2008 NBA Mock Draft - Lottery Picks
Could be another strong draft depending mainly on how the incoming freshman class develops. Ranked in order of potential draft position. Here's my take :
1. Michael Beasley F Kansas St. - As you probably saw in the McDonalds game he is a great athlete with good size, and one of the most versatile players in the draft. Should step in immediately and make a difference for Kansas St. Can play inside and out, tends to play outside a little too much. Looks forced at times.
2. Derrick Rose PG Memphis - Should be one of the top PG's in the NCAA next season. Truly a do it all type of PG. Can shoot although improvements needed, attack the hoop, and create for teammates. Has good size as well. Going to do a lot of damage in Conference USA next season.
3. Darrell Arthur F Kansas - Will be the man next year for the Jayhawks. If his midrange/outside game improves and he shows the ability to play the 3 then he could go this high in the draft. Still needs to bulk up but I'm predicting a drastic rise in his stock over the season.
4. Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Pulled out of the 2007 draft, would have gone top ten no question. Still has a ways to go and decided he would be a much more NBA ready prospect after another season as a Hoya. I don't think he has a ton of upside but his size and abilities on both sides of the ball are NBA material. Good basketball IQ and passing skills are also bonuses for a big man.
5. OJ Mayo G USC - Should be one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA in his one season at USC. Has a scorers mentality almost to a fault. Has been known to play out of control and has developed some bad habits. There are also minor character concerns with him as well. On talent alone he may be one of the top three players in the draft but i can see him falling in the 5-10 range.
6. Chase Budinger F Arizona - Tremendous all around player should a little bit of everything in his first season at Arizona. Top athlete with great size although thin frame. Solid shooter from the outside keeps improving. Scouts will be looking to see if he is the type of player to take over games. He has the talent but can he do it?
7. Kevin Love F UCLA - Tough smart PF who should be a premier player in the PAC-10 next season. UCLA is already a loaded team Love solidify s the frontcourt and makes them a strong favorite going into the season. Love is a very unselfish player think of Luke Walton but with much more talent offensively. Could go top 3 depending on the type of season he has against top NCAA talent.
8. DeAndre Jordan C Texas A&M - Going to a situation where he gets major minutes right away. He can hold his own defensively against anyone but his offensive game is still developing. Good rebounder, shot blocker, will add strength as season progresses.
9. Hasheem Thabeet C UConn - NBA teams love upside and Thabeet has a ton of it. The best shot blocker in the country, may be the best defensive player overall in the country. Has great size/length, coming back to UConn was a very smart decision as his offensive game is brutal. If he can make the same type of offensize progress Sean Williams had at BC then he goes this high.
10. Tywon Lawson PG UNC - Should be the second PG chosen after Rose. Made a good decision staying another year at UNC. Mainly needs to work on his shooting, the PG skills are already there. His size may hurt him at the next level.
11. Eric Gordon SG Indiana - Gordon is already a top SG prospect. What to watch for this season is his ability to play PG. Due to his size that is his projected NBA position. He will be picked somewhere in the late lottery unless he has an outstanding season and shows he can play PG.
12. - Devon Hardin C Cal - One of the top center's in the NCAA. Had his name in the 2007 NBA Draft but wisely pulled out. Hardin must show other all around skills besides dunks/layups. Weak shooter.
Players to watch :
Wayne Ellington F UNC
Chris Lofton G Tennesee
Marcelus Kemp G Nevada
DJ Augustine PG Texas
Tyler Hansborough F UNC
Darren Collison PG UCLA
Ron Steele PG Alabama
Brook Lopez C Stanford
Tyrese Rice G Boston College
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
2007 NBA Summer League Rosters
BOSTON CELTICS
57 Lance Allred C 6-11 270 Weber State
46 Pat Carroll G/F 6-5 190 St. Joseph’s
11 Glen Davis F 6-9 289 Louisiana State
59 Torin Francis F 6-11 252 Notre Dame
58 Andreas Glyniadakis C 7-1 280 Greece
5 Gerald Green G-F 6-8 200 Gulf Shores Academy
0 Leon Powe F 6-8 240 California
13 Gabe Pruitt G 6-4 170 Southern California
12 Allan Ray G 6-2 190 Villanova
9 Rajon Rondo G 6-1 171 Kentucky
36 Sergio Sanchez G 6-3 207 Spain
49 Brandon Wallace F 6-9 203 South Carolina
CHICAGO BULLS
No. Name Pos Ht Wt Born College/Country 2006-07 Team
2 Thabo Sefolosha G 6-7 215 05/02/84 Switzerland Chicago Bulls
3 Justin Cage F 6-6 225 06/26/85 Xavier Xavier (NCAA)
6 Filiberto Rivera G 6-2 175 09/28/82 UTEP Quakenbrueck (Germany)
8 Boo Davis* G 6-3 190 12/07/82 UW-Milwaukee Givat Shmuel (Israel)
11 Andre Barrett G 5-10 173 02/21/82 Seton Hall Chicago Bulls
13 Joakim Noah F 6-11 232 02/25/85 Florida Florida (NCAA)
14 Richard Lesko F 6-9 210 02/21/81 Illinois-Chicago Kosice TU (Slovakia)
15 Martynas Andriuskevicius C 7-2 240 03/12/86 Lithuania Chicago Bulls
17 Keith Gayden F 6-8 215 12/15/83 Duquesne Elgin Racers (IBL)
20 JamesOn Curry G 6-3 190 01/07/86 Oklahoma State Oklahoma State (NCAA)
22 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 04/01/82 Kentucky Angelico Biella (Spain)
24 Tyrus Thomas F 6-9 215 08/17/86 Louisiana State Chicago Bulls
25 Jackson Vroman F/C 6-10 220 06/06/81 Iowa State G. Canaria (Spain)
30 Caleb Green* F 6-8 225 07/10/85 Oral Roberts Oral Roberts (NCAA)
31 Thomas Gardner G 6-5 225 02/08/85 Missouri Verviers-Pep. (Belgium)
34 Aaron Gray C 7-0 270 12/07/84 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh (NCAA)
45 Lance Williams F/C 6-9 274 06/19/80 DePaul Turow (Poland)
54 D’or Fischer C/F 6-10 247 10/12/81 West Virginia Oldenburg (Germany)
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College Yrs Pro
Alan Anderson G/F 6-6 220 10/16/82 Michigan State 2
Bobby Brown G 6-2 175 9/23/84 Cal State Fullerton R
Elton Brown F 6-9 255 9/9/83 Virginia R
Kevin Burleson G 6-3 205 4/9/79 Minnesota 1
Steve Burtt G 6-1 185 3/7/84 Iona R
Jermareo Davidson F 6-10 230 11/17/84 Alabama R
Justin Doellman F 6-9 210 2/3/85 Xavier R
Jared Dudley F 6-7 225 7/10/85 Boston College R
Raymond Felton G 6-1 198 6/26/84 North Carolina 2
Brock Gillespie G 6-0 170 4/26/82 Rice R
Ryan Hollins C 7-0 230 10/10/84 UCLA 1
Jackie Manuel G/F 6-5 189 3/29/83 North Carolina R
Adam Morrison F 6-8 205 7/19/84 Gonzaga 1
Gabe Muoneke F 6-7 243 2/7/78 Texas R
Rick Rickert F/C 6-11 235 2/11/83 Minnesota R
Tamar Slay G/F 6-8 220 4/2/80 Marshall 3
Ayinde Ubaka G 6-4 200 2/9/85 California R
Luke Whitehead F 6-6 220 2/9/81 Louisville R
Jawad Williams F 6-9 218 2/19/83 North Carolina R
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
NO PLAYER POS HGT WGT BIRTHDATE FROM DRAFT NBA YR
2 Yannick Bokolo G 6-2 180 6/19/85 France ‘04 R
18 Denham Brown F 6-6 220 1/6/83 Connecticut ’06 R
6 Shannon Brown G 6-4 211 11/29/85 Michigan State ’06 1
46 Ryvon Covile F 6-9 250 3/1/84 Detroit ’07 R
50 Terence Dials C 6-9 260 6/15/83 Ohio State ’06 R
1 Daniel Gibson G 6-2 194 2/27/86 Texas ’06 1
27 Dwayne Jones F/C 6-11 251 6/9/83 St. Joseph’s ’05 2
44 Boniface N’Dong C 7-0 205 9/3/77 Senegal ‘99 1
39 Kevin Pittsnogle F 6-11 250 7/30/84 West Virginia ’06 R
54 Darius Rice F 6-10 215 10/16/82 Miami ’04 R
26 Dijon Thompson F 6-7 195 2/23/83 UCLA ‘05 2
41 Romeo Travis F 6-7 220 12/10/84 Akron ’07 R
29 P.J. Tucker F 6-5 225 5/5/85 Texas ’06 1
30 Matt Walsh G 6-6 200 12/2/82 Florida ‘05 1
HEAD COACH Melvin Hunt
ASSISTANT COACHES Chris Jent, Bryant Moore, Vincent Collet
Nenad Trajkovic, Brad Holland, Dale Osbourne
ATHLETIC TRAINER Mike Mancias
STRENGTH & COND. COACH Ken Sneed
DALLAS MAVERICKS
No. Name Pos Ht. Wt. Birthdate College
13 Maurice Ager G 6-5 202 2/9/84 Michigan State
10 Eddie Basden G 6-5 215 2/15/83 North Carolina-Charlotte
54 Brandon Bass F 6-8 240 4/30/85 LSU
11 Jose Juan Barea G 6-0 175 6/26/84 Northeastern
30 Warren Carter F 6-9 220 4/23/85 Illinois
7 DeSagana Diop C 7-0 280 1/30/82 Oak Hill Academy HS
32 Leonardo Dos Santos F 6-11 230 10/6/84 Brazil
33 Nick Fazekas F 6-11 235 6/17/85 Nevada
45 Caleb Green F 6-8 238 7/10/85 Oral Roberts
2 Jamon Gordon G 6-3 212 7/18/84 Virginia Tech
21 Pops Mensah-Bonsu F 6-9 240 9/7/83 George Washington
20 Jared Newson G 6-5 215 9/26/84 Tennessee-Martin
9 Renaldas Seibutis G 6-5 180 12/25/85 Lithuania
23 Reyshawn Terry F 6-8 232 4/7/84 North Carolina
24 Clay Tucker G 6-3 195 6/14/80 Wisconsin-Milwaukee
DENVER NUGGETS
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School Exp.
