RealGM Mock Draft v5 has us taking Marvin

[Admin]

Yes! We are less than one week away. Everything regarding the draft has started to heat up quicker than the skin on an Irishman in Miami. Now that the official draft list has been set, I will address those that could’ve been first round picks that pulled out as well as some of the players that should’ve pulled out. As to all the promises and rumors that have come out, some will hold true while others will dissolve.

While this will not be RealGM’s final Mock Draft, this will be the last in this format. Also, you will see a couple surprises in v5.0, including a shakeup at the top. Since there aren’t any trades factored into this version, some picks may look a little questionable, but if every team were to stand pat, this is what the draft very well may look like.

Coming up will be two mocks, v6.1 and v6.2. In 6.1 no teams make any moves and in 6.2 trades will be added, at least the rumored ones.

The first rumor I will address is Deron Williams to New Orleans. I have covered this before, but there have been quite a few different scenarios that have come up, including the Hornets trading the pick. I can guarantee one thing: if the Hornets’ promise (that I talked about in the last mock draft) is true, then Deron will be drafted by the Hornets. However, there has been a little detail that has not come out: the Hornets never promised him that they would sign him, at least it hasn’t been reported. He very well may get picked there and then get traded to a team with two first round picks, like the Utah Jazz .

The Magic worked out Williams on Tuesday, so they are interested but it doesn’t mean that they will acquire him. The Hornets, basically in rebuilding mode, would be better off trading for two first round picks and waiting for next year’s stud point guard: the Spanish Magician, Sergio Rodriguez. While they could re-sign Dickau, he may want a long-term deal, and with Claxton on the books for two more years, the Hornets could pass on Dickau, sign a veteran for a year to back up Speedy and hope to land Rodriguez in next year’s draft. While anything could happen, they do play in a very tough West where there are at least 10 teams that could make the playoffs next year, so the lottery is not out of the question. The Hornets would select New Mexico small forward Danny Granger with the #6 pick and Washington point guard Nate Robinson with the #27 pick. While Robinson is very undersized at a listed 5-9, he plays a lot bigger than that. He is quite possibly the most versatile athlete in this draft.

Robinson played cornerback at Washington his freshman year before deciding to give it up for basketball. He ran a reported 4.4 40 yard dash. In NFL standards, he’d be a first or second round pick if he would’ve stuck with football. After all the reactions from his workouts, it looks like he went with the better sport.

There have been a couple of other trade rumors circling around, including two trades involving the Lakers that would land them Gerald Green. The second trade could work but would have to depend on the success of the first trade, the rumored Pacers-Lakers rumor. The Lakers would send Slava Medvedenko, Devean George and a couple second round picks to the Pacers for Jonathan Bender and the #17 pick. They would then send the rights to the #10 and #17 drafted players to Portland for the rights to the #3 pick, which would turn out to be Gerald Green. While the Lakers have too many small forwards and Kobe, their GM, Mitch Kupchek, is said to be very high on Green. But the Pacers’ official site on NBA.com denied the rumor was true, so it looks like the Lakers will have to find another trading partner for that second first round pick the Blazers covet. Memphis, anyone?

One trade that was rumored right after the lottery but hasn’t really stayed in the rumor mill is the Atlanta-Charlotte deal. The rumor is that they would just swap first round picks. The Hawks would draft Marvin Williams for the Bobcats and Charlotte would draft Chris Paul with the #5 and the best available at #13, say, Johan Petro. Petro wouldn’t be the best available at that spot but he would fit into what the Hawks are trying to get to: an athletic, fast breaking team. This trade has a better chance at going down and not messing up the order of the draft because each pick would be right around where they would normally get selected. If the Hawks end up drafting Williams and the Bobcats make a surprising pick at #13, like Petro, don’t be surprised if the Commish comes out to the podium to announce a trade.

