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Authored by JT Magee - 9th June, 2005 - 3:31 am
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Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans
The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The Superstars
Carmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
A Melo Behind The Superstars
Carmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
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Since the last mock draft, there have been more rumors, more workouts, another two promises and one of the top draft prospects opening his mouth about, well, keep reading. I also need to apologize for a broad statement. After looking at the last mock, there are going to be a few changes. Some teams didn’t receive a pick that really suits their needs and fits into the team’s system. Let’s not forget the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp. Some players are going to make their careers with great showings of end their NBA dreams with bad ones. With that said, let’s get into the rumors.
There have been rumblings from Portland about the Blazers trading down and trying to acquire either another first round pick this year or one next year, in addition to a team’s second first rounder. Why do this? Because Gerald Green has shown the athleticism to play both swingman positions, but some scouts and executives feels that he’s more suited as a small forward. In that case, Portland would trade down because they already have a good amount of small forwards on their team and adding another one, in addition to last year’s first rounder Sergei Monya, would not be a smart move. I think that Green can play the two in the future, but that’s just me.
The teams that have two first round picks are Charlotte, Utah, Toronto, New York and Denver. I wouldn’t think anything of these rumors, but since they’re coming out of Portland, they have to be considered. I don’t see Denver or New York trading up since they don’t have players that Portland would be interested in. The ones that would be appealing may cost the Blazers too much, so those teams are out of the question. Toronto is a possibility, but if they were to try to throw in Morris Peterson, as one rumor that has come has stated, Portland may not and should not consider it. peterson would just be another athletic small forward that would have to play out of position if he wanted pt. Utah is a strong possibility because they could throw in a second round pick, as well as their two first rounders if they felt whoever they want (Deron Williams) is worth it. But Charlotte remains as the most likely choice because they have the highest rounders with two lottery picks. The one thing about Charlotte is if they want someone that won’t be available by the time the Blazers pick (Marvin Williams), then they’ll try to trade up with Atlanta. Basically, I see the Blazers standing pat unless they get one of those teams to give up both first round picks.
The next “promise” that has sprouted up like a scion has been the Phoenix Suns telling Arizona State power forward Ike Diogu that they’re gonna take him with their first round pick. Three problems with this.
First, his father, Edward Diogu, in an interview with J.L. Weill of DraftCity.com, shot down the rumor.
Second, his response: “the only problem is that he hasn’t even worked out for the Suns yet.” how can there be a promise if the player hasn’t had a formal workout yet? Even though the Suns have had plenty of chances to go see him throughout the college season, getting to see him in person a little more recently would make the “promise” a little more accurate.
Third, Diogu may not be available then. His wingspan has been measured by several NBA teams as being, at the smallest, 7-3. Elton Brand, anyone? It’s too early to compare him to Brand, but both can rebound, block shots, score inside and with their midrange j’s, and use their bodies to get position around the basket. Now, the Brand comparisons can begin.
The second promise has been reported by Chad Ford of ESPN Insider. He has said that a team within the 12-15 range has made a promise to Russian small forward Yaroslav Korolev. Korolev, an 18 year old, played less than two games with CSKA Moscow, but played most of the season with the Junior Team. He’s a very athletic, long and versatile player. His dad was a basketball coach in Russia, so he has the fundamentals to compete against anyone. He had a great Final Four showing, helping his team win the Gold Medal. He scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists to help CSKA Moscow past Zalgris Kaunas 97-64 to win it all. In Europe, assists are only counted if the receiving player doesn’t take a dribble after he gets the ball, so he may have had more. The one problem I have with the rumor is the teams in that range don’t have a need for a small forward, unless they want to keep him over in Europe for a year or two. The Clippers want to re-sign Simmons and Maggette is still there. Charlotte may not even have that pick, and if they were to trade it to wither Atlanta or Portland like it has been rumored, both of those teams don’t even need a small forward. Portland already has two Russians who play the same position, so adding a third would make no sense. Atlanta has a plethora of swingmen as well, so it wouldn’t make any sense for them to draft him. Minnesota is a possibility, but KG wants to win, not wait a couple years for a kid to help him out. They do need a big small forward, but they need one that can step in and play right now. New Jersey is a possibility because they can just do what they did with center Nenad Krstic and keep him overseas for a year. But they too need to win now to please their superstar (Kidd). This rumor could happen, but if isn’t true, I’m not sure that Korolev stays in the draft. If he does, then it could become a strong indicator that a team really is going to draft him. Until I find out more information on it, he will not be in this mock.
