Jun
29
2007 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY BREAKDOWN
Filed Under Chicago Bulls
ROUND ONE, PICK ONE: PORTLAND TAKES GREG ODEN, CENTER OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
I’m glad to see the Blazers didn’t submit to the Kevin Durant pressure. Don’t get me wrong. Durant is an excellent player and will have more of an immediate impact next year, but centers like Oden don’t come along every year. Oden still has a long way to go with his game, but he will give the Blazers a legitimate big man for years to come. The NBA is all about superstars and reputation, and Oden’s presence will mean a lot for the Blazers. And unlike past knockout big men in the draft like Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal, Oden is very solid at the free throw line. The fact that Oden isn’t a liability at the free throw line will mean big things as Portland begins its eventual ascension back to the playoffs. Oden’s presence in the NBA will immediately be felt on the glass and the boards. His offensive game is still a bit raw, but Oden does possess a nifty little half-hook shot that could become his signature move for years to come (besides the two-hand jam of course). Here’s what I wrote when the Blazers won the draft lottery for Oden back in May: Sweet Redemption for 1984?
ROUND ONE, PICK TWO: SEATTLE SUPERSONICS SELECT KEVIN DURANT, F UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
No-brainer here. Durant tore it up during his freshman season at Texas and would have been the #1 pick in a lot of drafts. The Sonics (whether they’re in Seattle, OK City, Vegas or wherever else in the next couple of seasons) have cast Durant as their franchise player. Here’s my opinions on the significance of Kevin Durant going to the Sonics: Durant, Durant!
ROUND ONE, PICK THREE: ATLANTA HAWKS SELECT AL HORFORD, PF UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Love this pick, even though the Hawks have a lot of big men already. Horford is never going to be an All-Star but should be a very solid player. Sort of reminds me of Horace Grant with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper. Very tough inside. Great body for the NBA, and will contribute immediately.
ROUND ONE, PICK FOUR: MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES SELECT MIKE CONLEY, PG OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
To me, Conley was the heart-and-soul of the Buckeyes this year. He is a calming influence on the court and never looks uncomfortable or out of control. Plays with a poise beyond his years. Not a great shooter, a bit too much stand-still, but is very nifty in getting into the lane. Without Conley and Ron Lewis, Ohio State doesn’t make the NCAA Championship Game. Very solid pick by Jerry West, but what else would you expect. Conley is a small 6′3” and needs to add some strength. Conley is a competitor and would fit in with a player who I think is going to be very good in time, second-year guard Kyle Lowry of Villanova.
ROUND ONE, PICK FIVE: BOSTON CELTICS SELECT JEFF GREEN, F GEORGETOWN
Oh, Danny Ainge! You never learn. You trade away this pick for an aging Ray Allen, who will give you maybe a good year or two if his body can hold up. Should have kept this pick and Green or rather taken Corey Brewer of Florida. As for the Sonics, they would have been better off with Brewer, a 6′9” forward who can play some shooting guard and will be a defensive havoc. Don’t get me wrong. I like Green a lot and am a big fan. I just like Brewer more. Green is a very solid player, good defender, a nuts-and-bolt guy who can do a lot of the dirty work. Nice tandem with Durant, but Brewer would have been better. Green’s non-aggressive performance in the Final Four wasn’t impressive. But Green is fundamentally-sound so I can understand why the Sonics took him. Seattle now has a lot of small forwards with Durant, Green and Wally Szerbiak. While they should have taken Brewer, Seattle also got Delonte West in the deal, which gives the Sonics flexibility if they want to trade Luke Ridnour.
ROUND ONE, PICK SIX: MILWAUKEE BUCKS SELECT YI JIANLIAN, F CHINA
Yi’s camp can’t be too happy going to a small market team like Milwaukee. I’ve got some big-time reservations about this kid, who wouldn’t work out against anybody. Big risk for the Bucks and GM Larry Harris. Brewer would have been a better pick here and ideally Conley would have been best for this team (which didn’t happen). We shall see. I wouldn’t be too excited in Milwaukee. From what I’ve seen of this kid, he looks awfully skinny and seems like a pre-madonna.
ROUND ONE, PICK SEVEN: MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES SELECT COREY BREWER, F UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Kevin McHale actually has made a smart move. I love Brewer’s game. He was all over the court in the Final Four. While unorthodox, Brewer is long and will be a defensive nightmare for opponents for years to come. Also has a decent three-point shot and can slash to the hoop. I think Brewer is going to be the third best player in this draft and an All-Star someday. If the Wolves keep Garnett, they now have some very lanky players who are difficult matchups on both ends of the court. I would have loved to see Brewer drop to Chicago.
ROUND ONE, PICK EIGHT: CHARLOTTE BOBCATS SELECT BRANDAN WRIGHT, F UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
The North Carolina connection aside, this is a solid pick by Michael Jordan. Wright was the consensus number-three pick on a lot of mock drafts a while back and dropped during his workouts. He is a very fluid player who did a lot more at North Carolina than some people thought he would, especially with Tyler Hansborough coming off his monster freshman season. Wright is lanky and needs to put on some strength. Can block some shots and has a nice game inside the free-throw line. He may take a couple of years to develop but when he does, he could be an All-Star. Great value pick for the eight spot.