Since the deadline for pulling out passed last night, there were quite a few surprises on the list. One was Martynas Andriuskevicius, the Lithuanian 7-footer with a soft touch. I was surprised because after just looking at a picture of him at one of his workouts, he looked very, very weak. He had virtually no muscle on him at all. If he decided to stay in, then he must have a couple teams giving him the idea that they were going to use their first round draft pick on him.
While he has the potential to be a unique and successful player, he is light years away just on the basis of needing more physical strength. If he were to play next year, which, depending on the team, is unlikely, then he’d have to play power forward because they aren’t as burly and strong as some of the 4s in the league.

A couple first round locks that officially pulled out were Tiago Splitter and Rudy Fernandez. Both had buyout issues. Splitter doesn’t even have a buyout clause in his contract with Tau Vitoria, so if a team were to draft him, they’d have a very hard time trying to get him over to the U.S. It was better that he pulled out because he’s already one of the top 5 prospects in next year’s draft. Fro Fernandez, his buyout was too much for him to pay, if he were to get drafted in the 20’s. He is also one of the top prospects for next year’s draft.

Now, onto v 5.0.

1.) Milwaukee Bucks : Andrew Bogut, C, Utah, So.

Bogut has been, reportedly, thinking about wearing the
#44 since the #4, worn by Sidney Moncrief and his number in college, is hanging in the rafters at the Bradley Center. Already picking out a number? Hmm.....

2.) Atlanta Hawks : Marvin Williams, SF, UNC, Fr.

Both the Milwaukee and Atlanta camps have been tightlipped, so it’s looking like Atlanta will wind up with Marvin Williams. He just may not end up with a Hawks cap at the end of the night. Even though the Hawks are overloaded with swingmen, it is the one position that teams are willing to trade for. He also has the most upside out of anyone in this draft.

3.) Portland Trailblazers: Martell Webster, SG, Seattle Prep, HS Sr.

Here’s my shakeup. I was going to put him here last week because I had one of those gut feelings that he’d get picked by the Blazers. Everyone thought it would be farther down because Portland would trade down for him. The way Nash was talking him up on a radio interview in Portland got me thinking that other high school shooting guard would be a Blazer rather than Green. Nash eventually caved into Green’s demands for a private workout so I can’t say for sure that they will be picking Green instead of Webster here. This mock is without any trades involved, so either way, it’s probably a surprise to most, well, probably everyone, that Webster would get selected this high.

Last year, the Blazers had a chance to trade down and select the player they wanted in Sebastian Telfair.
They decided against moving down for him, so in this case, the Blazers wouldn’t make that move down and end up selecting their guy in Mr. Martell Webster. Vent to the e-mail address below about this pick, not on a message board. I can take the heat because I’m in my kitchen right now.

4.) New Orleans Hornets : Deron Williams, PG, Illinois, Jr.

The promise holds true here. Even though Gerald Green is very enticing at this spot, Williams is the can’t-miss player in this draft. He, in my opinion, is the point guard in this draft that will have the most successful NBA career. I’m not the only one thinking that, there are a lot of teams that are pining for him and trying to trade up with any of the 3 teams under Milwaukee to get him.

5.) Charlotte Bobcats : Chris Paul, PG, Wake Forest, So.

While the Bobcats don’t get the small forward they want, they get the point guard they want. Paul, rated as the #1 point guard by some sites and in the top 3 by everyone, is one of the rare point guards that can play traditional point guard or new-school type: the kind that can score on command. The main reason this would be such a good pick for the Bobcats, aside from him being a fairly local product and them not having to trade up for him, is he can learn the game from a veteran point guard with a similar style of game in Brevin Knight. While Knight can’t score like Paul, he can show him the ropes of what an NBA point guard is supposed to do and how to get his teammates involved.
This makes the transition easier because they are very close in size, and Knight can tell Paul when to use his size and speed to his advantage. For instance, when the opposing defender gets his back turned by a screen and gets screened off by his own teammate, he
(Paul) can penetrate right around that defender in the open lane and either score or draw the defense to get his teammate, in this case, Jason Kapono, open. While this is a basic game situation, there are hundreds of spots that this can happen and Knight can show Paul where to take advantage of his skills.

6.) Utah Jazz : Fran Vasquez, PF, Unicaja Malaga, 22 yrs. old.

