Breakdown of the players/teams: The players in bold lettering is my opinion on who they will draft.
1. Houston- They are in the lottery for the last time, as long as injuries don’t happen. Francis is a great PG. Mobley is a very good SG. Rookie Eddie Griffin is going to be a very good PF. C and SF are needs. Cato is still developing, and Houston might be getting sick and tired of waiting for him. They won the lottery and now have many options, trade down for Butler, pick Ming, etc. Both players would be great for Houston. Houston needs a Center, and a Center with Ming’s size and skills are rare. Ming would really be good for Houston. Houston has the talent to pull a 180 degree turn from last season. They are lethal, and could surprise many teams next year.
Franchise Players: Steve Francis, Eddie Griffin
Position Needed: C, SF
Players in Draft: Yao Ming, Caron Butler
2. Chicago Bulls- Chicago gambled on Curry and Chandler last season, bringing in more youth. Then they traded for veteran Jalen Rose. ERob was injured for most of the season, as was Jamal Crawford. Curry and Chandler showed steady improvements, and both had great months in April. In April, we saw Jamal come back, and wow us with his shooting touch. He still has a long way to come, but it was a promising sign. The jury is still out on whether or not Crawford is a PG or a SG. . ERob is a SF and isn't a SG. Chandler needs to hit the weights. The Bulls need another veteran or an NBA-Ready player, like last year’s Battier and Gasol. Williams would be that player. Ready to make a contribution right away. He is going to be a great PG, whether or not some people belive it. Chicago will draft Williams if he’s there....if not, Ming or Butler, possibly Dunleavy.
Franchise Players: Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler
Position Needed: PG, SG, backup C
Players in draft: Jay Williams, Yao Ming, Caron Butler
3. Golden State Warriors- This team has the talent, but just couldn’t put it together, then, to make it worse, they end up with the 3rd pick, looking outside of the Jay Williams sweepstakes.. Jason Richardson is going to be a great SG. The Warriors have Jamison linked up for long term. Arenas and Murphy were great picks, and will be in Warriors Uni’s for awhile, IMO. They need a PG, if Arenas can’t handle it, but he did well for hem last year, and a more dominate C. Jamison and Fortson do not compliment each other....meaning one needs to go. Fortson will go before Jamison, so I expect the Warriors to shop Fortson around for another mid-to late 1st. Then they can move Jamison to PF, he plays much better their. This team needs some leadership. Tawn must step up here. J Rich should continue to improve on last season, and I look for him to have a breakout season(I know its early, but...)
Franchise Players: Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison
Position Needed: C, PG, SF- Move Tawn to PF
Players in draft: Drew Gooden, Caron Butler, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
4. Memphis Grizzlies- This team is going to get better, especially after Jerry West took over. Whether or not you like it, Jason Williams(W.C.) is there PG- he’s locked up with an extension. West likes him too. Knight is a great backup PG also. Dickerson is there SG for now and the future, as he is locked up too. Battier will get PT at SG and SF. Gasol, Battier, and Swift will fight over PT at the F spot. They have depth there. They need a C. Wright is good, but in the west, you need all the big men you can get. Memphis could trade the pick, which I can see happening, because of their need for a C, and no Center besides Ming is worthy of a top 3 pick. West has become enamored with Dunleavy, and rumor is they will draft him.
Franchise Players: Gasol
Position Needed: C, BPA
Players in draft: Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
5. Denver- After the trade with Dallas, they are in desperate need for backcourt help. Hardaway is getting old. McDyess and Howard are their F’s. C is another concern. This team has many holes to fill. One draft won’t get it done, and I can see them in the LeBron sweepstakes next year. They will be looking at the BPA, but I can see them going for G’s, their main need. The one bit of good news is they also have Dallas’ 1st rounder, which should be good in a deep draft.
Franchise Players: Antonio McDyess
Position Needed: Young PG, SG, SF
Players in Draft: Dajaun Wagner, Qyntel Woods, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
6. Cleveland Cavs- The only reason the Cavs aren’t worse than they are is because of Andre Miller, a top 5 PG in the NBA, IMO. Now management is having thoughts of not re-signing him. I’d hate to see how the Cavs would have been if they didn’t have Andre Miller. The fact that he averaged 10 apg on a team that has no real talent is amazing. They are set at PG, if they re-sign him next year. Ricky Davis came alive in April, averaging 20 ppg. They want to re-sign him. Last year they gambled on Diop, an athletic C, but is very raw. This team needs athleticism, especially up front. They need to get a player ready to contribute, if they want to try to re-sign Miller. Another possibility is trading Miller to a team that has a high enough pick to select Jay Williams, like Chicago. This would buy the Cavs some time to get cap room.
