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nixluva
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Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Here ya go!
This week we had our first big shake-up, shortly after debuting our first mock draft, with Georgetown center Roy Hibbert announcing that he's withdrawing from the 2007 NBA Draft.
At this point very little is set in stone. Expect this mock draft to fluctuate greatly over the course of the next five weeks.
The process of team workouts has just started. Over the next few weeks, the Orlando NBA predraft camp, the Reebok Eurocamp and hundreds of team workouts will dramatically alter the face of the draft.
But for now, here's our best stab, after talking to numerous NBA team sources, at how the draft might play out in June.
CHAD FORD'S MOCK DRAFT
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Portland
Greg Oden Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
Age: 19
School: Ohio State
The skinny: Jackpot! The Blazers are a good fit for Oden. With Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, the Blazers have an extraordinary young core and will be a playoff contender next year.
Durant might be a better fit, and GM Kevin Pritchard told me he's keeping his options open, but at this point I think Oden is just too good to pass up here.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Seattle
Kevin Durant Position: SF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 190
Age: 18
School: Texas
The skinny: Durant should give the Sonics the ability to let Rashard Lewis walk when he hits free agency this summer.
But will Durant's presence save basketball in Seattle? He should draw the fans, but given all of the Sonics' weaknesses (defense, post play), will his presence translate into wins right away?
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Atlanta
Mike Conley Position: PG
Height: 6-0
Weight: 170
Age: 19
School: Ohio State
The skinny: The team might be devastated that they didn't get Greg Oden, but they score his teammate for the last six years, Conley.
After passing on Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo in the last two drafts, it's time to take a point guard, right?
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Memphis
Al Horford Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 235
Age: 20
School: Florida
The skinny: With the Grizzlies falling out of the lottery, their chances of landing a superstar have faded. But they could still really use some toughness and defensive rebounding in the paint. Horford is a safe pick and one of the most NBA ready.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Boston
Yi Jianlian Position: PF
Height: 7-0
Weight: 246
Age: 19
Country: China
The skinny: This is the worst-case scenario for the Celtics. With no chance to get either Oden or Durant in the fold, the Celtics seem further away from a title than ever.
Yi is a good fit in Boston, given his size and ability to score. But is he enough to save Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers?
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Milwaukee
Julian Wright Position: SF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 220
Age: 20
School: Kansas
The skinny: Wright's versatility, defense and ability to play a point forward type role will be appealing to the Bucks. They already have three good scorers in Michael Redd, Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut ... so Wright should be a great fit.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Minnesota
Brandan Wright Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 210
Age: 19
School: North Carolina
The skinny: The Timberwolves' biggest need is in the frontcourt. They have to get more size and athleticism, and Wright would be a steal if he falls this far. Many GMs have him ranked as the third-best prospect in the draft. He doesn't play with the intensity of Kevin Garnett, but he has a lot of similar tools.
They also could opt for point guard Mike Conley here. But if they take him, they'll have to clean up a pretty huge logjam in their backcourt.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Charlotte
Corey Brewer Position: SG
Height: 6-8
Weight: 185
Age: 21
School: Florida
The skinny: If the Bobcats weren't going to win one of the two top spots in the lottery, then this is a dream come true for them. They've needed a 2 who can play defense, get to the basket and shoot from the perimeter. Brewer can do all three.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Chicago
(via New York)
Spencer Hawes Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 230
Age: 19
School: Washington
The skinny: The Bulls desperately need low-post scoring, and Hawes might be the most offensively-gifted low-post player in the draft. He can score in a variety of ways around the basket and has the toughness Scott Skiles demands from his players. The main drawback is Hawes' lack of athleticism and strength.
The Bulls really want Yi, so don't be surprised if they try to move up a few spots in the draft to get him.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Sacramento
Jeff Green Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Age: 20
School: Georgetown
The skinny: You can bet the Kings will have Ron Artest on the block this summer after he torpedoed the season in Sacramento.
