skyhawk

I'm not sure why you're being cynical but this is the direction of every team in the league. Seems like the only people on the planet longing for 7' 300lb centers are on this board...the game is changing. Like BK or not, he's put us in the right position in terms of how the NBA has evolved...

Quote: Indy would only trade him to a western team and Indy was over the cap. We would have had over twice as many trade options as Indy had. Don't see that either as only the "borderline" playoff contenders (Cavs, Wiz etc) would have seriously considered Artest and I'm sure that none of them would have mortgaged their future for Artest. The same with a re-building team...where you'd have to add the 'disruptive' factor of Artest which would be more likely to occur on a losing team. I think that Miami would have been the only "real" contender to consider this trade and they didn't have much to give. Bottomline, most teams were wary of Artest's behavior which greatly diminshed his value - IMHO.

Quote: I already did. Artest straight up for Al. That was what Indy wanted from the beginning. In fact that is what they will wind up getting although they have to throw in a 1st round pick. Are you implying that we would have kept Artest? That would have never happened as the ownership group was clearly against this. If the intent was to use him as a trading piece what makes you think we could have gotten more than Indy did for Artest? Peja for Al?

You're wasting your time trying to reason with anyone on this board..it just ain't happening:)

Quote: Teams with dominant bigmen have won 7 of the last 8 NBA championships.. I have to disagree with that as Shaq's LA Lakers were the only team in the last 7 years to win a championship with a truly dominant big man. Tim Duncan is a great player who can dominant a game but he's more of a hypbrid PF. Ben Wallace dominant? A great defensive player but not a dominating bif. The Heat? D-Wade was the dominant player in that series and IMHO, they were a better team with Mourning on the floor..and I wouldn't consider him to be a domninant big man either. The one thing these teams have in common is a strong defensive presence in the middle - something which doesn't require a dominant big man. The game is definitely evolving to having athletic PFs play center as the days of the traditional "big" man are over. Can you name a dominating big man that's playing today?

The Lakers aren't willing to give Bynum up as Jerry Buss' son is strongly against trading the kid - and rightfully so. Would you give up Bynum/1st for Al? I wouldn't.

The Bobcats don't need to give up anything as they're facilitating the trade. It wouls definitely be the Laker's pick.

Quote: I think the true reason AL fired his agent and hired Art Tellum was to put pressure on the Hawks..Tellum is a true power broker in the NBA and can make BK's job very difficult in the future if the Hawks get on his bad side..I think Tellums sole purpose is to get BK to take back contracts so AL can get a bigger deal. How's he going to that? The only contracts that BK would be willing to take back would be those that are expiring or are for young players - where matching salaries becomes an issue. I see Tellem's job as brokering a 3 way to get Al his money and to avoid sending us contracts.

I'm probably in the minority here but I wasn't that hyped on Magliore. His game has eroded and he's not suited to the fast paced style that all teams are adopting. It's obvious the league thinks so as well based upon what Portland gave up to get him.

Maybe it is an issue of the owners needing the money but the real question is - is this a fair deal? If the Spurs or some other team were in our position we'd all be applauding them for trying to make such a good deal.

Exactly. Which in my mind is almost as if they're sending us another player.

No. We still have the leverage. Add that 3m to the 1m we get for Edwards salary and we're looking at money for another player. Do we know for sure that the pick is unprotected??

I don't post on this board often but you guys just amaze me at how you've jumped to the conclusion that Shelden is a bench player and a wasted draft pick without even seeing him play. Wow.

Wow. Didn't take long for the negative posts. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised.

Quote: LOL Childress is too slow to stay in front of 3s, let alone 1s. I agree with you in that Childress can't quard 1s but he's an excellent defender. Defense is all about instincts, technique, attitude/desire and lateral quickness. Childress is above average in all of these areas.

I think getting Ellis or Bryant is a pipe dream. These guys are cheap and have great potential. GS will be looking to offload contracts - not young and cheap talent.

Include me in the "no to Chandler" camp. I can respect what he'd bring to the table defensively but not at that price and not with the injury concerns.

Quote: But as the pieces fall into place with other teams, I think the advantage shifts to us given that other teams have limited cap space and Al is the next big thing on the FA list. The flip side is that as teams fill out their rosters it also narrows the list of potential destinations for AL which ultimately will decrease any leverage BK would have had if several teams wanted him. What are we left with now? Indy - nothing of real value except picks. GS - bad contracts and, believe me, getting Ellis or Bryant is a pipe dream. The Lakers and T-Wolves might be darkshorses. Multi-team trades would offer another option - Bulls/Hornets...Sixers/Celts.

By no means am I advocating him as a PG but does he have skills that would/could complement JJ? I've not seen him play so I can't really comment. His draft evalution did indicate that he has good handles, vision and passing skills. Any thoughts on what he can realistically bring to the table??

I think that besides being a 'meat and potatoes' pick, the issue that everyone from Stephen A to my grandmother has with this pick is that 5 was too high for Williams. I agree with that but I dont' see a way that we could have moved down and still got him. Check the media reports coming out of Boston and you'll see that the Celtics would have picked Williams with the intent on shipping him (or Jefferson) to the Sixers (King loves Williams) as part of the AI deal. Philly is going to want a PG (Rondo?) and a young PF(Williams or Jefferson?) in any deal for AI. I do believe he was the best guy in the draft to help us now and you have to give BK credit for sticking to his guns when he knew that he'd get raked for this pick.

Quote: It was just plain stupid! Bold moves would involve getting an actual (potential) superstar and building a team. BK really hasn't come close to either. W What bold moves do you suggest given the fact that you're an expert talent evaluator with several years experience at being the GM of an NBA team? And don't play the 'we should have picked Paul' card as that's over and done with. I'm not willing to blindly support BK in his moves but he does have a vision and should be allowed to see it through. Everbody's whining about the draft but that's only one part of the job - let's wait and see how everything unfolds before we start calling him stupid.

