The 2006 NBA Draft

[JohnBM01]

I don't have too much for this introduction. All I do know is that you'll find players like Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, Duke's J.J. Redick, and even a little-known European likely to go #1. If that holds true, this will be the second-straight draft in which a non-American player is drafted #1 overall. So who was the bloke that was #1 last year? Well, it was Andrew Bogut who played the University of Utah Utes. He's an Aussie who was drafted to the Minnesota Bucks.

Well, who will be atop the food chain of this year's draft? And if I'm not mistaken, this is my first NBA Draft thread. That draft is tonight and you're free to share who you think will do their best for the drafted team in question.

 

[TwinTurboJay]

Well, since the Raps got first pick, they've got to get some points on the board. Adam Morrison from Gonzaga might to the trick, and offset Chris Bosh's game nicely! But the other thing they sorely need is a stong centre. one that can pull consistent double doubles in points and rebounds, aswellas pull in 3 blocks a game ( at least )

 

[a6m5]

Bargnani ended up going #1 as expected, but I don't know who said JJ from Duke was going #1 in this draft. I've heard one positive about this player. He can score(second best, after Adam Morrison in the draft). Too many negatives: DWI and surgery right before the draft. He is a Blue devil. He can not score under intense pressure. I thought he would go late 1st to early 2nd round, but he did end up getting picked by Magic in the lottery. Go figure!

I also must disagree with Morrison in Toronto being a good fit. I don't think Morrison will compliment Bosh's game, but rather get in the way.

I have never seen a draft with so many trades! My Blazers really stirred the pot in this draft. The Blazers lost couple of really great players in Sebastian Telfair and Victor Khryapa, but I have to admit, they came out of this draft with a lot of success. Blazers started out with the #4, 30 & 31st pick, but ended up picking #2, 6, 27 & 30!. Most popular top-4 speculated picks of this draft consisted of: Bargnani, Morrison, Roy and Aldridge, with Thomas possibly sneaking in there. I was hoping that Blazers will somehow get Roy or Morrison with that 4th pick, though it wasn't likey that Morrison will be there by the 4th selection. Instead, Blazers traded up to #2, which got me to think, "We got the Stache(Morrison nickname)!". To my(and 99% of Blazers fans) surprise, they picked Aldridge. Don't get me wrong, many thinks the Aldridge was the best prospect in the draft, with the biggest upside of all. He also plays the position we need help in, C/F. I still am bit dissapointed about the pick, so all I can say is, Aldridge better be the next Duncan. OK, at least not the next Joe Smith.

 

[Omnis]

Why the hell was everyone booing Bargnani?

 

[a6m5]

Why the hell was everyone booing Bargnani?

I heard about that. I have no idea. Actually, wasn't the draft in NY? I've seen them boo over dumb things before. Maybe they just didn't know or care about basketball?

 

[Omnis]

Would they be booing the comissioner? You can watch the selection on espn.com. Everytime the guy said "Liga" (League), the boos got stronger and stuff. Maybe they wanted him for the NY Knocks. who knows.

 

[a6m5]

Would they be booing the comissioner? You can watch the selection on espn.com. Everytime the guy said "Liga" (League), the boos got stronger and stuff. Maybe they wanted him for the NY Knocks. who knows.

If that was the case, I retract my comment. They know what they are talking about. As for the Knicks, that team is such a mess, they should've been booing during the entire broadcast. Isiah screwed up the Knicks pretty good.

 

[JohnBM01]

These will just be some random notes.

I got a little tired and missed about... I don't know, half the NBA Draft. Congratulations to Andrea Bargnani for being drafted. This is the second-straight NBA Draft in which a non-American is drafted #1. I heard he is the first-ever European taken first overall. Past few first-timers have been foreign. We get Yao Ming out of China who plays for my hometown Houston Rockets back in 2002. Andrew Bogut of Australia was drafted to the Milwaukee Bucks last year. Now this year, first-overall goes to the Italiano Andrea Bargnani. Only other male Andreas I've heard of was classical artist Andrea Bocacelli and racer Andrea Montermini (such a person?). * I know someone from my college basketball threads was watchikng intently to see who advances to the NBA. That's right. My buddy FoolKiller is a proud Kentucky Wildcat. And one of his own will play for the Phoenix Suns. People, meet the gamebreaker- Rajon Rondo. He was a Guard for the Kentucky kitties as the Wildcats were able to get pretty far in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. * Now for some Texas love. The Rockets were going to get Rudy Gay, but he tradaed for Memphis for Shane Battier. Maurice Ager will be on the BAD side of the Rockets and the Spurs because Ager (Michigan Stae) will be going to the Dallas Mavericks. Big D's getting Big M. Ager. * The draft is in New York, so you have to imagine that the New York City faithful will listen intently. So they get an almost unknown player from the school whose football team will join the MAC conference this coming season- Temple University. Unlike their football team, Temple can actually WIN games. Joining the Knickerbockers will be *

J.J. Redick and * Adam Morrison will go from Gonzaga to Charlotte. Now doesn't this seem familiar? Emeka Okafor was a big name player for

Shedlen Williams will go to the Hawks from Duke.


