A line on the draft? Pick 'em
It's been called the weakest draft in years. There's no franchise player. There's a consensus top six -- LaMarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, and Brandon Roy -- but try putting those fellows in actual draft order. There are (surprise) honest-to-goodness college players in the mix for the top overall selection and (surprise) not a single high schooler getting ready for the green room and the red carpet at Madison Square Garden.
There are 30 teams in the NBA, but only 24 have first-round picks. Two of the four conference . nalists, including recently crowned champion Miami, have no first-rounders. (The Pistons also have no first-round pick.) Six teams carry two picks, with the Bulls (2, 16) and Hornets (12, 15) having the best looks. The Knicks and Nets also own two picks each, but their selections are in the 20s. Nonetheless, you can be sure Knicks fans at the draft, already knowing that Larry Brown won't be there, will make their sentiments known.
What are teams looking at? What should the teams be looking at? Here, in alphabetical order by conference, are the 24 teams with first-round picks and what they may/should do Wednesday night.
ATLANTA (NO. 5)
2005 first-round pick: Marvin Williams
Have the Hawks made a promise to Shelden Williams of Duke? Many feel that is a smokescreen because Williams should be quite available at No. 5. Atlanta passed on Chris Paul and Deron Williams for Marvin Williams last year. Unless Marvin Williams turns into a star, and fast, that doesn’t look good. The Hawks are in dire need of a point guard — unless you happen to be a member of the Royal Ivey Fan Club — and someone like UConn’s Marcus Williams might work. They also might go big, sensing the impending loss of Al Harrington in free agency.
BOSTON (NO. 7)
2005 first-round pick: Gerald Green
Asked what he thought the Celtics were up to, one rival general manager said, ‘‘Who knows?’’ Danny Ainge has drafted well, and this represents his highest pick. If the Celtics draft for need, a point guard (Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo) would seem logical. They might simply take the best player, regardless of position. Or Ainge might look at the draft and think he can get a decent player further down. Would he take Chris Duhon and the 16th pick from Chicago in exchange for No. 7? If he does, here’s another name to fi le away: Thabo Sefolosha.
CHARLOTTE (NO. 3)
2005 first-round picks: Raymond Felton and Sean May
The Bobcats have long been rumored to be high on both Rudy Gay of Connecticut and Gonzaga gunner Adam Morrison, each of whom is liable to there. But who makes the pick? Bernie Bickerstaff, the guy who has overseen the team’s hoops fortunes for the last three years? Or Michael Jordan, newly installed hoops el jefe, who made Kwame Brown the No. 1 overall pick in 2001? Charlotte was the worst shooting team in the league last year, so maybe Morrison is its guy.
CHICAGO (NOS. 2 AND 16)
2005 first-round pick: none
The second overall pick comes from the Knicks in the Eddy Curry deal, and the 16th is their own. The Bulls want to upgrade their smallish front line and they’ll have a choice from the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, and Rudy Gay. There’s also talk they’ve become enamored with Washington’s Brandon Roy, whom everyone likes. He would address the need at shooting guard. The Bulls also might go small with both picks because they might feel they can deal with their frontcourt needs in free agency with Al Harrington and Nazr Mohammed.
CLEVELAND (NO. 25)
2005 first-round pick: none
Has any team drafted worse than Cleveland in this millennium? (OK, other than Minnesota?) Save for LeBron James (a no-brainer in 2003), the Cavs’ last three lottery picks have been DeSagana Diop, Dajuan Wagner, and Luke Jackson. Diop is with another team, Wagner is out of the league, and Jackson has been a total bust. There won’t be high expectations this time around, but if GM Danny Ferry could get someone who can help at point guard, my guess is he’d be a happy man.
INDIANA (NO. 17)
2005 first-round pick: Danny Granger
The Pacers feel they got lucky last year at this spot with Danny Granger and hope that happens again. This is another team that which is trying to rebuild and stay decent, a tough task. Assuming they keep Peja Stojakovic, the Pacers’ needs appear to be in the backcourt. Jamaal Tinsley is hurt all the time and Stephen Jackson is, well, Stephen Jackson. If Rajon Rondo is on the board, he might work. J.J. Redick might even still be around (doubtful). There could be frontcourt help available as well in the likes of UConn bookends Hilton Armstrong or Josh Boone.
NEW JERSEY (NOS. 22 AND 23)
2005 first-round pick: Antoine Wright
Just the luck of the Nets. They get a firstrounder from the Clippers and the Clippers decide to be good. Couldn’t they have made the pick retroactive to 2004? There will be the annual ‘‘Jason Kidd backup’’ talk at this pick but in reality, that fellow probably is going to come from a trade or free agency. Jersey is pretty set with a starting five, although the Nets have lacked a mean power forward since Kenyon Martin left. Their best bet for new blood may be in the form of 7-1 Mile Ilic, their second-round pick last year.