8 Will Blalock G 6-0 205 Iowa State 1
32 Coleman Collins F 6-9 235 Virginia Tech R
6 Ruben Douglas G/F 6-4 195 New Mexico R
11 Dontaye Draper G 5-11 180 College of Charleston R
35 Matt Freije F 6-9 245 Vanderbilt 2
17 Axel Hervelle F 6-8 230 Belgium R
24 Mark Karcher G/F 6-5 215 Temple R
5 Jelani McCoy F/C 6-10 245 UCLA 7
30 Lamond Murray F 6-7 236 California 12
34 Larry O’Bannon G 6-4 200 Louisville R
4 Curtis Sumpter F 6-7 225 Villanova R
55 Nikoloz Tskitishvili F 7-0 225 Republic of Georgia 4
22 Von Wafer G 6-5 210 Florida State 2
0 Dajuan Wagner G 6-2 195 Memphis 4
HOUSTON ROCKETS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Country/H.S. NBA Exp.
0 Aaron Brooks G 6-0 161 1/14/85 Oregon R
32 Drake Diener G 6-5 200 12/19/81 DePaul R
8 Lior Eliyahu F 6-9 225 9/9/85 Israel R
3 Andre Emmett G 6-5 230 8/27/82 Texas Tech 1
22 Carl English G 6-5 205 2/2/81 Hawaii R
19 Mike Harris F 6-6 240 6/15/83 Rice 1
2 Jeff Horner G 6-3 185 8/1/83 Iowa R
33 Antanas Kavaliauskas C 6-11 237 9/9/84 Texas A&M R
14 Carl Landry F 6-9 248 9/19/83 Purdue R
12 Ron Lewis G 6-4 200 7/7/84 Ohio State R
15 John Lucas G 5-11 165 11/21/82 Oklahoma State 2
23 Ivan McFarlin F 6-8 240 4/26/82 Oklahoma State 1
21 Brad Newley G 6-7 201 2/18/85 Australia R
20 Steve Novak F 6-10 220 6/13/83 Marquette 1
INDIANA PACERS
No Player Pos Ht Wt Birthdate School Last Played for
22 Andre Brown F 6-9 245 5/12/81 DePaul Seattle (NBA)
32 Kyle Davis C 6-10 235 6/3/82 Auburn Dodge City (USBL)
8 Ronald "Boo" Davis G 6-3 190 12/7/82 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wisconsin-Milwaukee (NCAA)
0 Gio. Diamantopoulos G/F 6-5 190 2/15/80 Greece CSK VVS Samara (Russia)
18 Desmon Farmer G 6-5 220 10/7/81 Southern California Tulsa (NBADL)
55 Kenyon Gamble C 7-0 230 5/9/82 Tuskegee Minot (CBA)
5 Stephen Graham F 6-6 215 6/11/82 Oklahoma State Sioux Falls (NBADL)
20 Dan Grunfeld G 6-6 220 2/7/84 Stanford Stanford (NCAA)
24 David Logan G 6-1 175 12/26/82 Indianapolis SKS Polphamra-Pakmet Starogard (Poland)
54 Anthony Myles F 6-9 245 10/16/82 Xavier DongGuan New Century (China)
2 Andre Owens G 6-4 200 10/31/80 Houston Anaheim (NBADL)
3 Marque Perry G 6-1 200 1/18/81 St. Louis Banvitspor (Turkey)
17 Kasib Powell F 6-7 215 3/18/81 Texas Tech Spartak, St. Petersburg (Russia)
21 Kareem Rush G 6-6 215 10/30/80 Missouri Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania)
12 Jamel Staten F 6-6 225 8/00/83 Mankato State Minnesota (ABA)
4 Shawne Williams F 6-9 225 2/16/86 Memphis Indiana (NBA)
9 Guillaume Yango F 6-9 240 1/31/82 Pacific Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Italy)
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
2007 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS NBA SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER
# Player POS HT WT BORN FROM 2006-07
34 Mohamed Abukar F 6’10" 229 1/1/85 San Diego St. San Diego St.
22 Brandon Bowman F 6’ 9" 223 9/15/84 Georgetown Bakersfield (NBDL)
10 Will Conroy G 6’2" 195 12/8/82 Washington Clippers
40 Paul Davis C 6’11" 270 7/21/84 Michigan State Clippers
2 Guillermo Diaz G 6’2" 185 3/4/85 Miami CEZ Nymburk (Czech Rep.)
20 Mike Gansey G 6’4" 205 12/21/82 West Virginia
25 Jared Jordan G 6’2" 187 10/14/84 Marist Marist
35 Chris Kaman C 7’0" 265 4/28/82 Central Michigan Clippers
15 Daniel Santiago C 7’1" 256 6/24/76 St. Vincent Unicaja Malaga (Spain)
31 Amara Sy F 6’8" 240 8/28/81 France ASVEL Villeurbanne (France)
55 Ivan Radenovic F 6’10" 244 6/10/84 Arizona Arizona
12 Al Thornton F 6’8" 220 12/7/83 Florida State Florida State
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
NAME POS HT WT BIRTHDATE SCHOOL
Jav.Crittenton G 6-4 198 12/31/87 Georgia Tech
Ebi Ere G 6-5 215 8/3/81 Oklahoma
Jordan Farmar G 6-2 180 11/30/86 UCLA
Brandon Gay F 6-8 220 8/8/82 USD
Jeff Graves F 6-9 275 9/30/81 Kansas
Ralphy Holmes G 6-4 190 7/5/79 Cal State Fullerton
Dalron Johnson F 6-9 210 6/27/81 UNLV
Coby Karl G 6-5 216 3/6/83 Boise State
Bryson McKenzie C 6-10 230 6/19/83 Northern Illinois
Andre Patterson F 6-7 217 5/12/83 Tennessee
Jabari Smith C 6-11 250 2/12/77 Louisiana State
Larry Turner C 6-11 240 12/29/82 Tennessee State
Rodney White F 6-9 230 6/28/80 UNC Charlotte
SUMMER LEAGUE COACHES: Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara), Brian Shaw (UCSB)
ATHLETIC TRAINER: Chip Schaefer (Utah)
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Player Pos. Height Weight Birthdate College Year NBDL Year(s)
Anthony Coleman F 6-11 215 10/06/82 Long Beach St. ‘05 Bakersfield 06-07
Noel Felix C 6-9 225 10/04/81 Fresno State ‘03 N/A N/A
Lynn Greer * G 6-2 175 10/23/79 Temple ‘02 N/A N/A
Arthur Johnson C 6-9 255 12/20/81 Missouri ‘04 N/A N/A
Randy Livingston G 6-4 209 04/02/75 Louisiana State ‘98 Idaho 06-07
Damir Markota * F 6-10 225 12/26/85 Croatia ‘06 Tulsa 06-07
Chris McCray G 6-5 192 5/27/84 Maryland ‘06 Dakota 06-07
David Noel * F/G 6-6 230 02/27/84 North Carolina ’06 N/A N/A
Ramon Sessions G 6-3 190 04/11/86 Nevada ’07 N/A N/A
Awvee Storey F 6-6 225 04/18/77 Arizona State ’02 Asheville 01-02
Billy Thomas G 6-5 220 12/23/75 Kansas ’03 Asheville 04-05
James Thomas F 6-8 245 11/22/80 Texas ’04 Roanoke 04-05
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College Yrs.
3 Luke Anderson G 6-6 205 10/01/82 Minnesota State Mankato R
40 Ryan Bowen F 6-9 218 11/20/75 Iowa 7
22 Corey Brewer F 6-9 185 03/05/86 Florida R
44 Greg Brunner F 6-7 245 06/15/83 Iowa R
24 Mateen Cleaves G 6-2 210 09/07/77 Michigan State 6
4 Randy Foye G 6-4 210 09/09/83 Villanova 1
14 Quinton Hosley G/F 6-6 210 03/25/84 Fresno State R
32 Rashad McCants G 6-4 226 09/25/84 North Carolina 2
25 Chris Richard F 6-9 255 12/25/84 Florida R
11 Luke Schenscher C 7-1 265 12/31/82 Georgia Tech 2
1 Craig Smith F 6-7 250 11/10/83 Boston College 1
NEW JERSEY NETS
NO NAME POS HT WT DOB FROM YRS.
