Wow…boring draft with lots of trades…I think overall Memphis had the best draft, followed by Chicago and Portland, while the Knicks had maybe the worst draft in NBA history…anyway, here’s how I think it went down…

1st Round

1 TOR SF/PF Andrea Bargnani, Benetton Treviso (Italy) – 7-0 240

Great pick. Terrific size, shooting range and versatility…with Nesterovic at the 5 spot, Bosh at the 4 and Villanueva at the 3 Bargnani can be the first big off the bench for any of them as a rookie…and let me be the first to throw out the nickname “Barnyard” before Herbie mangles it…

2 POR from CHI PF LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas So. 6-11 225

Great pick. Trading up to 2 for Aldridge, who will be a centre one day and is insurance against the inevitable loss of current Portland C Joel Pryzbilla, is well done for the Blazers…plus he’s way more talented than Pryzbilla anyway…good character pick too for the former/current Jailblazers…

3 CHA SF Adam Morrison, Gonzaga Jr. 6-8 210

Great pick. This pick has MJ’s fingerprints all over it…hopefully Morrison figures out how to defend a little bit, but the scoring touch is there…plus if Morrison is getting lit up, the ‘Cats can bring in Gerald Wallace on D…good candidate for rookie of the year…

4 CHI from POR PF Tyrus Thomas, LSU Fr. 6-9 215

Great Pick. I think they would have picked him at the 2 spot anyway, but good on ya for convincing the Blazers to pay their guy more give n the difference in the pay scale between the 2nd pick and the 4th…Wow, think about the top 6 players on the Bulls…Heinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Chandler and not Thomas…I think they’re going to run…just a hunch, and Thomas is my pick for both alley-oop of the year and blocked or even caught shot of the year…

5 ATL PF Shelden Williams, Duke Sr. 6-9 255

Atrocious pick. Is that too strong? OK how about horrible, brutal, appalling…only Atlanta would draft a guy at 5 they could have had at 10 or even 15…after skipping Rookie of the Year winner Chris Paul last year in favour of picking they’re 78596th small forward, they pick a serviceable Antonio Davis clone with the largest forehead since Herman Munster…instead of Randy Foye the PF they need…terrible, dreadful, dire…that’s it, that’s as many options as Shift F7 (thesaurus) will give me…

6 POR from MIN SG Brandon Roy, Washington Sr. 6-5 210

Great pick. Portland picks the local kid (well, Seattle, so local give or take 180 miles) who will step in immediately and be the starter at the SG spot for the next 10 years…odd trade for Minnesota who has lost Rashad McCants to knee woes for the year and yet chose not to keep the best SG in the draft…

7 MIN from POR from BOS PG/SG Randy Foye, Villanova Sr. 6-4 205

Good pick. Don’t get me wrong, I love Foye (Sidebar…at a Raptors game I once screamed out “I love Dick”…I meant Dick Bavetta the ref, but he 1,000 people in my section immediately had me penciled in as the 5th member of the Village people) but Roy would have been better…unless Foye really can be a PG and average at least 7 assists per game and shoot at least 44% in which case the pick will be great…

8 MEM from HOU SF Rudy Gay, Connecticut So. 6-8 230

An absolute steal. What the @#*^!@#!! was Houston thinking? Note to Houston…your best player’s back made of glass and you draft a guy who may be a better athlete and has superstar potential written all over him and who needs a hard-ass like Jeff Van Grumpy to motivate him and you trade him for Senator Shane Battier who’s greatest skill is taking a charge? (insert Chuck’s voice here) Are you kidding me? Thievery…

9 GS C Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley So. 7-0 260

So-so pick. History repeats itself as Golden State picks the Erick Dampier of this generation…O’Bryant may be better than that, but I doubt it…the good news is that in 4 years, Dallas will happily overpay him to sit on the bench…

10 SEA C Saer Sene Pepinster (Belgium) -- 7-0 235

Terrible pick. Unless they trade this pick, Seattle has now drafted 21 feet worth of inexperienced young centres in the last three years if you combine the 7 foot Sene with incumbent Sonics’ 7-footers Johan Petro and Robert Swift…again if there is no trade, Seattle has basically become the Detroit Lions of the NBA…

11 ORL SG J.J. Redick, Duke Sr. 6-4 200

Good pick. Orlando needs somebody to spread the floor for Dwight Howard and the inevitable double teams he will face and Redick is as good a catch and shoot guy as we’ve seen in the last 5-10 years…he won’t defend much and can’t create his own shot, but as the next Steve Kerr he’s perfect…Oh and did you hear the fans at MSG chanting “D-U-I…D-U-I”…soo funny…

12 NO PF/C Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut Sr. 6-11 230

Good pick. The lovechild of Paris Hilton and Neal Armstrong…oh wait, that’s another blog…Good size and athleticism for this late bloomer…he’ll benefit from the tutelage of veteran PJ Brown but he’ll need a thick skin to play for Byron Scott…

13 CHI from PHI SF Thabo Sefolosha Chalon (France) -- 6-6 215

Good pick. The Bulls are quickly becoming the stars of the draft and by adding Sefalosha to Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni, have established themselves as the team with the deepest and most versatile set of young SF’s in the league…

14 UT SG Ronnie Brewer Arkansas Jr. 6-6 190

Great pick. Utah picks the best available player and athlete left, and gives themselves a younger, cheaper and more athletic option if (door) Matt Harpring leaves via free agency…Brewer will thrive in Jerry Sloan’s system with his versatility (corkscrew shot be damned) and will be a much better defender than anyone they have not named Kirilenko…

15 NO PF Cedric Simmons North Carolina State Soph. 6-10 228

Great pick. Along with Armstrong the Hornets are really improving their athleticism in the frontcourt.

16 PHI from CHI SG/SF Rodney Carney, Memphis Sr. 6-7 205

Great pick. The Sixers can now move Andre Iguodala to the 3 spot and with Carney at the 2 and Iverson at the 1 will have the fastest group of smalls in the league. Look for the Sixers to run, at least whenever the now glacial Chris Webber is not on the floor…

17 IND SF Shawne Williams Memphis Fr. 6-9 225

Terrible pick. Huh? Didn’t you just draft Danny Grainger last year? Your needs were PG, SG and big, right? Williams is talented, but weak as a day old fawn and too young to contribute anything for about 2 years…Maybe they picked him for the Hawks…

18 WAS PF Olexsiv Pecherov Paris Basket Racing (France) -- 6-11 222

Good pick. Versatile big who can shoot it and rebound, he stays in Europe for a few years and then he’s an Antawn Jamison replacement in 2009.

19 SAC SG Quincy Douby, Rutgers Jr. 6-3 175

Terrible pick. Sacramento goes the Detroit Lions route and for the 3rd year drafts a guy at the same position. Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin are exactly like Douby, so the pick is odd at best.

20 NY SF Renaldo Balkman, South Carolina Jr. 6-7 210

Fire Thomas…Clap…Clap…Clap-Clap-Clap…Fire Thomas…Clap…Clap…Clap-Clap-Clap…Balkman at 20 means Isaih just barely passed me over with the 29th pick…an energy guy for sure, and a guy that only wants to do the dirty work being added to a roster of selfish gunners sounds plausible…but at the 20th pick? I guarantee you that this year the Knicks will be best reality show on television…guarantee it…

21 BOS from PHO PG Rajon Rondo Kentucky Soph. 6-2 185 (with F Brian Grant)

Bizarro pick. You just traded for Sabastian Telfair, a young, fast PG who can’t shoot…so 10 minutes later you trade for Rajon Rondo, (say it with me now, with feeling) a young, fast PG who can’t shoot…

22 NJ PG Marcus Williams, Connecticut Jr. 6-3 215

Great pick. The best pure-passing PG in the draft goes to a team with terrific scoring options in Vine Carter, Richard Jefferson and Nenad Kristic…Once he gets the lard out of his arse, he will be a fantastic backup PG to Jason Kidd.

23 NJ PF Josh Boone Connecticut Jr. 6-10 220

A whatever pick. That’s Boone’s attitude. The physical skills and tools are there, but he just doesn’t love the game. Like a poor man’s Vin Baker, without the booze…

24 MEM PG Kyle Lowry Villanova Soph. 6-0 175

Great pick. Damon Stoudamire can’t play forever and Lowry is a talented, physical goy who works hard and has great PG skills.

25 CLE SG Shannon Brown Michigan State Jr. 6-3 200

Good pick. Vinnie Johnson redux will benefit from LeBron and Larry Hughes’ passing. Brown is uber-athletic and his soaring drives, powerful dunks and pull up threes will thrill crowds in Cleveland.

26 LAL PG Jordan Farmar UCLA Soph. 6-2 175

Good Pick. Farmar is a little small to be a PG in the triangle offence, but his unselfishness and good athletic ability should make him a good fit.

27 POR from PHO PG Sergio Rodriguez Adecco Estudiantes (Spain) -- 6-3 175

Good pick. He basically replaces Telfair as the 3rd point guard.

28 DAL SG Maurice Ager Michigan State Sr. 6-4 200

Good Pick. Ager is athletic and can shoot it with range. Probably means that Marquis Daniels is on the market for sure.

29 NY PG/SG Mardy Collins, Temple Sr. 6-5 206

Awful pick. Below average athlete, can’t shoot, not a PG or a SG…he can pass a bit I guess…but weird pick…by the way, like the Hawks, who lead the league in small forwards with 6 (Marvin Williams, Donta Smith, Josh Smith, Al Harington, Josh Childress and Joe Johnson), the Knicks lead the league in guys who’re not quite PG’s and not quite SG’s with 4 (Jamal Crawford, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Nate Robinson)

30 POR PF Joel Freeland, England -- 7-0 225

Great pick. Freeland, who is a terrific athlete and is only 19 years old, will stay in Europe for a couple of years and hopefully develop into a taller and bouncier David Lee. Besides, Portland already has 478 other picks in this round…

2nd Round

31 IND from POR SF James White Cincinnati Sr. 6-7 200

Good pick. White is a tremendous athlete and leaper who will be a much better player in the NBA than he was in college. He has knucklehead potential (talks about himself in the 3rd person, which is never a good sign)…I think this confirms that the Pacers will not re-sign Freddie Jones…Oh and by the way, you heard it here 1st: White will be the 2007 Slam Dunk Champion.

32 HOU SF/PF Steve Novak Marquette Sr. 6-10 220

OK pick. The Rockets welcome back Matt Bullard. Or Dan Langhi…

33 ATL C Solomon Jones South Florida Sr. 6-10 220

Bad pick. Alexander Johnson would have been better. Jones is raw like sushi, but he is tall and does not play SF…which for the Hawks is different.

