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23rd May, 2007 - 3:37 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Special Fantasy Football Edition
Make sure you check out Thursday's special edition of the Scoop Du Jour as Andrew answers a number of fantasy football questions.
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
He will not be able to play with Mike Conley anymore, but Oden will be very happy to call Brandon Roy a friend and teammate. Portland drafted very well last year (Roy, Aldridge, Rodriguez) and got extraordinarily lucky this year and will be hosting many playoff games from here on out.
Small Forward. Texas
For those who want to save basketball in Seattle, Tuesday night was a complete godsend. While Oden will have a bigger impact in the standings, Durant is the more marketable player and will likely save the Sonics for the city. He just became their replacement for Ken Griffey, Jr.
Point Guard. Ohio State
I have been reaching for Conley for a few weeks now and no team should and will reach for him more than the Hawks. With players of similar upside to Conley remaining, drafting need will be the intelligent call. Of course Conley doesn't project as highly as Oden and Durant, but the Lottery was as much of a win for the franchise as it was for Portland and Seattle. With Conley at the point, the Hawks could become the Raptors of 2007-2008 and contend to win the Southeast Division.
Power Forward. North Carolina
Wright was always going to be overshadowed by Oden, but he came into his freshman season with as much fanfare as Durant. Never did he disappoint while playing for one of the deepest teams in the country, though he hasn't shown the potential to be a franchise player. Placing him alongside Rudy Gay makes for one of the longest forward pairs in the game.
Power Forward. China
With Al Jefferson entrenched in the low block, the need for a big man with a more versatile offensive game is necessary for the Celtics.
Small Forward. Florida
Conley would be the preferred player for Milwaukee, but with him off the board, the Bucks will take the super-athletic wing with a winning pedigree instead of the duplicity that Horford, Green and Noah would provide.
Power Forward. Florida
Horford will be ready to contribute to a desperate team immediately. He takes up space and the things he does well are the things that Garnett tends to avoid while trying to do everything.
Small Forward. Georgetown
Green is a big wing who can defend, which sounds a lot like Gerald Wallace, but Green is more of a natural scorer than the impending free agent.
Power Forward. Florida
Even if Roy Hibbert decided to remain in the draft, Noah was the likely choice for Chicago. Because the Bulls are very close already, the boost of having Noah, a player who fits their style due to his headiness and defensive abilities, outweighs the prospect of a project like the Georgetown center. Noah will never be one of the best low post players in the game, but he will be an upgrade over who they send down there now. The Bulls are perfect for Noah and Noah is perfect for the Bulls.
Center. Washington
The Kings would love Noah here, but he won't be available, so they will bring in the other freshman center. Look for the Hawks to move up though to take Hawes.
Small Forward. Georgia Tech
With a ton of wings available and Conley taken with the third pick, it is highly unlikely that the Hawks select a player here and stand pat. Just because they already have multiple players with similar skill sets to Young, taking the local college kid with huge upside wouldn't be a bad thing at all.
Combo Forward. Florida State
Thornton would join Andre Igudola and Rodney Carney as tremendous athletes, but ordinary basketball players. With Allen Iverson departed, the Sixers are desperate for a franchise scorer because there isn’t one on their roster and if they stay in this playoff/lottery limbo, they won’t find it for many more years.
Small Forward. Kansas
Wright has top-five talent, but his outside shot costs him tremendously. Playing with a point guard like Chris Paul would be ideal though and would make him look like an absolute steal.
Point Guard. Texas A&M
There are players with far more upside than Law that the Clippers will be leaving on the board, but because of an aging Sam Cassell and an injured Shaun Livingston, the need for a point guard is dire. Law’s frame and game is actually quite reminiscent of Cassell and could develop into that same kind of point guard, who performs spectacularly under pressure. There is no doubt that Law will one day become a key competent of a contending club.
Shooting Guard. Eastern Washington
Drafting Stuckey won't necessarily send a message to Chauncey Billups, but having a guard of Stuckey's caliber to back up him and Rip Hamilton is necessary for the Pistons as they enter into the back end of their run together.