8 Hassan Adams G 6-4 220 6/20/84 Arizona 1
20 Terrence Crawford F 6-6 230 2/4/82 Oklahoma State R
45 James Cripe C 6-10 255 5/3/84 Northern Kentucky R
43 Josh Davis F 6-8 215 8/10/80 Wyoming 3
6 Robert Hite G 6-2 184 1/12/84 Miami (FL) 1
50 Brandon Hunter F 6-7 266 11/24/80 Ohio 2
31 James Maye F 6-7 209 1/29/81 North Carolina (Greensboro) R
14 Tommy Smith F 6-10 215 12/4/80 Arizona State 2
2 Curtis Stinson G 6-3 215 2/15/83 Iowa State R
10 Jamaal Tatum G 6-1 168 9/9/84 Southern Illinois R
40 Nick VanderLaan C 6-10 265 10/27/79 Virginia R
44 Matt Walsh F 6-6 195 12/2/82 Florida
11 Marcus Williams G 6-3 205 12/3/85 Connecticut 1
51 Sean Williams F 6-10 235 9/13/86 Boston College R
Head Coach: Lawrence Frank
Assistant Coaches: Bill Cartwright, Tom Barrise, Pat Sullivan
ORLANDO MAGIC
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Date of Birth Last Team/College
40 James Augustine F 6-10 235 2-27-84 Orlando Magic/Illinois
6 Stephen Barber G 5-10 160 1-14-80 Albuquerque NBDL/UT-Arlington
52 Mike Bell F 6-9 225 8-11-82 Vigo Spain/Florida Atlantic
25 Damone Brown F 6-9 200 6-28-79 Sioux Falls NBDL/Syracuse
44 Anthony Fuqua C 6-11 225 2-16-83 Austin NBDL/UT-San Antonio
41 Charles Gaines F 6-7 235 10-15-81 Joventut Spain/Southern Miss.
13 Marcin Gortat C 7-0 240 2-17-84 Koeln Germany/NA
2 Kevin Kruger G 6-2 185 5-1-83 UNLV/UNLV
22 Torrell Martin G 6-5 200 2-13-85 Winthrop/Winthrop
18 Milovan Rakovic F 6-10 250 2-19-85 Mega Ishrana Serbia/NA
7 J.J. Redick G 6-4 190 6-24-84 Orlando Magic/Duke
11 Tony Skinn G 6-1 175 2-8-83 Clermont France/George Mason
3 Loren Stokes G 6-3 175 11-12-83 Hofstra/Hofstra
23 Jeff Varem F 6-6 245 7-16-83 Tulsa NBDL/Washington State
PHOENIX SUNS
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate From NBA Exp
2 Marcus Banks G 6-2 200 11/19/81 UNLV 4
11 Cameron Bennerman G 6-4 205 5/8/84 North Carolina State R
12 Michael Bradley F 6-10 225 5/18/79 Villanova 5
3 Terrell Everett G 6-4 188 6/30/84 Oklahoma R
9 Otis George F/C 6-9 240 5/7/82 Louisville R
8 Ron Hale F 6-8 220 11/5/77 Florida St. R
5 Adam Hess G/F 6-7 220 4/4/81 William & Mary R
4 Melvin Sanders G/F 6-5 210 1/3/81 Oklahoma St. 1
6 D.J. Strawberry G 6-5 201 6/15/85 Maryland R
10 Pape Sow F/C 6-10 250 11/22/81 Cal State-Fullerton 3
7 Alando Tucker F 6-6 205 2/11/84 Wisconsin R
13 Eric Williams C 6-9 265 3/26/84 Wake Forest R
HEAD COACH: Mike D’Antoni
SUMMER LEAGUE HEAD COACH/ASSISTANT COACH: Phil Weber
ASSISTANT COACHES: Alvin Gentry, Dan D’Antoni, Todd Quinter
HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: Aaron Nelson
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
# Name Pos Ht Wt NBA Yrs Birthdate From
12 LaMarcus Aldridge F/C 6-11 245 1 7-19-85 Texas
18 Rick Apodaca G 6-3 190 R 1-7-81 Hofstra
40 Chris Ellis F 6-9 250 R 3-5-84 Wake Forest
41 Joel Freeland F 6-10 225 R 2-7-87 England
4 Terrance Green G 6-3 212 R 1-10-81 Nevada
0 Taurean Green G 6-0 177 R 11-28-86 Florida
31 Zendon Hamilton C 6-11 254 6 4-29-75 St. John’s
28 Petteri Koponen G 6-4 195 R 4-13-88 Finland
6 Stefano Mancinelli F 6-8 214 R 3-17-83 Italy
2 Josh McRoberts F 6-10 240 R 2-28-87 Duke
52 Greg Oden C 7-0 250 R 1-22-88 Ohio State
11 Sergio Rodriguez G 6-3 168 1 6-12-86 Spain
8 Martell Webster G/F 6-7 233 2 12-4-86 Seattle Prep HS (WA)
Head Coach: Nate McMillan (North Carolina State)
Assistant Coaches: Dean Demopoulos (West Chester), Maurice Lucas (Marquette)
Monty Williams (Notre Dame), Bill Bayno (Sacred Heart)
SEATTLE SONICS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate From 2006-07 Season
2 Zabian Dowdell G 6-3 200 9/10/84 Virginia Tech Virginia Tech
5 Jermaine Jackson G 6-5 205 6/7/76 Detroit Mercy BC Kyiv
11 Brandon Heath G 6-4 200 3/1/84 San Diego State San Diego State
12 David Jackson* G 6-5 210 9/21/78 Oregon NBDL
14 Julius Hodge G 6-7 210 11/18/83 North Carolina State Den/Mil//NBDL
15 Mickaël Gelabale G/F 6-7 215 5/22/83 France Sonics
18 Mouhamed Sene C 7-0 230 5/12/86 Senegal Sonics
22 Jeff Green F 6-9 235 8/8/86 Georgetown Georgetown
23 Olu Famutimi* G 6-5 220 2/21/84 Arkansas NBDL
27 Johan Petro C 7-0 247 1/27/86 France Sonics
33 Ronnie Burrell F 6-9 220 7/21/83 UNC-Greensboro France
35 Kevin Durant F 6-9 215 9/29/88 Texas Texas
44 Elton Brown* F/C 6-9 250 9/9/83 Virginia NBDL
45 Kenny Adeleke F 6-9 245 2/10/83 Hartford Israel
45 Quinton Hosley* G/F 6-6 210 3/25/84 Fresno State Fresno State
50 Ryvon Coville* F 6-9 250 3/1/84 Detroit Mercy Detroit Mercy
50 Antywane Robinson F 6-8 220 7/12/84 Temple NBDL
Coaches: Ralph Lewis, Bryan Gates
Assistant Coach/Dir. Of Video Scouting: Walt Rock
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
PLAYER HT POS. BIRTHDATE FROM/SCHOOL LAST TEAM
Shagari Alleyne 7-3 C 1/16/84 Manhattan Manhattan
Brian Chase 5-9 PG 10/8/81 Virginia Tech Los Angeles (NBDL)
Mike Hall 6-8 F 5/5/84 George Washington Washington Wizards
Jared Homan 6-9 F/C 6/3/83 Iowa State Athens (Greece)
Lee Humphrey 6-2 G 4/26/84 Florida Florida
Dominic McGuire 6-8 F 10/20/85 Fresno State Fresno State
Aaron Miles 6-1 G 4/13/83 Kansas Pau-Orthez (France)
Oleksiy Pecherov 7-0 F/C 12/8/85 Ukraine BC Kyiv (Ukraine)
Kevinn Pinkney 6-10 F/C 10/20/83 Nevada-Reno Bakersfield (NBDL)
J.R. Pinnock 6-4 G 12/11/83 George Washington Arkansas (NBDL)
Leon Rodgers 6-7 F 6/2/85 Northern Illinois EiffelTowers(Holland)
Kyle Visser 6-11 C 10/19/85 Wake Forest Wake Forest
Jameel Watkins 6-10 F 8/2/77 Georgetown Dongbu (Korea)
Nick Young 6-6 G/F 6/1/85 Southern California Southern California
Derrick Zimmerman 6-3 PG 2/2/81 Mississippi State Air Avellino (Italy)
Head Coach: Eddie Jordan
Assistant Coaches: Mike O’Koren, Tom Thibodeau, Phil Hubbard, Wes Unseld, Jr.
Athletic Trainer: Eric Waters
Assistant Athletic Trainer: Ernest Eugene
Strength & Conditioning: Drew Cleary
Sunday, July 01, 2007
2008 NBA Mock Draft - Lottery Picks
Could be another strong draft depending mainly on how the incoming freshman class develops. Ranked in order of potential draft position. Here's my take :
1. Michael Beasley F Kansas St. - As you probably saw in the McDonalds game he is a great athlete with good size, and one of the most versatile players in the draft. Should step in immediately and make a difference for Kansas St. Can play inside and out, tends to play outside a little too much. Looks forced at times.
2. Derrick Rose PG Memphis - Should be one of the top PG's in the NCAA next season. Truly a do it all type of PG. Can shoot although improvements needed, attack the hoop, and create for teammates. Has good size as well. Going to do a lot of damage in Conference USA next season.
3. Darrell Arthur F Kansas - Will be the man next year for the Jayhawks. If his midrange/outside game improves and he shows the ability to play the 3 then he could go this high in the draft. Still needs to bulk up but I'm predicting a drastic rise in his stock over the season.
4. Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Pulled out of the 2007 draft, would have gone top ten no question. Still has a ways to go and decided he would be a much more NBA ready prospect after another season as a Hoya. I don't think he has a ton of upside but his size and abilities on both sides of the ball are NBA material. Good basketball IQ and passing skills are also bonuses for a big man.
