It always seems there are a few players each year that skyrocket into the lottery from basically no where. Gasol and Kwame just to name a couple. This year it seems that athletic bigs are being highly touted. Players like Simmons, O'Bryant, Shelden, and now relativly unknown Saer Sene are being rumored to jump a few spots into the lottery. Last week it was Williams being promised to be picked in the top 5. This week it seems that Sene, a 7 foot center who has a 7'9 reach making him the longest player in the NBA, is starting to wow teams with his size and athletic ability, even though that's basically all he can do... stand and jump. People are hoping he becomes a similar project as Diop. After reading Draft Express' article: http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1353 . I am starting to think that all the mock drafts that we've been looking at are just that, mock drafts. This year's draft I think is going to be full of suprises. It looks like the Rockets are not going to end up drafting Brewer, Carney, or even JJ, mostly because either Bargnani, Thomas, Roy, Gay, or Morrison are going to be around for our pick. Right now it Looks like Atlanta and most likely the Celtics are going to pick up a PG in the draft. If one team in the lottery reaches for one of these centers, one of the supposed top 5 will drop to us. Anyone else think that this draft is looking out to be one big smoke screen? No one really knows who they want to pick. It makes our pick a little more intersting, especially the Celtics pick that might be for sell. Hah, we could end up with two of the projected top 5 picks if things really goto hell. We all know what happened the last time Jordan had a lottery pick...
If that is the case, Houston should pick up more picks and hope two or three of the picks will produce quality players.
I dont see OBryant or Sene jumping into the top 7. I do have Shelden going to the Hawks at #5. I buy that they have given him a promise. I think the guys that could push players down are PGs Marcus Williams or Randy Foye. Those are guys that could go to Minnesota or Boston and allow some player(s) to fall.
As I have said in other threads, this draft is so weak that it is all about need rather than the "best player available." The Rockets will pick the BPA only because we have immediate needs at three positions and five if you count backups for Yao and McGrady. Toronto, Charlotte, Portland, Atlanta, Minnesota and Boston all have specific needs, and, more than likely, they will try to fill them even if it requires a bit of a stretch.
