# 2003 NBA Mock Draft (updated 23 June)



## robyg1974

Entire 2003 NBA Draft

1 Cavs—Lebron James. Duh. What position does Lebron play as a rookie? Does it even matter? How many minutes/game will he play as a rookie? How quickly can the team dump Ricky Davis this summer, and can they get anything remotely decent for him? Can the Cavs trade the plodding Zydrunas Ilgauskus for a more athletic center (e.g., Raef LaFrentz) somehow? Is Dajuan Wagner becoming a forgotten piece of the puzzle? Has Darius Miles been working hard on his game this summer, or will he go down as one of the most overhyped prospects in recent memory?

2 Pistons—Darko Milicic. Duh again. Don’t expect Donnie Darko to touch the floor much under Larry Brown, who is notorious for preferring veterans and refusing to develop young players (Darko is still a teenager). Do expect Brown to convince Joe Dumars to spend all or part of its MLE on one of his two PFs in Philly (Kenny Thomas would be the first choice, Derrick Coleman the bridesmaid), which means that Corliss Williamson instantly becomes trade fodder (don’t expect a lot in return, he’s a bit overpaid, his contract lasts for another 3-4 years). Do expect the team to sign a dirt-cheap veteran wing sharpshooter to replace Jon Barry (Eric Piatkowski and Voshon Lenard are both very good bets here).

3 Nuggets—Carmelo Anthony. Kiki doesn’t seem particularly sold on Carmelo the player, but Carmelo the entertainer, Carmelo the guy who will put fans in the seats, yeah, he’s sold on this guy, no question. Gilbert Arenas probably will come to town, but it might take a while for him to agree to the kind of market value contract that Kiki will insist on (Arenas wants $9-$10 mil, Kiki wants him for $6-$7 mil). Don’t be all that surprised if the Clippers get involved with Arenas—they will be needing a PG, too, you know. It will be interesting to see if Kiki goes after Michael Olowokandi, as well—The Kandi Man can be had for a lot less than he and his agent were counting on, but is he not too much of an enigma to even bother with? Kiki may bite on the guy regardless. I’d also look for Kiki to fill out his roster with some dirt-cheap veterans, to give the team some leadership and some character (guys like Jon Barry, Erick Strickland, and Corie Blount). Also look for Kiki to use remaining cap room to bail out luxury tax-weary teams. No question he’d like to move Marcus Camby’s remaining two years for a larger expiring contract. Milwaukee is in a really tough spot luxury tax-wise, so Camby for Toni Kukoc and one of Milwaukee’s two 2003 second round picks makes a ton of sense here.

4 Knicks—Chris Bosh. DO believe the Toronto trade rumors, but DON’T believe that New York is set on T.J. Ford at #4 overall. The Knicks haven’t had a star frontcourt player since, who, Patrick Ewing? Chris Bosh is hands down the fourth-best prospect in this draft. Bosh is New York’s guy here. As for Toronto, well, you gotta understand that Toronto cannot afford to sign their #4 overall pick AND stay under the luxury tax threshold, THAT is why they are talking trade. The Raptors also see the #4 pick as an opportunity to dump unwanted longterm salary. The idea is for Toronto to move unwanted longterm salary AND to reduce their 2003-04 payroll just enough to be able to afford to sign their #9 overall pick as well as to fill out their roster with minimum salary players. They obviously want to get rid of Antonio Davis, but the Knicks are obviously refusing to bail them out on that guy (good for them). Here’s a trade that works: Latrell Sprewell, the #9 overall pick, and Michael Doleac (filler) for the #4 overall pick, Jerome Williams, Lamond Murray, Lindsay Hunter (filler), and Eric Montross (filler). Toronto is in pretty terrible shape from a basketball standpoint after this deal, obviously, but their longterm financial prognosis improves dramatically. The #9 pick makes $900,000 less than the #4 pick, that's a lot of money when you're on the threshold. They will spend the entire 2003-04 season trying to figure out how to unload Antonio Davis.

5 Heat—Maciej Lampe. Miami supposedly really likes this guy, although, like last year’s #5 overall pick (Nikoloz Tskitishvili), we’re talking about somebody who probably won’t come in and play right away, don’t forget he’s a teenager. Can Lampe play PF? Don’t obsess over whether or not he’s a SF or PF; ask yourself, what position does Dirk Nowitzki play, SF or PF? Who cares? With all the talk of Miami’s need for a center, people seem to have forgotten that MALIK ALLEN was this team’s starting PF last year, so Miami needs some talented frontcourt players, and not just one, either. Riles may want to trade down here; he most definitely wants to unload either Brian Grant or Eddie Jones along with this #5 overall pick in exchange for a contract that expires within two years and a lower first round pick. It will be interesting to see if Miami comes away with Michael Olowokandi this summer, and, if Olowokandi signs elsewhere, if Riles can manage to land Brad Miller instead. Look for Miami to solve its PG problem with its early second round pick—there will be at least one pretty good PG still on the board in this draft. Keep in mind that there are any number of serviceable veteran free agent PGs who can be had for cheap this summer, as well.

6 Clippers—Dwayne Wade. This is one of two lottery teams that Wade hasn’t worked out for yet, but good god, this team’s starting backcourt next year is looking like Marco Jaric-Quentin Richardson, so clearly Wade would step right in and be this team’s best backcourt player, regardless of whether he plays PG or SG. He’s one of the top four contenders for Rookie of the Year next year, along with Carmelo, T.J. Ford, and Kirk Hinrich. The Clips may take T.J. Ford here, as well, but I get the feeling that teams are starting to get scared by Ford’s miniscule size (as well they should). Look for Donald Sterling to match any offer for Elton Brand (he will get a max offer sheet from somebody, probably Denver, and when Sterling matches it, he instantly becomes the highest-paid player in Clippers history). Also look for Lamar Odom to return at a discount price ($6-$7 mil). Olowokandi is definitely long gone. I can’t imagine that Corey Maggette will be back, either, although you might see him shipped off in a sign-and-trade (rather than just walking as a free agent). Andre Miller? I gotta think he’s a goner, too, after his mediocre season in L.A., but again, Sterling and Elgin Baylor will do everything they can to get something for him via a sign-and-trade, even if it’s not much. Utah’s #19 overall pick for Miller, for instance, isn’t much, but it’s obviously better than nothing at all.

