Insider Special: Star Power Lacking In Chicago...

[Weez]

Chad Ford's mock draft: Standard version | Slideshow version

CHICAGO -- After spending Monday in fantasy camp at Hoops Gym, it was time to get back to reality at the NBA's Chicago pre-draft camp.

Once again, the roster is proving to be a disappointment. The biggest names are Duke's Chris Duhon and Xavier's Romain Sato. The only guys with a realistic shot at being picked in the first round -- Providence's Ryan Gomes, Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts and Saint Joseph's Delonte West -- likely will pull out and return to school. It's highly unlikely any of these guys will get first-round promises, given the volatility of the draft, and they'd be crazy to take the risk right now.

After watching an international dream camp in Treviso, Italy, last week, the best international name the Chicago camp could muster was Serbian combo guard Ivan Koljevic.

The camp is so diluted that Western Carolina's Kevin Martin and junior college star Donta Smith decided the camp wasn't worth their while, and a staggering 23 players from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament are making repeat appearances here.

OK, enough with the complaining. There are some interesting players here. Every year someone comes out of the woodwork and plants himself firmly in the first round. Last year it was Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones who played their way in. Who has a shot at doing it this year?

Insider talked to some GMs in the building Tuesday evening, and these are the 11 guys they'll be watching closely.

With a strong showing in Chicago, Romain Sato could slip into the late first round.

Romain Sato, SG, Xavier

Sato had a solid college career and has several things going for him that could turn him into a good NBA rotation player. He's strong, athletic, has very long arms and has a defensive intensity about him that has teams interested. He's been working out very well. If he can dominate here, Sato could go in the late first round to a team looking for a player who can step in right away.

Tony Allen, SG, Oklahoma

Allen is another terrific defensive specialist with long arms, great athleticism and the ability to score when his team needs him. Before all the underclassmen began flooding the draft, scouts believed he had a shot at the late first round. With a great performance here, he could get back there again.

Trevor Ariza, SF, UCLA

Ariza has zero buzz right now. He needs to be here. His specialty is perimeter defense, but he's going to have to show a special skill here to get back into the first round. He has the ability to play point-forward at the next level and will need to show it here.

Rickey Paulding, SG, Missouri

At one time, Paulding was considered a candidate for the lottery, but a lackluster senior season killed his buzz. His athleticism is always on display, but if he can start hitting 3s with consistency, Paulding could help himself.

Chris Duhon, PG, Duke

Bernie Bickerstaff claims Duhon could be a nice NBA journeyman with a lot of work. Oh, how the mighty fall. Duhon, like Paulding, once was thought of as a lottery prospect. Was the Duke system to blame for his sorrowful junior and senior efforts? Or was Duhon just exposed? Scouts are waiting to see how he fares in a more wide-open system.

Once considered a lottery prospect, Chris Duhon has little chance of being a first-round pick.

Antonio Burks, PG, Memphis

Like Sato, Burks is getting a lot of buzz these days after a string of impressive workouts. He's lightning quick with the ball, has a good NBA body and knows how to score. He was just so-so at Portsmouth. Can he turn it on here?

Arthur Johnson, PF, Missouri

One thing will determine Johnson's stock at the camp -- official measurements. Is he really 6-foot-9, as he claims, or is he closer to 6-7, as scouts claim? Teams like his skills, and he should do well here, but the size thing will kill him.

Bryant Matthews, SF, Virginia Tech

Matthews turned a lot of heads at Portsmouth with his athletic play. He was a big-time scorer and rebounder at Virginia Tech. If he can show some of that against the better talent here, he could secure a spot in the second round.

James Lloreda, PF, LSU

Was having a solid season at LSU before injuries ended it early. This is the first look at him many NBA teams have had, and they'll be playing close attention. If Lloreda measures a legit 6-9 and plays with his trademark physicality, he could help himself.

Herve Lamizana, F, Rutgers

Lamizana is a very athletic player who has caught the eye of scouts for the past two years. He's probably a second-round pick for sure, but a solid performance here could really help his stock. One of the few guys here who still has a lot of upside.

Tim Pickett, SG, Florida

Pickett has been a workout wonder, a kid who's buzz has steadily risen throughout the draft process. Shooting is his forte, but he's another one who will rise and fall based on what he measures. He claims he's 6-4, on the small end for a two guard. If he's under that, forget about it.

