[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]LaMarcus Aldridge 6-11 234 PF/C Texas So.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- At 6'11" and with a 7'5" wingspan, Aldridge has the size to play center, he just needs to add strength and toughness. He lacks the ceiling of Patrick O'Bryant, but he's a lot closer to being NBA ready offensively. Look for Aldridge to become a solid player with the potential to become an All Star. He's not the type of talent that can be a first option on a contender, but could become a solid piece for a team.
2. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Patrick O'Bryant 7-0 249 C Bradley So.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- O'Bryant is a GMs worst nightmare, he is either going to make a number of GMs look bad for passing on him or one for taking him. He's a pure upside pick, and due to his size and agility, he'd be tough to pass in the late lottery area. He has the physical tools to become a top 5 center in the league someday. But for now, he's a project, with nice touch and developing skills. He lacks a great understanding of the game, and his motivation level, toughness and aggressiveness come with concerns.
3. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Saer Sene 7-0 237 PF/C Sen. 1986[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Similar to O'Bryant, Sene has huge potential. Some scouts have compared him to a young Dikembe Motumbo, but right now he's a project, and unlikely to contribute much for a few years. Sene's incredible length (7'8" wingspan), explosiveness and mobility in the open floor make him very intriguing. He's still a ways from being ready to bring much to an NBA team, but in the right situation a team could land a gem after a few years of development.
4.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hilton Armstrong 6-11 235 C UConn Sr.[/FONT] -- Armstrong leap-frogged teammate Josh Boone on most draft boards with his steady play and improvements. He lacks a great offensive game, but showed solid improvements in his decision making and post skills. With great length and energy, he has shot blocking ability and runs the floor well. With an invite to the green room, look for Armstrong to find a spot in the top 20 of the draft.
5. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Paul Davis 6-10 260 PF/C Michigan St. Sr.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Davis should be a serviceable bigman in the league. No aspect of his game is flashy, but he has a solid jumpshot out to 18 feet and gives good effort. He lacks the quickness and athleticism to stand out, and has short arms but should be a solid pick in the early to mid second round.
6. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Eric Williams 6-8 285 PF/C Wake Forest Sr.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-- Williams lacks height, but has a tremendous wingspan allowing him to play like a 6'11" player. He's a beast inside who loves contact and gets a lot of rebounds due to his bruising style. He also racks up a great deal of fouls due to his great strength and aggressive style. Although he lacks great skills offensively, Williams has a set of attributes that few players posses. If Jahidi White can make it in the league, there's no reason Williams can't.
7. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]JP Batista 6-9 265 PF/C Gonzaga Sr.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Batista is a wide body with decent touch around the basket. His biggest drawback is his lack of foot speed, but he could fit in with a slow down half court type team like Utah. He's got the strength inside to bang with centers, but may struggle to stick in the league due to his lack of quickness/athleticism.
8.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Franz Steyn 7-1 280 C Southwest Baptist Sr.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Smith was unable to play at the pre-draft camp due to a injured wrist, but he came in looking slimmer than he appeared during the season, which is a plus. He's a wide body with excellent basketball IQ and skills. Smith lacks great height, and his speed is below average, but he has deceptive athletic ability and will have a real shot to stick in the league.
9. Paul Miller 6-9 251 C Wichita State Sr.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-- Miller is a nice shooter for a center but lacks the size and quickness to be much of a factor. Unlike Batista, he doesn't bring the same level of strength inside. Because of his size and quickness, look for Miller to end up playing overseas.
10.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Michael Southall 6-11 260 C LA-Lafayette Sr.[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] -- Southall is very long and athletic but lacks the skill level and decision making to become a top performer. His run ins with the law in high school linger in scouts minds, and his inability to stand out at the Orlando pre-draft camp means he likely goes undrafted.
Others:
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Martin Kohlmaier 7-2 254 C Austria 1984[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]| [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mohamed Kone 6-11 242 PF/C Valpo Sr. | [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Tang Zhengdong 7-1 286 C China 1984 [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Green Room Invites
Each year, the NBA takes a poll from teams to get an idea of which players should be invited to the green room in NYC for the NBA Draft. This list usually insures that the players will be taken in the lottery or have a solid chance to get in.
This year's 15 green room invitees were: LaMarcus Aldridge, Hilton Armstrong, Andrea Bargnani, Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney, Randy Foye, Rudy Gay, Adam Morrison, Patrick O'Bryant, JJ Redick, Brandon Roy, Cedric Simmons, Tyrus Thomas, [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marcus Williams, [/FONT]Shelden Williams.
Boston Likes Ronnie Brewer
There's a chance that Boston will select Ronnie Brewer at 7. Brewer worked out for Boston last week and they appear to be very high on him. The only problem is there figures to be a player that slips out of the top 5 into the Celtics lap, so Boston will really have to be high on Brewer to take him over a higher ranked player. There's also the chance that they will make a deal to move down a few spots and pick up a player or pick with the idea to select him in the 12-15 range.
Sleeper Alert
Providence point guard Donnie McGrath was not invited to any of the predraft camps, but has had some excellent workouts for teams. McGrath has matched up against a number of projected first rounders and held his own, even outperforming a few of them. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Some of those players include Maurice Ager, Mike Ganzey, Ronnie Brewer, Darius Washington and Guillermo Diaz.[/FONT] McGrath earned Second Team All Big East in maybe the top conference in the nation.
If McGrath goes undrafted, he'll have a shot to make a team as a true point guard with size, leadership and shooting abilities. He lacks stand out athleticism, but has shown the ability to defend quicker players in workouts.
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http://www.nbadraft.net/draftbuzz064.asp
http://www.nbadraft.net/2006positional.asp - top ten prospects
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