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29th June, 2006 - 6:11 am
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Iverson With The Knicks, Joe Alexander, Lincecum's Cy Young & More
Allen Iverson and the Knicks is a marriage out of necessity, forecasting Joe Alexander's future, why there hasn't been any players compared to Magic or Bird, plus Tim Lincecum's Cy Young and the possibility of Pacquiao/Mayweather at Cowboys Stadium.
STANDING 10: Retire Me Not
Even though LeBron James is well-intentioned in his hope of the NBA retiring #23, there are so many problems with this notion that it is difficult to find a place to begin.
TEAM RANKINGS: NBA Power Rankings For The Week Of November 12th
While the Cetlics remain an easy number one in our rankings, Greg Oden and the Blazers have moved up to the second slot, ahead of Dallas, Miami and the Lakers.
LOCKER TALK: Nash, Cleveland, & Orlando
Steve Nash could draw trade interest this summer and Cleveland isn’t overlooking Orlando…
PLAYER RANKINGS: The Final NBA Player Rankings For The 2008-09 Season
The 2008-09 season is in the books and how did players rank individually?
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By J.T. Magee
Power Forward. Italy (Benetton Treviso)
People were joking about Phoenix trading up in this draft for him because they knew the Suns’ brass were high on him. Turns out, Bryan Colangelo gets his man at 1. I really like him, but only if he is never used as a small forward. If he ever plays the 3, he will be an even bigger bust than Nikoloz Tskitishvili, because they will have passed on many players that fit a need and are sure bets in Randy Foye and Brandon Roy. Bargnani even said it himself on media day: “The 3 on defense is very tough to guard smaller players. I think I am a 4.”
He is an offensive juggernaut, but he will have to work on his rebounding in order to become the player he’s capable of being. Fran Fraschilla of ESPN said it best: Dirk Nowitzki wasn’t a great rebounder coming into the NBA.
Power Forward. Texas
Portland completely reshaped their franchise in a single day. Beginning with Aldridge, he has the tools to be an all-around power forward/center. He’s a perimeter player right now, but once he gets his body to fill out and he gets a little nastier in the post, he will be fine.
Guard/Forward. Gonzaga
Charlotte has done a great job building through the draft. They are starting to prove people wrong that teams cannot build through the draft. They may have a tough time retaining all of these players (see: Golden State’s current predicament), but there’s no doubt that if everyone stays healthy, this team can make the playoffs, as in next year. They lost that many close games and he surely will be the difference maker between those close games.
Power Forward. LSU
Chicago gets their man, as well as a couple more pieces. Other than Gay, Thomas has the highest ceiling and by going to a playoff team, he has the best chance to become the greatest player in this draft. His instincts and timing on defense is uncanny. He has the heart and wears his emotions on his sleeve. Sounds like a Scott Skiles guy, but is he comfortable playing power forward?
Forward/Center. Duke
Williams is the interior defender they needed, but it is tough to get too excited about such a safe pick. He also will not demand many touches on offense. Five is high for a role player, but in this draft, that’s all they need.
Shooting Guard. Washington
For the second time in this draft, Portland got their man. Scoring on the wings won’t be a problem for the new Blazers, as he will be paired with fellow Washington-native Martell Webster. Head Coach Nate McMillan didn’t get Mario. He got All-Star Super Mario. Great trade for the Blazers, but a crafty move by the Timberwolves.
Guard. Villanova
Minnesota goes home with Foye and got a little extra in the process, thanks to the friendship of two former Celtics. He may not be a pure point guard, but who is these days? Foye can score and that is what they are going to need this season. The ball runs through Kevin Garnett’s hands anyways, so Foye will have the chance to put up anywhere from 12-17 points per as the secondary option on offense, pending a Ricky Davis deal. In this situation, Roy becomes a ROY favorite.
Small Forward. Connecticut
This was a great, great trade for both teams. Gay will immediately become the Grizzlies starting small forward and will flourish under the guidance of Mike Fratello. It is surprising that he went so low, but coming into the league with a chip on your shoulder isn’t the worst thing for a player that many feel has difficulty motivating himself.
Center. Bradley
Homework that is turned in late can still get graded. Patrick O’Bryant worked out for Golden State on Monday morning, and Chris Mullin must have seen enough to draft him. He has the potential to become a nice complement to Andris Biedrins, but he’s going to take a while to develop. Sometimes drafting for need can be bad, as the Warriors did with Todd Fuller and Adonal Foyle, passing on Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady in those respective years. O’Bryant is a bland individual and doesn’t appear to have much passion for the game.