Updated: June 29, 2006 Draft grades: evaluating every team, from A+ to F By Chad Ford We billed this year's draft as the most unpredictable in recent memory ... and it sure lived up to that billing. Seven first-round trades, and eight more in the second round. The Portland Trail Blazers made a whopping six trades. Despite the chaos, our mock draft came out well. Our last update came at 4:47 p.m. ET, shortly after a source in Portland told us that the Trail Blazers had traded the No. 4 pick and Viktor Khryapa to the Bulls for the No. 2. After we nailed the first six picks in the draft and nine of the first 12, the trades created lots of twists and turns. We ended up hitting 14 of 30 in the first round. We were one spot away with five other picks. We missed biggest on Patrick O'Bryant (who went nine picks ahead of where we projected) and the Knicks' bizarre choice of Renaldo Balkman. That's how we did. How did the 30 NBA teams do? ATLANTA HAWKS Round 1: Shelden Williams, PF, Duke (No. 5) Round 2: Solomon Jones, C, South Florida (No. 33) Analysis: The good news is that the Hawks ended up with a solid player. Shelden Williams will be a decent NBA rebounder and shot-blocker. The bad news? The Hawks drafted fifth and, in my opinion, ended up with a player who didn't belong in the top 10 or, perhaps, the top 15. Williams is a poor man's Antonio Davis. Several players on the board, most notably Brandon Roy and Randy Foye, fit a need for Atlanta and will be better NBA players than Williams. In deciding on Williams, I think the Hawks jumped to a conclusion too early. If they don't make major changes in the offseason, they'll be back in the high lottery next year. And if the pick isn't in the top three, it goes to Phoenix. Grade: C BOSTON CELTICS Round 1: Rajon Rondo, PG, Kentucky (No. 21, acquired from Phoenix) Round 2: Leon Powe, PF, California (No. 49, from Denver) Analysis: I was a huge fan of the Celtics' draft last year. This year? Not so much. I've been high on Rondo all year and think he was a steal at No. 21, so that's an "A." And I like the acquisition of Leon Powe in Round 2. If he stays healthy, he'll have a solid NBA career. But I'm not a Sebastian Telfair fan. While you do have to factor in the fact that the Celtics saved some money in this deal, they could've kept Randy Foye (their pick at No. 7 before trading for Telfair) or traded for Brandon Roy (the Wolves' pick at No. 6). Both, in my opinion, will be better NBA players than Telfair. If they keep Telfair, I think they will regret it down the road. However, if the Celtics are going to turn around and use Telfair and Theo Ratliff to help them acquire Allen Iverson (the hot rumor late Wednesday night), then the grade goes up dramatically. We'll just have to wait and see. Grade: B CHARLOTTE BOBCATS Round 1: Adam Morrison, SF, Gonzaga (No. 3) Round 2: Ryan Hollins, C, UCLA (No. 50) Analysis: Bernie Bickerstaff played it safe again and went with the most proven player in the draft. Adam Morrison will score points and he'll draw fans into the arena. The Bobcats continue filling the team with solid players who have good backgrounds -- and with Morrison they may have found their first star. However, I believe Roy would have been a better choice here. He fits a bigger need, and I think he'll have a better NBA career. Hollins is a nice pick in the second round as a big, athletic project. Grade: B+ CHICAGO BULLS Round 1: Tyrus Thomas, PF, LSU (No. 4 overall, acquired from Portland) Thabo Sefolosha, SF, Switzerland (No. 13, acquired from Philadelphia) Round 2: No picks Analysis: Another great draft for Bulls GM John Paxson. I had Tyrus Thomas ranked No. 1 on my board for the past two months, and the Bulls got him at No. 4 and picked up Viktor Khryapa in the process. I also am a Thabo Sefolosha fan, though I think Ronnie Brewer's skill set was a little better fit for the Bulls. The Bulls had two glaring needs and addressed them both in the draft. Sefolosha is ready to play right now and Thomas will be soon. If the Bulls add a center via free agency (I see Joel Przybilla in their future) and find a trade for Tyson Chandler (I think he's getting moved), they might be ready to advance in the playoffs. Or they'll use all these assets to get their hands on Kevin Garnett. Either way, the future for the Bulls is bright. Grade: A- CLEVELAND CAVALIERS Round 1: Shannon Brown, SG, Michigan State (No. 25 overall) Round 2: Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas (No. 42) Ejike Ugboaja, F, Nigeria (No. 55) Analysis: When you pick late in the first round, you're usually looking for someone who has a chance to be a rotation player. When you pick in the second, you're looking for someone with a pulse. I think the Cavs exceeded expectations with both picks. Brown is going to be a dynamite player, a real steal at No. 26. He has the strength and athleticism of a lottery pick. He's a little undersized, but I think he'll be a great spark plug for the Cavs. I also like the Gibson pick in Round 2. As a point guard, Gibson is a so-so prospect. But as a scoring two, he could be a Ben Gordon-type player Grade: A DALLAS MAVERICKS Round 1: Maurice Ager, SG, Michigan State (No. 2 Round 2: Traded Danilo Pinnock, SG, George Washington (No. 5 to Los Angeles Lakers for future second-round pick. Analysis: The Mavs didn't have much to work with and got a very nice pick here. Ager is a good athlete and a good shooter, and he can score and defend. With it looking likely that Marquis Daniels will be traded this summer, he could come in and fill a role. Grade: B DENVER NUGGETS Round 1: No picks Round 2: Nuggets trade rights to No. 49 (Leon Powe) to Celtics for a future second-round pick. Analysis: With only one second-round pick, the Nuggets did what they often seem to do -- trade it. I actually thought Leon Powe could've helped them, so... Grade: F DETROIT PISTONS Round 1: No picks Round 2: Cheik Samb, C, Senegal (No. 51, acquired from Lakers) Will Blalock, PG, Iowa State (No. 60) Analysis: The Pistons didn't have a first-round pick, but they made the most of their opportunities. Cheik Samb is the type of reach you make in the second round. He's a 7-foot, athletic kid that a