Shooting Guard. Spain
It would be no surprise to see Fernandez end up in the lottery as more and more teams are wowed by a combination of athleticism and perimeter shooting that has become such a rare commodity at the shooting guard position of late. The non-Gilbert guard position has become a bit of a revolving door in Washington over the past few years, but Fernandez would become a starter by season two and give Arenas a reason to stick around.
Power Forward. Colorado State
Smith fits a dire need for New Jersey and is one of the hidden treasures of this draft. The summer could be one of significant change for the franchise, but assuming the status quo is preserved, Smith is the wise choice.
Power Forward. BC
Like Isiah Thomas, Chris Mullin has a similar propensity to not follow the basic rules of being a GM, so with Golden State's need matching so similarly with Williams, he will be their selection.
Power Forward. Brazil
It would be difficult for the Lakers to pass on Crittenton at this point in the draft, but they hold a higher hope for Jordan Farmar than most realize. Splitter gives the Lakers a big man who can score in multiple ways, a luxury they haven't held for several years now.
Point Guard. Georgia Tech
Miami desperately needs helps at the one and Crittenton would be a huge score for the club at this stage of the draft. He will be starting for them by the All-Star game.
Shooting Guard. Rice
There are more athletic wings available here, but the Sixers have enough of those and could use a player with a perimter shot like Almond's.
Shooting Guard. Arizona
With a lottery pick already in hand, the Bobcats are a prime candidate to relinquish their pick. They very well could send this one back to Toronto, who is in need for a player like Williams.
Shooting Guard. Italy
I will be shocked if the Knicks don't select a shooting guard with this pick and since this is the shooting guard portion of the draft, there are many to be had, but Belinelli gives them something that they don't already have.
Shooting Guard. Ohio State
Quentin Richardson flourished with the Suns and Cook has many similarities to the current Knick. The Suns clearly don't need another spot-up shooter, but can certainly use one.
Shooting Guard. USC
Young didn’t improve much from his sophomore season to his junior season, but the standard he set as a sophomore was still impressive. His skill set is tailor made for a team that likes to run, as he is very comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Combo Guard. USC
Pruitt is a very similar player to Crittenton in terms of athleticism, but he is older and also has a better outside shot. The ceiling on Pruitt is, however, far lower than Crittenton’s. As a junior last season, he averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 assists for the Trojans.
Center. KK Zagreb
Tomic is a Darko-lite and perhaps Joe Dumars will atone for that one with this one?
Shooting Guard. UCLA
The Spurs’ wings aren’t getting any younger (Ginobili, Finley, Bowen, Barry) and Affalo has the game and character that RC Buford and Gregg Popovich look for in a player. He has flawless fundamentals, good range on his perimeter shot and is physically ready to be a rotation player from the onset of his career.
Center. Pittsburgh
The Suns really need a true stationary center to body up players like Duncan to free up Amare on the weak side and Gray would fit the bill nicely. He also has an offensive game that lends nicely to the pick and roll.
Power Forward. Duke
I still am not sure why McRoberts decided to come out this season instead of next, but I can see Billy King bailing him out on the edge of the second round. McRoberts would be a big win for the Sixers and would likely become a David Lee type of steal.
Second Round
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Small Forward. Kansas
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Power Forward. Nevada
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Small Forward. Wisconsin
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Point Guard. Oregon
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Small Forward. Boston College
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Center. Wake Forest
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Guard/Forward. Vanderbilt
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Point Guard. Fullerton
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Center. Spain
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Center. LSU
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Point Guard. Florida
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Small Forward. North Carolina
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Power Forward. Alabama
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Power Forward. Arizona
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Point Guard. Marquette
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Forward/Center. Bosnia
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Small Forward. Fresno State
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Power Forward. Purdue
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Shooting Guard. Ohio State
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Power Forward. Mass
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Small Forward. DePaul
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Power Forward. Providence
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Shooting Guard. China
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Power Forward. Virginia State
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Power Forward. France
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Point Guard. Virginia
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Shooting Guard. Iowa
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Shooting Guard. Croatia
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Point Guard. Arizona
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Point Guard. Southern Illinois
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