Check out Chad Ford's blog for his take on all the private draft workouts in Chicago.
CHICAGO – The Chicago predraft camp wrapped up on Friday with many teams leaving with as many questions as answers.
There was a lot of talent in Chicago this week. Maybe too much.
The first round already is overcrowded. The NBA invited 26 players to Chicago on Friday for physicals only. Those 26 are considered likely first-rounders by the NBA after talking with GMs from every team – and those 26 didn't include several top international players still playing over in Europe.
That means spots for international players are few and far between.
After speaking with a multitude of NBA scouts and GMs, here's who helped and hurt themselves at the Chicago camp this week
Potential First-Rounders
David Lee, PF, Florida
Lee finished the camp with a flurry on Friday, scoring 20 points and grabbing seven boards. Combine that with solid efforts on Wednesday and Thursday and great reviews at workouts and Lee might just sneak his way into the first round. Mark Madsen once was a first-rounder and Lee does everything better.
Luther Head, G, Illinois
Teams are still on the fence about whether he'll be a point guard. He had two great days followed by one slow one on Friday (six points, four assists) and showed scouts that he had everything else they look for in an NBA player – a great shot, athleticism, versatility and defense. Several teams were claiming Head is now a lock for the first round. That may be a little much, but if he doesn't make the cut, he won't last long in the second.
Jason Maxiell, PF, Cincinnati
Maxiell was an absolute beast in scrimmages but pulled out of the camp after one so-so game. The rumors were flying everywhere that he got a promise in the first round. That may be a little high for a 6-foot-6 power forward, but when you factor in his athleticism, strength, 7-foot-3 wingspan and aggression, maybe it's not a stretch after all. If he were two or three inches taller, he'd be a lottery pick.
Sean Banks, SF, Memphis
Banks finished the camp on a strong note, scoring 13 points and grabbing four boards on 6-for-12 shooting. Scouts were impressed with his improved body, shooting touch and athleticism. He's still a little selfish and has some heavy baggage to carry around from Memphis, but a team in the late first round might take a gamble.
Power Second-Rounders
Alan Anderson, SG, Michigan State
After Lee and Head, he was the best player in Chicago. Anderson's athleticism, strength and ability to get into the lane and draw fouls impressed just about everyone. His 18 points on Friday put him over the top as the best scorer in the camp. If his jump shot were a little better, he'd be on the list above.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu, PF, George Washington
His numbers don't jump out at you (just four points and two boards on Friday) but Mensah-Bonsu exceeded expectations here. His athleticism was expected. But he showed more skills handling and shooting the ball (especially in scrimmages) than anyone thought. He's still raw and would be better off returning to GW. However, if he stays in the draft, someone will gamble on him in the second.

Updated: June 11, 2005, 1:07 AM ET
David Lee the camp MVP (Cont.)



Eric Williams, PF, Wake Forest
Williams is another beast in the paint. He impressed just about everyone in Chicago, but not enough to move himself into the first round. He has a tough choice. If he stays in the draft, he'll likely go early in the second and make a team. If he returns to school, he could propel himself well into the first round with a dominating season at Wake Forest. School sounds like the better option right now.
Eddie Basden, SG, Charlotte
Basden was the best defender in camp and that should earn him a spot in the second round.
Steven Smith, SF, La Salle
Smith also has a tough decision. Teams were impressed with his size, athleticism and scoring ability ... but not impressed enough to move him into the second round. However, it's unclear how much he could really improve his stock by returning to college for another year.
John Gilchrist, PG, Maryland
Gilchrist has a bum rap, but he actually played very well in Chicago. When he was on the floor, his team played great. When he was off the floor, it struggled. With that said, here's a great comment from one scout: "He's a tough, talented player, but he ain't running my team."
Ronny Turiaf, PF, Gonzaga
Turiaf didn't stand out the way we thought he would, but he was solid in all three games. Three months ago, Insider thought it was likely he'd be a first-rounder. I think he's been downgraded to second-round status after watching him here. There's nothing wrong with him; there just are more intriguing prospects at his position.
Drago Pasalic, PF, Croatia
Pasalic has had two great camps and a great season in Croatia. What more do NBA teams want? They're still concerned about position and toughness, but his production is tough to quibble with.
Will Conroy, PG, Washington
Conroy was all over the board offensively and still turns the ball over too much, but he has a knack for running the point and might be able to sneak into the draft in the second round.
Robert Whaley, PF/C, Walsh
This year's draft sleeper. He used his wide body to rebound and score in the paint. He's a smarter player than scouts give him credit for and turned a lot of heads here. He's still a project, but a week ago, he would've had a tough time getting a free agent invite to training camp. Now he has a good shot at making the cut in the second round.
Travis Diener, PG, Marquette
Diener was the best point guard on the floor in Chicago. He shot the ball well, dished out assists and really ran his team. However, given his thin frame and size, he might struggle to get a team willing to commit to him in the second round.
Go Back
Deji Akindele, C, Chicago State
Ugh! Akindele intrigued everyone with his size and athleticism, but he gave a new definition to the word "raw" on the offensive end of the floor. He had all kinds of moves around the basket and couldn't finish any of them. A team might take him in the second based on potential, but he'd be better off playing somewhere else and getting experience.
Brandon Rush, SG, High School
Rush exceeded everyone's expectations in the camp, but it wasn't enough to propel him into the first round. Given he had enough talent to play well here, he should be a great college player and improve his stock. The fact that he's still talking about the NBA makes you wonder if he has the grades to be eligible at a D-I school.
Anthony Roberson, G, Florida
Roberson was pretty impressive the first two days, but by day three, scouts were saying that his inability to get his teammates involved meant he might go undrafted. If he could take over the point at Florida for a year, it would help.
Dwayne Jones, C, Saint Joseph's
He's big and he showed some good shotblocking ability, but didn't do enough to crack the first. Another year at school could help him tremendously.
Carl Krauser, PG, Pittsburgh
He was awful. I know he's older, but it's unlikely that he's drafted if he stays in.
Kevin Pittsnogle, PF,
West Virginia Pittsnogle redeemed himself on Friday, scoring 16 points in 15 minutes. However, the damage was done in the first two days when he went 3-for-17 from the field. He's elected to return to West Virginia for his final season, which could help his stock.
Alex Acker, SG,
Pepperdine He was out of his league here, which means he'll be out of the League after draft night if he stays in.
Chad Ford covers the NBA draft for ESPN Insider. Send him an e-mail here.