Another rumor that has come up is Atlanta taking the other good Williams, Illinois point guard Deron Williams. Why? In case they trade down. The Bobcats would trade up and take Marvin Williams, giving up either both lottery picks this year or the #5 this year and a future pick next year. A very strong possibility, considering the Hawks wouldn’t have to go into FA to sign a backup point guard. They could just re-sign Tyronn Lue, who is better suited as a backup. In this possible deal, Charlotte would get the player they’ve been pining for in Marvin and the Hawks would get not only a great PG, but another lottery pick to help bolster their squad for the future.
That player that opened up his mouth? None other than Aussie and potentially future Buck Andrew Bogut. Bogut was recently featured in an article/interview with Mike Wise of the Washington Post. He showed some humor about his attire for the draft ("I don't want to look like a chessboard,") and showed that he has a head on his shoulders. Each quote was clear, without any generalizations and “um.” But he made a very bad
mistake:
"There's no one I really hate, but Kobe [Bryant] had a demeanor of being very cocky," he said. "What happened with Shaq. . . . If I had a chance to play with Shaq or Tim, if they told me to buy them groceries, I don't care, I buy them groceries. It's a gift to play with somebody like that. Kobe is probably one of the guys that, everybody knows it, he's got that cocky arrogance to him, everything has to surround around him the whole time. Otherwise, he doesn't function. That's the biggest example.
"If you're playing with Shaquille [O'Neal], a Hall of Famer, you keep your mouth shut and play if you want more rings," Bogut continued.
All I can say is: ah gees. But in reality, he brings up good points. If players want to win, then just play. But in Kobe’s case, he wants to do it on his own terms rather than with the Diesel, which is fine. But the situation just got bad and things turned for the worse for Kobe. He doesn’t deserve the flack he gets, but he brought it onto himself by wanting his own team and then not making the playoffs when his former teammate gets to the Eastern Conference Finals. I’m sure that Bogut will be getting groceries for Redd (if he stays) and his other teammates. But Andrew, if you are reading this, I have a few words of advice: wen Kobe has the ball, move. Just move. Don’t even on the same side of the court. Just wait down by the basket where you’re on offense. Or else you’re going to get dunked on. After those statements, Kobe’s going to be aiming for you in games and he’s going to want to make you eat your words. I have no doubt that you’ll be a great center, but when you play the Lakers, just move.
Don’t try to block it, or else he’s gonna make sure that his left hand is behind you’re head and your face in his... area.
I must apologize for making the Robert Swift comment in the last mock. It was simply a rumor, and it doesn’t help when you don’t know the origin of the comment. I did some looking back and found it in Chicago Sun-Times’ journalist Sam Smith’s article about Larry Brown. It can be found at this URL, on the second page. Since the rumor didn’t come out of Seattle, I apologize for adding fuel to the fire. I do not know if Seattle is really looking into trading Swift. It’s only been a year, so I doubt they are.
Again, I apologize to those who felt that I was making to brash a statement.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-0505300215may30,1,2285733.column?coll=cs-columnists&ctrack=2&cset=true
On with the show.
1.) Milwaukee Bucks : Andrew Bogut, C, Utah, So.
The Bucks can only like what they read from that interview regarding Bogut. He already proved that he can play on the court, but being able to say some of the things that he said would only bring more attention to the Bucks once the regular season starts.
One comparison that, at least not to my knowledge, that hasn’t been brought up in Bogut’s game is his passing ability. I’m going to get a bit of slack for saying this, but I think he’ll become the second best passer out of the low block behind Shaq. Shaq? Shaq, you say? Yes Shaq. During the NCAA tournament, as well as in the WAC season, he more often than not was looking for cutters than his own shot. He made some very difficult bounce passes that most big men would love to have pulled off just once. He keeps his head up just in case there’s a shift in the defense. Shaq has seen every double team and he knows how to pass the ball out of that situation. That’s why each team he’s been on has assembled a bunch of jump shooters to play alongside him. I bet Bogut has watched quite a bit of tape on Shaq to see what he does when the defense adjusts and tries to double team him. If the Bucks were to draft him, he would only open up more looks for Michael Redd.