SECOND ROUND NOTES
We're (Houston) going to get Steve Novak from Marquette University. Marquette was once the National Champions back in the 1970s, and they used to be a Conference USA team. Now they've had a great Big East campaign. * We go from one of the best Big East teams... to one of the worst. South Florida won a grand total of 0 games in Big East play. So while Louisville, Cincinatti, Syracuse, Notre Dame, St. John's, Providence, Connecticut, Georgetown, and others were beating each other's brains out, South Florida's been losing game after game in the Big East. Yet Solomon Jones ends up being drafted to a horrible squad in Atlanta. * All my fellow Texans... the Longhorn P.J. Tucker had his stock dropped to being a second round pick. He's going to go to beautiful Toronto for basketball. Can he light up Toronto like Vince Carter did when he was a Raptor? * Pick #39 is the FIRST from North Carolina this entire draft. Pretty sad considering how much of a basketball powerhouse North Carolina is.

SPERATE 2ND ROUND NOTES:
#31. James White - Cincinatti = Portland
#32. Steve Novak - Marquette = Houston
#33. Solomon Jones - South Florida = Atlanta
#34. Paul Davis - Michigan State = Los Angeles (Clippers)
#36. Craig Smith - Boston College = Minnesota
#35. P.J. Tucker - Texas = Toronto
#3?. Bobby Jones - Washington = Minnesota
#38. Costa Perovic - Serbia = Golden State
#39. David Noel - North Carolina = Milwaukee

I don't know. People just don't really like international stars at first. But you'll never know. Yao Ming's been to a handful of All-Star games and has played solidly for the Rockets. I think people will learn to love performance than just the fact that they didn't play some American 'ball. If Dirk N. (of the Mavericks) Vlade Divac can be clutch Euro b-ballers, then who's to say that Andrea Bargnani can't be money for Toronto? Thing is, can he adjust to the American game? Yao Ming got better over time as a former Shanghai Shark and played a hell of a season last year despite injury. I'll give Andrea B. a chance even if the rest of America didn't. We can be proven wrong in the game of basketball. I was proven wrong that Syracuse still won the Big East title after losing at DePaul by 39 (I wanted them not to win the Big East title after a loss like this). Basketball can be a surprise game. So there's a saying with Andrea B. = "laugh now, but cry much later."

 

[Trussii651]

As a "long time" Raps fan, I'm a little surprised with Bargnani. Being a tall, slim shooter with a quick first step and not being known for his post up just sounds a bit like a less-experienced Chris Bosh with a better shot. I would have prefered a strong center (although there weren't many in this years draft) or a PG like Foyle or even Redick.

That being said I do trust Bryan Colangelo's decision, especially givin his Draft track record (Nash, Marion, Finley, Amare Stoudamire, Deng, Stephon Jackson, and Nate Robinson)
All in all,I'm quite confident the Raps will be much improved this coming season. Dare I even say Playoffs?

I really would have liked to see Foyle come to Toronto though.

Why the hell was everyone booing Bargnani?

I believe they were booing Chicago's 2nd overall pick courtasy of NY. Or just booing the Knicks in general, can't blame them.
Either way it wasn't because of Bargnani.

 

[fasj6418]

they were booing everything. speacially when the knicks passed on marcus computer williams, who ended up with the nets.

not a really strong draft this year, i think that´s why so many trades...

i hated my team´s pick, saer sene from senegal. the sonics just did that because they had to pick a player. i think they were not wiling to draft this year. if that´s the case, then do it like the heat, and don´t draft anybody.

well, lets hope the free agent market is a bit better than the draft

 

[JohnBM01]

It is reported that draft deals aren't really slated until about 10 days. A day has passed, so it's about 9 days left. My hometown Rockets traded Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift (he was clutch) for Battier and someone else. I will say for the Rockets that I like two players from two big schools. I like Luther Head of Illinois (like my buddy dougiemeats, an Iliinois boy) and Chuck(?) Hayes of Kentucky (like my buddy FoolKiller.

But which team will have the biggest boost for the new season once all the trading and stuff is complete? Who wasted a good pick? Which team will flounder after all is said and done? Now let's filter down the draft.