Chad Ford's 2006 Draft Board, Round 1
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| Draft History
View Prospects By: Top 100 | Name | Position | School/Country
Round:1 | 2
View Prospects By: Top 100 | Name | Position | School/Country
Round:1 | 2
| Chad Ford's 2006 Draft Board, Round 1 | ||||||
| TEAM | NAME | HT | WT | POS | SCHOOL | |
| 1 | Toronto | Andrea Bargnani | 7-1 | 248 | PF | Italy |
| We had Bargnani atop our first mock draft on lottery night and we have left him there throughout this entire process, despite much disagreement from other quarters. Why? Because Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo isn't afraid to go against the grain, and no one in the NBA knows Bargnani better. This is a great pick for the Raptors. Bargnani is ready to contribute now and he can play three positions on the floor. He will allow the Raptors to go big and fast like Phoenix with Chris Bosh at the five, Bargnani at the four, and Charlie Villanueva at the three. Colangelo has the Raptors back on the winning track. It will be interesting to see what he does this summer with his cap room. | ||||||
| 2 | Chicago (Traded to Portland) | LaMarcus Aldridge | 6-11 | 234 | PF | Texas |
| The Bulls selected Aldridge, but don't expect them to keep him. A league source told Insider late this afternoon that the Bulls will send Aldridge to the Blazers for the No. 4 pick and Viktor Khryapa. Most Blazers fans will go crazy when they find out that Portland passed on Adam Morrison, but I understand the inclination. Why spend millions of dollars on scouting to have the fans make your selection? They think Aldridge is the best player on the board and they might be right.
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| 3 | Charlotte | Adam Morrison | 6-8 | 198 | SF | Gonzaga |
| The Charlotte Bobcats had a tough choice here between Morrison, Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay. Gay has the most upside. Roy fits the biggest need. But Morrison has the star power and addresses the Bobcats' biggest need: scoring. Morrison has the killer instinct and leadership that the Bobcats crave. Let's just hope he doesn't give up more points than he scores. | ||||||
| 4 | Portland (Traded to Chicago) | Tyrus Thomas | 6-8 | 217 | PF | LSU |
| The Bulls traded down to get Tyrus Thomas and picked up Viktor Khryapa in the process. I think this is a great pick for the Bulls. Thomas has the most upside of anyone in the draft. Don't be surprised if the Bulls move Tyson Chandler now that Thomas is in the picture. And it's impossible to discount the possibility that this pick might be used as bait to get Kevin Garnett later this summer. | ||||||
| 5 | Atlanta | Shelden Williams | 6-9 | 258 | PF | Duke |
| We've known the Hawks were drafting Shelden Williams for weeks. It was a surprise back then and it's still a surprise. He does fit a need -- the Hawks need toughness, rebounding and shot-blocking. But the Hawks need everything except swingmen. I would've taken Brandon Roy here. A solid pick, but in five years, Williams won't be one of the Top 10 players in this draft class. | ||||||
| 6 | Minnesota (Traded to Portland) | Brandon Roy | 6-6 | 207 | SG | Washington |
| The Timberwolves are sending Roy to the Blazers for the draft rights to Randy Foye. The Blazers get the guy who has the inside track for Rookie of the Year. Roy is ready to play now and should step in as the Blazers starting two guard right away. He's going to be a popular pick for Portland. Not as popular as Adam Morrison, but in my mind, Roy was one of the four best players in the draft. | ||||||
| 7 | Boston (Traded to Portland, then Minnesota) | Randy Foye | 6-3 | 212 | SG | Villanova |
| The Blazers got this pick after trading Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff for Raef LaFrentz and the No. 7. Then they sent it to Minnesota for the draft rights to Brandon Roy. I like this pick for Minnesota. Foye can play both the one and the two and can play right away. He gives the Wolves a dynamic scorer in the backcourt to balance Kevin Garnett in the paint. | ||||||
| 8 | Houston (Traded to Memphis) | Rudy Gay | 6-8 | 222 | SF | Connecticut |
| The Rockets traded Gay and Stromile Swift to the Grizzlies for Shane Battier. I'm not a huge fan of this trade for Houston. They gave up a lot of talent for a guy who's a nice role player. I know Swift wasn't panning out, but the price was high to get rid of him. I'm surprised the Rockets didn't keep him. Gay was the consensus No. 1 pick early in the year, based on his size, athleticism and skill. He's a hard worker, and if he ever gets hungry, he could be awesome. The concern is that he?s a little soft and not aggressive enough. Overall, this was a nice trade for Memphis. | ||||||
| 9 | Golden State | Patrick O'Bryant | 7-0 | 249 | C | Bradley |
| The Warriors didn't workout O'Bryant until Tuesday. That's cutting it close. I love O'Bryant's potential and understand that the Warriors really need size in the middle. However, he's just not ready now. The Warriors have to make a move toward the playoffs. It seems as though they're always spinning their wheels with prospect. I like O'Bryant. I'm just not in love with the fit.
