The premise of this thread is simple: Draft for every team in the Lottery as you think they will pick next month. Assume that NO PICKS ARE TRADED. Give justification for each of your picks even if it's short and sweet. Please try to keep it realistic. If you're going to suggest something that's questionable, simply explain your thinking. I will begin... 1. Toronto: LaMarcus Aldridge (The Raptors have good players at every position except for PG, since Mike James is likely to leave, and C since all they have is Rafael Arajou. With no point guards worth taking at #1, Toronto takes Aldridge to complete a scary and very young frontline of Villanueva/Bosh/Aldridge. This will allow them to focus their offseason on resigning James or targeting his replacement. If they can get someone solid at PG, they'll have a pretty nasty lineup. 2. Chicago: Andrei Bargnani (Chicago has a very nice backcourt of Hinrich/Gordon/Duhon and two emerging studs at SF, which I'm sure they are not planning on replacing anytime soon. That said, I believe they will either target a PF or a C in this draft. With Aldridge gone to Toronto, the best C is gone and will likely cause them to focus on a PF that will let Chandler play full time at C. I gave some thought to Tyrus Thomas, but then decided that they need more of a scoring PF, since Chandler gives them ZERO offense. Bargnani WILL take time to develop, but the Bulls are young and have cap space. If he doesn't pan out right away, it will NOT make or break their chances of competing NOW. If he does fulfill his potential, they just added Dirk Nowitzki's twin brother to the lineup. Scary. 3. Charlotte: Rudy Gay (With a history of taking very highly regarded college players from perennial powerhouses, Gay makes a lot of sense. He has the potential to become that superstar player that the Bobcats do not currently have on their roster. They do have Gerald Wallace at SF, and might consider grabbing a SG at #3, but I believe Rudy Gay's potential is too enticing for Bernie Bickerstaff to pass up. 4. Portland: Adam Morrison (Apparently there will be a fire sale this offseason where Portland will try and reconstruct their entire roster. Darius Miles is definitely on the list of "items" up for bid, and is in my opinion one of the more likely players to be gone come October. His absence frees up the starting spot at SF, which I'm sure the Blazers would just love to give to Adam Morrison. I mean, is there a better way to try and turn your franchise around than to draft the NCAA Player of the Year? Or maybe they'll pass on him because he won't help them shake the "JailBlazers" stigma. After all, he does drugs (insulin) WHILE PLAYING! 5. Atlanta: Brandon Roy (I originally had the Hawks picking Marcus Williams, but recent comments from their GM which said they don't necessarily see the point of drafting for need, got me thinking that they'd probably just take the best talent left on the board. In my opinion, that would be Brandon Roy. If you visit this forum enough, you've heard about Roy and you know that many believe him to be the most NBA-ready prospect in the draft. I think the Hawks would love to pick him up and run him at the 2 next to Joe Johnson. If it works out, they could be one of the biggest and toughest backcourts in the league in the near future. It's certainly no gaurantee, but it sure sounds like an Atlanta-esque type of move, doesn't it? 6. Minnesota: Patrick O'Bryant (Surprising, I know. However, when you come to the conclusion that Kevin Garnett is not going to be moved, the next step is to look at the weakest position on the Wolves roster. They're developing Banks at the PG and McCants at the SG, they have Davis at the SF and obviously Garnett at the PF. Mark Blount is nothing to write home about, and doesn't have the potential to get much better. Therefore, I think it would be in the best interest of the Wolves to bring in a legitimate center, such as O'Bryant. KG could definitely take him under his wing and make him into something special, because the physical tools are there and then some. 7. Boston: Marcus Williams (Delonte West is a serviceable PG, but he is by no means prototypical. I think he would be much better served either starting at the 2, or being the 6th man off the bench. Marcus Williams is the obvious choice to replace West at PG, since Williams is so far the most highly touted PG available by a long shot. Not much else to say other than the Celtics could use a PG and Marcus Williams looks to potentially be a very nice one. 8. Houston: Ronnie Brewer (He doesn't shoot the 3 extremely well. Just let me get it out there. With that said, he does just about