DRAFT NIGHT 2006- Final mock as of 6/28/06 is up.No news to report regarding trades, promises, however there will almost certainly be plenty of action leading up to 7:30 PM EST. More to come......

5:17 PM - ESPN is reporting Portland has traded Sebastian Telfair to the Celtics for the #7 pick and Dan Dickau. Bad move for the Celtics IMO.Why not wait until you see who is available at #7?

1. Toronto Andrea Bargnani, PF, Italy - Early Word was Colangelo and Toronto execs (Assistant GM was Bargnanis former coach) are sold on Andrea and will make him the first Euro to go #1 overall. Big man with usual Euro outside skills as well as question marks (toughness,strength). Stock is at a high.Great shooter for a big, will also be able to play down low & rebound once NBA trainers get a hold of him and put him on a program. Right now he wouldnt have a chance. Overall great prospect could be compared to a KG/Dirk. GM's are getting more cautious with drafting outside the U.S so we will have to see how this plays out.

Here is a highlight video of Bargnani:

http://nuno.typepad.com/nbafanblog/2006/03/andrea_bargnani.html

Another clip courtesy of NBA TV:

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/draft/draftprofile_bargnani_a.asx

2. Chicago LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C Texas - Only a sophomore. Most effective outside the paint or in the high post. Seriously thought about turning pro out of high school but smartly decided not to. Ideal size, a top five lock at this point.Had a very stong game against West Virginia in thetourney but then disappeared against LSU. Style reminds me of Mark Blount, not a banger, and this very well could be the bust in the draft considering how high he will be picked. Could be a good fit on some teams like here playing alongside Chandler. Tyrus Thomas or Brandon Roy could easily go here instead.

3. Charlotte Adam Morrison G/F Gonzaga- The premier scorer right now in college. Has a similar game to Larry Bird offensively. Defensively, a big work in progress. His workouts will be huge for him as not every team is going to be sold on him right away. Could slip from this spot or could go #4 (Portland). Will MJ pull the trigger on Morrison? They need the scoring but will Gay be the pick?

4. Portland Rudy Gay G/F UCONN - Dynamic scorer who doesnt push things and plays within his means. Versatile G/F who could florish in on an uptempo team. Could have gone lottery straight out of high school. Can do a little bit of everything well. Can be dominant but is somewhat held back in Calhouns system. Legit player of the year candidate and All American. Stock is slipping after solid but underwhelming NCAA tournament. Will not last much longer than this pick. Measurements were about the same as Tyrus Thomas!

5. Atlanta (For Houston?) Brandoy Roy G, Washington- Fearless leader who is having a phenomenal season up at Washington. Extremely versatile, is a all around threat, including defense.Carried Washington on his back this season. Projects as NBA 2 guard. Paul Pierce type player

6. Minnesota Randy Foye PG, Villanova- Houston trying to move up to #4? The man behind the high powered Villanova offense. Good scorer but also has top notch playmaking ability. Should make a solid pro as more of a combo guard. Stock could really rise with a strong NCAA tournament. Minnesota needs a scorer and may trade up to get it.

7. Boston (For Portland) Tyrus Thomas PF, LSU - Raw freshman talent who plays very strong around the hoop and has shown good rebounding and shot blocking ability.Typical tremendous upside potential pick. Had a spectacular NCAA tournament and I would take him over Aldridge no question. Do not see Foye going here as the C's have DWest in place. Rojon Rondo/Ronnnie Brewer are strong possibilities. Aldridge could slip to this pick and I think Danny Ainge couldnt resist.

8. Houston (For Atlanta?) Shelden Williams F, Duke- Very poor mans Elton Brand.Could be the best defensive player to come out this year. Will it translate to the NBA is the question. The offensive game could use some work as well. May go a lot higher than this based on defense/intangibles.
Harrington may be leaving so help in the frontcourt is needed here.

9. Golden State Marcus Williams PG, UCONN -Checked in a little on the heavy side (earned the nickname the Chubby Thief), with around 12% body fat. Would be a great fit for a team looking for a true point guard if he can stay in shape. Stock has risen since NCAA tournament then has fallen some. Still turns the ball over and plays a little wild at times, not sure I'm sold on him. Pure point would be a great fit on Philly.

10. Seattle Patrick O'Bryant C, Bradley- Strong workouts may put him here. Raw seven footer who is about as inconsistent as they come but will be drafted high based on strong NCAA tournament and pro potential . This is a high risk/high reward pick. Brewer is a possibility here. Trade rumors are all around this pick.

11. Orlando J.J. Redick, SG, Duke - Rumors of a promise from Orlando to Reddick before the DUI.Great shooter/scorer in a similar mold as Reggie Miller. Undersized for an NBA 2 guard. Not much upside at this point but one of the top 3 best players in college basketball. Has carried Duke on his back to big wins thoughout his college career. Best case scenario would be Ben Gordon type role. DUI may hurt his stock.


