Welcome to the Hawks BasketBlog! This is where you can come to read analysis and commentary on the Hawks as well as topics around the league. Check us out throughout the season as we will be posting new material on the Hawks, the NBA, and maybe a few other subjects as well. Want to participate? Submit questions and comments to us at hawks.mailbag@atlantaspirit.com and we will try to answer as many as we can!

Note: the opinions expressed here are not those of the Atlanta Hawks organization or of the NBA.

Final Wrap-Up

A few links to help you digest the 2006 NBA Draft. Here is the Hawks press release with info on the two draft picks, Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones. Here are some video highlights of Shelden, courtesy of the NBA. And here is Hawks GM Billy Knight talking with ESPN following the Hawks selections.

Thanks to everyone who read along with us tonight, it was fun!

-- The Web Guy | 12:55 a.m. 06/29/06 | Have a comment?

What Did We Learn Tonight?

- We learned that Portland moved around more than any drafting team I've seen since Jimmy Johnson was with the Cowboys, and laugh about it if you want (because it is pretty funny), they still ended up with a bunch of really good players who can help them turn things around in the Pacific Northwest.

- We learned Dallas has no plans to go away anytime soon in the Western Conference. Maurice Ager = Josh Howard, trust me on this one.

- We learned that Risk is a game of world domination being played by two guys who can barely run their own lives.

- We learned JJ Redick and Marcus Williams probably ended up in the two luckiest positions in the draft. Williams may not realize it since he will come off the bench at first, but playing with Jason Kidd will be the best thing that ever happens to him.

- We learned that in the time it took me to write this, Portland made two more trades.

- We learned that UConn tied a record with four first round picks (set last season by Marvin Williams' UNC Tar Heels), but it still wasn't enough to help them beat George Mason.

- We learned that the bottom of the draft looks like the final rounds of the Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee.

- And finally, we learned the Hawks were concerned about their play on the defensive interior, and made it their biggest priority to improve in that area in this draft. With Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones, Atlanta added two players with great defensive reputations, both of whom could contribute right away in support of starting big man Zaza Pachulia.

-- The Web Guy | 12:45 a.m. 06/29/06 | Have a comment?

And...Scene

Will Blalock goes to Detroit with the 60th and final pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, becoming the league's version of Mr. Irrelevant. And thus our evening comes to a close. For the second straight year, the night flew by way faster than I had planned, so hopefully we got enough commentary in here for you the fan.

I will be back in a few minutes with some final thoughts and a the Hawks official press release concerning the players we chose on this lovely evening...

-- The Web Guy | 12:03 a.m. 06/29/06 | Have a comment?

I Think Paris Hilton's Boyfriend Just Got Drafted

Greek player Loukas Mavrokefalidis was chosen with the 57th pick by Minnesota. Good luck to their play-by-play men. Stephen A. is still yelling, in case anyone was wondering.

-- The Web Guy | 11:58 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

South Floridian Speaks Up

Just received this email from a USF fan, who had this to say about Hawks' second round pick Solomon Jones:

"Solomon Jones does like to score. I have season tickets at USF just to watch the Big East. This kid is good. Can shoot from anywhere on the court and had the best shot of the whole team. Plays good defense and blocks a lot of shots. Needs to beef up a bit!"

John A.
Clearwater Beach

-- The Web Guy | 11:38 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Billy Speaks With ESPN

As part of ESPN's Draft Coverage, they caught up to Hawks GM Billy Knight about his selection of Shelden Williams. Oh, and Portland made another trade. Seriously.

-- The Web Guy | 11:35 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Second Round Continues

A couple good values in the middle of the second round, at least according to me:

Leon Powe, #49 to Denver. This is a guy who dominated when healthy in the Pac-10, but saw his draft status suffer because of his history of injuries. Still, if he can stay in the lineup, he could be one of the best players in this draft.