team in Spain will spend time and money developing for you. I had Will Blalock ranked in the 30s and think he not only will make the Pistons roster but also could play for them down the road. Grade: A GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS Round 1: Patrick O'Bryant, C, Bradley (No. 10) Round 2: Kosta Perovic, C, Serbia (No. 3 Analysis: I have mixed feelings about the Warriors' draft. I like Patrick O'Bryant and think he's one of the four or five best upside guys in this draft. And the Warriors had a need at center. So what's the problem? The Warriors, at some point, have to quit drafting young guys and start fielding a team that can get to the playoffs. Some other teams were interested in the No. 9 pick, and I'm surprised the Warriors didn't find a way to start making moves. O'Bryant and their second-round pick, center Kosta Perovic, are good choices, but Golden State fans are going to have to be patient. I'm just not sure how much patience they have left. Grade: B HOUSTON ROCKETS Round 1: No. 8 pick Rudy Gay is packaged with Stromile Swift and sent to Memphis for Shane Battier. Round 2: Steve Novak, SF, Marquette (No. 32) Lior Eliyahu, SF, Israel (No. 44, acquired from Orlando) Analysis: I think Shane Battier is an excellent fit in Houston, and he'll help the Rockets immediately. He's a glue guy who won't take shots away from Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, and he'll do all the little things that coaches love. I get that. But the price the Rockets paid was very, very high. Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift? OK, both have motivation issues. But their talent is undeniable. The Rockets made their division rivals, the Grizzlies, much stronger in the long term, and maybe in the short term, too. In the second round, Steve Novak should make the roster because he can shoot the lights out. But wasn't that true of Dan Langhi, too? How'd he pan out? I like Lior Eliyahu to contribute down the road, but he's a couple of years away. Grade: B- INDIANA PACERS Round 1: Shawne Williams, SF, Memphis (No. 17) Round 2: James White, SG, Cincinnati (No. 31, acquired from Portland) Analysis: The Pacers got an A+ last year for drafting Danny Granger. This year, I'm not feeling them. Indiana got two excellent athletes in Shawne Williams and James White, who have all the physical tools to be great NBA players. But why weren't they great college players? I think their weak grasp of the game combined with some motivational issues for Williams make these picks questionable. The Pacers keep talking about changing their culture and I don't see either of these guys doing that. If talent or potential is all that counts, I think Marcus Williams would've been a better choice. And they should have kept Alexander Johnson. Grade: C+ LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS Second round: Paul Davis, C, Michigan State (No. 34) Guillermo Diaz, SG, Miami (No. 52) Analysis: The Clips used their two second-round picks to draft players who had some first-round buzz. Davis should be in the league a long time. He is big and skilled and can hit an 18-foot jump shot. Diaz is an elite athlete who can shoot the ball. He is growing as a playmaker but is still a few years away. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Clippers send Diaz to Miami at some point. Grade: B+ LOS ANGELES LAKERS Round 1: Jordan Farmar, PG, UCLA (No. 26) Round 2: Acquired Danilo Pinnock, SG, George Washington (No. 5 from Dallas Mavericks for future second-round pick. Analysis: I think Jordan Farmar will be a solid point guard in the pros and I think the triangle offense will be good to Farmar. He's a solid shooter, ballhandler and defender, though not great at anything. Don't expect him to do too much in L.A. next year. After all, we know Phil Jackson isn't fond of rookies. Grade: B MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Round 1: Rudy Gay, SF, UConn (No. 8, acquired from Houston) Kyle Lowry, PG, Villanova (No. 24) Round 2: Alexander Johnson, PF, Florida State (No. 45, acquired from Indiana via Portland) Analysis: I've been hard on Jerry West's drafts the past few years. But this one was, in a word, awesome. The Grizzlies somehow turned a solid player, Shane Battier, and a late first-round pick into three potential starters and potential rotation player. Getting Rudy Gay, Stromile Swift and Kyle Lowry should remedy the Grizzlies' greatest weakness -- an utter lack of athleticism. Now, Mike Fratello willing, the Grizzlies can get up and down the court with the other elite teams in the West. A starting five of Lowry (or Damon Stoudamire, if he returns), Mike Miller, Gay, Pau Gasol and Swift would be long, athletic and able to score in multiple ways. I'm a big fan of Alexander Johnson, especially in the second round. He is a poor man's Kenyon Martin and adds some toughness to their front line. Great pick. Grade: A+ MIAMI HEAT Round 1: None Round 2: None Analysis: The Heat didn't have a pick. They gave it away to the Lakers to get Shaq. How'd that work out for them? Grade: A MILWAUKEE BUCKS Round 1: No picks Round 2: David Noel, SF, North Carolina (No. 39) Acquired Damir Markota, SF, Croatia (No. 59) from San Antonio for future second-round pick. Analysis: Noel tested as the best athlete in the Orlando predraft camp. He could be a Bobby Simmons type if he develops. For a second-round pick, he's very solid. Markota has great size, can shoot the ball and is an excellent athlete. After another few years playing in Europe, he could come and make a contribution to the Bucks. Grade: B MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES Round 1: Randy Foye, SG, Villanova (No. 7, acquired from Boston via Portland) Round 2: Craig Smith, PF, Boston College (No. 36) Minnesota (via Suns) Loukas Mavrokefalidis, C, Greece (No. 57) Analysis: This was a good draft for the Wolves, though I thought they should've kept Brandon Roy. Actually, from what I've heard, the Wolves selected Roy for the Rockets. The Rockets were going to select Foye and send him to Minnesota along with either Luther Head or a future first-round pick. But the Blazers knew what was going on, selected Foye and forced the