This is not my mock draft this is not what I think will happen but this is what I think each team should do. If you look at the draft it is my personal opinion that you shouldn't necessarily draft the best available player or the player you deem has the most potential, instead you should draft the player that is going to help your team the most. Look at the Hawks, I think they gathered a SF swingman like player every year for the past 5 years, and they are not good.
Pick #1 Toronto Raptors
Glaring Needs: The Raptors just traded for Rasho Nesterovic, while he has been terrible, he is a big body to throw in everyday at Center. In addition they have a stud in Bosh and a solid small forward in Villanueva. Therefore my belief is that they should either grab a guard or a stud big man.
3 to Consider: 1) Brandon Roy, he may not be the typical number #1 pick in the draft, but he is definitely NBA ready and fills a whole that they need. 2) Lamarcus Aldridge, given a few years of weight lifting he should be able to sit next to Bosh on the low block. 3) Trade down, Mike James can not be considered in future plans, trading down would get more value if they decided to draft a Point Guard.
The Man to Draft: No one, I trade down. I would consider Roy, but the Raptors desperately need a point guard and would benefit the most if they traded down into the 8-12 spot and landed a point guard.
Pick #2 Chicago Bulls
Glaring Needs: Big Men. The bulls are loaded from 1-3, with Deng, Nocioni, Duhon, Heinrich, and Gordon. The Bulls need a post scoring option which Tyson Chandler has been unable to provide.
3 to Consider:1) Lamarcus Aldridge, the best option for post scoring. 2) Tyrus Thomas, probably the biggest freak in the draft and would provide good weak side help defense. 3) Shelden Williams, they have the second pick they don't need 3 options.
The Man to Draft:I take Lamarcus Aldridge if I'm the bulls. He would give the Bulls the option of feeding the ball downlow to someone not of 300 lbs (Mike Sweetney).
Pick #3 Charlotte Bobcats
Glaring Needs: Scoring, the Bobcats need some scoring especially from the 2 or the 3.
3 to Consider: 1) Adam Morrison, he might be the best scoring option in the whole draft. 2) Brandon Roy, could slot into the 2 guard position next to Felton and Gerald Wallace to provide a very athletic front line. 3) Rudy Gay, with Okafor in the fold, Gay would have someone he is familiar with from Uconn who could help him transition into the NBA.
The Man to Draft: Rudy Gay, I'm not a big Gay fan, but I think this is the perfect spot for him. Okafor could act like a big brother and get Gay motivated, and Gay might have the most skills in the draft the question is his drive and intensity.
Pick #4 Portland Blazers
Glaring Needs:Everything, the Blazers do not need to worry about filling a need because they're are needs everywhere. Any position they draft will help.
3 to Consider:1) Adam Morrison, he's going to score in the NBA, is a Northwest guy and would give good marketing to the Blazers. 2) Brandon Roy, another northwestern guy possibly the most complete player in the draft. 3)Lamarcus Aldridge, pair up Aldridge with Zach Randolph down low and maybe you can establish some presence in the post for years to come.
The Man to Draft: Adam Morrison, he'd be a cult hero in Oregon, he looks northwestern, he's going to score in the NBA, and the Blazers need a face that is associated with something other than marijuana, like a dirty Sanchez moustache.
Pick #5 Atlanta Hawks
Glaring Needs: Center/Point Guard/Defense of any sorts.
3 to Consider: 1) Shelden Williams, there have been rumors flying around that he was given a promise, I'm not sure if that was a good idea, but I think he would bring some much need low post defense to the Hawks. 2) Randy Foye, a tough defensively talented point guard could fill two needs for the Hawks 3) Marcus Williams, the best passer in the draft will be able to distribute to the talented swingman the Hawks have.
The Man to Draft: Randy Foye, if I'm the Hawks it would be my goal to make sure Joe Johnson isn't playing point guard on opening night. I would take Foye over Williams if I was the Hawks due to defense. Foye will also take pressure off Johnson as he will be able to cover the best opposing player.
Pick #6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Glaring Needs: Talent, it appears as if their first round pick McCants might be out for the entire 06-07 season.
3 to Consider: 1) Rudy Gay, the athleticism of Gay combined with Garnett and Ricky Davis would give the Timberwolves arguable the most athleticism from 2 through 4. 2) Brandon Roy, similar to Gay he would give the TWolves a dynamic 2 through 4. 3) Pt Guard pick'em between Foye and Marcus Williams.