Dee Brown, #46 to Utah. A very good value for Utah, which not only gets a great backup point guard to Deron Williams, but also reunites the two from their college days at Illinois. I think there is a place for a guy with Brown's speed and energy in the NBA, and I think playing with his former backcourt mate will only help his development.

-- The Web Guy | 11:30 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Checking In With Marvin Williams

With UNC's David Noel going to Milwaukee at #39 in the second round, it's as good a time as any to hear from the Hawks #1 pick from last year, Second Team All-Rookie selection Marvin Williams.

Marvin is currently taking summer school classes in Chapel Hill for the summer, but had a few moments to re-live his experiences from last season with The Web Guy:

Hawks.com: What was the hardest part about last year's draft?

Marvin Williams: Honestly? The waiting. We had a bunch of media stuff we had to do during the day before everything got started, but after that, we had several hours to kill before the draft got underway. I hated the waiting.

Hawks.com: At what point did you know you were going to come to Atlanta?

MW: Towards the end of the night. It was up in the air for most of the time whether or not I might go to Milwaukee at #1, but as it got closer it became more and more clear that I was going to become a Hawk.

Hawks.com: Is it different watching the draft on the other side of the equation now?

MW: Most definitely. Growing up, we always watched the draft thinking, "Man, I hope that's me someday, walking across that stage." It was such a blessing to be able to make it this far, and I just remember last year giving so much thanks and praise that my dream was coming true. It was a long journey to get to where I am now, but of course, it's not over. I still have a lot of work to do to stay, so I can't slow down.

-- The Web Guy | 11:15 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Quotes From Shelden Williams

Shelden Williams participated in a conference call with the local media soon after his selection by the Hawks. Here are some of what he had to say about starting out his career in the ATL:

Shelden Williams: (On being drafted) It's a great experience. I feel truly blessed to be in this situation. Before my name got called out a lot of thoughts were running through my mind- thoughts about playing ball with my brother in the driveway, and about how far I’ve come since then. It was a great feeling to hear my name called out.

SW: (On playing power forward in the pros) I've been a power forward all my life. I was a power forward at Duke. A lot of people got confused because a lot of times I was the only big guy out there and naturally they assumed I was a center. But I've always been a power forward. I wasn't able to showcase a lot of my skills at Duke because we had great shooters on the perimeter. I was asked to be a low post player so I did it.

SW: (On if he can translate his game to the pros) I think I'll be able to do a lot of the same things I did at Duke. I can be a low post presence and be a defensive player. Somebody who can rebound the basketball and be a physical player. That's what I did at Duke and I plan to keep it up at the next level.

SW: (On his shooting ability) Shooting from the outside wasn't really called for at Duke because we had such great shooters on the perimeter, so it didn't make too much sense for me to be out there as the primary rebounder and post player. That's the way the system was and we all understood it so we played our roles. When I was working out for different teams a lot of people were impressed with how well I shot the ball, because they never got a chance to see I could do that at Duke.

SW: (On what fans in Atlanta can expect to see from him) The fans can expect the same things they saw from me when I played against Georgia Tech. A guy that'll be very hungry to play, very physical, and a guy that's going to give 100% night in and night out. That’s something that you should expect from me each time I step on the court.

-- The Web Guy | 11:02 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

And With The 33rd Pick, The Atlanta Hawks Take...

Solomon Jones, F, South Florida. The Hawks stick with improving their inside presence with Jones, a long and lean prospect from the Big East. Jones had some big games this season against top competition, including a 12-pt, 12-rebound, 6-block performance against UConn.

This pick may surprise some who don't know much about Jones, but he performed well enough in the predraft camp in Orlando to warrant consideration at this spot. Jones has work to do offensively, but defensively he is already a player who can add something to the Hawks' arsenal.

