Chad Ford's Draft Board: Round 1
1 Milwaukee Andrew Bogut 7-0 245 C Utah
I still believe that Marvin Williams should have been the No. 1 pick in the draft. Still, Bogut's a very good pick. He's a legit center who is skilled offensively and is already one of the best passing big men in the game. Whether he has enough athleticism to guard NBA fives remains to be seen. I think Vlade Divac and Brad Miller are the right comparisons. He'll help the Bucks immediately and give Michael Redd some wide open looks for a change.
2 Atlanta Marvin Williams 6-9 230 SF North Carolina
The Hawks were tempted to draft Chris Paul because of their need at the point, but at the end of the day they took the best player available. Marvin Williams is an upgrade over Al Harrington and Josh Smith. It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do from here. Obviously they're going to have to clear up a logjam at the forward position. Maybe they'll be able to trade Harrington in an effort to acquire the team's real needs at point guard and center.
3 Utah (from Portland) Deron Williams 6-3 210 PG Illinois
The Jazz made a smart move by trading up for Deron Williams. They weren't going to be able to get a point guard they really wanted at No. 6 and, in the grand scheme of things, didn't give up too much to get up here. I believe that Chris Paul is a better prospect, but Williams might be a better fit in Jerry Sloan's system. He is bigger, plays better defense and can thrive in the half-court set. Great move for the Jazz.
4 New Orleans Chris Paul 6-1 195 PG Wake Forest
The Hornets are the big winners early on in the draft. They get an elite point guard at No. 4 who will push the ball and be a leader on and off the floor. When the Hornets gave away Baron Davis at the trade deadline, it looked like the franchise was in ruins. But Paul has more potential than Davis on the court and has the intangible leadership qualities that Davis lacked. When you factor in that he makes much less money and doesn't have the injury issues of Davis, the Hornets just made a huge upgrade at a key position.
5 Charlotte Raymond Felton 6-1 180 PG North Carolina
There's a run on point guards! Felton is an interesting pick for the Bobcats. They clearly wanted either Chris Paul or Deron Williams here, but they'll settle for Felton. He is the fastest point guard in the draft, is as tough as nails and has improved his jump shot. My only question is whether the Bobcats could have gotten Felton at 13. If they could have, they could have grabbed Danny Granger here and still gotten their point guard. It's a solid pick, but not the home run that the Bobcats had hoped they would hit in this draft.
6 Portland (from Utah) Martell Webster 6-7 235 SG Seattle Prep (WA)
The Blazers have cooled on Gerald Green the past few days and warmed to Martell Webster. Why? Green is a better athlete and has a much bigger upside. But he's a ways away from being a contributor. Webster is ready now. He has got an NBA body, great size and is one of the two or three best shooters in the draft. To top it off, he's a great kid who is mature beyond his years. That played a big part in the Blazers' decision. They want to change their image and Webster will help them do it.
7 Toronto Charlie Villanueva 6-11 240 PF Connecticut 
Wow. Didn't see that one coming. What is Rob Babcock thinking? Don't Villanueva and Chris Bosh play the same position? Isn't Villanueva a soft forward who has some serious motivation problems in college? Head coach Sam Mitchell will love that. Villanueva has a ton of potential, but I smell disaster for the second straight year with the Raptors' lottery pick.
8 New York Channing Frye 6-11 250 C Arizona
OK, we're back on track. The Knicks promised Frye that they'd take him before the Chicago pre-draft camp after an impressive private workout on the West Coast. The Knicks were fielding a 6-7-and-under team and desperately needed size. He's not the toughest guy in the world, but he is very skilled, blocks shots, and has a sweet jumper from 18 feet in. It's not a great pick, but given what was on the board, Isiah Thomas did well.
9 Golden State Ike Diogu 6-9 250 PF Arizona State 
I think this is a great pick for the Warriors. I like Ike. They needed some inside toughness and rebounding and Diogu brings that in abundance. Some scouts believes he's too small and not athletic enough, but he is eerily reminiscent of Elton Brand. He has the reach of 7-footer and is deceptively quick off his feet. He'll be very productive at the next level almost immediately and his presence at the four will allow the Warriors to move Troy Murphy to the five. If everyone stays healthy, I think the Warriors will be a playoff team next season.
10 LA Lakers Andrew Bynum 7-0 300 C St. Joseph HS (NJ)
So much for instant impact. Is Bynum the next Shaq? Bynum has the size and ability to be a dominant big man in the league. But he's a ways away. A few months ago he wasn't even on the radar screen. But he was good enough at the McDonald's All-American game that he intrigued everyone. He was awesome in a workout for the Lakers and they were sold. He's an intelligent kid who is pretty skilled, but I doubt Phil Jackson is going to use him for a while.
