Chad Ford: (12:02 PM ET ) Aloha everyone. Thanks for coming to the chat. We'll spend a few minutes breaking down the NBA and then head over to the NBA draft...




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Joseph (Lane SC): Any chance of KG getting out of Minnesota and playing for a contender?

Chad Ford: (12:03 PM ET ) Given all the opportunities that Minnesota has had to trade him, my gut says no UNLESS, Garnett finally, and publicly, asks for a trade. The Wolves just won't pull the trigger on their franchise player. They should've done it at the trade deadline when Chicago was willing to fork over several top young prospects including Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas to make it happen. I don't think they'll get a better deal.


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Dan (NY, NY): Hey, Chad. Let's say Jermaine O'Neal wants out of Indiana this summer. Do you think the Pacers would take Stephon Marbury (shorter contract, still can play) and Channing Frye (lots of potential) for him? Or am I dreaming?

Chad Ford: (12:05 PM ET ) Dreaming. They'll want more than that for JO. He can still play. They may be an interesting trade partner with the Bulls ... if they weren't in the same division. I could see the Lakers, Celtics and Hawks also come calling.


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Matt, Orl Fla: In the East, with the Knicks defeating the Cavs last night, it seems that a top seed can be defeated by a lower seed. Which potential matchup will possibly end in an upset?

Chad Ford: (12:08 PM ET ) I'm not sure about ANY match-up in the East. I think some of those lower teams are clearly worse than some of the top teams. But there is a lot of parity in the East right now. I expect an upset or two in the first round.


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stefan austria: Will the Bulls catch the Cavs for 2nd seed? What do you think about Luol Deng, is he the best player on chi?

Chad Ford: (12:10 PM ET ) Yes and yes. I think Chicago is better than Cleveland and will catch them for the No. 2 seed. That's pretty bad news for Cleveland as it would drop them all the way to No. 5. I do think Deng is their best player right now ... though I still believe Tyrus Thomas, down the road, also has the potential to be special.


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Dave (boston): Great win by the Celtics last night in double OT............ Please tell me that Pierce sits the rest of the season so Milwaukee has no chance to "pass" us. We may be in fish tank mode, they are in Sherman tank mode.

Chad Ford: (12:13 PM ET ) The Cs have actually blow a couple of chances to move closer to the No. 1 spot on the lottery board and I agree the Bucks are charging hard for that No. 2 spot. Shut down Paul Pierce!


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Nick: (Dallas):: Shouldn't the Pacers just lose the rest of the season so that they can get their draft pick? Even if they make the playoffs they will lose in the first round and it will only take away their draft pick and give Donnie Walsh a harder decision to make.

Chad Ford: (12:14 PM ET ) Yeah, the Pacers have a huge incentive to tank. If their pick is 11 or higher, they have to send it to Atlanta. If it's 10 or lower they keep it. They really need a point guard who can lead the team and there are several that will be right there including a guy who would be a local favorite, Mike Conley Jr. I'd sit O'Neal for the rest of the year and tell Jamaal Tinsley to keep chucking up 17 shots a game. That ought to do it.


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TJ (VA): are the lakers going to get past the 1st round>?

Chad Ford: (12:16 PM ET ) I don't see it. They'll probably face San Antonio in round 1. I think the Spurs just have too many weapons. I think the Rockets are the only West team with a good shot of pulling a first round upset over Utah.


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Woytek (Cracow, Poland): A lot of tanking ques...do you think that players can really TANK? Or it is a 'job' reserved for the coaches/GMs ?

Chad Ford: (12:18 PM ET ) Sure players tank if you mean giving less than 100 percent effort. Have you seen Steve Francis play defense lately? But if you mean that they are colluding with coaches and GMs to deliberately lose so they can get a higher draft pick ... then no, I don't think that happens. However, its been a long season, the team isn't going anywhere, if you're a veteran, I can see why you may just not care any more.


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Hoss (Austin): Danny Ainge recently said on WEEI that that more draft mistakes are made, historically, on big men than any other position. Comment?