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| 10 | Seattle | Mouhamed Sene | 7-0 | 232 | C | Senegal |
| We heard this pick several days ago and it took us a little while to get comfortable with the idea of Sene going this high in the draft. The Sonics have taken two raw centers the last two years -- Robert Swift and Johan Petro. I think there is a real possibility that the Sonics move this pick. The Suns and Jazz have both been hot on the trail of Sene. Let's see what develops. Seems like every pick is up for trade at this point. | ||||||
| 11 | Orlando | J.J. Redick | 6-5 | 190 | SG | Duke |
| The Magic have been in love with Redick all year. They decided to ignore the back problems and DWI and take the guy who can shoot the lights out. I think the Magic should have taken Ronnie Brewer here. He's more versatile and a better defender and a better fit next to Jameer Nelson. But with Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic in the paint, Redick should get lots of open looks. | ||||||
| 12 | NO/Oklahoma City | Hilton Armstrong | 6-10 | 240 | C | Connecticut |
| The Hornets need a center in the worst way. It remains to be seen whether Armstrong was the right pick. He was very spotty in Connecticut. When he was good, he was pretty good. When he wasn't on, it was ugly. He has great size and good athleticism, but I'm not sure he's tough enough to play for Byron Scott. We're off to a 9-for-12 start in our Mock Draft version 5.3. | ||||||
| 13 | Philadelphia (Traded to Chicago) | Thabo Sefolosha | 6-6 | 215 | SF | Switzerland |
| We've had Sefolosha going to the Bulls for several weeks and they finally got their guy. The Bulls have traded the No. 16 to the Sixers for Sefolosha. They need a big two guard and Sefolosha is a great fit -- though, in my opinion, not as great as Ronnie Brewer. Sefolosha is very solid in every aspect of the game. He can shoot, play point forward, play defense and get up and down the floor. And he's ready to play now. | ||||||
| 14 | Utah | Ronnie Brewer | 6-7 | 220 | SG | Arkansas |
| The Jazz have to be thrilled. I have Brewer ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the draft. He's exactly what the Jazz need. He's a big, athletic two guard who can get to the basket and play great perimeter defense. He can play three positions on the floor, which is another bonus. He's not a great shooter, but I think he'll be a major contributor for the Jazz this year. After a series of bad drafts, the Jazz hit a home run here. | ||||||
| 15 | NO/Oklahoma City (via Bucks) | Cedric Simmons | 6-10 | 223 | PF | NC State |
| The Hornets grabbed their second big here and I think they need both of them. Armstrong will play center and Simmons is more of a four. This gives them a huge defensive boost in the paint. Put them with David West as a scoring four and the Hornets are looking much tougher next year. Now they just need to grab a two guard to pair in the backcourt with Chris Paul. Another solid draft for the Hornets.
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| 16 | Chicago (Traded to Philadelphia) | Rodney Carney | 6-6 | 204 | SF | Memphis |
| This pick is actually going to the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Thabo Sefalosha. Carney is one of the two or three best athletes in the draft. He flies up and down the floor and is fantastic in transition. He's also an excellent perimeter shooter and should fit in right away in Philly. The question is how much he "wants it." He's struggled to shake the soft label in his four years in Memphis. All considered, a nice pick.
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| 17 | Indiana | Shawne Williams | 6-9 | 227 | SF | Memphis |
| While I knew the Pacers liked him, I'm a little surprised here. Physically he's the prototypical small forward. He runs the floor, handles the ball and can shoot the three. But the word on Williams is that he lacks heart and basketball smarts. He disappears in big games. And given that the team drafted Danny Granger last year, I'm not sure how Williams fits. The Pacers needed a point guard, a scoring, penetrating guard and help in the middle. There were several prospects I thought were better fits -- Marcus Williams, Shannon Brown, Olexsiy Pecherov, and Alexander Johnson. | ||||||
| 18 | Washington | Oleksiy Pecherov | 6-11 | 222 | PF | Ukraine |
| The word was that the Wizards made a promise to Pecherov a while ago, so we knew this was coming. Pecherov is a talented player who reminds me a little of Keith Van Horn. He's big and he can rebound the ball. He can step out and hit a 3-pointer. A nice pick for the Wizards. He's probably a year or two away (and could actually stay in Paris another year), but I like this pick for the Wizards. With another year or two in Europe, he would've been a potential lottery pick. | ||||||
| 19 | Sacramento | Quincy Douby | 6-3 | 175 | SG | Rutgers |
| Here's a pretty big surprise. The Kings have missed Bobby Jackson and needed a guy who can shoot and penetrate. But given that they drafted Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia the last two years, I'm surprised that Douby is the guy. He's not a point guard so he's not going to back up Mike Bibby. I thought they'd go big with a player like Alexander Johnson or a guy who can play the point full-time like Rajon Rondo. | ||||||