-- The Web Guy | 10:55 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

First Round Comes To A Close

A very interesting round, as a bunch of trades shook up the order to the point where I don't even know right now who landed where. How many picks did Portland end up with anyway? Why is Stephen A. so upset about this, by the way? Did he try out for them at some point? Portland had a bad year last season, so why not try to add as many players as they can? LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy is a pretty solid combo at the top, and they really didn't give up that much to get them. Did they need to make moves to get those players? Who knows?

UConn ended up with the most players taken with four (Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams, and Josh Boone). Six international players were taken, which without looking it up is less than the last few years. However, look for the second round to feature a lot more.

I will come back to this in a little, but we are now on the clock for our final pick of the night.

Let's see what we do...

-- The Web Guy | 10:43 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Two Sparties Get Taken, Thank Lucky Stars

Hawks Media Relations Manager Jason Roose is a former East Lansing resident, so who better to chime in on the Cavaliers' pick of Shannon Brown:

Here is Roose's scouting report: "Exceptional athlete who plays above the rim. Good defender and his strength allows him to play bigger than 6’4. Good outside shot complements a strong mid-range game. Clutch performer who wants the ball late in games and is not afraid to take the big shot. Brings a toughness to the floor after playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State."

Not bad. Plus he gets to play with LeBron James. As for Maurice Ager, I will take it from here.

In the NBA Draft, the rich get richer. In particular Dallas gets richer. Much like they stole Josh Howard in 2003, they got Maurice Ager at #28 in this draft. Ager was a four-year contributor at Michigan State and was one of the best scorers in college basketball last year. He was slightly undersized, much like Howard, which caused his stock to fall this far, but the guy can play. And now he comes into a situation in Dallas where he can grow into a role with the team, and eventually step in for someone like Jerry Stackhouse without making the Mavericks miss a beat.

The Mavs have drafted incredibly well ever since Marc Cuban took over, and it doesn't look like that will change any time soon.

-- The Web Guy | 10:30 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Farmar Gone, Blazers Trade Again.

The Lakers get a great pickup in Jordan Farmar, who must be pinching himself to make sure this is not a dream. He could have come back next year and perhaps been a top-ten pick in 2007, but instead he gets to play with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, a stone's throw away from where he played his college ball at UCLA.

Also, Portland traded again. Honestly, I am enjoying myself over here in Hawktown, but I would LOVE to be doing a draft night blog over there. My fingers might fall off though from trying to type out all the activity.

-- The Web Guy | 10:21 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Hawks Co-Owner Michael Gearon Checks In

This is an exciting night for the Atlanta Hawks. Shelden Williams is the kind of guy who can jump right in right away and help us on the interior. We struggled a lot last year defensively inside, giving up the second most points in the paint in the league. Since Shelden is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder, he should be able to contribute immediately and help to change that for us.

We placed a lot of value in this draft on guys who performed at a high level in college over guys who are projected to have great long-term potential. Shelden put up numbers across the board for four years at Duke in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and I'd rather have that than a guy who had one great game in the tournament or only put up numbers for half a season.

Bigs are at a premium in this league. Shelden measures at 6'9", but with his wingspan he plays more like a seven-footer. He is strong, physical, and should be able to get minutes at the 4 and the 5, plus he's a nice complement to the type of young players we have in Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia.

Shelden is one of just three players in NCAA history to finish his career with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks and 150 steals, along with David Robinson and Pervis Ellison. That's not too shabby.

The bottom line is, we want to win, and we needed to get a guy in this draft who can help us do that from the start of the season. We believe Shelden can do that for us.

-- Michael Gearon | 10:05 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

A Run On PGs

The guards are finally starting to fall off the board, as Rondo, Williams, and Lowry have all gone in the last few picks. UCLA's Jordan Farmar is still there, but I have a feeling he will be gone in the near future with Cleveland and the Lakers up next. If he doesn't go there though, it's entirely possible he could fall into the second round...