5. OJ Mayo G USC - Should be one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA in his one season at USC. Has a scorers mentality almost to a fault. Has been known to play out of control and has developed some bad habits. There are also minor character concerns with him as well. On talent alone he may be one of the top three players in the draft but i can see him falling in the 5-10 range.
6. Chase Budinger F Arizona - Tremendous all around player should a little bit of everything in his first season at Arizona. Top athlete with great size although thin frame. Solid shooter from the outside keeps improving. Scouts will be looking to see if he is the type of player to take over games. He has the talent but can he do it?
7. Kevin Love F UCLA - Tough smart PF who should be a premier player in the PAC-10 next season. UCLA is already a loaded team Love solidify s the frontcourt and makes them a strong favorite going into the season. Love is a very unselfish player think of Luke Walton but with much more talent offensively. Could go top 3 depending on the type of season he has against top NCAA talent.
8. DeAndre Jordan C Texas A&M - Going to a situation where he gets major minutes right away. He can hold his own defensively against anyone but his offensive game is still developing. Good rebounder, shot blocker, will add strength as season progresses.
9. Hasheem Thabeet C UConn - NBA teams love upside and Thabeet has a ton of it. The best shot blocker in the country, may be the best defensive player overall in the country. Has great size/length, coming back to UConn was a very smart decision as his offensive game is brutal. If he can make the same type of offensize progress Sean Williams had at BC then he goes this high.
10. Tywon Lawson PG UNC - Should be the second PG chosen after Rose. Made a good decision staying another year at UNC. Mainly needs to work on his shooting, the PG skills are already there. His size may hurt him at the next level.
11. Eric Gordon SG Indiana - Gordon is already a top SG prospect. What to watch for this season is his ability to play PG. Due to his size that is his projected NBA position. He will be picked somewhere in the late lottery unless he has an outstanding season and shows he can play PG.
12. - Devon Hardin C Cal - One of the top center's in the NCAA. Had his name in the 2007 NBA Draft but wisely pulled out. Hardin must show other all around skills besides dunks/layups. Weak shooter.
13. L.R. Mbah a Moute F UCLA - Lot of potential here reminds me of Jeff Green. Has good size, still developing most of his skills. His progress this season will determine what kind of prospect he will be. Tends to disappear during games, still raw.
Players to watch :
Wayne Ellington F UNC
Chris Lofton G Tennesee
Marcelus Kemp G Nevada
DJ Augustine PG Texas
Tyler Hansborough F UNC
Darren Collison PG UCLA
Ron Steele PG Alabama
Brook Lopez C Stanford
Tyrese Rice G Boston College
1. Michael Beasley F Kansas St. - As you probably saw in the McDonalds game he is a great athlete with good size, and one of the most versatile players in the draft. Should step in immediately and make a difference for Kansas St. Can play inside and out, tends to play outside a little too much. Looks forced at times.
2. Derrick Rose PG Memphis - Should be one of the top PG's in the NCAA next season. Truly a do it all type of PG. Can shoot although improvements needed, attack the hoop, and create for teammates. Has good size as well. Going to do a lot of damage in Conference USA next season.
3. Darrell Arthur F Kansas - Will be the man next year for the Jayhawks. If his midrange/outside game improves and he shows the ability to play the 3 then he could go this high in the draft. Still needs to bulk up but I'm predicting a drastic rise in his stock over the season.
4. Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Pulled out of the 2007 draft, would have gone top ten no question. Still has a ways to go and decided he would be a much more NBA ready prospect after another season as a Hoya. I don't think he has a ton of upside but his size and abilities on both sides of the ball are NBA material. Good basketball IQ and passing skills are also bonuses for a big man.
5. OJ Mayo G USC - Should be one of the most prolific scorers in the NCAA in his one season at USC. Has a scorers mentality almost to a fault. Has been known to play out of control and has developed some bad habits. There are also minor character concerns with him as well. On talent alone he may be one of the top three players in the draft but i can see him falling in the 5-10 range.
6. Chase Budinger F Arizona - Tremendous all around player should a little bit of everything in his first season at Arizona. Top athlete with great size although thin frame. Solid shooter from the outside keeps improving. Scouts will be looking to see if he is the type of player to take over games. He has the talent but can he do it?
7. Kevin Love F UCLA - Tough smart PF who should be a premier player in the PAC-10 next season. UCLA is already a loaded team Love solidify s the frontcourt and makes them a strong favorite going into the season. Love is a very unselfish player think of Luke Walton but with much more talent offensively. Could go top 3 depending on the type of season he has against top NCAA talent.
8. DeAndre Jordan C Texas A&M - Going to a situation where he gets major minutes right away. He can hold his own defensively against anyone but his offensive game is still developing. Good rebounder, shot blocker, will add strength as season progresses.
9. Hasheem Thabeet C UConn - NBA teams love upside and Thabeet has a ton of it. The best shot blocker in the country, may be the best defensive player overall in the country. Has great size/length, coming back to UConn was a very smart decision as his offensive game is brutal. If he can make the same type of offensize progress Sean Williams had at BC then he goes this high.
10. Tywon Lawson PG UNC - Should be the second PG chosen after Rose. Made a good decision staying another year at UNC. Mainly needs to work on his shooting, the PG skills are already there. His size may hurt him at the next level.
11. Eric Gordon SG Indiana - Gordon is already a top SG prospect. What to watch for this season is his ability to play PG. Due to his size that is his projected NBA position. He will be picked somewhere in the late lottery unless he has an outstanding season and shows he can play PG.
12. - Devon Hardin C Cal - One of the top center's in the NCAA. Had his name in the 2007 NBA Draft but wisely pulled out. Hardin must show other all around skills besides dunks/layups. Weak shooter.
13. L.R. Mbah a Moute F UCLA - Lot of potential here reminds me of Jeff Green. Has good size, still developing most of his skills. His progress this season will determine what kind of prospect he will be. Tends to disappear during games, still raw.
Players to watch :
Wayne Ellington F UNC
Chris Lofton G Tennesee
Marcelus Kemp G Nevada
DJ Augustine PG Texas
Tyler Hansborough F UNC
Darren Collison PG UCLA
Ron Steele PG Alabama
Brook Lopez C Stanford
Tyrese Rice G Boston College
Saturday, June 30, 2007
2007 NBA Draft Grades.....Winners/Losers
Work in Progress...........There is a lot to be settled regarding trades after July 1st but here's a hint: Portland is a Winner. There past two drafts have been just outstanding, every GM and owner in the league should take notice of how Portland does bu$ine$$.
Also working on posting the Summer League rosters. Be interesting to see where Bobby Brown, Mustafa Shakur, Brandon Health, etc............end up
I'll have my 2008 NBA Top Prospects up Soon................
Also working on posting the Summer League rosters. Be interesting to see where Bobby Brown, Mustafa Shakur, Brandon Health, etc............end up
I'll have my 2008 NBA Top Prospects up Soon................
Thursday, June 28, 2007
2007 NBA Mock Draft Final
Draft night is here, there should be plenty of action.
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.
3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.
4. Memphis Corey Brewer G Florida Horford or Conley would be ideal but Brewer is one of new GM Chris Wallaces' favorites.
5. Boston Joakim Noah F Florida Boston needs players that can play now and Noah really impressed the C's during workouts. Hate this pick by the way.
6. Milwaukee Jeff Green F Georgetown Jeff Green, one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. This pick will probably be traded at somepoint, I'm thinking to Golden State.
7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick. They like Jeff Green but he should be gone by now.
8. Charlotte Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside pick here, I think they would love to take Noah as this team is already too young. Charlotte has #22 as well.
9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.
10. Sacramento Yi Jianlian F China Yi wants to play on the West Coast, he gets his wish with Sacramento. They have other needs but Yi at 10 is not quite the riskas say #5 going to the Celtics and with this pick they have a valuable trade asset.
11. Atlanta Acie Law PG Texas A&M Atlanta has guaranteed that if they still have this pick Law is their man.
12. Philadelphia Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference. Philly needs to take the best player available and Thornton is it. Bonus is he can play right away.
13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.
14. LAC Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need with Livingston's future in doubt. Crittendon is a legit PG with good size and a huge upside but should have played one more season at GT.
15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.
16. Washington Julian Wright F Kansas Washington needs help in the frontcourt so best Wright is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft..
17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.
18. Golden State Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a center combo of Biedrins and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.
19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.
20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.
22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.
23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here to either cook or Wilson Chandler. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.
24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.
25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.
26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.
27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.
28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.
29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.
30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
Wilson Chandler Depaul
Stanko Barac (Celtics have a rumored promise in place here)
Jared Dudley Boston College
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Dominc McGuire F Fresno St.
Jared Jordan PG Marist
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Aaron Brooks G Oregon
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.
3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.
4. Memphis Corey Brewer G Florida Horford or Conley would be ideal but Brewer is one of new GM Chris Wallaces' favorites.
5. Boston Joakim Noah F Florida Boston needs players that can play now and Noah really impressed the C's during workouts. Hate this pick by the way.
6. Milwaukee Jeff Green F Georgetown Jeff Green, one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. This pick will probably be traded at somepoint, I'm thinking to Golden State.
7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick. They like Jeff Green but he should be gone by now.
8. Charlotte Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside pick here, I think they would love to take Noah as this team is already too young. Charlotte has #22 as well.
9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.
10. Sacramento Yi Jianlian F China Yi wants to play on the West Coast, he gets his wish with Sacramento. They have other needs but Yi at 10 is not quite the riskas say #5 going to the Celtics and with this pick they have a valuable trade asset.