trade of Foye for Roy. Foye is an excellent pick, however. He should be able to come in immediately and play both the one and the two for Minnesota and provide a big scoring boost in the backcourt. I'm not a huge Craig Smith fan, but Loukas Mavrokefalidis is interesting. He has great size and is putting up pretty impressive numbers in Greece. Grade: B+ NEW JERSEY NETS Round 1: Marcus Williams, PG, Connecticut (No. 22) Josh Boone, C, Connecticut (No. 23) Round 2: Hassan Adams, SG, Arizona (No. 54) Analysis: I think the Nets went 2-for-3 Wednesday night. Obviously the Marcus Williams pick was a slam dunk. They've needed a solid backup for Jason Kidd, and Williams will be great in that role. The Nets play smart basketball and Williams was the best pure point guard in the draft. His presence will help the Nets limit Kidd's minutes and preserve his health without a huge drop-off for the team. I also liked the Hassan Adams pick in the second round. He adds some real toughness and a defensive presence at the two and three. I'm much more skeptical of the Josh Boone pick. On paper it's a good pick. He's long and athletic, he blocks shots and he rebounds. They desperately need all of that. But Boone rarely plays up to his abilities. I just don't see him panning out. I think they should've grabbed Alexander Johnson. Grade: B+ NEW ORLEANS HORNETS Round 1: Hilton Armstrong, C, Connecticut (No. 12) Cedric Simmons, PF, NC State (No. 15) Round 2: Marcus Vinicius Vieira de Souza, SF, Brazil (No. 43) Analysis: The Hornets got an "A" from me last year for landing Chris Paul. This year's haul wasn't quite as dramatic, but it was still really solid. They needed size in the frontcourt and got two of the top four bigs in the draft with Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons. Marcus Vinicius Vieira de Souza was likewise a solid pick in the second round. Slowly, but surely, the Hornets are getting back on track. Grade: A- NEW YORK KNICKS Round 1: Renaldo Balkman , SF, South Carolina (No. 20) Mardy Collins, PG, Temple (No. 29) Round 2: No picks Analysis: From 1995 to 2004, the Knicks were the worst drafting team in the NBA, according to our John Hollinger. Isiah Thomas did a pretty good job of reversing course the last two years, but took two major steps backwards this year. I understand why Thomas likes Renaldo Balkman -- he's the anti-Knick. He's a hard working, blue-collar athlete who scraps and fights for everything he gets. He doesn't want to shoot 20 times a game and doesn't have a 40-man entourage whispering in his ear about how great he is. But I just don't think Balkman has the talent to warrant a first-round selection. He might have the right attitude, but I can't see him as anything more than a marginal role player in the NBA. Given who was on the board when Thomas selected Balkman -- including Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo and Shannon Brown -- I think this was a wasted pick. The Knicks' second first-rounder was better -- sort of. Mardy Collins is a big combo guard who knows how to play. But his lack of athleticism and shaky jumper combined with the fact that the Knicks already have four combo guards on their roster means that he's unlikely to contribute much. James Dolan said in a press conference this week that Isiah had a year to turn the Knicks around or he would be fired. I wonder if Isiah just moved up the timetable on his exit. Grade: F ORLANDO MAGIC Round 1: J.J. Redick, SG, Duke (No. 11) Round 2: James Augustine, PF, Illinois (No. 41) Analysis: The Magic got their man in both the first and second rounds. Redick is the best shooter in the draft and Augustine is an excellent second-round pick because of his athleticism, size and willingness to do the dirty work. But I wonder why the Magic didn't opt for a bigger, more athletic two guard like Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney or Thabo Sefolosha. All three will have a better career than Redick, I believe. None of them can shoot the way Redick does, but all of them have many more dimensions to their game, including defense, ballhandling, athleticism and versatility. And neither of them has a herniated disk in his back. Grade: : B- PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Round 1: Rodney Carney, SF, Memphis (No. 16 pick, acquired from Chicago)Round 2: Bobby Jones, SF, Washington (No. 37, acquired from Minnesota) Edin Bavcic, C, Bosnia (No. 56, acquired from Toronto) Analysis: The Sixers had a good draft. They added a superathletic swingman in Carney who can shoot the ball and run the floor. Carney is also an excellent defender when he wants to be. Bobby Jones doesn't know offense, but he's one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the draft. They still need a point guard and some help at the four, but the Sixers couldn't accomplish everything with just two draft picks. Don't be surprised if they address their other needs via trade. There's a lot of talk that they're trading Allen Iverson to the Celtics soon. Boston exec Danny Ainge has denied it, but a lot of people in the league are saying otherwise. Word is that Sebastian Telfair and possibly Al Jefferson or Theo Ratliff might be coming Philly's way. Grade: B+ PHOENIX SUNS Round 1: No picks Round 2: No picks Analysis: Apparently the Suns are a little short of cash. They traded away their first-round picks for cash and cap relief despite having intriguing players like Shannon Brown, Rajon Rondo, Marcus Williams and Sergio Rodriguez still on the board. They did pry a future first-round pick from the Celtics in the Rondo deal, but at the end of the day they gave up two assets for some spare change for owner Robert Sarver. If the Suns wanted to dispel the notion that Sarver is cheap, this wasn't the way to do it. Grade: F PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Round 1: LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Texas (No. 2, acquired from Chicago) Brandon Roy, SG, Washington (No. 6, acquired from Minnesota) Sergio Rodriguez , PG Spain (No. 27, acquired from Phoenix) Joel Freeland, PF, England (No. 30, acquired from Detroit) Analysis: Six trades. Wow. They get points for just having the guts to