-- The Web Guy | 10:03 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

NJ Gets Lucky

Sometimes teams draft well because they are very smart, and sometimes players just fall into your lap and make you geniuses just for sitting there. With Jason Kidd getting older, the Nets needed to find a PG to train under him, and in UConn's Marcus Williams they got perhaps the perfect student. Williams is a pass-first guard just like Kidd, and he will have every opportunity to work on his shot and learn at the feet of one of the top point guards in NBA history.

The Nets nailed this pick, though again, there is no way they could have thought he'd be here at this point. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

-- The Web Guy | 9:50 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Knicks Pick, Analysts Disagree. In Other News, The Sun Rises In East And Sets In West

Isiah Thomas gets a lot of grief from the national media, but he actually has a pretty impressive track record in the draft. With his pick of Renaldo Balkman from South Carolina at 20, Stephen A. Smith and Jay Bilas tore into him like he was a 16-oz filet. I must admit I am surprised at the selection, but Balkman has actually been rising on draft boards since playing exceptionally well in workouts and draft camps. He also led South Carolina to an NIT Championship.

And I was really hoping for a point guard there.

-- The Web Guy | 9:45 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

David Stern Is To Rutgers As Dick Vitale Is To Duke

Perhaps the funniest moment of the draft so far, as Commissioner Stern just announced Sacramento's pick of Quincy Douby at #19. As Stern announced the pick, he mentioned Douby was not present at Madison Square Garden, then added "But he comes from a great school."

Hey, way to go Rutgers! It's not often they get a shout out in an athletic setting, let alone from arguably the most powerful man in sports. The Rutgers coaching staff needs to use this in the recruiting process, it has to help.

-- The Web Guy | 9:34 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Ukraine Is Game To You?

Look, I've seen every episode of Seinfeld like 30 times. So many, in fact, that when I run on the treadmill at the gym and it is on the television with the sound off, I know the dialogue well enough to laugh at the appropriate times even though I can't technically hear the dialogue.

Washington just took Olexsiy Pecherov from the Ukraine, which immediately made me think of the episode where Kramer and Newman are locked in an intense battle of the game of Risk on the New York Subway.

I can only hope that as part of Pecherov's duties as a rookie next season (or later, if they choose to leave him in Europe as some teams tend to do with young internationals) they will require him to chirp "You not say Ukraine is weak!" whenever he commits a hard foul or perhaps blocks a shot. I can just imagine the t-shirt possibilities...

-- The Web Guy | 9:30 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

David Stern Is Enjoying Himself

Anyone else noticing the goofy grin on the commish's face when he is announcing these trades? I think he is digging the fantasy-type style of the trades so far, plus he clearly was proud of himself for pronouncing former Blazer Victor Khyrapa's name correctly.

Shawne Williams just went to Indy, the second straight Memphis player to get taken. He was one of the best freshmen in the country last season, and could have perhaps been a top-level pick had he stuck around another season. That is two straight years the Pacers have lucked out at #17 (Danny Granger in 2005). I know they probably are interested in winning a title, but it seems they have hit upon a great spot for the draft. Just something for them to think about, I dunno.

-- The Web Guy | 9:23 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

More Shelden

Here he is talking with Stuart "Boo-Yah!" Scott. And here are some highlights of him as a player.

-- The Web Guy | 9:15 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Portland Drafting Like I Did In My Office Home Run Pool

Who is running the show over in Portland? I bet they are having more fun tonight than any team has ever had on draft night in NBA history. They are making trades all over the place, bobbing and weaving their way in and out of spots like Roy Jones, Jr.

I'm not slamming them, mind you. I just find it incredibly awesome they are trading around like we would all want to do if we were in charge of a franchise.

-- The Web Guy | 8:42 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Orlando Makes Up For 2005

It's easy to hate on JJ Redick - he is a Dookie, he writes poetry, and he is a pretty boy. But I gotta say, the Orlando Magic nailed this pick. Nailed it. Redick is the kind of player who, put on the wrong team, would probably have a hard time in the NBA because of his lack of a complementary skill to his scoring. But in Orlando, he will positively thrive.

