Category: NBA (Page 538 of 595)

The NBA Draft has officially started with the Toronto Raptors selecting Andrea Barnani from Italy. Barnani is the first international player selected No. 1 overall in NBA history. He has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki, but others have called him a “one trick pony” as well.

The overall analysis from ESPN is that Barnani will be more effective in years three and four in the NBA, rather than being an immediate option right away. He is a pure shooter who apparently struggles playing defense and isn’t a strong rebounder either.

However, with the recent addition of Rasho Nesterovic, Barnani won’t be forced to play right away.

The No.1 pick in the NBA Draft is yet to be announced, but that doesn’t mean the action hasn’t started yet. ESPN.com is reporting that the Portland Trailblazers have agreed to a deal to send PG Sebastian Telfair to Boston for the No. 7 overall selection.

The Boston Celtics acquired second-year Portland Trail Blazers point guard Sebastian Telfair, center Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick for the No. 7 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft, as well as forward Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

The trade was agreed upon Wednesday afternoon but it came after the 2 p.m. ET deadline which means the Celtics will still be on the clock, selecting for the Blazers, when the No. 7 pick comes up during the draft.

Portland will pick at No. 4 and No. 7, barring any more trades.

Apparently, the Celtics were not thrilled with the point guard options at the seven spot in the draft. Telfair became expandable in Portland after missing most of last season with a thumb injury. Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack took over for Telfair during his absence and played well enough for the Trail Blazers to part with the young guard.

There also have been reports that the Celtics are actively seeking a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for Allen Iverson.

The draft is tonight and, at this point, nothing is for certain. Usually teams with the #1 pick have tipped their hand by now, but the Raptors are still keeping people (or is it themselves?) guessing. It’s tough to predict what will happen tonight with any kind of certainty, but here’s what each team in the Top 6 should do, and what I think they will do:

1. Toronto Raptors

Who they should take: The Raptors have needs everywhere but the front line. They can play Bosh at center, but they’d rather not. They can play Charlie Villanueva at small forward, but they’d rather not. There is a dearth of talent on this squad and new GM Bryan Colangelo should probably take the best available player. They think it’s Andrea Bargnani, while I’d prefer Adam Morrison or Brandon Roy. Of course, I haven’t seen Bargnani play – the Raptors have.

Who they will take: Andrea Bargnani. They’d much rather trade down and get him later (while picking up an asset), but no one really wants to trade up, and they think he’s their guy.

2. Chicago Bulls

Who they should take: Again, I love Morrison and Roy, but the Bulls don’t really have a need at those positions. They could take either guy and move some of their other players for frontcourt help. Given their needs, they should take LaMarcus Aldridge – he’s the guy that is most ready to play now. Tyrus Thomas played very well against Texas in the NCAA tournament, so a case can be made for him as well.

Who they will take: The scuttlebutt seems to point to Tyrus Thomas.

3. Charlotte Bobcats

Who they should take: The Bobcats’ most glaring need is at shooting guard, and Brandon Roy would be a great, great fit. I would hesitate bringing Rudy Gay or Morrison in with Gerald Wallace there, and I don’t see either of those guys as a big upgrade over Roy.

Who they will take: My guess is Gay. I think he is way too passive, but scouts are drooling over his athleticism.

4. Portland Trailblazers

Who they should take: If Morrison is there, he’s their guy. The fans love him.

Who they will take: The team is probably secretly hoping that Morrison goes ahead of them so they can take whoever’s left between Thomas and Aldridge. I think Thomas will go to the Bulls, so LaMarcus Aldridge could be headed to the Northwest.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Who they should take: Brandon Roy – and keep him.

Who they will take: They might take Roy and then trade him to Houston for (hopefully) Shelden Williams. They seem to like Williams, and he fits a need there.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

Who they should take: If the Top 5 (Bargnani, Roy, Morrison, Thomas and Aldridge) are gone, then the team is looking at Foye or Gay, and maybe Williams. Foye can play either guard spot and, like I said, I’m not a big fan of Gay’s heart.

Who they will take: Well, I’ve got Bargnani, Thomas, Gay, Aldridge and Roy going, in that order, so that leaves Minnesota with Morrison. What a coup for the Wolves!

Obviously, a draft like this is an inexact science. Teams are putting smokescreens up right and left, so the information we have is sketchy at best. Plus, an unsuspected trade could throw the whole lottery on its head. For that reason, it should be an interesting night.

No, there aren’t any LeBron’s by any stretch of the imagination. The 2006 NBA Draft does not seem to have a consensus #1 overall pick and offers many more uncertainties than sure things. The current draft class is a lot less top heavy than it has been in the recent past and franchise players may be few and far between. This is the first year with the new drafting rule of eliminating high schoolers from the mix. The 2006 draft is more balanced in terms of talent. Therefore, as FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman writes, Wednesday night’s draft will offer it’s fair share of mystery and nobody really knows who is going where and when.

“I wouldn’t characterize it as weak, but more balanced,” said longtime agent Bill Duffy, whose client list includes Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony and Yao Ming. “It’s not top heavy. There’s no LeBron or Greg Oden. Many teams feel that there’s so much parity from one to five and that having the first pick in a draft like this is a curse.”

“This is the most uncertain draft I’ve ever seen,” added Duffy, who represents point guards Marcus Williams and Rajon Rondo in this year’s draft. “I don’t recall a guy being mentioned going anywhere from one to five. It’s usually pretty clear at the top.”

The consensus is that Bargnani, Aldridge, Morrison, Tyrus Thomas, Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy are the top half-dozen players in the draft. However, no one has any idea — including NBA teams — if those will be the top six that come off the board on Wednesday night.

Unlike in the NFL, you can’t always get a franchise player in the first round of the NBA Draft. Most of it is so hit and miss anyway that you rarely know exactly what you’re getting. However, this year’s draft does pose some intriguing elements. Because of the deep and balanced pool of talent, it’s possible for a player projected in the mid first round to slip to the second, or even vice versa. The unpredictability in itself will make this year’s draft all that more interesting and exciting.