pull that off in one night. They get more points for having the fortitude to stand up to a mob of "Draft the 'Stache" groupies who wanted Adam Morrison in Portland. But what gets them an "A" grade, ultimately, is the quality of the players they ended up with. They started the night with the No. 4, No. 30 and No. 31 picks. They ended it with LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Raef LaFrentz, Joel Freeland and Sergio Rodriguez. Of the four, Roy is my favorite pick, and I like the way they maneuvered to get him. The Blazers caught wind of the Wolves' plan to take Roy and trade him to the Rockets. So Portland drafted the guy the Wolves wanted, Randy Foye, forcing the Wolves to send Roy to Portland for Foye. And the trade to No. 2, while it might have seemed unnecessary, took a player they didn't want off their roster and got them the assurance that they were getting the guy ranked No. 1 on their board. Freeland and Rodriguez have a lot of potential and could be excellent assets in a couple of years. Blazers fans may be disappointed that Morrison is in Charlotte, but the truth is that this is one of the better moments the Blazers have had in the last five years. Aldridge and Roy have a chance to be stars, and the Blazers rid themselves of another bad chemistry guy in Sebastian Telfair. If they find a way to dump Darius Miles and Zach Randolph this summer, the purge will be complete. Paul Allen needs to give the GM job permanently to Kevin Pritchard. He earned it on Wednesday. Grade: A SACRAMENTO KINGS Round 1: Quincy Douby, SG, Rutgers (No. 19) Round 2: No picks Analysis: Didn't the Kings make the same pick the last two years when they selected Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin in the late first round? Garcia is a long, skinny two guard who can shoot and score the ball. Martin is a long, skinny two guard who can shoot and score the ball. Douby is a long, skinny two guard who can shoot and score the ball. I know they miss Bobby Jackson, but this is ridiculous. They would have been better off adding a real backup point guard like Marcus Williams or Rajon Rondo. Grade: C+ SAN ANTONIO SPURS Round 1: No pick Round 2: Traded Damir Markota, SF, Croatia (No. 59) to Milwaukee for future second-round pick. Analysis: Almost every year the Spurs seem to find an international gem. In this case, however, they found it for another team. Grade: C SEATTLE SUPERSONICS Round 1: Mouhamed Saer Sene, C, Senegal (No. 10) Round 2: Denham Brown, SG, Connecticut (No. 40) Yotam Halperin, PG, Israel (No. 53) Analysis: Hmmm ... the Sonics have drafted a project center in each of the last three years. In 2004, it was Robert Swift. In 2005, it was Johan Petro. This year, they got the rawest one yet, Mouhamed Saer Sene. I understand the appeal. Sene's game resembles Dikembe Mutombo's. He has a huge 7-8 wingspan and an excellent body. But he's years away from contributing. Years. I'm surprised they didn't trade the No. 10 pick for something of greater value. Lots of teams were trying to move up. I do, however, like their second-round picks. Denham Brown knows how to score and play defense. Yotam Halperin is an experienced combo guard who can help coming off the bench. Grade: B- TORONTO RAPTORS Round 1: Andrea Bargnani, PF, Italy (No. 1) Round 2: P.J. Tucker, SF, Texas (No. 35) Analysis: Bryan Colangelo stuck his neck out by taking Andrea Bargnani No. 1. I think it was the right thing to do. He's not the best player in the draft, but he's a great fit in Toronto. Most of the people telling you that they prefer other players to Bargnani haven't seen him play in person. He's bigger and quicker than you'd think as a 7-1 forward, and he's more experienced than most realize. He played more than 70 games last season in a league with more talent than the NCAA. And one thing that doesn't come across on video is the confident way he carries himself. That will be critical to his success in the NBA. In the final analysis, Colangelo thought Bargnani had the physical tools and the mental makeup to be the No. 1 pick. The comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol aren't really fair. But he does have the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as both of those guys someday. Unfortunately for the Raptors, Colangelo couldn't find a way to get back into the mid-first round to take a point guard like Marcus Williams or Rajon Rondo. Taken in Round 2, P.J. Tucker adds some toughness to the Raptors. Grade: A- UTAH JAZZ Round 1: Ronnie Brewer, SG, Arkansas (No. 14) Round 2: Dee Brown, PG, Illinois (No. 46) Paul Millsap, PF, Louisiana Tech (47) Analysis: GM Kevin O'Connor has taken a lot of heat for his draft picks this decade. He was criticized for passing on Chris Paul for Deron Williams last year, and the rest of his first-round picks are no longer with the team. He redeemed himself on Wednesday. Ronnie Brewer was a steal at No. 14. He was ranked No. 8 on our big board and fits a need perfectly for Utah. They need a two guard who can create his own shot and defend multiple positions and Brewer should be great, right away. The Jazz also did well in the second round. Dee Brown is the perfect change-of-pace backup for Williams. He's a natural leader and a fearless competitor, and he could end up playing an Earl Boykins role for the Jazz. Paul Millsap has been called a poor man's Karl Malone. If the Jazz trade Carlos Boozer this summer, which seems likely, he'll fill a void as a tough rebounding specialist who can score in the paint. Grade: A WASHINGTON WIZARDS Round 1: Olexsiy Pecherov, PF, Ukraine (No. 1 Round 2: Vladimir Veremeenko, PF, Russia (No. 4 Analysis: D.C. is an international city, so it only makes sense that the Wizards added some international flavor. I think Olexsiy Pecherov could be a Keith Van Horn type in the NBA. He can rebound and hit the NBA 3-pointer. He may need another year or two of seasoning in France, but he's got a bright future and he would likely have been a lottery pick had he waited one more year to be drafted. Veremeenko is a productive Russian player. He's a bit of tweener who'll spend more time developing his inside game in Russia before coming over. Grade: B+

