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…