The Magic have a tremendous inside combo in Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic, and have a great penetrating floor leader in Jameer Nelson. All Redick will be asked to do is come out and hit perimeter shots, and as we saw in college, he will have no problem doing that.

Man, the Southeast Division is going to be tough in the next several years. Sheesh!

-- The Web Guy | 8:46 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Big And Tall Stores In For Improved Quarterly Sales Projections

That's the story of this draft so far, if you ask me. For all the talk about teams starting to play small ball more and model themselves after the Phoenix Suns, we've already seen basically the top six bigs go in the first ten picks, even if more "talented" players were available.

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same, eh?

-- The Web Guy | 8:42 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

That's right - I used a header that didn't involve his last name. When everyone else zigs, the Web Guy zags. Gay went from the potential #1 pick all the way to the Rockets at #8, but word on the street is they are trading him to Memphis for F Shane Battier. Every year there seems to be a player of Gay's caliber who inexplicably slides (a la Paul Pierce and Caron Butler). I know his rep is as a soft player who disappears, but I think Houston (or Memphis) gets some pretty good value here.

-- The Web Guy | 8:40 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Hawks Coach Mike Woodson On The Pick

Mike Woodson: Shelden is a great player who got better every year in four years of college. I think he averaged like 19 and 10 this past year. He fits a major need for our ballclub with his ability to play on the inside. Our interior defense was nonexistent at times last season and we gave up a lot of points in the paint. I think with him and Zaza and Josh Smith we can do a lot better now. Shelden can really provide us a presence at the power forward position and be with us for a long period of time.

MW: We wore Zaza down last season because of the minutes we had to play him so many minutes. I think Shelden can spell him a lot this year. With the way the NBA is going, playing small ball, I think you could see us have Shelden, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith in the frontcourt and Joe Johnson and Josh Childress in the backcourt and see us give teams some matchup problems.

MW: Shelden was a guy we targeted from the beginning as a player who could help us right away, so we are happy we got him.

-- The Web Guy | 8:25 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

And The Newest Hawk Is...

Shelden Williams, Duke. This pick makes a lot of sense for us at this point. With Aldridge, Bargnani, and Thomas gone, and the team looking to improve its interior defense and rebounding, Williams was clearly the best big available. Nicknamed "The Landlord", Williams was a defensive monster in college who immediately steps in and gives the Hawks more toughness.

Another positive for Williams is he is seasoned - he played four years of college ball at the highest level, and is ready to contribute right now, which is something the Hawks need. Many people compare him to Antonio Davis or Dale Davis, and if he has a career similar to either of those guys, the Hawks will be happy.

Hawks GM will be out from Draft Central in just a little bit to talk to the media, so we will get some comments from him and post here as soon as we can.

-- The Web Guy | 8:05 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Blazers/Bulls Take Thomas

And we are officially on the clock...

Uh oh, Steven A. doesn't look happy. Apparently he disagrees with Portland's moves...more on that later.

-- The Web Guy | 7:57 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

MJ Takes Mo

Let the Rudy Gay watch begin...the Bobcats take Adam Morrison and his mustache at #3, which makes a ton of sense for them. If they can just get Emeka Okafor and Sean May to stay healthy, they have a tremendous young nucleus to build around.

With Morrison's intensity, I would be very interested to see if he and Jordan ever go head-to-head at the practice facility sometime.

Portland (or maybe Chicago), you are on the clock.

-- The Web Guy | 7:52 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Aldridge Is Gone

Hawks fans were certainly hoping this didn't happen, but LaMarcus Aldridge is off the board. The Bulls took him at #2, which ESPN's Andy Katz is reporting will then be turned around and traded to Portland in a package that includes the #4 pick. My guess is that means the Bulls will take Tyrus Thomas at #4. I think Aldridge is going to be great - he was an incredibly hard worker at Texas who improved by leaps and bounds from the start of his freshman year to the end of his sophomore year. He reminds me a lot of Chris Bosh - needs to get bigger, but already possesses a very polished offensive game for a player his age.

