NBA Draft 2005 Thread

[UNC_Terps]

As the college basketball season, slowly comes to a close, it popped in my mind about the NBA draft.

Now I'm not an expert on international prospect, and it's tough to see who will actually come out of HS (even if they can, if David Stern has it his way), but I do know that the College ranks will be pushing out one of it's deepest drafting cores in recent history. I just want to make this thread for comments, mock draft, etc, because I think this is one of the funnest things about the NBA/or any sport for that matter, the new classes and superstars to come out of them.

[detroitbasketball]

Don't have a mock draft yet here, but I think Andrew Bogut is going number one.

[Cerrano39]

www.nbadraft.net

www.draftcity.com

Those are two pretty good sites with mock drafts.

Bogut will probably go number 1, but it depends on who gets the pick. For instance, if Charlotte gets it, I would think they would go for Marvin Williams or trade down a little to get a Chris Paul, since they already have Emeka.

[LjSnUo]

Its suprising to me that Bass isnt on either of those boards.

[Cerrano39]

He's in the 2006 ones. Pick 30 on draftcity and 31 on nbadraft.

[Alex Confer]

1. ATL - Andrew Bogut or Martynas Andriuskevicius
The Hawks need a quality big man that can be the centerpiece of a rebuilding project. Bogut and Andriuskevicius bring shooting range to the floor, reminding me of Dirk Nowitzki and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, respectively. Both are pretty equal in terms of scoring and defense, but Andrew is a whole lot stronger and can put the ball on the floor with a quicker first step. However, Martynas counters that with his passing and Chris Webber-like intensity on the floor. Since Atlanta is wayyyy under the cap and can afford a star or two at this point, I'm going with Andriuskevicius.

2. CHA - Marvin Williams or Chris Paul
Charlotte, in my mind, is adept at the point guard position and could use a tweener at the two. Brevin Knight is as pure a passer as you can get in terms of finding slashers and open men, so Williams should be able to fit into that system as perimeter threat with the ability to take his man off the dribble. I only mention Chris Paul because New Orleans might move up, but I don't see that happening.

3. NOH - Chris Paul or Marko Tomas
The Hornets will select Chris Paul is he's on the board, there's not doubt in my mind. However, this Croatian kid Tomas is really stirring it up overseas. Still, I believe Paul is the likely selection here because New Orleans is stuck with Speedy Claxton, and Speedy Claxton only.

4. GSW - Shelden Williams or Marko Tomas
I'm really, really torn here. Williams is such an athletic frontcourt player with so much potential, but Tomas seems to fit Golden State's gameplan to a much further extent. Wouldn't be surprised if the Warriors trade down for an established player and a lower pick, possibly Toronto's selection via Philadelphia.

5. UTA - Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams
If one of the first four teams don't select Bogut, I see the Jazz keeping him within the state. Not only do they hold the upper hand on his scouting, but the team as a whole could use his versatility to create an extremely big 3-4-5 of Kirilenko/Boozer/Bogut. That's just my opinion. If Andrew IS taken, look for Utah to pick up Deron Williams as their primary distributor.

I'll analyze picks 6-10 later tonight.

[Cerrano39]

I think Shelden will probably stay another year.

A couple players who may miss the lottery but have a big impact:

Hakim Warrick (Syracuse): A freakish athlete.

Johan Petro (France): Possibly a bust as his game is not ready, but could be something special.

Francisco Garcia and Salim Stoudamire (Louisville and Arizona): I think we have all seen these guys shoot.

[LjSnUo]

Cerrano39 said:

He's in the 2006 ones. Pick 30 on draftcity and 31 on nbadraft.

I know but i meant on the 05 boards, he was the SECPOY this year.

[6rz2k5]

Here's my feedback on yours Alex. It's not much, and I probably couldn't do better, but what the hell...

BsktBallr said:

1. ATL - Andrew Bogut or Martynas Andriuskevicius
The Hawks need a quality big man that can be the centerpiece of a rebuilding project. Bogut and Andriuskevicius bring shooting range to the floor, reminding me of Dirk Nowitzki and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, respectively. Both are pretty equal in terms of scoring and defense, but Andrew is a whole lot stronger and can put the ball on the floor with a quicker first step. However, Martynas counters that with his passing and Chris Webber-like intensity on the floor. Since Atlanta is wayyyy under the cap and can afford a star or two at this point, I'm going with Andriuskevicius.