EVERYTHING else you could ask him to. He can run the PG at 6'7", has great court vision, and loves to slash to the basket and break down the defense. He also has all the physical tools to guard all 3 perimeter positions and not only well, but VERY well. The bottom line is that he has great size and is versatile, versatile, versatile. He immediately improves our backcourt by leaps and bounds on defense, regardless of whether or not he is completely ineffective on offense. Since this is our pick, I'd like to elaborate a little further, by way of a quote from his draftexpress profile... "He's a glue-type guy with endless energy that is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team go home with the win, having the kind of attitude you love to see from such a talented player. Despite the fact that he's a legit college basketball star, he has no problem doing the little things like taking charges and diving on the floor for loose balls. By all accounts he's an extremely hard worker that is constantly looking to improve his game." I just don't see how you could be upset if we drafted this guy. 9. Golden State: Rodney Carney (The Warriors are one of those teams that has good or very good players at just about every position, so it's hard to say what they need in a draft. They have Baron Davis at PG, Jason Richardson at SG, Mike Dunleavy at SF, and can interchange Ike Diogu and Troy Murphy at PF and C. Since they don't need help at a particular spot, I expect them to further prepare their team for the new perimeter oriented NBA by selecting an athletic swingman with good size. At this point, Carney is likely the best player left on the board in that regard. 10. Seattle: Tyrus Thomas (I'm sure the Sonics LOVED the way that Chris Wilcox played for them once he was traded to them for Vladimir Radmanovic this past season. The only problem is Wilcox is a free agent and is likely going to find himself making a pretty penny somewhere other than Seattle after the way he blew up toward season's end. So, what's the solution to the problem? Simply draft the next Chris Wilcox! Or they could just run Nick Collison at the PF...you make the call. 11. Orlando: Randy Foye (If I were going to say the one thing that the Orlando Magic lacked, I'd say it's a go-to perimeter guy that is just going to score at all costs. That's why I have them taking the most dangerous scoring threat left on the board. Foye may not have put up the PPG average of a guy by the name of J.J. Redick, but don't be fooled. Foye can get where he wants WHEN he wants, and will be a force in the league. Much like Ben Gordon in Chicago, I think Foye could be an extremely effective 6th man PG/SG who comes in to stir things up for himself and his teammates when they hit a cold streak. 12. New Orleans: Shelden Williams (P.J. Brown isn't getting any younger, and there aren't too many cheap big men left in the league to replace him now that we're in the era of guys like Jerome James getting huge long-term contracts. With that said, I'd look for the Hornets to target a big man in the draft. With the few legitimate big men already taken, Shelden Williams looks like the safest pick for the Hornets. I think his bulldog mentality would compliment David West's finesse quite well. He's on the short side for a C, but in a system with Chris Paul and Speedy Claxton running the show, the bigs need to be mobile beyond what most 7-footers would offer anyway. 13. Philadelphia: Rajon Rondo (This is a short explanation. The 76ers have solid starters at all positions, so there is no glaring need. However, Allen Iverson has a lot of miles on his body and I think a lightning fast backup PG who could spell AI for small stretches without slowing down the game or being a defensive liability would be a great choice. At times the 76ers could even go ultra small (and ultra fast) with a backcourt combo of Rondo and Iverson. Imagine trying to guard that. The Rockets backcourt from last season would have been fouled out by halftime. 14. Utah: J.J. Redick (The Jazz have a very solid starting 5, but the weakest of all the positions is SG. So when all your other positions are covered, and you're the UTAH JAZZ and the best SHOOTING guard on the board is the (WHITE) second leading-scorer in college basketball from last season, he's going to get a long hard look. Then you're gonna draft him. Period. Well, that took a lot longer than I thought it would, but it was fun. Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with. Also, please refrain from flaming people (myself included) for their choices. This is all just for fun, and gives us something to look back on once the draft is over.
