1.
Bucks - Andrew Bogut, Center, Utah. The Bucks have to take
Bogut. He's a piece that everybody wants and only a couple of
teams have. He's a 7ft center. Yes, a center. He's big and tall
and dominated college competition. The Bucks deserved the lottery
1 spot with the injury to TJ Ford. Next year TJ will hopefully
get back on the court, and what would be better than a 7 footer
with a low post game to welcome him back? They should be able
to ignore the other teams trying to trade up to pluck Bogut away.
The question is, will they be able to keep their dead eye shooter,
Michael Redd. Top^
2. Hawks - Chris Paul, Point Guard, Wake Forest.
The Hawks will take Paul or Bogut here, so unless a trade is too
good to resist, plan on them standing pat and picking up one of
their top two. I know Tyrone Lue broke out a few times late last
year, but something tells me he's not the answer as team leader.
Paul demands respect when he steps into the locker room. He's
a general on the floor and does all the little things that need
to be done. Marvin Williams might have all the upside in the world,
but the need isn't there for the Hawks. Paul is the right pick
if Bogut is gone. Top^
3.
Trailblazers - Marvin Williams, Small Forward, North Carolina.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Blazers try to package this
pick with a couple contract nukes, since they have plenty to offer,
but the most talented player in the draft should mean more than
salary relief. Williams has potential to flourish, and special
skills on a talent laden championship Carolina team. The Blazers
need players like Marvin. He's got an attitude Mo Cheeks would
love, and a game that would make any coach happy. His year at
Carolina speaks volumes of this young kid. Not only can he play
at the highest level, but with his attitude, he can come off the
bench all year and not say a word about it. Great player. Great
kid. Top^
4.
Hornets - Deron Williams, Point Guard, Illinois. Deron
lead the most exciting, most successful team for 99% of the year.
He's as tough as they come, has great polish and poise. He was
the best player on a team that was ranked #1 all year. Deron will
come to play every night regardless of his teams record, and that's
something the Hornets need to have on their team. Williams is
true point guard. A true point guard that might get New Orleans
back on the right track. Top^
5.
Bobcats - Raymond Felton, Point Guard, North Carolina.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Bobcats wheeled and dealed to get
up to one of the top two spots, but they shouldn't. Two players
in the top 13 would really help this young team. Plus, everybody
loves Raymond, especially me. The Bobcats aren't happy they fell
down the Lottery Ladder. Sure, the Cats love Paul, but Raymond
isn't a poor man's point guard. Raymond is as quick as they come.
He knows how to run a team at the highest level. He's a gamer
who showed he could take the next step when he became one of the
best shooters on his team. Like the first four guys, he's a class
act. He can run the break, hit the three, drive and dish, and
he can finish. Top^
6.
Jazz - Martynas Andriuskevicius, Center, Lithuania. Mart-Mart
is 7'2" and shows a load of talent on the little bit of film
I've witnessed. The closer we get to the draft the more I'll get
to know Mart-Mart, but all I know now is that he's big, athletic,
and lots of teams are interested. The Jazz take a chance here
because the three top-flight guards are already gone and it's
a golden rule that a big young talented question mark from some
far away country needs to go right about meow. Top^
7.
Raptors - Gerald Green, Strong Forward, High School. Green
looked like the real deal in the McDonalds All American Game.
He shot the lights out, and scored 24 points in 20 minutes against
the best high school ballers in the land. He's not just a high
school superstar either. He's 6'8" with a good-looking shot.
Athleticism? Green took the slam-dunk contest which is often more
competitive than either college or the NBA festivity. Look for
Green to take a little time to mature, but he could turn into
a Larry Hughes type player. If you haven't been paying attention
lately, that means he's going to be real good. Top^
8.
Knicks - Fran Vasquez, Power Forward, Spain. Isiah Thomas
needs to get out or get things under control. He had a good draft
a year ago, picking up Trevor Ariza in the second round. This
year he needs to get a hold of a talented big man with the 8th
pick. There might not be a more talented player than Vasquez.