I personally think they'll go for Bogut, but he really struggled against the Kentucky frontcourt last night. They just overpowered him.

BsktBallr said:

2. CHA - Marvin Williams or Chris Paul
Charlotte, in my mind, is adept at the point guard position and could use a tweener at the two. Brevin Knight is as pure a passer as you can get in terms of finding slashers and open men, so Williams should be able to fit into that system as perimeter threat with the ability to take his man off the dribble. I only mention Chris Paul because New Orleans might move up, but I don't see that happening.

Nailed this one right on the head. Slowly I think that the Bobcats, if they get Williams, are improving into a mid-lottery pick team with their depth at nearly every aspect. While they aren't stars, they are quality 3rd-6th men on most teams (most of those that get PT).

BsktBallr said:

3. NOH - Chris Paul or Marko Tomas
The Hornets will select Chris Paul is he's on the board, there's not doubt in my mind. However, this Croatian kid Tomas is really stirring it up overseas. Still, I believe Paul is the likely selection here because New Orleans is stuck with Speedy Claxton, and Speedy Claxton only.

Now I don't know about this. I think they could get away with Dikcau at point and go for a shooter.

BsktBallr said:

4. GSW - Shelden Williams or Marko Tomas
I'm really, really torn here. Williams is such an athletic frontcourt player with so much potential, but Tomas seems to fit Golden State's gameplan to a much further extent. Wouldn't be surprised if the Warriors trade down for an established player and a lower pick, possibly Toronto's selection via Philadelphia.

I don't know what Golden State is doing besides sucking, so if anything, I can only see them trade up. All these playoffless seasons. If they don't trade up, I say they trade down though, like you said because there's probably not going to be anybody left that can make an immediate presence. Maybe by Warriors standings, but not by NBA standings.

BsktBallr said:

5. UTA - Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams
If one of the first four teams don't select Bogut, I see the Jazz keeping him within the state. Not only do they hold the upper hand on his scouting, but the team as a whole could use his versatility to create an extremely big 3-4-5 of Kirilenko/Boozer/Bogut. That's just my opinion. If Andrew IS taken, look for Utah to pick up Deron Williams as their primary distributor.

I can't see Bogut slipping so I see Deron going here.

[detroitbasketball]

Here's the DB Top ten Mock Draft, with no ORs like Alex's:

1. Atlanta - Andrew Bogut, F, Utah - Would make a nice frontcourt with Harrington
2. Charlotte - Chris Paul, G, Wake - Sure they have brevin knight, but hell, Paul is a special player. Knight could be dealt somewhere for frontcourt help.
3. New Orleans - Marvin Williams, F/G, UNC - need i explain?
4. Utah - Deron Williams, G, Illinois - May seem a little high, but they don't need forwards with Boozer, Okur, and Kirilenko. Williams is the best guard left and would probably solve the point guard carousel.
5. GS - Rudy Gay, F, UConn - Put him at SF, next to Troy Murphy.
6. - Portland - Martynas Andriuskevicius, F/C - They will be lucky if he falls this far. He's a special player, and he'll be a good building block for Portland. I stick him at center next to Zach Randolph.
7. - Milwaukee - Fran Vazquez, PF, Spain - I like this dude a lot. He'll be more for the future, definitely a project.
8. - Toronto - Hakim Warrick, SF, Syracuse. perfect fit in T.O. Freakish athlete, pretty much Vince Carter without the ego. Toronto fans would definitely warm to Hakim.
9. - New york - Gerald Green, SF, HS - I don't really have an explanation, whatever
10. New Jersey - Tiago Splitter, PF - He'll displace Cliff Robinson at PF, at 6-11, Splitter can play PF. All they need is a center in FA and they will be very dangerous.