11. Atlanta Acie Law PG Texas A&M Atlanta has guaranteed that if they still have this pick Law is their man.
12. Philadelphia Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference. Philly needs to take the best player available and Thornton is it. Bonus is he can play right away.
13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.
14. LAC Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need with Livingston's future in doubt. Crittendon is a legit PG with good size and a huge upside but should have played one more season at GT.
15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.
16. Washington Julian Wright F Kansas Washington needs help in the frontcourt so best Wright is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft..
17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.
18. Golden State Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a center combo of Biedrins and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.
19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.
20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.
22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.
23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here to either cook or Wilson Chandler. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.
24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.
25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.
26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.
27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.
28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.
29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.
30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
Wilson Chandler Depaul
Stanko Barac (Celtics have a rumored promise in place here)
Jared Dudley Boston College
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Dominc McGuire F Fresno St.
Jared Jordan PG Marist
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Aaron Brooks G Oregon
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
Monday, June 25, 2007
2007 NBA Draft Green Room Invitees
**Scroll Down For Mock Draft V.2**
Here is the official list from the NBA. No big surprises unless you see Thaddeus Young or Javaris Crittendon sneaking in.
Corey Brewer (Florida)
· Michael Conley (Ohio St.)
· Kevin Durant (Texas)
· Jeff Green (Georgetown)
· Spencer Hawes (Washington)
· Al Horford (Florida)
· Yi Jianlian (China)
· Acie Law IV (Texas A&M)
· Joakim Noah (Florida)
· Greg Oden (Ohio St.)
· Rodney Stuckey (Eastern Washington)
· Al Thornton (Florida St.)
· Brandan Wright (North Carolina)
· Julian Wright (Kansas)
· Nick Young (USC)
Here is the official list from the NBA. No big surprises unless you see Thaddeus Young or Javaris Crittendon sneaking in.
Corey Brewer (Florida)
· Michael Conley (Ohio St.)
· Kevin Durant (Texas)
· Jeff Green (Georgetown)
· Spencer Hawes (Washington)
· Al Horford (Florida)
· Yi Jianlian (China)
· Acie Law IV (Texas A&M)
· Joakim Noah (Florida)
· Greg Oden (Ohio St.)
· Rodney Stuckey (Eastern Washington)
· Al Thornton (Florida St.)
· Brandan Wright (North Carolina)
· Julian Wright (Kansas)
· Nick Young (USC)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
2007 NBA Mock Draft V2.0
Version 2. Less than a week away is the 2007 NBA Draft, a final mock will be delivered Wednesday and updated Thursday.
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.
3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.
4. Memphis Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside here and with Gasol potentially leaving Wright makes a lot of sense here.
5. Boston Corey Brewer G Florida Horford would be ideal but Brewer would immediately make Boston's starting backcourt of Rondo and Brewer one of the best defensively in the East.
6. Golden State (From Milwaukee) Yi Jianlian F China I think Chancey Billups may end up in Milwaukee so Conley is not the pick here and a trade to the Warriors is a strong possibility for Jason Richardson. Yi would like to play on the West Coast and Golden State is rumored to be high on him.
7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick.
8. Charlotte Joakim Noah F Florida Charlotte has a track record of taking proven NCAA talent and Noah would bring endless energy and winning attitude to a franchise in need.
9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.
10. Sacramento Jeff Green F Georgetown Conley would be #1 on the Kings wish list but instead Jeff Green one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. The selection of Green makes the inevitable departure of Ron Artest a little easier.
11. Atlanta Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need so don't count out Conley wearing Hawks red somehow next season. The alternative is Crittendon a legit PG with good size and a huge upside.
12. Philadelphia Julian Wright F Kansas Philly needs help just about everywhere on the roster so best player available is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft.
13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.
14. LAC Acie Law PG Texas A&M With Livingston's career in doubt a PG is the obvious choice for the Clips. Although Law is more of a combo guard he should fit nicely in the same backcourt with Sam Cassell.
15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.
16. Washington Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton would enable the Wizards to trade Antawn Jamison and free up some cash to hopefully sign Arenas. Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference.
17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.
18. Milwaukee (From Golden State) Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a frontcourt of Bogut and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.
19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.
20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.
22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.
23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.
24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.
25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.
26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.
27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.
28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.
29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.
30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Jared Jordan PG Marist (Boston rumored to be interested in 2nd round)
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton (stock rising)
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC (Stock Rising)
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State Not so obvious choice in my opinion, I think Durant is the better fit for this team right now.
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas The best player in the draft falls right into Seattle's (for now) lap. I haven't seen a player with this type of offensive arsenal since Kobe. The only downside is his strength right now and the impact it will have on his defensive ability.
3. Atlanta Al Horford F Florida When its all said and done I think they end up with Mike Conley. Whether they take him here or not remains to be seen but I can see them taking Horford then putting him in a trade.
4. Memphis Brendan Wright F UNC Huge upside here and with Gasol potentially leaving Wright makes a lot of sense here.
5. Boston Corey Brewer G Florida Horford would be ideal but Brewer would immediately make Boston's starting backcourt of Rondo and Brewer one of the best defensively in the East.
6. Golden State (From Milwaukee) Yi Jianlian F China I think Chancey Billups may end up in Milwaukee so Conley is not the pick here and a trade to the Warriors is a strong possibility for Jason Richardson. Yi would like to play on the West Coast and Golden State is rumored to be high on him.
7. Minnesota Spencer Hawes C Washington The Wolves are desperate for a big man and Hawes is a perfect fit. Needs to get toughter on the defensive side but has the NBA ready offensive game to warrant the #7 pick.
8. Charlotte Joakim Noah F Florida Charlotte has a track record of taking proven NCAA talent and Noah would bring endless energy and winning attitude to a franchise in need.
9. Chicago Mike Conley PG Ohio State Chicago stocks up a very valuable trade asset in Conley and could help facilitate a trade for a number of players including Kobe, Randolph, KG. If Conley sticks around Hinrich could play SG for stretches and make Ben Gordon expendable.
10. Sacramento Jeff Green F Georgetown Conley would be #1 on the Kings wish list but instead Jeff Green one of the most versatile players in this draft falls here. The selection of Green makes the inevitable departure of Ron Artest a little easier.
11. Atlanta Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech Point guard is the need so don't count out Conley wearing Hawks red somehow next season. The alternative is Crittendon a legit PG with good size and a huge upside.
12. Philadelphia Julian Wright F Kansas Philly needs help just about everywhere on the roster so best player available is the way to go here. Wright is an extremely talented kid who would've gone higher in a weaker draft.
13. New Orleans Nick Young G USC Hole at SG filled for the Hornets. Young should be able to get major minutes immediately here. Thaddeus Young should get serious consideration as well but he is not NBA ready at this point.
14. LAC Acie Law PG Texas A&M With Livingston's career in doubt a PG is the obvious choice for the Clips. Although Law is more of a combo guard he should fit nicely in the same backcourt with Sam Cassell.
15. Detroit Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington Stuckey is the pick here to Detroit. They need more athleticism and someone who can step in and score some points alongside Rip.
16. Washington Al Thornton F Florida State Thornton would enable the Wizards to trade Antawn Jamison and free up some cash to hopefully sign Arenas. Thornton is sliding a bit due to height and age concerns but he can score and proved himself in a tough conference.
17. New Jersey Jason Smith C Colorado I think Carter stays in NJ so a big man is the pick here. Smith is not a traditional big man as he is best outside the paint but NJ has Kristic coming back next season and Smith could open up some space for him.
18. Milwaukee (From Golden State) Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College) This may be a little high for a player with this type of track record but a frontcourt of Bogut and Williams is outstanding and too hard to pass up.
19. LAL Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech Best player available and could be used in many trade scenarios (Minnesota KG deal) as if Young stayed on more year at GT he would be top 5.
20. Miami Josh McRoberts F With Sean Williams off the board Miami needs more overall youth in the backcourt as well as in the frontcourt. The fans will hate this pick as McRoberts is widely viewed as an underachiever but he is extremely athletic and can do a lot things well. Just don't ask him to lead the team and score 20 a night.
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice With their second pick Philly takes a lights out scorer in Almond. If Morris is not the pick I could see Marco Belinelli or Rudy Fernandez going here instead.
22. Charlotte Rudy Fernandez SG Spain The best SG in Europe. Tremendous athlete as well, could play along Adam Morrison for some defensive mismatches.
23. New York Daequan Cook G Ohio State NY is rumored to have a promise in place here. With a solid frontcourt, Cook could add immediate guard help to a weak team. If Sean Williams is on the board could go here and Channing Frye or David Lee moved.
24. Phoenix Marco Belinelli SG Italy Even with Barbosa, Belinnelli would be a great fit here for Phoenix. Belinelli is an open court, fast break type and may be able to play a little PG as well.
25. Utah Nick Fazekas F Nevada Utah could use a big man but none should be available worth taking here. Another shooter in Fazekas would improve an already excellent perimeter offense.
26. Houston Aaron Affalo SG UCLA Houston's G situation isn't great and Affalo hopefully will learn to play the PG as well. Houston is trying to move down and Luther Head is available, Affalo fills in right away.
27. Detroit Petteri Kopenen With Detroit's second pick Kopenen fills a potential need at PG. They could also go with Jared Dudley who is a player who can play both SG/SF. He carried Boston College all season long with his scoring, rebounding and intensity.