The Bobcats are up next...

-- The Web Guy | 7:50 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Sorry, I Couldn't Resist...

After watching waaaaayyyyyyyy too much soccer in the last few weeks with the World Cup, I can't let this opportunity pass to say that I sincerely hope Bargnani proves less fragile than his futbol playing countrymen.

With the amount of banging that goes on underneath the basket in the NBA, games would last forever if players curled up in a ball every time someone scraped them with an elbow or put a shoulder into their backside.

-- The Web Guy | 7:45 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

And The #1 Pick Is...

Andrea Bargnani from Italy goes to the Raptors at #1. No surprise there, as everyone pretty much thought this was the pick they would make. A lot of people compare him favorably at this stage to Dirk Nowitzki, but that is generous. Still, Colangelo typically knows how to groom international talent, so look for him to have a chance to succeed in Toronto.

If he is good, the Raptors have a pretty ridiculous frontline right now with Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic, Chris Bosh, and Charlie Villanueva. That's a lot of height - unless they deal Villanueva as has been rumored (though they'd still have a bunch of really tall dudes).

-- The Web Guy | 7:33 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

My Personal Bias

A lot of people are talking about how many UConn players may go in this draft (some say as many as six), but I just want to give a little shout out to my boys from the University of Texas, who could see four guys taken. LaMarcus Aldridge is the only lock to go in the first, but just remember you heard here this name: PJ Tucker. Anyone who watched college basketball over the past three years knows Tucker was a dominant performer, but his lack of size despite playing the forward position makes him unlikely to go any higher than the tail end of the first round. He has been called a poor man's Charles Barkley, and I think the comparisons are legit, at least in some ways.

I am a big believer in the notion that great performance in college typically translates to success in the pros (take Boston's Ryan Gomes from this past year as an example), and therefore I believe Tucker can be a big player (read: starter for many years) for the right team - especially if the trend towards playing the game like Dallas and Phoenix continues.

Daniel Gibson probably came out a year too early in terms of his draft stock, but some team will take a flyer on him early in the second round. And who knows? Maybe even Brad Buckman will get a nibble late in the evening.

Sorry, just had to put in my two cents.

And here comes the first pick!

-- The Web Guy | 7:33 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Ah, Foreigners

Ok, reason #453 why I love the NBA Draft. Watching the announcers butcher the names of the foreign-born players. So far I've already heard Andrea Bargnani's name (BARG-Nani? BARN-Yanni? Roberto Begnini?) pronounced a bunch of different ways, as well as a couple butchered references to Suns player Nikoloz Tskitishvili. I wonder if this happens in reverse? Like, if Milwaukee's Joe Smith were to be drafted into a Turkish League, would they struggle to get his pronunciation down?

With the influx of foreign players joining the league through the draft, it's just going to get harder and harder for the TV types to do their jobs (and funnier and funnier for us to watch them stumble).

-- The Web Guy | 7:13 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

My Picks, Up Until The Hawks

Everyone and their mother has a mock draft - I even did a top five back when the lottery order was announced. So have I changed my opinion at all?

Here are my final picks for the top four, leading up to the Hawks pick at #5. Let's see how foolish I look in an hour or so when this all goes down in flames.

1) Toronto Raptors - Andrea Bargnani. There were rumors it would be Rudy Gay as late as yesterday, and LaMarcus Aldridge could still surprise people and go here, but I think Bargnani is the choice. New GM Bryan Colangelo has shown no hesitancy to roll the dice on foreign players in the past, and Bargnani has been playing at the highest level of the Euroleague the last couple years.

2) Chicago Bulls - LaMarcus Aldridge. Tyrus Thomas could go here, but in the end I think the Bulls go with the more polished offensive threat in Aldridge.

3) Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay. I don't think Michael Jordan minds that Gay didn't dominate in college; Gay played on a team with several future NBA players and still led the team in scoring. The Bobcats need an athletic wing player, and Gay fits that bill.

4) Portland Trail Blazers - Adam Morrison. Morrison is a local(ish) guy, and would be a dream come true for a franchise still trying to shake the reputation as a home for the Bad Boys of the NBA. A lot of people want to compare Morrison to Larry Bird, but I see him as more of a Glen Rice type player. He won't make any all-defensive teams, but his knack for scoring (and creativity in doing so) will make him a valuable player in the NBA for years to come. Plus he looks just Randall "Pink" Floyd from Dazed and Confused. I mean exactly. See for yourself...

Alright, ESPN coverage has begun. Let's get this party started...

-- The Web Guy | 7:05 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Finally, A Trade (We Think)

Reports out of Boston say that Boston has traded their #7 pick to Portland in return for Sebastian Telfair. This one has been rumored for several days, but does little to help decipher what will happen at the top.

Telfair, as you may recall, was the subject of intense scrutiny during his draft year, doing the prep-to-pros route despite his smallish stature (traditionally, most players that make the leap are big men). He played well at times last year in Portland, but injuries kept him off the floor for extended periods of time.

If the rumors are true, then the deal was submitted to the NBA after the 2:00 p.m. deadline, which means Boston will still technically make the selection at #7, even if it is meant for Portland. It also means Portland now has two of the top seven picks, which either means a) they will be able to add two very nice pieces to their squad or b) they are really gunning to move up to get the player they really want (speculated to be Adam Morrison.

In Telfair, Boston will have a more traditional point guard than incumbent Delonte West, who is more of a scoring guard than distributor.

And away we go!

-- The Web Guy | 5:10 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

The Clock Is Ticking...

And so far no news to report. Last year there were a couple trades before the festivities got started that helped shape the direction of the first round, but so far all we are hearing are crickets. Maybe there are still moves on the horizon, but remember, once the first round begins, no trades can be announced until after the end of the round.

There has been some news today on the NBA though, but it has very little to do with the draft. The NBA will be introducing a new ball for the upcoming season, one that will make PETA very happy I believe. The first NBA ball to eschew leather, it is instead made out of a microfiber composite, which is to say that I have no idea what it's made out of but that's what they are calling it so it sounds good to me.

The ball will have better grip for players, who often complain that traditional leather balls have to be broken in before they become effective.

Sounds cool.

-- The Web Guy | 4:30 p.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?

Draft Day Is Here!

The Hawks draft room is shown above, as Hawks GM Billy Knight, his scouts, coaches, and other related staff members are all hunkered down to try to figure out what tonight will bring us. I for one cannot wait - I love the NBA Draft. I would say I rank it slightly ahead of the NFL Draft in terms of my favorites, if for no other reason than the first round goes much faster and for the most part you have a working knowledge of most prospects' strengths and weaknesses, as well as team needs, so its easier to guess along with the proceedings and predict who will go where.

This year, as I said yesterday, should make for quite an entertaining evening. Billy even said it yesterday, there just hasn't been a draft in recent memory with this much uncertainty at the top. Just yesterday it was reported on ESPN.com that the Raptors were considering taking Rudy Gay at #1, and now some are predicting he may drop as far as 9th to Golden State. When have you ever seen someone's position vacillate that far? I certainly haven't.

Anyway, tonight promises to be a lot of fun, and The Web Guy promises to have you covered as everything happens. If for some reason you aren't coming to the Hawks Draft Party at Philips Arena tonight (doors open at 6 p.m.), then join me in the Interweb for my live draft blog from right outside the Hawks Draft Central. Here is what last year's looked like, in case you are curious.

Feel free to submit your questions and comments, and I will try to answer as much as I can while covering the night's events.

Let's Go Hawks!

-- The Web Guy | 11:30 a.m. 06/28/06 | Have a comment?