11 Orlando Fran Vazquez 6-11 230 PF Spain
This is the second big surprise of the night. He's long and bouncy, he works hard and he has a lot of experience overseas. He's low risk, but he doesn't have enormous upside. It will be interesting to see how the Magic use him with Dwight Howard. Both guys will be active, athletic and all over the boards. But where is the offense going to come from? One more question for Vazquez. Will he come to the NBA next season or is headed back to Spain?
12 LA Clippers Yaroslav Korolev 6-9 215 SF Russia
Promises. Promises. Promises. At least the Clippers keep their promises. Head coach Mike Dunleavy fell in love with Korolev in Moscow in May at the Euroleague Final Four and has remained true ever since. But here's the issue. Korolev has never played at the senior level in Europe and he's likely two or three years away. That's OK. But when you pass on guys like Danny Granger and Antoine Wright, who could help a team fighting for the playoffs for the first time in a long time, it makes you wonder if making promises is such a
wise thing.
13 Charlotte Sean May 6-9 260 PF North Carolina
We knew that they liked Sean May, but for a team that has so many needs, how could they pass on Danny Granger here? Granger was a perfect fit at the three and was considered for the No. 5 pick. May is a solid low post player, but it's unclear how he'll fit in with Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec. Is he big enough or athletic enough to play center? The strength of the Bobcats was in their front line. I'm surprised they didn't address their backcourt with this pick. Granger and Gerald Green are both in a freefall right now.
14 Minnesota Rashad McCants 6-4 200 SG North Carolina
Everyone loves North Carolina, I guess. Four lottery picks on the same team! McCants is one of the most talented players in the draft. He has great athleticism, is an unbelievable shooter and plays bigger than his size. But questions about his stomach problems, his attitude and defense caused his stock to drop a bit. This is a great pick for Minnesota if McCants keeps his head on straight. He could really help Kevin Garnett and Co. get back into the playoffs.
15 New Jersey Antoine Wright 6-7 210 SG Texas A&M
This is a nice pick for the Nets. They've been debating for weeks whether to add a four or a shooter. Most had Wright ranked as a top-11 pick, so they had to grab him here. Wright is a versatile shooter with NBA 3-point range. He's not a great athlete, but he'll be OK. Look for the Nets to address their size issues with trades or via free agency.
16 Toronto (from Philadelphia via Denver and New Jersey) Joey Graham 6-7 220 SF Oklahoma State
Graham is a good pick. He's the best athlete in the draft. When he plays like an animal, he's very tough to stop. The big issue with him is what position he plays. He was a four in college but will have to change to the three in Toronto. I'm shocked that Danny Granger and Gerald Green are still on the board. To me, both guys have more upside and skills than Graham. But you can't fault Babcock with this pick. Graham will give them toughness. But I don't think they took the best player available, once again, and that usually comes back to haunt you.
17 Indiana Danny Granger 6-8 235 SF New Mexico
I'm going on record right now saying that the Pacers have, once again, come up with the big steal in the draft. Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird know what they're doing. Granger was underrated all year. He'll be able to come in right away and play big minutes in Indiana behind Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. He is tough and versatile, can shoot the three, can defend three positions and is an excellent athlete. I have no idea why he slipped this far, but the Pacers couldn't have gotten a better break. Had Utah been selecting at No. 6, they would've taken Granger. The Pacers just got a whole lot better.
18 Boston Gerald Green 6-7 200 SG Gulf Shores Academy (TX)
The second big steal in the draft. With a name like Green, Danny Ainge can't go wrong. In 1998, the Celtics had Paul Pierce inexplicably drop to them. Has lightning struck twice? Green is one of the two or three most athletic players in the draft. He can stroke it. He has superstar potential. It may take a little while, but Green has the chance to be awesome. Pair him with Al Jefferson and other players like Delonte West and Tony Allen and, over the course of the last two years, Ainge has built a nice young core. An awesome pick for Boston.
19 Memphis Hakim Warrick 6-8 218 PF Syracuse
A really good pick for Memphis here. They are going to lose Stromile Swift to free agency this summer and Warrick should be able to come in and replace Swift. Sort of. He can't play center like Swift, nor is he a shot blocker. But he's just as athletic and plays much, much harder than Swift does. I'm not sure what position he plays or defends, but he's a hard worker who got better every year in school. He's not the answer to all of Memphis' problems, but it's a start.
