My Personal NBA Draft 2007 Top 10

[jaywalker72]

My Top 10 players, regardless of team drafting, needs, etc.

1. Greg Oden---Everything points to him being special, including his demeanor and skills. I don't care how bulging his disk (careful, there) is, I take him and enjoy the run.

2. Kevin Durant---A special kind of scorer...the kind of guy you create on NBA Live with a 100 shooting and watch him drain 30 footers with ease. He doesn't have the complete game, but he can score, score, score.

3. Al Horford---I've harped on him enough, but when you watch him you see the skill set of a Karl Malone offensively, with great defense to boot. I am not saying he's Karl Malone, especially since Karl was an Adonis on the floor, but he could get close and he possesses a skill that is in short supply...a post game on both ends.

4. Yi Jianlian---Yeah, this is all hype and no content on my end and I thought about Conley and Brewer here too, but I can't say that he is not the player they say he is as much as I can say he isn't. Being a 7'0 SF with an aggressive game puts him in rare skill sets, with his only knock being those who have fooled in the past.

5. Corey Brewer---If you don't let him dribble often (Paging Glenn Robinson), he is a triple threat on offense. He can shoot from outside, spot up or on the move, he can go to the hoop and finish, and he can pull up from anywhere. A rare blend of bullheaded aggressiveness and finesse on the scoring side. On defense, he is trouble for opponents.

6. Mike Conley---The best PG in the draft and has a knack for finding the open man in any circumstance. Great court presence and can control an offense. His outside shot makes him suspect, which makes him a potential Brevin Knight, but has the needed skillset for any team of being able to control tempo and get the ball to the right guy.

7. Joakim Noah---At 7'0 with a massive engine and great hands, Noah brings unusual skill sets to his position, ones that can bring a lot of value to a team. Though he doesn't have ideal wingspan/reach, he uses his natural length and great timing to rebound/block on the defensive end, while using his passing skills to make a difference on the offensive end.

8. Brandon Wright---Yes, he does seem to vanish from time to time, but there have been many freshman who overcome that flaw and develop into solid leaders. The problem is, that usually happens on the college level, not pros. Despite that, Wright being great length and skill around the basket, leaving his ceiling very high.

9. Jeff Green---The solid all-around player. Brings to mind the game of Danny Granger of the Pacers a few years back when teams passed on him to take the likes of Fran Vazquez, et al. Green showed his versatility and mental makeup throughout Georgetown's tremendous season, eventually passing Roy Hibbert has the headliner on the team.

10. Acie Law IV---Julian Wright and Spencer Hawes were thoughts here, but I like the mental makeup of Law and believe that, unlike other combo guards, that he controlled the games/tempo at A&M moreso than those type of guards. He could be a Chauncey Billips type leader on the floor, with the ability/track record of making big shots, but he could be another great college player whose game didn't translate to the pros (like Chris Jackson).

I am no expert (and have been called on that many times), but there it is.

[Nicholasp27]

nice list

i agree that what makes horford a good pick is his post moves/presence...something we need

i still lean yi over horford, but i wouldn't be upset with either

i wouldn't mind conley at 3 if it were guaranteed to get noah at 11, either...but that isn't happening, so it's yi/horford all the way, with critt/law at 11

unless, of course, we get a nice trade offer

[DJlaysitup]

Good analysis...I think you are pretty much on the mark.

[exodus]

Yi has no interest in Memphis and Memphis has no interest in him.

[AHF]

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Yi has no interest in Memphis and Memphis has no interest in him.

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Read his post again, though. That isn't his mock draft. It is his ranking of players without regard to team needs or wants. He is simply ranking the players in the order of best prospect to worst prospect among the top 10.