While this pick has been rumored to happen, it comes to fruition in this draft. The Jazz draft Vasquez because he is a smart, strong bigman with a soft touch. He is also insurance in case the Jazz actually try to trade Carlos Boozer and his contract this summer. He’s a Jerry Sloan guy: one that plays his arse off and does what’s best for the team. If Boozer were to get dealt, the immediate starting power forward for the Jazz would be... Fran Vasquez. Over Kris Humphries, over Jarron Collins and even over Andrei Kirilenko, only because the Jazz don’t have a good enough small forward to start that would enable Kirilenko to slide over to the 4.

7.) Toronto Raptors : Gerald Green, SG, Gulf Shores Academy, HS Senior.

Green’s stock isn’t sinking in the draft. It’s just that this mock has no trades involved and by what the teams have done, mainly Portland, it forces some teams to pass on certain players, like Chris Paul and Green, and draft the player they want a little earlier. In Portland’s case, a shockingly early pick. But if they feel he’s worth it, then by all means they can do what they want. With Green, the Raptors, in need of some dire help at the swingman position after the Vince Carter trade, get the most talent for his age and a player with one of the biggest upsides in this draft.
So far, this has been one of those “what is goin’ on here” drafts, but it is a great one for some of the more unfortunate teams like Toronto. Normally, Toronto owuld not be able to get the player they get in this draft. While Green has his problems like everyone else in this draft--his age and a game that isn’t ready for immediate contribution--he has a very bright future ahead of him. And that would only help the Raptor fans get excited for the playoffs for years to come. As well as give Chris Bosh a little more help.

8.) New York Knicks : Joey Graham, SF, Oklahoma State, Sr.

New York fans should be very happy about this pick. At the Pre-Draft Camp, with at least a third of the first round picks present, Graham was the most athletic player there. Graham is a smart and very, very strong small forward. He and Trevor Ariza would be the backbone of the Knicks for years to come because both have a lot they can bring to the table and would balance each other out offensively. This is the athletic type of player Isiah has been known to draft.
And Graham will turn out just like all the others
have: into very successful NBA veterans.

9.) Golden State Warriors : Hakim Warrick, SF, Syracuse, Sr.

This promise from a previous mock holds true because Vasquez and Graham already got picked. Warrick becomes a Warrior for a simple reason: poor man’s Matrix.
While their games are fairly different, they both have similar qualities. They are athletic, long and lean.
They are both very good rebounders for their positions. And both don’t need the ball on offense to be effective. They don’t need to create their own shots because they both have two very good passing point guards: Baron Davis for the Warriors and the MVP for the Suns. And both would be playing on playoff teams.

10.) Los Angeles Lakers : Raymond Felton, PG, UNC, Jr.

The Lakers get a very good point guard here because Toronto had to pass him up for Green. So the Lakers are pleased to end up with Felton, one of the fastest point guards and one the more complete because he can play, can score and can pass. A knock against him is that his decision-making is a bit suspect, but that can be improved in the Triangle offense, where the point guard doesn’t have to force a pass, he just has to make sure the pass gets to the next guy over.

11.) Orlando Magic : Antoine Wright, SG, Texas A&M, Jr.

The Magic consider getting Granger here, but opt for Wright because they can have more options on offense and around their cornerstone Dwight Howard. Wright is one of the most underrated players in this draft because he’s 21. Some teams want to go younger for the long-term, but those teams fail to realize that Wright has plenty of upside: 21 is still young. 3 is the Magic number in the NBA. By the time he’s 24, he’s gonna be a bona fide stud next to Howard and those younger players won’t be as good in those same three years. He may slide a little bit later, but by the time the teams decide a player isn’t in their future, the player with the better career, in this case, Wright, has already been a major help.

12.) Los Angeles Clippers : Yaroslav Korolev, SF, CSKA Moscow, 18 yrs. old.