7 Wizards—Kirk Hinrich. I believe that Washington is incredibly sold on Hinrich (they SHOULD be, he’s the real deal, you know), and that the Wiz are convinced that Milwaukee wants him at #8 overall. So a swap of the #7 and #10 picks makes a ton of sense for Chicago and Washington here. The Wiz get their guy, Hinrich, and all they have to do is to take on Eddie Robinson’s remaining 3-4 years in exchange for Christian Laettner’s remaining TWO years. This trade saves Chicago a ton of money down the road—don’t forget that both Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler are restricted free agents in the summer of 2005, which happens to be the summer that Laettner’s contract expires. E-Rob’s contract does NOT expire that summer, however. Chicago should still be able to get their guy—Mickael Pietrus—at #10. Interesting that Hinrich ended up getting drafted ahead of his former Big Twelve peer, Ford.

8 Bucks (from Atlanta)—Nick Collison. The Bucks are supposedly sold on both Hinrich and Collison. Will they pass on Ford? Yeah, I think so (he’s really slipping, huh?). If the Bucks want to be able to afford to sign their first round pick AND stay under the luxury tax threshold—he’ll cost them #1.7 mil in 2003-04—then they need to dump some salary somehow. Toni Kukoc has an expiring contract, so a team with cap room would definitely trade an unwanted salary, a guy who makes a few million less than Kukoc, straight up for Kukoc, no problem. Marcus Camby is an unwanted multiyear contract in Denver, and Kiki has cap room, lots of it, so Kukoc-for-Camby straight up makes a TON of sense for both teams (although Kiki may insist on one or both of Milwaukee’s 2003 second round picks). After making this sort of deal—I can’t imagine that Milwaukee was planning on re-signing Kukoc after next season, anyway—then the Bucks will be able to afford Collison. Is Collison a reach at #8 overall? I don’t know, but I do know that beginning with this pick, the draft becomes a crapshoot. On a side note, Gary Payton will not, I repeat, WILL NOT be re-signed by Milwaukee this summer, they can’t afford him, although a sign-and-trade for Terrell Brandon (Brandon for a re-signed Gary Payton plus Jason Caffey) remains a possibility (Brandon’s contract does not count for luxury tax purposes next season, great way for Milwaukee to use GP to improve their financial situation). Milwaukee will be pretty bad next year, as their top four players will be Sam Cassell, Desmond Mason, Michael Redd, and Tim Thomas. If Milwaukee can find a taker for Thomas’ godawful contract, don’t be surprised to see them trade down here. Portland is a possibility, as always. How about Tim Thomas (three years remaining), the #8 overall pick, and Joel Pryzbilla (filler) for Damon Stoudamire (two years remaining) and the #23 overall pick? That move would save Milwaukee a TON of money down the road, and, if the Bucks are NOT sold on whoever is on the board at #8, and if the Blazers ARE, it could happen.

9 Raptors—Mike Sweetney. Toronto is supposedly crazy about Sweetney. This is a great trade for Toronto, actually. Spree may not be in town for long; don’t be surprised to see him packaged in another salary dump somehow before the trade deadline. Spree (two years remaining) and Alvin Williams (4-5 years remaining on his contract) for Dikembe Mutombo (two years remaining) would save Toronto quite a bit of money in the long run. Toronto will do everything they can to move Davis first, though. If Vinsanity and Davis continue to struggle with injuries—and I believe they will—Toronto will be a very bad team once again next season. Spree will not be a happy camper, and I don’t think Raptors fans will like him very much. It won’t be pretty.

10 Bulls—Mickael Pietrus. Chicago supposedly really likes this guy, right? I have no clue what Chicago needs to do here. Chad Ford loves Pietrus, for what it’s worth, and, supposedly, Pietrus is ready to step right in and contribute right away, unlike many of his foreign rookie peers. Chicago should be pretty mediocre again next season, especially in the wake of Jay Williams’ motorcycle accident. The Bulls may take look at Ford here, as well, since Jay Williams is out for at least one year, but I get the feeling that they’re pretty sold on Pietrus.

11 Warriors—T.J. Ford. Wow, did this guy slip or WHAT? Golden State must be thrilled, they get their top PG prospect after all. Ford will be handed the starting PG job, and he will have a major chip on his shoulder as a rookie. Definitely one of the top 3-4 contenders for Rookie of the Year. 

12 Sonics—Chris Kaman. I told you guys this guy’s stock would start slipping as we got closer to draft day! Everybody keeps saying that Seattle needs a PG. Uh, have you seen their starting frontcourt lately? Jerome James at center and Reggie Evans at PF? Are you kidding me? If Kaman can evolve into a Brad Miller-caliber center, that would be fantastic for the Sonics. Seattle is having luxury tax threshold issues, as well, so don’t be at all surprised to see them move one or both picks if somebody will bail them out on Calvin Booth somehow. As far as Seattle’s so-called PG problem is concerned, keep in mind that Ray Allen did plenty of ball-handling and provided plenty of floor leadership when he came over last year, and that Brent Barry is still around. And that Kevin Ollie can be re-signed for cheap. PG is, contrary to popular belief, not the problem in Seattle.