12. New Orleans Ronnie Brewer G Arkansas- Good defender very lanky, needs to hit the weight room. Smart on court IQ. Height (6-7) allows versatility, plays PG and SG. May have the ugliest shot in the NCAA but it is somewhat effective, needs to improve.Up and down on many teams draft boards N.O needs help at the SG position and potentially the backup PG spot as Speedy Claxton is a free agent, and this kid can play D as well.

13. Philadelphia Rodney Carney G Memphis- Absolute athletic phenom. Plays very solid defense, offensively dynamic a la Ricky Davis. Adding some bulk is a primary focus for him as well as showing he can consistently play within the teams system. Low Basketball IQ may hurt his stock as well as measuring less than expected.

14. Utah Cedric Simmons C, NC State- Is declaring but needs another year at State to get him into next years lottery.Lot of raw talent, hard to pass up a seven footer especially this late. Is staying in the draft.Could go higher. Good shotblocker. NBA Green Room invitee.

15. New Orleans Alexander Johnson, PF, Florida St.- Steadily improving athletic ACC banger has risen up many teams draft boards and is on the fringe of the lottery at this point. Not a dominant player at this point but can be very effective on the low block and can make effective limited use of a high post game as well. Lot of potential here, and as his workouts have proved he shows a strong willingness to improve as well.

16. Chicago Rojon Rondo G Kentucky- Versatile, athletic combo guard with a ton of upside. Can potentially play three positions (PG,SG,SF). Showing inprovement in shooting the 3 ball. Pencil thin frame could be an issue in the NBA. Only a sophomore but very strong chance he comes out as he has been under-utilized in Tubby smiths system. Workouts have been positive so far. Some consider him the top point guard in the draft. Was not an official NBA Green Room invitee.

17.Indiana Mardy Collins G Temple- Comes from defensive oriented program at Temple which limits his offensive numbers. Well rounded game will fit well in any teams system. Needs work on free throws. Good size for a PG. Could be the top PG in this draft, however, others will go higher based on upside potential.Good workouts against other big name PG's should bring him somwhere around this pick or higher . Good fit here as Tinsley is on the outs. Indiana is also hign on Hilton Armstrong not to mention Adam Morrison.

18. Washington Shawne Williams F Memphis- High flyer who will thrive in an uptempo system, should have stayed another season to boost his stock. Could do worse than than than #18 pick as if he stayed another season he could go lottery.

19. Sacramento Jordan Farmar PG UCLA- Probably should have went back to UCLA for one more year but being a potential lottery pick its hard to blame him for coming out. Farmar has true PG skills, improving outside game, and is a great floor general. I like his upside more than Marcus Williams at this point. Farmar also had a very impressive showing in the Orlando Pre-Draft camp. PG should be the pick as Bibby is getting older and could use some help next season. Great athlete.

20. New York Quincy Douby G Rutgers- Excellent offensive player who played on a below grade team in the tough Big East. Can score with just about any move you can think of and has very good range as well. Reminds me of Cuttino Mobley and should have a similar type of role as well. He could entice a team to take him late lottery, we'll see.

21. Phoenix Sergio Rodriguez PG, Spain - "Spanish Chocolate" , Flashy Point guard who can push the ball in this system and may be Barbosa insurance when and if he leaves. If Rodriguez is here at this pick (Kings?) theyd have to take him as Phoenix could use help when Nash is on the bench and what better to learn the game from than Nash.

22.New Jersey Hilton Armstrong, PF/C, Connecticut - Strong inside force with a who plays intelligently with the ball. Takes good shots and has a nice touch from the free throw line. Very good shotblocker. Strong workouts could put him a few spots higher.

23. New Jersey Kyle Lowry G, Villanova - Needs another year in the NCAA but is officially in for good. Outside shot needs work, if improved could be a higher pick next year. Also a bit undersized. With two picks NJ can gamble a bit here. Lowry reminds me of a Will Bynum type.

24. Memphis Oleksiy Pecherov, PF Ukraine - Another Chad Ford special here. This one actually only makes sense for Memphis if there are no PG's worth taking here. A Gasol/Pecherov inside/outside combo could be a tough matchup as they both stand 6'11.

25. Cleveland- Sene Saer C, Verviers-Pepinster - Huge wild card entry here. Scouts are entirely all over the board and considering how raw Sene is you can't be surprised. What we do now is he is strong and athletic and is a legit 7 footer.Reminds me of Samuel Dalembert. Now the issue is whether he can develop an offensive game or will he be a Dasagna Diop/Dalembert type?

heres a clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Ho_dsWHvk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebasketballboards%2Enet%2Fforum%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D278673

26. L.A Lakers- Shannon Brown G, Michigan St. -Solid experienced player, could sneak into the first round. Has an all around game, can slash or step back to hit the 3 ball. Will stick in the league regardless of where he is drafted. May have got a first round promise from a late second round team like LA where he would be a good fit. Mardy Collins or Sergio Rodriguez is a possibility after Smush Parkers collapse in the post season.