2.) Atlanta Hawks : Marvin Williams, SF, UNC, Fr.
As we inch closer to the draft, I can only say that the Hawks should take a point guard but will take the best player available. Williams is simply too good to pass up, unless you can get an extra first round pick from a team like Charlotte, Utah or Toronto. Unless the Hawks have a draft-day deal already done, then they’ll take Williams. Williams is one of the most athletic players in the draft. Once he adds bulk, he will torture players with his inside-outside game.
He’s very modest, but his game is the opposite.
3.) Portland Trailblazers: Gerald Green, SG, Gulf Shores Academy, HS Senior.
Unless Portland trades the pick, Green will be wearing a Blazer hat. In this situation, I can’t see him not being picked by Portland. Unless their “moneyball” system has someone else, Green will be a Blazer. He can play either the 2 or the 3. He has a shot that most high schoolers have to develop when they get into the league. His only needs minor adjustments to fit into the NBA. He has the athleticism to make it in this league. The main knock against him, at least in my book, is that he’s 19 years old, the same age as Marvin Williams, who won a National Title with North Carolina. Green was still torching 6-2 kids trying to guard him. Other than that, he will be a very good player.
4.) New Orleans Hornets : Chris Paul, PG, Wake Forest, So.
There have been some Hornet rumors that have them trading center Jamaal Magloire and this pick to the Hawks for the #2 and Al Harrington. I’m not sure if that works under the CBA trading rules right now because Magloire is a base-year player, meaning that his contract doesn’t escalate with each passing year, so his cap number is different for him. If the rumors aren’t true, then Paul still is the best choice right here. He and J.R. Smith would be one the best scoring and most exciting backcourts in the league, even if only 8,00 people in New Orleans will be watching.
5.) Charlotte Bobcats : Raymond Felton, PG, UNC, Jr.
The Bobcats could go either way between Felton and Deron Williams, pending they don’t trade the pick.
Felton is the more likely choice because he’s a local product that fans would come to see and would have an easier time learning from Knight than Williams would.
Why? Both are around the same size, has the same type of point guard skills and Knight can give his insight on how to make it in the league as a small point guard. Felton would only grow as a more complete player under Knight and the Bobcats would only reap the benefits in the future.
6.) Utah Jazz : Deron Williams, PG, Illinois, Jr.
Utah once again gets lucky and strikes gold with Williams without having to trade up. The one scenario where Utah would want to trade up is if they feel that another team will trade up and try to get Williams ahead of him. Personally, Williams may become the best point guard out of this class because he has the size to matchup against the bigger point guards in the league. Steve Francis (who may play out of position next year), Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, just to name a few. But if he plays at the level he is capable at in better shape than he was during the collegiate season, then the sky’s the limit for him, especially playing alongside one of the most complete players in AK-47.
7.) Toronto Raptors : Antoine Wright, SG, Texas A&M, Jr.
Wright’s stock has soared during the workout stages, showing teams the full potential he has showed in glimpses as an Aggie. One executive said that he feels that Green will only be worth a Top 3 pick if he becomes as good as Wright is right now. If this were the case, Raptor fans would definitely forget about the Vinsanity era and cheer for the Wright era. He possesses all the tools necessary to succeed in the NBA, but has been too inconsistent, which in turn has been his main weakness. But because of these positive workouts, he has shown that he is past that stage and Toronto would be very blessed to get such a promising baller who can step in and contribute while still having some room to grow.
8.) New York Knicks : Fran Vasquez, PF, Unicaja Malaga,
22 yrs. old
Conventional wisdom says the Knicks will draft for more size here. The main reason Petro slipped, even though I think he still could be drafted here, is that New York wants to win now, not in 3 years. Now, now, now. Tiago Splitter could be an option here because he would bring some much-needed interior defense and shot blocking ability. The only problem is his buyout. If he doesn’t get a guarantee that he’s a lottery pick, which he is, then he’ll pull out of the draft. Because of the questionable position of Splitter, Isiah goes for a sure thing and drafts Vasquez. Yes, another power forward. Except this one has something the others don’t: size and youth. He stands just an inch taller than current starting center Kurt Thomas, but he has the size to get playing time with the Knicks immediately. Power forward Michael Sweetney showed that he could play, including scoring 18 of his 19 points in the first quarter against Golden State in the regular season, but he was too foul prone to be depended on. As far as Vasquez goes, his stock has only risen with three consecutive double-doubles to lead Unicaja Malaga past Etosa Alicante 3-2 after being down 2-0 at the beginning of the series. His team is currently playing Splitter’s team in the Spanish League Semifinals. Neither had a great game 3, but both are instrumental to their team’s success.
