2006 NBA Draft Preview: The Big Men

NEW YORK, NY, June 27, 2006 --Can you ever have too many big men on an NBA team? The Knicks picked up Channing Frye in the 2005 NBA draft, and acquired Eddy Curry and Jerome James over the summer, but could still look to add to their depth in this area. Frye who was picked 8th overall in 2005, averaged 12.3 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game in his inaugural campaign. Among all rookies Frye was third in scoring average, and third in rebounding.

This year's group of "big men" feature NCAA tournament standout Tyrus Thomas, Italian standout Andrea Bargnani, Texas stud LaMarcus Aldridge, former national champion Josh Boone and Duke senior sensation Shelden Williams.

Here are some of the top big-men that are available on draft night:

	Player	Career Summary
1.	Tyrus Thomas (6-9, LSU)	Extra-athletic, Tyson Chandler-type highflier, only 19, is still growing both in size and as a basketball player. Tremendous leaping ability and timing, to go with Boeing 747-wingspan, enables him to rebound and reject in dominating fashion. Offense is still raw. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 1-4
2.	LaMarcus Aldridge (6-11, Texas)	Well-rounded 20-year old phenom appeared to be the top pick until a curiously quiet NCAA Tournament tiff against Thomas. Aldridge may be just a pinch less athletic than Double-T but he is also the more complete package. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 1-4
3.	Andrea Bargnani (6-11, Italy)	Fluid big man with unlimited range and lightning release on his shot is “Dirk Nowitzki without the driving ability” according to most scouts. If he’s picked Number One, he’d be the first-ever European player to reach that plateau. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 1-4
4.	4. Shelden Williams (6-9, Duke.)	A hard-edged competitor and a fine fundamentalist/all-around player, he’s just a tad short of the type of extreme athleticism that would elevate him to surefire NBA superstar-dom. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 5-10
5.	Cedric Simmons (6-9, N.C. State)	A superior, 20 year-old athlete with a vast wingspan, he blocks shots with abandon and runs the floor like a guard. Improving offensive game is still in the evolving stage. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: Mid to low lottery.
6.	Patrick O'Bryant (7-0, Bradley)	O’Bryant was a complete unknown who simply exploded during the NCAA Tournament, displaying outstanding agility for his 260-pound frame. He is a superb shot-blocker who has an enormous upside as an all-around player. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: Mid to low lottery.
7.	Oleksiy Pecherov (7-0, Ukraine)	Not (yet) a low-post force, but the rail-thin Pecherov is an outstanding jump shooter with range who is very active on the boards. Played well in France’s top league last year. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 14-20.
8.	Marcus Vinicius (6-8, Brazil)	Extremely versatile -- can even play two guard at times -- with a superbly soft, unstoppable jump shot. Plays hard, plays smart, still needs to grow on defense. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 20-35
9.	Josh Boone (6-10, Connecticut)	A year ago, Boone would have been a lottery steal. Strangely inconsistent last season, this long-armed, agile shot-blocking maven must acquire an offensive game. PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: 20-35
10.	Craig Smith (6-7, Boston College)	If this block of granite was a couple of inches taller teams would be panting after his all-around talents. A highly intelligent and superbly skilled player who will be extra inspired due to his forever-underrated status.br> PROBABLE DRAFT SPOT: Second Round

NEXT BEST: Saer Sene (7-0, Senegal), Hilton Armstrong (6-11, Connecticut), Kevin Pittsnogle (6-11, West Virgina), Joel Freeland (6-11, England), Paul Davis (6-11, Michigan State)