20 Denver (from Washington via Orlando) Julius Hodge 6-7 205 SG N.C. State
It's an interesting pick for Denver. I'm a big Hodge fan. He is a tough player who can play multiple positions. He can even play some point guard in the pros. He has a swagger and is a winner. However, what the Nuggets needed was a shooter and that Hodge is not. I'm a little surprised they passed on Francisco Garcia here. Garcia is the same size, but he's a much better shooter.
21 Phoenix (from Chicago) Nate Robinson 5-9 180 PG Washington
I loved this pick for the Suns. However, there's talk that this pick may be sent to the Knicks as part of the Quentin Richardson-Kurt Thomas trade. It's bold, either way, but it could really pay off. Robinson thrives in the style of ball that the Suns play and the Knicks want to play. Let's just wait and see how this plays out. Great pick if it's the Suns. Interesting if it's the Knicks as they are loaded with guards already. Robinson should allow Stephon Marbury to play off the ball sometimes, something that's been in the works for a while.
22 Denver Jarrett Jack 6-3 200 PG Georgia Tech
Word is that the Nuggets will send Jack to the Blazers for the No. 27 and No. 35 picks in the draft. Obviously this signals that the Blazers aren't totally comfortable having Sebastian Telfair run the show next year. Jack is quite a bit different from Telfair. He is a big point guard with great strength and a good jump shot. He's turnover prone, but he has a ton of talent.
23 Sacramento Francisco Garcia 6-7 190 SG Louisville
The Kings are a perimeter-oriented team and Garcia is a good fit. He is one of the best long-range shooters in the draft, has great size and has some ball-handling skills. Garcia isn't a great athlete and he sometimes disappeared in big games. Wonder what this means for last year's first round pick, Kevin Martin, who is a similar player. I'm a little surprised the Kings didn't opt for a big man like Chris Taft or Wayne Simien.
24 Houston Luther Head 6-3 185 PG Illinois
Maybe I'm just in a good mood tonight, but I really like this pick, too. The Rockets need help at the point and Head should be able to immediately come in and help out at the position. He has great size, is a fantastic athlete and has a beautiful stroke from 3-point range. I think Head was one of the most underrated players in the country this year. He's not a pure point, but he's better than anything the Rockets have right now.
25 Seattle Johan Petro 7-1 250 C France
The Sonics could potentially lose both Jerome James and Vitaly Potapenko this summer, leaving just Robert Swift in the middle. Petro is big and athletic but still very raw. Like Swift, he's going to take some time to develop, but he does have a lot of potential. Head coach Nate McMillan said he'd like to bring over Petro this season.
26 Detroit Jason Maxiell 6-7 250 PF Cincinnati
Maxiell is a mini-Ben Wallace, the strongest and most aggressive big man in the draft. He's undersized, but next to Pistons' front line, he'll be just fine thanks to a 7-foot-3 wingspan and big-time hops. He has what Joe Dumars looks for in a Piston, which is a tough, aggressive, blue-collar approach to the game.
27 Portland (from Dallas via Utah) Linas Kleiza 6-8 235 SF Missouri
Look for the Blazers to send this pick to Denver for the draft rights to Jarrett Jack. The Nuggets have been high on him all year. He's lost some weight and is trying to turn into a three. He's just a little undersized to play the four right now, but he's a tough, talented kid. The Nuggets may send him overseas for a year or two (he has a Lithuania passport).
28 San Antonio Ian Mahinmi 6-10 230 PF France
Interesting. We knew the Spurs were going to take a player from France. We thought it would be Mickael Gelebale but had heard in the past week that Mahinmi might be the guy. He is a long, athletic, relentless rebounder, but he's very raw. He's going to be another long-term Spurs' project. Look for him to stay overseas and resurface in a few years, á: lá: Manu Ginobili.
29 Miami Wayne Simien 6-9 255 PF Kansas
Great pick for Miami this late in the draft. They may lose Udonis Haslem this summer in free agency. Simien is actually a better prospect if he can stay healthy. He is more skilled than Haslem on the offensive end and just as good defensively. He's a little undersized and is not the best athlete in the draft, but he may be the most skilled power forward in the draft.
30 New York (from Phoenix via San Antonio) David Lee 6-10 240 PF Florida
OK. I liked the Channing Frye and Nate Robinson selections. David Lee, not so much. Don't get me wrong, I like Lee. He is very athletic (he measured as the top athlete in the power forward category at the Chicago combine), has a great motor and is very tough. He's a more skilled version of Bo Outlaw or Mark Madsen. But with guys with much bigger upside, like Chris Taft and Andray Blatche, still on the board, I'm not sure why Isiah decided to play it safe. Lee will be a rotation player in the league for 10 years. But given their deficiencies up front, Isiah should have swung for the fences. Instead he hit a solid single at 30.
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