13 Lakers—Boris Diaw. Yep, that’s right, a Shaq trade, Shaq and filler (probably Stanislav Medvedenko) to Memphis for Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift, both Memphis first round picks (#13 and #27), expiring contracts (Wesley Person and Brevin Knight), and Michael Dickerson (who will become a Terrell Brandon-type salary cap-dodging guy during the 2004-05 season). Power struggle in L.A., Kobe wins, Jerry Buss starts over and gets something good for Shaq now, while he still can. Buss also saves a ton of money down the road—Shaq makes $30ish mil/year during the final two years (2004-05 and 2005-06) of his contract, you know. And, if you think that money is not a concern for Buss, ask yourself, why did he turn down Sam Cassell-for-Robert Horry at the trade deadline last season? I’ll tell you why—Cassell is signed on for another 2-3 years (which is why the salary-dumping Bucks wanted to move him), and Horry is a free agent this summer (after L.A. declines to pick up his 2003-04 option). In the meantime, L.A. loads up on size and athleticism in this draft. Diaw is potentially one of the steals of the draft at #13 overall. Kobe and Gasol carry the load and finish in the middle of the Western Conference playoff pack for a couple of years while the kiddies develop. Maybe we’ll see Gasol and company traded for Kevin Garnett sometime next season IF Minnesota doesn’t make KG happy by trading Brandon for immediate help. I have been predicting this Shaq-to-Memphis trade for a year now, fellas; if I’m wrong, give me hell, but if I’m right, I deserve major MAJOR props. The Shaq-Kobe dynasty is SO OVER, fellas! The Lakers may well have another dynasty in a few years, though; that’s certainly what Kobe has in mind, and this time, Kobe wants ALL of the credit. Do not underestimate Kobe’s Machiavellian tendencies—he has more in common with MJ than you think.

14 Sonics (from Milwaukee)—Sofoklis Schortsianitis. Sonics get their C AND their PF in this draft. Wow. I don’t know what kind of pro either Kaman or Schortsianitis will be. Reggie Evans will probably be allowed to walk, especially since Seattle can’t really afford to re-sign him (even though he won’t cost all that much). Evans would be a terrific guy to pair with Shaq, actually, so don’t be surprised to see Jerry West steal away a Sonic for cheap for the second year in a row (he stole away Earl Watson last season). Another possibility is to bring back Evans for cheap, around $1 mil, and to leave Sofoklis overseas for a year or two, since he is incredibly raw at the moment.

15 Magic—Brian Cook. We keep hearing that Orlando will draft a PG here. Rubbish. Take a look at Orlando’s frontcourt situation. Shawn Kemp? Andrew DeClercq? Steven Hunter? Are you kidding me? Drew Gooden can’t do it all by himself. And there are just way too many perfectly respectable and dirt-cheap PGs out there on this summer’s free agent market. I’d look for the Magic to sign Keon Clark (who will likely opt out of his Kings deal, since he’s an unwanted man in Sacramento) with their MLE, to bring back Darrell Armstrong at a market value price (probably around $2.5-$3.0 mil to start), and to use part BUT NOT ALL of their Grant Hill injury exception (which they can and will get) on a veteran PG. How about Speedy Claxton? Isn’t Claxton as good or better than Luke Ridnour or Reece Gaines or whoever? Isn’t a Cook-caliber prospect more valuable than a so-so PG prospect such as Ridnour or Gaines? Of course! Big guys are always more valuable than little guys, never forget that! Orlando may opt for another big guy, Zarko Cabarkapa, at this pick. I think the guy they are hoping falls to them is either Chris Kaman, Maciej Lampe, Sofoklis Schortsianitis, or Nick Collison. We’ll see what happens, but I’ll be shocked if Orlando drafts a PG here, as all the other “experts” are projecting. Cook can step right in and contribute immediately in Orlando, and that team is trying to win now, not later. Take a look at Orlando’s potential rotation next year: Claxton, McGrady, Giricek, Gooden, and Clark in the starting lineup, with Armstrong, Garrity, Cook, and DeClercq coming off the bench. That team can make it to the NBA Finals if Gooden makes big strides and if Claxton and Clark respond well to being thrust into starting roles.

16 Celtics—Aleksander Pavlovic. Boston, like Orlando, will solve their PG problem via free agency. Remember Kenny Anderson? Former Celtic? They can get him for the veteran’s minimum. There are lots and lots of totally solid PGs out there who can be had for cheap this summer, which is a big reason why all this talk about PGs going early and often is totally ridiculous. Kenny Anderson, J.R. Bremer, and Tony Delk, those three dudes can totally hold down the fort. Danny Ainge, meanwhile, is sold on Pavlovic, and will take him if he’s on the board. Ainge is convinced that Boston needs a second wing player to help Paul Pierce out with the scoring and ballhandling.

17 Suns—Zarko Cabarkapa. Phoenix loves this guy, and if he’s still on the board, he’s a Sun. I think he’ll still be on the board at #17. If not, another PF—either Collison or Schortsianitis—will be there. Sure, Phoenix has a PF in Amare Stoudemire already, but at #17 overall (and below), all you’re looking for are guys who can PLAY for you, you don’t expect to get future starters or All-Stars this late in the draft. Phoenix’s top bench big guys last year were Bo Outlaw, Jake Voskuhl, and Scott Williams, so they definitely could use a skilled combo forward like Cabarkapa.

18 Hornets—Jarvis Hayes. I keep reading that this guy’s stock is rising, but I don’t buy it, I think it’s misinformation, I think teams are trying to trick each other. I have been predicting this guy to slip big-time for at least a couple of months now. New Orleans was probably hoping for one of those PFs to fall into their lap at this pick, especially since they will let P.J. Brown walk this summer, but I don’t think they’re going to get one of those guys. So taking the best guy on the board—or the guy who they THINK is the best guy on the board—makes sense. Hayes can certainly beat out the enigmatic Courtney Alexander and the aging George Lynch for PT at SG. New Orleans also clearly wants to find somebody to replace the undersized and incredibly undervalued David Wesley at SG, but Wesley keeps outplaying whoever they bring in to replace him. He was a Paul Silas favorite, so don’t be surprised to see him traded to Cleveland for Ricky Davis somehow this summer. Wesley and another Silas favorite, George Lynch, for Davis and the unwanted Chris Mihm would probably work as soon as Davis’ BYC status changes.