| 20 | New York (via Nuggets) | Renaldo Balkman | 6-7 | 206 | SF | South Carolina |
| Renaldo Balkman? He plays with great energy and is a great athlete, but he averaged fewer than 10 points per game at South Carolina. No other team would've taken him in the first round. He has no skills other than running the floor -- think of a poor man's Darius Miles. He would've been a decent second round pick -- a guy who might have made a roster. Wow. | ||||||
| 21 | Phoenix (Traded to Boston) | Rajon Rondo | 6-2 | 171 | PG | Kentucky |
| It looks like this pick will go to the Celtics. Danny Ainge loved Rondo in the workouts and we knew for some time he was high on their list. All this will cost Ainge is some cash, so it's worth it for the Celtics. However, I'm surprised that the Celtics added both Rondo and Sebastian Telfair. It seems as though you wouldn't want two point guards who can't shoot. I've had Rondo ranked as the top point guard in the draft and I believe he'll end up being better than Telfair. | ||||||
| 22 | New Jersey (via Clippers) | Marcus Williams | 6-3 | 215 | PG | Connecticut |
| Great pick for the Nets. I think they preferred Rajon Rondo, but they end up getting the best pure point guard in the draft -- a guy who can play 15 to 20 minutes a night given Jason Kidd some much-needed rest. This was really a no-brainer for the Nets. Williams may be disappointed he didn't go higher, but it was his own fault. He was out of shape and had a sketchy background. But he ended up landing in an excellent situation. | ||||||
| 23 | New Jersey | Josh Boone | 6-10 | 237 | C | Connecticut |
| I'm not a huge fan of Josh Boone. However, he does have the skills the Nets want. He runs the floor, is active on the boards and blocks shots. But does he have the heart to help the Nets? That's the big question. His workouts were horrible, with numerous scouts saying he didn't really compete. If his attitude changes, he'll be a good pick. If it doesn't, I think the Nets made a big mistake passing on Alexander Johnson here. | ||||||
| 24 | Memphis | Kyle Lowry | 6-0 | 185 | PG | Villanova |
| Love this pick and love this draft for the Grizzlies. They lost Shane Battier and gained Rudy Gay, Stromile Swift and Lowry. Lowry's built like a NFL defensive back. He's a big-time defensive presence and really burns up the court. I like what Jerry West did here. He brought in Swift, who can play center, upgraded his athleticism at the three with a guy the Raptors seriously considered taking No. 1, and then juiced up their point guard position. I think the Grizzlies got three starters tonight. I expect West to get an "A" grade tonight -- the first one I've given him since he took over the Grizzlies. | ||||||
| 25 | Cleveland | Shannon Brown | 6-3 | 190 | SG | Michigan State |
| I love this pick for the Cavs. They have been keyed on Shannon Brown for a long time and thought there was no way he'd be there. Brown will give them a great penetrator and explosive athlete who can attack the basket or pull up for the 3-pointer. Put him on the floor with LeBron James and defenders are going to cower. Brown has the most potent combination of power and athleticism in the draft. I'm not sure he can play the point, but with Larry Hughes and LeBron James' ball-handling skills, he'll be fine. | ||||||
| 26 | LA Lakers (via Heat) | Jordan Farmar | 6-2 | 171 | PG | UCLA |
| Nice pick for the Lakers here. They needed a point guard who can make decisions and hit open shots. Farmar is a little turnover prone and a streaky shooter -- but when you're drafting this low in the draft, it's a nice pick. Not sure how much of an impact he will make this season, but he's a solid pick here. | ||||||
| 27 | Phoenix (Traded to Portland) | Sergio Rodriguez | 6-3 | 170 | PG | Spain |
| The Suns were high on Sergio Rodriguez, but I guess they're a little short on cash. It sounds like Portland is getting Rodriguez in the Blazers' fourth trade of the night. They needed a point guard to replace Sebastian Telfair and they get a kid who's called "Spanish Chocolate" in his home country. He's the second best pure point guard in the draft behind Marcus Williams. He may stay in Spain another year or come over. Either way, this is another good pick for the Blazers.
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| 28 | Dallas | Maurice Ager | 6-5 | 203 | SG | Michigan State |
| We've had Ager pegged to the Mavs for almost a month. He has a great combination of athleticism and shooting ability. If he were a few inches taller and were to improve his handle, he would have gone much higher. Nice pick late for the Mavs. | ||||||
| 29 | New York (via Spurs) | Mardy Collins | 6-6 | 224 | PG | Temple |
| Mardy Collins? He doesn't have a position, is a below average NBA athlete, and he can't shoot. And he's the Knicks' sixth combo guard. Let's just get it over with -- Isiah's getting an "F." | ||||||
| 30 | Portland (via Pistons) | Joel Freeland | 7-0 | 225 | PF | England |
| Just missed this one. I had Freeland here on Monday. He came out of nowhere. He was bagging groceries for a living three years ago. He's played competitive basketball just one year. He never watched an NBA game until this year. He reminds me of a taller version of David Lee. He'll stay in Europe for a couple of years and then we'll see if he develops.
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