34 LAC PF/C Paul Davis Michigan State Sr. 6-10 265

Good pick. Davis is a pick and pop PF who can rebound and is stronger and tougher than he looks…

35 TOR SF P.J. Tucker Texas Jr. 6-5 220

OK pick. Tough, strong kid, but he’s like a smaller Joey Graham…could mean Graham is trade bait…

36 MIN SF/PF Craig Smith Boston College Sr. 6-7 265

OK pick. The new Jack Gary Trent. At least there’s 6 fouls in the NBA.

37 PHI from MIN SG/SF Bobby Jones Washington Sr. 6-7 210
Terrific pick. This kid is a super defender, with Bruce Bowen like potential. An absolute steal for Philly.

38 GS C Kosta Perovic Partizan Belgrade -- 7-2 242

Good pick. Really tall, but a bit mechanical. Perovic was almost a lottery pick a few years ago before he pulled out of the draft. A couple more years overseas and he’ll be a poor man’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas…

39 MIL SF David Noel North Carolina Sr. 6-6 230

Great pick. Late bloomer who is the best overall athlete in the draft. Reminds me of Darvin Ham if Ham could catch.

40 SEA SG Denham Brown Connecticut Sr. 6-6 220

Great pick. Brown is an NBA ready player. Plays with a mature and under control style. Good mid-range scorer and a physical defender. He’s already the best defensive guard on the roster. He’ll play 10 years with his skill set. And we’re proud of the Toronto kid, who used to light it up in pickup runs all over the city…

41 ORL PF James Augustine Illinois Sr. 6-10 235

Good pick. Like a slightly softer Andrew DeClerc with a jump shot.

42 CLE PG Daniel Gibson Texas So. 6-2 190

OK pick. Gibson should have been better in college…not a PG but not a SG…surprised Isaih didn’t nab him.

43 NO PF Marcus Vinicius Objectivo (Brazil) -- 6-8 225

OK pick. Tall, good athlete who can really shoot it. He’ll sit on the bench and learn for a few years.

44 HOU from ORL SF/PF Lior Eliahu Hapoel Galil Elyon (Israel) -- 6-9 225

OK pick. He’ll stay in Israel for a few years for more seasoning.

45 MEM from POR from IND PF Alexander Johnson Florida State Jr. 6-9 240

Great pick. The Grizz are having a tremendous draft and Johnson is no exception. Great athlete at the PF position, if Johnson can stay away from the buffet table he’ll be a decent backup big man for years...

46 UT PG Dee Brown Illinois Sr. 5-11 170

Great pick. The Jazz are really drafting for speed and Brown is not exception. He’ll be a good sparkplug off the bench. Having former Illinois running mate Deron Williams already there will really help him adapt to Jerry Sloan’s system…and the constant yelling…

47 UT PF Paul Millsap Lousiana Tech Jr. 6-8 250

Good pick. Millsap is a rebounding fool, having led the NCAA’s in rebounding for the last three years. He’ll rebound well, but that’s really going to be it…any comparisons to Karl Malone should immediately be followed by having those responsible committed to a mental institution…

48 WAS PF Vladimir Veremeenko France -- 6-10 230

OK pick. Somebody for Pecherov to talk to I guess…

49 BOS from DEN PF Leon Powe California Soph. 6-8 245

OK pick. I like Leon “The Show” Powe a lot, even with the marshmallow knees, but Boston already has Ryan Gomes who is exactly the same player Powe is.

50 ORL C Ryan Hollins UCLA Sr. 7-0 225

Good Pick. Tall, skinny underachiever who can block shots. Like a less goofy Carlos Rogers.

51 DET from LAL C Cheick Samb Senegal Unelco Tenerife -- 7-1 215

OK pick. Umm…really tall and will stay in Spain eating giant bowls of Paella until he reaches adult weight.

52 LAC PG/SG Guillermo Diaz Miami Jr. 6-2 190

Great pick. A human jumping jack (50 inch vert!!!!), Diaz will be fun to watch in the layup line (or the NBDL) until he improves his handle and learns the game. He should be forced to sit next to Sam Cassell on every bench, bus and plane in order to learn how to be an NBA guard.

53 SEA PG Yotam Halperin Union Olimpija (Slovenia) -- 6-4 195

Great pick. Terrific size for a PG, he can sit and learn for a few years.

54 NJ SG Hassan Adams Arizona Sr. 6-4 205

OK pick. Athlete? Yes. Basketball Player? Not quite.

55 CLE PF Ejike Ugboaja Nigeria -- 6-9 225

Who?

56 PHI from TOR PF Evin Babcic Bosnia -- 6-11 235

OK pick. Tall shooter who can rebound some. Stays in Europe.

57 MIN C Louakas Mavrokefalidis Greece -- 6-11 260

Great pick. Excellent centre from the Greek league. Could develop into a serviceable NBA big man. Plus, I can’t to hear NBA play-by-play guys mangle Mavrokefalidis…

58 LAL from DAL SG Danilo Pinnock George Washington Jr. 6-5 207

OK pick. Good size, decent athlete. NBDL fodder.

59 MIL from SA SF Damir Markota Cibona (Croatia) -- 6-10 225

Good pick. A classic, Euro shooting big man who will stay in Europe for a few years, but has a legit shot at eventually being an NBA player.

60 DET PG Will Blalock Iowa State Jr. 6-0 190

Great pick. Kind of like Lindsay Hunter-lite. Might even make the roster.

MOCK DRAFT 2.0

1 TOR SF/PF Andrea Bargnani, Benetton Treviso (Italy) -- 6-11 248

Why? Tall (duh), great hands and feet, shoots it with range, can put it on the floor, is aggressive and will try to dunk on you, rebounds well, excellent first step and face up game for a 7 footer, blocks some shots with good timing, athletic, played good minutes in a very tough Euroleague, decent frame to put on more weight, can defend on the ball and recovers well with length …

Why not? No post game at all, not strong, not a true 3, 4 or 5 yet, some whispers he is allergic to contact, could be had with any pick in the top 4.

Best Case – Dirk Nowitzki is the comparison…maybe even Tom Chambers…

Worst Case – Matt Bullard…yikes

2 CHI PF Tyrus Thomas, LSU Fr. 6-9 216

Why? Because he can jump out of the gym, great motor, decent hands, tremendous athlete, 7’3” wingspan and 9 foot standing reach combined with 40-inch vertical, tremendous shot blocker and rebounder, driven to succeed, better ball handler than advertised, good team defensive instincts…

Why not? No post game at all, unproven as a shooter, a little small to be a 4, too weak to be a 4, very limited experience in college.

Best Case – Shawn Marion or Antonio McDyess before the knee problems…

Worst Case – Stromile Swift…

3 CHA SG Brandon Roy, Washington Sr. 6-6 210

Why? Most complete and ready player in the draft, great size for a SG, great ball-handler, unselfish, can play the PG or swing to the SF spot, shoots with range, makes his FT’s, mature NBA-ready body, very strong, terrific hesitation dribble, moves without the ball and understands offence, can post, great rebounder for a guard, can guard 1’s, 2’s and 3’s…

Why not? You tell me, I think he’s the shit…

Best Case – Mitch Richmond…

Worst Case – Mo Pete…

4 POR SF Adam Morrison, Gonzaga Jr. 6-8 210

Why? Big giant balls, fearless, better athlete than you think, good high release on his shot, excellent footwork in the halfcourt, very active, excellent hands and feet, can post, goes to both hands well, in-the-gym range, creative offensively, excellent early push shot going to the basket to avoid the shot blocker (like an off the shoulder tear drop), very competitive, pulls up quickly, very quick shot release, good pump fake, handles very well and a willing and able passer…

Why not? Not a great rebounder, pouts when he does not get the ball, awful defender, might need screens to get open on the next level, a little 1 dimensional, diabetes a concern…

Best Case – Kiki Vandeweghe…

Worst Case – Rick Mount or Wally Sczerbiak…

5 ATL PF LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas So. 6-11 225

Why? Long, athletic, great rebounder, blocks shots, true post player, good with either hand, shoots out to 17 feet, great help defender, very coachable, great work ethic, good instincts without the ball, face up game is very developed, very good handle for his size…

Why not? Weak upper body, suspect hands, not a good rebounder in traffic, might not like contact, gets rooted out of the post on offence, might not love the game…

Best Case – poor man’s Kevin Garnett

Worst Case – Joe Smith

6 MIN SG Randy Foye, Villanova Sr. 6-4 206

Why? Tough and aggressive, excellent athlete, great quickness, gets to the basket at will, strong enough to take the hit and finish, gym rat, tremendous rebounder for a guard, very competitive…

Why not? Streaky shooter, not a pure point guard, small for a 2, shot selection questionable and has never shot better than 42% from the field, handle can get sloppy…

Best Case – Ben Gordon or Vinnie Johnson…

Worst Case – Robert Pack…

7 BOS SF Rudy Gay, Connecticut So. 6-8 230

Why? Freakish 7’3” wingspan and 40 inch vertical make him the prototypical BA small forward, slasher, great range, high arcing jumper is un-blockable, defends well, very balanced all round game, good shotblocker, tremendous finisher…

Why not? Might not like the game, not assertive, not as aggressive as he could be, should be a better rebounder than he is, rarely the best player on the floor…

Best Case – A better Desmond Mason…even a more athletic Carmelo Anthony…

Worst Case – Stacey Augmon or Richard Dumas without the drug problem…

8 HOU PG Marcus Williams, Connecticut Jr. 6-3 212

Why? Best Pure point in the draft, terrific floor vision, shoots with some range, good pull up jumper, excellent passer, good feel for offence, craft shot maker, shoots a nice floater against shot blocking, left handed, great handle, uses his body to shield the ball, excellent court awareness…

Why not? Has fat potential, 12.4% body fat and only 28 inch vertical make him the worst overall athlete in the draft at the PG position, not fast, not much of a finisher, turnover prone, likes laptops that don’t belong to him…

Best Case – Mark Jackson

Worst Case – John Bagley or Khalid El-Amin…

9 GS SG Ronnie Brewer Arkansas Jr. 6-7 220

Why? He’s better than Michael Pietrus, Long, athletic (41 inch vertical with 6’11” wingspan and 8’7.5” standing reach), explosive athlete, great motor, terrific defender both on the ball and in the passing lanes, smart player, passes well, rebounds in traffic, gets the basket and can shoot a little, very aggressive, the type of player you hate unless he’s on your team…

Why not? Ugliest shot this side of Shawn Marion, corkscrew release, elbow flying out, and a shot coach is not going to fix it, he broke his right arm as a child and can’t completely extend it, might be a jack or all trades but master of none…

Best Case – A poor man’s Josh Howard…

Worst case – Jerryl Sasser…

10 SEA PF Shelden Williams, Duke Sr. 6-9 255

Why? Because somebody has to rebound. It’s too early for his talent, but it’s a need pick. Decent hands and feet, terrific rebounder who goes and gets the ball, but also boxes out, great timing on his shot blocking, strongest player in the draft, plays within himself…