I'd put my money on AI going to the Celts based upon the moves that Ainge made during the draft. Rondo and Jefferson could potentially be part of that package. A 3rd team(Hawks?) would also need to be involved in a deal of this magnitude. Also, FWIW, the Celtics were going to take Shelden Williams to use as a part of this trade.

Updated: June 28, 2006 Chad Ford's Mock Draft, Version 5.0: Picks 1 to 30 By Chad Ford Finally, NBA draft day is here. After weeks of uncertainty, we'll get resolution Wednesday night (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) on one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent history. How unpredictable? "I've never seen a draft like this, never," Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff told Insider on Tuesday night. "There's so much similarity between the players. We have nothing definitive. We have no conclusions. We're just waiting for the dominoes to fall like everyone else." A half-hour later, Bulls GM John Paxson told Insider, "We're not totally sure what we're doing. There are several different scenarios based on what Toronto is going to do. We're down to three guys. We've still got three camps. It's time for me to pick the one that's most comfortable. Hopefully in the morning I'll know more." Mock drafts are not an exact science. Less than 24 hours before the draft, the teams drafting at No. 2 and No. 3 still didn't know what they were going to do. Here's our latest take, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, on how the draft will play out. Check back later on Wednesday for possible updates. CHAD FORD'S MOCK DRAFTPICKTEAMPLAYERVITALS1 Toronto Andrea Bargnani Position: PF Height: 7-1 Weight: 248 Age: 20 Country: Italy The skinny: I strongly believe that when David Stern reads the first name on Wednesday night, it will be Andrea Bargnani. We had Bargnani atop our first mock draft and we have left him there throughout this entire process, despite much disagreement from other quarters. Why? Because Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo isn't afraid to go against the grain, and no one in the NBA knows Bargnani better. If for some reason Bargnani's name is not called, look for Rudy Gay to be the man. 2 Chicago (via New York) Tyrus Thomas Position: PF Height: 6-8 Weight: 217 Age: 19 School: LSU The skinny: Since the night of the lottery, we've predicted Bargnani would go to Toronto and Thomas would go to Chicago.On Tuesday night, I spoke with Bulls GM John Paxson, who told me that the choice was down to Bargnani, Thomas and LaMarcus Aldridge. Within the Bulls organization, the respective camps had made their pitches, and Paxson said, "Now I've got to go pick the guy I feel most comfortable with." The word is that Paxson is a Thomas fan, but Thomas didn't endear himself to Chicago coach Scott Skiles with the two workouts he cut short. Still, according to Paxson, he's making the decision based on who will be "the best player down the road and a guy who fits the character of the team." That's Thomas. 3 Charlotte Rudy Gay Position: SF Height: 6-8 Weight: 222 Age: 19 School: UConn The skinny: On lottery night, in our first full mock draft, we put Adam Morrison here. The thinking was that he made the most sense for Charlotte. The franchise is struggling with fans, Morrison is the most popular player in the draft and he would give the Bobcats the scoring punch they desperately need. We changed our projection to Rudy Gay in the second mock draft after getting some feedback that GM Bernie Bickerstaff thought Gay has more upside than Morrison. We went with Brandon Roy in Mock Draft 3.0 after getting word that new co-owner Michael Jordan preferred Roy to either Morrison or Gay. Then we went back to Morrison in Mock Draft 4.0. So how did we end up with Gay? It's just an educated guess. Tuesday night, Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff told me that the staff was still evenly split between Gay, Morrison and Roy. The Bobcats are still under construction, and if they're looking for upside, Gay is the guy. 4 Portland LaMarcus Aldridge Position: PF Height: 6-11 Weight: 234 Age: 20 School: Texas The skinny: Would the Blazers really pass on fan favorite Adam Morrison?Tuesday night I learned that most of the Blazers' talent evaluators had Tyrus Thomas, Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy rated ahead of Morrison. Clearly, choosing Morrison would be the most popular decision in Portland, but it looks like they want a long-term solution instead. Aldridge is a potentially dominant big man who will fill a need in the middle. Blazers fans may storm the Rose Garden, but if the Blazers pass on Morrison and take Aldridge, give the brass credit for sticking to their guns. 5 Atlanta Shelden Williams Position: PF Height: 6-9 Weight: 258 Age: 22 School: Duke The skinny: From all the evidence we can gather, GM Billy Knight has decided he wants Williams.If Roy were to slip this far, as he does in this scenario, the Hawks would have the option of selecting him for the Rockets and then trading him to Houston in return for the No. 8 pick and either Luther Head or a future No. 1 pick. But there's a snag in that plan. The Hawks are concerned that the Timberwolves or especially the Celtics might take Williams before the Rockets can draft him at No. 8. If Roy goes here, expect the Hawks to try to ship him to the Rockets. 6 Minnesota Adam Morrison Position: SF Height: 6-8 Weight: 198 Age: 21 School: Gonzaga The skinny: The evidence suggests that Morrison will be the pick here if Tyrus Thomas is off the board, though the Wolves aren't an easy read.Common sense would suggest that Brandon Roy and Randy Foye would be ahead of Morrison on Minnesota's board. Roy and Foye fit a need, since Rashad McCants might be out for the season after having microfracture surgery on his right knee. But from what I can gather, Morrison has caught Minnesota executive Kevin McHale's eye. 7 Boston Brandon Roy Position: SG Height: 6-6 Weight: 207 Age: 21 School: Washington The skinny: The Celtics remain the hardest team to figure out. They've worked out just about everyone and could go in just about any direction. It's fairly likely they'll trade the pick. Portland is trying to get to this pick and might be willing to give up Sebastian Telfair and picks No. 30 and 31. The Suns are also trying to move up and would love to get their hands on Roy. That could give the Celtics pick No. 21 and perhaps Leandro Barbosa. The Magic are also after Roy and would be willing to give up Keyon Dooling or Carlos Arroyo to get a trade done. Or the