19 Jazz—Malick Badiane. I think Utah takes the best non-PG (they’ll almost certainly sign Andre Miller) prospect on the board at this pick, and my guess is that Badiane is that guy. I’d also be shocked if Karl Malone does not re-sign with Utah. Andre Miller is a good bet to come to town, as well. Utah will probably also need to sign a free agent SG this summer, as Calbert Cheaney was, at best, a one-year stopgap solution. Jon Barry makes sense, but don’t be surprised to see them bring in Reggie Miller. Uncle Reggie won’t be back in Indiana because of the Pacers’ luxury tax issues. Another possibility is a trade for a Jerry Stackhouse or a Cuttino Mobley, but I think Utah will want to go the budget route and bring in a Barry or an Uncle Reggie instead. Remember, Utah has cap room, and they have Greg Ostertag’s expiring contract to play around with, so the Jazz are a team to keep an eye on, they could make an unexpected splash this summer. Utah is in way better shape than most NBA fans think they are.

20 Celtics—Jerome Beasley. Luke Ridnour, yeah, he’s still on the board here, but again, keep in mind that the Celts can sign Kenny Anderson for the veteran’s minimum. Guess how much it’ll cost to sign a Beasley-caliber combo forward? At least $3 mil, which is why Beasley is Boston’s guy here. Boston has worked this guy out twice, so they definitely like him. They obviously need some help up front, because they’re definitely never going to get anything out of Vin Baker. Beasley can step out and bury the midrange jumper, a must in Jim O’Brien’s system. The stage appears to be set for an Antoine Walker trade, incidentally.

21 Hawks (from Indiana)—Leandro Barbosa. The Hawks apparently want somebody to help out with the ballhandling. Luke Ridnour is still on the board, and he’s more polished than Barbosa, but keep in mind that Jason Terry is an undersized two, you want to pair him with a tall PG, so Barbosa and his legendary wingspan makes perfect sense here. What will become of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Glenn Robinson, and Theo Ratliff? Good question. A trade with the Knicks remains a possibility, I guess. Atlanta is in terrible shape, despite the change in ownership. Jason Terry will NOT be allowed to walk, so get that idea out of your head. Dion Glover will probably be allowed to walk IF he gets more than, say, $3 mil or so from somebody else. Glover played extremely well down the stretch last season, but it was probably a salary drive. Who knows what Dan Dickau’s future in Atlanta is, he appears to be a forgotten man already. He certainly can’t play at the same time as Terry (they’re both way too small), which is why I never understood why the Hawks drafted this guy to begin with.

22 Nets—Zoran Planinic. I have also been cautioning fans to ignore the Kidd-to-San Antonio talk for about a year now. Continue to ignore it, he’ll be back in New Jersey, San Antonio can get Gary Payton for way less this summer. Put it this way: if they sign Kidd, they have no money left to go get a replacement big guy for The Admiral. If they sign GP, for about $5 mil less than it’ll cost to bring in Kidd, they CAN afford to sign a Brad Miller. I have been calling Payton and Miller to San Antonio for quite a while now, and I am sticking with my guns here. Regardless, New Jersey needs a backup PG in the worst way. Supposedly, Planinic is their guy. Or maybe Reece Gaines or Luke Ridnour, neither of whom were expected by the Nets to still be on the board this late.

23 Trailblazers—Luke Ridnour. Portland wants to win back the local fans, well, this is a great way to start, isn’t it? Jeff McInnis is a pretty good bet to end up getting traded as filler sometime this summer, Scottie Pippen’s career in Portland is over, and it’s hard to say what happens with Antonio Daniels, but even if he’s brought back, he’s not exactly a classic PG, he’s an off-the-bench combo guard. Ridnour will be given every opportunity to beat out Damon Stoudamire for the starting PG job, obviously. Rasheed Wallace will be shopped heavily, as well, but Portland will not give him away, and his stock is so low right now that they will probably be better off holding onto him until the season begins and allowing him to boost up his trade value by playing well (and consistently). He has a lot of money riding on next season, he’ll be a free agent next summer, so expect a big year from the guy. Do not expect him to be a Blazer after next season, however. Portland will also do everything they can to reduce longterm payroll (Derek Anderson) and bad seeds (Ruben Patterson, who also has a terrible longterm contract). I think Bonzi Wells stays.

24 Lakers—Travis Outlaw. The Lake Show gets another interesting project to build around in the post-Shaq era. Don’t expect this guy to contribute until his second or third year, though.

25 Pistons—Travis Hansen. This guy steps right in and replaces Jon Barry immediately in the rotation. Barry won’t be retained. Another possibility for Joe D. is to grab a foreign dude (either Carlos Delfino or Zaur Pachulia) and stash him overseas for a year or so. It's also a shocker that Reece Gaines is still on the board, but Detroit simply does not need a PG.

26 Timberwolves—David West. Minnesota needs a guy who can step right in and contribute. West can probably do that, although his upside is obviously limited. Surely to god he’s an improvement over the likes of Joe Smith and Gary Trent, though. Minnesota needs to do everything they can to appease KG, which means they need to bring in guys who can help him win. If Minnesota cannot make it out of the first round next season, it could get ugly next summer in contract negotiations with KG. Next season could be KG’s last in a Minnesota uniform. Do NOT expect KG to get traded THIS summer, however. Ignore all KG trade rumors, at least until NEXT summer. Expect Terrell Brandon to get traded for something pretty good this summer, preferably somebody who can put the biscuit in the basket. Jerry Stackhouse makes a ton of sense.