Forward/Center. Senegal (Verviers-Pepinster/Be
Well, Jack Sikma can coach big men and he gets another project here. Both Johan Petro and Robert Swift made a lot of strides last season. Can he work the same magic with Sene? Sene has all the tools in the world, but after seeing him walk up the aisle right below us, he definitely needs to add 20 pounds of muscle. Minimum. But he has the drive and potential to be a nice complement to Chris Wilcox. The Sonics have to be patient with him, if he does decide to come over. Two months with Sikma and the centers, then the rest of the season in the NBDL could really be beneficial for the NBA’s first YouTube phenom.
Shooting Guard. Duke
After speaking with some Magic fans while traveling around with them in Italy, they said one thing: Orlando needs some shooters. While I thought Redick could fall because Brewer was a better fit to be paired with Nelson, Redick can get a lot of open shots with Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic manning the post. He may have more facets to his game than he was able to show at Duke, but he will have to work very hard to prove he’s worth being taken ahead of such players as Brewer, Rodney Carney and even Thabo Sefolosha.
Center. Connecticut
I’m not surprised at all by this pick. I’ve said the Hornets should fill the frontcourt with him and Simmons and I was right. I can’t remember if I had them both going in 6.0, but they had one of the better drafts. Being able to obtain every player they wanted, including Veira de Souza in the second, who they were thinking about at 15, was nice. Armstrong is a late bloomer. If he can show the growth and a little more consistency, he will become PJ Brown Part Deux.
Shooting Guard. Italy (Angelico Biella)
I’ve never seen Sefolosha play, except for a few highlights (an upgrade from two!) but I trust Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress on him, who was ahead of the curve in hyping this kid back in November. He has the body to be a big NBA off guard. Apparently, the Bulls likes him and knew he was going to be drafted by either New Orleans/Oklahoma City or Utah, so they made the right move in giving up a little dough and a future second rounder for him.
Shooting Guard. Arkansas
Deron Williams may not be the scoring guard Jameer Nelson is, but it always helps to have another player who can bring the ball up the court and make life easier against the Monta Ellis’s of the NBA world. He can come in and play immediately. He may not be a Jeff Hornacek or a Raja Bell, but he is more versatile then either of them on offense.
Forward/Center. N.C. State
Like I said, the Hornets were able to fill out their frontcourt. They drafted Simmons, who I said knew their type of system, which will help ease his transition. He is a potential-laden player with a lot to offer on both ends of the floor. He wasn’t a go-to guy at N.C. State, so he’s a little behind some players his age. When he just plays, instead of thinking about playing, he excels. But with the right amount of time spent coming off the bench and getting spot duty down in the NBDL, and by spot I mean maybe three games, he won’t have to think as much.
Guard/Forward. Memphis
This pick was made for Philadelphia. They did a favor for Chicago and got the player they wanted as well as an additional pick. Carney has lockdown capabilities and would benefit from not being the offensive focus, which he wouldn’t be if Iverson stays. Quite an overlap with Andre Iguodola, but not necessarily a problem.
Small Forward. Memphis
While I could say it’s a definite reach, and it could be, Larry Bird did say he had his guy lined up the entire time. What was confusing is that he also said he would take the best available point, 2-guard or big man. Williams is a small forward, just like Danny Granger. Could he be trying to package him in a trade later on? Either way, Williams has the potential to be a nice all-around small forward and better than Carney, but he has to show consistency when it comes to rebounding and defense. Same thing could be said about Rashard Lewis and he was an All-Star.
Power Forward. Ukraine (Paris Racing)
Apparently, the Wizards had a promise to him. Some people compare him to Keith Van Horn, but if the kid actually bangs and tried to rebound, then he could be better than Van Horn.
Guard. Rutgers
According to NBAdraft.net, he was promised here. Douby certainly fits the Bobby Jackson-like role off the bench, but he’s a much better shooter and passer at this stage in their careers. Can he score like Jackson in the NBA? It remains to be seen because his body may not be able to handle an 82-game grind. But there’s no doubt he can score. If he can come off the bench, giving Mike Bibby enough rest and get everyone involved, then he will make that promise look very, very good.
Forward. South Carolina
Could he be the Charlie Villanueva of the draft? Everyone initially hated the pick and bashed it, same with Villanueva, maybe not so much for the player, but for the location of the pick. There were a lot of questions about what the GM was thinking and that they reached way too far. Isiah Thomas wants to build a fast team. And here’s where the kicker comes in.
Newsday’s Greg Logan reported that Phoenix was going to draft him at 27, perhaps easing the loss of Shawn Marion if he is eventually dealt.
I loved what I saw from Balkman at the Pre-Draft camp in Orlando, but felt he could have used one more year. But why not take a kid the team you intend to pattern your own club after also coveted?
