B&G
June-22nd-2003, 11:54 AM
EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS
by Sean Deveney
Mock Draft: 1st-round selection scenario
June 20, 2003
We're less than a week away, and we've separated the ins from the outs (so long, Pavel, and bye-bye to Viktor Khryapa). The NBA draft is taking shape, and the more it seems to come into focus, the less focused it seems.
Plenty of teams (Memphis, Seattle, Boston, New York) are in position to move up, and some teams in the lottery (Miami, Toronto, Chicago, Milwaukee) seem willing to move down. Somewhere along the line, that could all lead to big-time trades. Or, it could lead to a truckload of trade rumors and very little action (which is what usually happens, isn't it?)
Pick, Team Selection Comment
1. Cleveland LeBron James, SG, 6-8, 245, St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (Akron, Ohio) Sure, he's the second coming, but where he will play, and with whom, still are questions for the Cavs.
2. Detroit Darko Milicic, PF, 7-0, 250, Hemofarm Vrsac (Yugoslavia) Detroit needs a big man to develop as a scorer next to Ben Wallace. They'll get one.
3. Denver Carmelo Anthony, SF, 6-7, 233, Syracuse Now that he has worked out for the Nuggets, all seems settled.
4. Toronto Chris Bosh, PF, 6-11, 225, Georgia Tech With Podkolzine gone, the Raptors will look elsewhere to add size, and Bosh should be the beneficiary. Good chance the Raps will trade this pick, though.
5. Miami Maciej Lampe, PF, 7-0, 255, Universidad Complutense (Spain) One of the mystery men in the draft, but Lampe is big and versatile, and the Heat have serious interest. Miami seems to be shying away from PG T.J. Ford and actively seeking a trade.
6. L.A. Clippers Dwyane Wade, SG, 6-4, 212, Marquette L.A. would like a center, but won't stretch for Chris Kaman. Wade has had some impressive workouts, and pairing him with G Marko Jaric gives the Clips an interesting backcourt.
7. Chicago Mickael Pietrus, SG, 6-6, 200, Pau Orthez (France) Tough perimeter defender answers Chicago's need. But the Bulls also will consider SG/SF Jarvis Hayes. With Memphis longing to land Pietrus, a trade down is possible, especially with PG Jay Williams' career possibly over
8. Milwaukee T.J. Ford, PG, 6-0, 162, Texas It appears the Bucks will be frozen out of the size market, though they could go for a power forward like Mike Sweetney. But the team would be hard-pressed to pass on lightning-fast Ford at this point-unless the Bulls decide to grab him.
9. New York Chris Kaman, C, 7-0, 252, Central Michigan One of the few true centers on the board, and the Knicks need size. Kaman has a short wingspan, though, and hasn't been bowling over teams in workouts, which has caused him to drop.
10. Washington Kirk Hinrich, PG, 6-3, 186, Kansas Efficient, reliable point guard for the Wiz, who are without a point man. They could look to go bigger, with Jarvis Hayes, but Hinrich has had very good workouts.
11. Golden State Leandro Barbosa, PG, 6-3, 176, Bauru (Brazil) Barbosa has a Gilbert Arenas-type game, which is good, because that's the guy he could be replacing. He's had trouble with his hip, but he had already worked out for Golden State. Word that he is dropping is driven by teams that want to grab him later.
12. Seattle Mike Sweetney, PF, 6-8, 260, Georgetown Sonics got younger by trading for Ray Allen last season, and now they need to get bigger by adding post men. Word is, however, that Seattle is a near-lock to make a deal on draft day.
13. Memphis Jarvis Hayes, SF, 6-7, 220, Georgia The Grizzlies would love to move up and grab Pietrus first, or Wade, but they should be happy to get Hayes, a very good screen shooter and a decent defender, too.
14. Seattle Nick Collison, PF, 6-10, 255, Kansas Collison has done a good job in workouts, shooting the ball well and rebounding tenaciously. Seattle desperately needs help at the 4 (they started Reggie Evans, for crying out loud), and will address that in the draft.