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Mock draft II preview

The predraft camp officially ended Friday and now I'm off to Treviso, Italy on Saturday for the Reebok Eurocamp to see some of the top international draft prospects.
On Monday afternoon, we'll unveil our second mock draft of the year.

Here's a sneak preview of what you're going to see:

Channing Frye is moving up a notch to No. 8 after Insider received credible evidence that the Knicks are leaning strongly toward drafting him there. Not only did Isiah Thomas fly to Arizona to do a background check on him, they also did a secret workout with Frye on the West Coast last week. Frye passed the background check and the workout with flying colors and the Knicks flew back to Chicago thinking he was their man.

We've still got three weeks before the draft, so opinions can still change, but it looks like the Warriors need a contingency plan.

The biggest risers will be Ike Diogu, Wayne Simien and, believe it or not, Charlie Villanueva. The biggest fall? Chris Taft.

We'll also be pulling a number of international players off the mock draft because it looks likely they'll withdraw on June 21. Martynas Andriuskevicius (lack of a promise), Nemanja Aleksandrov (injury), Tiago Splitter (buyout issues), Marko Tomas (already withdrawn) and Rudy Fernandez (lack of promise) are all likely to pull out of the draft and try again next year. That opens up five first-round spots for guys who were left off our first-round mock.

That means that Diogu, Simien, Roko-Leni Ukic, Louisville's Francisco Garcia and high school guard Monta Ellis are making the cut this time.

Check back on Monday afternoon for the full updated mock draft.
posted: June 10, 2005 10:09:46 PM PDT | Feedback



Media day musings

Friday was media day at the Chicago predraft camp and several of the top prospects in the draft made some interesting revelations:
• Andrew Bogut and Marvin Williams both told Insider that the Atlanta Hawks have told them that, if available, they will take them with the No. 2 pick.

That's not a big surprise for Bogut. The Hawks need a center and have him ranked No. 1 on their board.

That's a more interesting revelation for Williams, given that some have thought the Hawks might opt for a point guard if Bogut was off the board.

Bogut said the Hawks are cheering for the Bucks to pass on him.

"Every time they read about me having eye problems or Rick Majerus pushing for Marvin Williams, they love it. They're rolling on the floor," Bogut said. "I think they're hoping I'm there when they pick."

Bogut was the best interview of the day.

"I've dominated at every level I've played at and the Bucks need a center," Bogut said. "I think people keep saying I can't be No. 1 because of the myth of the great white stiff."

• Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul said that he put on a private workout for the Blazers and Jazz on Thursday. The workout was a one-on-none affair, which Paul didn't particularly like.

"I'm a point guard and what I do is compete and find ways to help my team win," Paul said. "Working alone in a gym can't really capture that."

Of course, Paul's agent is just following protocol. Most players in the top 5 refuse to workout against other players that play the same position.

Speaking of same position, how does Paul feel about the possibility of being drafted by the Blazers, who happen to have Sebastian Telfair slated to start at the point next season?

"It's a conflict of interest," Paul said. "If they take me, they'll do something else with him."

Paul is scheduled to work out for the Bobcats next Friday.