Green doesn't have Artest's athleticism but he's a heady player on both ends of the floor who should be a great facilitator in their offense.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Atlanta
(via Indiana)
Joakim Noah Position: PF
Height: 6-11
Weight: 230
Age: 22
School: Florida
The skinny: If the Hawks land point guard Mike Conley with the No. 3 pick, look for them to add some size, defense and energy in their frontcourt.
Noah might never be a 20-point-a-night scorer, but he runs the floor, plays good defense and, along with Conley, should provide the spark the team needs to finally contend for a playoff spot.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Philadelphia
Al Thornton Position: SF
Height: 6-7
Weight: 210
Age: 23
School: Florida State
The skinny: The Sixers need a power forward and could opt for Jason Smith here, but more likely they go with another great athlete who can really score.
Thornton could be a Shawn Marion-type player in the pros and if the Sixers are willing to go up-tempo, could even play a little four.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
New Orleans
Thaddeus Young Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Weight: 210
Age: 18
School: Georgia Tech
The skinny: With Desmond Mason hitting free agency, the Hornets will look for a swingman to play alongside Peja Stojakovic, if he can get healthy. Brewer is the ideal fit, but if he's gone I expect they'll decide between Green, Thornton and Young -- whoever is left on the board.
Between the latter two, Thornton is more NBA-ready, though it seems like Young has the higher ceiling.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
L.A. Clippers
Acie Law Position: PG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Age: 22
School: Texas A&M
The skinny: With Shaun Livingston's future up in the air, the Clippers need to seriously think about adding another point guard. Sam Cassell can't run the show forever, and Law would be a good replacement.
Like Cassell, he's a scoring guard who is fearless at the end of games. He should be able to step in and contribute immediately.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Detroit
(via Orlando)
Rodney Stuckey Position: SG
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205
Age: 21
School: Eastern Wash.
The skinny: Some might raise their eyebrows if Stuckey goes this high, and I don't have specific information that says Detroit would take him. He just seems like the type of player Detroit likes and would be an excellent fit.
Stuckey is a Randy Foye-type combo guard who can play some point but really excels by putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. He would be a big upgrade over Flip Murray.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Washington
Nick Young Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Age: 21
School: USC
The skinny: Young should give the Wizards yet another dynamic scorer alongside Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. Young is a super-athletic 2-guard who can shoot the basketball and deliver the highlight-reel dunk.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
New Jersey
Sean Williams Position: C
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
Age: 20
School: Boston College
The skinny: Williams was ranked as a late-lottery prospect by many NBA scouts before he was dismissed from Boston College at midseason. Everyone knows he has had off-court issues, but this late in the draft someone is going to pull the trigger on the best shot-blocker in the draft.
Given the Nets' need for size and interior defense, he's worth the gamble.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Golden State
Jason Smith Position: PF
Height: 7-0
Weight: 230
Age: 21
School: Colorado State
The skinny: Smith is the perfect type of player for Nellie. He is tall and athletic, gets up and down the floor and can score from just about anywhere on the floor. He also plays with great energy.
Smith could be a real sleeper in the draft.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
L.A. Lakers
Javaris Crittenton Position: PG
Height: 6-5
Weight: 180
Age: 19
School: Georgia Tech
The skinny: Phil Jackson loves big point guards and Crittenton, at 6-foot-5, has a lot going for him. He is an excellent athlete, can shoot and has enough ball-handling skills to play full-time at the point guard position.
Long-term, he's an upgrade over Jordan Farmar, though he might take a year or two to develop.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Miami
Tiago Splitter Position: PF
Height: 7-0
Weight: 240
Age: 22
Country: Brazil
The skinny: Splitter has enough talent to go a few spots higher, but he won't be able to get out of his contract until the 2008-09 season, which should make him slide a bit.
Splitter is a Euroleague veteran with great size and good mobility. He's a tough defender, but his offensive game still needs some work.