Jerry West traveled over to Europe to see the youngster play,
enough said. Vasquez has tons of upside, and it looks like all
he lacks is experience and strength. So he needs to play more
high-level ball and eat his ham like Tina. Don't bet Thomas will
do the right thing though, he is known to bugger things up. If
you see his team, you'll notice they don't have a true point guard
or a center. In fact all they have is shooting guards and power
forwards. (Marbury isn't a true point) Vasquez doesn't change
that, but he does allow Thomas to make some changes to his front
line to acquire guys at spots he does need. Top^
9.
Warriors - Charlie Villanueva, Power Forward, Connecticut.
Chris Mullin is hard to read, but I bet he takes one of the talented
unmotivated big men here. He's got his young team excited and
playing well. A young extremely talented guy like Charlie could
have great upside with Mullins tutelage. With the improving Warriors
Villanueva could come off the bench, with guys like Barron Davis
and Jason Richardson demanding he gets after it. Charlie can shoot,
pass, rebound, play defense and score. He should only get better.
Top^
10.
Lakers - Jarret Jack, Point Guard, Georgia Tech. I don't
know where the Lakers are going to start, but a point guard with
no negatives might be a good choice. The Lakers need a center,
Bogut is gone. The top three rated point guards are gone too.
So the Shaq-Curse continues. If they ignore what they need and
choose to go with a forward here, look for Taft or maybe Splitter
to go. I think they get smart and choose a passing, defensive,
clutch, and tough point guard who can step up and put his foot
down when Kobe decides he should be the only one who touches the
ball. Top^
11.
Magic - Danny Granger, Small Forward, New Mexico. There
are many who see no downside in Granger. He's a 6'8" small
forward who played most of the season under the sun in New Mexico.
That's why many think he's going to slip a little. Some scouts
think Granger is a top 5 talent, and why not? He doesn't have
negatives. He can play every position but center. He can really
shoot the ball and rebound a ton. He's got tenacity on defense.
If Orlando gets Granger with this pick, their team really improves
across the board. Top^
12.
Clippers - Tiago Splitter, Power Forward, Brazil. Splitter
could hippity-hop into the earlier part of the lottery with some
good workouts. He could also land right here with the power-forward
hungry Clippers. Splitter might just be too popular to let past.
He's got a good post game and a motor on the offense and defense.
Some scouts love him, to the point where teams might trade up
to get him early. The Clippers need someone to get them over the
hump. Young players like Livingston provides the Clippers a chance
to fight themselves into playoff contention, but losing players
like Bobby Simmons (free agent) might keep them in mediocrity.
Picking up a possible superstar like Splitter could keep them
on track. Top^
13.
Bobcats - Martell Webster, Shooting Guard, High School.
Webster is said to have the sweetest shot of all the high school
prospects. He's tall with a gifted shooting ability. He's projected
to be a good 3. Since the Bobcats aren't about to win any championships,
picking up a good youngster like Webster, who could turn into
a Reggie Miller type, seems to be a good option. Webster is already
stronger with a better body than Miller, and his shot is on track
to compete. I like Webster, and I like the Bobcats getting Webster
and letting him compete for a starting spot from day one. Top^
14.
Timberwolves - Sean May, Power Forward, North Carolina.
May was the centerpiece of an offence littered with offensive
playmakers. He was the go to guy on the best team in basketball.
He was the MVP of the NCAA Tournament. He's slipping this far
because many consider him to be a short center. He's better than
that. He has a jumper and his low post game is solid. He's a rebound
machine, and a perfect fit for a Timberwolves team that needs
to give Garnett help on the glass. Going to May down low would
open up some room for KG and company. May's a good pick that fits
well here. Top^
15.
Nets - Hakim Warrick, Forward, Syracuse. Warrick was solid
all year. His highlight reel is second to none. He led his team,
and did all the little things. He can run, shoot a little, and
finish a lot. He's tougher than his frame would indicate. This
pick would be perfect for the Nets. Warrick running the floor
with Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson would give
him plenty of room to finish plenty of breaks and succeed real
quickly in this league. Hakim is one of the most underrated players
in the draft. Top^
16.