The Man to Draft: I take Gay or Roy, I believe one of them will be on the board.
Pick #7 Boston Celtics
Glaring Needs: I went over this pretty extensively previously (here), as I am a Celtic fan.
3 to Consider: Brandon Roy, Marcus Williams and Randy Foye
The Man to Draft: Marcus Williams, need a point guard, Roy will be off the board most likely, the Celtics should go out and grab Marcus.
Pick #8 Houston Rockets
Glaring Needs: Shooting, point guard, and a sidekick for Yao Ming.
3 to Consider:: 1) JJ Redick, by far the best shooter in the draft. 2) Marcus Williams, he may or may not be available, but Rafer Alston does not cut it at point guard. 3) Shelden Williams, having a defensive minded sidekick for Yao could save him some foul trouble.
The Man to Draft: If I'm the Rockets I take Redick, I think he is getting shat on for athleticism when it is better than most people think. And what has been the key to much of the Spurs past success, players hitting 3s on the wing. If the put Redick on the same side as Yao on the court it will be impossible to double off Redick and the double will be late giving Yao more time to attack the defense.
Pick #9 Golden St. Warriors
Glaring Needs: A Big Man, that Adonal Foyle signing is one of the least mentioned worst deals in the history of professional sports.
3 to Consider: 1) Shelden Williams, a big strong rebounder could help alleviate the pressure off of Troy Murphy on the boards. 2) Patrick O'Bryant, the big man from Bradley soared up the draft boards due to his impressive NCAA tourny. 3) Cedric Simmons,
The Man to Draft: Patrick O'Bryant, I think the mock drafts have the right, he may be a little raw but he is a skilled 7 footer and is much needed for the Warriors who should be desperate to fill the void inside.
Pick #10 Seattle Sonics
Glaring Needs: Defense and a Big Man to pair with Chris Wilcox downlow. I am a fan of Ridnour at the point and don't think they should draft a point guard.
3 to Consider: Same 3 as the Golden St.
The Man to Draft: Shelden Williams, I think he will still be on the board, the Sonics most desperately need defense. Shelden Williams is the most defensive minded player in this draft and would be a perfect fit to compliment Wilcox in the paint.
Pick #11 Orlando Magic
Glaring Needs: Swingman, the Magic need a talented 2 or a 3 to slot in the starting lineup with the developing Darko and Jameer Nelson and the beast Dwight Howard.
3 to Consider: 1) Rodney Carney, might be the best athlete in the draft certainly won of the fastest and had a great career at Memphis. 2) JJ Redick, similarly to what he could do for the Rockets, JJ could alleviate some of the double team pressure Dwight will be facing in the near future. 3) Ronnie Brewer, similar to Carney he is one of the best athletes in this draft.
The Man to Draft: Rodney Carney, a freak athlete can fill the void whether it be Hill's retirement or in the 2nd game of the season when he falls to some mysterious injury.
Pick #12 New Orleans Hornets
Glaring Needs: A Big Man, the Hornets need a presence down low.
3 to Consider: The same 3 as the Warriors and Sonics only they get to pick the worst of the bunch.
The Man to Draft: Cedric Simmons, most likely he's the only 3 of those players remaining so he's the best option for them to select. If the Hawks pick Shelden Williams and none of those 3 are available they should trade the pick.
Pick #13 Philadelphia 76ers
Glaring Needs: Point Guard, AI should not play point guard, preferably a defensive minded point guard.
3 to Consider: 1) Randy Foye, played in Philly if he dropped this far they should be ecstatic. 2) Marcus Williams, played in the big east again the Sixers will be lucky if he gets that far. 3) Kyle Lowry, born raised in Philly, had no problem transitioning to a good college player in Philly.
The Man to Draft: Kyle Lowry, I think the other two will be gone and this may be a reach pick for Lowry, and he may not be a pure point but his defensive intensity would be incredibly helpful to take pressure off AI so he can concentrate on what he is good at, putting the ball in the hole. Plus he is a Philly Boy and would love playing for the 76ers.
Pick #14 Utah Jazz
Glaring Needs: A Guard, preferably a shooting guard with some athleticism.
3 to Consider: 1) Ronnie Brewer, the best athlete available. 2) JJ Redick, doubtful he will still be on the board but Utah embraces White folk. 3) Quincy Douby, the Doubster is a flat out scorer in the Big East for a terrible team, a big reach but might be a nice fit.
