"The Voice of the Clippers", Ralph Lawler, is checking in with Clippers.com with his predictions on the top 14 picks in the 2004 NBA Draft will play out. Keep following Clippers.com as Ralph will update his Mock Draft periodically.
| Version 2.0 | Posted: June 17th, 2004
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We are going down to the wire with rumors ripening about wholesale draft day trades. This should be a very interesting week.
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#1) ORLANDO |
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Emeka Okafor
Forward | 6-10 | Connecticut
He's the perfect fit for the Magic and a great foundation for their rebuilding project. They
continue to listen to trade offers for the pick--and flirt with Dwight Howard--but Okafor is their man.
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#2) CLIPPERS |
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Dwight Howard
Forward/Center | 6-11 | SW Atlanta Christian HS
Clearly the best player available. Has big upside and is variously compared to Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan. However, the team already has a star power forward in Elton Brand. Charlotte and Atlanta, among others, have expressed interest in moving up to #2, so don't be surprised if there's a Draft Day trade here.
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#3) CHICAGO |
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Luol Deng
Forward | 6-8 | Duke
He might be the second coming of Grant Hill and he fills the team’s need at small forward.
They worked him out and they loved him.
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#4) CHARLOTTE |
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Josh Childress
Forward | 6-8 | Stanford
Hard to know where they stand until we know who they plan to keep from the Expansion Draft, but the word is they won’t pick a high school player---unless they move up to take Dwight Howard. Failing that, Childress may fill the bill for them as their first-ever draft pick.
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#5) WASHINGTON |
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Andre Iguodala
Guard | 6-6 | Arizona
Has been moving up the charts. He's a young Scottie Pippen type who can play several positions and flat-out defend.
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#6) ATLANTA |
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Shaun Livingston
Guard | 6-7 | Peoria Central (IL) H.S.
Eighteen year old point guard has star potential. He draws comparisons to a youthful Penny Hardaway. He's gained 20 pounds already, but still needs to add strength.
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#7) PHOENIX |
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Devin Harris
Guard | 6-3 | Wisconsin
He'd be a great fit for the Suns. He's as NBA-ready as any point guard in the draft. As he gets a little stronger, he could become a special player.
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#8) TORONTO |
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Josh Smith
Forward | 6-8 | Oak Hill Academy
Teen prospect might be the best athlete in the draft. Things could be exciting with Smith and Vince Carter on the court at the same time.
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#9) PHILADELPHIA |
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Luke Jackson
Guard | 6-7 | Oregon
This may be a stretch at #9, and the Sixers would like to move up to have a shot at Childress or Deng, but Jackson is not a bad choice. Can you imagine Philly with a big guard for a change?
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#10) CLEVELAND |
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Ben Gordon
Guard | 6-3 | Connecticut
He could spend a year playing behind Jeff McInnis before taking over as the starting point guard in the LeBron James back-court for a decade or so.
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#11) GOLDEN STATE |
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Pavel Podkolzine
Center | 7-5 | Russia
With Dampier and Foyle having one foot out the door, the Warriors are desperate for a big man. You want big? Pavel's got BIG. He's a 19 year old with the potential to dominate someday.
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#12) SEATTLE |
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Andris Biedrins
Forward | 6-10 | Latvia
They've not had a good track record in choosing big men. This guy might be a year or two away from really helping, but he's too good for the Sonics to ignore at #12.
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#13) PORTLAND |
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Kirk Snyder
Guard | 6-7 | Nevada
They’d really like one of those big Euro centers here, but what's left? There are reports they've made a promise to Snyder that they'll take him here. He has an NBA body and he can make plays and shots.
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#14) UTAH |
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Rafael Araujo
Center | 6-11| BYU
He’ll be perfect in Jerry Sloan’s system. Not a harder worker in college basketball last season. With Greg Ostertag likely gone, he could step right in and start for the Jazz.
They have two more picks in the first round, but may fear losing him to Boston if they don't nab him here. Another possibility could be Russia's Sergei Monya.
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