SI.com - NBA - Marty Burns' NBA Draft first round analysis

Marty Burns' NBA Draft First Round Analysis
Pick	Team	Pos.	Player	College/Country	Ht.	Wt.	Class
1		PF	Dwight Howard	Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy	6'10"	240	H.S.
With T-Mac likely headed out the door, the Magic can afford to wait on this Georgia high school phenom some have compared to Kevin Garnett. But like the last peach-fuzzed Peach State star to go No. 1 overall (Kwame Brown in 2002), he'll need time to develop.
2		PF	Emeka Okafor	Connecticut	6'10"	257	Jr.
The Bobcats traded up from No. 4 here to get a shot at either Howard or Okafor. They'll gladly take Okafor, a shot-blocking Buck Williams-type who led UConn to the national title last year while carrying a 3.8 GPA as a finance major. A solid pick around which to build an expansion team.
3		PG	Ben Gordon	Connecticut	6'2"	192	Jr.
The last time the Bulls picked at No. 3 (in 1984), they got Michael Jordan. Gordon won't be nearly as good (no duh), and there's some question as to whether he can play shooting guard, but he's a dynamic all-around talent with NCAA title experience. He joins Kirk Hinrich in a promising young backcourt reminiscent of Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier.
4		PG	Shaun Livingston	Peoria (Ill.) Central High	6'7"	186	H.S.
The Clippers needed a point guard, and this high-schooler and Duke recruit from Peoria, Ill. has been likened to Penny Hardaway for his height and court vision. He's too skinny to survive NBA rigors right now, but he's added 15 pounds while working out with Jordan's trainer prior to the draft.
5		PG	Devin Harris	Wisconsin	6'3"	170	Jr.
The Mavs traded Antawn Jamison to the Wizards for this pick, but he could be headed to the Lakers as part of a trade for Shaquille O'Neal or somewhere else as part of some other deal. Or maybe he's insurance in case Dallas loses Steve Nash to free agency. Either way, Harris has size (6-3), a quick first step and range on his jumper. He should have a solid NBA career.
6		SF	Josh Childress	Stanford	6'7"	196	Jr.
The Hawks badly wanted one of the top three point guards, but well, they're the Hawks. They'll settle for this jack-of-all trades, who has a 6-11 wingspan and the quick feet to be a good defender and rebounder. Best of all, there's absolutely no truth to the rumor he's really only 5-10 without the 'fro.
7		SF	Luol Deng	Duke	6'8"	220	Fr.
Sorry, Suns fans, but this Sudanese slasher is headed to the Bulls as part of a pre-arranged trade. Chicago needs a small forward, and Deng's a versatile hard-nosed player with a high basketball IQ. He also fills the Bulls' annual Duke lottery requirement (see Elton Brand, Jay Williams).
8		C	Rafael Araujo	BYU	6'11"	280	Sr.
A bit of a surprise. They needed a center, but new GM Rob Babcock is taking a bit of a risk here. Araujo is a big, strong, physical guy who can step in and play right away, but he's not considered very athletic and has no low-post game. He probably could have been obtained later in the first round.
9		SG	Andre Iguodala	Arizona	6'6"	217	So.
The Sixers probably didn't think this former Arizona Wildcat would still be around this late. He's still a bit raw, and isn't much of scorer, but his long arms and freakish athleticism have drawn comparisons to Scottie Pippen. He should be a good complement to Allen Iverson.
10		SF	Luke Jackson	Oregon	6'7"	212	Sr.
The Cavs need shooters, and this Oregon swingman can definitely put it in the basket. He shot 44 percent last year from downtown, and has a versatile game along the lines of Brent Barry. Lateral quickness could be a problem, but LeBron James should enjoy playing alongside him.
11		PF	Andris Biedrins	Latvia	6'11"	240	--
This year's Darko Milicic. The 18-year-old Latvian lefty is a terrific athlete who can defend and block shots, and is comfortable around the basket. He can't score outside of 15 feet, but the Warriors need big men with Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle possibly leaving as free agents.
12		C	Robert Swift	Bakersfield (Ca.) High	7'0"	245	H.S.
Seattle needs a center, and this 7-foot USC recruit could be a sleeper. He has excellent hands and footwork, and can finish on the run. However, he's only 18 and is going to need time to develop. Seattle might someday regret passing on Kirk Snyder, but it's hard to argue with this pick.
13		PG	Sebastian Telfair	Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) High	5'11"	170	H.S.
A $15 million Adidas man in Nike town? No matter, the shoe fits for the Blazers, who had promised to take this high school star and SI coverboy here even if it's way too high. Telfair is a fantastic passer, but his size (6-0) and inconsistent shooting ability make him a gamble here.
14		PF	Kris Humphries	Minnesota	6'9-1/2"	238	Fr.
Another surprise. The Big Ten freshman of the year fits the typical profile of a Jazz player: someone hard-nosed who rebounds and sticks his nose in the action. Some compare him to an Al Harrington type. But will Andrei Kirilenko be angry that they passed on his former teammate, Sergei Monya?