Franchise Player: Andre Miller
Team Needs: Athleticism, BPA, PF
Players in Draft: Caron Butler, Chris Wilcox, Maybyner Hilario
7. New York Knicks- This team surprised many teams by being in the lottery. After re-signing Houston to a terrible, max contract, cap room won’t happen for many years. GM Scott Layden has said he will do anything to get Ming. Whether or not this happens, remains to be seen. The Knicks need frontcourt help and a PG. Houston and Spreewell are set at SG/SF because of contracts. The Knicks would love to move Camby to PF. I agree Camby needs to be at PF, he hasn’t done very well against the bigger C’s. I expect them to draft frontcourt help, as they need a big body, banging player in the paint.
Franchise Players: Allan Houston, Latrell Spreewell
Team Needs: Frontcourt help, PG
Players in Draft: Chris Wilcox, Cutis Borchardt, Maybyner Hilario
8. Los Angeles Clippers: LA has 2 lottery picks, plus Kandi becoming a FA, and next years FA’s: Odom. Brand, and Maggette. What this means is Sterling will have to pony up the cash, or lose everyone. I can see Sterling OVERPAYING for a PG Like Gary Payton or Andre Miller. Like Dooling, and the 2 1sts for GP or Miller. What this does for the Clipz is save about 6 million dollars in rookie contracts. While GP makes more money, he is a FA in 2 years(?), meaning Sterling will have money to re-sign Miles and Q. Whether or not this happens, the Clipz will have some tough decisions on how to address their own FA’s. Odom, Miles, Q, Maggette, Pike will all be fighting over PT at the 2/3 spots. That is too clogged. The Clipz are young and talented, and will be fun to watch.
Franchise Players: Elton Brand, Lamar Odom
Team Needs: backup C, backup PF, PG
Players in Draft: Maybyner Hilario, Amare Stoudemire, Nickoloz Tskitishvili, Curtis Borchardt
9. Phoenix Suns- The Suns dealt Kidd for Marbury. The Nets enjoyed success, the Suns are in the lottery. Judge for yourself who won that trade. The Suns are set at PG with Marbury, SG with Penny and Joe Johnson, and SF with Shawn Marion. C Jake has improved. The Suns need a PF. This is a desperate need for them, since they are in the west. Last season was full of struggles, as the Suns tried to adjust to a new PG. Now with that season done, they look forward to a new, promising season.
Franchise Players: Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury
Team Needs: PF
Players in Draft: Nickoloz Tskitishvili, Amare Stoudemire
10. Miami Heat: They struggles early, but nearly pulled off a miracle, almost making the playoffs. The team is surrounded by rumors of Grant possibly being traded. Lets assume he isn’t going to be traded. Some youth upfront is needed, but they are solid upfront, especially since they are in the east. PG is a ? mark. At SG is Eddie Jones, a good veteran player. They could use a SF as well. Riley is a stickler for defense, and Woods hasn’t impressed scouts with his defense.
Franchise Players: Alonzo Mouring, Eddie Jones
Team Needs: SF, PG, Youth upfront
Players in Draft: Jared Jeffries, Qyntel Woods
11. Washington Wizards: Last season they gambled on HSer Kwame Brown. This year, they will draft a big SF to help against the Harrington‘s, Garnett‘s, etc.. MJ is getting old, and they will push for one more run with him. He was exposed against taller SF’s. The Wizards coach, Doug Collins, had said he wants to have MJ as a SG next season, if he’s back. RIP proved he can be consistent. Kwame struggled, but got irregular minutes. Haywood did fine, until he hit the rookie wall. PG is of need as well. Expect them to address that in the 2nd round(Marcus Taylor).
Franchise Players: Kwame Brown, Richard Hamilton
Team Needs: A big SF, PG, more size
Players in draft: Qyntel Woods, Frank Williams, Amare Stoudemire
12. Los Angeles Clippers- Again, they have another pick. Same team needs as before. They will most likely draft BPA here. They could also surprise people by drafting Frank Williams here.
Players in Draft: Curtis Borchadt, Frank Williams
13. Milwaukee Bucks- This team was supposed to be a contender for the finals, especially after signing Mason to help out in the paint. The Bucks never were on the same page during the regular season, and find themselves looking at a lottery pick. Mason isn’t the answer at PF. Tim Thomas is getting tired of the bench, he needs to start. The Bucks should look at exploring the idea of trading Glenn Robinson for a PF or C. Cassell and Allen make a nice backcourt, one with firepower, one with the lights-out shooting mentality. Tim Thomas and Glenn Robinson can score. Their bench is fairly deep, with Ham, Redd, Thomas, Anthony. They should look at drafting a PF or C.