28. San Antonio Tiago Splitter F Brazil Splitter won't play in the NBA next season but should be pick in the first round regardless. He is a tough defensive minded center who can contribute right away. His offensive game is a work in progress.
29. Phoenix Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt Solid 4-year player who played SG/SF and even flashes at PG. Really stood out in the NCAA tourney during Vandy's run. He slips due to lack of upside GM's desperately covet more than actual proven talent.
30. Philadelphia Glen Davis F LSU Philly's third pick may turn out to be a steal in terms of value since he can match up against athletic PF's and even C's. Davis should be a serviceable big man right away due to his strength and decent offensive game but his weight needs to stay in control so there is risk involved. I could see Alondo Tucker fitting in here as well.
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Marcus Williams F Arizona
Aaron Gray C Pitt
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Taurean Green G Florida
Jared Jordan PG Marist (Boston rumored to be interested in 2nd round)
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton (stock rising)
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC (Stock Rising)
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Ongoing Kobe Bryant Situation
***SCROLL DOWN FOR MOCK DRAFT 1***
Kobe has once again requested a trade out of LA. The Lakers will not trade him to a Western Conference team and since he has a no trade clause the options are even further limited. Kobe has mentioned three teams he would waive this no trade for:
Chicago
New York
LA CLippers
Playing in a major market is obviously crucial to Kobe so New York would be ideal but there is not enough pieces there to make a deal. Atlanta was not of the OK'd teams but a packing starting with Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams would be interesting to LA.The Clippers have no chance at all so that leaves Chicago. Kobe would love to replicate MJ and would have a realistic shot to take the Bulls to the NBA finals in his first year.
The deal on the table is something along these lines, these are the principals involved:
To LA : Andres Nocioni (Sign & Trade) ,Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon
To Chi: Kobe Bryant, Ronny Turiaf
There may also be other salary fodder thrown in to make the deal happen and maybe a swap of draft picks as well.
Kobe has once again requested a trade out of LA. The Lakers will not trade him to a Western Conference team and since he has a no trade clause the options are even further limited. Kobe has mentioned three teams he would waive this no trade for:
Chicago
New York
LA CLippers
Playing in a major market is obviously crucial to Kobe so New York would be ideal but there is not enough pieces there to make a deal. Atlanta was not of the OK'd teams but a packing starting with Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams would be interesting to LA.The Clippers have no chance at all so that leaves Chicago. Kobe would love to replicate MJ and would have a realistic shot to take the Bulls to the NBA finals in his first year.
The deal on the table is something along these lines, these are the principals involved:
To LA : Andres Nocioni (Sign & Trade) ,Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon
To Chi: Kobe Bryant, Ronny Turiaf
There may also be other salary fodder thrown in to make the deal happen and maybe a swap of draft picks as well.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Latest News..............Team Private Workouts Commence
***SCROLL DOWN FOR MOCK DRAFT 1***
As of June 5th teams have scheduled workouts for top prospects on their boards. As workout info is known it will be incorporated into the latest mock.
Trade talk : Boston seems to be in the mix with many teams/scenarios wanting a crack at the #5. Potential partners include Chicago, Golden State, and Houston. Charlotte is active as well having the #8 and #22 picks.
Seattle with #2 and #31 and Phoenix with #24 & #29 have been very active as well. A Marion trade may be the centerpiece in a blockbuster trade come draft night (Celtics can dangle D.West, Theo Ratliff expiring,Gerald Green, and #5 pick)........................Robert Swift may be available for the right price from Seattle.
Stuckey to the Pistons? Rumored guarantee which may be garbage but it makes sense that the Pistons are interested at #15. I think he could go as high as #11 or at #13 would work also.
Marvin Williams available? The Hawks may be interested in moving Williams, the price will be steep but they are looking for another impact rookie to go with Mike Conley Jr.
As of June 5th teams have scheduled workouts for top prospects on their boards. As workout info is known it will be incorporated into the latest mock.
Trade talk : Boston seems to be in the mix with many teams/scenarios wanting a crack at the #5. Potential partners include Chicago, Golden State, and Houston. Charlotte is active as well having the #8 and #22 picks.
Seattle with #2 and #31 and Phoenix with #24 & #29 have been very active as well. A Marion trade may be the centerpiece in a blockbuster trade come draft night (Celtics can dangle D.West, Theo Ratliff expiring,Gerald Green, and #5 pick)........................Robert Swift may be available for the right price from Seattle.
Stuckey to the Pistons? Rumored guarantee which may be garbage but it makes sense that the Pistons are interested at #15. I think he could go as high as #11 or at #13 would work also.
Marvin Williams available? The Hawks may be interested in moving Williams, the price will be steep but they are looking for another impact rookie to go with Mike Conley Jr.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Full First Round Mock - Yes Finally!
This is in actual draft order except for the four playoff teams left. I still think this is one of the best drafts on paper that I've seen in the last ten years.
I would not be surprised to see 8-10 perennial all-stars and a handful of solid starters as well. Some international players may even be squeezed out of the first round due to the influx of American talent eligible this season.
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas
3. Atlanta Mike Conley PG Ohio State
4. Memphis Brendan Wright F UNC
5. Boston Al Horford F Florida
6. Milwaukee Corey Brewer G Florida
7. Minnesota Al Thornton F Florida State
8. Charlotte Julian Wright F Kansas
9. Chicago Yi Jianlian F China
10. Sacramento Jeff Green F Georgetown
11. Atlanta Jason Smith C Colorado
12. Philadelphia Joakim Noah F Florida
13. New Orleans Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech
14. LAC Nick Young G USC
15. Detroit Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech
16. Washington Spencer Hawes C Washington
17. New Jersey Josh McRoberts F Duke
18. Golden State Acie Law PG Texas A&M
19. LAL Aaron Affalo G UCLA
20. Miami Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College)
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice
22. Charlotte Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington
23. New York Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt
24. Phoenix Tiago Splitter F Brazil
25. Utah Aaron Gray C Pitt
26. Houston Rudy Fernandez PG Spain
27. Detroit Jared Dudley F Boston College
28. San Antonio Devon Hardin C California
29. Phoenix Daequan Cook G Ohio State
30. Philadelphia Marcus Williams F Arizona
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Glen Davis F LSU
Marc Gasol C Spain
Marco Belinelli SG Italy
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Jared Jordan PG Marist (Boston rumored to be interested in 2nd round)
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton (stock rising)
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada (going back to school?)
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC (Stock Rising)
Nick Fazekas F Nevada
Sean Singletary G Virginia
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
Ante Tomic C Croatia (Out of Draft 6/5/07)
I would not be surprised to see 8-10 perennial all-stars and a handful of solid starters as well. Some international players may even be squeezed out of the first round due to the influx of American talent eligible this season.
1. Portland Greg Oden C Ohio State
2. Seattle Kevin Durant F Texas
3. Atlanta Mike Conley PG Ohio State
4. Memphis Brendan Wright F UNC
5. Boston Al Horford F Florida
6. Milwaukee Corey Brewer G Florida
7. Minnesota Al Thornton F Florida State
8. Charlotte Julian Wright F Kansas
9. Chicago Yi Jianlian F China
10. Sacramento Jeff Green F Georgetown
11. Atlanta Jason Smith C Colorado
12. Philadelphia Joakim Noah F Florida
13. New Orleans Thaddeus Young F Georgia Tech
14. LAC Nick Young G USC
15. Detroit Javaris Crittendon PG Georgia Tech
16. Washington Spencer Hawes C Washington
17. New Jersey Josh McRoberts F Duke
18. Golden State Acie Law PG Texas A&M
19. LAL Aaron Affalo G UCLA
20. Miami Sean Williams C (formerly of Boston College)
21. Philadelphia Morris Almond G Rice
22. Charlotte Rodney Stuckey F E.Washington
23. New York Derrick Byars F Vanderbilt
24. Phoenix Tiago Splitter F Brazil
25. Utah Aaron Gray C Pitt
26. Houston Rudy Fernandez PG Spain
27. Detroit Jared Dudley F Boston College
28. San Antonio Devon Hardin C California
29. Phoenix Daequan Cook G Ohio State
30. Philadelphia Marcus Williams F Arizona
Second round projections (In order of projected draft position)
DJ Strawberry G Maryland
Glen Davis F LSU
Marc Gasol C Spain
Marco Belinelli SG Italy
Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin
Brandon Heath SG San Diego St.
Jared Jordan PG Marist (Boston rumored to be interested in 2nd round)
Bobby Brown G Cal-Fullerton (stock rising)
Ivan Radenovic PF Arizona
Gabe Pruitt F USC
Ramon Sessions PG Nevada (going back to school?)
Herbert Hill F Providence
Reyshawn Terry F UNC (Stock Rising)
Nick Fazekas F Nevada
Sean Singletary G Virginia
Ron Lewis SG Ohio State
DaShaun Wood PG Wright State
Demetrius Nichols F Syracuse
Jamar Wilson G Albany
Ante Tomic C Croatia (Out of Draft 6/5/07)
Monday, May 14, 2007
NBA Draft Lottery May 22nd
Lottery is 8 days from now so be on the look out for Mock Draft #1. Sorry for the wait but at this point I think it's the right thing to do. I've put a ton of work into this draft already and cant wait to get going so stop emailing me, I'm busy!!!!!!!!
Will Yi Jianlian go in the top 3?. Will Joakim Noah crack the top five? Is Julian Wright Overrated?
Stay Tuned!
As always this is the site to for the real opinion on the draft. No bias or agendas here. We may not be the flashiest but look at the past successes and predictions.
