Chad Ford's 2007 Draft Board, Round 1

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Chad Ford's 2007 Draft Board, Round 1
PICKTEAMNAMEHTWTPOSSCHOOL
1PortlandGreg Oden7-0257COhio State
He's been atop our Top 100 since last July and has never moved. He's the best player in the draft when you factor in position, defensive presence, ability to become an offensive force. Kevin Durant was a hot option, too. But the Blazers are on the path to an NBA title with Oden, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Look for them to trade Zach Randolph soon to continue the rebuilding.

2SeattleKevin Durant6-10215SFTexas
The easiest pick in the draft. Durant is one of the most amazing scorers we've ever seen in a big man. He also can rebound and plays with amazing intensity. He's going to be the most entertaining guy to watch in the draft. He'll lead a revival in Seattle alongside new GM Sam Presti and the guy who the Sonics will take at No. 5 -- Jeff Green.

3AtlantaAl Horford6-10246PFFlorida
He's the third best player in the draft, so you can't fault the Hawks here. He's better than any other power forward they have. He could be a poor man's Karl Malone. The Hawks did need a point guard, and I think Mike Conley was worth the No. 3 pick in the draft, so I would've taken Conley. But -- unlike Shelden Williams last year -- this isn't a bad pick.

4MemphisMike Conley6-1175PGOhio State
Conley is the best point guard in the draft and the Grizzlies needed a point guard, so it's a good pick. Put him on the floor with Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Rudy Gay and the Grizzlies will be much better next year. I'm not sure they're a playoff team, but they will be respectable.

5Boston (Traded to Seattle)Jeff Green6-10228SFGeorgetown
The Celtics traded the No. 5 pick, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak to the Sonics for Ray Allen. Green has been one of the hottest names in the draft the past few weeks. Some scouts say he has a chance to be a Scottie Pippen-like player in the pros. He's a great passer and very versatile. He may be the perfect wingman for Kevin Durant.

6MilwaukeeYi Jianlian7-0246PFChina
Milwaukee's going to have a fight on their hands. Yi's representatives are saying that he won't play in Milwaukee and will try to force a trade. The Bucks know it's an uphill battle, but felt he was the best talent left on the board and say they want to keep him. I'll say this -- it took a lot of courage for the Bucks to do what they did. We'll see how it turns out.

7MinnesotaCorey Brewer6-8185SGFlorida
The Wolves didn't get KG traded, but they did grab one of the most versatile players in the draft. He's an amazing defender and an emerging offensive force. He can play at the 2 or 3, but most likely will be in the backcourt with Randy Foye.

8Charlotte (Traded to Golden State)Brandan Wright6-10200PFNorth Carolina
[Traded to Golden State] It appears that the Bobcats have traded this pick to Golden State for Jason Richardson. Michael Jordan has been saying for weeks that he didn't want a rookie but wanted an established player who could help put the Bobcats in the playoffs. Richardson is coming off a great playoff run for the Warriors and fits a big need for the Bobcats at the 2. For the Warriors, the deal clears cap room, rids the team of a logjam at the 2 and gives them a young, athletic 4 to pair in the frontcourt with Andris Biedrins.

9Chicago (from New York)Joakim Noah7-0223PFFlorida
The Bulls have been after Noah for awhile. Though he doesn't fit a need, he does fit the system. He plays with the energy that Bulls head coach Scott Skiles demands. I'm not sure they can play him and Ben Wallace together, but as Wallace gets older, he'll be a good replacement.

10SacramentoSpencer Hawes7-1244CWashington
Hawes is basically Brad Miller Jr. He's a great offensive player in the post and an excellent passer. And he's pretty tough. But he doesn't rebound and he's not a great athlete. He's not ready yet, but down the road, he has a chance to be a good, though not great, center.

11Atlanta (from Indiana)Acie Law6-4186PGTexas A&M
The Hawks finally select a point guard. Law is fearless and ready to play now. I don't think he'll be a star, but he'll be an important part of this team ... unless the team trades this pick. The Hawks have spoken with several teams about trading for a veteran. So we'll see.

12PhiladelphiaThaddeus Young6-8210SFGeorgia Tech
This is a small surprise. On talent, Young may have had the most upside of anyone left on the board. He isn't ready yet, but he is an excellent athlete, an emerging shooter and a hard worker. He should be a great complement to Andre Iguodala.

13NO/Oklahoma CityJulian Wright6-9211SFKansas
I love Julian Wright. I think he's been underrated all year -- he does so many things well. He's not a great shooter, but he's a guy who makes teams better. He'll be very good running the floor with Chris Paul. I'm a little surprised they passed on Nick Young, who fit a need, but Wright was the best player left on the board.

14LA ClippersAl Thornton6-7221SFFlorida State
Interesting pick for the Clippers. He's kind of like Corey Maggette, which means it's far from a good fit. He doesn't have a great basketball IQ, but he is the second-best athlete in the draft. And they will love the energy he plays with. A wrist injury may have hurt his stock a bit.

