An alternate look at tomorrow's NBA draft. I'll preface this by saying the '06 draft is going to be crazy. Nobody knows where anyone is going. I expect there will be a lot of head scratching and NBA reporters with egg on their face. Should be a good time...

1. Toronto Raptors PF Andrea Bargnani Italy
Raptors have brought Benetton Treviso's GM on board as their Vice President. All signs point to Bargnani.

2. Chicago Bulls FC LaMarcus Aldridge Texas
Tough call here. Rumors point to Thomas & Roy, but Paxson may surprise us Wednesday night.

3. Charlotte Bobcats SF Adam Morrison Gonzaga
This team needs a perimeter scorer as badly as it needs a marketable player. Morrison provides both.

4. Portland Trailblazers SG Brandon Roy Washington
McMillon allegedly loves this kid. They'd like to get their hands on Morrison, but MJ may beat them to the punch.

5. Atlanta Hawks PF Tyrus Thomas LSU
Having a hard time believing the Shelden Williams rumors. Thomas would be a solid replacement for Harrington.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves SF Rudy G@y UConn
Outside of Garnett, this team is starving for talent. At 6, the Wolves likely go with the best player on the board.

7. Boston Celtics FC Shelden Williams Duke
Paul Pierce led the team in rebounding last year. I'll leave it at that.

8. Houston Rockets G Randy Foye Villanova
Houston is already loaded with guards, but none of them is worth a damn outside of McGrady.

9. Golden State Warriors FC Cedrick Simmons NC State
Troy Murphy is apparently on the trading block and Adonal Foyle has failed to meet expectations.

10. Seattle Supersonics C Patrick O'Bryant Bradley
Seattle was soft in the post to begin with. This offseason they may lose Reggie Evans & Chris Wilcox.

11. Orlando Magic SG JJ Redick Duke
Redick's presence would take some of the scoring burden off Nelson while maximizing the rebounding value of Howard.

12. New Orleans Hornets GF Ronnie Brewer Arkansas
The Hornets need a wingman to compliment Chris Paul. Brewer won't be a prolific scorer but has a nice all around game.

13. Philadelphia 76ers PG Marcus Williams UConn
This team doesn't have a true point guard on the roster, and Iverson would have more freedom offensively playing the 2.

14. Utah Jazz C Saer Sene Senegal
Boozer may get traded this offseason and Okur isn't exactly a banger in the post.

15. New Orleans Hornets C Hilton Armstrong UConn
PJ Brown is close to retirement and Armstrong would fit in well along side David West.

16. Chicago Bulls GF Rodney Carney Memphis
This would be an extrememely fortuitous scenario for the Bulls, but if enough big men sneak into the top 15, it's possible.

17. Indiana Pacers PG Jordan Farmar UCLA
Jamaal Tinsley hasn't played a full season 3 years in a row. Time to pull the plug.

18. Washington Wizards PG Rajon Rondo Kentucky
Arenas is in the same boat as Iverson. He's a scorer, not a table setter.

19. Sacramento Kings SG Shannon Brown Michigan State
Bonzi Wells is heading for free agency. Kevin Martin & Francisco Garcia don't exactly knock my socks off as replacements.

20. New York Knicks SF Shawne Williams Memphis
What was it those Japanese groundskeepers said at the beginning of Major League?

21. Phoenix Suns PG Kyle Lowry Villanova
It became obvious last year that Nash needs to cut back on his regular season minutes. With Eddie House leaving, they need a backup PG.

22. New Jersey Nets PG Sergio Rodriguez Spain
Kidd is now 33 and it's time to start grooming a replacement. Either way, their backup is Jacque Vaughn, so help is needed.

23. New Jersey Nets PF Oleksiy Pecherov Ukraine
Nenad Krstic is developing into an excellent young player in the post, but his counter-part, Jason Collins, isn't pulling his weight.

24. Memphis Grizzlies FC Josh Boone UConn
Memphis is deep with talent on the perimeter, but outside of Gasol, they are very soft down low.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers PG Quincy Douby Rutgers
Not a traditional point guard, but with Lebron doing most of the ballhandling, a silky smooth shooter like Douby could fit well in Cleveland.

26. Los Angeles Lakers G Mardy Collins Temple
A fundamentally sound player. Collins has a reputation for being unselfish, a prerequisite for teammates of Kobe Bryant.

27. Phoenix Suns SF Marcus Vinicius Brazil
Classic Phoenix player. Runs well. Puts points on the board. Doesn't believe in defense. He'll fit right in.

28. Dallas Mavericks SG Maurice Ager Michigan State
Extremely athletic combo guard that could replace Jason Terry if he heads for free agency.

29. New York Knicks PF Alexander Johnson Florida State
This guy here is dead... (Cross him off then.)

30. Portland Trailblazers SF Thabo Sefolosha Switzerland
The Swiss prospect is everything Darius Miles isn't: has good basketball smarts and plays defense.


LATE EDIT

A handful of other names that may sneak into the first round…

G Guillermo Diaz Miami (FL)
G James White Cincinnati
G Daniel Gibson Texas
F PJ Tucker Texas
F Joel Freeland England
F Leon Powe California
C Paul Davis Michigan State

Nice work!

I do think you hit the nail on the head here with:
2. Chicago Bulls FC LaMarcus Aldridge Texas
Tough call here. Rumors point to Thomas & Roy, but Paxson may surprise us Wednesday night.

I just think as the Bulls get close to draft night, they're going to have a tough time passing on the best big man in the draft, and a guy who can come in right now, and be a contributor......

*Note: Please take somebody else!!!!!
*Question: Have Texas bigmen done anything in the NBA ? Chris Mihm was the last one out of Texas, and he's just a role player....Not to compare the two, but Aldridge isn't known as a physical player.

Thanks for the time and effort, Bucket. 'PRECIATE IT!

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I feel the same about you.

Actually, I credit anyone that can nail down half of the top ten. This is going to be wild. I can’t remember a draft where there was this much chaos and cluelessness.

Nice work Bucket!

I still like Jurko's scenario where the Bulls trade up to 6 to get Bargnani.

Thanks again Bucket & Nas! Great analysis.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken