Sam Smith On The Draft

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

(Somewhat flawed with no mention of Top 6 {or higher} Pick Chris Paul,
Dorrel Wright. . .)

Here's a very early first-round look based on interviews with six general managers.

1. Emeka Okafor: 6-10, 252, junior, Connecticut. Hard-working, smart, a tough shot blocker who probably is closer to 6-9. Without the back issues he would be a plum for someone.

2. Dwight Howard: 6-10, 225, Atlanta Southwest Christian High School. Mature, down-to-earth kid with the requisite athleticism but not necessarily the personal flair. An honor student the hometown Hawks would love to build around.

3. Luol Deng: 6-8, 220, freshman, Duke. A rare kid ready to play. "He's smart, knows how to play and is low maintenance," one GM said. Maybe not talented enough for this high, but potential is getting overrated.

4. Martynas Andriuskevicius: 7-3, 230, Lithuania. Another big guy for Chicago attorney/agent Herb Rudoy. He is from the same town as fellow Rudoy clients Arvydas Sabonis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Just 18, but has a chance to develop like them.

5. Sebastian Telfair: 6-0, 170 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) H.S. First point guard to come from high school. Everyone wants to say it's too hard to do, but all the scouts who have seen him have been impressed with his feel for the game.

6. Josh Smith: 6-8, 220, Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. Most spectacular of the high school players. A small forward with an exciting game, he is said to be like Tracy McGrady but without much of a shot.

7. Josh Childress: 6-8, 200, junior, Stanford. Not the most talented, but a good system player who could fit in like Memphis' Shane Battier. Good size, smart and motivated, the latter a premium in the NBA these days.

8. Pavel Podkolzine: 7-5, 300, Italy. As one NBA GM said glumly of the Russian, "Well, he's not a stiff." Lots of comparisons to Gheorghe Muresan and Mark Eaton. But someone will say you can't teach size.

9. Andre Iguodala: 6-6, 200, sophomore, Arizona. Somewhere between Scottie Pippen and Richard Jefferson on the high side, but, unfortunately, is not a good shooter. Good defender and smart player from Springfield.

10. Andris Biedrins: 6-11, 240, Latvia. Another 18-year-old who is getting a lot of support from scouts as a defensive player who seems motivated and has developed offensively. But warns one GM, "The league has gotten Euro-crazy. It's like everyone over there is a great player."

11. Jameer Nelson: 6-0, 190, senior, St. Joseph's. Scouts worry about his size -- said to be shorter than 6-0. But with the success of players like Kirk Hinrich, teams are looking for maturity, experience and ability to play the position.

12. Kris Humphries: 6-8, 240, freshman, Minnesota. Maybe a little on the smallish size for pro power forward, similar to Danny Fortson. But he's considered a bruiser and a tough guy who'll mix it up.

13. Rudy Fernandez: 6-5, 185, Spain. A shooting guard who is impressing NBA scouts. He's 18, but at the recent European tournament, league executives were raving he was the best player with a spectacular game and excellent skills.

14. Shaun Livingston: 6-7, 170, Peoria Central H.S. One year in college would make him a top-five pick and sitting on an NBA bench could set him back. He's very skinny, but scouts are impressed with his size to play point guard.

15. Luke Jackson: 6-7, 215, senior, Oregon. Some have questioned his shooting, but he's an underrated senior talent who is considered smart and aggressive.

16. Kosta Perovic: 7-2, 240, Serbia and Montenegro. Another European teenager who doesn't always get a lot of playing time, like former No. 5 overall pick Nikoloz Tskitishvili. But he's considered stronger and tougher.

17. Devin Harris: 6-3, 185, junior, Wisconsin. Should be able to play point guard but is said to be a little weak in decision-making. But teams like his athleticism, ability to play defense and to play both guard positions.

18. Rafael Araujo: 6-11, 275, senior, Brigham Young. Regarded as the second best collegiate big man after Okafor. The Brazilian is not as explosive, but he's strong and is a decent mid-range shooter.

19. Hakim Warrick: 6-8, 200, junior, Syracuse. Considered a little too thin, "Jamal Crawford thin," according to one scout. Not certain he can play small forward -- something of an athletic tweener.

20. Ben Gordon: 6-2, 190, junior, Connecticut. Scouts not sure he can play the point in the NBA. He can score, but most see him as a backup combo guard, perhaps a Ronald Murray type. And who even thought Ronald Murray could be a type?

21. Kirk Snyder: 6-6, 225, junior, Nevada. Shooting guard who is gaining some attention for all-around play. Strong, athletic and even can pass the ball some.

22. Ronny Turiaf: 6-10, 245, junior, Gonzaga. The Parisian is considered a good post player, wide-shouldered and strong. He could fill a role now for some team.

23. Predrag Samardziski: 7-0, 260, Serbia and Montenegro. A 17-year-old who turns 18 before the draft, like Darko Milicic last year. Has Milicic's agent and is probably as ready as Milicic. But as the talent wanes, teams will take a chance on potential and size.

24. Sergei Monya: 6-8, 220, Russia. At 21 and playing international ball, he's something of an old man. Good fundamental player, decent athlete and aggressive defensively.

25. Tiago Splitter: 6-11, 240, Spain. Another 18-year-old who's drawing interest even though he's raw. The Brazilian has looked better in workouts than games and can play with his back to the basket.

26. Al Jefferson: 6-8, 260, Prentiss (Miss.) H.S. Minnesota took Ndudi Ebi in this place last year. A spot in the draft when teams will take a chance on promising teenagers.

27. Lawrence Roberts: 6-9, 235, junior, Mississippi State. Tough rebounder with a good work ethic that scouts have noticed.

28. Hassan Adams: 6-4, 210, sophomore, Arizona. An improving shooter who also is athletic at shooting guard.

29. Marvin Williams: 6-9, 230, Bremerton (Wash.) H.S. A skill all-around player, he can play both small and power forward. But he's not close to being ready to play in the NBA.

Minnesota doesn't get a first-round pick this year because of the Joe Smith penalty signing. NBA general managers say because of the large number of high school and international players, and the lack of any real stars, this is one of the hardest drafts to analyze. So there could be others who pop into the first round such as high schoolers Robert Swift, LeMarcus Aldridge and Ivan Chiriaev, a Russian who went to high school in Canada. Other international players to watch include Anderson Varejao, Uros Slokar and Sasha Vujacic.

Others who could make it include Paul Davis, Chris Taft, Wayne Simien, Charlie Villanueva, Rashard McCants, Andrew Bogut, Channing Frye, J.J. Redick, Rickey Paulding, Bracey Wright and Chris Duhon.

Copyright ) 2004, The Chicago Tribune