Franchise Players: Ray Allen
Team Needs: PF, C
Players in Draft: Amare Stoudemire, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haslip
14. Indiana Pacers- The Pacers have a lot of young, talent. Brad Miller was a major addition to the team, because it allow Jermaine O’Neal to move to PF, where he had a great season. Al Harrington also made major improvements, until he was injured. Artest, Mercer, and Miller provide the much needed scoring in the backcourt, while rookie Jamaal Tinsley ran the team. Miller is getting old, and the Pacers should consider finding a backup who can shoot like Miller. Artest will bring the defense. This team next year should make more noise in the playoffs. They were young and inexperienced this year(excluding R. Miller). Next year, they will be ready.
Franchise Players: Jermaine O’Neal, Al Harrington
Team Needs: A heir to Reggie Miller, backup PG, backup C(move Foster to backup PF)
Players in Draft: Kareem Rush, Frank Williams,
15. Houston Rockets- They will most likely get their C with their 1st pick, meaning their 1, 2, 4, 5 should be set. They need help at SF. The Rockets would love Bostjan Nachbar here. Same needs as above.
Players in Draft: Bostjan Nachbar, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haslip(the latter 2 picks would then force Griffin to SF)
16. Philadelphia 76ers- The 6ers made major off-season moves last year. The result was a 1st round playoff exit. The backcourt of Snow/Iverson is good, but is the relationship between AI and Coach Brown good? Some say yes, some say no. Anyways, AI will be in Philadelphia. AI is the heart and soul of the team, but he needs some much needed scoring help. The 76ers should consider bringing back Larry Hughes, a slashing SG. Maybe AI and Hughes can make this work, now that they have matured some. DC and Deke aren’t getting any younger. Dalemburt, last year’s 1st rounder, hasn’t contributed much, but is a monstrous shot blocker. The 6ers should look for some youth and athleticism upfront, and maybe a scorer.
Franchise Players: Allen Iverson
Team Needs: Youth upfront, scorer
Players in Draft: Marcus Haslip, Melvin Ely, Rod Grizzard
1. Houston- They are in the lottery for the last time, as long as injuries don’t happen. Francis is a great PG. Mobley is a very good SG. Rookie Eddie Griffin is going to be a very good PF. C and SF are needs. Cato is still developing, and Houston might be getting sick and tired of waiting for him. They won the lottery and now have many options, trade down for Butler, pick Ming, etc. Both players would be great for Houston. Houston needs a Center, and a Center with Ming’s size and skills are rare. Ming would really be good for Houston. Houston has the talent to pull a 180 degree turn from last season. They are lethal, and could surprise many teams next year.
Franchise Players: Steve Francis, Eddie Griffin
Position Needed: C, SF
Players in Draft: Yao Ming, Caron Butler
2. Chicago Bulls- Chicago gambled on Curry and Chandler last season, bringing in more youth. Then they traded for veteran Jalen Rose. ERob was injured for most of the season, as was Jamal Crawford. Curry and Chandler showed steady improvements, and both had great months in April. In April, we saw Jamal come back, and wow us with his shooting touch. He still has a long way to come, but it was a promising sign. The jury is still out on whether or not Crawford is a PG or a SG. . ERob is a SF and isn't a SG. Chandler needs to hit the weights. The Bulls need another veteran or an NBA-Ready player, like last year’s Battier and Gasol. Williams would be that player. Ready to make a contribution right away. He is going to be a great PG, whether or not some people belive it. Chicago will draft Williams if he’s there....if not, Ming or Butler, possibly Dunleavy.
Franchise Players: Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler
Position Needed: PG, SG, backup C
Players in draft: Jay Williams, Yao Ming, Caron Butler
3. Golden State Warriors- This team has the talent, but just couldn’t put it together, then, to make it worse, they end up with the 3rd pick, looking outside of the Jay Williams sweepstakes.. Jason Richardson is going to be a great SG. The Warriors have Jamison linked up for long term. Arenas and Murphy were great picks, and will be in Warriors Uni’s for awhile, IMO. They need a PG, if Arenas can’t handle it, but he did well for hem last year, and a more dominate C. Jamison and Fortson do not compliment each other....meaning one needs to go. Fortson will go before Jamison, so I expect the Warriors to shop Fortson around for another mid-to late 1st. Then they can move Jamison to PF, he plays much better their. This team needs some leadership. Tawn must step up here. J Rich should continue to improve on last season, and I look for him to have a breakout season(I know its early, but...)