Chad Ford: (12:22 PM ET ) Yeah, it's really impossible to disagree. It's a little like playing the lottery. You either hit the jackpot or you come up empty handed. Teams always reach for big guys, but most of the time, they don't pan out the way they hope. Just ask the Sonics who have drafted young big guys the last three years. However, I'm not sure that anyone would be making a mistake taking Greg Oden. I do worry about his passion for the game and that will affect him in the pros. But he's good.


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Nick(Dallas): Any chance Acie Law goes in the top 5? I know it might be a reach but it seems like after 1 and 2 the talent is pretty close to equal.

Chad Ford: (12:23 PM ET ) A little too high for Law. He reminds me of Sam Cassell. I think he's a late lottery to mid first round pick. If he was a little better athlete and a better shooter, he'd go higher.


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Sam (Texas): Chad, is Mike Conley Jr. moving up draft boards? I think Ohio State is in the tournament still because of his and Lewis' play, not Oden. From watching games this year, I think Conley is better than Lawson, and much better than Augustine...is he the first point gaurd off the board if he comes out? How high could he go?

Chad Ford: (12:24 PM ET ) Here's how I have the point guards ranked:

1. Conley
2. Ty Lawson
3. Acie Law

I think those are the three elite point guard prospects in the draft.

A few others like DJ Augustin, Darren Collison and Javaris Crittenton are also possible first rounders.


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Joel (Minn): Jeff Green Top 7? Top 10?

Chad Ford: (12:26 PM ET ) I think the Blazers would have a hard time passing on him. He'd be a really good fit. Right now they're picking 8. He could go a little higher, but I think the range is probably 6 to 10. He's been fantastic in the tournament. He's kind of this year's Brandon Roy


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tim(ohio): Where do you see Ron Lewis going in the draft??? Late first...Early second?

Chad Ford: (12:27 PM ET ) He's helped himself a lot by shooting the lights out in clutch situations in the tournament ... but I think he's realistically a mid to late second rounder. He's talented, but this is shaping up to be a really deep draft.


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Kevin Garnett, Minneapolis, MN: Yo, dog... Any chance I end up with the lotto winner...

Chad Ford: (12:29 PM ET ) I've got to believe that the Wolves winning the lottery would scare the hell out of David Stern so ... no. He can't risk Kevin McHale selecting Nick Fazekas with the first pick in the draft.


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Chris, Memphis: I've seen Derrick Byars predicted from 12-36. Where do you think he will go, and what is the difference between him, Al Thorton, and Morris Almond?

Chad Ford: (12:31 PM ET ) I think that 12 is wildly too high. Maybe 36. The difference is big for both comparisons. Thornton is a MUCH better athlete. They're not even in the same ball park. Almond is a better scorer and shooter, though I think there are more similarities between those two. Almond is a bubble first rounder. I see Byars, assuming everyone comes out, being in that next second round tier.


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A.J. (Chicago): If anyone doubts that Oden is the straw that stirs the drink in Columbus, just look at his +/-. The opposition's need to account for him completely alters the landscape on both ends.

Chad Ford: (12:31 PM ET ) I think this is part of the equation that many fans aren't considering. He's proven over and over again that he can change the game on the defensive end the same way Kevin Durant can on the offensive end.


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Phil (Syracuse, NY): Is Demetrius Nichols going in the 2nd round as I've heard?

Chad Ford: (12:32 PM ET ) Do you have a time machine? When it comes to the second round all bets are off. He's got a shot at getting drafted in the second round. But so do 50 other prospects.


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Kyle (KC): Do you see Brandon Rush entering the draft this year and if so where would he end up and what type of player will he be?

Chad Ford: (12:34 PM ET ) I think he'll probably come out from all the intel I'm getting. He hasn't made up his mind, but he's exploring it. I think he'll be a first rounder. I think he'll look great in workouts. His aggressiveness was the only real concern and he seemed to step it up for Kansas in the tournament. I don't think he'll be a star NBA player, but he's got all the skills to be a solid one.


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Darryl Strawberry (State Prison): Any chance my son gets drafted in round 2? Does he have a future as a defensive stopper in the NBA?

Chad Ford: (12:35 PM ET ) Yeah, I think D.J. has a chance to be drafted in the second round. He's really matured as a player and can play both the one and the two. Defensively he has some value.