• North Carolina point guard Raymond Felton and Illinois point guard Deron Williams have kept their rivalry going past the NCAA tournament.

Felton told Insider that at a recent workout in New Orleans, Williams refused to participate when he realized he'd have to go up against Felton. Williams ended up working out alone, later in the day.

Williams doesn't deny that it happened, but he says there were mitigating circumstances.

"That's my agent's decision," Williams said. "I'm ahead of Ray on the draft board, so he doesn't want me to workout against him. We're trying to work out against Chris Paul but he won't work out against me."
posted: June 10, 2005 2:40:39 PM PDT | Feedback



Frye is draft's high-riser

A few months ago scouts were talking about Arizona's Channing Frye as a late first-round pick.
A few weeks ago, they dramatically changed course, calling him a likely top-10 pick in the NBA draft.

How could he rise so high in such a short time? I went back to Tim Grover's ATTACK Athletics facility on Friday morning to see for myself.

Frye simply looked awesome. He's put on 10 pounds of muscle since he started training with Grover. Most of it is in his shoulders and chest. Now weighing a legit 260 and measuring 6-foot-11 in shoes, Frye looks like a center.

On the court, he was even more impressive. He's improved his explosiveness the past few months and is now springing off the floor. Laterally, he's very quick and moves effortlessly around the court.

He showed off an impressive array of basketball skills. He has an excellent jump shot and has extended his range out to the college 3-point line. He gets great lift on his jumper and should be murder on the pick and pop. He's especially impressive with his accuracy on step-backs and fadeaways.

Frye has a soft touch around the basket. He also showed some great footwork. He used his quickness to spin away from defenders on the baseline and also showed a nice little baby hook.

The bottom line is that he should be able to score in the League.

Whatever knocks there are against Frye weren't evident in his workout. Scouts have questioned the toughness and aggressiveness Frye displayed at Arizona. I think he dispelled some of that in the NCAA Tournament.

Any team that brings him in for a workout will be impressed. Frye's agent, Rob Pelinka, is being very selective about the teams Frye works out for.

For NBA teams looking for a skilled, athletic big man with shot-blocking skills, they're not going to get a prospect better than Frye. That's why he's moved up to the top 10. It's tough to imagine the Knicks, Warriors and Lakers all passing on him.
posted: June 10, 2005 11:53:04 AM PDT | Feedback



A better Gigli

Gigli the movie is one of the worst ever made. Gigli the player? Not too shabby.
Italian big man Angelo Gigli held a workout for the Bulls, Wizards, Sixers and Hawks on Friday afternoon and was a big surprise.

The 7-footer had a rep in Italy as being an athletic, hard-working player who loves to dunk the ball, grab rebounds and block shots. Usually those types of players don't show that well in workouts, but Gigli really stood out.

While not as athletic as advertised, he was much more skilled on the perimeter than the game tape showed. His mid-range game was off the charts and he gets great lift on his jumper. His range extends all the way to the college 3-pointer, which he knocked down with regularity. His shot started to fade when he ventured out to the NBA arc, but that's not surprising. Most Euros have never even attempted an NBA three before they get here.

The fact that he's 22 years old and had a nice season for Reggio Emilia this season (10.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.2 bpg) bode well for him. Teams like the Sonics, Jazz and Pistons have already worked him out and have him in consideration for the late first round. More likely, he's a nice second-round pick that continues to develop in Italy for another year or two.
posted: June 10, 2005 2:29:54 PM PDT | Feedback



Heavyweight matchup

After watching Martynas Andriuskevicius workout, I hopped in a cab and made my way over to the best workout of the week, a head-to-head matchup between New Mexico's Danny Granger and Syracuse's Hakim Warrick run by the Charlotte Bobcats.
Both Granger and Warrick looked fantastic in one of the hardest-fought workouts I've seen in a while.

Granger shot the lights out in the skill drills showing great NBA 3-point range. He also showed that he had the athleticism and ball-handling skills to be a great NBA three.

Warrick also showed off that impressive mid-range jumper with great accuracy out to 18 feet. He also showed again that he's one of the quickest and most athletic big guys in the draft. Warrick struggled in the ball-handling drills, but that's not a huge surprise. It's one area of the game he still is working on.

The real fun began when the two played one on one. Granger had clearly read the scouting report on Warrick and laid off him defensively giving him the open jumper. Warrick rose up and hit his first four jumpers forcing Granger to reevaluate his strategy. Once Granger crowded Warrick, he struggled a little. Warrick can cover a lot of ground with his first step, but his ball-handling limitations kept him from getting to the rim. Granger was so quick and physical that Warrick rarely got by him. Instead he was forced to launch fade-away jumpers. Several of them went in, but it was a little disappointing that he couldn't get inside more where his length and jumping ability would've given him a better advantage over Granger.

