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2005 NBA Draft Preview
Topic Started: Jun 20 2005, 03:02 PM (141 Views)
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2005 NBA Draft Preview
By Seth Berkman 06.19.2005 - Updated on 06.19.2005

Unless you live near Detroit or San Antonio, the basketball season essentially is over. Of course if you live in Atlanta, the season was basically a wash since last November. Either way, even though most hoops fans have nothing to cheer for as the NBA Finals are taking place, they should be encouraged by the slew of talented prospects available in the NBA Draft taking place on June 28th.
This year will likely see a break in the trend of selecting numerous high school players in the first round. Yes, domestic prep stars like Gerald Green and Monta Ellis will almost certainly be lottery picks, joined by international unknowns like Fran Vazquez of Spain and Johan Petro of France, but teams will also have stockpiles of ballers from the college ranks to choose from at each position as well.

Leading the way atop many experts draft boards is Andrew Bogut, the 7-footer from Utah by way of Melbourne, Australia. Bogut showed his skill throughout the NCAA postseason and tore through the Mountain West Conference, while picking up almost every major men's hoops top honor including the Naismith, Wooden and AP Player of the Year awards.

Other big men who could possibly go in the first round include Chris Taft (Pittsbirgh), Channing Frye (Arizona) and Randolph Morris (Kentucky). Frye is perhaps the most intriguing possibility who showed flashes of brilliance throughout his four years at Tucson and has been performing well at pre-draft camps. Perhaps the Knicks at No.8 will be a good fit for another one of Lute Olson's disciples.

Bogut probably will be followed at No.2 by another frontcourt star with loads of potential, North Carolina's Marvin Williams. Williams did not even start for the national champion Tar Heels but his intensity and all-around complete game has propelled him ahead of his Carolina teammates and would be a great fit for a Hawks team that has lots of solid young contributors at their other positions.

Later on in the round, big forwards should fall like dominos, from Williams' teammate Sean May to Wayne Simien (Kansas); the sometimes erratic, sometimes brilliant Charlie Villanueva (UConn), and perhaps the biggest sleeperof them all, Sun Devil alum Ike Diogu (Arizona State).

There is no lack of talent at the SF spot, as teams looking for an athlete on the wing or another bruiser down low can find many options. Joey Graham was a leader and physical presence in OK State's deep tournament runs the past few years and should make a team selecting right outside the lottery very happy.

New Mexico's Danny Granger may not have the national notoriety as a name from one of the bigger Division I school's but is the NBA's version of a five-tool prospect, encompassing the skills that will make every team take notice. Ryan Gomes (Providence) may be a bit too slow for your prototypical NBA small forward, but is capable of putting of respectable numbers in the league as he showed against tough Big East competition night in and night out for the Friars.

If a more athletic forward is what your team desires, than look no further than Hakim Warrick of Syracuse. Orange fans still remember his dunk over Royal Ivey in the 2003 tournament (and I'm sure Royal remembers, let's just say Hakim's manliness posterized on his face) and a fast running team like the Nets, Suns or Kings would love to have another high-flying stud coming off the bench.

The backcourt is where the depth of the talent pool lies, especially at the point guard position. From slashers like ACC standouts Chris Paul (Wake Forest), Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech) and Raymond Felton (UNC) to more traditional floor generals like Deron Williams (Illinois), Nate Robinson (Washington) and Daniel Ewing (Duke), there are many gifted players available who eventually could be the kind of PG to build a franchise around or the guy off the bench smart enough to run the offense in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

Of course every team outside of Phoenix and Dallas needs scorers, and that's where two-guards like Rashad McCants (UNC), Antoine Wright (Texas A&M), Francisco Garcia (Lousiville)and Julius Hodge (NC State) come in to play.

This year's draft appears to be so deep, that star players from major division I schools are projected to be slipping into the second round. But don't count out guys like Ronny Turiaf (Gonzaga), Travis Diener (Marquette), Luther Head (Illinois), John Gilchrist (Maryland) and Salim Stoudamire (Arizona), as they all have the potential to be the second round steal in 2005, ala Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas and Cuttino Mobley.

Any college hoops head (no pun intended to the Illini faithful) will tell you there are plenty more hometown heroes worthy of putting on a freshly fitted New Era cap on June 28th (Banks, Bass, Rivera, Mensah-Bonsu to name a few- if not for anything, any team that drafts the latter will definitely see jersey sales sky rocket) but it remains to be seen who will be walking up the podium to shake the commish's hand in less than two weeks.

Are prep players becoming warded off by a perceived lack of playing time and fear of not being quite yet ready? Well recent performances of JR and Josh Smith and Dwight Howard should not do anything but encourage teens to go pro and the Ginobili's and Ming's of the league aren't doing anything to hurt an international players chances of NBA stardom.

Maybe it's just that prospects who normally may go to mid-major schools or would be bench players early on in their college careers, are getting that extra playing time and are able to excel at a much faster pace, resulting in not only a better college product but also more prospects from the NCAA, guys who not only are physically ready but now more experienced as well. March Madness is still the best time of the year and it is good to see that along with the 21st century game, full of high schoolers and FIBA all-stars, there is still a place for the NCAA blue chip in the NBA.
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