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Jay(New York): Who is the sleeper in this year's draf?

Chad Ford: (12:37 PM ET ) If you want a true sleeper then I think someone like Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey or Jackson State's Trey Johnson. Also a couple of young international guys like Nicolas Batum and Ante Tomic have a chance to good if teams are willing to wait a few years.


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Rob (Portland, OR): What about Chris Lofton? Is he a first round bubble guy (assuming he declares)?

Chad Ford: (12:37 PM ET ) I'd say second rounder because of his lack of size and just so-so athleticism. But he can really shoot the basketball and he knows how to score ... someone will draft him.


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Christopher (Phoenix, AZ): If the C's get the #1 pick and you're the Suns, would you trade Shawn Marion and the pick you have from the Hawks, to the C's, then draft Kevin Durant?

Chad Ford: (12:39 PM ET ) Yes, I'd do that if I were the Suns. They have cap issues that would make this a slam dunk ... plus Durant would be sick, just sick on the Suns. That's not a bad scenario if Danny really wants to try to "go for it"


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Aaron,Phoenix: Who shined in scouts eyes at the Mcdonald's game last night?

Chad Ford: (12:43 PM ET ) I'm glad I don't have to scout the high schoolers for this years draft, but I did watch the game as did a lot of scouts thinking ahead to 2008. I think the star of the game was Kansas State recruit Michael Beasley. He's a beast. I think he'll take Kevin Durant's place as the super freshman in the Big 12. He's got such a complete game. No one else blew me away frankly ... OJ Mayo was terrible. He's better than that USC fans ... but good thing high school kids have to go to school, because he wouldn't want that to be the last impression NBA scouts had of him. Ugh.


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James (OH): Where does Yi Jianlian go in the draft?

Chad Ford: (12:45 PM ET ) He's the wildcard in the first half of the lottery. He may be a little under rated at the moment. The scouts that have seen him a lot LOVE him. I think he could go somewhere in the 3 to 8 range if Oden and Durant come out. If they both decided to stay in school, I actually think he'd get some consideration for the No. 1 pick. He reminds me a little of Bargnani.


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John Paxson (IL): Will I have the opportunity to draft Roy hibbert or will he be gone by the time I make our pick? He would fit in nicely wouldn't he? Thanks for the inside info!

Chad Ford: (12:46 PM ET ) He's a good fit for the Bulls. He can score in the paint and is a good passer out of the post. At 7-foot-2, he also will be disruptive defensively. However, he's not a dominant low post scorer or rebounder and I don't think he's ready to play right away, so he's not a cure all for the Bulls. I think most of the guys who would be will be off the board before the Bulls pick.


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Dave (DC): Everyone talks about this being an extraordinarily deep draft, but I don't really get it. There seems to be only 2 stars at the top, and then about 10-12 guys who will be solid NBA players. Does that make it deep or am I just misreading it?

Chad Ford: (12:49 PM ET ) When we say deep, I think we mean how many guys are actual player in the 20s and 30s in this draft. Usually by then, it's a real crap shoot. I think there's a chance we'll have 40+ players in this draft who could actually be legit rotation players in the league. That's the depth. At the top there are two elite talents. Another four or six potential All-Star players. And then another eight to 10 potential starters in the third tier. After that, lots of depth with good solid guys who could come off the bench.


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Chad Ford: I'm going to stop taking questions from people who pretend to be a player and/or GM because it is STUPID. Go Celtics.

Chad Ford: (12:50 PM ET ) Speaking of pretenders ... Go Celtics? You know me better than that?


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Shawn (Minneapolis): Chad, maybe this is a good way to answer Dave's question. How many players in this years draft would have been drafted #1 ahead of Bogut had they come out in the same year?

Chad Ford: (12:51 PM ET ) OK ... I can think of four or five.


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Mo (Dallas): Who will be a better pro: Kevin Durant or Greg Oden?

Chad Ford: (12:52 PM ET ) I think they'll both be great, but my money's on Durant.

Chad Ford: (12:52 PM ET ) Got to run a few minutes early everyone. Let's do it again next week.