Why not? Plodding, not going to get any better than he is, biggest forehead I’ve ever seen…

Best Case – Antonio Davis or Michael Cage…

Worst Case – Mark Bryant…

11 ORL SG J.J. Redick, Duke Sr. 6-4 200

Why? Shooter with NBA-3 range, quick release and picture perfect form, terrific free throw shooter, mature player and person, has developed an shot fake and pull up from mid-range, terrific footwork for catch and shoot, always in great condition, moves without the ball constantly, very competitive, very experienced handling the media…

Why not? Below average athlete, not a great physical defender, undersized to play the 2, not quick, not a great ball handler, very one-dimensional, no other skills other that shooting…

Best Case – John Paxson, Craig Hodges or Steve Kerr…Not Dell Curry

Worst Case – Tim Legler…

12 NO C Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley So. 7-0 260

Why? Really tall, standing reach of 9’5” and crazy 7-5 wingspan, true centre, good shot blocker and excellent rebounder, decent athlete, has a right handed jump hook and is developing a post game, big frame to out on muscle…

Why not? Not strong, can seem timid, needs a nasty streak, some question his toughness, weak lower body and can be rooted out of the post, project who is 2 years away from being a starting centre, doesn’t yet know how to pass out of the double team…

Best Case – Marcus Camby…

Worst Case – Acie Earl…

13 PHI PF Cedric Simmons North Carolina State Soph. 6-10 228

Why? Tremendous shot-blocker, explosive leaper, great timing, very good rebounder, tough in the paint, wiry but strong, quick off the floor and on 2nd jump, passes well for a big man (played some high post in the Princeton style offence at NC State), has a developing post game, seals his man well and jump hooks left and right…

Why not? Brick layer outside of 8 feet, very raw offensively…

Best Case – Theo Ratliff

Worst Case – Carlos Rogers…


14 UT C Saer Sene Pepinster (Belgium) -- 7-0 236

Why? Really freaking tall and really freakish wingspan at 7’8.5” with a 9’5” standing reach, aggressive defender and shot blocker, great lateral mobility…

Why not? No idea on offence, weak, no post game at all, all points on dunks and rebounds, range only extends to 3 feet, no feel for the game at all…

Best Case – Poor man’s Dikembe Mutombo

Worst Case – Yinka Dare…

15 NO SF Rodney Carney, Memphis Sr. 6-7 205

Why? 38-inch vertical and the fastest guy baseline to baseline in the draft, scores in a number of ways, good shooter with range to NBA 3, improved ball-handling, great first step going to the basket, excellent finisher, gets his shot off against anyone with his ups, decent defender…

Why not? Soft as tissue paper although he has improved his toughness, disappears sometimes, not a great rebounder considering his size and athletic ability, motivation an issue…

Best Case – Ron Harper or even Latrell Spreewell…

Worst Case – Courtney Alexander or Ron Mercer…

16 CHI SF Thabo Sefolosha Chalon (France) -- 6-6 215

Why? Terrific ball handler and passer, very multi-dimensional, defends well, shoot with range, smart player, great length and decent athlete who finishes well…

Why not? Cannot create his own shot, weak, not aggressive…

Best Case – Josh Howard…

Worst Case – Chris Jeffries…

17 IND PG Jordan Farmar UCLA Soph. 6-2 175

Why? Pure Point guard, can finish, great hops (42 inch vert!), thinks pass first, sees the floor, penetrates well, pushes the tempo, good basketball IQ…

Why not? Reckless, turns the ball over, handle needs to tighten up, not a great shooter, not strong, average defender…

Best Case – Kenny Smith…

Worst Case – Charles Smith…

18 WAS PG Rajon Rondo Kentucky Soph. 6-2 185

Why? Huge hands, tremendous handle, very quick/fast, gets into the passing lanes for steals, excellent on the ball defender, runs like the wind in the open court, shoots a nice floater, rebounds well for a guard, long arms, good athleticism, good passer, runs the offence well…

Why not? Can’t shoot at all, not from the line, or three, or anywhere in between, total bricklayer…

Best Case – Mookie Blalock or Lindsay Hunter…

Worst Case – Elliot Perry…

19 SAC PG Sergio Rodriguez Adecco Estudiantes (Spain) -- 6-3 175

Why? Quick, terrific ball-handler, very creative passer, runs the offence and shows leadership, loves to push the tempo…

Why not? Nickname is Spanish Chocolate a reference to his idol NBA PG Jason Williams, can be careless with the ball, weak, defence is under-developed, looks too much for the flashy play instead of the right one, not a proven perimeter shooter…

Best Case – Jason Williams

Worst Case – Jason Williams

20 NY SF Shawne Williams Memphis Fr. 6-9 225

Why? Because the Knicks gave away Trevor Ariza and Jalen rose will be traded…anyway, great size and length (7’3” wingspan and 8’8” standing reach), very athletic, handles the ball well at his size, versatile scorer, can post up and face up, good frame to bulk up…

Why not? Weak as day old tea, could not bench press 180 lbs. even once at the combine, shot selection is questionable, inexperienced, disappears for long stretches, effort is questionable, not a great defender, low release point on his jumper…

Best Case – Walt Williams

Worst Case – Monty Williams

21 PHO SG Shannon Brown Michigan State Jr. 6-3 200

Why? Very solid build, with terrific explosiveness, very quick, huge hands, very strong, gets to the rim, finishes with the dunk in traffic and on the break, good mid-range game and a much improved shot out to 3, defends with strength, decent rebounder for his size, might be a player who’s skills are more transferable to the NBA game…

Why not? May be an athlete not a basketball player, SG skills but PG height, needs to get an assist once and awhile…

Best Case – Fred Jones or even a bigger Vinnie Johnson

Worst Case – Bo Kimble

22 NJ PF/C Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut Sr. 6-11 230

Why? Tall, long (7’4” wingspan and 9’1” standing reach) and athletic, good shot-blocker with excellent timing, works hard, high character, good help defender, excellent rebounder with good 2nd jump, some range out to 12 feet…

Why not? Raw as sushi on offence, limited post up game, very mechanical, turnover-prone, inconsistent effort…

Best Case – Dale Davis

Worst Case – Dale Carnegie

23 NJ PG Kyle Lowry Villanova Soph. 6-0 175

Why? Tough guy, excellent speed and quickness, unstoppable one on one, strong defender despite small size, confident player, tremendous penetrator and underrated finisher with either hand, athletic and strong at the basket, can run an offence and is a willing passer…

Why not? He’s little, like three apples tall, smurf-little, maybe 5’10” not 6 feet, not a consistent outside shooter, will be posted up by big guards, emotional player who sometimes loses his head a little…

Best Case – a smaller Tim Hardaway

Worst Case – God Shammgod (former Providence Guard, that’s his real name…)

24 MEM PF Justin Williams Wyoming Sr. 6-10 210

Why? Shot blocker supreme with 5.4 per game, tremendous timing and natural instincts for shot blocking, great rebounder especially offensive, good length and hops, athletic…

Why not? Needs to eat a sandwich, very light for a PF, weak upper body, can’t score outside of 6 feet, bricklayer from the free throw line, only 1 good season in college…

Best Case – Theo Ratliff

Worst Case – Theo Huxtable…

25 CLE SG Quincy Douby, Rutgers Jr. 6-3 175

Why? The kid is a stone cold killer as a scorer, mid range, floaters, deep threes, he can just score, very confident, good length, athletic, can create his own shot, quick release, uses screens well, defends well in the passing lanes…

Why not? Selfish, not a good passer, small for a 2 guard, not an NBA body, too skinny, weak, not a great on the ball defender, handle is a bit loose, no PG skills…

Best Case – Andrew Toney

Worst Case – Keith Smart

26 LAL SG Maurice Ager Michigan State Sr. 6-4 200

Why? Fantastic athlete with great hops, NBA three range, shoots off the dribble and off the catch, good finisher, defends with energy, very good rebounder for a guard, good ball-handler…

Why not? Small for an NBA 2 guard, drifts a little during the game, looks a little mechanical sometimes on offence…

Best Case – Derek Anderson the earlier…

Worst Case – Derek Anderson the later…

27 PHO SF Renaldo Balkman, South Carolina Jr. 6-7 210

Why? Energy to burn, just makes plays all over the floor, terrific motor, ultimate garbage-man, cleans up everything, rebounds, steals, does not need plays run for him, terrific length with 7’1” wingspan make him an active and strong defender…

Why not? Tweener, played the 4 in college, will be a 3 in the pros, limited perimeter game, cannot create his own shot, limited post game, no handle…

Best Case – Bo Outlaw

Worst Case – Mark Madsen

28 DAL PG/SG Guillermo Diaz Miami Jr. 6-1 190

Why? Vertical once measured at 50 inches (!!!!), super athletic, lightening fast, scores at will, can hit the outside shot to 3 range, strong body, decent defender, very competitive, hard worker…

Why not? No position, not a PG but too short to be a SG, limited basketball experience, decision making underscores his inexperience…

Best Case – Dee Brown or Bobby Jackson

Worst Case – Ronnie Fields

29 NY PF Josh Boone Connecticut Jr. 6-10 237

Why? Because the Knicks promised him the spot, tall, all the tools, strong, good frame, blocks shots, good rebounder, finishes around the basket…

Why not? May not like basketball, motivation an issue, disappears in games, soft as tissue paper, not as strong as he looks…

Best Case – Brian Grant or Drew Gooden

Worst Case – Yogi Stewart

30 POR SG James White Cincinnati Sr. 6-7 202

Why? Best athlete left, can dunk from the free throw line with two hands, very bouncy, good rebounder for a guard, great length at the 2, very good perimeter defender…

Why not? Potential knucklehead, streaky shooter, low release point on his jumper…

Best Case – Ron Harper…

Worst Case – Harold Miner…

MOCK DRAFT

1 TOR SF/PF Andrea Bargnani, Benetton Treviso (Italy) -- 6-11 248

Why? Tall (duh), great hands and feet, shoots it with range, can put it on the floor, is aggressive and will try to dunk on you, rebounds well, excellent first step and face up game for a 7 footer, blocks some shots with good timing, athletic, played good minutes in a very tough Euroleague, decent frame to put on more weight, can defend on the ball and recovers well with length …

Why not? No post game at all, not strong, not a true 3, 4 or 5 yet, some whispers he is allergic to contact, could be had with any pick in the top 4.