Toronto: Andrei Bargnani. CoAngelo probably wants the team to become like the Suns. With Andrei, they can have almost everyone in the line-up shoot a 3 just like the Suns. Andrei would suit well on a team like this because he's so skinny and he might get hurt in a bang style offense/defense. The Raptors don't play defense anyway. Chicago: LaMarcus Aldridge. Chicago would've won the Miami series if they had a big man. Chandler was playing stand-up D on Shaq, the problem was he kept getting injured/fouled out. Add another big man in there and they would be a great team. Charlotte: Brandon Roy. They already had a player like Gay (playing style), it was Bogans. I think they want a guy that can create and hold the ball along with the PG. Portland: Adam Morrison. No starter SF when Darius is gone. Plus he's a shooter unlike the rest of this team who can't shoot for their life. Atlanta: Randy Foye. They need more fire on that team and someone else to bring the ball up. He is also a great shooter and very athletic. Minnesota: Rudy Gay. This is assuming they don't trade the pick. That team is so bad they need someone with ALOT of upside. Would fit well with Ricky Davis. Boston: Marcus Williams. Danny Ainge has said he doesn't think West is their future starter PG. Houston: Rodney Carney. Spot-up shooter right now. Can't dribble, not mentally there sometimes. But what we need is a spot-up shooter. Maybe his length and athleticism can turn into good defense. Golden State: Patrick O' Bryant. Warriors won't go far with Foyle as their starting center. He's raw but he's a gym rat. Seattle: Tyrus Thomas. Insurance for Chris Wilcox. If he stays, Wilcox+Tyrus would be nasty. Orlando: JJ Redick. They need someone that can shoot a 3 badly. Their GM has praised Redick in recent articles. New Orleans: Shelden Williams. A team in need of a big. Chris Paul would make this guy look good. Philidelphia: Ronnie Brewer. This guy is similar to two guys on this team... Iguodala and Salmons. Utah: Rajon Rondo. A team in need of speed.
If Thomas falls down to us, I would actually want the Rockets to take him. I'm not a big fan of Thomas but he does have a lot of potential. He provides a ton of athleticism and fire that we lack at PF.
1. Tor: Bargnani 2. Chi: Aldridge, need to replace Curry. 3. Char: Morrison, backcourt needs upgrade. an exceptional talent who happens to be white might help their poor attendance (struggling financially). 4. Por: Gay, looking into the future 5. Atl: Thomas, the only legit PF or C on their roster is Zaza. 6. Min: Roy 7. Bos: Foye 8. Hou: Brewer 9. GSW: M. Williams, they're a vastly different team when Davis is running the ship... 10. Sea: Simmons, frontcourt underperformed this season 11. Orl: Splitter, their GM expressed interest in taking either Bargnani or Splitter 12. NOK: Carney 13. Phi: S. Williams, bat 14. Uta: Redick
1. Toronto: Bargnani. That seems to be a match. The coaching staff was sent to Europe to see him play, presuably to get them on board with Colangelo picking him. 2. Chicago: Aldridge. A lowpost big man is something that could really put them over the top. Aldridge replaces Curry, while next year they can potentially get another top pick. What a crazy deal. 3. Charlotte: Adam Morrison. The Bobcats need scoring in the worst way. And Morrison will easily give them 15-18 pts as a rookie, and potentially be a 20 ppg scorer in the league. And pairing him with Gerald Wallace would form a very dynamic swing combo. 4. Portland: Gay. Best talent on the board, and a decent guy. Just what the Blazers need to shed their image. Just ship Miles and Randolph out for peanuts, lose miserably for another year, and next year go for one of the many quality big men in next year's draft (Oden, Noah, Mcroberts etc). 5. Atlanta: Thomas. Like Billy Knight said, they like 6'9" athletes. And Thomas could potentially be a center in this league. 6. Minnesota: Foye. He's exactly the kind of scoring PG that they've brought in and out since Marbury was in town. Marbury, Brandon, Cassell. All scoring PGs who take the load off KG. And Foye and Mccants in the backcourt is where some teams are going towards. Having two quick and speedy guards that are impossible to stop off the dribble. 