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26th June, 2007 - 4:24 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Warriors, Yankees, Rollins, Merriman And Pacman!
Golden State checks out Shaun Livingston, the Yankees are trying, Jimmy Rollins has words for the Mets, Shawne Merriman could be done in San Diego, and Adam Jones has been reinstated.
STANDING 10: Top 10 Careers Of Players Picked 5th
As we enter the top five, the players are getting even better with guys like Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, and Kevin Garnett appearing on this list.
LOCKER TALK: Players Thrilled About Move To Oklahoma City
The Supersonics franchise is ecstatic about their impending move to Oklahoma City, and why shouldn’t they be? Buster Gunning, a Seattle native, recently took a trip through “The Big Friendly” (it is really called that) and can whole-heartedly agree with the players' excitement.
PLAYER RANKINGS: Ranking The Best Players Of The 2008 Playoffs
Which players have played the best through the Conference Finals?
TEAM RANKINGS: The RealGM.com Final NBA Team Rankings For 2007-08
Which teams were statistically the best in 2007-08? Which teams improved the most from 2006-07? Some of the answers may surprise you.
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 Christopher Reina
Center. Ohio State
I’m starting to not sleep very well when it comes to who Portland should take in my mock, so I can imagine Kevin Pritchard’s nights are getting really long.
As much as any sport, basketball not only has to be played well, but it should also be played beautifully. Centers are rarely mentioned in this category, but Greg Oden’s combination of grace and power really hasn’t been seen since Wilt Chamberlain.
Oden truly is a perfect blend of the half dozen best centers in the history of the game. He has the agility of Hakeem, the power of Shaq, the shot blocking of Russell, the rebounding of Chamberlain, the touch of a Ewing and the character to bring it all together like Duncan.
Will he one day be in their class? He of course has a long ways to go, but with no real peer at his position and possessing all of the above, anything short of top-five center in history will be a disappointment. His mental makeup is unflappable and his desire to improve and win championships is unquestioned.
Small Forward. Texas
If there is a basketball heaven, everyone will play the game like Kevin Durant. The imagination of his dribble moves, coupled with a near-flawless jump shot gives him one of the greatest offensive repertoires we have ever seen, at any age.
His body type is ideal for a wing who will also be able to play in the post and is wiry strong already and will of course get stronger. He projects to be a perennial league-leader in steals and blocks, while also being a rebounder who constantly flirts with approximately 10 per game.
Durant’s jumpshot is leaps and bounds better than Jordan’s was after his junior season and more importantly, his cutthroat mentality to dominate a game is also more developed.
Durant will be joining Jesus Shuttlesworth and as pure of a player the six-time All-Star is, the freshman out of Texas deserves the moniker.
Point Guard. Ohio State
Until the Hawks trade out of this spot or actually select Al Horford, the pick remains Conley in my mock. Any reluctance to pass on Conley seems to be because they think it is a reach and that there are better ‘value’ picks with the third slot. I believe this is the most flagrant error GMs make in drafts.
The Hawks very talented multi-dimensional wings need a pure point guard who can penetrate and create easy scoring opportunities and no player in the draft does that as well as Conley. Even in his first games in the NBA, Conley will be a top-ten point guard, but more importantly, he will make Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Josh Childress leaps and bounds better. He will also give Joe Johnson a point guard that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant could only dream about playing beside, enhancing the game of the NBA’s best second tier superstar.
Scouts have expressed concerns to me about Conley’s perimeter shooting abilities, but his stroke is solid and his maturity leads me to believe that it will measurably improve each season.
Power Forward. Florida
There is little doubt in my mind Horford will be a starter in the NBA for the next ten seasons, but his ceiling is a little lower than what I would like out of a top-five pick in a draft of this caliber.
The baby hook he lived off of at Florida will not come as easily against NBA talent.
Horford runs the floor extremely well for a player of his size and will be a nice addition to the uber-athletes the Grizzlies already have on their roster.
Power Forward. North Carolina
Wright has slipped over the past few days as multiple circles have questioned his desire and just how raw he physically is. He needs to improve his shooting form in order to extend his range out a few more feet, but he still projects to be that versatile inside/outside power forward that fans in Toronto and Dallas have come to love.
He also still projects to being the third best prospect in this draft and the best power forward and it really isn’t close in either category.
Skeptics believe he will not be able to contribute during his first few seasons in the NBA, but if you look at the first four seasons of Chris Bosh’s career, I think Wright’s numbers will be plenty comparable.
Small Forward. Florida
With Dwyane Wade and LeBron James already in the East and Kobe Bryant doing anything he can to get there, the Bucks will need a big defensive wing to play shut down on-ball defense.