Best Case – Dirk Nowitzki is the comparison…

Worst Case – Matt Bullard…yikes

2 CHI PF Tyrus Thomas, LSU Fr. 6-9 216

Why? Because he can jump out of the gym, great motor, decent hands, tremendous athlete, 7’3” wingspan and 9 foot standing reach combined with 40-inch vertical, tremendous shot blocker and rebounder, driven to succeed, better ball handler than advertised, good team defensive instincts…

Why not? No post game at all, unproven as a shooter, a little small to be a 4, too weak to be a 4, very limited experience in college.

Best Case – Shawn Marion or Antonio McDyess before the knee problems…

Worst Case – Stromile Swift…

3 CHA SG Brandon Roy, Washington Sr. 6-5 210

Why? Most complete and ready player in the draft, great size for a SG, great ball-handler, unselfish, can play the PG or swing to the SF spot, shoots with range, makes his FT’s, mature NBA-ready body, very strong, terrific hesitation dribble, moves without the ball and understands offence, can post, great rebounder for a guard…

Why not? You tell me, I think he’s the shit…

Best Case – Mitch Richmond…

Worst Case – Mo Pete…

4 POR SF Adam Morrison, Gonzaga Jr. 6-8 210

Why? Big giant balls, fearless, better athlete than you think, good high release on his shot, excellent footwork in the halfcourt, very active, excellent hands and feet, can post, goes to both hands well, in-the-gym range, creative offensively, excellent early push shot going to the basket to avoid the shot blocker (like an off the shoulder tear drop), very competitive, pulls up quickly, very quick shot release, good pump fake, handles very well and a willing and able passer…

Why not? Not a great rebounder, pouts when he does not get the ball, awful defender, might need screens to get open on the next level, a little 1 dimensional, diabetes a concern…

Best Case – Kiki Vandeweghe…

Worst Case – Rick Mount or Wally Sczerbiak…

5 ATL PF Shelden Williams, Duke Sr. 6-9 255

Why? Because somebody has to rebound. It’s too early for his talent, but it’s a need pick. Decent hands and feet, terrific rebounder who goes and gets the ball, but also boxes out, great timing on his shot blocking, strongest player in the draft, plays within himself…

Why not? Plodding, not going to get any better than he is, biggest forehead I’ve ever seen…

Best Case – Antonio Davis or Michael Cage…

Worst Case – Mark Bryant…

6 MIN SG Randy Foye, Villanova Sr. 6-4 206

Why? Tough and aggressive, excellent athlete, great quickness, gets to the basket at will, strong enough to take the hit and finish, gym rat, tremendous rebounder for a guard, very competitive…

Why not? Streaky shooter, not a pure point guard, small for a 2, shot selection questionable and has never shot better than 42% from the field, handle can get sloppy…

Best Case – Ben Gordon or Vinnie Johnson…

Worst Case – Robert Pack…

7 BOS SF Rudy Gay, Connecticut So. 6-8 230

Why? Freakish 7’3” wingspan and 40 inch vertical make him the prototypical BA small forward, slasher, great range, high arcing jumper is un-blockable, defends well, very balanced all round game, good shotblocker, tremendous finisher…

Why not? Might not like the game, not assertive, not as aggressive as he could be, should be a better rebounder than he is, rarely the best player on the floor…

Best Case – A better Desmond Mason…

Worst Case – Stacey Augmon or Richard Dumas without the drug problem…

8 HOU PG Marcus Williams, Connecticut Jr. 6-3 212

Why? Best Pure point in the draft, terrific floor vision, shoots with some range, good pull up jumper, excellent passer, good feel for offence, craft shot maker, shoots a nice floater against shot blocking, left handed, great handle, uses his body to shield the ball, excellent court awareness…

Why not? Has fat potential, 12.4% body fat and only 28 inch vertical make him the worst overall athlete in the draft at the PG position, not fast, not much of a finisher, turnover prone, likes laptops that don’t belong to him…

Best Case – Mark Jackson

Worst Case – John Bagley or Khalid El-Amin…

9 GS C Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley So. 7-0 260

Why? Really tall, standing reach of 9’5” and crazy 7-5 wingspan, true centre, good shot blocker and excellent rebounder, decent athlete, has a right handed jump hook and is developing a post game, big frame to out on muscle…

Why not? Not strong, can seem timid, needs a nasty streak, some question his toughness, weak lower body and can be rooted out of the post, project who is 2 years away from being a starting centre, doesn’t yet know how to pass out of the double team…

Best Case – Marcus Camby…

Worst Case – Acie Earl…

10 SEA SG J.J. Redick, Duke Sr. 6-4 200

Why? Shooter with NBA-3 range, quick release and picture perfect form, terrific free throw shooter, mature player and person, has developed an shot fake and pull up from mid-range, terrific footwork for catch and shoot, always in great condition, moves without the ball constantly, very competitive, very experienced handling the media…

Why not? Below average athlete, not a great physical defender, undersized to play the 2, not quick, not a great ball handler, very one-dimensional, no other skills other that shooting…

Best Case – John Paxson, Craig Hodges or Steve Kerr…

Worst Case – Tim Legler…

11 ORL SG Ronnie Brewer Arkansas Jr. 6-7 220

Why? Long, athletic (41 inch vertical with 6’11” wingspan and 8’7.5” standing reach), explosive athlete, great motor, terrific defender both on the ball and in the passing lanes, smart player, passes well, rebounds in traffic, gets the basket and can shoot a little, very aggressive, the type of player you hate unless he’s on your team…

Why not? Ugliest shot this side of Shawn Marion, corkscrew release, elbow flying out, and a shot coach is not going to fix it, he broke his right arm as a child and can’t completely extend it, might be a jack or all trades but master of none…

Best Case – A poor man’s Josh Howard…

Worst case – Jerryl Sasser…

12 NO PF Cedric Simmons North Carolina State Soph. 6-10 228

Why? Tremendous shot-blocker, explosive leaper, great timing, very good rebounder, tough in the paint, wiry but strong, quick off the floor and on 2nd jump, passes well for a big man (played some high post in the Princeton style offence at NC State), has a developing post game, seals his man well and jump hooks left and right…

Why not? Brick layer outside of 8 feet, very raw offensively…

Best Case – Theo Ratliff

Worst Case – Carlos Rogers…

13 PHI PG Sergio Rodriguez Adecco Estudiantes (Spain) -- 6-3 175

Why? Quick, terrific ball-handler, very creative passer, runs the offence and shows leadership, loves to push the tempo…

Why not? Nickname is Spanish Chocolate a reference to his idol NBA PG Jason Williams, can be careless with the ball, weak, defence is under-developed, looks too much for the flashy play instead of the right one, not a proven perimeter shooter…

Best Case – Jason Williams

Worst Case – Jason Williams

14 UT C Saer Sene Pepinster (Belgium) -- 7-0 236

Why? Really freaking tall and really freakish wingspan at 7’8.5” with a 9’5” standing reach, aggressive defender and shot blocker, great lateral mobility…

Why not? No idea on offence, weak, no post game at all, all points on dunks and rebounds, range only extends to 3 feet, no feel for the game at all…

Best Case – Poor man’s Dikembe Mutombo

Worst Case – Yinka Dare…

15 NO SF Rodney Carney, Memphis Sr. 6-7 205

Why? 38-inch vertical and the fastest guy baseline to baseline in the draft, scores in a number of ways, good shooter with range to NBA 3, improved ball-handling, great first step going to the basket, excellent finisher, gets his shot off against anyone with his ups, decent defender…

Why not? Soft as tissue paper although he has improved his toughness, disappears sometimes, not a great rebounder considering his size and athletic ability, motivation an issue…

Best Case – Ron Harper or even Latrell Spreewell…

Worst Case – Courtney Alexander or Ron Mercer…

16 CHI SF Thabo Sefolosha Chalon (France) -- 6-6 215

Why? Terrific ball handler and passer, very multi-dimensional, defends well, shoot with range, smart player, great length and decent athlete who finishes well…

Why not? Cannot create his own shot, weak, not aggressive…

Best Case – Josh Howard…

Worst Case – Chris Jeffries…

17 IND PG Jordan Farmar UCLA Soph. 6-2 175

Why? Pure Point guard, can finish, great hops (42 inch vert!), thinks pass first, sees the floor, penetrates well, pushes the tempo, good basketball IQ…

Why not? Reckless, turns the ball over, handle needs to tighten up, not a great shooter, not strong, average defender…

Best Case – Kenny Smith…

Worst Case – Charles Smith…

18 WAS PG Rajon Rondo Kentucky Soph. 6-2 185

Why? Huge hands, tremendous handle, very quick/fast, gets into the passing lanes for steals, excellent on the ball defender, runs like the wind in the open court, shoots a nice floater, rebounds well for a guard, long arms, good athleticism, good passer, runs the offence well…

Why not? Can’t shoot at all, not from the line, or three, or anywhere in between, total bricklayer…

Best Case – Mookie Blalock…

Worst Case – Elliot Perry…

19 SAC PF/C Hilton Armstrong, Connecticut Sr. 6-11 230

Why? Tall, long (7’4” wingspan and 9’1” standing reach) and athletic, good shot-blocker with excellent timing, works hard, high character, good help defender, excellent rebounder with good 2nd jump, some range out to 12 feet…

Why not? Raw as sushi on offence, limited post up game, very mechanical, turnover-prone, inconsistent effort…

Best Case – Dale Davis

Worst Case – Dale Carnegie

20 NY SF Shawne Williams Memphis Fr. 6-9 225

Why? Because the Knicks gave away Trevor Ariza and Jalen rose will be traded…anyway, great size and length (7’3” wingspan and 8’8” standing reach), very athletic, handles the ball well at his size, versatile scorer, can post up and face up, good frame to bulk up…

Why not? Weak as day old tea, could not bench press 180 lbs. even once at the combine, shot selection is questionable, inexperienced, disappears for long stretches, effort is questionable, not a great defender, low release point on his jumper…

Best Case – Walt Williams

Worst Case – Monty Williams

21 PHO SG Shannon Brown Michigan State Jr. 6-3 200

Why? Very solid build, with terrific explosiveness, very quick, huge hands, very strong, gets to the rim, finishes with the dunk in traffic and on the break, good mid-range game and a much improved shot out to 3, defends with strength, decent rebounder for his size, might be a player who’s skills are more transferable to the NBA game…

Why not? May be an athlete not a basketball player, SG skills but PG height, needs to get an assist once and awhile…

Best Case – Fred Jones or even a bigger Vinnie Johnson

Worst Case – Bo Kimble

22 NJ PF Alexander Johnson Florida State Jr. 6-9 241

Why? Tough as nails, strong, good athlete with 40 inch vertical, jumper out to about 17 feet, very explosive, good rebounder, excellent hands…

Why not? Fat potential, lost 30+ pounds to get in shape but weight will always be an issue, may have already maxed out his potential, already 23 years old…

