Knicksfan
Posts: 32907
Alba Posts: 27
Joined: 7/5/2004
Member: #691 USA
|
NBA Mock Draft by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com Friday, June 24, 2005 After weeks of speculation, draft day is finally on the horizon. Of course, that only means the rumor mill is turning faster and faster with teams jockeying for the guys who have impressed them the most in recent weeks. The Hawks, Blazers, Hornets, Bobcats, Jazz, and Lakers are all working the phones to land in their ideal spot, and the team with the top pick just canned their coach. The conjecture is too wild for even us to wade through, so we'll leave everyone where they are as of today, while noting where and when the trades may take place.
1. Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Bogut, C, Utah After both Bogut and Marvin Williams visited Cheesetown earlier this week, no definitive decision seemed to come out of either player's workout. Both impressed, but the general feeling from Milwaukee is that they'll take the big man. It's probably the safer pick (read: boring), and the Bucks have proven that they're not afraid to take a chance on a big, ugly guy from Utah (Keith Van Horn).
2. Atlanta Hawks: Chris Paul, PG, Wake Forest Word on the street is that A-Town is down with the Bucks' leftovers, be it Bogut or Marvin Williams, but a quick scan of Mike Woodson's roster suggests that point guard is the play. Paul is an immediate upgrade over Tyronn Lue and Royal Ivey and would be a good fit with last year's rooks Josh Smith and Josh Childress who already occupy Marvin's small forward spot. If the Hawks are satisfied with either Paul or Deron Williams, they could get more picks by moving down a few spots.
3. Portland Trail Blazers: Marvin Williams, F, North Carolina What makes Paul Allen happier than a Microsoft stock split? Just catch him on his Blackberry and tell him that Marvin Williams slipped to No.3. This is likely the only way the Trailblazers hang on to this pick, since they have Sebastian Telfair firmly entrenched at the point. For the sake of his long-term development, we can imagine better places for Marv.
4. New Orleans Hornets: Deron Williams, PG, Illinois Williams has performed so well in workouts that some are beginning to wonder whether he's actually the top point guard in the draft ahead of Paul. Rumors are beginning to surface that he could actually be an option with the second overall selection. However, if the Hawks are willing to take him at No. 2, they'll be able to trade down and still get him. No matter who owns the pick, Williams is likely to be the fourth player selected and is on the short list of immediate fantasy impact rookies.
5. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Green, G/F, Gulf Shores Academy (H.S.) Green is the top high school player in the draft and is a perfect fit for a team that isn't expected to win many games. He has had maturity issues in the past and will need to spend the summer bulking up, but his raw athleticism is too great to be ignored. He's probably not going to help too many fantasy teams out early in the year, but he'll be a name to remember if he works his way into the Bobcats rotation.
6. Utah Jazz: Raymond Felton, PG, North Carolina A point guard platoon of Raul Lopez, Keith McLeod and Howard Eisley was nothing more than a stop-gap last season. He's exactly the floor general the Jazz needs, and if he starts, assists and steals should be there for the taking. On the other side of the floor, he'll be the best defensive point guard the Jazz have seen since Stockton.
7. Toronto Raptors: Danny Granger, SF, New Mexico Granger's stock has risen to the point where he's now being compared to Shawn Marion. The Raps will think about Felton (if he's around) since they need help at the point, but Granger is simply too good an athlete to pass up. He has a chance to step in at small forward and be a primary option for the Raptors right away, meaning he could be one of the biggest statistical contributors of this year's fantasy class.
8. New York Knicks: Channing Frye, C, Arizona This selection is about as locked in as Tim Duncan's legacy. The Knicks finished last in the NBA in blocked shots and have just one big man (something called Bruno Sundov) over 6-10. Frye should be able to step into a starting role early on and, at the least, contribute on the defensive end.
9. Golden State Warriors: Hakim Warrick, PF, Syracuse With the Warriors possibly modeling themselves after the Suns and Sonics, it's only proper to grab an athletic forward who can run the floor and flush the rock. He'll make Baron Davis look like a bearded, chubby version of Steve Nash.
10. Los Angeles Lakers: Fran Vazquez, PF, Spain There is a lot of talk about the Lakers either moving out of this spot or taking Shaq-sized center prospect Andrew Bynum here. All we know is that while Vazquez is a polished, experienced big man who could help the Lakers, he's not going to be the difference in taking Phil Jackson back to the playoffs. It would shock us if the Lakers didn't make a move—potentially jumping up to grab one of the three dynamic point guards—but in the event that this is the pick, Vazquez is a nice value.
Knicks_Fan
|