27 Lakers**—Zaur Pachulia. Yet another big, strong project for Kobe. Possible steal, but he’s a project for now, for the most part. The Lake Show passes on Gaines (and Banks) again because they figure to get a pretty good PG prospect at #32. Wow is Gaines slipping.

28 Spurs—Carlos Delfino. The Spurs want to give Emanuel Ginobili as many reasons as possible to want to stick around after next season. He and San Antonio will be in exactly the same situation next summer as Gilbert Arenas and Golden State are in this summer. Ginobili may well get offers for more than the MLE next summer. By surrounding him with countrymen (Delfino and Luis Scola, last year’s second round pick who remains overseas for now) and by winning championships, hopefully he’ll decide to stick around, though. Delfino may not come over right away, though, especially if the Spurs don’t think he can help them next year. He probably can’t.

29 Knicks--Reece Gaines. Dallas simply does not need Gaines, and nobody else on the board can help the Mavs right away. Milos Vujanic clearly has zero interest in ever playing for New York, but Dallas is Euro-friendly, he should be interested. So, the #29 overall pick for the rights to Vujanic--a much better prospect than Gaines--makes a ton of sense here. Gaines will play as a rookie, he might even start. Charlie Ward's $6 mil contract will be bought out for $2 mil, his Knick career is officially over. Frank Williams is in no-man's-land, obviously, whoever wants him can have him for nothing.

30 Knicks (from Denver)—Josh Howard. With Spree traded, who starts at SF for this team? Shandon Anderson? Lamond Murray? The Knicks will want to take the best SF on the board here. Howard is obviously the best SF on the board here. Expect him to split minutes with Anderson, and for the oft-injured Murray to quickly find his way to the end of Don Chaney’s bench. SF is definitely going to be a weak spot for the Knicks next season. They can have Glenn Robinson for next-to-nothing, though, if they want him. The Big Dog and Chris Crawford (filler) for the worthless Antonio McDyess’ expiring contract works. I’d also look for the Knicks to acquire a C somehow. They may want to try to get Theo Ratliff from Atlanta somehow while they’re at it. The Big Dog and Theo for McDyess, Travis Knight (another expiring contract), and Othella Harrington works, too, although New York would have to spice it up somehow, probably with either their 2004 or 2005 first round pick. A starting lineup of Eisley-Houston-Big Dog-Thomas-Ratliff, with a bench of Jerome Williams, Anderson/Howard, Bosh, and Gaines is flawed but clearly good enough to make the playoffs in the lousy East. Alonzo Mourning is the wild card here; I can totally see him ending up somewhere in the Northeast, either with New York, Washington, Boston, Philly, or New Jersey. New York remains a mess with a bloated roster (15 guys under contract for next season after recommended trades with Toronto, Dallas, and Atlanta) and a bloated payroll, though.

31 Cavs—Troy Bell. Cleveland definitely drafts a PG here. There are still quite a few other interesting PGs left on the board in the second round--Marcus Banks, Mo Williams, Pacellis Morlende--but Bell is a Paul Silas kind of player. Unless Lebron finds a quick home at PG, Bell could quickly emerge as the starting PG for this team. David Wesley (if Silas can convince Jim Paxson to trade Ricky Davis somehow for him) would also be a nice floor leader for this team. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I honestly think that Cleveland might sneak into the playoffs next year as the #8 seed, assuming they move Davis for a guy like Wesley, that's how much of an impact I expect Paul Silas and Lebron to make from Day One. Those two guys give this franchise instant credibility, I'm talking a LOT of credibility. And teams such as New Orleans and Milwaukee and possibly even Philly (who will miss Larry Brown SO MUCH) figure to plummet in the standings next year, somebody has to take their places. and I think it will be New York and a surprise team such as Cleveland.

32 Lakers (from Toronto)—Marcus Banks. The Lake Show definitely goes for a longterm replacement for Derek Fisher at this pick. Troy Bell and Mo Williams are also possibilities. So, to review: the Lakers have replaced Shaquille O’Neal, Robert Horry, Mark Madsen, Samaki Walker, Brian Shaw, Tracy Murray, and Stanislav Medvedenko with Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift, Boris Diaw, Travis Outlaw, Zaur Pachulia, Marcus Banks, Wesley Person, and Brevin Knight (and, if you want to count him, the always-injured and effectively retired Michael Dickerson). How is that not an admirable rebuilding job? The Lake Show’s starting lineup for 2003-04 is: PG Derek Fisher, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Devean George, PF Stromile Swift, C Pau Gasol (why not see if he can play C in this league?). Key reserves: Wesley Person, Boris Diaw, Zaur Pachulia, Marcus Banks. End of the bench: Kareem Rush, Jannero Pargo, Travis Outlaw. Stashed on the IR: Rick Fox, Michael Dickerson, Brevin Knight. Not a championship contender, but Kobe will have them in the playoffs, a #6 or #7 seed sounds about right. KEEP IN MIND that if KG gets traded before the 2003-04 regular season trade deadline, it’ll be to the Lakers for Gasol, maybe Swift, a bunch of prospects and draft picks, and contracts that expire ASAP. Kobe and KG will start winning championships within a couple of years.

33 Heat—Mario Austin. Remember, Lampe isn't ready to step right in and play, so Austin should make the team, he should play. Carlos Boozer stepped in and got major minutes as a rookie last year for Cleveland NOT because he’s a good ballplayer but because Cleveland had terrible depth at that position. Austin could end up getting quite a bit of PT for Pat Riley for exactly the same reason, although, like Boozer, we’re not talking about a guy with much (if any) upside here, what you see is what you get.

34 Clippers—Kendrick Perkins. Why not? He’s definitely the most interesting prospect left on the board. He won’t touch the floor as a rookie, obviously, but the Clips will have plenty of roster spots after this summer’s mass free agent exodus, so he’ll definitely make the team.