15. Orlando Luke Ridnour, PG, 6-1, 167, Oregon Teams are wondering about Ridnour's defense and footwork, which was a problem against quicker guards during the college season. Those concerns have dropped him, but the Magic need scoring and a point guard. Reece Gaines and Marcus Banks are possible, too.
16. Boston Marcus Banks, PG, 6-2, 220, UNLV Banks is super-quick and pesky defensively, giving the Celtics a guy who can lead their hectic offense. Boston is in the market for point guards, but they could leave that issue for free agency. They're also trying to put together a deal to move up.
17. Phoenix Zarko Cabarkapa, SF, 6-11, 235, Buducnost (Yugoslavia) He's gone home to Serbia-Montenegro, but Cabarkapa did get in a workout for the Suns, and looked good. If he wants to stay in Europe, the Suns probably would not mind, because they will be well over the luxury-tax threshold next year, and can put off paying Cabarkapa a year.
18. New Orleans Aleksandar Pavlovic, SG, 6-7, 210, Buducnost (Yugoslavia) The Hornets might target a power forward if they want to think about a replacement for P.J. Brown, but there won't be much here. The team is lacking depth, and a big, rangy shooter like Pavlovic could do what Courtney Alexander could not---score off the bench.
19. Utah Brian Cook, PF, 6-10, 240, Illinois Cook appears to have a guarantee that he will be in the top 20, and the Jazz are the most likely team to have given it. They need a player to replace Karl Malone, and a big, sweet-shooting forward like Cook is one place to start.
20. Boston Sofoklis Schortsanitis, PF, 6-9, 255, Iraklis (Greece) Enormous, strong 18-year-old big guy is very raw. He has finally begun working out, and impressed the Celtics his first time out. He's moving up, but if the Celts can get him here, they will.
21. Atlanta Reece Gaines, PG, 6-6, 205, Louisville Gaines has the size the Hawks need at the point, especially if they hope to keep Jason Terry. He also has toughness and polish, and can play right away. Atlanta may look at Zoran Planinic or Troy Bell here, too.
22. New Jersey Boris Diaw, SG, 6-8, 203, Pau Orthez (France) The Nets would be willing to take a guy like Diaw, and possibly have him stay overseas for next season, as they've done with Nenad Krstic. Diaw is tough to gauge, because he still is playing in France and has not been able to work out---a team that has seen him in France could pull a surprise and pick him in the top
15.
23. Portland Travis Outlaw, SF, 6-9, 210, Starkville (Miss.) HS He's a terrific athlete and has been rumored to have a spot with Portland should he fall this far. Those guarantees are often not worth the paper this mock draft is printed on, keep in mind. The Blazers could go for fellow preps project Ndudi Ebi.
24. L.A. Lakers David West, PF, 6-9, 240, Xavier West is not the toughest guy, but he has long arms, can shoot and would give the Lakers a useful big guy off the bench. Most years, West would not be around this late, but this is a very strange draft, and the Lakers might luck out.
25. Detroit Travis Hansen, SG, 6-6, 210, BYU He raised his stock significantly at the Chicago camp, and his confident shooting stroke should make him a first-rounder. The Pistons could use a shooter off the bench, and Hansen is a good fit.
26. Minnesota Zoran Planinic, PG/SG, 6-7, 195, Cibona Zagreb Planinic has done well in workouts, and has shown he can play some point guard. That's got to have the Timberwolves interested, especially with his size and the possibility of pairing him with SG Troy Hudson. He could be gone by this point, though, and the Timberwolves would look at PG Troy Bell if he is.
27. Memphis Carlos Delfino, SG, 6-6, 230, Skipper Bologna (Italy) This pick could be included in a deal if Memphis moves up. But the Grizz need all the defensive help they can get, and Delfino is a solid player who can defend outside.
28. San Antonio Ndudi Ebi, PF, 6-9, 195, Westbury Christian HS (Houston) The Spurs may look to pick an international player they can leave overseas for a year or two, but a big, athletic project like Ebi makes sense, too.