Will Yi Jianlian go in the top 3?. Will Joakim Noah crack the top five? Is Julian Wright Overrated?
Stay Tuned!
As always this is the site to for the real opinion on the draft. No bias or agendas here. We may not be the flashiest but look at the past successes and predictions.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Underclassmen who are eligible for the draft
All Likely first rounders below:
In:
Mike Conley Jr. G Ohio State
Daequan Cook G Ohio State
Nick Young G USC
Marcus Williams G/F Arizona
Nick Fazekas F Nevada
Gabe Pruitt G USC
Sean Singletary G Virginia
Arron Affalo G UCLA
Kevin Durant F Texas
Julian Wright F Kansas
Dominic James G Marquette
Josh McRoberts F Duke
Glen Davis F LSU
In:
Al Horford F Florida
Joakim Noah F Florida
Corey Brewer G/F Florida
Taurean Green G Florida
Jeff Green F Georgetown
Roy Hibbert C Georgetown
Mike Conley Jr. G Ohio State
Daequan Cook G Ohio State
Nick Young G USC
Marcus Williams G/F Arizona
Nick Fazekas F Nevada
Gabe Pruitt G USC
Sean Singletary G Virginia
Arron Affalo G UCLA
Kevin Durant F Texas
Julian Wright F Kansas
Dominic James G Marquette
Josh McRoberts F Duke
Glen Davis F LSU
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Update on some big names and where they stand at the moment
Roy Hibbert C Georgetown - Will be coming out as he has worked his way to be a top ten pick. I am impressed with his passing skills for a big man and I think top 10 is justifiable. This isn't Patrick O'Bryant , lot of growth potential here.
Ron Lewis G Ohio State - Should get a look in the second round from teams looking for a shooter, his overall game can't be overlooked though. Solid throughout and is an above average athlete. Reminds me of a poor mans Michael Redd.
Tyler Hansbrough F North Carolina - Still undersized but as tough as they come. Plays with a lot of passion and will do the dirty things that can be the difference between a win and a loss. Will not be a dominant player in the NBA. Late first rounder.
Mike Conley Jr. PG Ohio State - Has outstanding court awareness for a freshman. Can put up points if he needs to. Top 15 pick right now.
Ty Lawson PG North Carolina - Of he comes out he is a top twenty pick mainly due to a lack of strong competition at PG in this years draft. I think he needs one more season and learn how to play more under control.
Joakim Noah F Florida - Anyone who takes him in the top ten should be fired on the spot. He is what he is, a high motor energy guy. He can help on the right team but you cant expect him to be your franchise cornerstone as a top ten pick should be. One of the sorriest offensive players I have ever seen mentioned as a top pick. Mutombo was more advanced back in the Georgetown days than Noah is now.
Josh McRoberts F Duke - Has announced he is entering the NBA Draft. He should go in the 18-25 range. Does a lot of things well and has good size.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis F LSU - Also has announced his decision to go pro. Has lost a lot of weight and is more mobile but still not sure where he fits in the NBA. Measurements will be a key for him. As of right now he is in picks 28-35 range.
Ron Lewis G Ohio State - Should get a look in the second round from teams looking for a shooter, his overall game can't be overlooked though. Solid throughout and is an above average athlete. Reminds me of a poor mans Michael Redd.
Tyler Hansbrough F North Carolina - Still undersized but as tough as they come. Plays with a lot of passion and will do the dirty things that can be the difference between a win and a loss. Will not be a dominant player in the NBA. Late first rounder.
Mike Conley Jr. PG Ohio State - Has outstanding court awareness for a freshman. Can put up points if he needs to. Top 15 pick right now.
Ty Lawson PG North Carolina - Of he comes out he is a top twenty pick mainly due to a lack of strong competition at PG in this years draft. I think he needs one more season and learn how to play more under control.
Joakim Noah F Florida - Anyone who takes him in the top ten should be fired on the spot. He is what he is, a high motor energy guy. He can help on the right team but you cant expect him to be your franchise cornerstone as a top ten pick should be. One of the sorriest offensive players I have ever seen mentioned as a top pick. Mutombo was more advanced back in the Georgetown days than Noah is now.
Josh McRoberts F Duke - Has announced he is entering the NBA Draft. He should go in the 18-25 range. Does a lot of things well and has good size.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis F LSU - Also has announced his decision to go pro. Has lost a lot of weight and is more mobile but still not sure where he fits in the NBA. Measurements will be a key for him. As of right now he is in picks 28-35 range.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Pre NCAA Tourney Info
OK heres the deal. The tourney is about to start and this is where players can seemingly come out of nowwhere and rise up the draft board.
Couple Players to watch besides the big names like Oden, Durant, etc...........
Jeff Green F Georgetown - Big East Player of the Year. Can carry a team on his shoulders, plays within the team and can do basically anything on the court at a high level. Hard to label because he can do so many things, just watch and see for yourself. He has been on the late first round bubble all year but now he can really shoot up the board with a strong performance in the tourney.
Bryce Taylor G Oregon - Listed as a generous 6-5 according to Oregon Sports Info Dept. I see him around 6-2 but thats not the point, he is a tough player as he is not afraid to bang down low but he really shines offensively. Is having a nice rebound season after a disappointing sophomore year. His problem will be playing the point in the pros, I think if he can show that he can, he is in the first round no question.
Jared Dudley G/F Boston College - Has been facing double coverage every game since Sean Williams was suspended. Look at the stats as it hasnt affected his numbers much but you can see it is wearing him down. I think this will help him immensely in the NBA as he wont face this type of attention. He is a pure scorer and a good rebounder as well, I compare his college game to Paul Pierce.
Sean Singletary G Virginia - Exciting performer in the tough ACC conference. More of a scorer than a true point. Needs to shoot with more consistency. Reminds me of a bigger Nate Robinson.
Also on Virgina, J.R Reynolds is an intriging prospect as well.
Jamar Wilson G Albany - May only get one chance to see him in the tourney unless they pull a major upset. What your getting with Wilson is one of the best players in the NCAA. Had he played for a higher profile school you may be hearing about him in the late first round of the draft. He is undersized for sure but a good rebounded and his effort alone should get him in the second round, and I think he will stick with the right team.
DJ Strawberry G Maryland - Will be a late first round pick. Has improved every year at Maryland. One of the best one on one defenders in the entire NCAA. His offense is based on a slashing type of game, but can shoot above average as well. Safe pick will make a strong team even stronger.
Couple Players to watch besides the big names like Oden, Durant, etc...........
Jeff Green F Georgetown - Big East Player of the Year. Can carry a team on his shoulders, plays within the team and can do basically anything on the court at a high level. Hard to label because he can do so many things, just watch and see for yourself. He has been on the late first round bubble all year but now he can really shoot up the board with a strong performance in the tourney.
Bryce Taylor G Oregon - Listed as a generous 6-5 according to Oregon Sports Info Dept. I see him around 6-2 but thats not the point, he is a tough player as he is not afraid to bang down low but he really shines offensively. Is having a nice rebound season after a disappointing sophomore year. His problem will be playing the point in the pros, I think if he can show that he can, he is in the first round no question.
Jared Dudley G/F Boston College - Has been facing double coverage every game since Sean Williams was suspended. Look at the stats as it hasnt affected his numbers much but you can see it is wearing him down. I think this will help him immensely in the NBA as he wont face this type of attention. He is a pure scorer and a good rebounder as well, I compare his college game to Paul Pierce.
Sean Singletary G Virginia - Exciting performer in the tough ACC conference. More of a scorer than a true point. Needs to shoot with more consistency. Reminds me of a bigger Nate Robinson.
Also on Virgina, J.R Reynolds is an intriging prospect as well.
Jamar Wilson G Albany - May only get one chance to see him in the tourney unless they pull a major upset. What your getting with Wilson is one of the best players in the NCAA. Had he played for a higher profile school you may be hearing about him in the late first round of the draft. He is undersized for sure but a good rebounded and his effort alone should get him in the second round, and I think he will stick with the right team.
DJ Strawberry G Maryland - Will be a late first round pick. Has improved every year at Maryland. One of the best one on one defenders in the entire NCAA. His offense is based on a slashing type of game, but can shoot above average as well. Safe pick will make a strong team even stronger.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Mock Draft 1.0 -Lottery
Mock Draft time, I've watched a ton of NCAA games so far and have avoided putting together a mock until now. This draft is almost surreal, there are teams tanking the season in February just to get a shot at the top of the draft. Everyone knows the top two picks but aftet them the draft still looks very deep, especially with freshmen. Draft order is assumed at this point.
1. Boston Greg Oden C Ohio State - This Celtics team is an absolute monstrosity, mainly due to youth and injuries. I think management realizes if there is ever a year to throw in the towel this is it. With the selection of Oden I think you can pencil in the Celtics as a legit Eastern Conference contender right away. This kid is that good, and people need to realize Oden is playing hurt and without the full use of his dominant hand.
2. Memphis Kevin Durant F Texas - The entire package. I have seen impact freshman like Big Dog and Melo but Durant is really on another level. He is a legit 6'9 with a 7'2 wingspan, the comparison you see a lot is Kevin Garnett but Durant is much more fluid with the dribble and has a very good outside shot. He has already shown the ability to take over games and is contantly taking on double teams due to a mediocre Texas team this season. What a consolation prize.
3. Philadelphia Brandon Wright F North Carolina - Another freshman sensation but not on the same level as the previous two above. Really a force down low despite not having a big frame, will need to add muscle. One of the quickest big men in the NCAA. Would be a great fit in an up tempo offense that already has a proven scorer. The are concerns on whether he has the makeup to push himself to be a true star in the NBA.