He also is the best wing in the draft at getting to the rack and he will not only look to finish, but also look to dish to the open man if necessary.
Small Forward. Georgetown
Regardless of what happens with Kevin Garnett, Green is a player of interest to the Wolves. If Garnett is traded to the Lakers, then Andrew Bynum would be arriving and the need for Spencer Hawes is obsolete.
Green will be strong and athletic enough to eventually play both forward positions and will be a ‘do-everything’ lunch pale player to accompany Randy Foye.
Shooting Guard. USC
Young’s stock has risen more than any other player from May to draft week. Young combines Brewer’s athleticism with an outside shooting touch that no other lottery candidate has. Scouts have told me that he improved his mental game tremendously during his time at USC. He is everything a GM would want from a shooting guard prospect.
Power Forward. Florida
Noah falling to nine is the perfect storm for Chicago and Noah. There have been a few reports coming out of Memphis that they like Noah at four and Minnesota seems to like him a lot as well.
Chicago is loaded with jump shooters and Noah would give the club garbage points on offense and is plenty cerebral to fit into their very specific system.
Power Forward. China
Yi could go number five or six in a trade, but if the draft stays true, then Sacramento will be the team that grabs him.
As I’ve said before, in order for a player like Yi to become special, he needs to be a really special player and from the footage I’ve seen, I feel the likelihood is relatively small. Players of this ilk who do not become great scorers, rarely find a niche in the NBA doing anything else and this is where the real risk lies.
He is significantly more athletic than a Nick Fazekas and is more skilled than Jason Smith.
Center. Washington
Atlanta appears dead set on a major shake-up in order to get more experienced, so drafting Hawes appears unlikely, but if they continued a steady development of youth, then drafting a true center with such an accomplished low post game would be the pick.
Combo Forward. Florida State
Thornton appears to be a lock for Philadelphia with the twelve spot, but I believe he deserves careful consideration by Chicago, Charlotte and even Minnesota.
Thornton had a very impressive workout in Minnesota, where even Randy Foye was mesmerized.
"That kid from Florida State, he's a beast," said Foye.
He’s already 23, so he will be ready to contribute immediate, though the majority of his potential has already been reached.
Small Forward. Georgia Tech
If Nick Young slips, he will be their man, but if not, then Young will be sliding over to New Orleans.
At the beginning of the season, Young was lumped into that ‘Other Freshmen’ group with Durant and Wright, but inconsistency plagued him throughout his Georgia Tech tenure. He did manage to average 14.4 points and nearly 5 rebounds, while shooting nearly 42% from 3-point range.
While not as long as Wright, Young’s body is more NBA-ready. He has an excellent knack at scoring in traffic in the half court, which sets him apart from nearly every other player in the draft.
Point Guard. Texas A&M
I’m the ultimate flip-flopper when it comes to whether the Clippers will go with Law or Javaris Crittenton, but Law just makes more sense for a team that is just one year out of a nice playoff run.
Scouts I’ve talked to have consistently raved about his intangibles, but his tangibles are also very impressive. He has nice size for a point guard and his shot selection improved dramatically from his junior to senior year.
Shooting Guard. Eastern Washington
Stuckey can play either guard position and while his perimeter shooting needs a great deal of work, it is something that looks like it can be improved upon because of the touch of his mid-range jumper.
Small Forward. Kansas
Falling all the way to 16 would of course be a blow to Wright who was projected by many to be a top-7 selection. I have always thought that Wright’s poor shooting abilities would hurt him. He will never be the kind of scorer Antawn Jamison has been in the NBA, but he does many similar things well. With Gilbert Arenas being options a and b and Caron Butler being option c, Wright’s size and athleticism will give the Wizards plenty of valuable contributions.
Power Forward. BC
The Nets have been demonstratively looking at Williams this week and would be wise to pull the trigger on him. Scouts have raved to me about the rarity of his shot blocking abilities while also questioning why he avoided Orlando and why he hasn’t worked out for more teams. His shot has improved dramatically and there is no doubt that he would be a top-ten pick without the repeat offenses. Williams calm demeanor on the court lends me to believe that his off the court problems fall in line with several All-Stars in this league who have been known in NBA circles as to having a similar propensity for certain things.
Power Forward. Colorado State
Smith’s athleticism and agility is very impressive and it has lent nicely to his workouts. Scouts have told me that he is also a better shooter than people give him credit for. With the way he runs the floor, he would be tailor-made to join Nellie and the Warriors.
Shooting Guard. Ohio State
Cook is a very raw talent who was overshadowed by fellow freshmen Oden and Conley, but the glimpses of his brilliance are very impressive. He projects to be one of the NBA’s best perimeter shooters and could even become a point guard for certain teams. He would have been a top-ten pick in next season’s draft had he returned to Ohio State.