[atlien110]

nice list.

i think jeff green is vastly overrated.

i think crittenton will end up being one of those guys in a few years you will say how'd he slip down to that spot?

i think noah is the 2nd coming of mark madsen.

i think brandan wright has the most potential of any draft pick this year but is nowhere near ready to contribute on the nba level. in fact i'd say it'll take him 50 more lbs and at least 3 more years before he's ready to contribute.

horford is the most ready to come in and be a factor. i say ROY.

i just have this feeling durant is going to get pushed around like crazy and the wear and tear of the nba season is going to affect him after the all start break.

oden (if he doesn't have injuries) will contribute but won't dominate in his first year.

yi will have to find a perfect situation to really make a mark in his first year.

conley will be ROY runner up.

brewer will be 3rd in terms of making a serious contribution right away.

[Traceman]

1. Greg Oden ---The only thing that can possibly stop this guy from becoming a perennial All Star is injury. He has an unbelievable mix of size, athletic ability and natural basketball skills. Great guy too.

2. Kevin Durant ---I think he is going to be a better, more aggressive Rashard Lewis in a worse case scenario and that is VERY good.

3. Al Horford ---He is quickly becoming the consensus 3rd best player in the draft and if we don't trade our pick (my preference), he is the guy I'm taking at #3. And no, I don't think he is a Center (though I do think that he and Shelden could play up front for us at times). I think he is a protoypical PF who could man that position for us at an All Star level for a LONG time.

4. Yi Jianlian ---Like Jay, this is based purely on the hype as I've never seen the guy play. Still, if he is anywhere near as good as the scouting reports, he could be a heck of a player. I must admit that I am fearful that he could be another Tskitishvili or a Wang Zhi Zhi.

5. Brandan Wright ---Dude is LONG and skilled. If he weighed 25 more lbs right now I would likely take him #3 but at 200 lbs (or even 210), he is just too weak to be a consistent factor. It will likely be 2-3 years before he is ready to roll and I don't want to wait that long.

6. Corey Brewer ---Very good all around player who should be a lock down perimeter defender. I love the way he runs the floor and gets in the passing lanes on D. I am not completely sold on his J but it is better than Stacey Augmon's was and I have seen their games compared on more than one site.

7. Jeff Green ---Another very good all around player. Needs to work on his perimeter stroke but everything else is there.

8. Mike Conley ---Solid prospect but I don't think he is anywhere near a sure thing. His suspect J has the potential to tremendously limit his effectiveness at the next level and while he is bigger than TJ Ford, he is smaller than a lot of the top tier NBA PGs. In addition, while he is a terrific distributor and penetrator, he is no TJ Ford. TJ averaged over 8 apg as freshman at TX. I had NO doubt that TJ would be a solid NBA PG IF he could stay healthy. Bottom line - I THINK Conley will be good but I wouldn't bet the franchise on it and take him at #3. He is a no-brainer at #11.

9. Joakim Noah ---I love his motor and I think he is going to be a better pro than many realize. The same people who were insisting that he was worth the #1 overall pick last year are now saying that he won't be a starting caliber NBA player. Personally, I thought he was being overrated last year and I think he is being underrated this year. If he is there at #11 and Conley is off the board, I'm probably taking him - even if I took Horford at #3. I'd then look to trade a player (or players) for a PG.

10. Rodney Stuckey ---My sleeper pick. The more I read about this guy, the more I like him. Not a pure PG by any stretch but I think his skill set would work just fine with JJ in the lineup just as Brandon Roy's likley would have. At any rate, it would be nice to have a guy in the lineup who can get his own shot whenever he wanted but who could also set up his teammates ala JJ. I thought about going Crittenton here (and I'd be happy with him at #11) but I think Stuckey is more ready to play right now. As for Law, I'm just not feeling him. I think he is just an average athlete whose game simply does not translate to the NBA.

Just my thoughts.

[jerrywest]

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4.

Yi Jianlian

---Like Jay, this is based purely on the hype as I've never seen the guy play. Still, if he is anywhere near as good as the scouting reports, he could be a heck of a player. I must admit that I am fearful that he could be another Tskitishvili or a Wang Zhi Zhi.

