Rudy is always surprising us with his draft picks and this year may not be the exception. Consensus is that the Rockets will pick DerMarr Johnson or Jerome Moiso. The consensus dark horse if anybody is Olumide Oyedeji. I suspect that if a dark horse is to be had, one would find that pick below the 9th pick in everybody's mock draft. Dark horse candidates using Monitor's draft would be : 12. Dallas Olumide Oyedeji PF Nigeria* 13. Orlando Jamal Crawford PG Michigan* 14. Detroit Mateen Cleaves PG Michigan State 15. Milwaukee Etan Thomas PF Syracuse 16. Sacramento Morris Peterson SG Michigan State 17. Seattle Mamadou N'diaye C Auburn 18. Los Angeles Clippers Keyon Dooling PG Missouri* 19. Charlotte Chris Carrawell SF Duke 20. Philadelphia Quentin Richardson SG DePaul* 21. Toronto Erick Barkley PG St. John's* 22. New York Jamaal Magloire C Kentucky 23. Utah DeShawn Stevenson SG Fresno (CA) Washington Union High* 24. Chicago Marko Jaric PG Italy 25. Phoenix Donnell Harvey PF Florida* 26. Denver Soumaila Samake C Cincinnati (IBL) 27. Indiana Desmond Mason SF Oklahoma State 28. Portland Dalibor Bagaric C Croatia* 29. Los Angeles Lakers Mark Madsen PF Stanford SECOND ROUND 30. Los Angeles Clippers JaRon Rush SF UCLA * 31. Dallas Eduardo Najera SF Oklahoma 32. Chicago Michael Redd SG Ohio State 33. Chicago Hidayet Turkoglu F Turkey* 34. Chicago Craig Claxton PG Hofstra 35. Washington Chris Porter SF Auburn 36. New Jersey Hanno Mottola PF Utah 37. Denver Jason Collier PF Georgia Tech 38. Houston Jabari Smith C LSU My picks for dark horse candidates are: PF Olumide Oyedeji PF Etan Thomas C Mamadou N'diaye C Jamaal Magloire G DeShawn Stevenson (unclear if he worked out with the Rocks) PF Donnell Harvey Any thoughts? ------------------
The first 3 second rounders stick out in my mind, but almost any second rounder could be a sleeper. Look at Cuttino Mobley at #41, one of the biggest steals of any draft in my opinion. ------------------
I stand by my dark-horse prediction that Etan Thomas goes much sooner than 14/15. He is a mean defender with an NBA-ready physique who put up numbers last season that make Moiso look VERY SOFT INDEED. Look at his blocks, RPG, PPG, FG%, FT% you name it, and he squashed Moiso last season (while playing in a tougher conference). Remember how Pig Miller made a living attacking the offensive glass for us last year (before he developed that tedninitis in his knees), I can easily see Thomas in that same role with his quick leaping ability, big hands and mean POWER DUNKS! He wouldn't command the ball down low, and he would make a mean defensive combination inside with Cato and Olajuwon. Furthermore, I see no reason why he couldn't develop a good post-up offense with his physical skills (strength, size and leaping ability) given the right coaching. I'm not saying the Rockets will draft him tomorrow, but I wouldn't be at all suprised if they did. ------------------