Celtics could keep the pick, play Roy at the two, put Paul Pierce back at the three and trade Wally Szczerbiak for more size in the middle. The team also likes Randy Foye, making him a possibility at this pick. 8 Houston Randy Foye Position: SG Height: 6-3 Weight: 212 Age: 22 School: Villanova The skinny: The Rockets are trying to move up and get their hands on Brandon Roy. Their best options for trade partners appear to be the Atlanta Hawks (drafting No. 5), the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 6) and the Boston Celtics (No. 7).If their efforts fail, the Rockets are hoping one of the top players in the draft fall to them. Ending up with Foye would be their worst-case scenario. While Foye is a better version of Luther Head and could immediately step in and take over as two guard, he wouldn't fit a need as well as Roy or Tyrus Thomas would. If the Rockets can't get someone they need more than Foye, they could end up trading the pick. 9 Golden State Ronnie Brewer Position: SG Height: 6-7 Weight: 220 Age: 21 School: Arkansas The skinny: The Warriors don't have any glaring needs and aren't in love with anyone in the draft. So don't be surprised to see Golden State trade down -- a number of teams, including the Hornets and the Bulls, are after Brewer. If the Warriors draft and keep Brewer, they'll probably say goodbye to Mickael Pietrus this summer. 10 Seattle Hilton Armstrong Position: C Height: 6-10 Weight: 240 Age: 21 School: UConn The skinny: The Sonics really would like to get their hands on Shelden Williams, but apparently he'll be off the board.So don't be surprised if Seattle looks to trade the pick. A number of teams, including the Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets, are trying to move up in the draft. In fact, it sounds like the Suns and Nets are after the same guy that the Sonics might settle on -- Armstrong. 11 Orlando J.J. Redick Position: SG Height: 6-5 Weight: 190 Age: 22 School: Duke The skinny: The Magic have been trying to move up in the draft for the past several weeks to get Brandon Roy or Shelden Williams. But if those two are off the board, look for Redick to be the pick. While his off-court problems and back injury have cooled the interest of some teams, sources in Orlando insist that the Magic are in love with Redick and his shooting ability. One alternative is Ronnie Brewer, but it looks like the Magic's focus is on Redick. 12 New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Patrick O'Bryant Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 249 Age: 20 School: Bradley The skinny: After giving up Jamaal Magloire and losing Chris Andersen to a drug suspension, the Hornets need an athletic defender who can rebound and block shots. They're hoping O'Bryant, the best center in the draft, is still on the board. O'Bryant is still very raw, but he has the size and athleticism to be a significant presence in the paint down the road. Cedric Simmons and Hilton Armstrong, if available, would be options here as well. 13 Philadelphia Cedric Simmons Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 223 Age: 20 School: NC State The skinny: The Sixers have a lot of needs right now.They've been trying to move up in the draft to get Shelden Williams, but to no avail. If somehow the Celtics can get their hands on Williams at No. 7, they could deal him to Philly. The talk is that the Sixers have fallen for two players, Simmons and Shawne Williams. Simmons reminds GM Billy King of a young Theo Ratliff. With Samuel Dalembert on the block, the Sixers might need another athletic, shot-blocking, rebounding presence. Shawne Williams is not a perfect fit, but he has a very rare combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability. The Sixers have the option of moving down in the draft a few spots and still being able to get him. 14 Utah Mouhamed Saer Sene Position: C Height: 7-0 Weight: 232 Age: 20 Country: Senegal The skinny: The Jazz's first priority is finding a scoring two guard. Roy, Foye and Redick are at the top of the list, and under this scenario Redick is available. The problem is that concerns about the long-term health of his back combined with his DUI arrest are scaring teams such as the Jazz and Magic, who tend to be more conservative. I'm not saying that they won't take him, but it's not a slam dunk the way it was two weeks ago. So the Jazz might look at their other need, the center position. The team could use an athletic shot-blocker to help out Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer in the paint. That means Mouhamed Saer Sene could be Utah's man. He's a project, but he is huge and physical, with great upside. And Karl Malone loved him when he came in for a workout. 15 NO/OC Hornets (via Milwaukee) Rodney Carney Position: SF Height: 6-6 Weight: 204 Age: 22 School: Memphis The skinny: The Hornets will be psyched if Carney is still on the board here. The team could use an athletic, sweet-shooting swingman and Carney has the experience to step right in and compete right away. Questions about Carney's toughness and desire are the only reasons he might slip this far. If Carney is off the board, Thabo Sefolosha and Marcus Vinicius Vieira de Souza are possibilities. 16 Chicago Thabo Sefolosha Position: SF Height: 6-6 Weight: 215 Age: 22 Country: Switzerland The skinny: If the Bulls address their frontcourt with pick No. 2, look for them to try to add a big two guard to fill their need in the backcourt. Ronnie Brewer and Rodney Carney would be likely targets if still on the board. If they're not, the Bulls could turn to Sefolosha. He's long, athletic and experienced, with a balanced all-around game. Temple's Mardy Collins would be another option. If the Bulls decide to go for Brandon Roy with the No. 2 pick, an athletic forward such as Alexander Johnson or a center like Mouhamed Saer Sene could be the guy, depending on who's available. 17 Indiana Marcus Williams Position: PG Height: 6-3 Weight: 215 Age: 20 School: UConn The skinny: According to this scenario, the Pacers, once again at No. 17, would find themselves in a situation similar to last year's, with two potential lottery picks to choose from. In this case, Marcus Williams and Rajon Rondo are the guys. Both players could go as high as the mid-lottery but could also slip to here. If neither Williams nor Rondo is on the board, the team has a number of other options. Shannon Brown has the potential to be a better version of Fred Jones. The Pacers also like Florida State's Alexander Johnson, a superathletic power forward who can play a little like Kenyon Martin. With Jermaine O'Neal constantly nursing injuries, and potentially on the trading block, finding someone to support or replace O'Neal is important. Olexsiy Pecherov and Quincy Douby also makes some sense here. 18 Washington Olexsiy Pecherov Position: PF Height: 6-11 Weight: 222 Age: 21 Country: Ukraine The skinny: Pecherov is a Keith Van Horn clone (right down to the haircut) who can play both inside and outside. He's turned himself into an excellent rebounder in Paris this year and could be a nice long-term project for Washington. 