4. Charlotte Spencer Hawes F Washington - This big man was initially going to enter the NBA draft coming out of high school but had to change his plans when the NBA instituted the one year in college rule. I had seen him in the McDonald's game where he looked good but didnt really stand out but after catching him play this season he looks like he has added muscle and shown more go to moves. He plays center now but would be outsized in a lot of matchups in the NBA, he will need to show more facing the basket skills and the ability to match up with bigger forwards/centers.
5. Phoenix (from Atlanta) Joakim Noah F Florida - Would have gone #1 overall if he entered last seasons draft. Very high motor and will do the dirty work to get wins. He could get bounced around a lot down low in the NBA and while he shoots a high FG percentage it's mainly due to putbacks and close range shots. He needs to show he can shoot effectively out to the foul line extended. Should be solid NBA player and is the "safe" pick in the lottery.
6. New Orleans Robin Lopez C Stanford - Legit seven footer, looks to me like the more polished of the brothers. True Center to a T. Very strong rebounder and also defends well, could help a teams front line immediately.
7. Seattle Julian Wright F Kansas - Wright really does a lot of things well but I'm not sure where his best skill lies. What really impresses me about Wright is his ball handling ability for a player of his size. He looks for the drive a lot and due to his quickness he can succeed doing that in college. His outside game will need to greatly improve to be a complete player.
8. Milwaukee Josh McRoberts F Duke - Another versatile player who looks like he could potentially be the star on the team but really isn't. Similar to Julian Wright but he has a much better shooting game and worse athletic ability. Outstanding length but will need to bulk out to play in the post in the NBA.
9. Portland Corey Brewer F Florida - Really think this kid is going to be a star in the NBA. Solid shooter, great athlete, and has good ball handling ability for a 6'8 player. Will play a lot of SG in the NBA. One of the best defenders I've seen so far this season.
10. Sacramento Al Horford F Florida - The third Florida Gator that will be drafted in the lottery. He gets over shadowed on this team at times but has a lot of skills that will translate to the next level. One is his shooting touch for a big man. he can stretch defenses out to the foul line and really open up an offense. Another is his size and hustle, can scrap for rebounds with anybody and showed that he can hold his own against bigger players like Greg Oden.
11. Chicago (from New York) Chase Budinger SG/SG Arizona - Projects to be a big time scorer after his one season in Zona. Is a true gunner in every sense, has great size and has no problem getting his shot off. One of the best athletes in the draft, rare skill for a white guy.
12. New Jersey Aaron Gray C Pittsburg - True center who has shown improvement this season. Still looks a little slow to me but can rebound and play effectively in the post. Will never be a dominant player or a star but can't be passed up here for a team desperate for size and good psot play.
13. Golden State Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin - Preseason Big Ten player of the year which says a lot in a loaded conference. Could be the national player of the year by the end of the season. Reminds me of a more offensively polished Tony Allen. Has also great defensive skills and runs the floor as good as anyone in the draft. Very versatile, in a lot of drafts he would go a lot higher.
On the bubble of the Lottery.
Acie Law G Texas A&M
Aaron Affalo G UCLA
Marcus Williams SG Arizona
Mike Conley Jr PG Ohio State
Yi Jianlian C China
Dominic James PG Marquette
Daequan Cook G Ohio State
1. Boston Greg Oden C Ohio State - This Celtics team is an absolute monstrosity, mainly due to youth and injuries. I think management realizes if there is ever a year to throw in the towel this is it. With the selection of Oden I think you can pencil in the Celtics as a legit Eastern Conference contender right away. This kid is that good, and people need to realize Oden is playing hurt and without the full use of his dominant hand.
2. Memphis Kevin Durant F Texas - The entire package. I have seen impact freshman like Big Dog and Melo but Durant is really on another level. He is a legit 6'9 with a 7'2 wingspan, the comparison you see a lot is Kevin Garnett but Durant is much more fluid with the dribble and has a very good outside shot. He has already shown the ability to take over games and is contantly taking on double teams due to a mediocre Texas team this season. What a consolation prize.
3. Philadelphia Brandon Wright F North Carolina - Another freshman sensation but not on the same level as the previous two above. Really a force down low despite not having a big frame, will need to add muscle. One of the quickest big men in the NCAA. Would be a great fit in an up tempo offense that already has a proven scorer. The are concerns on whether he has the makeup to push himself to be a true star in the NBA.
4. Charlotte Spencer Hawes F Washington - This big man was initially going to enter the NBA draft coming out of high school but had to change his plans when the NBA instituted the one year in college rule. I had seen him in the McDonald's game where he looked good but didnt really stand out but after catching him play this season he looks like he has added muscle and shown more go to moves. He plays center now but would be outsized in a lot of matchups in the NBA, he will need to show more facing the basket skills and the ability to match up with bigger forwards/centers.
5. Phoenix (from Atlanta) Joakim Noah F Florida - Would have gone #1 overall if he entered last seasons draft. Very high motor and will do the dirty work to get wins. He could get bounced around a lot down low in the NBA and while he shoots a high FG percentage it's mainly due to putbacks and close range shots. He needs to show he can shoot effectively out to the foul line extended. Should be solid NBA player and is the "safe" pick in the lottery.
6. New Orleans Robin Lopez C Stanford - Legit seven footer, looks to me like the more polished of the brothers. True Center to a T. Very strong rebounder and also defends well, could help a teams front line immediately.
7. Seattle Julian Wright F Kansas - Wright really does a lot of things well but I'm not sure where his best skill lies. What really impresses me about Wright is his ball handling ability for a player of his size. He looks for the drive a lot and due to his quickness he can succeed doing that in college. His outside game will need to greatly improve to be a complete player.
8. Milwaukee Josh McRoberts F Duke - Another versatile player who looks like he could potentially be the star on the team but really isn't. Similar to Julian Wright but he has a much better shooting game and worse athletic ability. Outstanding length but will need to bulk out to play in the post in the NBA.
9. Portland Corey Brewer F Florida - Really think this kid is going to be a star in the NBA. Solid shooter, great athlete, and has good ball handling ability for a 6'8 player. Will play a lot of SG in the NBA. One of the best defenders I've seen so far this season.
10. Sacramento Al Horford F Florida - The third Florida Gator that will be drafted in the lottery. He gets over shadowed on this team at times but has a lot of skills that will translate to the next level. One is his shooting touch for a big man. he can stretch defenses out to the foul line and really open up an offense. Another is his size and hustle, can scrap for rebounds with anybody and showed that he can hold his own against bigger players like Greg Oden.
11. Chicago (from New York) Chase Budinger SG/SG Arizona - Projects to be a big time scorer after his one season in Zona. Is a true gunner in every sense, has great size and has no problem getting his shot off. One of the best athletes in the draft, rare skill for a white guy.
12. New Jersey Aaron Gray C Pittsburg - True center who has shown improvement this season. Still looks a little slow to me but can rebound and play effectively in the post. Will never be a dominant player or a star but can't be passed up here for a team desperate for size and good psot play.
13. Golden State Alondo Tucker F Wisconsin - Preseason Big Ten player of the year which says a lot in a loaded conference. Could be the national player of the year by the end of the season. Reminds me of a more offensively polished Tony Allen. Has also great defensive skills and runs the floor as good as anyone in the draft. Very versatile, in a lot of drafts he would go a lot higher.
On the bubble of the Lottery.
Acie Law G Texas A&M
Aaron Affalo G UCLA
Marcus Williams SG Arizona
Mike Conley Jr PG Ohio State
Yi Jianlian C China
Dominic James PG Marquette
Daequan Cook G Ohio State
Monday, January 01, 2007
Random Thoughts For The New Year
- Right now Kevin Durant is the best player in the NCAA right now and yes he is a freshman, reminds me of Syracuse when Carmelo was there for that one season. No one is saying this but Durant could be the #1 overall pick in the draft.
- Jared Dudley should be a first round pick in June but will slip due to the depth of this draft. He has carried a mediocre BC team on his back until he got injured.
- Sean Williams WILL be a first round pick in June. He added muscle and more offensive moves in the offseason. Had a triple double last night, and changes players shots more than anyone I can think of. I think he will go 10-15th overall.
- Greg Oden can start for 80-90% of NBA teams RIGHT NOW. He has been dominating using his non-dominate hand except in the Florida game due to foul trouble. Daequan Cook is damn good as well.
-Florida has a great shot of repeating this season, too many weapons (Noah, Horford, and Brewer all NBA material) and Horford has really shown serious improvement.
-Aaron Gray has put in a lot of work on his game and it shows but he is still slow and I question his overall effectiveness as a starter in the NBA
- Jared Dudley should be a first round pick in June but will slip due to the depth of this draft. He has carried a mediocre BC team on his back until he got injured.
- Sean Williams WILL be a first round pick in June. He added muscle and more offensive moves in the offseason. Had a triple double last night, and changes players shots more than anyone I can think of. I think he will go 10-15th overall.
- Greg Oden can start for 80-90% of NBA teams RIGHT NOW. He has been dominating using his non-dominate hand except in the Florida game due to foul trouble. Daequan Cook is damn good as well.
-Florida has a great shot of repeating this season, too many weapons (Noah, Horford, and Brewer all NBA material) and Horford has really shown serious improvement.
-Aaron Gray has put in a lot of work on his game and it shows but he is still slow and I question his overall effectiveness as a starter in the NBA
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