Right now, New York and Vasquez make the most sense since Splitter’s decision is still in the air. If he says within the next couple days that he’s staying, he’d go here. But since it’s a question, Isiah and co.
don’t take the chance and take Vasquez.
9.) Golden State Warriors : Joey Graham, SF, Oklahoma State, Sr.
The Warrior’s biggest hole still remains behind center Adonal Foyle (excluding Latvian Andris Biedrins). But with Vasquez gone and Splitter’s status up in the air, the Warriors can build a quicker team, and with Graham’s stock going up, there wouldn’t be a better player. When some players have to play out of position in college for the success of the team, they tend to lose their natural abilities and struggle to get them back, often having to play overseas or in a lower level of competition, like the NBDL or CBA. But Graham, at least in this situation, would only excel.
He played in an up-tempo system under Eddie Sutton, so making the adjustment wouldn’t be hard. He would be a great player off the bench at first because he can come in for either small forward Mike Dunleavy or power forward Troy Murphy. One problem with him is that if he were to go to the Warriors or any other Western Conference team, he’d be having to guard the likes of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand and Lamar Odom in certain situations. Graham has shown teams in his workouts that he has a underrated handle to go along with his athleticism and shooting touch.
Playing with one of the best play makers in the game
(Davis) and soon-to-be the next Dominique Wilkins (Jason Richardson) would only make him grow as a player.
10.) L.A. Lakers : Jarrett Jack, PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.
The Lakers two big needs are at point guard and power forward. Current 4 Lamar Odom has been playing out of position, but there isn’t anyone in this draft worth passing over Jack, a big point guard with a bright future ahead of him. A weakness of his, after looking at his season stats, is that he needs to improve his decision making, committing 3.4 turnovers per game compared to handing out 4.5 assists. If he puts up stats like that alongside Kobe, he won’t feel the ball again, including bringing it up the court. Since this is a correctable mistake, he won’t have a problem playing in the NBA and having a successful transition.
11.) Orlando Magic : Tiago Splitter, PF/C, Tau Vitoria,
22 yrs. old.
The Magic could go with either Danny Granger from New Mexico or Splitter, even though his status is up in the air. Granger’s stock has been slipping recently because he’s been injured and hasn’t been able to workout for teams while others like Graham and Wright moved up ahead of him. The Magic bank on Splitter staying in the draft and nab him. He gives them additional size down low to go along with Croatian Mario Kasun and future Hall of Famer Dwight Howard.
Like I previously mentioned, he brings interior defense for the present and improving j’s and low-post moves for the future. He’s better off coming off the bench right now and Orlando would only benefit from his presence alongside Howard.
12.) L.A. Clippers : Danny Granger, SG/SF, New Mexico, Sr.
Even with the injury, Granger is still one of the better players that can come in for a team right now and play. He’d be insurance in case Bobby Simmons signed with another team, taking his starting spot. If Simmons were to stay and they drafted Granger, either way they’d only improve as a team because Granger can come in now and help them get over the hump and into the playoffs. It may take a couple years, but it mostly depends on point guard Shaun Livingston’s health. If he’s healthy, they have a shot. If not, then they’re out of luck. But with Granger, their chances only improve. His knock is since he played inside and at a small school his entire college career, he may have a hard time adjusting to the quicker forwards. He will be able to overcome this and help L.A. as much as possible.
13.) Charlotte Bobcats : Martell Webster, SG, Seattle Prep, HS Sr.
Charlotte, pending they don’t trade either of their picks to move up, draft their future backcourt.
Webster, like I have said before, can shoot. He would be able to stretch out the defense, freeing up easier shots for both ROY Emeka Okafor and center Primos Brezec. His knock is that he may be a little too slow for the NBA. But that can be improved by getting in better shape and being developed by one of the best in the business, Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
14.) Minnesota Timberwolves : Wayne Simien, PF, Kansas, Jr.