Franchise Players: Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison
Position Needed: C, PG, SF- Move Tawn to PF
Players in draft: Drew Gooden, Caron Butler, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
4. Memphis Grizzlies- This team is going to get better, especially after Jerry West took over. Whether or not you like it, Jason Williams(W.C.) is there PG- he’s locked up with an extension. West likes him too. Knight is a great backup PG also. Dickerson is there SG for now and the future, as he is locked up too. Battier will get PT at SG and SF. Gasol, Battier, and Swift will fight over PT at the F spot. They have depth there. They need a C. Wright is good, but in the west, you need all the big men you can get. Memphis could trade the pick, which I can see happening, because of their need for a C, and no Center besides Ming is worthy of a top 3 pick. West has become enamored with Dunleavy, and rumor is they will draft him.
Franchise Players: Gasol
Position Needed: C, BPA
Players in draft: Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
5. Denver- After the trade with Dallas, they are in desperate need for backcourt help. Hardaway is getting old. McDyess and Howard are their F’s. C is another concern. This team has many holes to fill. One draft won’t get it done, and I can see them in the LeBron sweepstakes next year. They will be looking at the BPA, but I can see them going for G’s, their main need. The one bit of good news is they also have Dallas’ 1st rounder, which should be good in a deep draft.
Franchise Players: Antonio McDyess
Position Needed: Young PG, SG, SF
Players in Draft: Dajaun Wagner, Qyntel Woods, Nickoloz Tskitishvili
6. Cleveland Cavs- The only reason the Cavs aren’t worse than they are is because of Andre Miller, a top 5 PG in the NBA, IMO. Now management is having thoughts of not re-signing him. I’d hate to see how the Cavs would have been if they didn’t have Andre Miller. The fact that he averaged 10 apg on a team that has no real talent is amazing. They are set at PG, if they re-sign him next year. Ricky Davis came alive in April, averaging 20 ppg. They want to re-sign him. Last year they gambled on Diop, an athletic C, but is very raw. This team needs athleticism, especially up front. They need to get a player ready to contribute, if they want to try to re-sign Miller. Another possibility is trading Miller to a team that has a high enough pick to select Jay Williams, like Chicago. This would buy the Cavs some time to get cap room.
Franchise Player: Andre Miller
Team Needs: Athleticism, BPA, PF
Players in Draft: Caron Butler, Chris Wilcox, Maybyner Hilario
7. New York Knicks- This team surprised many teams by being in the lottery. After re-signing Houston to a terrible, max contract, cap room won’t happen for many years. GM Scott Layden has said he will do anything to get Ming. Whether or not this happens, remains to be seen. The Knicks need frontcourt help and a PG. Houston and Spreewell are set at SG/SF because of contracts. The Knicks would love to move Camby to PF. I agree Camby needs to be at PF, he hasn’t done very well against the bigger C’s. I expect them to draft frontcourt help, as they need a big body, banging player in the paint.
Franchise Players: Allan Houston, Latrell Spreewell
Team Needs: Frontcourt help, PG
Players in Draft: Chris Wilcox, Cutis Borchardt, Maybyner Hilario
8. Los Angeles Clippers: LA has 2 lottery picks, plus Kandi becoming a FA, and next years FA’s: Odom. Brand, and Maggette. What this means is Sterling will have to pony up the cash, or lose everyone. I can see Sterling OVERPAYING for a PG Like Gary Payton or Andre Miller. Like Dooling, and the 2 1sts for GP or Miller. What this does for the Clipz is save about 6 million dollars in rookie contracts. While GP makes more money, he is a FA in 2 years(?), meaning Sterling will have money to re-sign Miles and Q. Whether or not this happens, the Clipz will have some tough decisions on how to address their own FA’s. Odom, Miles, Q, Maggette, Pike will all be fighting over PT at the 2/3 spots. That is too clogged. The Clipz are young and talented, and will be fun to watch.
Franchise Players: Elton Brand, Lamar Odom
Team Needs: backup C, backup PF, PG
Players in Draft: Maybyner Hilario, Amare Stoudemire, Nickoloz Tskitishvili, Curtis Borchardt
9. Phoenix Suns- The Suns dealt Kidd for Marbury. The Nets enjoyed success, the Suns are in the lottery. Judge for yourself who won that trade. The Suns are set at PG with Marbury, SG with Penny and Joe Johnson, and SF with Shawn Marion. C Jake has improved. The Suns need a PF. This is a desperate need for them, since they are in the west. Last season was full of struggles, as the Suns tried to adjust to a new PG. Now with that season done, they look forward to a new, promising season.