A third promise holding true? Yes. Why? Because the Clippers can still try to win now and not sacrifice the next few years because by the time the team is ready to fade, he is ready to play and contribute. He and Shaun Livingston would make quite the matchup for years to come because they are both long, athletic and smart for the position they play. His main knock is that he hasn’t had as much competition as some of the other 18 year olds in this draft.

13.) Charlotte Bobcats : Channing Frye, PF/C, Arizona, Sr.

The Bobcats, reaching a bit, go for Frye because he can play immediately and adds depth to their frontcourt. He would be able to come in for either Emeka Okafor and add more offense or for Primoas Brezec and add a little more speed. The Bobcats could’ve gone for a SF like Danny Granger here, but opt for size to balance out their previous pick.

14.) Minnesota Timberwolves : Danny Granger, SG/SF, New Mexico, Sr.

Minnesota has a lot of swingmen, but Granger adds even more versatility and help for KG and the rest of the T’Wolves. While they need a center alongside Garnett, the illegal signing of Joe Smith has hurt their chances of going after centers such as Nenad Krstic, David Harrison, Dan Gadzuric and Mario Kasun. While most of these players are young, they are certainly bigger upgrades compared to Ervin Johnson, Michael Olawakandi, one the #1 overall pick, Mark Madsen and... well, no one else comes to mind. But in this case, since there are a couple good centers out there, they are too young to help KG get back to the playoffs now. Granger is that guy that can help him because he brings more to the table for Minny, giving another weapon to use on offense as well as give them some interesting options for zone defenses. He’s played inside before, so he has a decent idea of how to guard the power forwards. While he wouldn’t be asked to in zone defenses, he may be asked to be on the side that the opponent’s power forward goes to when the offense runs their plays. He would help KG now, rather than some of the picks who will take a couple or three years to get good. Lucky for him, he’s still a lottery pick, even though they are a bit farther down because of the way this draft is going due to the Blazers’
pick.

15.) New Jersey Nets : Sean May, PF/C, UNC, Jr.

The Nets would be wise to go after Ike Diogu, but since he canceled a workout with them a couple days ago, the Nets will go after someone who can be just as effective as any other power forward in this draft.
May helps their depth in the frontcourt, giving Jason Collins a chance to play against some of the other centers in the league rather than guard the starting power forwards. He also has been playing with a fast break team at North Carolina, so he wouldn’t have as hard a time adapting to Jason Kidd’s constant pushing the ball up the court. He is a bit undersized, like Diogu, but can rebound and play inside just as well.
He doesn’t have Diogu’s wingspan, but it won’t matter when he’s getting fast break dunks from Jason Kidd.
Not Kenyon Martin dunks, but easy dunks nonetheless.

16.) Toronto Raptors : Roko Leni-Ukic, PG, KK Split, 21 yrs. old

The Raptors could’ve gone with a point guard with their first pick, but since Green was still on the board, they can draft a point guard for the future around Bosh. Ukic is the guy. He’s a smart, traditional point guard. He’s also the tallest in this draft, as well as in general NBA standards. His main weakness is that he doesn’t have something those bigger point guards have: strength. That can be worked on. Besides, he wouldn’t need to play immediately. He can get accustomed to the style of play in garbage time and get stronger. He and Green would make quite the backcourt for Bosh to succeed with.

17.) Indiana Pacers : Wayne Simien, PF, Kansas, Jr.

Indiana could go with Andrew Bynum here, but they can get a player that they won’t have to wait on in Simien. Simien can play, rebound and score now.
Although he doesn’t fill their biggest hole, he adds more security for Jermaine O’Neal. That doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t play alongside him. He would become a very good player off the bench for the Pacers, who would’ve been in the Eastern Conference Finals if it wasn’t for the suspensions and injuries. I forgot to mention that they would’ve been the #1 seed. In any case, Simien, a two-time All American, will help Indiana with more rebounding and low-post play.

18.) Boston Celtics : Andrew Bynum, C, St. Joseph’s, HS Sr.