29. Dallas Kendrick Perkins, C, 6-10, 285, Ozen (Texas) HS The Mavs could look for an underdeveloped big guy here. Malick Badiane and Zaur Pachulia are possibilities, but Perkins is a Texan, so, why not?
by Sean Deveney
Mock Draft: 1st-round selection scenario
June 20, 2003
We're less than a week away, and we've separated the ins from the outs (so long, Pavel, and bye-bye to Viktor Khryapa). The NBA draft is taking shape, and the more it seems to come into focus, the less focused it seems.
Plenty of teams (Memphis, Seattle, Boston, New York) are in position to move up, and some teams in the lottery (Miami, Toronto, Chicago, Milwaukee) seem willing to move down. Somewhere along the line, that could all lead to big-time trades. Or, it could lead to a truckload of trade rumors and very little action (which is what usually happens, isn't it?)
Pick, Team Selection Comment
1. Cleveland LeBron James, SG, 6-8, 245, St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (Akron, Ohio) Sure, he's the second coming, but where he will play, and with whom, still are questions for the Cavs.
2. Detroit Darko Milicic, PF, 7-0, 250, Hemofarm Vrsac (Yugoslavia) Detroit needs a big man to develop as a scorer next to Ben Wallace. They'll get one.
3. Denver Carmelo Anthony, SF, 6-7, 233, Syracuse Now that he has worked out for the Nuggets, all seems settled.
4. Toronto Chris Bosh, PF, 6-11, 225, Georgia Tech With Podkolzine gone, the Raptors will look elsewhere to add size, and Bosh should be the beneficiary. Good chance the Raps will trade this pick, though.
5. Miami Maciej Lampe, PF, 7-0, 255, Universidad Complutense (Spain) One of the mystery men in the draft, but Lampe is big and versatile, and the Heat have serious interest. Miami seems to be shying away from PG T.J. Ford and actively seeking a trade.
6. L.A. Clippers Dwyane Wade, SG, 6-4, 212, Marquette L.A. would like a center, but won't stretch for Chris Kaman. Wade has had some impressive workouts, and pairing him with G Marko Jaric gives the Clips an interesting backcourt.
7. Chicago Mickael Pietrus, SG, 6-6, 200, Pau Orthez (France) Tough perimeter defender answers Chicago's need. But the Bulls also will consider SG/SF Jarvis Hayes. With Memphis longing to land Pietrus, a trade down is possible, especially with PG Jay Williams' career possibly over
8. Milwaukee T.J. Ford, PG, 6-0, 162, Texas It appears the Bucks will be frozen out of the size market, though they could go for a power forward like Mike Sweetney. But the team would be hard-pressed to pass on lightning-fast Ford at this point-unless the Bulls decide to grab him.
9. New York Chris Kaman, C, 7-0, 252, Central Michigan One of the few true centers on the board, and the Knicks need size. Kaman has a short wingspan, though, and hasn't been bowling over teams in workouts, which has caused him to drop.
10. Washington Kirk Hinrich, PG, 6-3, 186, Kansas Efficient, reliable point guard for the Wiz, who are without a point man. They could look to go bigger, with Jarvis Hayes, but Hinrich has had very good workouts.
11. Golden State Leandro Barbosa, PG, 6-3, 176, Bauru (Brazil) Barbosa has a Gilbert Arenas-type game, which is good, because that's the guy he could be replacing. He's had trouble with his hip, but he had already worked out for Golden State. Word that he is dropping is driven by teams that want to grab him later.
12. Seattle Mike Sweetney, PF, 6-8, 260, Georgetown Sonics got younger by trading for Ray Allen last season, and now they need to get bigger by adding post men. Word is, however, that Seattle is a near-lock to make a deal on draft day.
13. Memphis Jarvis Hayes, SF, 6-7, 220, Georgia The Grizzlies would love to move up and grab Pietrus first, or Wade, but they should be happy to get Hayes, a very good screen shooter and a decent defender, too.
14. Seattle Nick Collison, PF, 6-10, 255, Kansas Collison has done a good job in workouts, shooting the ball well and rebounding tenaciously. Seattle desperately needs help at the 4 (they started Reggie Evans, for crying out loud), and will address that in the draft.