35 Bucks (from Memphis)—Rick Rickert. At least Rickert stays close to home. The Bucks are awfully short on big guys, so Rickert has a good shot at making the team as a rookie. 

36 Bulls—Slavko Vranes. Definitely worth a gamble this late, the dude is enormous, 7'6", I think. Stashed overseas.

37 Hawks—Ndubi Ebi. The Hawks are in rebuilding mode, so this guy is a great idea at #37 overall. Like the other non-Lebron HS kids, don't expect him to touch the floor as a rookie.

38 Wizards—Josh Powell. This kid is skinny, but he’s tall and athletic and he’s got a nice shooting touch. Definitely worth a gamble in the second round.

39 Knicks—Szymon Szewcyzk. Knicks’ roster is overflowing, so they may as well grab a big foreign project here and stash him overseas for a while.

40 Warriors—Wayne Wallace. He’s Ben Wallace’s nephew, he’s Ben Wallace’s size, maybe he has a similar work ethic, maybe he’s a dud, who knows, but it’s the middle of the second round here, so why not?

41 Sonics—Mo Williams. This guy has really slipped, but at least he has landed with a team that SORT of needs a PG, at least longterm. Brent Barry is a free agent after this season, he may or may not return. Kevin Ollie is an acceptable backup, but dear lord, you don’t want that guy starting for you. Some mocks have Williams in the first round; I think that’s awfully high, but he’s certainly an interesting prospect, so this may turn out to be another brilliant Rick Sund move.

42 Hawks (from Memphis)—Luke Walton. Maybe this guy ends up being a fan favorite coming off the bench, maybe he fails to even make the team, I don’t know, tough call.

43 Bucks—Boyko Mladenov. Stashed overseas.

44 Rockets—Tommy Smith. Houston is hurting at forward, in terms of both quality and quantity. Smith is versatile, he’s an interesting prospect. He probably won’t amount to anything, but you never know.

45 Bulls—Dahntay Jones. Jones gives the injured Jay Williams a former Dukie to talk to on the sidelines next season. Or maybe he doesn’t make the team.

46 Nuggets—Pacellis Morlende. Kiki likes this guy. Whether or not he comes over right away or stashed overseas for a while, hard to say.

47 Jazz—Carl English. One of the sleepers of the second round. Seems to be the kind of player that Jerry Sloan likes. Don’t be surprised to see him play as a rookie. Bryon Russell was a second-round pick, too, back in the day.

48 Hornets—James Lang. Not what this guy had in mind. Probably won’t make the team as a rookie.

49 Pacers—Steve Blake. Jamaal Tinsley is not the answer at PG, I don’t think the team can afford to re-sign Erick Strickland, and no way does Tim Hardaway come back. Blake might emerge as the backup PG for this team as a rookie, believe it or not; he and Jamison Brewer may be the only two non-Tinsley PGs on the roster. He’s a solid player, very fundamentally sound.

50 Sixers—Marquis Estill. Either Kenny Thomas or Derrick Coleman should get stolen away by the Pistons this summer. The other one might end up leaving, as well. Philly will be absolutely dreadful up front next season. Philly won’t be a good team, you know, Allen Iverson will not be a happy camper. The point here is that Estill is a polished player, nice hands, nice footwork, he can put the biscuit in the basket. He should make the team as a rookie.

51 Nets—Nedzad Sinonovic. Stashed overseas.

52 Raptors--Jason Keep. The Raptors are desperate for quantity, so he might actually make the roster, but don't expect him to touch the floor, and do expect him to be gone from the league within a couple of years.

53 Bulls (from Miami)—Uche Nsonwu-Amadi. Nice rebounder, but probably won’t make the team.

54 Trailblazers—Zoltan Bencze. Stashed overseas.

55 Timberwolves—Keith Bogans. Minnesota is short on players, they are trying to win now, not later, so who knows, maybe this guy actually makes the team.

56 Celtics (from Sacramento)—Ron Slay. Total longshot to make the team.

57 Mavs—Sani Bedirovic. Stashed overseas.

58 Pistons (from San Antonio)—Jeff Newton. Total longshot to make the team.


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## ThatBlazerGuy

this has to be one of the best and most through mcok drafts ever


great job


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## Crossword

Nice mock... it's pretty damn crazy too. A couple things though... didn't Rickert withdraw? And also, give the Raptors Marquis Daniels with the 52nd pick.


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## bruno34115

great work. i dont agree with a lot of the picks; but it was outstanding. great detail and explaination.


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## ATLien

at least now you don't have James Lang as a top 20 pick


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## Sigma

No Kristaps Valters ???


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## Vintage

Roby, one again, you make a great post. Some surprises, which are always nice, since drafts never go "as planned." BTW: When did you come back? Haven't seen you in awhile?

I like the Bulls drafting Pietrus and Jones. Pietrus would be the 2G we need, that is very good on defense, something we lack. And Jones is an athletic slasher, which we could use as well.


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## 7M3

*The Net's are in love with...*

... Planinic. If he's available, it's pretty much a lock they'll select him. It's rumored they've given him a promise.


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## TerpNation

Ok, I'll admit I thoroghly enjoyed reading through this mock. And from picks 1-12, I could solidly see the things happening (except the Wizards actually making a good move up to get Hinrich).

But a Shaq-to-Memphis trade?

Two words: Pipe Dream.

Hey, if it comes true, I will bow down to your greatness. But until then, allow me to scoff.

Still, at least you backed up everything you put out there. Excellent effort.


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## Cam*Ron

> 12 Sonics—Uh, have you seen their starting frontcourt lately?


 Big Man


> Sonics (from Milwaukee)—Sofoklis Schortsianitis. Sonics get their C AND their PF in this draft.


 Another Big Man because there will still be good PG's later in the 2nd round.


> 41 Sonics—Mo Williams. This guy has really slipped, but at least he has landed with a team that SORT of needs a PG, at least longterm.