Best Case – Buck Williams

Worst Case – Buck Rogers

23 NJ PG Kyle Lowry Villanova Soph. 6-0 175

Why? Tough guy, excellent speed and quickness, unstoppable one on one, strong defender despite small size, confident player, tremendous penetrator and underrated finisher with either hand, athletic and strong at the basket, can run an offence and is a willing passer…

Why not? He’s little, like three apples tall, smurf-little, maybe 5’10” not 6 feet, not a consistent outside shooter, will be posted up by big guards, emotional player who sometimes loses his head a little…

Best Case – a smaller Tim Hardaway

Worst Case – God Shammgod (former Providence Guard, that’s his real name…)

24 MEM PF Justin Williams Wyoming Sr. 6-10 210

Why? Shot blocker supreme with 5.4 per game, tremendous timing and natural instincts for shot blocking, great rebounder especially offensive, good length and hops, athletic…

Why not? Needs to eat a sandwich, very light for a PF, weak upper body, can’t score outside of 6 feet, bricklayer from the free throw line, only 1 good season in college…

Best Case – Theo Ratliff

Worst Case – Theo Huxtable…

25 CLE SG Quincy Douby, Rutgers Jr. 6-3 175

Why? The kid is a stone cold killer as a scorer, mid range, floaters, deep threes, he can just score, very confident, good length, athletic, can create his own shot, quick release, uses screens well, defends well in the passing lanes…

Why not? Selfish, not a good passer, small for a 2 guard, not an NBA body, too skinny, weak, not a great on the ball defender, handle is a bit loose, no PG skills…

Best Case – Andrew Toney

Worst Case – Keith Smart

26 LAL SG Maurice Ager Michigan State Sr. 6-4 200

Why? Fantastic athlete with great hops, NBA three range, shoots off the dribble and off the catch, good finisher, defends with energy, very good rebounder for a guard, good ball-handler…

Why not? Small for an NBA 2 guard, drifts a little during the game, looks a little mechanical sometimes on offence…

Best Case – Derek Anderson the earlier…

Worst Case – Derek Anderson the later…

27 PHO SF Renaldo Balkman, South Carolina Jr. 6-7 210

Why? Energy to burn, just makes plays all over the floor, terrific motor, ultimate garbage-man, cleans up everything, rebounds, steals, does not need plays run for him, terrific length with 7’1” wingspan make him an active and strong defender…

Why not? Tweener, played the 4 in college, will be a 3 in the pros, limited perimeter game, cannot create his own shot, limited post game, no handle…

Best Case – Bo Outlaw

Worst Case – Mark Madsen

28 DAL PG/SG Guillermo Diaz Miami Jr. 6-1 190

Why? Vertical once measured at 50 inches (!!!!), super athletic, lightening fast, scores at will, can hit the outside shot to 3 range, strong body, decent defender, very competitive, hard worker…

Why not? No position, not a PG but too short to be a SG, limited basketball experience, decision making underscores his inexperience…

Best Case – Dee Brown or Bobby Jackson

Worst Case – Ronnie Fields

29 NY PF Josh Boone Connecticut Jr. 6-10 237

Why? Because the Knicks promised him the spot, tall, all the tools, strong, good frame, blocks shots, good rebounder, finishes around the basket…

Why not? May not like basketball, motivation an issue, disappears in games, soft as tissue paper, not as strong as he looks…

Best Case – Brian Grant or Drew Gooden

Worst Case – Yogi Stewart

30 POR PG/SG Yotam Halperin Union Olimpija (Slovenia) -- 6-4 195

Why? Cool name, great passer, very patient, unselfish, good range on jumper, excellent mid range, great size for PG, good court vision, more athletic than he looks, excellent decision maker…

Why not? Sometimes too conservative, terrible defender, average rebounder for his size…

Best Case – Marko Jaric or Beno Udrith

Worst Case – Andy Hofer

Now ask yourself…are the Mavs World Champions if they have Steve Nash instead of Jason Terry at the point? The 2-time MVP or the guy who went all John Starks in Game 6? Look at the numbers:

Jason Terry 17.1 PPG, 3.8 APG, 2.0 RPG, 47% FG, 41%, 3pt. FG, 80% FT
Steve Nash 18.8 PPG, 10.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, 51.2% FG, 44% 3pt. FG, 92% FT

The numbers are overwhelming for Nash, but think about the Mavs inability to score or get to the basket in the 4th quarters of the last four games (losses) of the series…you think Dirk gets the ball in better scoring position with Nash looking for him? Yes…You think Nash goes 2-11 from three like Terry did? No…You think the Mavs have an easier time establishing the tempo and keeping the tempo in the 4th quarter with Nash, the best PG in the world? Yes…

So was not signing Nash smart in terms of the contract length? Yes, but if the Mavs had signed him, they’d be world champs right now…

1) Chad Ford of ESPN.com with a report on the trade talk pre-draft:

Trades might shake up draft, from top to bottom

With less than a week to go before the June 28 NBA Draft, very few teams are on solid footing. Not only are most teams very uncertain about who will be available when they make their pick, but there is a major factor that is simply impossible for them to calculate accurately -- the trades that most think are coming. Here's a take on the top few prospects from an NBA team executive drafting in the high lottery. "There are warts everywhere," he said. "Do you take a risk and go with upside or do you take a player who's going to be solid? Usually when you're drafting this high, you get a little of both. This year is different. I think there's one star, Adam Morrison. But he may not be the best player in the draft. I think this has led to all of the trade talk." This "trade talk" is what could, more than anything else, upset everyone's expectations about how the draft will play out. After all, when you don't even know which teams are making the picks, how can you figure out whom they're taking? To try to sort things out, Insider has its ear to the ground, listening for trade rumblings. Here's what we're hearing about potential deals affecting the draft:

Toronto Raptors - Since the regular season, two small trades have gone down in the NBA, both involving the Raptors. Toronto sent Rafael Araujo to the Jazz for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley. Then, on Wednesday, they sent Eric Williams and Matt Bonner to the Spurs for Rasho Nesterovic. But just about everyone believes that another big trade is in the works, involving either the No. 1 pick or Charlie Villanueva. So far, a number of rumors have popped up, involving Jermaine O'Neal, Samuel Dalembert, Jamaal Magloire and Brevin Knight. So far, all of them have been bogus. GM Bryan Colangelo has, over the past few days, shot holes through all of the scenarios. O'Neal would hurt their cap flexibility. Dalembert is overpaid. Magloire isn't worth the No. 1 pick. Knight isn't enough to motivate a swap of the No. 1 pick for Charlotte's No. 3 pick.
Colangelo reiterated on Wednesday that it would have to be something "much bigger" to move the pick at this point. That probably shoots holes in some other trade scenarios currently out there. The most popular has the Portland Trail Blazers packaging No. 4 and No. 30 along with Travis Outlaw or one of their young point guards to get up to No. 1. The deal would allow the Raptors to pick up a few extra assets and still be in a position to take Andrea Bargnani at No. 4. However, the word is that the Raptors aren't interested and that the Blazers are unwilling to sweeten the pot. They want Adam Morrison badly but apparently won't mortgage the franchise for a guy who could very well be there when they pick at No. 4.
The Houston Rockets have also tried to move up to get the No. 1 pick, but just don't have the assets. Ditto for the Memphis Grizzlies. They'd be willing to offer just about anyone on their roster for No. 1 with the exception of Pau Gasol -- who is the only guy the Raptors would consider pulling the trigger on a trade for. At this point, it appears the Raptors are leaning toward keeping the pick. But they're probably not done trading. Look for them to work a sign-and-trade deal to move Mike James this summer.

Chicago Bulls - Things have been pretty quiet in Chicago. Almost too quiet. The Bulls have more moveable assets than anyone else in the NBA at the moment. They have two very desirable first-round picks (No. 2 and No. 16), lots of young players with tradeable contracts and a plenty of cap room this summer. So are they going to make a deal? A rumor floated last week had them talking with the Los Angeles Lakers about a deal that would send Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to Chicago for Tyson Chandler and the No. 2 pick. On Wednesday, a source said that the Bulls may be considering trading the No. 2 pick and Chandler to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion. With the pick, the Suns would select Tyrus Thomas. The move would help the Suns get the their salary cap situation under control and allow them to re-sign Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa next summer. More likely, the Bulls are keeping the pick and deciding between Thomas and Brandon Roy. A source in Chicago reiterated to Insider on Wednesday that they hadn't promised to draft Thomas and were still trying to decide which way to go.

Charlotte Bobcats - GM Bernie Bickerstaff has been active in trying to trade up or down in the draft. The recently rumored swap that would send Brevin Knight and the No. 3 pick to Toronto for Alvin Williams and the No. 1 was shot down by Colangelo on Wednesday. It's still unclear, however, what the Bobcats want to accomplish. With Michael Jordan in a decision-making role, will they dump their strategy of building slowly through the draft and opt for a more aggressive approach that brings in veterans? At this point, the Bobcats look more and more likely to stay at No. 3. They are zeroing in on Roy, who's likely to be available when they pick.

Portland Trail Blazers - The Blazers may be happy at No. 4, but they'd be happier if they could move up to No. 1. Adam Morrison is the top guy on their draft board not only because of his talent but also because of his popularity in Portland. The Blazers have created a huge gulf between the team and their fans, and drafting Morrison would definitely help bridge it. And their dream scenario is to find a way to get both Morrison and Brandon Roy. The Blazers have to do something to change their local image and their locker-room culture, and adding Morrison and/or Roy would be a huge step. The problem is that the Blazers appear unwilling to give up the two guys most teams are interested in, Martell Webster and Jarrett Jack. Instead they are hoping that a combination of a young player plus No. 4, No. 30 and/or No. 31 will be enough. They have been shopping Zach Randolph, Darius Miles and Theo Ratliff as well, and they're willing to move some of their other players as well. I'm not so sure any of that will help them get Toronto's No. 1 pick. Whatever interest the Raptors might have in Travis Outlaw and Sebastian Telfair does not appear to be strong enough for the Raptors to give up the No. 1 pick, even with the Blazers' picks in the deal. Look for the Blazers to get more suitors this summer when Joel Przybilla can be had via sign-and-trade.

Atlanta Hawks - Only the Raptors have more rumors swirling around them than the Hawks. The hottest talk is that they promised to pick Shelden Williams. But, if so, when? Was it with the No. 5 pick? Or did they know they were trading down and wanted to try to improve their chances to get him in the lottery? Or, is it another team that has promised Williams and is ready to move up to No. 5 to get him? One candidate might be the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hawks have interest in Allen Iverson and the Sixers have interest in moving him. Sixers GM Billy King is a big fan of Williams and needs a young player to eventually replace the aging Chris Webber. Would the No. 5 pick and Al Harrington (via sign-and-trade) be enough for the Sixers to part with Iverson? Another team could be the Seattle SuperSonics, who might be willing to offer Nick Collison and the No. 10 to Atlanta for the No. 5. The Sonics are also high on Williams, especially after losing their best rebounder, Reggie Evans, last February. With that pick the Hawks could get another forward and then take a point guard or combo guard -- UConn's Marcus Williams, Kentucky's Rajon Rondo or Villanova's Randy Foye -- at No. 10.