*looks at my mock draft with satisfaction*

[6rz2k5]

detroitbasketball said:

Here's the DB Top ten Mock Draft, with no ORs like Alex's:

1. Atlanta - Andrew Bogut, F, Utah - Would make a nice frontcourt with Harrington
2. Charlotte - Chris Paul, G, Wake - Sure they have brevin knight, but hell, Paul is a special player. Knight could be dealt somewhere for frontcourt help.
3. New Orleans - Marvin Williams, F/G, UNC - need i explain?
4. Utah - Deron Williams, G, Illinois - May seem a little high, but they don't need forwards with Boozer, Okur, and Kirilenko. Williams is the best guard left and would probably solve the point guard carousel.
5. GS - Rudy Gay, F, UConn - Put him at SF, next to Troy Murphy.
6. - Portland - Martynas Andriuskevicius, F/C - They will be lucky if he falls this far. He's a special player, and he'll be a good building block for Portland. I stick him at center next to Zach Randolph.
7. - Milwaukee - Fran Vazquez, PF, Spain - I like this dude a lot. He'll be more for the future, definitely a project.
8. - Toronto - Hakim Warrick, SF, Syracuse. perfect fit in T.O. Freakish athlete, pretty much Vince Carter without the ego. Toronto fans would definitely warm to Hakim.
9. - New york - Gerald Green, SF, HS - I don't really have an explanation, whatever
10. New Jersey - Tiago Splitter, PF - He'll displace Cliff Robinson at PF, at 6-11, Splitter can play PF. All they need is a center in FA and they will be very dangerous.

*looks at my mock draft with satisfaction*

I didn't even know Gay was going to be in the draft this year. I'll put mine up now. I was making one yesterday, but my damn proxy broke so I lost all of it.

[Jami]

Alex, if the Bucks get that high of draft pick and spend it on a guy who's going to be a project or a guy that'll develop in 2-3 years, I will kill something. If they want to keep Michael Redd from jumping ship to Cleveland, they need a college guy who's made a name for himself.

As for Bogut, he has bust written all over him..got pushed around too easily in that Kentucky game for my liking. Sure, he's a good passer in college..because he can just toss it over everyone's heads..when he's in the NBA and facing guys his size every night it won't happen.

[Alex Confer]

Grey posted that mock draft with the project guy going to Milwaukee. I agree 100% though that the Bucks need an impact player right away. To me, it seems as if your best option would be trading up 3-5 spots to better ensure yourself of this. Who should they select? No clue, because I'm torn. Big man with offensive skills, or a defensive point guard to stop Allen Iverson's onslaught year to year?

[6rz2k5]

Atlanta- Andrew Bogut
Strenths: Dominant frontcourt player who could be part of a dominant front court if Al Harrington remains on the team.

Weaknesses: As big of a guy he is, everyone saw him struggle against Kentucky. It's only one game, but he has to do better than that in the pros.

Why he'll work in Atlanta: They have Al Harrington and Josh Childress as an impressive 2 and 3. While they are weak in the point guard position, losing Walker means they really need a big man.

Charlotte- Marvin Williams
Strengths: Williams is an excellent player that could have an immediate impact, and also allow Brevin Knight to have more options taking the ball up.

Weaknesses: Not much. This guy is a bit inconsistent at times. Also, he isn't really a great downlow player, but with Emeka, that's not important. If he's playing smaller, faster players, he'll have trouble, so hopefully for him, he'll be playin the 3 and not the 2.

Why he'll work in Charlotte: They desperately need a shooter on the team, and Kareem Rush certainly wasn't the anser. Expect a big impact out of the Tarheel is he can remain consistent.

New Orleans- Martynas Andriuskevicius
Strenths: He's extrememly tall and a tremendous inside shooter, and can even pull up for a J at times, similar to Chris Webber. Also like Webber, he's an above average passer for a big man, and could work effectively on high screens.

Weaknesses: His weakness is his weakness. His muscles are non existant, and bulking up is vital. He also can't play big minutes, which may make him less of an option his first few seasons..

Why he'll work in New Orleans: Claxton and D!ckau will have an easy time assist wise against smaller teams especially, and he seems to have a little Sabonis in him, something the NBA hasn't had since Sabonis himself.

Utah- Chris Paul
Strenths: Paul had a poor year in the NCAA, but he is probably the best point in the draft, and should have an immediately impact with help from the impressive frontcourt. Along with his passing skills, his leadership and scoring mentality could turn him into a possible Stockton-like player.