Everyone thinks Ainge has an ace up his sleeve. What he has is common sense. Ainge sees that Bynum, at the tender age of 17, has the potential to become a very strong and poised center alongside Al Jefferson, the offensive rebounding machine. Bynum’s weakness is that he needs playing time to grow and wouldn’t get it behind Raef LaFrentz, Mark Blount and even Kendrick Perkins. But once he develops into that center, he and Jefferson would form a frontcourt not seen since McHale and Parrish. Different players but just as effective in regards to rebounding and scoring.

19.) Memphis Grizzlies : Jarrett Jack, PG, Georgia Tech, Jr.

If it wasn’t for the Blazers’ crazy pick, Jack would be a Laker. Since Felton was available, they decided to pass on Jack. West makes a smart move by grabbing Jack here because Earl Watson is a free agent and Jack would get playing time immediately. He wouldn’t force Jason Williams out, but if Williams were to get dealt, Jack would be able to handle the pressures of being a full-time starter. He, just like every player in the draft, has his weaknesses. If he starts to turn the ball over more than get it to his teammates, he wouldn’t find a whole lot of playing time on the bench. Either way, he’ll get enough minutes to be effective on the court with Pau Gasol and the rest of the team-oriented Grizzlies.

20.) Denver Nuggets : Ersan Ilyasova, SF, Ulker Istambul, 18 yrs. old.

Yeah, yeah, another promise has been kept. But like I explained last time, Denver makes a smart move here and lets him stay overseas, giving both sides what they need. Denver gets a little more cap space to sign a free agent shooting guard, like Joe Johnson, Cuttino Mobley or Larry Hughes.

21.) Phoenix Suns : Ike Diogu, PF, Arizona State, Sr.

Another promise has been fulfilled. Even though the Nets and Grizzlies normally wouldn’t pass him up. But he did cancel workouts with New Jersey, Minnesota and Toronto. That scared off teams, making them go for other options. Diogu would provide help in the frontcourt off the bench and give either Stoudemire or newly-acquired Kurt Thomas some help off the bench. He knows how to use his body to get anywhere on the court and can score either inside due to his long wingspan or outside with his improving mid-range jumper.

22.) Denver Nuggets : Johan Petro, C, Pau Orthez, 19 yrs. old.

The Nuggets were one of three teams (Utah and San Antonio being the other two) that expressed interest in him last year before he pulled out. While Petro is very raw, he is very athletic for a player his size and can become a thicker Marcus Camby. In this case, Denver wouldn’t have to sign him either, but probably will. In this case, he’s be able to learn the system and the game from the player he’s been compared to.
His main weakness is that he hasn’t played the game for very long. Since that can be worked on, he has the chance to become one of the best shot blockers in the league.

23.) Sacramento Kings : Chris Taft, PF, Pittsburgh, So.

While Sacramento took Blatche in the last mock, they just can’t pass up a player with lottery potential in Chris Taft. While Taft has his weaknesses, like his head letting things get in the way, he has a lot of potential to become one of the best forwards out of this draft. The Kings get a blessing in disguise because they don’t need Taft to play now because of the players they traded Chris Webber for.

24.) Houston Rockets : Andray Blatche, PF, South Kent Prep, HS Sr.

While Taft gets taken, the Rockets decide to draft a young power forward that can stretch out the defense while developing his inside game. The Rockets could’ve gone for a player like Rashad McCants here but opt for a power forward for the future to play alongside Yao.
Blatche, the MVP of the Jordan Classic with 26 points and 16 rebounds, wouldn’t need to step in and play.
They do have a power forward waiting overseas to come over in Malick Badiene, but once he does, he and Blatche would be very good options for Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy to work with.

25.) Seattle Supersonics : Rashad McCants, SG, UNC, Jr.

The Sonics take McCants because he can score off the bench. They were expecting that from Ronald “Flip”
Murray, but it didn’t happen. McCants can fill the role of scoring guard off the bench. While he won’t be the point guard that Antonio Daniels was, he can be a very good defensive guard due to his long wingspan. It also helps that he played in an up-tempo system at North Carolina. He wouldn’t have a problem adjusting to how the Sonics play, pending that Nate McMillian returns as head coach.

26.) Detroit Pistons : Louis Williams, South Gwinnett, HS Sr.