Minnesota Timberwolves - The Wolves have what it takes to get the No. 1 pick in the draft this summer. All they have to do is say that Kevin Garnett is yours and they get No. 1. But team president Kevin McHale says that he's not trading Garnett and that no one at the top of the draft is worth Garnett. However ... if the Raptors were to throw Charlie Villanueva into the deal and perhaps Mike James in a sign-and-trade, it might get more interesting. The Wolves can get better offers, though. The Bulls and Warriors both have more assets than Toronto, if the Wolves want to deal. Right now it appears that they don't. More likely, the team moves Marko Jaric and perhaps Ricky Davis to the Nuggets for Kenyon Martin.

Boston Celtics - The team doesn't have an acute need for the No. 7 pick, because it's unlikely the Celts can draft anyone there who can help immediately. Rather, they need veterans in the backcourt and in the middle who can help Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak now. But unless the Celtics can get a future pick (2007 first-round picks are highly valued right now), it appears unlikely Boston will trade its pick. The alternative is trading Pierce, which the Celtics say they're not doing.

Houston Rockets - The Rockets have made attempts to move up in the draft. Morrison, with a healthy Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, would help make the Rockets instant contenders. The problem is that since the McGrady trade the Rockets have had few assets to offer in a trade. Stromile Swift and Luther Head are possibilities, but neither player's trade value is that high at the moment. More likely, the Rockets to try to trade down or out of the draft in exchange for a veteran. The Rockets are in "win now" mode. With the exception of J. J. Redick, it's unclear anyone on the board can help them at No. 8.

Golden State Warriors - They are one of the most active teams in trade talks at the moment. The team they put together didn't gel, and the Warriors need to make some serious changes. It appears that Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and the No. 9 are the assets they're lookingto move. However, considering the big contracts of Dunleavy and Murphy, they may have to include a young prospect like Andris Biedrins or Mickael Pietrus. One rumored deal has the Warriors swapping Dunleavy, Murphy and the No. 9 pick to the Lakers for Lamar Odom and Aaron McKie.
Another has the Warriors sending Pietrus, Murphy and the No. 9 to the Bulls for Tyson Chandler and the No. 16. Utah could be another trading partner. A deal that would send Pietrus and Murphy to Utah for Carlos Boozer has been rumored since February.

Orlando Magic - The team has been trying to move up in the draft to get Brandon Roy. But it appears they need to convince a team to take a combo of Hedo Turkoglu and the No. 11 pick, and they've been striking out. Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson and Darko Milicic are untouchable right now.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets - The Hornets have been trying to pair their two picks (No. 12 and No. 15), along with J. R. Smith, to move up high in the draft. There was speculation that Charlotte (No. 3)might be the trade partner, but that has been shot down by the Bobcats. Another possibility might be the Rockets' No. 8 pick, though that offer sounds a little high just to move up a few spots. But the move could get them Patrick O'Bryant, the big man they're after. The Rockets need assets right now and might be willing to throw in Stromile Swift to make a deal.

Philadelphia 76ers - We expect them to be among the most active teams this summer. Iverson is finally on the block. So are Chris Webber and Samuel Dalembert. The problem is that all three have terrible contracts, making it difficult for Billy King to do a good deal with anyone other than the Knicks. A deal with Atlanta may be a possibility for Iverson. San Antonio has some interest in Samuel Dalembert. Moving Webber? Good luck.

Utah Jazz - The Jazz have been trying to package Boozer in a trade that gets them up into the top 10, with the goal of getting Brandon Roy or Randy Foye. But no one's biting. One possibility might to be to package a future first-round pick (their own or the future Knicks pick owned by the Jazz) to Seattle for the No. 10. The word is that the Sonics are trying to keep costs under control right now so that they can sign Chris Wilcox. Still, it's unclear whether Foye would be on the board at No. 10. Other interesting trade scenarios have cropped up for the Jazz. In particular, the Warriors, Lakers and Bucks have shown interest in Boozer. The Bucks might be willing to part with Jamaal Magloire and Mo Williams in return for Boozer. That would be an intriguing deal for the Jazz, who could address their needs in the frontcourt and the backcourt in one fell swoop. The Lakers deal would probably have to be a three-way trade: Boozer and the No. 14 going to L.A., with Odom ending up at another destination. Odom wouldn't be a great fit for Utah, but he could be the player to get them the two guard they want.

Indiana Pacers - The Pacers are unhappy with how their team responded last season and have had conversations about blowing it up. That means Jermaine O'Neal, for the first time in his Pacers career, is not untouchable. While rumors of a swap with the Raptors appear bogus, at least two teams might be willing to give the Pacers what they want for O'Neal: a high draft pick, a young prospect and salary cap room for the summer of 2007. The Bulls have a number of ways to make that scenario work. For instance, they could swap the No. 2 and Ben Gordon or Luol Deng for O'Neal because they are under the salary cap. The Hawks could offer a similar deal of the No. 5, Marvin Williams or Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia for O'Neal.

Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets are interested in trading Kenyon Martin (to the Knicks or Timberwolves) and Andre Miller (to the Celtics) to clear cap space or move up in the draft. There's also been talk of Marcus Camby going to the Bulls in exchange for Tyson Chandler and the No. 16.

Miami Heat - The Heat are trying to use Dorell Wright to move up in the draft to get their hands on a Pat Riley favorite -- Guillermo Diaz.

Phoenix Suns - They've been trying to package the No. 21 and No. 27 picks to move up. Their target is presumably a big man like Mouhamed Saer Sene or Hilton Armstrong, though Rajon Rondo and Sergio Rodriguez are also high on their list. The Suns are also willing to do a bigger deal if they can get into the top 3. Leandro Barbosa can be had. The Suns love him, but aren't sure they can afford to re-sign him next summer. Shawn Marion is a long shot -- a team would have to offer a great player and a high pick to get him.

New Jersey Nets - The Nets would love to be able to package the No. 22 and No. 23 picks to move up and get an athletic big. Another option would be to package Antoine Wright and Zoran Planinic with one of their picks to move up. As for the rumors that Richard Jefferson is on the block, I'm told they're bogus.

New York Knicks - Knicks president Isiah Thomas had just about everyone on the trading block along with the No. 20 and No. 29 picks. However, unless Channing Frye is included in the deal (he won't be according to a Knicks source), they're probably not moving up significantly in the draft.

Memphis Grizzlies - After another first-round playoff exit, the Grizzlies are back at the drawing board. They desperately need a point guard and are still paper thin in the middle. I've heard that just about anyone on the roster, other than Pau Gasol, is available. The Grizzlies have been trying to move up to get Adam Morrison. While he doesn't currently fit a need, maybe Jerry West has something else going on.

Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers have been shopping Andrew Bynum and Chris Mihm. Lamar Odom can be had, too, but the price is significantly higher. Their target in the draft? Brandon Roy.

No Conspiracy here…the Heat just imposed their will in last night’s 95-92 win…they were the aggressors in the last 4 games and especially in game 6 last night where the Mavs, other than Dirk who was magnificent, really played tight…The Heat became the first team to rally from an 0-2 deficit to win the Finals since the NBA went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985. Only two other teams ever did it: The 1969 Celtics and the '77 Blazers…so what happened? Well here it is…

The Heat won because:

Dwayne Wade is unstoppable…last night he had 36 points on 10-18 from the floor and 16-21 from the line, 10 rebounds, including 3 offensive all in the 2nd half, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks? Come on those are PlayStation numbers…for the last 4 games on the series, all Miami wins, Wade averaged 44.5 minutes, 39.3 points on 57.8% (!!) from the floor, and 79.4% from the line, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1 block per game…ridiculous numbers…

Shaq being doubled leaves open shooters or a single covered Wade…Udonis Haslem, who I’ll expound on more in a minute, was left open all night on the Shaq double team and he made 8-13 shots…Wade ran off Shaq’s baseline picks all night and once freed up turned to face his defender who sagged in on Shaq, cueing the made 18-foot jumper…2 men on Shaq means someone is open, simple as that…

Antoine Walker was aggressive…last night he had 14 points on an atrocious 6-17 from the floor and 0-6 from three, but his real contribution was on the boards where he had 11 rebounds including 3 offensive, all in the 2nd half…in fact, in the 3rd quarter when the Heat were really struggling, it was ‘Toine who had rallied them with 10 points and eight boards…and I loved the shimmy…

Udonis Haslem was the X-Factor…Haslem played his ass off on both ends hounding Nowitzki with terrific ball denial and then physically contesting Dirk whenever he actually had the ball…throw in a terrific shooting night where he went 8-13 for 17 points, making several key open jumpers around the foul line and baseline areas…Haslem played through a very painful separated shoulder, but focused enough to play his best game of the playoffs at the best time…don’t forget his 10 rebounds, 4 of which came in the last 5 minutes of the 4th where Shaq was out with foul trouble…and really don’t forget his enormous offensive rebound and put-back to give Heat 91-88 lead late in the game…

Alonzo Mourning completely sucked the life out of the Mavs in the 2nd half…8 points, 6 rebound and 5 blocks…Mourning was channelling his inner Patrick Ewing at Georgetown sending Jason Terry and Josh Howard to the deck with tremendously powerful blocks…throw in a terrific timing block from the weakside on Dampier and Alonzo would not be denied…and I loved the little stutter step dribble and then 1 handed power jack right on top of Mbenga’s head…all of this in only 14 minutes…

The Mavs lost because:

Erick Dampier can’t catch…’nuff said…

Josh Howard and Jason Terry could not make shots…Terry shot 7-25, including 2-11 from three, basically forgetting that what made so effective earlier in the series was his mid range pull up game…2-11 is Starks territory…in fact after hitting first four shots, missed 18 of next 21, including all seven in the fourth quarter…Terry did have 5 assists and 2 steals but 16 points out of a possible 61 is atrocious…as for Howard, he was only 5-16 for 14 points, although he had 12 rebounds and 4 steals…Howard simply could not take advantage of Antoine Walker, who is not a noted defender to say the least…

The Mavs 21 feet of centre scored 3 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 turnovers in 42 underwhelming minutes…DJ Mbenga, DeSagana Diop and 42 underwhelming minutes…DJ Mbenga, DeSagana Diop and Ericka Dampier were terrible…period…and don’t tell me about their defence limiting Shaq to 9 points and 12 rebounds in only 30 minutes, because it was the double team that limited Shaq…if the Mavs had single covered Shaq with any or all of these guys he would have had 50 points a game….

