Early entry withdrawals clarify 2006 draft picture

NBA teams are conducting their last few workouts for top draft prospects. Stacks of DVDs, videotapes and films are being dissected by sleep-deprived general managers and scouting directors. European scouts got one last live look at Andrea Bargnani, who helped Benetton Treviso win the Italian league championship Tuesday.

Time is short. Decision day is just a week away.

On Monday, the NBA released its list of the early entry candidates who decided to withdraw from the draft. For the first time, NBA draft-day decision-makers knew exactly who is in this draft, and who is not.

There were a few surprises at the 11th hour. Two top prospects from Spain, Tiago Splitter and Rudy Fernandez, each of whom had a chance of being selected in the first round, withdrew from the draft. So did Aaron Gray of Pittsburgh, Morris Almond of Rice and Richard Roby of Colorado. On the other side of the ledger, Jordan Farmar of UCLA, Kyle Lowry of Villanova, Daniel Gibson of Texas, Darius Washington Jr. of Memphis and Renaldo Balkman of South Carolina all decided to remain in the draft.

The atmosphere in front offices around the league is one of anticipation, and of tension. The lack of obvious superstar players at the top of the draft means more trades are being contemplated, more scenarios are being floated, more contingencies are being prepared for. There could be as many as half a dozen trades involving first round picks, or there could be none.

Teams that have multiple first round picks (Chicago, New Orleans, Portland, New Jersey, Phoenix and New York) are the most likely to be active, since they can package one of their picks with players and cash and still remain in the first round. Conversely, many of the teams without first round picks (Denver, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, San Antonio and the Clippers) possess deep rosters from which they could part with a player in order to move into the first round.

Chris Ekstrand's Mock NBA Draft -- Round 1 Pick Team Pos. Player School/ Country Class Ht. Wt. 1 F Andrea Bargnani Benetton Treviso (Italy) -- 6-10 240 Bryan Colangelo has always had an eye for offensive talent, and Bargnani has more scoring potential than almost anyone else in this draft. Colangelo has long demonstrated a deft touch in incorporating international players into his teams. Colangelo is listening closely to all offers for the top pick. That doesn't mean he will trade it. 2 F Tyrus Thomas LSU Fr. 6-8 220 Thomas is the type of player who can be an asset right away in the NBA with his rebounding and shotblocking while the team works with him to sharpen his offensive skills. The rumor is that Chicago has already worked out a trade that will send Thomas to another team. 3 G Brandon Roy Washington Sr. 6-6 210 The Bobcats ended up playing Raymond Felton and Brevin Knight in the backcourt together last year, and GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff would rather not play two small guards again. Roy can guard three positions, and is a very solid all-around talent who can play right away on both ends of the court. 4 F Adam Morrison Gonzaga Jr. 6-8 200 The Blazers, who need a public relations home run as much as they need a good young player to build around, are able to accomplish both by drafting a Pacific Northwest icon. Morrison is a throwback player in that he can score from anywhere on the floor. He moves without the ball, uses screens as well as fakes to get open, and has a lightning quick release. 5 F Shelden Williams Duke Sr. 6-9 260 The expected departure of Al Harrington to free agency means the Hawks must find a rebounder, and fast. Over his final two college seasons, Williams averaged 11 boards per game. He also provides a dependable shot-blocking presence, something the Hawks get from their small forwards, but not from their power players. 6 F LaMarcus Aldridge Texas So. 6-11 235 The Wolves may not keep Aldridge, but if he is still available when they pick, they will select him and listen to what are sure to be numerous offers. While Aldridge needs to gain weight and strength to maximize his fundamentally sound post game, he has by far the most low-post scoring potential in this draft. 7 F Rudy Gay Connecticut So. 6-8 225 Small forward is a position of strength for Boston, but Danny Ainge is nothing if not unconventional in his thinking. Blessed with an explosive first step and quick jumping ability, Gay will be able to break in at his own pace playing alongside Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak. Playing in New England will also be an easy transition for the UConn sophomore. 8 G Marcus Williams Connecticut Jr. 6-3 215 The college game's most gifted playmaker, Williams has that innate point guard feel for the game, knowing how to distribute the ball to teammates through heavy congestion in the lane. The Rockets need an upgrade from the mercurial Rafer Alston, and Williams, once he gets his legs under him at this level, will offer just that. 9 C Patrick O'Bryant Bradley So. 7-0 250 When O'Bryant went for 28 points against Aaron Gray and Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament, you knew that O'Bryant would be staying in the draft. He's got some athleticism and has the makings of a solid postup game. The Warriors need some low-post offense to complement their superior perimeter game. 10 G J.J. Redick Duke Sr. 6-5 190 Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are outside-in players who don't want someone clogging the lane anyway, so why not get another 3-point threat and force defenses to spread out even further? Redick's unerring shooting touch, terrific work ethic and intelligence in setting up defenders would fit right in on this team. There has a been a lot of talk that Seattle will trade its pick, but Redick still makes sense this high for a lot of teams. 11 G Randy Foye Villanova Sr. 6-3 210 Mental toughness is a quality highly-coveted by NBA teams, and Foye has plenty, to go along with a lot of shooting guards skills. Foye is an excellent one-on-one player and a better perimeter player than incumbent DeShawn Stevenson. 12 F Cedric Simmons North Carolina State So. 6-10 225 His 28-point eruption against Shelden Williams and Duke on January 18 underlined the offensive potential of Simmons. The team taking Simmons will have to have some patience, but the eventual payoff could be enormous. With veteran P.J. Brown a candidate to be traded to a contender to play out the last year of his contract and Chris Andersen banned from the league, the Hornets need to shore up their frontcourt. 13 G Ronnie Brewer Arkansas Jr. 6-7 225 The son of a former NBA scorer (Ron Brewer), this Brewer is an all-around player who can help a team without scoring a point. You hear a lot about his ugly shot, but he is a smart player who picks his spots to shoot the ball and is a two-way player. 14 G Quincy Douby Rutgers Jr. 6-3 175 He didn't get a lot of exposure playing for a middling Big East Conference team, but Douby is one of the best perimeter shooters you have never heard of. He has "in the gym" range and is starting to put together an off-the-dribble game as well. The Jazz could certainly use a 3-point threat to complement the frontline of Kirilenko, Boozer and Okur. 15 F/C Rodney Carney Memphis Sr. 6-6 205 An electrifying athlete who thrives in the open court game, Carney would thrive playing with a point guard like Chris Paul, who could see his assist total skyrocket. Carney is a high-risk, high-reward player. He has the physical ability to be a big-time NBA scorer, but his level of focus has been questioned. Mock Draft Continued

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