Weaknesses: His height is what people complain about but that's not a problem at all, seeing how many great point guards only have a couple inches on him. He needs to make sure this was just a sophomore jinx he had, and that it won't effect him next year.

Why he'll work in Utah: Utah has a dominant front court in Okur, Kirilenko, and Boozer. With depth at shooting guard (Girichek and Harpring), he's the missing piece to return to the playoffs. His ability to score in crunch time also is something the Jazz have been needing. If the team's healthy, Paul is the only one to blame if the team misses out of the playoffs.

Golden State- Rudy Gay
Strenths: If he enters the draft, he'll be one of the elite young dunkers with his ability to soar above the rim. Even with having an unbelieveable shooting touch, he's still an unselfish player with great passing skills. He runs the floor well, and certainly won't have any lazy habbits.

Weaknessses: He may be better off staying another year to get the game down better. His ball handling skills are still unpolished and might be a more complete player waiting another year.

Why he'll work in GS- Great complement to Troy Murphy and will get plenty of points with the talentless Warriors. Also it won't matter how his skills are, as the attention he gets is low.

Portland- Salim Stoudamire
Strenths: Greatest shooter available in the draft IMO. His touch could make a nice combo with Zach Randolph. Also it helps that he's from Portland and is cousins with backup pointguard Damon.

Weaknesses: Like his cousin, he has attitude problems. When he gets on a role, enter cockiness. Also, he is a little small for a 2, and doesn't possess ball handling skills or speed to be a 1. Also we saw him get cold against Illinois, so his consistency and shot collection is questionable.

Why he'll work in Portland: Randolph can't carry the load and Telfair can't succeed without some help. Regardless of his attitude, staying close to home and having your cousin as a teammate should help psychologically.

Milwaukee- Hakim Warrick
Strenths: Extremely athletic and explosive and could be the 2nd option needed. Along with his scoring, his athleticism provides him great rebounding techniques as well as a superior one-on-one defender. Look for an immediate presence.

Weaknesses: Everything is based on athletic ability, and that may not turn out well in the NBA. If his perimter offense improves, it won't be a problem, but he has yet to prove other wise, and until then, will be incomplete offensively.

Why he'll work in Milwaukee: With Joe Smith's rise in performance and a dominating future backcourt, it's time to give up on Desmond Mason, who's height prevents him from being a dominant defender. Milwaukee is in desperate need of another scorer for Michael Redd, and Milwaukee could easily return to the playoffs next year if health is on their side.

Toronto- Rashad McCants
Strengths: McCants had a dominant sophomore season, leading the ACC in scoring. Then injuries struck him as a junior. But there's no doubt McCants is still a phenomenal scorer, and with the ageing Jalen Rose, now's the time to get a young guy who can score.

Weaknesses: Injuries will have to stop in order to have a successful run in the NBA. If he continues his explosivenss, he should be fine, but keeping that up will be a challenge, especially against taller players.

Why he'll work in Toronto: With Alston running the point and Bosh capable of filling the void at center and move Marshall down to PF, McCants will fill the void at shooting guard, while Rose can play his last 4 or 5 seasons at SF.

New York- Johan Petro
Strengths: This French Native is similar to Sammy Dalembert, in that he's a center that can run the floor and has a very unique body. But Petro has a couple inches on Dalembert and has put on a bit of weight which will help him against bigger centers, but he still has great speed and ups. And his baby hook shot is pretty sweet if you've ever seen it.

Weaknesses: His footwork slows at times and his laziness prevents him from developing. If he works harder on defense, will get more blocks.

Why he'll work in New York: New York's frontcourt is invested in Kurt and Tim Thomas, both bigger players with no athleticism. Petro will change that, and should be a nice threat along with the impressive backcourt, which sometimes is too inconsistent.

New Jersey- Chris Taft
Strengths: Very athletic and talented, especially on the defensive end. But it's his great offensive that raises him above the rest. His turnaround J is lights out, he passes effectively, and always crashes the boards. His never-give-up attitude is perfect for coaches.

Weaknesses: He doesn't really ask for the ball, and may not take advantage of a mismatch the way other players would. His inside game will need work against taller players as well.

Why he'll work in New Jersey: New Jersey has the perfect 1-2-3 in Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter. With Cliff Robinson one of the worst starting 4s in the game, he'll be an immediate upgrade. Also, he won't need the ball much with 3 guys who can put up double figures every night.

