mater Dei High School, CA (Huntington Beach, CA) North Carolina

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Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn (N.Y.) has seen its share of success stories. The school’s alumni directory reads like a book of famous people.
Marv Albert, John Forsythe, Louis Gossett Jr., Harvey Keitel, Neil Diamond and Neil Sedaka all attended Lincoln. Arthur Miller, who authored “Death of a Salesman,” was a member of the Lincoln Class of 1932. The 1955 pop-classic song, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” was the creation of youngsters from nearby Coney Island who called themselves The Tokens.
Director Spike Lee did not attend Lincoln, but he used the school as the home of fictional basketball superstar Jesus Shuttlesworth (played by NBA star Ray Allen) in the 1998 movie, “He Got Game.”
Lee may have to revisit that storyline in 2009 and give Lance Stephenson the starring role. Stephenson, 18, is one of the most sought-after high school basketball recruits in the nation, and there is nothing about his game that is ficticious. He’s hoping to follow the path taken by Lincoln alums Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, who both parlayed their NYC high school hoops legends into a career in the NBA.
Depending on which internet publication you are reading, Stephenson is somewhere between No. 1 to No. 9. Rivals.com has given him a five-star rating. Then again, Maalik Wayns of Roman Catholic H.S. (Pa.) is ranked No. 25 on the Rivals list and he also has a five-star rating. I’m guessing Rivals gave 25 players five stars to avoid any favoritism.
During a nationally televised game Thursday night, Stephenson scored 32 points in a loss to Duncanville H.S. (Texas), which boasts three studs of its own in Shawn Williams, Roger Franklin and Julian Washburn. Williams has committed to Texas while Franklin is headed to Oklahoma State. Washburn is the son of former NBA player Chris Washburn.
Even though his team lost, Stephenson was easily the best player on the court. Kansas Coach Bill Self and Oklahoma State’s Travis Ford were both in attendance, but Ford was only there to support his guy, Franklin.
Self is one of nine coaches hoping to land the 6-5, 200-pound Stephenson, who is undecided. Other schools in the running are UCLA, USC, St. John’s, Memphis, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Indiana. The Hoosiers are longshots in the Stephenson Sweepstakes, but rumor has it newly minted Bloomington boss Tom Crean just bought the unlimited texting plan so don’t count him out.

Brooklyn's Lance Stephenson is hoping to follow Lincoln High alums Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair to the NBA.

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