 Well what do you know they get a good PG who can not only score but can set up Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

^^^^I swear this is what I have been thinking about for the last few days.

But other than that, Marcus Hatten not getting drafted? Steve Blake the Pacers answer? Cleveland getting another small scoring guard? It seems like you just needed to fill spots and started making excuses for players to fit, but other than that good effort.

OH and one more thing: Knicks-30 Cavs-31 Lakers-32


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## ATLien

did Hatten declare?


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## sniper10

That's a hell of a draft

Bosh is the next KG 

The knicks are back


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## whiterhino

Good mock, I don't agree with most of it but I liked reading it.


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## Cam*Ron

> Originally posted by <b>GeorgiaSports</b>!
> did Hatten declare?


yes


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## Crossword

*bump*

This one deserves to be bumped. :yes:


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## NugzFan

now we know where robys been...writing this NOVEL!


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## JoeF

> Originally posted by <b>robyg1974</b>!
> 19 Jazz—Malick Badiane. I think Utah takes the best non-PG (they’ll almost certainly sign Andre Miller) prospect on the board at this pick, and my guess is that Badiane is that guy.
> 47 Jazz—Carl English. One of the sleepers of the second round. Seems to be the kind of player that Jerry Sloan likes. Don’t be surprised to see him play as a rookie. Bryon Russell was a second-round pick, too, back in the day.


I am not sure about the trades and I don't know what they think of Badiane. It is nice to see a mock draft with the Jazz taking players who fit their most pressing needs and the system they run. I don't think the Jazz have had Badiane in but they did or will have Sofoklis Schortsianitis, David West and Jerome Beasley in before draft day. Given the bad luck we have had with 1st round picks and the good luck with 2nd round picks plus the depth of the draft I would like to see the Jazz obtain another 2nd round pick especially if they could get in the 30-35 range. This seems like a good year for a team with roster spots available to trade a conditional future pick to a team where the 2nd round pick probably won't make the team.


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## OZZY

What is roby the freaking Pope? Don't critizie him to much guy, man... Roby is a great poster but no need for *** kissing.


1 Cavs—Lebron James. 

2 Pistons—Darko Milicic. 

3 Nuggets—Carmelo Anthony

4 Knicks—Chris Bosh *You really think the Raptors want Spree? Ok they have Peterson and Carter, what Spree takes Peterson's spot? Sorry but going older in that position, well what do you do with Mo Pete, and how long can Spree play, this more does not make sense, they will not trade the pick IMO.*

5 Heat—Maciej Lampe. 

6 Clippers—Dwayne Wade. 

7 Wizards—Kirk Hinrich. 

8 Bucks (from Atlanta)—Nick Collison

9 Raptors—Mike Sweetney. 

10 Bulls—Mickael Pietrus. 

11 Warriors—T.J. Ford. *I doubt he drops this much, way to good of prospect, how in the **** can the Wizards take Hinrich over Ford, that would NEVER happen.*

12 Sonics—Chris Kaman

13 Lakers—Boris Diaw. *Agree, this guy is a fine prospect*

14 Sonics (from Milwaukee)—Sofoklis Schortsianitis. *Another star in the waiting*

15 Magic—Brian Cook. *could not disagree more, Cook on the Magic, ok they do not need a shooting big man that is not physical! They already have Garrity, Cook is solid and is pretty good but I want size on the Magic or a fine PG or SF prospect, not a weak overhyped PF.*

16 Celtics—Aleksander Pavlovic

17 Suns—Zarko Cabarkapa. 

18 Hornets—Jarvis Hayes. 

19 Jazz—Malick Badiane. 

20 Celtics—Jerome Beasley. 

21 Hawks (from Indiana)—Leandro Barbosa. 

22 Nets—Zoran Planinic. 

23 Trailblazers—Luke Ridnour. 
.
24 Lakers—Travis Outlaw. 

25 Pistons—Travis Hansen. *Again why is this guy a first round pick, what ever since ESPN said so? He did not exactly kill in Chicago...* 

26 Timberwolves—David West. 

27 Lakers**—Zaur Pachulia. 

28 Spurs—Carlos Delfino. 

29 Knicks--Reece Gaines. *I believe you underranked this very talented slasher PG/SG, tall big and can defend and is very competitive*

30 Knicks (from Denver)—Josh Howard. 

31 Cavs—Troy Bell. *Why, or why would the Cavs pick Bell? They PG is LEBRON JAMES! LeBron will play PG, and they do not need a "pg on defense" because Wagner can play defense against PG's and LeBron can take the SF, Davis the SG. LeBron is to talented to not play PG in the future, and why get two shoot first smaller PG/SG's in Bell and Wagner?*

32 Lakers (from Toronto)—Marcus Banks

33 Heat—Mario Austin. 

34 Clippers—Kendrick Perkins. 

35 Bucks (from Memphis)—Rick Rickert. 

36 Bulls—Slavko Vranes. 

37 Hawks—Ndubi Ebi. *I believe you underrank Ebi, the kid couldbe a star some day, and if he drops this low a lot of people will be kicking themselves just like they did with Rashard Lewis (not comparing them talent wise though)*

38 Wizards—Josh Powell. 

39 Knicks—Szymon Szewcyzk

40 Warriors—Wayne Wallace. 

41 Sonics—Mo Williams. .

42 Hawks (from Memphis)—Luke Walton. 

43 Bucks—Boyko Mladenov. .

44 Rockets—Tommy Smith. 

45 Bulls—Dahntay Jones

46 Nuggets—Pacellis Morlende

47 Jazz—Carl English. 

48 Hornets—James Lang. *Way to low, the kid produced in Chicago and he has size and athletic ability, very aggressive and is a fine center prospect*

49 Pacers—Steve Blake. 

50 Sixers—Marquis Estill. 

51 Nets—Nedzad Sinonovic. .

52 Raptors--Jason Keep. 

53 Bulls (from Miami)—Uche Nsonwu-Amadi. *I believe he will go higher, great banger down low.*

54 Trailblazers—Zoltan Bencze. .

55 Timberwolves—Keith Bogans. 

56 Celtics (from Sacramento)—Ron Slay. *He will not be drafted mark my words, small, can't defend and is a ball hog*

57 Mavs—Sani Bedirovic. 

58 Pistons (from San Antonio)—Jeff Newton. 



Pretty interesting mock though....