The Man to Draft: Ronnie Brewer, slot him into the lineup next too Deron Williams and the Jazz now have a competitive back court to go with their strong front line.
Pick #1 Toronto Raptors
Glaring Needs: The Raptors just traded for Rasho Nesterovic, while he has been terrible, he is a big body to throw in everyday at Center. In addition they have a stud in Bosh and a solid small forward in Villanueva. Therefore my belief is that they should either grab a guard or a stud big man.
3 to Consider: 1) Brandon Roy, he may not be the typical number #1 pick in the draft, but he is definitely NBA ready and fills a whole that they need. 2) Lamarcus Aldridge, given a few years of weight lifting he should be able to sit next to Bosh on the low block. 3) Trade down, Mike James can not be considered in future plans, trading down would get more value if they decided to draft a Point Guard.
The Man to Draft: No one, I trade down. I would consider Roy, but the Raptors desperately need a point guard and would benefit the most if they traded down into the 8-12 spot and landed a point guard.
Pick #2 Chicago Bulls
Glaring Needs: Big Men. The bulls are loaded from 1-3, with Deng, Nocioni, Duhon, Heinrich, and Gordon. The Bulls need a post scoring option which Tyson Chandler has been unable to provide.
3 to Consider:1) Lamarcus Aldridge, the best option for post scoring. 2) Tyrus Thomas, probably the biggest freak in the draft and would provide good weak side help defense. 3) Shelden Williams, they have the second pick they don't need 3 options.
The Man to Draft:I take Lamarcus Aldridge if I'm the bulls. He would give the Bulls the option of feeding the ball downlow to someone not of 300 lbs (Mike Sweetney).
Pick #3 Charlotte Bobcats
Glaring Needs: Scoring, the Bobcats need some scoring especially from the 2 or the 3.
3 to Consider: 1) Adam Morrison, he might be the best scoring option in the whole draft. 2) Brandon Roy, could slot into the 2 guard position next to Felton and Gerald Wallace to provide a very athletic front line. 3) Rudy Gay, with Okafor in the fold, Gay would have someone he is familiar with from Uconn who could help him transition into the NBA.
The Man to Draft: Rudy Gay, I'm not a big Gay fan, but I think this is the perfect spot for him. Okafor could act like a big brother and get Gay motivated, and Gay might have the most skills in the draft the question is his drive and intensity.
Pick #4 Portland Blazers
Glaring Needs:Everything, the Blazers do not need to worry about filling a need because they're are needs everywhere. Any position they draft will help.
3 to Consider:1) Adam Morrison, he's going to score in the NBA, is a Northwest guy and would give good marketing to the Blazers. 2) Brandon Roy, another northwestern guy possibly the most complete player in the draft. 3)Lamarcus Aldridge, pair up Aldridge with Zach Randolph down low and maybe you can establish some presence in the post for years to come.
The Man to Draft: Adam Morrison, he'd be a cult hero in Oregon, he looks northwestern, he's going to score in the NBA, and the Blazers need a face that is associated with something other than marijuana, like a dirty Sanchez moustache.
Pick #5 Atlanta Hawks
Glaring Needs: Center/Point Guard/Defense of any sorts.
3 to Consider: 1) Shelden Williams, there have been rumors flying around that he was given a promise, I'm not sure if that was a good idea, but I think he would bring some much need low post defense to the Hawks. 2) Randy Foye, a tough defensively talented point guard could fill two needs for the Hawks 3) Marcus Williams, the best passer in the draft will be able to distribute to the talented swingman the Hawks have.
The Man to Draft: Randy Foye, if I'm the Hawks it would be my goal to make sure Joe Johnson isn't playing point guard on opening night. I would take Foye over Williams if I was the Hawks due to defense. Foye will also take pressure off Johnson as he will be able to cover the best opposing player.
Pick #6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Glaring Needs: Talent, it appears as if their first round pick McCants might be out for the entire 06-07 season.
3 to Consider: 1) Rudy Gay, the athleticism of Gay combined with Garnett and Ricky Davis would give the Timberwolves arguable the most athleticism from 2 through 4. 2) Brandon Roy, similar to Gay he would give the TWolves a dynamic 2 through 4. 3) Pt Guard pick'em between Foye and Marcus Williams.
The Man to Draft: I take Gay or Roy, I believe one of them will be on the board.