Simien’s stock rose dramatically when he was measured around 6-9 to 6-10 with shoes. Why would this bring him up here? Because everyone though he was really 6-7
1/2 at the most. Now, with the new measurements, his stock is as high as it is going to get. He has always had the talent to play in the NBA, no one doubted that, but many felt that because he was undersized, he would not have as much success as he did in college.
With the new measurements, it puts him up there with the other power forwards in this class. Even though he is smaller than Chris Taft and Charlie Villanueva, he can play now (Taft) and isn’t a head case (Villanueva). The T’Wolves can go small here because Kevin Garnett gives them the ability to. When KG plays out of position at center, Simien can operate down low against whoever he’s guarding. This would give them a greater chance at making it back to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
15.) New Jersey Nets : Ike Diogu, PF, Arizona State, Sr.
The reasons for Diogu’s rise were listed above. He’d fit perfectly here, playing alongside Nenad Krstic.
Even though they may not be the most imposing frontcourt in the NBA, they are two of the hardest workers. Both will have their hands full with going after those missed jump shots, but Diogu is one of the best players in the draft at establishing position where ever he pleases. His best attribute is he knows how to use his body and can do it successfully, like the All-Star everyone’s going to compare him to for quite a while (Brand).
16.) Toronto Raptors : Roko Leni-Ukic, PG, KK Split, 21 yrs. old
Toronto would go big here with either Taft or Villanueva, but both of their stock’s are falling and with Ukic coming over for workouts, the Raptors would realize that they won’t have to trade up to get their point guard. Ukic is essentially what position he
plays: a point guard. He’s one of the tallest in the crop and one the best because he can get the ball where it needs to be; in this case Chris Bosh’s hands.
His weakness is that even though he is tall, he isn’t very strong. He may have a hard time defending some of the guards in the NBA, but that can be improved on. He should be able to adjust and when he does, he’d become a good point guard for them.
17.) Indiana Pacers : Channing Frye, C, Arizona, Sr.
I’m generally not a negative person, but Channing Frye has BUST written all over him. A center that doesn’t like contact? I’ll always have my doubts about him, no matter how successful he becomes. You have a question, I assume. Why would he move up if you consider him a bust? Because everyone else has been falling and falling hard. He also hasn’t accepted a workout from a team that drafts lower than Golden State. While some think it’ll do him good, I think it’s only gonna hurt him because once teams get a look at him, they’re gonna realize that he will have a hard time adjusting to the NBA’s physicality. With this pick, Frye would be good here because he’s a good system center. He’d have an easier time adjusting to the physicality of the NBA playing alongside Jermaine O’Neal. But he doesn’t like contact and under Head Coach Rick Carlisle, that won’t fly. Once he gets that he can still succeed while getting physical, he’ll have a good career.
18.) Boston Celtics : Hakim Warrick, SF, Syracuse, Sr.
There have been rumors regarding the Celtics trading Paul Pierce and this pick to the Blazers for the #3 pick. Since I don’t have Insider, which in my opinion is a waste of money, I don’t know the full details of the deal. It would have to include at least two of the Blazers’ plethora of small forwards, not including Darius Miles because Celtics GM Danny Ainge is not that dumb to take on his contract just to get rid of Pierce. Since it is a rumor, I’m not going to factor it into RealGM’s mock. With the Pacers passing on Warrick, the Celtics get that athletic small forward they want. Warrick can defend and has the athleticism and has played in a good system under Syracuse head Coach Jim Boeheim, so he can make the transition into the Celtics’ offense a little better than some of the other players available. The knock on Warrick is he hasn’t shown anything on offense in his workouts, at least in the one in New York. And Knick Gm Isiah Thomas loves long athletic players, so that could be a bad sign. This shouldn’t be a factor here and Warrick would get a chance to prove the Knick brass wrong by dunking in Madison Square Garden whenever he gets the chance.
19.) Memphis Grizzlies : Sean May, PF/C, UNC, Jr.
Earlier in the week, Grizzlie power forward Pau Gasol came out and said they need someone physical to bang down low. May is that guy. He can bang down low and score either facing up or using a drop step. His main problem is that he may not have an established position. Either way, he’d get a good chunk of pt alongside Gasol and under Head Coach Mike Fratello.