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## The Greek

Sani Beccirovic is out couz of serius injury


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## jericho

Mm mm mm.

A terrific read. And yes, roby, I'll sing your praises if Shaq goes to Memphis. 

As for the Toronto-New York trade...unlikely, but not inconceivable. I think it's likely the Raptors will end up keeping the pick, but if they decide to move it, Spreewell and the #9 pick might be more enticing than other offers. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Toronto move the #4 pick, but I suspect they won't like the offers and end up taking Bosh. But if I were the Raptors I would be angling for Kurt Thomas and either Ford or Hinrich, unless I were fairly sure both those PGs would be gone by the ninth pick.

Wade to the Clippers is starting to make sense, especially if the Clips believe Jaric has the stuff to be at least a decent PG. I'm still not ruling out Kaman for them, though.

I like the Chicago-Washington trade for both teams. Laettner is a savvy frontcourt vet who could light a fire under the Bulls' youngsters and back up both Curry and Chandler, and the chance of either Wade or Pietrus slipping to #10 is high. And of course, they'd love to get rid of Robinson. The Wiz would have to swallow hard and hope Eddie R. has some game left, or else they stash him on IR for YEARS. That could come back to haunt them. But Hinrich could very well turn out to be worth it. And Laettner isn't the future for the Wizards--Kwame, Etan and Jared need to swim on their own this year, or they may never develop.

As for Collison at #8--sorry, I don't think so! He might turn out to have been worthy of the eighth pick (I think he has more potential than a lot of people on this board do), but I have to think the Bucks take Sweetney, Kaman or Ford here. Kaman, for my money, unless they're lined up to move Cassell in a draft day deal.

I doubt Kaman lasts until #12, although anything's possible in this draft below the 3rd pick. I really think Seattle takes a PF and a PG with their two picks. Ridnour and Sofo, Barbosa and Collison...they will have options. And I do think PG will be a big problem for them, unless they institute some kind of triangle offense (which I'm not sure they have the personnel for). At the very least, they need a waterbug guy off the bench to chase after the quick PGs. 

Shaq to Memphis...well, I've weighed in on this one enough. With the POSSIBLE exception of Shaq for Garnett, I haven't seen a single Shaq-on-the-move proposal that leaves LA in a position to contend right away for a title. Jerry Krause's exploding of the Bulls was pretty much an historical anomaly, as near as I can figure. I can't imagine the Lakers opting to save money by shopping the league's most unstoppable force, UNLESS they are convinced he's clearly declining below that level. But at this point, all LA has to do is pick up the Mailman or P.J. Brown, and prognosticators will have them back in contention again. Of course Kobe wants to retool for a second dynasty run, but I really, really doubt it happens this year.

Orlando will draft a point guard, unless they don't think there's a worthy selection left to them. Maybe they can pick up Claxton, but maybe they can't. The draft is not a good place to roll the dice on what the free agent market will bring, if you have a choice. Also, Gooden needs to be clear that he's The Man at the 4 spot, and really develop his game there. PF is just not their greatest need. Anyway, if they really think Brian Cook is there guy, they can trade down a few spots and get him in the 20s. My dark horse pick here at #15 is Planinic, but if they don't go for a PG, I look for them to grab Jarvis Hayes. 

I think Hayes will slip, but probably not all the way to the Hornets. I actually think Collison is a great choice for New Orleans and likely to be available there, unless the Celtics grab him. Pavlovic is another good option, but unless someone of Hayes' caliber is available I really look for the Hornets to grab a PF. With Campbell gone and Brown probably on the way out, their froncourt is looking aaawfully thin.

The rest of the first round is so muddy I won't bother nitpicking my way through the 20s. But it wouldn't surprise me to see Dallas keep their pick and take one of the big high school guys, Lang or Perkins. They need talented wide bodies and can afford to stash someone on the bench for a couple of years until they prove themselves in practice and garbage time. If they do take Gaines or another PG, though, look out for a NVE trade.


Again, a ripping read on this one, robyg! Don't be a stranger.


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## HORNETSFAN

> I think Hayes will slip, but probably not all the way to the Hornets. I actually think Collison is a great choice for New Orleans and likely to be available there, unless the Celtics grab him. Pavlovic is another good option, but unless someone of Hayes' caliber is available I really look for the Hornets to grab a PF. With Campbell gone and Brown probably on the way out, their froncourt is looking aaawfully thin.


Hayes certainly would be nice though! I would not count Brown out yet. There is a pretty good chance he will remain a Hornet. Campbell has nothing left and was way outplayed by Tractor Traylor. I think Campbell should hang it up.


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## Kid04

Travis Hansen could be taken in the first round because Joe D listed him a canidate for the Pistons' 25th pick, and they need a guard like him to replace Jon Barry


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## The Mad Viking

I want what Roby has been smoking. :dead: 

Shaq traded? :rofl: 

Cook 15th? :rotf: 

Collison 8th? :drool: 

Sofo 14th, and his better twin, James Lang, 48th? :jawdrop: 

Vranes the stiff 36th? :sour: 

I do like Hinrich before Ford.  He certainly deserves it, but will it happen? 

Anyway, entertaining mock!


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## Bball_Doctor

I stopped reading it after 17 but that is because I am currently at work on a laptop:grinning:. Solid mock. Lot of explainations. Disagree with quite a few points but your mock was well thought out and most of all imaginative.


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