They did not double Wade…not nearly enough anyway…they doubled Shaq, who can make free throws, instead…not a bad strategy, but Wade is this team’s best player…

Congrats to Gary Payton, who can now retire (please!!) and Alonzon Mourning who can now go away (please!!!) on the career capping title…

1) John Hollinger of ESPN.com reports on the Heat winning the title with chemistry:

Heat supporting cast swaps shots for rings

They said, "We don't care about shots." Of course not, we laughed quietly to ourselves. Until the games start. They said, "We're not worried about minutes." Sure, we snickered and chortled. In scrimmages, maybe. They told us, "We're just here to win a title," and our eyes rolled in unison. That's what they all say. They told us they'd stay the course if the season got off to a rocky start, and then the laughter really kicked up a notch.
But in the end we were the suckers. Despite all the disparate talents they brought in during the offseason, and all the career starters who had to accept fewer minutes, and all the troubles they endured during a 10-10 start and a resultant coaching change, Miami's veteran imports stayed the course. They didn't gripe about minutes, or shots, or much of anything en route to the franchise's first-ever title. The Heat talked the talk that everyone talks on media day. But in a rare departure from the NBA norm, they walked the walk too. "There was a lot of conjecture throughout the course of the year about our team, about the character, about certain players, it wouldn't work, the chemistry," said Heat coach Pat Riley. "People just don't know how much these guys really wanted it." For me, it was a full-circle moment. I was at Miami's media day in October, when a group of disbelieving writers attempted to discern how all these new players planned on sharing one basketball, and I was as cynical as any of them. Antoine Walker, James Posey, Jason Williams and Gary Payton had all been starters the previous season. All were accustomed to getting their 40 minutes a night and being an integral part of their team's offense. Walker told me on media day, "I understood that I'd be getting fewer touches and fewer minutes when I came here." But we still doubted, because we weren't sure he understood how much fewer those numbers would be. Sure enough he didn't complain -- as many of us thought he might -- when both those predictions came true. While Walker was on the bench for the final minutes tonight -- as he was for most playoff games -- he nonetheless celebrated as enthusiastically as anyone when his backup, Posey, hit two huge shots down the stretch. Perhaps we should have paid more attention to Alonzo Mourning. Way back in October, Zo said it wouldn't be a problem, and he knew from experience. "You guys said the same thing when I came here," said Mourning, who had fit in seamlessly as a backup the previous year. "It would be one thing if we were dealing with some young, inexperienced rookies. But these are seasoned veterans, guys that have won nothing. They smelled it, but the only guy here who has won anything was Shaq. I don't think it's going to be about playing time or who gets the ball." Sure enough, there was Zo again, whooping it up in the winning locker room. "15 Strong," he chanted, repeating the Heat's mantra for much of the postseason. There was Walker, enduring a rough shooting night but grabbing 11 rebounds and taking a few turns in Miami's tag-team defense on Dirk Nowitzki. There was Payton, scoring 16 points the entire series but making two of the biggest shots of Miami's season. There was Posey, quietly deferring to Wade and Shaq before hitting two huge buckets in the final minutes of Game 6. And there was Williams, setting the table with seven assists before giving way to Payton in crunch time. "[Pat Riley] just told us to play together," said Payton. "Stay strong, 15 strong, and we'd be champions. And that's what we did." In retrospect, Mourning was right: We underestimated how important the players' experience was. If Miami had brought in younger players who needed to get touches, it might have been a problem. But players like Walker, Mourning and Payton had been the alpha dog already, and realized at some point that the big prize would come at a cost of shots and minutes. "At that point you're searching for individual accolades," Walker said to me back in October about his younger years. "Now I'm more mature. I want that ring." They wanted it more than shots or minutes, apparently, and in spite of our cynicism, they're champions as a result.
"I've been working hard for 16 years trying to get [a ring] and now I've got one." said Payton. "It's beautiful."

2) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his take:

Riley, Wade lead Heat to first NBA title

Fittingly, the ball landed in Dwyane Wade's hands as the clock expired. Overcoming a sluggish start and a raucous partisan crowd at the Dallas Whine Cellar, Wade poured in 36 points, grabbed 10 rebounds — including the last one — to lead the Miami Heat to a 95-92 victory in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and the first championship in franchise history. The Heat trailed by double-digits with just 2:30 minutes left in the first half, outscored the Mavericks 13-2 heading into intermission and never trailed again. Wade was the key, earning the Most Valuable Player trophy and rightfully so. He averaged 34.7 in the series, the third most in NBA history for a player in his first NBA Finals — behind Rick Barry and Allen Iverson, including an incredible 39.3 in the final four games. But Wade was not alone, with Shaquille O'Neal earning his fourth ring, despite struggling all night with nine points and 12 rebounds due to foul trouble. It opened the door for a magnificent performance from Alonzo Mourning, with eight points, six rebounds and five blocks to dominate the interior once again. It very likely was the final game for Mourning, who overcame kidney disease and a transplant to battle back for his first title. It also is probably the final game for future Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton, who got his first championship as well. And that wasn't all, as the Heat outrebounded the Mavericks 56-50, the fourth time this series the Mavericks were beaten on the boards — after winning the battle in their previous 17 playoff games. It wasn't just O'Neal and Wade, Udonis Haslem had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Antoine Walker added 14 points and 11 boards. They just played tougher and smarter every game when it came to crunch time. It all was reflective of coach Pat Riley, who became only the third coach in NBA history to win a title with two different teams. Not only did he bring in his four championship rings as a coach (plus one as a player), jewelry from his late mother, his wife and daughter to dump into the lucky pit he placed in the locker room weeks ago, he only packed one suit and tie for the trip to Dallas and predicted on June 8 that they would win the title on 6-20-06. Indeed, he became the first coach to win titles 18 years apart — following back-to-back titles with the Lakers. A coach and a prophet, was Riley? Perhaps ... it just wasn't that easy. The Mavericks were up 2-0 in the series and had a 13-point lead midway through the fourth quarter of Game 3 in Miami, with talk of parades and sweeps dancing through the chat rooms, bulletin boards, Mavericks Web Sites and perhaps the minds of the Mavericks on the floor. And because they took their eye off the ball, Wade proceeded to seize the series and become the first player from that storied draft class of 2003 — including LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony — to win a championship. The Heat became only the third team in history to respond from a 0-2 deficit in the NBA Finals to win the title, and they did it with the veteran savvy and tenacity that comes with guys like O'Neal, Mourning, Payton, Walker, James Posey, Jason Williams, Shandon Anderson and Derek Anderson, who were all willing to defer for the good of the team. That was reflective of Riley's leadership. It was more a reflection of their respect for Wade and the blossoming greatness. Oh, the Mavericks hung in there and even though the Heat kept them at an arm's length most of the second half, they did fight back to tie the game at 79 with seven minutes left. Dirk Nowitzki did bounce back strong from sub-par games to score 29 points and grab 15 rebounds, but he did little in the fourth quarter. Jason Terry never got into shooting rhythm, making just 7-of-25 shots from the field, and they were never able to take the lead. More than anything else, and the Heat knew it — whenever times got tough, the Mavericks would settle for jump shots. It's why they were just 12-of-41 (.293) from the field in the second half. It's why the Heat continuously got to the free throw line the entire series — they attacked and the Mavs settled. But Dallas is young and wonderfully stocked with talent in both the starting lineup and off the bench; the coach of the year in just his first full season in Avery Johnson; and a superstar to rally around in Nowitzki. They will be back because relentless and resourceful owner Mark Cuban won't rest until they do, and president Donnie Nelson is perhaps the shrewdest and most underrated judge of talent in the league for a franchise that just finished its first trip to the NBA Finals, as well. Nonetheless, this is a time to celebrate O'Neal embracing his young and exceptionally humble super teammate in Wade on the heels of his nightmare with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. It's a time to appreciate Riley as a coach of the ages in any sport, and a playoff run from these two teams that no one expected to be here in the end. It's what championship fiber is all about.

The stud - Finals MVP Dwyane Wade with his fourth consecutive game of 36 points or more — filling up the box score with 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. For the series he averaged 34.7 points a game and completely took over the series from the final six minutes of Game 3 until he grabbed the final rebound of Game 6.

The dud - After a solid first half with 13 points, Mavericks guard Jason Terry fell apart in the second half with 1-of-12 shooting, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range. His desire to keep throwing up jumpers was symptomatic of how the Mavericks blew the series against the Heat, who consistently took the ball to the rim.

The quote - Heat coach Pat Riley on coaching the guys around Wade and O'Neal: "It was our time — we have been talking about it all year," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "We've got 15 strong, and it looks like a championship trophy in that gold pit in the middle of the locker room. I'm a true believer. I have no doubts. I have no fears. The only thing I think about is what it takes to win. From a coaching standpoint, my greatest concern and fear (was that) I wasn't going to have enough for these guys. I don't know I've ever depended on two players. (Wade) just took it to another level. You all witnessed it. You all watched it. Players like that are hard to come by. He's making his legacy in his third year, and he's amazing."

This and that - With the $250,000 fine slapped on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for rushing the floor after Game 5 in a threatening way, he now has been fined $450,000 this postseason — 13 total fines totaling $1.665 million for various and sundry comments since becoming owner of the Mavericks. "It's sad for the players that he's decided to become the story of the finals," NBA commissioner David Stern said on FOX Sports' "Best Damn Sports Show Period," on Tuesday ... Out of the 59 previous NBA Finals, 16 have gone seven games; and only one has featured the home team winning all seven games — the 1955 Syracuse Nationals edged the Fort Wayne Pistons in Game 7, 92-91. It was the first year of the shot clock; and, ironically, the Pistons played their home games during the playoffs in Indianapolis. ... Entering Tuesday's game, the Heat had lost six in a row at Dallas, with the last win March 2, 2002 — 109-95. The Heat entered the game having won 25 consecutive games in which they have led at halftime — this made 26. The Mavericks finished the second 1-6 in games decided by three points or less. ... This the first four-game losing streak for Mavs coach Avery Johnson since he became coach with 18 games left in the 2004-05 regular season. ... Heat coach Pat Riley became the third coach to win a title with two different teams, adding to his four rings with the Lakers; and it was nearly the third different franchise. He also took the Knicks to Houston in 1994 with a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals, only to lose both games to the Rockets. That's when he left the Knicks for Miami to become president and coach. Phil Jackson won six titles with the Bulls and three with the Lakers, while Alex Hannum won with the St. Louis Hawks in 1958 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967. ... The Heat joined the 1969 Boston Celtics and the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers as the only teams in history to overcome 0-2 deficits to win the series. The Blazers won four in a row like the Heat, but the Celtics required a seventh game. .