Point Guard. Kentucky
Danny Ainge was high on him, so much that he was able to get two point guards he wanted in Sebastian Telfair and Rondo. I really like Rondo and in Boston he could flourish. He may be another year away because his jump shot isn’t there, but there’s no denying how much he and Telfair could get Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak open looks.
Point Guard. Connecticut
The last player left in the Green Room turned out to be drafted in the best possible place: right behind a Hall-of-Famer. He can come off the bench and get in shape at the same time. He can learn the nuances of the thought process of true point guards. This is the obvious steal of the draft. Williams has some holes in his game and his fitness is poor, but should come in motivated.
Power Forward. Connecticut
All they need is some shot blocking, rebounding on both ends of the floor and hustle, that is exactly what Boone brings to the table. might be better off the bench at first, but he has the size and intangibles to help the Nets out on the glass, where they were exploited in the postseason.
Point Guard. Villanova
Jerry West found his backup point in Lowry. After going back and watching a little bit of him, I am surprised everyone says he can’t shoot. How many shots did he take from 3 throughout the season? 18. Why should he shoot when there are proven shooters around him, but his form and lift on his jumper looked great. He may be a bit small and may play out of control at times, but has heart and handle getting to the hoop more than make up for it.
Shooting Guard. Michigan State
Seems like a Mike Brown pick. Brown can score from anywhere on the court, although he’s not the shooter someone like Quincy Douby is. He’s built like a strong safety and with that strength and speed helps him out against taller guards on the perimeter. They don’t need a traditional point guard because the ball is in LeBron James’s hands the majority of the time anyways. I like Brown and wasn’t sure if he made the right choice entering the draft. Now, I know he made the right choice. He’ll be fine backing up Eric Snow.
Point Guard. UCLA
The triangle isn’t predicated on a pure point guard, but having one can certainly help. Adding Farmar makes their team more lethal in the sense they know what they can do. He can D up right away and run the floor. He’s right behind Marcus Williams in regards to being a floor general, but he doesn’t have the shot selection or the set shot that Phil Jackson likes out of his point guards.
Point Guard. Spain (Adecco Estudiantes)
Rodriguez is a vastly underrated player. His man-to-man D is bad right now, but he has the tools and timing to become a solid defender. He was playing very well at the end of the season for Adecco Estudiantes. Everyone says he can’t go left, but it’s a matter of choice. If no one can stop you, even though the scouting report is the same, why change? That attitude will have to change in the NBA, but Portland lands another gem they can develop slowly. It may not be the destination he wanted to go to right away, but Rodriguez, the best point guard out of this crop in terms of running the pick & roll, will become a fine pro. But he has to work on his man-to-man D.
Shooting Guard. Michigan State
I thought this was a solid pick by Dallas. They solidified their frontcourt and they drafted a 2/3 that can come in and produce immediately. He has the tenacity, defense and range on his shot to produce immediately, something you would want out of a 22-year-old. He may have a hard time getting playing time at first, but once he cracks the rotation for 15 minutes, he will find that his role is simply to make plays and knocks down open shots.
Guard. Temple
Collins is the unselfish point guard they were looking for. He may be oversized, but that complements each guard the Knicks have. He was on the A-10 All-Defensive Team, so that says a lot about his D. But he just knows how to play the game. Can he play in a fast-paced setting? Probably, but playing slow-it-way-down ball at Temple may say otherwise.
Power Forward. England
They can stash him overseas and let him develop against great competition for a kid his age in Spain. He will be looking for a good European contract and I know someone in Serbia who would love to get him over there. If both international and NBA players only have high praise for the kid, then it is saying something. He’s athletic, tall and communicates. Something I want out of my face-up power forward.
Second Round
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Shooting Guard. Cincinnati
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Small Forward. Marquette
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Center. South Florida
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Forward/Center. Michigan State
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Guard/Forward. Texas
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Power Forward. Boston College
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Shooting Guard. Washington
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Center. Serbia & Montenegro (Partizan
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Small Forward. North Carolina
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Shooting Guard. Connecticut
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Power Forward. Illinois
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Point Guard. Texas
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Small Forward. Brazil (San Carlos)
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Small Forward. Israel (Hapoel Galil Elyon)
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Power Forward. Florida State
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Point Guard. Illinois
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Power Forward. Louisiana Tech
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Forward. Belarus (Dynamo St. Petersburg
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Power Forward. California
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Forward/Center. UCLA
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Center. Senegal
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Guard. Miami
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Guard. Union Olimpia
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Small Forward. Arizona
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Power Forward. Nigeria (Union Bank Lagos)
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Small Forward. Serbia
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Center. Czech Republic
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Shooting Guard. George Washington
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Small Forward. Bosnia-Herzegovina
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Point Guard. Iowa State
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