15		PF	Al Jefferson	Prentiss (Miss.) High	6'10"	263	H.S.
They wanted Swift, but this high school star and Arkansas recruit isn't a bad alternative. His size, strength, footwork and willingness to fight for position in the post remind some of Amare Stoudemire. He couldturn out to be another prep-to-pros bust, but it's worth the risk.
16		SG	Kirk Snyder	Nevada	6'6"	228	Jr.
Sorry, Andrei, but this guy is just too tantalizing to pass up. After leading Nevada to the Sweet Sixteen, he impressed NBA scouts with his ability to bang inside, score off the dribble and play physical defense. Could be a sleeper for a team that needs athletes. Maybe the Jazz can get Monya at 21.
17		SF	Josh Smith	Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Academy	6'8"	221	H.S.
The Hawks didn't get Howard, but at least they got the other high school phenom from Georgia. Smith, an Indiana recruit, is a phenomenal athlete who can run and finish on the break. But he's young, somewhat immature and needs to learn how to play the NBA game.
18		SG	J.R. Smith	St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) Prep	6'7"	227	H.S.
Like the other J. Smith (see above), this high schooler has big-time potential. With his 44-inch vertical leap and long-range shooting ability, the North Carolina recruit has even been compared to Vince Carter. But it's doubtful he's ready yet to step in and replace David Wesley.
19		PF	Dorell Wright	South Kent (Conn.) Prep	6'7"	210	H.S.
The high school parade continues. This DePaul recruit is considered a big-time athlete with versatile skills and great leaping ability. Pat Riley might someday regret passing on Jameer Nelson here, but apparently he has decided he can't have enough athletes.
20		PG	Jameer Nelson	St. Joseph's	6'0"	199	Sr.
With 5-5 Earl Boykins already on his roster, GM Kiki Vandeweghe wasn't about to keep another pint-sized point guard. So he traded Nelson, last year?s college co-player of the year, to the Magic for a future first-round pick. Good move for both parties.
21		C	Pavel Podkolzine	Russia	7'3"	303	--
With two other first-round picks, the Jazz decided to trade this 19-year-old Russian giant (think Gheorghe Muresan with more skills) to the Mavs for a future first-rounder. Dallas now might try to put him in a package for Shaquille O'Neal, or keep him as a long-range project.
22		PF	Viktor Khryapa	Ukraine	6'9"	210	--
As part of a pre-arranged trade, this versatile Ukrainian will be sent to the Blazers. Like his countryman Kirilenko, he's a good athlete and defender who can block shots and run the floor. But he's skinny, unpolished and might need another year in Europe for more seasoning.
23		SG	Sergei Monya	Russia	6'8"	220	--
He supposedly had a promise from Utah to play with Kirilenko at No. 14, but at least he'll get to stay with his Moscow teammate Khyrapa. A solid all-around player with an NBA-ready body, he could turn out to be a steal. In the meantime, Portland is the favorite to win the '05 Russian League title.
24		PG	Delonte West	St. Joseph's	6'4"	180	Jr.
The Celtics got this pick as part of the Antoine Walker trade, and GM Danny Ainge can only hope he turns out. A teammate of Nelson's at St. Joe's, he can create his own shot and knock down the mid-range jumper. He might never be a star, but he could be solid.
25		SG	Tony Allen	Oklahoma State	6'4"	213	Sr.
Another athlete for Ainge as he goes about trying to make the Celtics quicker and more athletic. The Big 12 Player of the Year, Allen is a scorer who can take his man off the dribble and get to the line. Donta Smith and Kevin Martin were options here as well, but Allen is a solid choice.
26		SG	Kevin Martin	Western Carolina	6'7"	185	Jr.
He looks like Doug Christie. He plays like Doug Christie (at least on the offensive end). He even lists his favorite team as the Sacramento Kings. It's kind of scary, but GM Geoff Petrie would no doubt be pleased if he turns out to be anywhere near as good.
27		PG	Sasha Vujacic	Slovenia	6'7"	195	--
Whether or not Shaq and/or Kobe Bryant are still around, the Lakers proved in the Finals that they need shooters. This 20-year-old Slovenian is a solid shooter and passer with pro experience in Italy's top league. He might stay in Europe for another season, but eventually should be a good NBA player.
28		PG	Beno Udrih	Slovenia	6'3"	203	--
What? An international player in San Antonio? You're kidding? This 22-year-old lefty point guard from Slovenia wowed scouts at the Chicago pre-draft camp with his play-making. He should fit in well on the Spurs' United Nations roster, even if they do already have Tony Parker.
29		C	David Harrison	Colorado	7'0"	260	Jr.
The Pacers reportedly wanted Udrih here, but they'll settle for this mobile 7-footer with shot-blocking skills. A former McDonald's All-American, he is athletic and has a decent touch. But few big men drafted this late turn out to be much good, and Indy will be lucky if Harrison turns out any different.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.


	SI Media Kits \| About Us \| Subscribe \| Customer Service Copyright © 2005 CNN/Sports Illustrated. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.