With Shaq's career starting to taper off, along with Alonzo Mourning's, the Heat need to start thinking about adding another big man.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Philadelphia
(via Denver)
Josh McRoberts Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
Age: 20
School: Duke
The skinny: Sixers GM Billy King loves Duke players, and McRoberts has a lot more talent than his box scores at Duke suggest. He's tall, athletic and very skilled, but he played most of his career out of position at Duke.
He's not a go-to type player, but he should be a better, more athletic version of Luke Walton.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Charlotte
(via Toronto)
Ante Tomic Position: C
Height: 7-2
Weight: 237
Age: 20
Country: Croatia
The skinny: The Bobcats are, according to a source close to the team, talking to several teams about trading this pick. With several teams anxious to get into the first round, they should be able to exact a high price.
If they keep it, don't be surprised to see them take a flier on a guy who could possibly replace Primoz Brezec when his contract expires next year. The Bobcats could leave Tomic in Europe for a year or send him to the D-League to get stronger. Either way, he's an intriguing player at the point.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
New York
(via Chicago)
Daequan Cook Position: SG
Height: 6-5
Weight: 210
Age: 20
School: Ohio State
The skinny: If Cook had stayed in school another year, he would've been a lottery pick, so the Knicks go for value here despite a pretty loaded backcourt.
Cook is an excellent perimeter shooter and athlete. He just needs to develop an in-between game.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Phoenix
(via Cleveland)
Derrick Byars Position: SF
Height: 6-7
Weight: 220
Age: 23
School: Vanderbilt
The skinny: Byars is a bit of a sleeper. He really didn't come on strong at Vanderbilt until his senior season.
The Suns love players who can play multiple positions on the floor and shoot the long ball, so Byars should be a great fit in their system.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Utah
Morris Almond Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215
Age: 22
School: Rice
The skinny: Almond may be the best pure shooter in the draft. In his last three seasons at Rice, he shot 46, 44 and 46 percent from 3-point range. He reminds some scouts of Allan Houston.
Given the Jazz's need for shooting and Almond's ability to play the 2 and the 3, either he or Byars is a great fit here.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Houston
Marco Belinelli Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Age: 21
Country: Italy
The skinny: The Rockets could use some improvement in their outside shooting, and Belinelli has one of the best pure strokes in the draft. He also comes with great experience in the Euroleague and should be able to step in and help right away.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Detroit
DeVon Hardin Position: C
Height: 6-11
Weight: 235
Age: 20
School: California
The skinny: Hardin has the size and athleticism to be a force in the middle in the NBA. A mid-season injury (a stress fracture to his foot) kept him out the rest of the season. Had he stayed in school another year, he was a possible lottery pick, so the Pistons get some value here.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
San Antonio
Gabe Pruitt Position: PG
Height: 6-4
Weight: 170
Age: 21
School: USC
The skinny: Pruitt is a combo guard who has great size for the point, excellent athleticism and a beautiful stroke on his jumper.
His decision-making and leadership skills need to improve and he needs to add more strength, but he could be a late first-round steal for a team like San Antonio, which is looking for more depth in the backcourt.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Phoenix
Rudy Fernandez Position: SG
Height: 6-6
Weight: 172
Age: 22
Country: Spain
The skinny: Suns will likely try to trade this pick, but if they keep it, they'll likely go international.
Fernandez had a breakout season in Spain this year. He's an excellent athlete with a good shooting stroke and the ability to play some point. His lack of strength and durability are the only things keeping his stock this low at the moment.
PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS
Philadelphia
(via Dallas)
Glen Davis Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Weight: 290
Age: 21
School: LSU
The skinny: Davis has amazing skills for a big guy -- the problem is that he's just so big. If he can keep his weight down, he could end up being a steal this late. But that's a big if. Workouts will really matter for him.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
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5/27/2007 9:24 PM