Chad Ford Breaks Down Horford and Law

[sinctybldh]

Al Horford

Chad Ford's Analysis: He's the third best player in the draft, so you can't fault the Hawks here. He's better than any other power forward they have. He could be a poor man's Karl Malone. The Hawks did need a point guard, and I think Mike Conley was worth the No. 3 pick in the draft, so I would've taken Conley. But -- unlike Shelden Williams last year -- this isn't a bad pick.

Draft Projection: Top 10

Similarities:

Horford has the power needed for NBA play.

(Brad Wilder/WireImage.com)

Notes: Horford announced on April 5 that he was declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft and forgoing his senior season of college. His father, Tito, played in the NBA.

Positives: Horford has the tools to be a great NBA player. He's long, athletic and has a great NBA body. He's got excellent toughness and doesn't shy away from banging in the paint. Excellent passer for a big man. His per minute numbers in the point, rebounding and shot-blocking departments have scouts drooling. Gets up and down the floor. Good motor. Very quick for a big guy. Excellent basketball IQ. Improving midrange game.

Negatives: His offensive skills in the post are improving, but he still needs a lot of work. Gets into foul trouble a lot due to overaggressiveness. Plays a little robotic.

Summary: Horford has the body and skill set needed to play in the NBA right away. He was a beast as a shot blocker and rebounder, and he impresses scouts with his ability to handle the ball under pressure in the open court. Horford needs a little more polish on the offensive end, but he has everything else you want in a power player -- the length, strength, motor, athleticism and basketball IQ that coaches crave in a power forward. His game still has room to grow, but right now he looks like a lock for the Top 10 and a potential Top 5 prospect thanks to an excellent NCAA tournament.

Acie Law

Chad Ford's Analysis: The Hawks finally select a point guard. Law is fearless and ready to play now. I don't think he'll be a star, but he'll be an important part of this team ... unless the team trades this pick. The Hawks have spoken with several teams about trading for a veteran. So we'll see.

Draft Projection: Lottery to mid first round

Positives: Scoring point guard that has improved in just about every facet of his game. Has an excellent basketball IQ. He's got great size and strength for the position. He's a good floor general who puts his teammates in a position to score and keeps turnovers to a minimum. He's a good slasher to the basket, has an excellent midrange jump shot and has shocked scouts with his improvement from three-point range this year. He's by no means a pure shooter and his mechanics are a little funky, but the ball goes in the basket. His biggest asset is that he's fearless and not afraid to take clutch shots at the end of the game.

Negatives: Law doesn't excel at any one thing. He's a good, but not great, athlete. He's quick, but not super explosive. His ability to get to the basket is based more on a knowledge of angles than on sheer quickness. His jump shot is serviceable, but no one is going to call him a pure shooter. His defense is acceptable, but doesn't stand out.

Summary: Law has quietly developed into one of the top point guards in the country. His stellar conference play quickly won over scouts in a draft void of true impact point guards. He has a shot at being one of the first point guards off the board on draft night.

[Clueless]

chad ford is an idoit if he said al fatford is the best pf on the hawks has he heard or seen Josh Smith