How ‘bout them Pistons? Enough about how Darko Milicic showed that he will average 10 and 5 next year under Flip Saunders (in one move on Radoslav Nesterovic).
More about the draft. Julius Hodge could be a possible pick here, but he doesn’t have a definitive position like Williams does. Detroit has made a promise to Williams, or so he says. The one reason I can buy this is they haven’t denied the rumor. Granted, they are about to play Game 7 in the NBA Finals right now, but all it takes is one reporter to ask the question. So far, no one has because Detroit hasn’t commented on the “promise” they made with Williams. The way that the promises have been kept, one more couldn’t hurt.
Williams fits the mold here because if Brown were to leave and Saunders were to replace him, he would be the perfect coach for helping him develop his game.
He’d become some offensive help off the bench as well as develop into the future guard to be paired with Darko for years to come.

27.) Utah Jazz : Luther Head, PG/SG, Illinois, Sr.

Head, one of the players that shined at the Pre-Draft camp, moves into the draft because he showed that he can play the point guard position. He can defend and shoot the long ball, something that the Jazz have lacked since the days of Jeff Hornacek and co. The other reason he gets taken here over some of the other players is because the Jazz took Vasquez with their first pick. Head gives the Jazz a couple options on offense. Since some teams are starting to go after smaller scoring guards like Ben Gordon and Flip Murray, the Jazz can use him either at the point or at the two playing alongside a Keith McCleod or a Howard Eisley. While this may not be the best solution, it will work until they get a veteran point guard, like Antonio Daniels.

28.) San Antonio Spurs : Mickael Gelabele, SG/SF, Real Madrid, 21 yrs. old.

Too bad for the Spurs. They made it so far, had the best home record in the NBA and lose twice there to the #2 seed out of the East. Just kidding. Or am I?
The Spurs, in need of some scoring help, would get some from Gelabele. He isn’t like Manu Ginobili, who can get to the hole on will. He’s able to get to the hole, though. Something they were hoping that Brent Barry would do for them. Another option here would be a center, like Randolph Morris of Kentucky, but he’s not ready now like Gelabele is. Gelabele is a very athletic European player who, if drafted by the Spurs, would be brought into a comfortable situation where he can ease his way into the league and the system.
Another international steal by the Spurs.

29.) Miami Heat : Julius Hodge, SG/SF, N.C. State, Sr.

Miami has a couple choices here. They could draft a power forward like Ronny Turiaf or David Lee. Since Detroit passed on Hodge, they swoop him up so he can come off the bench for either Damon Jones, Dwyane Wade or Eddie Jones. Hodge has an outside shot that is very valuable when playing with Shaq. His main weakness is his strength, but even though he’s got a skinny frame, he can add muscle on without taking away any of his effectiveness.

30.) New York Knicks : Martynas Andriuskevicius, PF/C, Zalgris Kaunas, 18 yrs. old.

Isiah went to Europe to scout Andriuskevicius. He had been averaging over 15 minutes a game, but only played under seven when Isiah was in the gym for his only game. I remember reading this article a long time ago, but I cannot find the link. I am sorry. He has shown great agility and coordination for a player his size. While some have compared him to Dirk Nowitzki, he is not that good at handling the ball. He does have a nice touch, though. The main reason the Knicks draft him is because of his size and they took a smaller player earlier. The main weakness he has is that he’s just not strong. He needs at least one straight year of eating and working out with weights. Isiah decides to gamble with the last pick in the first round because he’s very cheap and would be allowed to develop into the player everyone thinks he is capable of being.

Players on the Rise: Martell Webster, Deron Williams, Fran Vasquez, Joey Graham, Hakim Warrick, Yaroslav Korolev, Channing Frye, Sean May, Andrew Bynum, Chris Taft, Rashad McCants.

Players on the Decline: Gerald Green, Chris Paul, Raymond Felton, Antoine Wright, Danny Granger, Wayne Simien, Jarrett Jack, Ike Diogu, Johan Petro, Andray Blatche, David Lee, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Francisco Garcia, Charlie Villanueva.