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Why don't you check some real games of CBA. You'll be surprised. Tskitishvili and Wang Zhi Zhi were total unknown. Yi played against a lot of NBA players in international competitions, and those players were very impressed by him. Ask JJ.

[KB21]

Well, my top three prospects are locked, and I'm leaning heavily towards locking in the #4 guy on my list. The rest, at this point, is simply a matter of personal preference, I guess. I really like guys I have at 1-4, but the next 3-4 on my list are very fluid:

01. Greg Oden, C, Ohio State - You simply can't pass on a big man that brings it on both ends of the floor

02. Kevin Durant, F, Texas - Great scoring potential! He will need some development, but his upside is tremendous.

03. Al Horford, F/C, Florida - At this point, I think he's a lock as the 3rd best prospect in the draft. Unlike you, I believe this guy can play the center position much like Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard do.

04. Jeff Green, F, Georgetown - I love this guy's versatility, his mid-range game, his low post offense, and his defensive ability. This guy locked up Brandan Wright in the NCAA tournament.

Now, here is where I have the most uncertainty.

05. Yi Jianlian, F/C, China - I think he has a lot of ability, but I wonder if he will end up being a system guy in the NBA. He strikes me as a player that needs to be in a free flowing system to take advantage of his gifts, and I'm not that high on his defensive ability at this point. He did show in the World Championships that he could rebound.

06. Mike Conley Jr, G, Ohio State - I almost put him 4th on my list, but his lack of range is clearly something that will haunt him. I love his defense and his ability to dictate the pace of the game though.

07. Brandan Wright, F, North Carolina - Brandan is an upside pick at this point. He's clearly not ready for prime time, but three years from now, he may be one of the three best players from this draft. I think he's more of an offensive player right now with a sweet touch from close in, and he needs to gain strength to become a better defender.

08. Corey Brewer, G/F, Florida - I love his defense, but I think he's probably the most limited offensive player in the top 10 at this point. He's a Stacy Augmon type of defender though, and I think that's the role he will play early on in his career.

09. Joakim Noah, F/C, Florida - He's a high energy guy with limited skills that I have always thought of as a poor man's Tyson Chandler. In the right situation, Joakim may put up similar numbers to Chandler. Overall though, he may be nothing more than a role playing bench player.

10. Al Thornton, F, Florida State - If you looked at the stats alone, Al Thornton would be the 3rd rated player in this draft. This guy scores and defends equally well. He shoots the ball from the perimter, scores in the post, and defends the perimter and post well. Stats don't mean everything though. I like Thornton though, and I think he's going to be a solid role player as a starter in the NBA. He's going to be a lot like a Josh Childress type of player in that he's athletic and will do the things on the floor that helps teams win, but he doesn't have that one stand out attribute.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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5.

Brandan Wright

---Dude is LONG and skilled. If he weighed 25 more lbs right now I would likely take him #3 but at 200 lbs (or even 210), he is just too weak to be a consistent factor.

It will likely be 2-3 years before he is ready to roll and I don't want to wait that long.

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Well it's going to be that long before we can ever compete for a championship, so might as well wait for the development.

That's why I haven't ruled Wright off my list.

Although Horford is a more NBA ready prospect than Yi and Wright, that won't really matter since we won't win a championship next year no matter who we pick.

[Traceman]

draft him for that purpose. I certainly could see him playing there against a lot of guys but I think some Centers will be too big for him. I think he and Shelden would actually compliment each other pretty well against certain matchups. They could be like the "Davis Brothers" were in Indy when Antonio and Dale made such an effective tandem.

[Traceman]

like he has a lot of talent but he will definitely have to play PF in the NBA. There is no way in hell he can guard LeBron, Paul Pierce, Richard Jefferson, T Mac, Jason Richardson or any of the quicker, more athletic SFs in the NBA. My question is whether or not he is strong enough/tough enough to adjust to NBA caliber players at that position. It looks like he MIGHT be able to make the adjustment. I like the fact that he appears to dunk EVERYTHING when he gets close to the basket and I think his little turnaround J will be money at any level.