7. Boston: Marcus Williams. They have a ton of athletes, and really could use a distributer at the point. And since West is such a good defender, they wouldn't lose a whole lot by playing Williams and West in their backcourt. 8. Houston: Brandon Roy. Perfect fit for our team. He's incredibly polished and can come in and play right away. He might not slip past Minny, but he seems to be the type that will fall a bit during workouts because he isn't an athletic freak. 9. Golden State: Brewer. They've got talent, but nothing that really fits together yet. They could use a complementary guy that can mesh with their different pieces. 10. Seattle: Sheldon Williams. They need one of these role-playing PFs that can set screens and rebound the ball. He'll help them get back to the multi-headed monster model they used successfully last year. 11. Orlando: Carney. They need a SG and he should fit in quite well with what they got. 12. New Orleans: Patrick O'Bryant. They're likely looking for a center to replace Magloire, and O'Bryant is the best C in the draft. 13. Philadelphia: Tiago Splitter. The Sixers aren't going anywhere, anytime soon. So getting a good big man for the future is probably a good idea, even if he does stay in Europe for a season due to not having a buyout. 14. Utah: Redick. Seems like the perfect match. Larry Miller likes him, and Redick should work well in Sloan's system. If Redick is going to develop into a Jeff Hornacek, it'll probably be on the Jazz.
Are you sure. A google news search comes up with nothing about withdrawing, but he is off the board on both nbadraft.net and draftexpress.com. If he withdraws then I'll put Rajon Rondo for the Sixers instead. Seems like a good idea.
Ya, I don't recall actually hearing news that he has withdrawn, but almost all the boards have him in the 2007 draft.
splitter hasn't officially withdrawn from the draft but there is speculation on whether he can get a buyout at all.
Yeah I wasn't sure about Splitter since he's been off the mock boards for a while now. For the purpose of this thread, I just assumed he had withdrawn.
"ClutchCityReturns" and "McGrady". Both had Tyrus Thomas dropping to #10 to Seattle. Do you know something that we do not. In all the prior draft mocks he was top 3. Recently he was dropped to 7th by draftexpress and 5th by nbadraft. I just do not see him dropping to 10th. I guess it could happen but unlikely. Was there a reason for his recent drop and was there a reason you have him dropping to #10? Otherwise, good thoughtout draft by both of you Thanks
I personally think a lot of Tyrus' hype was a direct result of the NCAA tournament. He will likely test out as a superb athlete, but then again, that will simply be par for the course. He's not going to wow anybody unless he can hit a consistant 15 foot jumper and show some ability to score in a one-on-one situation. It's my opinion that he probably won't fair so well in workouts when required to put the ball on the floor and create shots for himself. Like all draft speculation, this is merely based on personal conjecture. I could be wrong, or I could be right. One thing is for sure: no draft has ever gone exactly as expected by popular opinion.
1. Toronto: Rudy Gay: Mr. inside and Mr. outside. Toronto picks another Husky. 2. Chicago: LaMarcus Aldridge: Low post big men are hard to find. 3. Charlotte: Brandon Roy: Can do it all. The safest bet. 4. Portland: Tyrus Thomas. Too much potential and defense to pass up. Can change games. 5. Atlanta: Adam Morrison: Atlanta needs scoring punch. 6. Minnesota: Randy Foye: His stocks are rising and will be a nice back court tandom with McCants. 7. Boston: Andrei Bargnani: I think the hype will wear off but the Celtics will snatch him up. 8. Houston: Ronnie Brewer: Mr. versitililty is what the Rockets needs. Defense, length and athletism. Will give the Rockets another dimension. 9. Golden State: Patrick O'Bryant: They are thin at the center position and O'Bryant fits the bill. 11. Orlando: Rodney Carney: Best Player available 12. New Orleans: Shelden Williams: Good value at #12 fills a need for them. 13. Philadelphia: Marcus Williams: If Atlanta or the Boston do not pick him up he can fall this far. 14. Utah: J.J. Redick: Best outside shooter in the draft will blossom in Utah.