The statbook - Dwyane Wade's 172 points in his first NBA Finals series is the third most in NBA history, behind only Rick Barry (201 in 1975) and Allen Iverson (178 in 2001). Wade shot .488 and averaged 26.9 points a game in 11 road playoff games this season, compared to .504 from the field and 29.8 points in 12 games at home. From the free throw line, he was 9.3-11.4 at home and 7.8-10.1 on the road. ... Dirk Nowitzki entered this series averaging 28.4 points and shooting .494 from the field during the first 17 games of the playoffs. In this series, he has reached that scoring average only once — 30 points in Game 3 — and shot as well as .494 only in Game 2 when he was 8-of-16. Entering Game 6, he was averaging 21.6 points and making just .373 of his shots from the field. ... Shaquille O'Neal was 1-of-4 from the free throw line, finishing the series 14-of-48 — the worst of his career at .292. ... Heat guard Gary Payton, who along with Oscar Robertson is the only player in history to score 20,000 points and dole out 8,000 assists — and the only nine-time in success first team All-Defensive choice with Michael Jordan — is expected to retire and move his family to Las Vegas. ... The Mavs were awful from the 3-point stripe in Game 6 at 5-of-22 (.227), but the Heat were even worse at 2-of-18 (.111). The Heat was 23-of-37 from the free throw line in Game 6 compared to the Mavs' 19-of-23. For the series, the Heat was 125-for-207 (.604) compared to Dallas' 122-of-155 (.787) ... From the field, the Heat was 200-of-437 — .458 compared to the Mavericks' 198-of-469 (.422). In the final four games, they were 132-of-.327 — just .404 for a team that shot a very good .462 during the regular season.

3) Marc Stein reports on the Heat’s new place in history:

Heat comeback now tops in Finals history

It was official on this scorecard even before these Finals went final. Yet it has to be a slam dunk now for any hoops historian. The NBA Finals have never produced a more stunning turnaround/collapse than what we just saw. Never. The Miami Heat's 95-92 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks in Tuesday night's Game 6 cements it. It's just the third time ever that a 2-0 lead in the Finals failed to result in a championship. The Mavericks, though, didn't just win the first two games. They also blew a 13-point lead in the final six-plus minutes of Game 3 to squander a likely 4-0 sweep. Miami followed up its Game 3 escape by winning the next three games, too, vindicating Pat Riley after all the heat he got for his roster choices . . . and saddling Dallas with the most epic meltdown in Finals annals. The following top-five list details the competition in this category: Most dramatic momentum shifts on the Finals stage, 1947-2005.

1. 1977 Finals: Portland Trail Blazers 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 - This wouldn't be the unofficial home of Buffalo Braves bitterness if I didn't preface the following by suggesting that none of it would have been possible if the great Dr. Jack Ramsay hadn't been driven away to Portland by Braves owner/saboteur Paul Snyder, in the first of many donations to the rest of the league that landed my Braves in San Diego barely two years after Ramsay's departure. However ... The Blazers' comeback in the 1977 Finals can't be otherwise diminished. If the Mavs indeed force a Game 7 by winning Tuesday night, '77 will remain the only Finals in league history in which the eventual champs won four straight games after falling behind 0-2.As ESPN.com historian Ken Shouler reminds, Portland had nearly 10 days off after beating the Lakers in the West finals and then waiting for the Sixers to finish off the East-no-more Houston Rockets. Heavily favored Philly pounced on Portland's rust from the opening tap -- when a certain Dr. J went in for a windmill dunk -- and won the first two games rather comfortably. Yet the series actually spun late in Game 2, when a series of scuffles erupted into a full-scale brawl. Sixers center Darryl Dawkins and Blazers forward Bobby Gross were the principals, but Portland enforcer Maurice Lucas jumped in with a right that caught Dawkins. It's impossible to know how the series would have played out in today's NBA, given that Dawkins and Lucas (and probably others) would have been suspended. Not necessarily for just one game, either. Back then, though, all parties were allowed to keep on playing after marginal fines ... and Portland was a different team thereafter. Seeing Lucas confront the fearsome Chocolate Thunder emboldened the Blazers, who won Games 3 and 4 at home by a crushing total of 54 points. Unlike Mavs-Heat -- and thus a big reason why the '06 Finals are bound to claim the top spot when we amend this list -- there was no hint in those games of the shell-shocked Sixers getting close to a 3-0 lead. In Game 5 back in Philly, with the 2-3-2 format still almost a decade away, Portland countered Julius Erving's 37 points with 25 from the unheralded Gross and 24 boards from eventual Finals MVP Bill Walton to keep the Sixers sliding. A two-point home win in Game 6 clinched it for Portland in front of the "Blazermaniacs," who, three decades later, aren't so maniacal about a franchise that looks about as stable these days as the post-Ramsay Braves.

2. 1969 Finals: Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3 - Jerry West opened the '69 Finals with two games Michael Jordan could envy. The NBA's Logo Man rang up 53 and 41 points as L.A., with what seemed to be its best-ever chance to finally topple the hated Celts, took a 2-0 edge over an aging Boston squad that had won just 48 games during the regular season. The Celts predictably rallied at home to even things at 2-2, but even a trademark dose of Celtic Mystique -- Sam Jones winning Game 4 with a clumsy buzzer-beating jumper -- didn't deter West's Lakers. They recovered from that heartbreaker to win Game 5 back at the Fabulous Forum, but the Celts won Game 6 at home. So for once the Lakers had a chance to close Boston out on their home floor in the Game 7 decider. It didn't matter. In a story you've surely seen more than once on ESPN Classic by now, Boston's players learned before the Game 7 tap of the elaborate celebration plans arranged by Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke. Not that the Celts could miss the balloons hanging in the Forum rafters overhead, waiting to be released at the final buzzer. You surely know the rest as well. West was so good on a tweaked hamstring that he finished with 42 points, 13 boards and 12 assists ... so good that he became the first (and only) Finals MVP from the losing side. But the fired-up Celts tortured West yet again by taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and hanging on for a 108-106 triumph after (a) Wilt Chamberlain was controversially benched for the final five-plus minutes; (b) L.A. missed 19 free throws, including nine by Chamberlain, and (c) Stein Line favorite Don Nelson hoisted that crazy free-throw line jumper that hit the rim, bounced straight up and dropped back through. It was the first time any team had overcome a 2-0 deficit in the Finals and it was Bill Russell's farewell after his unparalleled run of 11 championships in 13 seasons.

3. 1985 Finals: Los Angeles Lakers 4, Boston Celtics 2 - I'll never forget watching Game 1 with the fellas, mainly because of a guy in our rugged South OC high school gang named Scott Weidman. Weidman was one letter away from greatness, in other words. Game 1 of the '85 Finals was the famed "Memorial Day Massacre," in which Scott Wedman came off the Celtics' bench to shoot 11-for-11 from the field in Boston's 148-114 runaway. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, meanwhile, scored a whopping 12 points, masking the fact that Magic Johnson managed only one rebound and raising the media volume on the idea that Abdul-Jabbar, at 38, was finished. Cue dramatic turnaround. The Lakers resuscitated themselves to win four of the next five games, avenging their seven-game defeat in the '84 Finals and toppling Boston at last after a run of eight straight losses to the Celts in the championship round. Kareem? He averaged merely 30.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.0 blocks in the Lakers' four victories to earn Finals MVP honors ... setting a very high bar for Shaquille O'Neal in the 2010 Finals.

4. 1995 Finals: Houston Rockets 4, Orlando Magic 0 - How can a Finals sweep include a dramatic turnaround? My response: Do you remember Game 1 of the '95 Finals? In what was presumed to be the first of many trips to the title round for O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, Orlando got there by halting Michael Jordan's comeback from baseball in Round 2 and routing Indiana by 24 points in Game 7 of the East finals. The Magic then responded to the notion that all this was happening too fast for a 23-year-old Shaq and a 22-year-old Penny by rolling up a 20-point lead on the defending champs in Game 1. The inexperienced Magic even managed to regain the lead after blowing all of that 20-point cushion and clung to a three-point edge in the final minute. But Nick Anderson infamously missed four consecutive free throws -- two with 10.5 seconds left and two more after pulling in an offensive rebound -- to frame one of the most painful collapses in the sport's history. That Game 1 defeat in OT, after such a promising start, uncorked a long, vicious spiral for the Magic that some Orlando observers believe still grips the franchise. The heart-of-a-champion Rockets steamrolled the crushed kiddies in the next three games. The midseason reunion of Phi Slamma Jamma's Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and the support of stellar role players (Robert Horry, Sam Cassell, Mario Elie and Kenny Smith) enabled Houston to emerge as the lowest-seeded champion ever (No. 6 in the West) and the first titlist to beat four 50-win teams in the playoffs. Yet it was merely the beginning of the suffering for the Magic. They could never again count on a broken Anderson and held onto Shaq for just one more season before he defected to the Lakers in free agency. The Magic's 10 seasons of mediocrity since -- marked by five first-round playoff exits, another messy parting with a franchise player (Tracy McGrady) and Grant Hill's years of injury misfortune -- have been referred to as the Curse of the Shaqino.
(Editor's note: Detroit's 4-1 dismantling of the Lakers in the 2004 Finals, when the Pistons swept the three middle games at home to break up the Shaq-Kobe Bryant-Phil Jackson triangle, was also strongly considered here. The problem? Dramatic as the consequences were for the losers -- since this was the Laker team that also had Gary Payton and Karl Malone and won four straight resurrection games itself in the second round after falling behind 2-0 to San Antonio -- L.A. never had control of the Detroit series. Not even for the bulk of one game like the '95 Magic did. The Lakers needed Kobe's miracle triple to force overtime and steal Game 2 at home and were convincingly snuffed out of the other four games by the Pistons at their T-E-A-M peak.)

5t. 1951 Finals: Rochester Royals 4, New York Knicks 3 1996 Finals: Chicago Bulls 4, Seattle SuperSonics 2 - This combined entry is the twosome that gets bumped when Heat vs. Mavs slides into the top spot. For one simple fact. The turnarounds were indeed stunning ... but incomplete. I don't have a lot of details to share about the '51 Finals, but this much I do know: Rochester went up 3-zip, which almost never happens, then dropped the next three, which happens even less. The Royals eventually beat the Knicks at home in a 79-75 thriller (we assume) in Game 7, with the final four points (two each from Bob Davies and Jack Coleman) coming in the final minute to clinch it. As for 1996, I'm guessing you won't need to look at Ken Shouler's "Total Basketball" to recall some of that series. MJ's Bulls jumped to a 3-nil lead over the Sonics, winning the first game in Seattle by 22 and looking like they were going to cap their 72-10 season with the sweepage it deserved. But Payton and Shawn Kemp, in what wound up as their only shared shot at a ring, forced the Bulls to close it out at home by dragging the Sonics back to 3-2.