20.) Denver Nuggets : Johan Petro, C, Pau Orthez, 19 yrs. old.
Why did Petro slip so far? A lot of teams up there could’ve drafted him and let him develop, right? That may be the case since he has the talent to become one of the most athletic centers the NBA has seen. The Knicks passed on him because they’d feel the pressure of him not panning out immediately. So they pass on him. Also, most teams haven’t seen much of him to get a feel for him. He didn’t get a lot of pt for Pau Orthez, so that scared off teams. Until Denver. The Nuggets were one of the only teams to express interest in him last year until he pulled out of the draft.
They catch a break when he slips this far. He can develop under one of the best shot blockers in the league (Marcus Camby) and not hurt the team’s chance at winning as much as they did after Head Coach George Karl took over. He’d get spot minutes, but would easily get at least a block a game. Teams would feel very upset at themselves if he turns out to fully grow into his potential.
21.) Phoenix Suns : Rudy Fernandez, SG, DKV Joventut, 20 yrs. old.
With the draft shaping up the way it is, a lot of good bigmen have slipped. But I still think the Suns can address this in free agency, where there are centers than can run. Kentucky product Randolph Morris would be a good pick here, but he may have a hard time running on every single possession. He’d hit the rookie wall faster than anyone. So they draft for depth and insurance with Fernandez. He just came out of a playoff series with DKV Joventut against Real Madrid, where they lost 3-1. He came back from an ankle injury in Game 2 to score 16 points, but Real Madrid won despite of his efforts. Fernandez has all the tools to make it in the NBA as a shooting guard.
His main weakness: it would only be on offense. That shouldn’t matter to the Suns, right? What do they know about defense? Seriously, he’s a long 6-5 and defense can always be improved on by getting stronger and working out. He is a hard worker, so he would greatly benefit with the ease into a combination of an American-European style of basketball.
22.) Denver Nuggets : Chris Taft, PF, Pittsburgh, So.
The Nuggets would most likely go for a guard here, but Taft is too much to pass up. He has the potential to become what Kwame Brown could’ve been. He can step in and contribute defensively and has the potential to become one of the best post players in this draft. But he slipped this far because he (reportedly) got dominated in a workout by Diogu and didn’t help himself out with sulking after each basket. In Denver, he’d get the chance to clear his head and develop into the player he has the potential of becoming.
23.) Sacramento Kings : Louis Williams, SG, South Gwinnett, HS Sr.
Sacramento is also a hard team to project as far as what they’re going to do. They can go big and replace free-agent-to-be Darius Songaila. Or they could draft a guard to come in and play off the bench, like Bobby Jackson. For insurance to free agent Bobby Jackson, they draft Louis Williams, a player compared to Allen Iverson by some. IT’s way too early to make those comparisons, but from what I’ve read, the kid can score. He’s been working out with Speed Strength Systems Inc. to improve his first step and toughen him up for the physicality of the NBA. He wouldn’t have to play immediately thanks to the already deep Kings team.
24.) Houston Rockets : Charlie Villanueva, PF/C, UCONN, So.
Houston could go with a guard here or a power forward.
But the Rockets need a 4 more and getting Villanueva this far down would only give them one of the biggest steals of the draft. However, there’s a reason he slipped this far: others proved their worth. He’d have a chance to develop behind Juwan Howard for a year or so. He, like Taft has the potential to develop into one of the bigger talents coming out of the draft. But like Taft, his head is his biggest weakness; that and having no eyebrows. Just kidding. But he does have the potential to become one of the better 4s to come out of this draft. Would Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy have the patience to let him develop? If the Rockets are winning, then yes. If not, then no. But the real answer is yes because a return to the playoffs is imminent.
25.) Seattle Supersonics : Randolph Morris, C, Kentucky, Fr.
Morris would’ve gone farther up the board because he’s one of the better centers in the draft because he’s still so young. He’s the same age as Petro, yet is more polished. Why didn’t he move up, then? He was AWOL at the Pre-Draft Camp without an explanation, at least up to the time that this was published. Seattle could go with a guard here, but they’ll probably reach an agreement with Ray Allen before the draft, so a center is more likely. Morris and the Sonic’s lottery pick last year, Robert Swift, would form one of the best 1-2 punches at center for years to come.