Forgot Seattle 10. Seattle: Hilton Armstrong:A reach at #10 but an insurance for them if Wilcox leaves.
Toronto: Aldridge Chicago: Bargani Charlotte: Morrison Portland: Gay Atlanta: M.Williams Minnesota: Thomas Boston: S.Williams Houston: Roy GS: O'Bryant Seattle: Brewer Orlando: Carney New Orleans: Simmons Philadelphia: Foye Utah: Redick
Seems to me for Toronto it is either Bargnani, Aldridge, or trade the pick. Conventional wisdom says Aldridge, to get a C to play next to Bosh. But seems like Bargnani is the guy for them right now. They could of course fill the C spot with a FA (next year) like Jamal Magloire. I dont see Tyrus Thomas slipping past Chicago at #2. In fact everything I have read suggests that the Bulls are more enamoured with Thomas over Aldridge. They like Thomas' "motor" a bit better. Bernie Bickerstaff doesnt seem all that high on Morrison. If he was still on the board I think BB might go somewhere else (Aldridge, Roy, Gay). Atlanta, even though they really need a PG or C, if neither is a good value at their pick, it sounds like their GM will pick the BPA which very well might be a swingman. Boston and Minnesota look like they could be moving their picks for the right veterans. Or both could be looking at PGs (Foye, Williams). Could be interesting. I would love for Roy to fall to the Rockets, but somehow I just dont see it happening. I almost feel the Rockets have to try to trade up to Atlanta's #5 spot to get Roy/Gay.
Duece- Where did you read this? The last I heard about Aldridge was that his agent says they would like to go to Chicago. Personally, I think Chicago will go w/ either Aldridge or Bargnani (whoever is available). Aldridge next to Chandler would make a pretty dangerous frontcourt, it would be extremely difficult to drive in w/ that kind of size guarding the basket. Bargnani's shooting would make Chicago a very dangerous team as well.
1. Toronto - Tyrus Thomas - Building athletic team in the Phoenix Suns mold. 2. Chicago - LaMarcus Aldridge - Need low post presence. 3. Charlotte - Brandon Roy - Need helping at the shooting guard position. 4. Portland - Adam Morrison - Soon to be Darius Miles replacement after he's traded or dumped. 5. Atlanta - Marcus Williams - Passed on Chris Paul, can't pass on the best PG in the draft AGAIN! 6. Minnesota - Rudy Gay- Take the best player available. 7. Boston - Randy Foye - Need PG help. 8. Houston - Rodney Carney - Needs an athlete that can play either wing position with T-Mac. 9. Golden State - Andrea Bargnani - Possibly goes in the top 3, but if he plays like Vladamir Radmonovic, this is about where he goes. 10. Seattle - Patrick O'Bryant- They need to get bigger and low post guy. 11. Orlando- Ronnie Brewer - Can play either guard position, they need help in the backcourt. 12. NO/OK - Shelden Williams - PJ Brown's replacement 13. Philadelphia - Mardy Collins - They take an Aaron McKie clone. 14. Utah - J.J. Reddick - Pure shooter to go with Deron Williams. 15. NO/OK - Tiago Splitter - Need a 2 guard, but take best available.
I doubt Bargnani falls this low, but if he did, I would almost guarantee that we wouldn't pass him up. We could really use a PF that can stretch the defense, if he comes as advertised, a Yao/Bargnani combo could be devastating. I like Carney, but I wouldn't pass on a Top 3 pick if he were to drop this low.