NEW YORK (NOS. 20 AND 29)
2005 first-round picks: Channing Frye and David Lee
One soap opera has concluded. Another has just begun. Two more unfortunate souls are about to be entered into the plot. If you ask new coach Isiah Thomas what his team needs, he’d say, ‘‘Me.’’ Then he’d say, ‘‘Nothing from a talent standpoint. We’re loaded.’’ In more ways than one. The fact is that the Knicks had three decent rooks last year (also Nate Robinson via Phoenix) and all contributed. There’s really no room at the inn, or the Garden, for either of these two picks. But if Thomas decides to try to make it work, he needs to look at his frontcourt.
ORLANDO (NO. 11)
2005 first-round picks: Fran Vazquez
The Magic got the rights, and nothing more, to Vazquez in last year’s draft with this same pick. They’ll get another piece this time around, one who might actually play for them. They appear to be set at center (Darko Milicic), power forward (Dwight Howard), and point guard (Jameer Nelson). Shooting guard is a real need because, well, the guy they have is named DeShawn Stevenson. Look for someone like Randy Foye or Ronnie Brewer to get the nod here. J.J. Redick also might be an option.
PHILADELPHIA (NO. 13)
2005 first-round pick: none
A perfect fit here would be a point guard who doesn’t shoot the ball well — someone like Rajon Rondo. He’s a terrific athlete, a lockdown defender, and won’t take any shots from Allen Iverson. That would mean moving Iverson back to shooting guard, which could be problematic at the other end. The Sixers need someone who can come in and play; their bench last year was beyond brutal. Another possibility would be a small forward (Rodney Carney, Cedric Simmons, Ronnie Brewer) who can defend better than Kyle Korver. In other words, just about anyone.
TORONTO (NO. 1)
2005 first-round picks: Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham
Everything is fl uid at the top. The Raptors may trade down to get a player/pick or they may use the pick. New boss Bryan Colangelo is an Andrea Bargnani fan, but he has a frontcourt of Chris Bosh, Villanueva, and newly acquired Rasho Nesterovic. Help in the backcourt also has to be considered; Mike James is a free agent and there’s not much else. That might explain the Raptors’ willingness to trade down. Colangelo generally picked well and wisely in Phoenix. But he’s already violated May Rule No. 1 with his new team: Never trade with the Spurs.
WASHINGTON (NO. 18)
2005 first-round pick: none
Anyone who has seen the Wizards the past few years has come away being both entertained and frustrated. They score. But they don’t score like Phoenix and they are brutal defenders. At some point, they need to address that, don’t you think? But, at 18, who’s going to be there? Rajon Rondo would be a good fit, but he’s likely gone. Ditto for Cedric Simmons and Randy Foye. Then again, who knows? This is where the Celtics got Gerald Green last year, and no one had him falling that far.
DALLAS (NO. 28)
2005 first-round pick: none
The Mavericks got Josh Howard around here in 2003 -- their only first-round pick in the last five drafts. Can they get someone at 28 who can crack Avery Johnson's 15-man roster? Dubious. Hoops boss Donnie Nelson is also a big Euro guy, so he may have in mind some Slovenian swingman who can stay overseas for a year or two (the San Antonio formula). The Mavericks don't expect to get immediate help out of this year's draft. They were so close to the championship that they feel they have what it takes to make another deep run.
GOLDEN STATE (NO. 9)
2005 first-round pick: Ike Diogu
Another year, another lottery for the Warriors. They generally draft well. They seem to re-sign their good players. And they uniformly stink, year after year. There is talk of a major housecleaning in Mogadishu-by-the-Bay, which may include this pick but which, for some unknown reason apparently does not include coach Mike Montgomery. But the Warriors have young talent at most of the . ve positions, so if they keep the pick, they may just opt for the best player on the board. That's a pretty sad statement when you are picking this high year after year.
HOUSTON (NO. 8)
2005 first-round pick: Luther Head
The Rockets would take Dr. McDreamy from "Grey's Anatomy" if they really wanted help. But if we can assume that Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are OK, what do the Rockets look for at No. 8? They were next to last in scoring and shooting, but how much of that is a re. ection of Jeff Van Gundy's style? (A lot.) Nonetheless, would they roll the dice on J.J. Redick at this point or Villanova's Randy Foye? Or do they get someone like Shelden Williams, who might provide what they thought Stro Swift was going to give them: an able body next to Yao.