Franchise Players: Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury
Team Needs: PF
Players in Draft: Nickoloz Tskitishvili, Amare Stoudemire
10. Miami Heat: They struggles early, but nearly pulled off a miracle, almost making the playoffs. The team is surrounded by rumors of Grant possibly being traded. Lets assume he isn’t going to be traded. Some youth upfront is needed, but they are solid upfront, especially since they are in the east. PG is a ? mark. At SG is Eddie Jones, a good veteran player. They could use a SF as well. Riley is a stickler for defense, and Woods hasn’t impressed scouts with his defense.
Franchise Players: Alonzo Mouring, Eddie Jones
Team Needs: SF, PG, Youth upfront
Players in Draft: Jared Jeffries, Qyntel Woods
11. Washington Wizards: Last season they gambled on HSer Kwame Brown. This year, they will draft a big SF to help against the Harrington‘s, Garnett‘s, etc.. MJ is getting old, and they will push for one more run with him. He was exposed against taller SF’s. The Wizards coach, Doug Collins, had said he wants to have MJ as a SG next season, if he’s back. RIP proved he can be consistent. Kwame struggled, but got irregular minutes. Haywood did fine, until he hit the rookie wall. PG is of need as well. Expect them to address that in the 2nd round(Marcus Taylor).
Franchise Players: Kwame Brown, Richard Hamilton
Team Needs: A big SF, PG, more size
Players in draft: Qyntel Woods, Frank Williams, Amare Stoudemire
12. Los Angeles Clippers- Again, they have another pick. Same team needs as before. They will most likely draft BPA here. They could also surprise people by drafting Frank Williams here.
Players in Draft: Curtis Borchadt, Frank Williams
13. Milwaukee Bucks- This team was supposed to be a contender for the finals, especially after signing Mason to help out in the paint. The Bucks never were on the same page during the regular season, and find themselves looking at a lottery pick. Mason isn’t the answer at PF. Tim Thomas is getting tired of the bench, he needs to start. The Bucks should look at exploring the idea of trading Glenn Robinson for a PF or C. Cassell and Allen make a nice backcourt, one with firepower, one with the lights-out shooting mentality. Tim Thomas and Glenn Robinson can score. Their bench is fairly deep, with Ham, Redd, Thomas, Anthony. They should look at drafting a PF or C.
Franchise Players: Ray Allen
Team Needs: PF, C
Players in Draft: Amare Stoudemire, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haslip
14. Indiana Pacers- The Pacers have a lot of young, talent. Brad Miller was a major addition to the team, because it allow Jermaine O’Neal to move to PF, where he had a great season. Al Harrington also made major improvements, until he was injured. Artest, Mercer, and Miller provide the much needed scoring in the backcourt, while rookie Jamaal Tinsley ran the team. Miller is getting old, and the Pacers should consider finding a backup who can shoot like Miller. Artest will bring the defense. This team next year should make more noise in the playoffs. They were young and inexperienced this year(excluding R. Miller). Next year, they will be ready.
Franchise Players: Jermaine O’Neal, Al Harrington
Team Needs: A heir to Reggie Miller, backup PG, backup C(move Foster to backup PF)
Players in Draft: Kareem Rush, Frank Williams,
15. Houston Rockets- They will most likely get their C with their 1st pick, meaning their 1, 2, 4, 5 should be set. They need help at SF. The Rockets would love Bostjan Nachbar here. Same needs as above.
Players in Draft: Bostjan Nachbar, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haslip(the latter 2 picks would then force Griffin to SF)
16. Philadelphia 76ers- The 6ers made major off-season moves last year. The result was a 1st round playoff exit. The backcourt of Snow/Iverson is good, but is the relationship between AI and Coach Brown good? Some say yes, some say no. Anyways, AI will be in Philadelphia. AI is the heart and soul of the team, but he needs some much needed scoring help. The 76ers should consider bringing back Larry Hughes, a slashing SG. Maybe AI and Hughes can make this work, now that they have matured some. DC and Deke aren’t getting any younger. Dalemburt, last year’s 1st rounder, hasn’t contributed much, but is a monstrous shot blocker. The 6ers should look for some youth and athleticism upfront, and maybe a scorer.
Franchise Players: Allen Iverson
Team Needs: Youth upfront, scorer
Players in Draft: Marcus Haslip, Melvin Ely, Rod Grizzard