19 Sacramento Alexander Johnson Position: PF Height: 6-10 Weight: 230 Age: 23 School: FSU The skinny: We've had Sergio Rodriguez here for several weeks, but now we hear that the Kings are worried about his defense and lack of athletic ability. Besides, we're hearing that the Kings want to go big. Johnson's athleticism, toughness and game-readiness would be a great fit for the Kings. Rajon Rondo and Olexsiy Pecherov could also be a fit here, if available. 20 New York (via Denver) Shawne Williams Position: SF Height: 6-9 Weight: 227 Age: 20 School: Memphis The skinny: Williams is a guy Knicks coach/president Isiah Thomas can love. He is long and athletic, plays multiple positions and can shoot. He really needs another year of school, but playing for the Knicks is like playing for the JV at this point anyway.Shannon Brown and Alexander Johnson are also options here. Phoenix (via L.A. Lakers) Shannon Brown Position: SG Height: 6-3 Weight: 190 Age: 20 School: Mich State The skinny: The Suns have been trying to move up in the draft to get Brandon Roy, Hilton Armstrong, Rodney Carney or Mouhamed Saer Sene. If all are off the board when the Suns pick, they will have a tough choice between Rondo and Brown. Rondo would fit the need for a backup point guard, but Brown would be more ready to contribute now and would buy the Suns some insurance should they move Leandro Barbosa this summer. 22 New Jersey (via L.A. Clippers) Rajon Rondo Position: PG Height: 6-2 Weight: 171 Age: 20 School: Kentucky The skinny: If Rondo is available at No. 22, that means he took a major slide. But it could happen if he gets past Boston at No. 7, the Pacers at No. 17, the Wizards at No. 18 and the Kings at No. 19. It would be a great pickup for the Nets, who need a backup for Jason Kidd. Rondo's speed and defense would really boost the Nets' up-tempo attack. 23 New Jersey Quincy Douby Position: SG Height: 6-3 Weight: 175 Age: 22 School: Rutgers The skinny: The Nets desperately need to upgrade their frontcourt and have been trying to package the No. 22 and No. 23 picks to get up to No. 10 or No. 12. If they stay here, they'll probably just go with the best backcourt player available. Douby is a fantastic shooter who could provide an instant scoring boost off the bench. 24 Memphis Kyle Lowry Position: PG Height: 6-0 Weight: 185 Age: 20 School: Villanova The skinny: The Grizzlies have been searching for a center ever since Bryant Reeves retired. With Lorenzen Wright hitting free agency this summer, the need has never been greater. However, with Patrick O'Bryant, Hilton Armstrong, Mouhamed Saer Sene and Alexander Johnson likely to be off the board, there won't be many options left. If they can't find anyone for the frontcourt, they'd be smart to grab Lowry. They have a pretty big question mark at the point. No one is sure whether Damon Stoudamire will return at 100 percent this season, and Chucky Atkins is a free agent. Jordan Farmar, Sergio Rodriguez and Dee Brown are also options here, and Alexander Johnson is a candidate should he slide. 25 Cleveland Jordan Farmar Position: PG Height: 6-2 Weight: 171 Age: 19 School: UCLA The skinny: Danny Ferry is praying that one of the top point guards -- Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Sergio Rodriguez or Jordan Farmar -- falls to him here. Eric Snow peaked years ago and it looks like Damon Jones is on the downslope of his career, too. Farmar may be the best-case scenario for Cleveland. He's a pure point guard with great athleticism. He should be able to step in right away and contribute. Another possibility is Texas' Daniel Gibson. He's not a pure point guard, but he would be fine alongside LeBron James and Larry Hughes on the perimeter. 26 L.A. Lakers James White Position: SG Height: 6-7 Weight: 202 Age: 23 School: Cincinnati The skinny: White is the best athlete left on the board. He can jump out of the gym and he plays great perimeter defense. He's still working on his jump shot and his offensive game in general, but he's a sleeper who should be better in the NBA than in college. Phoenix Sergio Rodriguez Position: PG Height: 6-3 Weight: 170 Age: 20 Country: Spain The skinny: After Marcus Williams and Rajon Rondo, Rodriguez is the best pure point guard in the draft. He also has some big-time experience in Spain. At some point the team is going to need to rest Steve Nash, and Rodriguez is an intelligent point guard who can play the way Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni wants to play. Michigan State's Maurice Ager and Texas' Daniel Gibson are also options here. 28 Dallas Maurice Ager Position: SG Height: 6-5 Weight: 203 Age: 22 School: Mich State The skinny: The Mavs can always use a player who can stroke the ball, and Ager was that guy for the Spartans all year. His combination of athleticism, defense and shooting ability should make him a nice replacement for Jerry Stackhouse when Stack's contract expires in the summer of 2007. 29 New York (via San Antonio) Guillermo Diaz Position: SG Height: 6-2 Weight: 190 Age: 20 School: Miami The skinny: We've had UConn's Josh Boone in this spot for a month, but it's looking more and more like the Knicks didn't give him a promise. Diaz isn't a fit, but don't worry, Knicks fans. Most likely, the Knicks will use the pick as bait for the Heat, who have been trying to move up to get Diaz. 30 Portland (via Detroit) Solomon Jones Position: C Height: 6-10 Weight: 224 Age: 21 School: South Florida The skinny: The Blazers are not exactly ready to contend, so don't be shocked if they take a flier on a kid who's still several years away. Jones is long and athletic, and he can rebound and block shots. His size should come in handy down the road.

JJ is our best player no matter what position he plays and Childress will become better than Al before the year is out. I like Al but he's a role player on a good team and a starter on a bad one. So if he remains our best player then we're still a bad team I like the intangibles he brings and his veteran leadership but I just don't see him staying through the year...