3’s No Crowd

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The 2007 NBA draft was loaded with talent at the small forward position. Six of the first 14 off the board were small forwards. Seattle actually wound up taking the first two, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, playing Durant at shooting guard to accommodate getting both players in their lineup.

After the Sonics took Durant at two and Green at five – the pick Boston gave up in exchange for Ray Allen – Minnesota went with Corey Brewer at seven. Then Thaddeus Young, Julian Wright and Al Thornton went consecutively to Philadelphia, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers starting with the 76ers at 12.

This year’s small forward crop isn’t nearly as strong. Though two small forwards appear likely to go in the top 10, it’s questionable whether either of them would have been rated ahead of any of the top six from 2007.

The favorite to go first among them now wasn’t anywhere on the draft radar four months ago. West Virginia’s Joe Alexander could go as high as No. 8 to Milwaukee, where ex-Pistons vice president John Hammond now calls the shots.

Alexander exploded down the stretch of the 2007-08 season, making some eye-catching plays during the Big East tournament and carrying West Virginia into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Maybe the best athlete in the draft, the 6-foot-8 Alexander also gets high marks for his work ethic and team-first attitude – qualities that should appeal to Hammond from his days with the Pistons.

Beyond that, Hammond is on record as saying small forward is a position of need for the Bucks, who have three high lottery picks manning their two interior positions – Andrew Bogut, Yi Jianlian and Charlie Villanueva – and a high-priced backcourt of Michael Redd and Mo Williams, though Hammond is thought to be looking to trade one of them.

If anybody goes ahead of Alexander, it will be Italian Danilo Gallinari, a 6-foot-9 prospect some have compared to Dirk Nowitzki.

The fastest riser after them is Brandon Rush, who would have been in last year’s draft but tore an ACL in predraft workouts and returned to Kansas in time to lead a national championship charge. Rush, whose brothers LaRon and Kareem (currently with Indiana) were highly touted prep prospects in the Kansas City area, is considered ready to step into an NBA rotation.

Syracuse freshman Donte Green will probably go next, a pick based on potential. It’s unlikely Green will crack the rotation of a playoff-caliber team in his rookie season, but he has an All-Star ceiling if he works on his skill set.

The intriguing name in the bunch is Kansas State redshirt freshman Bill Walker. Considered a high lottery pick a few years ago, Walker has suffered two torn ACLs – one to each knee – and gave scouts another scare last week when he incurred what’s being termed a minor injury.

Walker, a high school teammate of O.J. Mayo’s, bulked up to 240 pounds last winter at Kansas State’s urging so he could play power forward next to Michael Beasley, but he’s lost weight and was showing the explosiveness that originally endeared him to scouts before his most recent setback. If healthy, Walker is one among a fairly large group of players – at least 10 deep now – that the Pistons would consider should he be available at No. 29.

Teams that could be in the market for a small forward:

Milwaukee – The Bucks would love to move Bobby Simmons and his big contract but are probably stuck with him. They also have Desmond Mason, a nice complementary player. But they could really use Alexander’s toughness and athleticism.

New Jersey – A lot of buzz that the Nets have given a promise to Gallinari and agent Arn Tellem with the No. 10 pick, which lends credence to another rumor – that the Nets are looking to move Richard Jefferson.

Phoenix – Grant Hill played too many tough minutes last season. The Suns won’t want to push their luck – or him that hard – again. Rush would be a good fit.

Toronto – The Raptors got more than they could have hoped out of Jamario Moon, but a more consistent and versatile scorer at that position would give this team a boost.

Detroit – Hard to predict which way the Pistons are leaning because of Joe Dumars’ stated intention to shake up the roster, but as presently constituted a reliable backup for Tayshaun Prince would be welcome.