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.