Raptors - Chris Taft, Power Forward, Pittsburgh. Taft is
a mystery to most. One night the kid shows oodles of talent to
scouts everywhere. The next night even I can tell you that he
doesn't belong in the first round. But these draft things have
become an investment for the future more than a fix for the now,
which might send Taft up the board. He's a big kid with good athleticism
who at times can have a flare for the big play. Whoever picks
Taft has to believe they can motivate him for an 82 game season.
Pittsburgh coaches couldn't do it for a 30 game march. Top^
17.
Indiana Pacers - Rudy Fernandez, Shooting Guard, Spain.
The Pacers might be looking for a two guard to replace Reggie.
Fernandez is aggressive offensively and defensively, fitting right
in to the tough and tumble scheme in Indiana. Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!
Actually he's nothing like the other Rudy you've heard of. He's
as athletic as they come. Some scouts say he has an unmatched
aggressiveness that propels him to try amazing things on the floor.
His confidence is sky high, a great thing to possess as a young
international player. Had a great Olympics. Top^
18.
Celtics - Channing Frye, Power Forward, Arizona. I don't
know why I don't like Channing as a player, maybe it's the super
soft toilet paper way he goes about playing the game. He's 6'11"
and only a mere 250lbs. He has never been the rebounder he could
be, or even the rebounder I could be. He's too tall and athletic
to go about getting handled the way does by some big men. Frye
can be awesome, a highlight film draft pick. If you only watch
his highlights and his big games you pick him with the 5th pick
thinking to yourself, 'this kid's gonna be a cornerstone on my
team'. On the other hand if you watch his poor games you pick
him in the second round, saying to yourself, 'hopefully we can
separate this kid from his Barbie dolls and flower blanky and
get him to play like he can'. Ainge is a highlight man. Top^
19.
Grizzlies - Nemanja Alexandrov, Small Forward, Serbia-Montenegro.
I don't know what Jerry West sees in the guy's he picks, but he
might see some big things from Alexandrov. This kid has been called
a sure-fire top 10 pick for the last couple of years, but has
lost a little of that top end value with injuries and a couple
off games in front of important people. He has been called great,
and then again passive; superstar material, and heartless. West
picks good players, though I think he's struggled of late. The
Grizzlies could use a big man with a low post game, Nemanja seems
to have that. Top^
20.
Nuggets - Rashad McCants, Shooting Guard, North Carolina.
Rashad might be the best scorer in the draft. He improved in all
aspects of his game last year. He's as clutch as anyone on that
Carolina team, and I think his future is as bright as any. He
gets the job done. People like to question his attitude because
of some of the things that he said at NC, but he's a steal in
this draft, wherever he gets drafted. The Nugg's need shooting,
McCant's has a beautiful stroke and keeps defenders honest because
he can slash and finish strong. He would be a great fit in CO.
Top^
21.
Suns - Francisco Garcia, Shooting Guard, Louisville. Francisco
had a great season. He showed he can do anything and make the
big shot anywhere. He and Taquan Dean carried their squad to the
final four. Garcia can shoot, pass, and most of all lay it all
on the line. His defense is stout. Garcia will be an instant fix
for bench production in Phoenix. He's also a winner. Top^
22.
Nuggets - Johan Petro, Center, France. I know my knowledge
is limited about this young kid, but I know he's 7 feet tall and
a true center. I know he's real young, and there are too many
important people talking about his potential to get past the first
round. The Nuggets have about 15 power forwards and no center.
Drafting a young kid that could be a tree in the middle would
be a good move now that they filled their need for a solid shooter.
Look for the Nuggs to future-build with this pick. Top^
23.
Kings - Wayne Simien, Power Forward, Kansas. I have no
idea how Simien could possibly drop this far, but I haven't seen
a mock draft that has him in the top 25. He's solid in every area.
