Knicks Pick 43rd in Thursday’s NBA Draft
Vroman could be headed to New York come draft day on Thursday.
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An almost seven-footer with subtle all-around skills, Vroman had an almost double-double college career that was well-hidden from prying eyes at out-of-the-ways Iowa State. He then stunned the NBA-universe with an explosive NIT and even better postseason camps -- drawing comparisons to sudden Sacramento Kings power forward Darius Songaila -- going from a possible non-draftee to a potential late first-rounder.
And therein lies the rub: this year the Knicks don't have a pick until the 43d selection, which is in the middle of the second round. And which, more than likely, also is outside of potential superstar -- or even Jackson Vroman -- territory.
Or maybe not: this year's draft shapes up as the most uncertain and volatile in many years. Except for the Co-National Player of the Year (along with St. Joseph’s point guard Jameer Nelson), Emeka Okafor -- and some scouts question even his offense and/or back -- there isn't a "sure thing" in there.
AO (After Okafor), if there ever was a "sleepers' draft," this is it. Which is one of those classic "good news-bad news" situations for the Knicks: on the one hand, it's unlikely that an immediate contributor will emerge on Thursday. On the other hand, the 43rd pick may not be that far removed in potential from the second selection.
Assuming that Thomas doesn’t trade up into the first round -- where athletic New Jersey high school phenom J.R. Smith might be his target -- these are some of the other players the Knicks could be looking at when their turn comes up on Thursday night:
TIM PICKETT (6-4, SG, Florida State) -- The Knicks need shooters and this guy is a good one. A mature senior, Pickett is also a solid defender, leader, and all-around player.
DARIUS RICE (6-10, SF, Miami) -- Fits the Knicks expressed preference for "length and athleticism" to a tee. But lacks a hard nose and has rarely delivered to the level of his unlimited abilities in college.
RICKEY PAULDING (6-5, SG, Missouri) -- Another tremendous pure athlete who, in spite of tons of promise, failed to really explode as a college senior.
KEVIN MARTIN (6-7, SG, Western Carolina) -- A pure scorer who has a tremendous first steps. However, he lacks what's known in the business as "an NBA body".
HERVE LAMIZANA (6-9, SF, Rutgers) -- A super-athlete with truly impressive hops. However, he's rawer than raw and failed to play in the Chicago Pre-Draft NBA Camp due to injury.
MARCUS DOUTHIT (6-11, C, Providence) -- An amazing shotblocker in search of an overall game.
JUSTIN REED (6-8, SF, Mississippi) -- A superb floorleader and defender who lunches on fundamentals.
ANDRE EMMETT (6-5, SG, Texas Tech) -- An impressive scorer and a tough-as-nails defender, he somehow feels like he could be one of those "very good but not quite good enough for NBA stardom" players.
ARTHUR JOHNSON (6-9, PF, Missouri) -- Could be the Knicks’ pick, should he drop to where the Knicks could grab him. This lefty fundamentalist is a little heavy-legged but owns great knack for moving, getting open, and scoring inside.
ROMAIN SATO (6-4 SG, Xavier) -- A quick-leaping uberathlete who rebounds and owns lockdown defensive potential, but lacks a pure touch.
These players, listed by position, should be the top picks come Thursday night:
Livingston
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1. SHAUN LIVINGSTON -- 6-7, HS, Peoria (IL) Central
2. DEVIN HARRIS -- 6-3, JR, Wisconsin
3. BEN GORDON -- 6-2, JR, Connecticut
4. JAMEER NELSON -- 6-0, SR, St. Joseph's
5. SEBASTIAN TELFAIR -- 6-0, HS, Abraham Lincoln (NY)
NEXT BESTS -- Sasha Vujacic (6-7, Slovenia), Chris Duhon (6-1, SR, Duke), Luis Flores (6-2, SR, Manhattan), Blake Stepp (6-4, SR, Gonzaga), Beno Udrih (6-4, Slovenia), Antonio Burks (6-0, SR, Memphis).
Livingston, a willowy 180-pounder who really knows how to quarterback a team, might go as high as second. The difference between Harris and Gordon is very small, however Harris should be selected first because he is more of pure point guard. Gordon is a tremendously gifted natural scorer who must learn to play the point. Nelson, while a tad on the small side, is experienced and smarts personified and will be a solid choice wherever he goes. On the other opposite end of the experience spectrum is the explosive, but inconsistent, Telfair, who has dropped a bit of late in the scouts' eyes.
