NBA DRAFT 2007 BOOYAKASHA

We're back for another NBA draft, the most anticipated one in the history of the NBA. On a larger level the West is only looking to get better, as they will have the top two players in the last five years of drafts entering their conference.

1. Portland Trailblazers

Will Select: Greg Oden
Should Select: Greg Oden
Wild Card: None

Oden is the consensus best prospect in the draft. His medical concerns aside, none are potentially career-threatening.

2. Seattle Sonics

Will Select: Kevin Durant
Should Select: Kevin Durant
Wild Card: None

Bill Simmons like the image of Kevin Durant as you're driving to Vegas. Thank God Lenny Wilkens didn't have to make a choice here. He gets the best player in the draft, but their offseason is not over as they won't be retaining Rashard Lewis and will build off a core of Luke Ridnour/Ray Allen/Durant/Chris Wilcox/Robert Swift that would be a 50 win team every year in the East. Neither Vegas or Seattle is in that conference.

3. Atlanta Hawks

Will Select: Brandan Wright, F, UNC
Should Select: Wright
Wild Card: Mike Conley Jr.

I really don't see how taking a guy who is annually going to be in the top ten point guards in the league is a bad idea. Conley can't miss, but neither can Brandan. They got lucky and got the third pick. If they pick Horford, I mean, now they have Al Horford. You gotta either fill a need or take the best available. It's going to be TOUGH to pass on Conley. They'll be good next year in the craptacular east.

4. Memphis

Will Select: Brandan Wright if he's there, if not, Mike Conley Jr.
Won't Select: Yi Jinlian. They already have Gasol.
Wild Card: Corey Brewer suddenly enters the discussion. Let's look at their team:

PG: No one of note
SG: Mike Miller
SF: Rudy Gay
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Fuck all

I love Rudy Gay. Looking at this, they'd have to be pretty dumb to pass on Conley, wouldn't they? Chris Wallace is known for, um, thinking outside the box.

5. Boston Celtics:

A huge fucking disappointment. I think they'll trade the pick, but...

Will Take: They will take Brandan Wright if he is there or Conley if he is there but he won't be there. I see Noah as another option.
Should Take: Wright.
Wild Card: Corey Brewer

6. Bucks:

Simmons's trade for the Bucks was this pick and Andrew Bogut for Gasol. That's much too high a price to pay for Gasol, as Bogut is a proven regular with star potential and this pick should be a very good player.

Will Take: The way I have it working out they get Al Horford, and while that doesn't fill a need, whatever. They'd kill for Conley. This may end up necessitating a trade.

7. T-Wolves

Unlike last year where they had to give up stuff to take Randy Foye, the Wolves now get the bottom of the top tier talent.

will take: Yi Jinlian
should take: Corey Brewer if available. Doubtful he will be but he'd be a perfect fit.
Wild Card: Spencer Hawes

8. Bobcats

Will Take: Noah, a guy they've liked for awhile. He would have gone No. 1 last year by the way.
Should Take: This is good value for Julian Wright, a future All-Star.
Wild Card: They have a lot of good players and could move this pick for a veteran talent. Me, I'd shop Paul Pierce for this pick. He's a gamer who would be on a stacked team. Celtics do what Portland did last year and get two top players from the bestest draft.

9. Bulls

I hate Jerry Krause and I hate that organization. That they didn't win the East was a fucking embarrassment. Now Paxson will try to be cool and probably end up making a disastrous move. They have assets and no need for this pick. If someone drops, this could be an interesting day for the Bulls.

10. Sac Kings

Will Take: Jeff Green
Should take: Jeff Green is a fine player. Go Kings.

11. Atlanta Hawks

They get someone juicy in their dream scenario. I see disaster instead.

Will Take: Spencer Hawes

12. 76ers

This is a pure upside apology pick. Rodney Carney didn't exactly work out.

Will Take: Al Thornton, Florida State, Forward

13. NO Hornets

They need not Acie Law, but they could darn sure still use him.

Will Take: Acie Law IV
Should Take: Thornton should he drop as a Desmond Mason replacement who could play the 4 sometimes.

14. Clippers

Chad Ford thinks that the Clippers will move this pick, and gives Julian Wright a chance of being there. He won't be.

Wild Card: Jeff Green certainly isn't getting past this pick and one of these teams could do something fun like take Sean Williams. The drop could happen.

15. Pistons

Will Take: Rodney Stuckey

16. Washington Wizards

The Wiz need everything but a shooting guard. Go Agent Zero. For now, a point guard prospect will do.

Wild Card: Tiago Splitter

17. New Jersey Nets

They actually don't have any pressing needs but to find another rotation big, so Sean Williams does make a bit of sense. On the other hand, that's not exactly a Rod Thorn type pick.

18. Golden State Warriors

Chris Mullin is still in shell shock. Josh McRoberts makes sense for this franchise.

Will Take: Josh McRoberts.

19. L.A. Lakers

The Lakers may not even have people preparing for the draft. We just don't know. Last two years they bucked conventional wisdom to take the highly rated Bynum and took a fringe talent in Jordan Farmar. Farmar could still improve.

Will Take: Thaddeus Young is an exciting young forward whose middle name is coincidentally "Kobe Insurance."

20. The Miami Heat

They hate draft picks and international players. You'd absolutely have to think Sean Williams would interest them and I expect that's who they'll go with.

Will Take: Sean Williams
Wild Card: If their player isn't there, move the pick. This would be a great pick to snatch up as I think major talent will be available here.

21. 76ers

Picking again, they can roll the dice.

Will Take: Jason Smith, Colorado, PF

22. Bobcats

Pick will be traded, otherwise they gamble on overseas talent that won't arrive for a few years.

23. Knicks

Will Take: Wilson Chandler, F

24. Suns

The Suns already have a pretty intact roster, and were one of the biggest losers of the lottery.

They'd rather have their good player in 2008 anyway. Kerr's going to lean on his scouting department for this one, and I could see him actually moving up if there was a big he liked.

25. Utah

Could see them picking up Morris Almond, unless they're convinced that C.J. Miles is for real. They could really use a decent backup center here. Nick Fazekas would actually be an interesting pick.

26. Houston

I think they like Taurean Green with this pick. That takes care of all the Florida people, right? Is Lee Humphrey eligible? I'm a lazy draft maven.

27. Detroit

Aaron Brooks is an option, sure, but Daqean Cook is kinda their type of player in some ways.

28. San Antonio

The best team in the league has one clear need and that's at backup point guard. They'd die if Acie Law did a tumbling act, but it's hard to see them missing on Javaris Crittenden or Gabe Pruitt. That's a sick draft when those guys dropped because teams didn't need guards.

29. Phoenix.

They will take a player at one of these picks. Rudy Fernandez fits the bill, he's an upgrade on James Jones.

30. 76ers

might still get some good talent here. This draft

IS

CRAZY

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