More draft thoughts

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David Aldridge and Chad Ford did a live mock draft on SportsCenter last
night that was interesting. I hadn't seen this scenario play out in any
other mock drafts. This was their order:

1.	Lebron
2.	Darko
3.	Melo
4.	Bosh
5.	Lampe
6.	Ford
7.	Wade (instead of Pietrus, because Wade can play some point guard-an
issue because of Jay Williams' injury)
8.	Hinrich
9.	Kaman
10.	Gaines (Washington has been tough to figure)
11.	Ridnour (so all four of the top point guards are off the board)
12.	Sweetney (although I keep reading that Seattle prefers Collison)
13.	Pietrus (Jerry West's dream scenario)

They only did the lottery. If this happens, then you have to assume Banks
goes to Seattle at 14. Then what does Orlando do? They've been targeting
point guards, but all the top guys are gone. Do they go for Collison to team
with former Kansas teammate Gooden? Seems like a strange fit. I really have
no idea what they'd do in that scenario.

That would leave the Celts choosing from Pavlovic, Cabarkapa, Hayes,
Collison and Cook at 16. The first three are OK in my book. Collison and
Cook scare me. But if this is how it plays out, there's a good chance
another of those five will be there at 20. Or Diaw. I'm still intrigued by
Diaw as a point guard.

Anyway, some interesting things to think about. I'm really hoping Sweetney
slips, and if you replace Sweetney with Collison in the above scenario, it
could happen. As for the high schoolers, I'm higher on Lang than Perkins. I
also saw some of that McDonald's game, and came away more impressed with
Lang than Perkins. But, again, that's not enough to really know anything. 

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Celts trade down from 20 to pick up a later
first-rounder and early/mid second rounder. There are players to be had in
those ranges-Pachulia, Delfino, Bell (who I don't like as a starting PG, but
do like as a Van Exel-like scoring guard off the bench), Walton, Lang-and I
wouldn't be shocked to see those players have more of a long-term impact
than guys like Cook, Sofo or Collison.

But my hope remains that they'll find a way to trade up and get a guy they
really want. If it's Bosh, fine. If it's Hinrich, fine. But come away from
this draft with a player who can be a part of a championship team. They blew
it in 2001 by sitting there and "letting the draft come to them." Don't make
the same mistake.

Mark