The wild cards in the top half of the draft are international forward Andrea Bargnani and Duke forward Shelden Williams. Sources said that Williams has pulled out of scheduled workouts with teams in the second half of the top 10 - including Minnesota, which picks sixth - indicating that a team in the top five has made a commitment to Williams that it will take him.
My question is if this is sound info then who's dropping out of one of the top spots?This could be very interesting for the Rockets
It's draft-specific news, so it belongs in the draft forum. Also you need to include the source in any post like this. In this case, it's from David Aldridge in the Phildelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/special_packages/all_columnists/14788801.htm
Atlanta. Which means Aldridge is going to Portland. Still doesn't affect us, Boston needs to pull a surprise and go with Marcus Williams or Redick.
Danny Ainge doesn't see Delonte as a long-term solution at point guard, but rather as a shooting guard. That's why he was willing to send Paul Pierce to Portland on draft night a year ago so he could select Chris Paul. ESPN.com They will most likely select Marcus Williams. Chicago looks to take Roy at 2: Some believe the Bulls believe the same thing. There's a definite buzz going around that general manager John Paxson could bypass big men LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas and Tyrus Thomas of LSU and tab the 6-6 Roy, last season's Pac-10 player of the year and consensus first-team All-American, with the No. 2 pick. Paxson has said he wants to add size to the backcourt this summer. Roy, who said he'll work out at the Berto Center, already has been to Charlotte (No. 3 pick) and will have a second workout with the Bobcats. Portland, which holds the fourth pick, also has shown considerable interest and will work out Roy on Thursday. Chicago Sun-Times This means Aldridge, Gay, or Thomas might be there at #8!!!!
This is getting interesting. We're looking at the very real possibility that one of Roy, Gay, Morrison, or Tyrus Thomas will be there at #8. If you now consider Bargnani, Aldridge, Sheldon Williams, and any three of Thomas/Roy/Gay/Morrison as locks in the top 7, we just need 1 more wildcard like a Reddick/Foye/Marcus Williams/O'Bryant to slip into the top 7 to push down a prime talent to our #8. My guess is that Ty Thomas will be there at 8. I don't like his game. I think he has enough value though to turn around a good profit in a trade down.
As an aside, can you imagine if Gay had a meteoric fall not seen since Paul Peirce at 10, leaving us to snatch him up at #8. This franchise could really use a break like that.
If Gay, Aldridge, Bargnani, Roy, Morrison and Marcus Williams are all gone by #8, then I would pass on Thomas and go for Cedric Simmons or O'Bryant. Simmons is a taller, stronger S.S / T.T. with more range, bigger swingspan, greater endurance and superior upside. O'Bryant IMO is the gem of the draft -- not immediately but in years to come. If the Rockets take him, he is a keeper or, at worst, trade bait to get the players we need. BTW -- I will cease and desist forever from making Luther Head jokes if Shelden Williams is drafted in the Top 5. Head I admit turned out to be a decent player but he was not, and is not, what the Rockets needed.
Atlanta probably sees Shelden Williams as a "Ben Wallace" type player. When you consider Atlanta doesnt have a lot of size, you can see where Shelden would fit in there. He could play C for them with ZaZa coming off the bench. I always figured though that Atlanta would trade down a few spots if they wanted Williams. I have to admit, when you throw Shelden Williams into the top 8, then perhaps talk about Foye or Marcus Williams going in there as well, it does in fact seem like one of the top 6 guys could fall. I think you could make a case for a number of them to potentially fall. But in any scenario, it just makes our pick all that more valuable when it is our turn.
That's a shame.I was really hoping we'd be able to grab him at 8.Well,perhaps,we'll move up or have value fall to us.
I wouldn't read too much into this, it doesn't make any sense for a team to committ to a player this early. IF true, this would be HUGE for the Rockets. Top 7 Players: Aldridge Bargnani Roy Thomas Morrison Gay M. Williams Players on the bubble: Carney Brewer S. Williams O'Bryant Foye IF any of the players on the bubble move up into the Top 7, it would drop one of the Top 7 to us (obviously). But I would take any of those guys in the Top 7 w/o hesitation.
If I had to guess right now who out of the consensus "top 6" would slip right now my guess would be Tyrus Thomas, in which case a trade with New Orleans makes almost too much sense. An LSU potential franchise player on the block, you better believe we'll be on the phone with the Hornets.
Sheldon going in the top five would be awesome. Then we'd just need O'Bryant, Marcus Williams, or Foye to go ahead of us so we can land one of the top six; Gay, Roy, Aldridge, Thomas, Morrison, Bargnani. Or use the pick as trade bait to fleece a team ala the Eddie Griffin deal. If Thomas falls, I could see the Hornets maybe going after him. 8 for their 12, 15, and maybe 43 too if they really love him. If Gay falls, I could see a ton of suitors, starting with the Magic. Maybe they'll love Gay enough to part with the #11, 41, 44, and Vasquez. Or what if the Knicks get interested in Gay or Thomas. Those seem to be the kinds of athletes and "splashes" that Isiah seems to like. Would they go for the #8 plus Juwan for #20, David Lee and Jamal Crawford. I could totally see us taking whoever falls, and then getting the word out that we are taking all offers for the rest of the draft. If we like any of the deals, we'll take 'em. If not then we'll just keep the guy.
The Rockets don't need a project at the center position when they have the best center in the NBA entering his prime years. You don't draft someone, especially someone who is a "project" with lots of "potential," just to sit on the bench and be trade bait. Detroit learned this with Darko. In the end they got very poor returns on Darko, while any benefits from him will be earned by the Orlando Magic or some other team.
Yeah, I'd think New Orleans would be on the phone. But it would have to be a name your price deal for us. In other words, they'd have to give us P.J. Brown for Howard, along with the picks, and one of their shooting guards (Snyder, Macijuaskas, or J.R.) for our TE. I don't think our roster could handle more than 3 rookies and then at least one of Brewer, Redick, or Carney would have to be available at those slots for the deal to be finalized.
I would have never guessed that Shelden Williams is in the Top 5. Unless he sprained a muscle or some such thing; but he would have got out the word about that. Also, seems that the Pacers are really committed into re-building (I'm too lazy to go find the link) and are really looking into trading Jermaine O'Neal, perhaps to the Raptors (cap space) for the #1, and taking Adam Morrison. 1. Morrison 2. Roy 3. Gay 4. Aldridge 5. Shelden Williams 6. Bargnani 7. Redick 8. Tyrus Thomas?! Seems we'd have the potential to draft Tyrus (hard to see him slipping that far). Although I'd rather dump Stromile (LSU product) and maybe Luther (not willingly) for those 12 and 15 picks.
That's a good idea. Making PJ for Juwan part of the deal. Although I think you're asking for a little too much. Thomas + Howard +#32 for PJ +12 +15 sounds about right. Then we can pick up Cedric Simmon or Alexander Johnson with one pick and Brewer, Carney or Redick with the other pick. Whatever happens, if Sheldon crashes the top 5 that can only be good for us, because some teams (Orlando, NOLA/OKC) have already said that they would be more than willing to trade up to land one of the consensus top prospects.