ROUND ONE, PICK NINE: CHICAGO BULLS SELECT JOAKIM NOAH, F UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Everyone is dogging this pick in Chicago, but what do they expect in the nine spot: Karl Malone. It would have been great if Brewer fell to the Bulls. The draft has dropped off at this point in my opinion, and Noah is more skilled than everyone thinks. Put on the 2006 NCAA Championship Game against UCLA and watch how Noah shredded the Bruins with his ball-handling and passing skills. He was the marked man at Florida this year and the most reviled player in the country. He also was playing hurt. Noah’s a winner and a good fit for the Bulls. While they need a low-post scorer, they weren’t going to get it at this spot in the draft. It wasn’t going to be Spencer Hawes, who might not have even gotten off the bench for the Bulls.
Noah’s not going to score a lot of points but he’s an energy guy who’s going to play some tough defense. The Bulls are going to lose three big men (P.J. Brown, Malik Allen, and Michael Sweetney) and need some depth there. Noah gives them that and can even slide over to play some center in the size-challenged Eastern Conference. I like the idea of Tyrus Thomas and Noah coming off the bench with a lot of energy. Even though Noah can be annoying and is definitely a flake, he plays his ass off on the court. Noah may get under Scott Skiles’ skin at times, but the Bulls are a better team with Noah, who definitely needs to work on developing a mid-range jumper and getting that hitch out of his shot. Noah’s a winner who fits the profile of how the General Manager John Paxson has rebuilt the Bulls.
A lot of people hate Noah, but I find him funny. He acts like a tough guy even though he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth (his Dad was a tennis star, his Mom a supermodel). With that said, he plays hard on the court and is a team player who will fit in nicely with the Bulls. Paxson is a good drafter so give him the benefit of the doubt here.
ROUND ONE, PICK TEN: SACRAMENTO KINGS SELECT SPENCER HAWES, C UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Hawes is a talented big man who will take a few years to develop. But he will have a couple of years with the Kings to do so with Brad Miller on the floor. Not a bad pick for the Kings, a team which is in a strange position right now. Hawes has nice footwork and low-post moves, but needs to get stronger. Sacramento wasn’t going to find anyone at this spot who was going to make them that much better next year so taking Hawes for the future was a good move by Geoff Petrie, who is an outstanding General Manager.
ROUND ONE, PICK ELEVEN: ATLANTA HAWKS TAKE ACIE LAW, G TEXAS A&M
Billy Knight is often mocked in the league but is having a very good draft. This is another solid pick with the Horford selection at the three spot. Law is a distributor and clutch player late in the game. Atlanta has a lot of talented wing players in Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, and Josh Childress, and Law is a great player to get these youngsters the ball. Law fills a need at the point that the Hawks desperately needed. They’ve freaking started Tyrone Lue, Royal Ivey and Anthony Johnson at the point in years past. Law allegedly got burned during draft workouts and some are worried that he may be a Mateen Cleaves. I don’t think so as Cleaves was never a shooting threat, which Law certainly is. Give the Hawks credit tonight. While they didn’t get Amare Stoudemire in a trade, they’ve added two very solid players that should contribute a lot next year.
ROUND ONE, PICK TWELVE: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS SELECT THADDEUS YOUNG, F GEORGIA TECH
I’m not a big fan of Sixers’ G.M. Billy King and don’t like this pick that much. Young is a young talent who’s going to take some time to develop in the NBA. And the Sixers already have Andre Iguodala at the three spot. I think Al Thornton would have been a better selection for Philadelphia, which has no one in the post worth anything.
ROUND ONE, PICK THIRTEEN: NEW ORLEANS/OKLAHOMA CITY HORNETS SELECT JULIAN WRIGHT, F KANSAS UNIVERSITY
Wright, a Homewood-Flossmoor product, is as talented as they come but does not have the killer instinct needed to be a stud. With that said, you can’t complain about this pick. It’s a smart move by the Hornets as Desmond Mason is a free agent and Peja Stojakovic is past his prime. Wright played a lot of power forward last year but could play some three in the NBA. He is a lanky athlete who looks like the greatest player on the court at times and then can be very quiet. Good selection at this spot as Wright’s got the talent to be great. Will he put it together is another question? If he puts it together consistently, Wright is a steal at this spot.
ROUND ONE, PICK FOURTEEN: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS SELECT AL THORNTON, F FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
I hate Florida State athletics and try to avoid watching the Seminoles at all costs. I don’t remember much of Thornton except that he put up nice numbers in the college basketball fantasy league that I used to be in. A lot of teams like this kid, and he certainly gives the Clippers a very nice backup to Elton Brand. The Clippers needed a point guard but Law was gone, so they took the best available player here. Good move by Elgin Baylor.
Related Posts
- 2007 NBA DRAFT GRADES: PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS GET AN A+
- 2007 NBA Draft Grades: Seattle Supersonics Get an A-
- NBA Rookie Showdown: Nick Fazekas versus Aaron Gray
- 2007 NBA Draft Grades: The Atlanta Hawks Get a B+
- Examining the Sam Bowie Selection in the 1984 Draft