2005 NBA Draft - First Round Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marvin Williams may have more upside, but the Bucks couldn’t pass on a legitimate center like Bogut. The Australian has the total package: size, skill, toughness and confidence. Think Brad Miller, Vlade Divac and Arvydas Sabonis with a down-under twist.

 

The Hawks took the best player available. Marvin Williams will be a fantastic "3". But it’s getting awfully crowded in Atlanta. Josh Childress, Al Harrington and Josh Smith all play the same position as Williams. Somebody could be moved before training camp starts. 

 

 

The Jazz traded up to get D-Williams. He’s the right point guard for the Jazz’s half-court offense. Chris Paul might be a better prospect at the "1" spot. However, Jerry Sloan likes Williams’ blue-collar/John Deere style.

 

Baron who? New Orleans got a flashy point guard who will help the fans forget about the Baron Davis trade. Wait a second. The Hornets don’t have any fans left. Paul’s quickness will change that. He’ll sell tickets in the Bayou.

This is an interesting pick. The Bobcats needed a floor leader, but is Felton the guy? Felton is fast and he’s the only point guard with an NCAA title, so why was he passed over for Williams and Paul? And Charlotte could have taken him later on with the thirteenth pick.

 

Webster has the best stroke in the entire draft. Period. Unfortunately, he’s going to Rip City. The front office has no direction. On the court, Jail-Blazers like Zach Randolph and Darius Miles lead the team. Jermaine O’Neal proved that this is the wrong place for a high school kid to develop.   

Okay. Nobody can call Rob Babcock boring. But why would the Raptors take a guy who plays the same spot as Chris Bosh? Do they see Villanueva as a center? It can’t be worse than the Vince Carter trade or Rafael Araujo.

 

New York got their guy. After trading Kurt Thomas, New York had to score some size. Frye is a talented center with a nice stroke. The lanky "5" must get tougher if he wants to make an impact.

 

Ike will help the Warriors down low. Last season, Golden State was the NBA’s worst rebounding team. The beefy forward can hit the glass and plays like Elton Brand. With Diogu, Troy Murphy may move over to the center spot.

 

At 17, Bynum is better suited for the "OC" than the Lakers. He’s the youngest player to get drafted and the Zen-master’s Zen will be totally lost on the baby-faced "5". Hopefully, Kobe Bryant will show him the ropes. Hold on. That may not be such a good idea.

 

He’s an aggressive player who will help on defense. Vazquez’s offensive game is very raw and he may be better off polishing up his skills in Europe.

This pick was interesting for three reasons. First, the Clippers actually picked after the Lakers. Second, by passing on college stars like McCants and Granger, the Clippers showed why they are the Clippers. Finally, the Korolev pick forced ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith to throw his most memorable tirade of the evening.

 

Korolev comes from good basketball genes. His Dad was a pro in Russia. He’s long and can stretch the defense with his range. Unfortunately, he won’t be ready for a few seasons.

 

 

May is a nice post player. But the Bobcats already have Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec at the "4" and "5" spot. There won’t be enough playing time to keep everybody happy. With May in the mix, Charlotte will sell tickets though. After all, he helped North Carolina win the NCAA title.

 

 

McCants was the fourth Tar Heel to be taken in the lottery. No wonder North Carolina’s alumni are so cocky. Even Eric Montross and Joseph Forte are smirking. McCants is a terrific offensive player who could start for the Timberwolves next season. There are lingering questions about his attitude and defense.

New Jersey doesn’t need another wing player. They already have Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. There wasn’t much left at center or power forward, so the Nets took Wright. He’ll provide J-Kidd and company with some outside shooting.

Finally, Toronto gets it right. Well, sort of. Graham is a solid pick. He’ll provide the Raptors with some athleticism and toughness. They may regret passing on Danny Granger and Gerald Green.

 

How was Granger still available? He reminds scouts of Scottie Pippen. Indiana got another steal and Larry Bird may be the NBA’s best executive.     

 

The Celtics must have had the luck of the Irish to get Green. For some reason, he just fell into Boston’s lap a la Paul Pierce. Green may be young, but he could eventually be the BEST player in the entire draft. The Houston native looks like a young McGrady. Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge has built a nice nucleus in Beantown.

 

He doesn’t have a position. And he’s too skinny. However, Warrik’s got game and he’ll help the Grizzlies. Stromile Swift won’t be back, so look for Warrik to get major minutes off the bench. 

Hodge is more of a scorer than a shooter. This isn’t what Denver needed. With Voshon Lenard still recovering from a heel injury, they had to draft a shooter who can stretch the defense. The Nuggets will try to sign a free agent shooter.

 

21) Phoenix Nate Robinson/PG 5-9 180 Washington/Jr.

Steve Nash and Nate Robinson in the same backcourt. That would have been exciting. But it wasn’t meant to be. Robinson got traded to the Knicks as part of the Quentin Richardson trade. The tiny guard will quickly become a fan favorite in New York. Even Spike Lee will be able to look him in the eye from his courtside seats. Watch out for his full court on-the-ball defense.

 

22) Denver Jarrett Jack/PG 6-3 200 Georgia Tech/Jr.  

 

Jack got dealt to the Blazers for the 27^th and 35^th overall pick. He’s insurance if Telfair struggles in Portland. Jack is a big, strong point guard who could see time at off-guard.

Garcia is insurance for the Kings if Cuttino Mobley leaves. The lanky swingman can shoot and play several positions. Sacramento got another good perimeter player.

Houston needed a point guard and a power forward. Head is a solid combo guard who can score, defend and pass. The Rockets will continue to upgrade their supporting cast through trades and free agency because Yao and T-Mac aren’t enough.

 

It’s surprising that Seattle even bothered with the draft. They’ve got bigger issues. Ray Allen, Antonio Daniels and Jerome James are all free agents. Coach Nate McMillan is without a contract for next season and they’re trying to get Washington taxpayers to subsidize a new arena. The Sonics did find the time to draft Petro. He’s an athletic big man who will help down low.

 

The Pistons added some depth. Maxiell is an undersized power forward similar to Corliss Williamson. He can rebound and defend just like everybody else on Detroit. Joe Dumars might have been better off with a pure scorer.

 

Portland traded Kleiza to Denver in exchange for Jarrett Jack. Kleiza is an aggressive player who will bang the boards and defend. Sounds a lot like Eduardo Najera. The Nuggets may encourage the Lithuanian to head overseas for a couple of seasons.

 

San Antonio went international. Mahinmi, a big man from the land of Tony Parker, must develop an offensive game. But nobody can question the Spurs’ track record with the draft. This is the best organization in sports and Luis Scola will make a huge impact next season. 

 

Simien is a strong power forward from a great college program. Shaq-daddy will take to the rookie from Kansas. Udonis Haslem might sign elsewhere, so Simien could play right away.

 

New York fans had to boo somebody on draft day. And Lee definitely took heat from the Big Apple faithful. Still, the Florida grad is an active player who could come in handy if the Knicks dump Jerome Williams.

 

Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and a free-lance journalist based out of Vancouver. His basketball writing has appeared in basketball.com, hoopsvibe.com, eurobasket.com, insidehoops.com and Ballerz Magazine. Send him an email at OlySandorNBAGuru@yahoo.com.