Granger was great offensively. He did a great job of getting separation and then elevating on his jumper. Warrick had a real quandary in guarding Granger. When he got too close, Granger put it on the floor and drove hard to the basket. When he took a step back, Granger rained down jumpers with great accuracy. Warrick did a good job defensively using his length to bother Granger around the basket, but it was clear he was uncomfortable guarding man to man (Syracuse used zones exclusively).

Things got much more physical in the two-on-two games. Warrick dropped Granger to the floor twice. Granger knocked Warrick over several times going for the steal. At the end of the workout, Warrick tried to jump over Granger for a spectacular jam and ended up flattened on his back.

Overall, both guys really helped themselves in the workout.

Warrick showed his emerging perimeter game, heart and excellent conditioning (contrary to reports in the New York media).

Granger showed the total package. Athleticism, a great shot and superior, physical defense. The only knock on Granger before the workout was that he isn't always aggressive enough. He totally dispelled those fears on Thursday.

We've had Granger ranked in the top 10 for five months. Don't be surprised if he gets serious consideration by Charlotte at No. 5 if Chris Paul and Deron Williams are off the board.
posted: June 9, 2005 9:58:55 PM PDT | Feedback



International invasion

The NBA held a couple of high-profile public workouts at the Chicago pre-draft camp on Thursday.
First up was Lithuanian big man Martynas Andriuskevicius. He has been tutored by Arvydas Sabonis the past two years, but hasn't received much playing time. Still, given his size (7-3) and shooting ability, Andriuskevicius has been ranked by many scouts as a top-10 pick in the draft.

On Thursday, he worked out against 7-footer Jan Jagla of Penn State.

Andriuskevicius spent most of the time in drills. He has great shooting and ball-handling skills for a big man and even showed some range from NBA 3-point distance. Jagla, however, was nearly as good. He shot the ball just as well and showed nice mobility.

They finished the workout going head to head. Andriuskivicus showed some nice moves around the basket and a nice fadeaway baseline jumper. He also played aggressively and fought off the more physical Jagla.

Several NBA scouts that Insider talked to were impressed with his skills. However he really lacks the strength to hold his position in the paint and struggled defensively against Jagla, a guy who went undrafted last season.

His agent, Herb Rudoy, told Insider that Andriuskevicius needed a promise in the top 12 to stay in the draft. He has the talent to warrant that selection, but he's at least two years away, physically, from playing in the NBA. Don't be surprised if he pulls out and tries to bulk out for next year.

Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was up next. He worked out against Ernest Shelton of Alabama.

Fernandez is a great talent who has put up really good numbers in Spain the past two seasons. However, an injury this spring has hurt his draft stock a bit.

He showed great athleticism, a good handle and a pretty good jump shot on Thursday. The problem was Fernandez looked painfully skinny. He couldn't have weighed 180 pounds.

That's going to be a problem for Fernandez in the NBA. His game right now is about penetration and finishing above the rim. His jumper isn't consistent enough yet to spend more time on the perimeter.

The first time Ben Wallace hits him he could be out a month. While Fernandez has a decent buyout, he really needs to go back to Europe for another year or two

Shortly after the workout, SFX agent David Bauman told Insider that Marko Tomas was pulling out of the draft and it was likely that Nemanja Aleksandrov (who's here but not participating because of an injured knee) will also withdraw from the draft.

They're dropping like flies.
posted: June 9, 2005 10:00:22 PM PDT | Feedback



Size matters

The NBA released the measurements for Chicago predraft participants Thursday. As happens every year, everyone came up a little short.
In fact, most of the prospects measure a half to three-quarters of an inch shorter than they did at the Portsmouth camp. Apparently, tape measure use is no longer a exact science.

• Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell measued just 6-foot-5 without shoes. However his 7-3¼ wingspan makes up for a lot.

• Florida's David Lee measured just 6-7¾ without shoes, nearly an inch shorter than the Nuggets measured him.

• George Washington's Pops Mensah-Bonsu measured just 6-7¼ without shoes.

• Memphis' Sean Banks was 6-5¾.

• Oakland's Rawle Marshall came in at just 6-4½ in socks.

• Chicago State's Deji Akindele was only 6-9½, well below the 7-1 measurement he had in college.

• Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf measured 6-8 in socks.

• UTEP's Omar Thomas had the most shocking measurement. He played power forward this year but measured just 6-3¼.

A few guys made up for short measurements with long wingspans.

• Maryland's John Gilchrist measured just 6-1¼ in socks but had a 6-9¼ wingspan.

• Brandon Rush had a 6-11¼ wingspan.

• Charlotte's Eddie Basden's span was 6-10¼.

• Deng Gai had a 7-4½ span.

• Banks had a 7-1 wingspan.

some of this is redundant... I just posted the whole article