15. Orlando Luke Ridnour, PG, 6-1, 167, Oregon Teams are wondering about Ridnour's defense and footwork, which was a problem against quicker guards during the college season. Those concerns have dropped him, but the Magic need scoring and a point guard. Reece Gaines and Marcus Banks are possible, too.
16. Boston Marcus Banks, PG, 6-2, 220, UNLV Banks is super-quick and pesky defensively, giving the Celtics a guy who can lead their hectic offense. Boston is in the market for point guards, but they could leave that issue for free agency. They're also trying to put together a deal to move up.
17. Phoenix Zarko Cabarkapa, SF, 6-11, 235, Buducnost (Yugoslavia) He's gone home to Serbia-Montenegro, but Cabarkapa did get in a workout for the Suns, and looked good. If he wants to stay in Europe, the Suns probably would not mind, because they will be well over the luxury-tax threshold next year, and can put off paying Cabarkapa a year.
18. New Orleans Aleksandar Pavlovic, SG, 6-7, 210, Buducnost (Yugoslavia) The Hornets might target a power forward if they want to think about a replacement for P.J. Brown, but there won't be much here. The team is lacking depth, and a big, rangy shooter like Pavlovic could do what Courtney Alexander could not---score off the bench.
19. Utah Brian Cook, PF, 6-10, 240, Illinois Cook appears to have a guarantee that he will be in the top 20, and the Jazz are the most likely team to have given it. They need a player to replace Karl Malone, and a big, sweet-shooting forward like Cook is one place to start.
20. Boston Sofoklis Schortsanitis, PF, 6-9, 255, Iraklis (Greece) Enormous, strong 18-year-old big guy is very raw. He has finally begun working out, and impressed the Celtics his first time out. He's moving up, but if the Celts can get him here, they will.
21. Atlanta Reece Gaines, PG, 6-6, 205, Louisville Gaines has the size the Hawks need at the point, especially if they hope to keep Jason Terry. He also has toughness and polish, and can play right away. Atlanta may look at Zoran Planinic or Troy Bell here, too.
22. New Jersey Boris Diaw, SG, 6-8, 203, Pau Orthez (France) The Nets would be willing to take a guy like Diaw, and possibly have him stay overseas for next season, as they've done with Nenad Krstic. Diaw is tough to gauge, because he still is playing in France and has not been able to work out---a team that has seen him in France could pull a surprise and pick him in the top
15.
23. Portland Travis Outlaw, SF, 6-9, 210, Starkville (Miss.) HS He's a terrific athlete and has been rumored to have a spot with Portland should he fall this far. Those guarantees are often not worth the paper this mock draft is printed on, keep in mind. The Blazers could go for fellow preps project Ndudi Ebi.
24. L.A. Lakers David West, PF, 6-9, 240, Xavier West is not the toughest guy, but he has long arms, can shoot and would give the Lakers a useful big guy off the bench. Most years, West would not be around this late, but this is a very strange draft, and the Lakers might luck out.
25. Detroit Travis Hansen, SG, 6-6, 210, BYU He raised his stock significantly at the Chicago camp, and his confident shooting stroke should make him a first-rounder. The Pistons could use a shooter off the bench, and Hansen is a good fit.
26. Minnesota Zoran Planinic, PG/SG, 6-7, 195, Cibona Zagreb Planinic has done well in workouts, and has shown he can play some point guard. That's got to have the Timberwolves interested, especially with his size and the possibility of pairing him with SG Troy Hudson. He could be gone by this point, though, and the Timberwolves would look at PG Troy Bell if he is.
27. Memphis Carlos Delfino, SG, 6-6, 230, Skipper Bologna (Italy) This pick could be included in a deal if Memphis moves up. But the Grizz need all the defensive help they can get, and Delfino is a solid player who can defend outside.
28. San Antonio Ndudi Ebi, PF, 6-9, 195, Westbury Christian HS (Houston) The Spurs may look to pick an international player they can leave overseas for a year or two, but a big, athletic project like Ebi makes sense, too.
29. Dallas Kendrick Perkins, C, 6-10, 285, Ozen (Texas) HS The Mavs could look for an underdeveloped big guy here. Malick Badiane and Zaur Pachulia are possibilities, but Perkins is a Texan, so, why not?