Chris Monter's Mock NBA Draft Pick Team Pos. Player College/Country Ht. Wt. Class 1 PF/C Emeka Okafor Connecticut 6'10" 257 Jr. Okafor would give the Magic some-needed shotblocking, but questions about his back could cause them some concern. 2 PF Dwight Howard Atlanta (Ga.) Southwest Christian 6'10" 240 H.S. The Clippers might move the pick to Atlanta, since they have four young frontcourt players in Melvin Ely (26 years old), Elton Brand (25), Chris Kaman (22) and Chris Wilcox (21). 3 SG Andre Iguodala Arizona 6'7" 217 So. The ex-Wildcat is an athletic swingman whose stock is rising after strong individual workouts, but Shaun Livingston and Luol Deng are possibilities if the Bulls keep the pick. 4 SF Josh Childress Stanford 6'7" 196 Jr. Childress could give the Bobcats a solid starting piece of the puzzle. 5 SF Luol Deng Duke 6'8" 220 Fr. Deng could go as high as three and is not working out for a team below five, so expect him to go the Wizards if he is still on the board. 6 PG Devin Harris Wisconsin 6'3" 170 Jr. The Clippers liked Harris' strong shooting workout and is a likely pick if they trade down. The former Badger is also possibility for the Hawks along with Shaun Livingston and Ben Gordon. 7 PG Shaun Livingston Peoria (Ill.) Central 6'7-1/2" 186 H.S. The McDonald's All-American could go as high No. 2, but he probably will not get past the Suns. 8 PG Ben Gordon Connecticut 6'2" 192 Jr. The Raptors have yet to hire a coach, but their point guard needs will likely guide them to pick the best available playmaker. 9 SF Josh Smith Oak Hill Academy 6'8" 221 H.S. The 76ers want to get more athletic and if all the guards are gone before their pick, look for them to take one of the Smiths. 10 SG J.R. Smith St. Benedict's (N.J.) Prep 6'7" 227 H.S. The Cavs would also love a top flight guard with Jeff McInnis' status up in the air. If they're all gone, an athletic player makes sense. 11 PF Andris Biedrins Latvia 6'11" 240 -- The Latvian is too talented to last much longer. 12 SF Luke Jackson Oregon 6'7" 212 Sr. The Sonics took Oregon teammate Luke Ridnour last year and would grab Jackson, who is perhaps the top shooter in the draft. However, his strong workouts might move him up in the draft. 13 SG Kirk Snyder Nevada 6'6" 228 Jr. Most observers believe Snyder has lottery promise and he could go as high as No. 8. 14 PF Kri Humphries Minnesota 6'9-1/2" 238 Fr. Humphries has a pro body and led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding as a freshman and his stock is soaring with several strong workouts. The Jazz got a gem from Russia in Andrei Kirilenko and could grab the athletic Monya, if Humphries is gone. 15 C Robert Swift Bakersfield High 7'0" 245 H.S. Many believe that the shot-blocking Swift has gotten a promise from the Celtics. 16 C Pavel Podkolzine Russia 7'5" 300 -- Hard to believe that he would still be available as he could go as high as top six. If he is on the board, the Jazz, with three first round picks, could gamble on the 7-foot-5 center. They could also grab center Rafael Araujo. 17 C Rafael Araujo BYU 6'11" 290 Sr. This pick might be involved in a trade, but the Hawks could use a center as well. 18 SF Segei Monya Russia 6'8" 220 -- The Hornets have never drafted a foreign player beofre, but if Monya is still on the board, he might be too good to pass on. 19 PF Al Jefferson Prentiss (Miss.) High 6'10" 273 H.S. The strong high schooler gives the Heat a young power player. 20 C Peter John Ramos Puerto Rico 7'3" 266 -- The Nuggets have shown that they are not afraid of dabbling in the foreign market. 21 C Predrag Samardzski Macedonia 7'1" 250 -- Samardzski is one of the biggest mysteries in this draft. He is a skilled outside shooter, but is not much of a leaper or athlete. 22 PG Jameer Nelson St. Joseph's 6'1" 199 Sr. The Nets could use a backup for Jason Kidd. This pick would allow them to move Kidd to shooting guard to avoid the wear and tear that befalls NBA shooting guards. 23 PG Sebastian Telfair Lincoln (N.Y.) High 6'0" 165 H.S. The front office reportedly loves the talented playmaker who could replace free agent to-be Damon Stoudamire. 24 SF Dorrell Wright South Kent (Conn.)Prep 6'7" 210 Sr. The Celtics reportedly have made a promise to the DePaul signee -- who pulled out of last week's Chicago pre-draft camp -- surprising some observers. 25 SF Victor Khryapa Russia 6'9" 210 -- The Celtics, who have three first round picks, may elect to grab a foreign player who might spend a season overseas. 26 C Donta Smith Southeastern Illinois C.C. 6'7" 215 So. The Kings exposed Gerald Wallace to the expansion draft and might look for an athletic small forward to take his place. 27 SG Sasha Vujacic Slovenia 6'7" 193 -- Before he pulled out of the draft last year, the Lakers were close to promising a spot to this talented outside shooter. 28 PF Anderson Varejao Brazil 6'10" 257 -- The Spurs like to go the foreign route and the Brazilian Varejao would give them some needed frontcourt depth. 29 PG Beno Udrih Slovenia 6'4" 199 -- The top point guard at the recent Chicago camp showed that he should be a first rounder and the Pacers could use playmaking help.

Chris Monter is the editor/publisher of Monter Draft News and College Basketball News and collegebasketballnews.com. He has been covering college and pro basketball with an emphasis on the NBA Draft for the last 14 years. To subscribe or get more information, call 1-800-NBA-DRAFT or e-mail him at Cmonter@aol.com.