He's a good scorer, defender, and teammate. He hasn't had the
healthiest of careers, but he was pretty solid last year. He was
the only reliable source on a Kansas team that faltered down the
stretch. I think people are forgetting the loads of potential
this kid possesses when he's healthy. He could be a great plug
in player for the loss of Chris Webber. Simien is another player
I think is very underrated. Top^
24.
Rockets - Joey Graham, Small Forward, Oklahoma State. Graham
is an athletic gunner whose shooting gets a lot of people talking
a bunch of smack, but it's better than advertised. He can be a
2 or 3, and is said to have the body of a 4. He's got a dunk happy
game, and he loves to slash to the hoop. He has hit better than
40% from three point land the last two years. If he slips to 24
the Rockets could have a good match to go with Tracy. Top^
25. Sonics - Ike Diogu,
Power Forward, Arizona State. Diogu is better than he's being
treated. He's as high energy as they come, and he has skills to
go with that athletic game of his. He may be short for a power
forward, but he's got a great feel for the game, a good shot,
and plays tough defense. He doesn't play 6'7". I think whoever
gets Ike ends up real happy with their selection. The Sonics could
use a guy in the mold of Evans and Fortson with a better all around
game. Top^
26.
Pistons - Antoine Wright, Shooting Guard, Texas A&M.
Wright had a great year, well most of the year. He had some trouble
near the end, but overall his game improved immensely. He went
from a career 36% shooter to a 50% slinger. His 3-point percentage
went from 29 to 44. He's improved so much that many mock drafters
have him slipping into the lottery. He's a 6'7" shooting
guard with all the skills in a draft with only a few ideal prospects.
To say the least, he picked a good year to come out. Top^
27.
Jazz - Marko Thomas, Shooting Guard, Croatia. Thomas is
an international player with an exciting scorer's mentality and
a little bit of a laziness factor on the defensive end of the
court. Sounds familiar. What happens to be a little more exciting
about this guy is he's a big time scorer. He's lighting it up
in the European League he's in right now, scoring just about 20
a game. He's hot and might be moving up way past this spot. The
Jazz would love to get a couple more international players who
upgrade their team like Kirilenko. Getting the best international
scorer in the draft would be a good start for a team that lacks
options on that end of the floor. Top^
28.
Spurs - Ronny Turiaf, Power Forward, Gonzaga. The Spurs
always need people to take heat away from Timmy. Turiaf can help
on both ends of the floor. He's been stuck at the same level for
the last few years, but he's had some really big games. He's an
interesting prospect. He can be all over the place carrying his
team on his back and then he can disappear into the hedges. I
can't figure it out. I know he shows a lot of motor in big games,
and his will to win is great. Set up next to Duncan could be a
nice place for Ronny to make a living. Top^
29.
Heat - Yaroslav Korolev, Small Forward, Russia. Korolev
could be a steal this late in the draft for the Heat. He's 6'9"
and he can play. Many tout him as a sure-fire NBA prospect. He
might be making his way up the draft board in pre-draft camps,
but then again he might not. The Heat could use this 17 year old
kid who will take some time to grow, but could very well find
himself a home learning to play with the future of NBA basketball,
Dwayne Wade. Yaroslav has a picture perfect jumper that is very
effective and can handle the rock well for a 17 year old who stands
6'9". Top^
30.
Knicks - Andrew Bynum, Center, High School. The Knicks
have been dying to get a true center in New York since Ewing left.
Bynum is 7ft and 300lbs. He's a little over-weight, but could
be a great kid to grab with the last pick of the 1st round. Thomas
might be planning on dealing his entire set of first round picks
for shooting guards but this would be a great pick here. A young
kid who is a center. The Knicks need that combination. Bynum is
a little raw offensively, but he's 17. Bynum is why the NBA wants
an age restriction. He's got all the skills and potential to get
drafted by teams willing to wait, but he doesn't have a chance
of starting or playing any role significant enough to justify
going from high school to the league. Top^
If
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