15Detroit (from Orlando)Rodney Stuckey6-5207SGEastern Wash.
We had Stuckey in every mock draft. Stuckey is an excellent combo guard who put pressure on the defense. He's kind of like Randy Foye. With Lindsey Hunter nearly ready to hang it up, Stuckey will eventually fill his role. He'll be a great fit in Detroit.

16WashingtonNick Young6-7206SGUSC
Really good value here. The Wizards needed a potent 2 guard to pair with Gilbert Arenas in the backcourt. Young was a little underrated, and he should thrive in the Wizards run-and-gun offense.

17New JerseySean Williams6-10230CBoston College
I know there's a risk because of character issues, but this is a great pick for the Nets. Williams delivers exactly what the Nets need -- athleticism, size, shot-blocking, rebounding and toughness. If he had stayed out of trouble, he would've been a lottery pick.

18Golden StateMarco Belinelli6-6200SGItaly
Belinelli is one of the best shooters in the draft. He has good size, a lot of athleticism and deep, deep range on his jump shooter. He lit up Team USA last year. In terms of style of play, this is a great fit for the Warriors, though they seem to have a logjam at that position.

19LA LakersJavaris Crittenton6-5194PGGeorgia Tech
Crittenton is a good fit in L.A. He's a big, physical point guard who can shoot the ball. Phil Jackson likes players like Crittenton. The problem is that he's a few years away from being a major contributor. I'm sure Kobe is thrilled.

20Miami (Traded to Philadelphia)Jason Smith7-0233PFColorado State
The Sixers were eyeing Smith at No. 12. They love his combination of size and athleticism, and they have a gaping hole at power forward. The team got nervous that the Heat would select Smith, so they swapped picks with the Heat and it looks like it cost them some cash -- a small price to pay for the guy they wanted.

21Philadelphia (from Denver; Traded to Miami)Daequan Cook6-6203SGOhio State
[Traded to Miami] The Heat swapped picks with the Sixers and will end up with Cook. The team knows it needs athleticism and Cook helps in that department. He's also an excellent shooter. But Cook is not ready to help right now. He doesn't have strong ball-handling skills or much of a midrange game. So I'm not sure how well he fits behind Dwyane Wade and Dorell Wright.

22Charlotte (from Toronto through Cleveland)Jared Dudley6-7219SFBoston College
I can see why Jordan likes this guy. He plays hard. He plays with passion. He has a great basketball IQ. He doesn't do anything great, but he knows how to play, and his shooting has improved. But I do wonder how well he fits on a team with Walter Herrmann and Adam Morrison.

23New York (from Chicago)Wilson Chandler6-8230SFDePaul
The Renaldo Balkman pick shocked us last year. We weren't going to get caught off-guard again ... and were the first to report Chandler to the Knicks several weeks ago. Chandler is an excellent athlete and has good size. But he doesn't have a great motor and was just a so-so college player. Should be a better player in the pros.

24Phoenix (from Cleveland through Boston; Traded to Portland)Rudy Fernandez6-6172SGSpain
The Suns, for the fourth straight year, have traded or sold their pick. Maybe they should just dump their entire scouting department. Last year the Blazers bought the Suns' pick late in the first round and took a player from Spain, Sergio Rodriguez. This year they get another Spanish sensation, Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez is a really good value here. He is athletic, can play both guard positions and has become an excellent shooter. He had a fantastic year in Spain last year. He has some contract issues that may keep him out of the NBA for a few years. But long term, this could be a great pickup for the Blazers.

25UtahMorris Almond6-6215SGRice
The Jazz wanted shooting, and they got the guy who is arguably the best shooter in the draft. But what happens to last year's lottery pick, Ronnie Brewer?

26HoustonAaron Brooks6-0161PGOregon
Brooks is the first real surprise of the draft. He has great quickness and can score the ball, but he is undersized and plays out of control at times. More importantly, how does he fit in Houston? With Mike James, Rafer Alston and Luther Head on the roster, Brooks will be stuck at the end of the bench.

27DetroitArron Afflalo6-5210SGUCLA
Afflalo is a Joe Dumars type of player -- a tough, hard-nosed guard who plays great defense and has a nice midrange game. But Afflalo isn't a great athlete, and I wonder how he'll fit on the roster with the Pistons drafting another guard, Rodney Stuckey, at No. 15.

28San AntonioTiago Splitter7-0240PFBrazil
Great pick for the Spurs. They get a guy who would've gone 10 to 15 picks higher had he been able to come to the NBA right away this year. The Spurs have to wait a year, but when they get him, they'll get a big man who can play in the middle for the next 10 years. Splitter won't be a star, but he'll be a solid pro.

29PhoenixAlando Tucker6-5205SFWisconsin
Suns were looking at several point guards, so it's surprising to see them pass on guys like Gabe Pruitt for Tucker. He has great experience and can play now, but he can't shoot -- and that seems to be a prerequisite to play for Mike D'Antoni.

30Philadelphia (from Dallas through Denver and Golden State; Traded to Portland)Petteri Koponen6-4194PGFinland
The Blazers have coveted Kopnen for a while and got him by purchasing another first-round pick. He's a few years away, but he's got a great upside.