LA LAKERS (NO. 26)
2005 first-round pick: Andrew Bynum
They apparently are trying to move up, but other than Kobe Bryant, who else do they have to make such a move? Lamar Odom? You'd think they'd try to get a point guard until you remember that point guards have never been a priority for Phil Jackson. Unless they do move up, they'll likely settle for the best player on the board. Some names you'll hear around here are Jordan Farmar, Mardy Collins, Guillermo Diaz, and even Josh Boone. It all depends on what Kobe says.
MEMPHIS (NO. 24)
2005 first-round pick: Hakim Warrick
Draft night hasn't been Jerry West's best the Celtics took Gerald Green one pick ahead of him last year.) But West also has been picking in the mid-to-late first round, so that is pretty much a crapshoot anyway. The Grizzlies will probably be looking for help at point guard and in the middle, but the good big men will be long gone. Many of those names the Lakers consider will be there for West as well. Jordan Farmar or Mardy Collins might work here.
MINNESOTA (NO. 6)
2005 first-round pick: Rashad McCants
They can't possibly screw this one up, can they? They're picking sixth in a draft with, supposedly, a natural top six. So they can't miss, right? Well, probably not. It all depends on what Kevin McHale really wants. Rashad McCants is now out; does that factor into his thinking? Is their point guard situation so bad (Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson) that they'd take Marcus Williams here? The Wolves need some scoring punch (28th last season) and can't afford to pass on whichever member of the top six is there.
NEW ORLEANS/OKLAHOMA CITY (NOS. 12 AND 15)
2005 first-round pick: Chris Paul
The Hornets picked up the Bucks' selection (15th) from the Jamaal Magloire trade and have a chance to add two pretty good players. They desperately need help up front; P.J. Brown masquerades as their center and he just turned 78. An option here might be UConn's Hilton Armstrong or, if he slips, Bradley's Patrick O'Bryant. Both picks might address the need for size, although Speedy Claxton is a free agent, so backcourt help also is possible.
PHOENIX (NOS. 21 AND 27)
2005 first-round pick: Nate Robinson (traded)
The Bryan Colangelo-led Suns were always unpredictable, but usually on the money. Mike D'Antoni now calls the shots. Don't be surprised if one of these two names is utterly unpronounceable but a close friend of Chad Ford of ESPN. D'Antoni cut his teeth overseas. The Suns would love to get a big man who can play D'Antoni's uptempo style. At 21, someone like Josh Boone is likely to be there. He could probably average 15 and 10 playing with Steve Nash. The best hope for the Suns is the return to form of Amare Stoudemire. Anything else will be gravy.
PORTLAND (NOS. 4 AND 30)
2005 first-round picks: Martell Webster and Linas Kleiza (traded)
Talk about your basic M-E-S-S. The general manager is gone. The owner is trying to sell. The team stinks. Whatever happened to Portland, the gold standard of one-franchise cities? The Blazers will get a very good player at No. 4 and reportedly have been trying to acquire another lottery choice. Adam Morrison is a natural; he's also sort of a local. If he's gone, Rudy Gay might work. Portland might also go big if it feels it will lose free agent Joel Przybilla, who apparently has morphed into Jack Sikma overnight. As for No. 30, flip a coin.
SACRAMENTO (NO. 19)
2005 first-round pick: Francisco Garcia
There's a new coach for the first time since 1998 and, of all those Kings players we came to know and love, only Mike Bibby remains. Still, Eric Musselman has a decent nucleus -- including Ron Artest -- and the Kings played the Spurs very tough in the first round of the playoffs. Will the Kings be able to keep Bonzi Wells, who, you might be surprised to know, was the leading rebounder in the postseason? Musselman is supposedly emphasizing stressing defense, so even someone like Josh Boone might make some sense here.
SEATTLE (NO. 10)
2005 first-round pick: Johan Petro
The Sonics, like Portland, have arena and financial issues that threaten the existence of the franchise. No draft pick is going to change that, but he might help the team back into the playoff picture. If the Sonics are in the market for frontcourt help (Chris Wilcox is a free agent), they could be aiming at either Shelden Williams or Cedric Simmons. Then again, both might be gone. A backup in the backcourt also is an option here, with Ronnie Brewer, Randy Foye, and Rodney Carney being possibilities.
UTAH (NO. 14) 2005
first-round pick: Deron Williams
There are a zillion Carlos Boozer trade rumors going around, so who knows what the Jazz will do? They do need to upgrade a pretty pathetic bench and they should be able to get someone to help in that area. It could be a guard among the Redick/Carney/Brewer/Foye contingent or possibly a big man like Hilton Armstrong to replace the retiring Greg Ostertag (how will they ever get over that?) Oops, I forgot. They traded for Rafael Araujo. Yes, that means they still could get some big-man help anyway.