Iguodala
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1. ANDRE IGUODALA -- 6-6, SO, Arizona
2. KIRK SNYDER -- 6-6, JR, Nevada
3. SERGEY MONYA -- 6-8, Russia
4. J.R. SMITH -- 6-6, HS, St. Benedict’s (NJ) Prep
5. KEVIN MARTIN -- 6-7, JR, Western Carolina
NEXT BESTS -- Tony Allen (6-4, SR, Oklahoma State), Delonte West (6-4, JR, St. Joseph's), Rickey Paulding (6-5, SR, Missouri), Andre Emmett (6-4, SR, Texas Tech), Romain Sato (6-4, SR, Xavier).
Iguodala led the Wildcats in rebounding, assists, steals, and blocked shots, the first player in Arizona's star-studded hoop-history to do so. As a possible top-5 selection, he has drawn comparisons to Scottie Pippen with his complete game. Snyder, an NCAA Tournament discovery, might go low-lottery, with Monya not far behind. The remainder is primarily composed of either players with potential but not ready (Smith, Martin) or players that had successful college careers but might not be NBA-material (West, Emmett).
Deng
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1. LUOL DENG -- 6-8, FR, Duke
2. JOSH CHILDRESS -- 6-8, JR, Stanford
3. LUKE JACKSON -- 6-7, SR, Oregon
4. JOSH SMITH -- 6-8, HS, Oak Hill (VA) Academy
5. DORRELL WRIGHT -- 6-7, HS, South Kent (CT) Prep
NEXT BESTS -- Viktor Khryapa (6-9, Russia), Matt Freije (6-9, SR, Vanderbilt), Donta Smith (6-7, SO, Southeastern Illinois JC), Herve Lamizana (6-9, SR, Rutgers), Darius Rice (6-10, SR, Miami).
This is an eclectic and unpredictable bunch of swingmen. Depending on team needs, Childress, who has impressed teams with his length and intelligence, could be the first small forward off the boards. Deng is a talented passer and has added some more range to his shot since the college season ended. Jackson, a great shooter who has surprised teams with his quickness and athletic ability, may have worked his way into the middle of the first round. Wright has the potential to be a superstar, but he needs time to develop his game and strengthen his body.
Okafor
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1. EMEKA OKAFOR -- 6-9, JR, Connecticut
2. DWIGHT HOWARD -- 6-10, HS, Southwest Atlanta (GA) Christian Academy
3. ANDRIS BIEDRINS -- 6-11, Latvia
4. KRIS HUMPHRIES -- 6-9, FR, Minnesota
5. AL JEFFERSON -- 6-10, HS, Prentiss (MS)
NEXT BESTS -- Anderson Varejao (6-10, Brazil), Jaime Lloreda (6-9, SR, LSU), Arthur Johnson (6-10, SR, Missouri), Andre Brown (6-10, SR, DePaul).
Okafor, the best defensive prospect since Patrick Ewing, has developed his offensive game and is the most-ready of any player in the draft. Howard, with his incredible versatility and unlimited potential, might move past Okafor and be chosen first overall. Biedrins is a very good defender and excellent shotblocker, with a wingspan of 7-4. Humphries, with an NBA-body, led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding as a freshman. Jefferson is a fierce worker with intelligent footwork in the paint.
Podkolzine
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1. PAVEL PODKOLZINE -- 7-5, Siberia
2. RAFAEL ARAUJO -- 6-11, SR, BYU
3. ROBERT SWIFT -- 7-1, HS, Bakersfield (CA)
4. PETER JOHN RAMOS -- 7-3, Puerto Rico
5. DAVID HARRISON -- 7-0, JR, Colorado
NEXT BESTS -- Ha Seung-Jin (7-3, South Korea), Jaber Rouzbahani (7-5, Iran), Jackson Vroman (6-11, SR, Iowa State), Nigel Dixon (6-11, SR, Western Kentucky).
Podkolzine, the Siberian Bear, is a 300-plus pound, 19-year old with enormous size and a soft touch around the basket. Araujo is a smart and powerful back-to-the-basket player who runs the floor well. Swift, with great hands and footwork, has all the tools needed to be a legitimate NBA-center. The raw-but-gifted Ramos has been among the brightest discoveries in the draft. While Harrison’s desire may be questioned, his talent is not, as he has been one of the best college centers over the past few years.