Chicago sleepers

Ronald Murray has become the patron saint of guys from small schools who get discovered here in Chicago. His breakout performance for the Sonics this season guarantees these guys will get a close look this week.

Chris Garnett, C, Indiana Southwest

Glad to see the NBA relented and let Garnett into the camp. He wasn't invited to Portsmouth, angering some scouts who wanted to see him against better competition. He was pretty dominant in the NAIA. He has good size and athleticism for a big man. Lots of questions about his head.

Ricky Minard, G, Morehead State

Great athleticism. Does a little bit of everything. His 5.1 assist average have some scouts wondering if he could be the second coming of Murray.

Rich Melzer, SF, Wisconsin River Falls

Melzer didn't do much at Portsmouth, but he's been playing to good reviews at individual workouts. Melzer can get it done inside and outside. A few scouts are very high on him.

Jackie Butler, PF, Coastal Christian Academy, Va.

Butler, a former McDonald's All-American, wanted to declare for the draft straight out of high school. When no one bit, he went off to prep school and put up monster numbers (29 ppg, 17 rpg). He has good size, athleticism and body for the four. He could do wonders for his stock with a dominating performance here.

Beno Udrih, PG, Slovenia

Udrih is a draft-eligible Euro with good size for the point guard position. He has the ability to score, is a good shooter and has some big-time experience around Europe. Several teams drafting in the late first round are pretty high on him.

Sergei Lishouk, PF, Ukraine

Several international scouts are pretty high on him. He plays in the Ukraine, making him fairly difficult to scout, and is averaging good numbers over there. Despite his 6-11 size, he likes to shoot it from the perimeter.

Marko Tomas, SG, Croatia

Tomas had a little bit of a buzz going at the Reebok Eurocamp before getting injured. He puts up pretty good numbers in Croatia and knows how to get to the basket. His shooting has also improved. Most likely he'll pull out of the draft, but this could be a good showcase for him down the road.

Missing in action

Who isn't in Chicago is just as interesting as who is. Some decided to skip the camp because they're confident in their draft stock. Others weren't invited at all. Here's a look at six guys who should be here but aren't.

Roko-Leni Ukic

Roko Leni Ukic, PG, Croatia

Ukic would be one of the top two or three point guards in this camp, but he never received an invite. What gives? A source on the selection committee for the NBA claims they thought Ukic had the talent to be here but left him off the squad because they believed he probably would pull out of the draft. Huh? Ukic was one of the few guys who could've propelled his way into the first round with a strong performance here. Had he done it, he would've stayed in the draft. The NBA screwed this one up big time. Nevertheless, Ukic is in town and taking part in a workout SFX is holding for its top international clients today.

Kevin Martin, SG, Western Carolina

Martin received an invite but pulled out of the camp at the last second, stunning just about everyone here. What gives? He's had solid workouts and decided he'd be better off doing a public workout for teams on Wednesday. Martin might be shooting in an empty gym. He could've put up big numbers here.

Dorrell Wright, SG, South Kent Prep

Wright, too, received an invite but pulled out Monday. He has played well in workouts the past few weeks. Did a team get nervous and make him a promise? Probably not. But from what I've picked up here, he probably got enough praise to convince him he didn't need to play here. Wright, too, could've been showcased here. I think his stock is higher than Martin's, but it would've been nice to see what he could do against more-talented players.

Lionel Chalmers, PG, Xavier

Amazingly, Chalmers didn't get an invite to Portsmouth or Chicago, despite being one of the best players in the NCAA Tournament this year. The rationale was that NBA teams already had scouted him enough. You could say the same thing about 15 other, less-talented college seniors in the camp. This is a real head-scratcher. Chalmers may not have a shot at the first round, but neither do most of the guys here.

Cleiton Sebastiao, C, Brazil

The big guy from Brazil should be here. I don't know whether he received an invite, but the last time we checked with his agent he hadn't. If he didn't, it's a shame. Here's a guy who teams really need to see play 5-on-5 basketball. In workouts he can look impressive, but no one knows if he can play basketball. Now it looks like they won't find out this year.

Darius Rice, SF, Miami

Rice didn't receive an invite, putting the final nail in his NBA coffin. He was pretty bad at Portsmouth, but on talent and potential, he's way ahead of some of the players here. He deserved a second chance.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider. Send him an e-mail here.