I'll put up the rest later I'm tired of typing...

[Cerrano39]

He's no lottery pick, but what do you guys think of Julius Hodge? He's a proven player in the ACC, winning POY last year. We all saw what he did with this year in the NCAAs. I think he could be a late first rounder or second rounder who makes a big impact for a good team coming off the bench, e.g. Josh Howard.

[BstnRdSx]

I think Hodge could go mid-first round, depending on what the team needs obviously. I haven't seen much of him aside from this season, but I loved what I saw.

[Jami]

BsktBallr said:

Grey posted that mock draft with the project guy going to Milwaukee. I agree 100% though that the Bucks need an impact player right away. To me, it seems as if your best option would be trading up 3-5 spots to better ensure yourself of this. Who should they select? No clue, because I'm torn. Big man with offensive skills, or a defensive point guard to stop Allen Iverson's onslaught year to year?

We desperately need a big man with offfensive skills. I like Gadzuric's defense, but he's hardly an offensive threat. I'd like it better if we could maybe bring him and Zaza Pachulia off the bench to replace a big man who we'd draft. Ideally I'd like a true center instead of having 3 power forwards try and play center (Zaza Pachulia, Gadzuric, and Joe Smith), but I guess I could settle for a power forward who could score..Wayne Simien, Hakim Warrick (even though he's most likely an NBA SF in my opinion), or Sean May (even though I've heard he's coming back if they don't win the title).

As for the defensive stopper at PG, there are plenty of good veteran point guards in the league already that are good defensively. T.J. Ford was also a pretty good defensive player for them last season before he got hurt...they haven't been the same ever since without him. With Ford, Terry Porter was a lock for coach of the year, the Bucks were cruising, and might have even won a playoff series. Without him, they have a horrible last month and a half, and get stuck with the Pistons in the first round.

Of course, all this talk about drafting a big man is after assuming Michael Redd stays. If he bolts town (which right now it looks like he might if they can't come up with the money), you have to get a scorer. If that happens, Francisco Garcia better be wearing a Milwaukee jersey.

EDIT: As for Hodge, I haven't exactly been impressed with him. In the Sweet 16 game against Wisconsin, Clayton Hanson - a former walk on - easily shut him down defensively. Hodge only had like 16 points on something like 8-20 shooting, and got visibly frustrated..he was begging and complaining to refs and practically crying out there..not exactly his finest moments.

[Cerrano39]

In a lot of places I've seen Milwaukee taking PF Chris Taft (Pittsburgh). That would be awful for Bucks fans. And while I loved him at MD, he is a Chris Wilcox clone.

[Jami]

Taft would be awful..hopefully the Bucks do bad enough to get a decent chance in the lottery lol. Ideally I'd like to get Warrick or Simien down low..I'd stay away from the likes of Taft or Charlie Villanueva, who came out a year too early in my opinion.

[detroitbasketball]

Picks 11-20:

11. Clippers - Martell Webster, SG, HS - This allows them to have C-Maggette at forward. pretty potent.
12. Orlando - Josh Boone, F/C, UConn - Playing center in the front line with Dwight Howard, making a dangerous frontcourt.
13. LALakers - Raymond Felton, PG, UNC - If he falls this far, the Lakers won't even take a minute to decide on their pick.
14. Toronto (from Philadelphia) - Jarrett Jack, PG, GA Tech - Finishes the questions about this spot.
15. Indiana - Johan Petro, F/C, France - May seem a little high, but if Artest returns, center is the team's only real weak spot.
16. Minnesota - Monta Elliss, SG, HS - Finish off the lineup.
17. - Cleveland - Daniel Gibson, PG, Texas - With Jeff McInnis on the outs and Eric Snow aging, the Cavs need a point guard for the future. here he is.
18. Chicago - Wayne Simien, PF, Kansas - They will go for experience here, and Simien will shore up the forward spot.
19. - Boston - Chris taft, , Pitt - I like Taft here, he gives the Celts a nice option up front.
20. Washington - Nemanja Aleksandrov, F, Serbia - Kwame Brown is on his last legs, and the Wiz will start anew with this guy.