Pick #7 Boston Celtics
Glaring Needs: I went over this pretty extensively previously (here), as I am a Celtic fan.
3 to Consider: Brandon Roy, Marcus Williams and Randy Foye
The Man to Draft: Marcus Williams, need a point guard, Roy will be off the board most likely, the Celtics should go out and grab Marcus.
Pick #8 Houston Rockets
Glaring Needs: Shooting, point guard, and a sidekick for Yao Ming.
3 to Consider:: 1) JJ Redick, by far the best shooter in the draft. 2) Marcus Williams, he may or may not be available, but Rafer Alston does not cut it at point guard. 3) Shelden Williams, having a defensive minded sidekick for Yao could save him some foul trouble.
The Man to Draft: If I'm the Rockets I take Redick, I think he is getting shat on for athleticism when it is better than most people think. And what has been the key to much of the Spurs past success, players hitting 3s on the wing. If the put Redick on the same side as Yao on the court it will be impossible to double off Redick and the double will be late giving Yao more time to attack the defense.
Pick #9 Golden St. Warriors
Glaring Needs: A Big Man, that Adonal Foyle signing is one of the least mentioned worst deals in the history of professional sports.
3 to Consider: 1) Shelden Williams, a big strong rebounder could help alleviate the pressure off of Troy Murphy on the boards. 2) Patrick O'Bryant, the big man from Bradley soared up the draft boards due to his impressive NCAA tourny. 3) Cedric Simmons,
The Man to Draft: Patrick O'Bryant, I think the mock drafts have the right, he may be a little raw but he is a skilled 7 footer and is much needed for the Warriors who should be desperate to fill the void inside.
Pick #10 Seattle Sonics
Glaring Needs: Defense and a Big Man to pair with Chris Wilcox downlow. I am a fan of Ridnour at the point and don't think they should draft a point guard.
3 to Consider: Same 3 as the Golden St.
The Man to Draft: Shelden Williams, I think he will still be on the board, the Sonics most desperately need defense. Shelden Williams is the most defensive minded player in this draft and would be a perfect fit to compliment Wilcox in the paint.
Pick #11 Orlando Magic
Glaring Needs: Swingman, the Magic need a talented 2 or a 3 to slot in the starting lineup with the developing Darko and Jameer Nelson and the beast Dwight Howard.
3 to Consider: 1) Rodney Carney, might be the best athlete in the draft certainly won of the fastest and had a great career at Memphis. 2) JJ Redick, similarly to what he could do for the Rockets, JJ could alleviate some of the double team pressure Dwight will be facing in the near future. 3) Ronnie Brewer, similar to Carney he is one of the best athletes in this draft.
The Man to Draft: Rodney Carney, a freak athlete can fill the void whether it be Hill's retirement or in the 2nd game of the season when he falls to some mysterious injury.
Pick #12 New Orleans Hornets
Glaring Needs: A Big Man, the Hornets need a presence down low.
3 to Consider: The same 3 as the Warriors and Sonics only they get to pick the worst of the bunch.
The Man to Draft: Cedric Simmons, most likely he's the only 3 of those players remaining so he's the best option for them to select. If the Hawks pick Shelden Williams and none of those 3 are available they should trade the pick.
Pick #13 Philadelphia 76ers
Glaring Needs: Point Guard, AI should not play point guard, preferably a defensive minded point guard.
3 to Consider: 1) Randy Foye, played in Philly if he dropped this far they should be ecstatic. 2) Marcus Williams, played in the big east again the Sixers will be lucky if he gets that far. 3) Kyle Lowry, born raised in Philly, had no problem transitioning to a good college player in Philly.
The Man to Draft: Kyle Lowry, I think the other two will be gone and this may be a reach pick for Lowry, and he may not be a pure point but his defensive intensity would be incredibly helpful to take pressure off AI so he can concentrate on what he is good at, putting the ball in the hole. Plus he is a Philly Boy and would love playing for the 76ers.
Pick #14 Utah Jazz
Glaring Needs: A Guard, preferably a shooting guard with some athleticism.
3 to Consider: 1) Ronnie Brewer, the best athlete available. 2) JJ Redick, doubtful he will still be on the board but Utah embraces White folk. 3) Quincy Douby, the Doubster is a flat out scorer in the Big East for a terrible team, a big reach but might be a nice fit.
The Man to Draft: Ronnie Brewer, slot him into the lineup next too Deron Williams and the Jazz now have a competitive back court to go with their strong front line.
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