Point Guard. Georgia Tech
Crittenton is getting serious attention from the Hawks and Clippers, but falling to Miami would be a nice fall for Crittenton. His ceiling is superb and would team up with Dwyane Wade to make one of the most explosive backcourts in the game.
Power Forward. Duke
Scorers are needed in Philadelphia and they will get one in Thornton in the lottery and they will get another in McRoberts here. McRoberts is a very pure scorer, who can score in multiple ways on nearly any spot on the floor. He has passable athleticism and his strength will improve once he reaches NBA trainers. Not nearly as athletic, but his style of play at the 4 position is reminiscent of a Webber or Rasheed.
Guard/Forward. Vanderbilt
Byars deserves to be drafted far higher than this slot, but unfortunately he may be a victim of team's emphasizing upside and potential and overlooking the qualities that are already there. If I was Washington, I would give Byars a real long look at 16. Arenas would absolutely love this guy. Scouts have raved about how universally loved Byars is by teammates and opponents alike. He will be a great pro.
If Charlotte gets this windfall, they will walk away with two great wings in Byars and Nick Young and will be poised for the playoffs this season.
Small Forward. DePaul
I believe Daequan Cook is Isiah’s man, but his recent climb will leave him with Chandler, who was the first name Ryan Blake mentioned when I recently asked him to name which player outside the lottery has the highest ceiling. Rashard Lewis is a pipe dream and Isiah realizes that, but Chandler would fit in nicely at small forward.
Shooting Guard. Spain
It looks like Fernandez won’t be ready to come over to the NBA for another season or two, which will probably make him even more attractive to cap-conscious Phoenix. It will be unfortunate that Fernandez won’t get to play in the world’s best league immediately because he could become one of the best shooting guards we’ve seen in recent history.
Shooting Guard. Rice
Almond shot 45.6% from 3-point range last season, that sort of efficiency would be the perfect off guard complement to Deron Williams. His release and movement without the ball is reminiscent of Ray Allen, though his ball handling is very suspect. He is below average athletically, but Utah’s size up front will negate his defensive deficiencies.
Center. LSU
Carl Landry has worked out against the likes of Corey Brewer and Greg Oden, but raved to me about how great Big Baby has looked in recent weeks. He has lost upwards of 50 pounds and is moving really well. Davis has always been one of the purest ballplayers in this year’s draft and is a beast on the low block. With the very athletic options of Sean Williams and Jason Smith off the board, Davis would be the best option for Houston and might even be a better fit than those higher ranked players.
Power Forward. Brazil
Splitter has been a known commodity for several seasons now and will Joe Dumars pull the trigger on another foreign-born big man?
Shooting Guard. Italy
Belinelli shoots it better than Fernandez, but struggled this past season due to his shot selection. Belinelli gives San Antonio much needed youth and athleticism on the wings. He is actually a lot like a young Brent Barry, though not quite as complete.
Point Guard. Nevada
Sessions was one of the last players to stay in the draft and I believe he has a very solid inkling that the Suns won’t let him slide into the second round. He is a pure point guard who falls in line with Phoenix’s system much more closely than a Marcus Banks. He is very heady and is an excellent passer, though there are serious questions about his scoring.
Pruitt has been brought in to Phoenix multiple times and would be an alternative that the club wouldn’t be averse to seeing in their backcourt.
Combo Guard. USC
Andre Miller’s play sparked a nice run for Philly, but they still need depth at the point guard position and Pruitt gives them more athleticism at the position. His length at the position is very attractive and could become a poor man’s Gary Payton, with a nearly identical body, though less explosive than the former Oregon State point guard.
Second Round
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Point Guard. Florida
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Small Forward. Boston College
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Point Guard. Espoon Honka
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Center. SK Cherksassy
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Small Forward. North Carolina
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Shooting Guard. Arizona
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Power Forward. Purdue
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Center. Pittsburgh
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Small Forward. Wisconsin
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Point Guard. Oregon
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Power Forward. Mass
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Shooting Guard. UCLA
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Power Forward. Nevada
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Combo Guard. Olympiakos
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Shooting Guard. Ohio State
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Small Forward. Syracuse
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Center. Wake Forest
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Center. Spain
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Point Guard. Oklahoma State
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Small Forward. Fresno State
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Small Forward. Fresno State
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Power Forward. Arizona
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Point Guard. Fullerton
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Power Forward. Providence
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Center. KK Zagreb
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Point Guard. Virginia
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Power Forward. Alabama
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Power Forward. France
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Shooting Guard. China
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Shooting Guard. Maryland
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