For those of you in the Sacramento area, J.T. Magee can be heard on 1240 AM TalkCity. The show, The Sports Fanatics with Charlie O. and Lee Michaels, is between 10 pm and 12 am on Friday. He will be on each of the next two shows discussing the draft. The show can be heard on-line at this link:
http://xgen.vitalstream.com/mcasx.asx?medi...package=1837674

[Lascar78]

Thanks for the post, it's pretty interesting. They seem to think we'll do the 2 for 5/13. I feel pretty positive we'll be ending up with Marvin at this point, and be open to trading him on draft night.

I also found it interesting that they have Taft listed in the "stock rising" list, and going at 23 to the kings. I don't know where they had him in their last mock.

So if the draft went like this, who would you draft at 31? Villanueva and Garcia are the biggest names I can figure out. I would take Garcia personally because he fits a need and I really dislike Villanueva's game and attitude.

[TheDude]

martell webster at 3?

[Lascar78]

it could happen. Portland is the true wildcard in all this mess that will affect how the rest of the draft unfolds. I mean if things go as planned, the best 2 players available to portland will be PGs and they drafted the PG of their future last year. I don't recall a situation like this in recent history. I still think they take Green if they don't trade and Marvin's gone

[AHF]

An unnamed poster on this board isn't going to like this at all:

Quote:

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30.) New York Knicks : Martynas Andriuskevicius, PF/C, Zalgris Kaunas, 18 yrs. old.

Isiah went to Europe to scout Andriuskevicius. He had been averaging over 15 minutes a game, but only played under seven when Isiah was in the gym for his only game. I remember reading this article a long time ago, but I cannot find the link. I am sorry. He has shown great agility and coordination for a player his size. While some have compared him to Dirk Nowitzki, he is not that good at handling the ball. He does have a nice touch, though. The main reason the Knicks draft him is because of his size and they took a smaller player earlier. The main weakness he has is that he’s just not strong. He needs at least one straight year of eating and working out with weights. Isiah decides to gamble with the last pick in the first round because he’s very cheap and would be allowed to develop into the player everyone thinks he is capable of being.

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Or maybe he will considering that would mean he would only have to fall one more spot to go to the Hawks!

[Admin]

team. I would rather us forfeit the pick than look like the next team to reach for a majorly overhyped Euro who his so skinny my grandmother could back him down in the post.

[Lascar78]

That being said, with the mess Isiah is making in NY, I could see him taking Martynas

Quote:

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He needs at least one straight year of eating and working out with weights.

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That made me laugh out loud

I might give him a second rounder though, and let him play in Europe or NBDL. I don't think I would use the 31 on him though.

[Yeti]

Interesting. That would be two SEATTLE kids at 2 and 3. Marvin and Martell. (to go along with Robinson and Conroy) Kind of a surprise.

But that might be a factor if Portland takes him, some of the current players are not so popular because of their attitudes - a "home" player may look better.

yeti

[Diesel]

I have to disagree with a lot of what's here.

Namely Martell Webster 3? No way.

Danny Granger 14? There's talk that he could go 4th - 7th... under some circumstance.

Vasquez and Green's stock is starting to slip..

Channing Frye slips past NY and GS??

[Lascar78]

well I think the NY pick made alot more sense before they traded for Q. Now it's a certainty that they'll take a big guy, probably Frye.

[beav]

The Blazers like Webster a lot... a given. They'd love to get a kid from the Northwest, also a given.

Webster could easily and will almost assuredly be available at the 6th pick if not later. Why in the world would they not at least trade with Utah?

That prediction falls somewhere on the scale between highly doubtful and moronic.

[Seano]

Yeah thank you for posting this. It's interesting. I would not be sad at all if we were to make that trade and get Chris Paul at #5. Fills a positon of MAJOR need, and Paul does have some question marks but I also believe he has true star quality, there's an electricity about him- like the kind of player who could draw fans to the arena on his own.

Deron could be the better player, but I'm not sure he has that star quality. Chris Paul would not be a bad consolation prize at all.