27.Phoenix Thabo Sefolosha SG ,Switzerland- Plays in a tough league, may be a good fit for a late first round team who can wait on his development here or overseas. Overall good prospect as his size allows him to play SG/SF and can handle the PG position is small doses. Although defensively solid in Europe, lack of strength may hurt him in the NBA against more physical players. Low yearly buyout option ($500,000) makes him an attractive international prospect.

28. Dallas Josh Boone PF/C Uconn- Smart, scrappy, but unemotional player. Does not make many mistakes on the court but can disappear at times. Not a scorer by any means but shoots very high percentages from the field when he wants to but cant shoot from the line well. Workouts haven't been too hot.Dallas may go international and stash a player for a year or two overseas.

29. New York Guillermo Diaz PG, Miami - Having strong workouts should keep him in the first round. Good scoring PG and one of the best overall athletes in the entire draft. Probably should have stayed at Miami one more season.

30. Portland Marcus Vinicius Vieira de Souza F, Brazil- Lanky forward who can fill it up offensively. From what I have seen plays like a lamar odom although Marcus isn't the rebounder odom is but Marcus is a better shooter. Will need time to develop not sure he gets that here but Portland needs to draft the best available talent.

Here is a clip courtesy of NBATV:

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/draft/draftprofile_vinicius_m.asx

On the bubble

Dee Brown G Illinois - Lighting quick guard, although undersized, could be a great backup guard for a team that plays a style like Phoenix.

Louis Amundson PF, UNLV - This seasons workout wonder. Seemed to be forgotten on the scouts radar screens but Amundson is a high energy guy who can bang. High Basketball IQ is a plus.

Paul Davis C Michigan State - Quality big man who will never become a star but could be a servicable center in a league starving for big men. Solid career at Michigan State, has played in many big games against top competition. Gives good effort every time out. Not a shock to see him go in the first round.

Hassan Adams G, Arizona -Had a good season finally after everyone projected him to have it last year. Shooting career highs, playing all around good defense as well. A strong tournament appearance could really boost his stock. Getting suspended from the PAC 10 Tournament wasnt the best career move but still could be late first round material.

Paul Millsap PF, Louisiana Tech _ Maybe the best rebounder in NCAA right now. Not much exposure but should rise in workouts/camps. Watch out for this kid, I highly suggest watching clips of some of his games.Huge sleeper.Workouts have been subpar so far he could slip.

Bobby Brown G, Cal St.- Fullerton- late in the draft is when teams tend to gamble a little, here is a somewhat unknown player up until now for fans but not for scouts. He has been widely considered the top NBA prospect in the conference since he was a freshman.

Steve Novak F, Marquette- For a big, one of the best outside shooters in the NCAA. Could have a solid NBA career as a zone buster. If he was a Euro, he may have been a top five pick by now.

Kevin Pittsnogle F, West Virginia- Playing exceptionally well this season should make a big push for the first round. Still a step slow though. Reminds me of the Boston Celtics version of Raef Lafrentz. Could see him going to the Mavericks at #28.


6/27/06 Big changes due to Atlanta/Houston Swap. Also, Celtics are rumored to be trading down if Tyrus Thomas slips, which I think he will. I think Rondo is the C's first choice and backups being Ronnie Brewer, or if neither are there it will be Cedric Simmons.

6/25/06- Could Adridge slip to #7? I don't believe he does but if Chicago takes Tyrus Thomas it could happen. The Shelden Williams situation is an interesting one as well. He could go #5 or slip past the 10th pick and throw everyone off.

6/24/06 -Rumors of a Seattle/Phoenix Trade- Rashard Lewis and pick #10 for Shawn Marion and pick #27? Some filler would have to thrown in as well.

This may be the most unpredictable draft I've ever seen but there seems to be at least a couple of promises to players in the top five at this point.(Roy, Bargnani, S.Williams)? Whatever they are I'd expect to find out over the weekend more details.

6/22/06- Larry Brown has been fired from the Knicks, ya I know not a big shocker there. Isiah will coach next season, so the misery will indeed continue for all you Knicks fans.

6/21/06 -added links to Marcus Vinicius, Saer Sene and Andrea Bargnani clips.

Report: Raptors will send Alvin Williams and the #1 overall pick to Charlotte for Brevin Knight and the # 3 pick. See link below, not a done deal just a rumor but I think it makes sense for both teams and could get done. More to come......

http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/
2006/06/21/1644767-sun.html



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