A new breed of big

You have heard the clarion call by now: The NBA is getting quicker, more athletic, smaller. In a few years, everyone is going to play like the Phoenix Suns, with no true big man and lots of guards and small forwards relentlessly attacking the basket and kicking the ball out for three-pointers.

Let's just say I don't quite believe it. For one thing, not every team has a Steve Nash at the controls to make Mike D'Antoni's blitzkrieg system go. Without a savvy decision-maker, an offense like the one Phoenix has been running can sputter in a haze of bad passes, worse shots and bushels of fast breaks to the opposite end of the court.

For another, not many teams have the wherewithal to rebound the basketball as successfully as Phoenix does with its small lineup. Without rebounds, there can be no running, to paraphrase a Pat Riley sermon to the Lakers more than two decades ago.

There's still a place in the league for big people, or didn't you notice Shaquille O'Neal bumping up against Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop in the post during the NBA Finals

For another thing, most of the big men expected to get early calls in the 2006 NBA draft are not the plodding dinosaurs of yesteryear. These guys are athletes, and they can get up and down the court and involve themselves in many areas of the game besides the outlet pass. Some will spend part of their careers facing the basket, depending on their skill development. Others will show that the fabulous footwork and nuances of the back-to-the-basket game won't wither and die when Tim Duncan retires.

Some will argue that Bargnani belongs with the small forwards, and there's some merit to that. But having had the chance to eyeball the Italian up close the last couple of days in New York, he's taller than the 6-10 we had him listed as previously, and he's got the frame to put on more muscle as the years go by. Bargnani has a perimeter-oriented game, one that is polished and also includes aggressive drives to the basket. But there's no doubt that his game down the road will include a fair amount of post-up opportunities, and comparisons eventually might be more toward Pau Gasol and less to Dirk Nowitzki. It's not that important whether Bargnani is chosen first overall or not. The important thing is that the immense talent and potential he possesses is nurtured carefully. On the right team, he can be a contributor right away and a featured player in two or three years.

The team that drafts Shelden Williams should sleep soundly Wednesday night. This guy has a demonstrated track record of rebounding, averaging 11 per game over his final two college seasons. Even if Williams never becomes more than a 10 to 12 points per game scorer, he will do the muscle work around the basket of getting nine or 10 rebounds every night. Power forwards such as Charles Oakley and Dale Davis never provided much material for the highlight films, but every good team needs a solid building block to provide rebounding and toughness. There's no question Williams can provide that in the NBA

Aldridge needs to gain strength and weight in order to maximize his fundamentally sound post-up game. I wrote those words scores of times over the last basketball season, and they are still true. But unlike hoping that a player develops a jump shot or starts playing with more intensity, you know that Aldridge will get bigger and stronger, not only because he's only 20 years old but because his reputation as a worker who will do whatever he can to get better is part of what makes him so appealing to NBA teams. Looking at his frame, it's easy to imagine him playing at 250 in just a couple of years, and when he gets there he'll be a low-block force in the league for a decade. He's got great hands, has good footwork and makes good decisions on when to go to the rim or shoot a baseline jump shot. All the ingredients are in place for a successful career.

He is the one true center who will be picked high in the first round. O'Bryant won't be asked to demonstrate his versatility or show his handle out on the floor. He's a center, albeit an athletic one, and he's going to make his living jump-hooking opponents into submission. O'Bryant is not a finished product, and there are some questions about his stamina and hunger. NBA history proves that he'll be given the time to prove himself, since most NBA coaches and GMs believe it takes seven-footers a bit longer to mature than players at other positions. O'Bryant turned 20 a week ago. Time is on his side.

When Simmons went for 28 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots against Shelden Williams and Duke, it was as if a time machine offering a glimpse of the future had been revealed for all to see. Although Simmons did not follow up with similar dominant efforts, his striking progress as a sophomore was more than enough for NBA teams to prognosticate that he would be an effective NBA power forward in time. Simmons has the long arms and shot-blocking prowess that recall another raw youngster with the same dimensions and abilities a decade ago: Antonio McDyess. Simmons won't have a huge impact right away, but even a modest appraisal of his abilities leads one to conclude that he's got the characteristics of a long-term NBA player.