Chad Ford really hit the nail on the head this week in his analysis of USC Freshman guard OJ Mayo.

From Ford’s Draft Watch

Mayo was ranked No. 1 on our Big Board in July. Some of that had to do with hype, but most of it had to do with Mayo’s game. He already had the body and athleticism of an NBA player. He was an excellent scorer and scouts said they thought he would be a full-time point guard in the pros.

Mayo still has proven he has the ability to score at USC. But the point guard thing hasn’t materialized. He’s looked fairly one-dimensional this season — his assist and rebound totals are underwhelming. Some of that isn’t Mayo’s fault as he’s asked to play off the ball and carry the team on offense. But for scouts looking for something more than a shoot-first 2 guard, they’ve been disappointed. Some are calling him the next Jerry Stackhouse — a guy who never met a shot he didn’t like or a defensive set he did like.

Scouts are being too critical in my mind. The backlash against Mayo has been too severe given his numbers. As a freshman, he’s averaging more than 20 ppg in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball and shooting a respectable percentage from the field. His assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t pretty … but he’s been asked to do a lot.

The fact that he played Rose to a draw and outplayed Arizona’s Bayless stands out. But the truth is that if scouts are skeptical, then he’s got to prove himself during workouts.

Right now he’s ranked No. 9 on our draft board. But I think teams like the Knicks and Clippers will take a long look at him earlier in the draft.