26.) Detroit Pistons : Rashad McCants, SG, UNC, Jr.
In RealGM’s last mock, Detroit was taking Louis Williams, the high schooler. After assessing their situation, the more likely choice would be Rashad McCants, North Carolina’s second leading scorer. He can, well, score. He’d be a great player off the bench for the Pistons. His size will become a factor as far as how he handles the bigger guards, but if he can prove that he’s worth it, then Detroit will have a very good scoring guard.
27.) Utah Jazz : David Lee, PF, Florida, Sr.
Lee has continued to impress teams and surprised everyone by going to the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp. In my opinion, good for him. It seems that too many players are afraid that a bad showing would only hurt their stock. Lee seems to want to take the opposite approach, trying to prove that he can play right along with everyone else in the draft. Most of the reasons that Utah would take Lee were mentioned in the last mock, so there isn’t much else to say. All I have to say is good luck and more power to him by trying to show everyone that he can play.
28.) San Antonio Spurs : Mindaugas Katelynas, SF, UT-Chattanooga, Sr.
The Spurs prove yet again why they have been so successful. Katelynas was very unheard of after helping get UT-Chattanooga into the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid. He won the NCAA dunk contest with a reverse 360 a la Vince Carter 200, a through the legs dunk, a free-throw dunk and a lobbed through-the-legs dunk to win the crown. His personal web site, www.katelynas.com, has each dunk, as well as a highlight video, including him practicing most of the dunks in practice. ‘Cause that’s what you do in
practice: practice. But that’s not only why he gets drafted here. He possesses something very few Europeans have: European fundamentals with the game of an American. That’s what playing in the U.S. will do for a player, and Katelynas is certainly that: a player. He has a very high basketball IQ even though he had to play out of position at UT-Chattanooga. He continued to impress at the seniors-only Portsmouth Invitational, landing a spot on the Portsmouth First-Team averaging 13.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He is considered one of the sleepers in the draft, but San Antonio will wake everyone up with this pick.
29.) Miami Heat : Andray Blatche, PF, South Kent Prep, HS Sr.
High schooler Andray Blatche, making his debut in the RealGM mock, has too potential for Miami to pass up.
Blatche is consider a KG-clone that stays on the perimeter a little more than the actual KG. He has the athleticism to succeed in the NBA and has shown that he has a good shooting touch. Some say he can shoot an NBA 3 with ease. I’d understand that, but the NBA 3 is quite a bit farther out than the high school 3, so he’d probably have a hard time adjusting if he wants to add a three point shot in his repertoire. His main weakness, besides his strength (lack thereof), is he stays on the perimeter to often. It wouldn’t be a problem but he has the potential to become one those players with a really good inside-out game, or outside-in in his case. The Heat will still be able to resign Haslem and get a 4 that can him up while Blatche develops alongside Dorell Wright. By the time he and Wright can play, the Heat will not lose any of their momentum as they prepare for life after Shaq with this pick.
30.) New York Knicks : Julius Hodge, SG/SF, N.C. State, Sr.
Julius Hodge, also making his debut on the RealGM mock, has worked himself into the first round by working out with almost every team and impressing everyone along the way. He has a very high basketball IQ, running the Princeton offense at N.C. State and having the ball in hands in every single possession.
One knock against him is that he’s just not strong enough to contend with the shooting guards in the NBA.
But he is trying to prove everyone wrong. The self-proclaimed Hall of Famer impresses the Knicks to the point that one scout told Jonathan Givony of DraftCity.com that he felt Hodge really impressed the Knicks. Before the workouts began, Hodge was considered available where the Knicks pick in the second round. Now, he worked himself into convincing Thomas that he’d be worth taking in the first round.
Players on the Rise: Antoine Wright, Fran Vasquez, Joey Graham, Martell Webster, Wayne Simien, Ike Diogu, Roko Leni-Ukic, Channing Frye, Louis Williams, Rashad McCants, Mindaugas Katelynas, Andray Blatche, Julius Hodge.
Players on the Decline: Tiago Splitter, Danny Granger, Hakim Warrick, Sean May, Johan Petro, Chris Taft, Charlie Villanueva, Ronny Turiaf, Francisco Garcia, Mickael Gelabele, Kennedy Winston.
If you have any questions or just want to vent, you can reach J.T. at: jt_magee@yahoo.com |