I also like the fact that he appears to be a HIGHLY marketable guy. I think he would definitely draw a lot of new fans to the team. I am certainly okay with picking him at #3 over Horford if that is the direction BK chooses to go.

The reality is that there are two virtually surefire All Star players in the draft and then there are probably 10 other guys who could be stars or who could end up being journeymen level players. I just hope BK picks the right two guys with the picks we have.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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draft him for that purpose. I certainly could see him playing there against a lot of guys but I think some Centers will be too big for him. I think he and Shelden would actually compliment each other pretty well against certain matchups. They could be like the "Davis Brothers" were in Indy when Antonio and Dale made such an effective tandem.

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With his length and agility the sky is the limit for Yi's defense.

But he's AT LEAST 2 years away from ever even stepping on the court as a 5 mentally and physically.

[jaywalker72]

Welcome to the Horford at 3 club, Trace!

Great list and comments...It really seems to drop off a bit after 8 or 9 as one looks through the rest of the draft, but Stuckey could be solid player, but his price keeps rising and rising....

As for Law...I feel your comments completely...I guess I want to believe in the kid because he did so much at A/M.

Excellent comments about Noah as well....

[jaywalker72]

Wow! Green at #4 and almost a lock?!! Bold.

I do like his game, but think he is subtle in his contributions at the pro level, meaning he won't leap off the screen at you, almost like he didn't do that at G'Town either, but I agree, he has a great all-around game.

I like the Chandler comparison with Jo, but I think that Jo had the advantage of playing in a good system at Florida and understands where he is supposed to be at both ends and how to work in an offense. Chandler simply didn't have that and was lost immediately offensively and relied on timing and raw talent on defense initially. Tyson still can't control the post, which Joakim did when Horford was out of games at Florida.

As for Brandon Wright...so much of the difference between the talented and the great players lies within the makeup of the player and I have to question Wright's makeup. When you look at Heywood, you see a guy that could be really good in the pros, but simply doesn't apply himself to do so...will Wright be that way? If he is, then he will not be able to become one of the top 3 from this draft.

I completely disagree on your take on Brewer's offensive game as he was counted on many times at Florida to create from the outside in when teams tried to bog down the middle. He created a lot of offense at Florida, not just on fast breaks. He owns the Gators only triple double and simply was diverse in the ways he could score the basketball.

[shug94]

1. Oden - This seems to be the consensus

2. Durant - Although I am _really_ close to moving him up into the number 1 spot.

3. Horford - Big, powerful, is made for the post.

4. Conley - Fast, smart, good distributor.

5. Noah - I think his game translates to the pros a lot better than most experts think.

6. Brewer - Defense is important in the NBA, and that is what Corey brings.

7. Jeff Green - This guy has a nice all around game and brings you intangibles.

8. Nick Young - I think Young is gonna be the best first round rookie SG from the past five years. He is gonna fill it up, and score at will. He needs to work on his all-around game some, but putting the rock in the bucket is not a problem.

9. Rudy Fernandez - He can shoot. He plays solid D. He understands the game well and has solid fundamentals. This makes him the same as some other successful euros from the past few drafts. But his athleticism is first class, which gives him a nice american edge to his game.

10. Al Thornton - This guy slightly edges out Yi. I just don't like Yi JianLian or Brandan Wright, because I don't see their games translating to the NBA.

[atlien110]

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8. Nick Young - I think Young is gonna be the best first round rookie SG from the past five years. He is gonna fill it up, and score at will. He needs to work on his all-around game some, but putting the rock in the bucket is not a problem.

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REALLY? better than dwayne wade? wowza!

[Nicholasp27]

horford will be pretty comfortable at center for us

a) he's used to playing in the post; he's a post player

b) he played center, not noah

c) he'll have a better noah in smoove as his pf, so will be comfortable in the role