2007 NBA Draft Round One Picks 15-30 Preview

Now that you've picked up those chips from the bottom of your seat cushions and swept up the beer drool from the depths of your meaty lips, let me remind you that nothing is what it seems for the 2007 NBA Draft. When we last left off Minnesota was whoring itself like a drug-addled lady of the night prowling Las Vegas streets. Why do I keep picking on Las Vegas? Because Sin City is the NBA destination du jour--and lots of these tots picked 15 to 30 will be playing in the summer league there, that's why.

So before you overindulge and can barely get off your couch, I'll give you an idea of what to look for, with several caveats:

A. The Utah Jazz (yep, those boring Jazz) are looking to move up to nab Jason Smith, a 7'0" center from Colorado State. Smith can fill up a stat sheet and is more of an offensive threat coming out of college than your usual 7-foot monster, a la Mehmet Okur, the Jazz' other offensive center. The Jazz were slightly displeased with Okur's showing during the playoffs, with Mehmet hucking up more threes than Tim Legler did when Washington wasn't making the playoffs, which happened to be about every year during Legler's nondescript but deadly existence.

B. The New York Knicks will figure out a way to become the laughingstock of this draft. This means they will claw their way up the draft chart to pick up somebody you've never heard of, just as they did last year. And Madison Square Garden will have to go on red alert, because the fans will, as usual, be quite unhappy (read: pissed off) with the day's proceedings.

C. Philadelphia may move out of the draft entirely and try to trade its 21^st pick. So may Phoenix, who has more picks in the twenties than a six-year-old needing to go to the nurses station at school for hair that won't stop itching. And so might San Antonio, but they always seem to find some foreign player at the late stages. Ditto Detroit, who may unload both Chauncey and Rasheed.

Here in high-def is the last of the first round.

15. Detroit, Derrick Byars, SG/SF, Vanderbilt. Byars is your prototypical Piston; a hard-worker, a point-scorer and a guy who can get Detroit back where they want to be: in the Finals. With Chauncey Billups possibly cutting out of Motown, Detroit may even try to trade up and you could see the Jazz in this spot, since the Jazz and Pistons have dealt with one another in the past. Either way the SEC Player of the Year ends up in the Motor City.

16. Washington, Thaddeus Young, SF, Georgia Tech. Young would just add to the Wizards already impressive offensive arsenal.

17. New Jersey, Jason Smith, C, Colorado State. The Jazz could end up moving into this spot if they get the chance, or earlier in the draft, so Smith may already be gone. If he isn't the Nets will take him. If Smith is gone, then another possibility would be Sean Williams of Boston College, who is labeled as a risk for some off-court problems though he is a prospect.

18. Golden State Warriors, Rodney Stuckey, G, Eastern Washington. Can you imagine Stuckey in the Warriors' omnipotent offense? Stuckey can do lots of things and Nellie loves that, especially the part about scoring.

19. Los Angeles Lakers, Josh McRoberts, PF, Duke. The Lakers may have traded out of the first round as well--if they get Kevin Garnett. So the pick may belong to (surprise!) Minnesota. But if the pick belongs to L.A. they will go after McRoberts, who is looked at as a poor man's Carlos Boozer. Fits well with Kobe and Luke Walton.

20. Miami, Al Thornton, SF/PF, Florida State. Thornton is projected all the way from No. 10 on down and so his free-fall will end here. Al is versatile and is a banger on the glass. He can also score, which help D-Wade and Shaq. And he's staying in the Sunshine State.

21. Philadelphia, Wilson Chandler, PF, DePaul. Chandler is more of a lockdown defender, but Billy King knows that in order to save his job, he must bulk up his team. Chandler is more towards that kind of thinking.

22. Charlotte, Arron Afflalo, SG, UCLA. Afflalo played for a big-time program, took it to the Final Four and can shoot the basketball. Michael Jordan will love all of this and select Afflalo so he can have more guys hucking up unnecessary shots (see Adam Morrison). But he'll look good doing it.

23. New York, Tiago Splitter, PF, Brazil. I warned you to lock down the Garden, because after this pick Isiah is gonna want to go into permanent retirement. Saying Splitter is coming to the NBA after weaseling out the past two years (hint: you only get three shots at the draft) is like saying Isiah is going to build this once-proud franchise into a winner. Splitter has that nasty word, potential, which causes scouts and NBA-types to drool on themselves, forgetting that the guy may be a waste of a draft pick, since he may continue to choose to play in Spain.

24. Phoenix, Daequan Cook, SG, Ohio State. Cook's the best athlete on the board, hence the reason for his arrival in the PHX. His going to Arizona is almost a perfect fit. And it is truly amazing that he didn't go earlier.

25. Utah, Morris Almond, SG, Rice. If the Jazz don't trade this pick to move up to get their beloved Jason Smith, then look for them to settle on Almond, a deadly scorer and smooth-as-silk shooter who went boffo on nearly everyone he played the past two seasons. He's a cerebral kind of guy, the type you'd expect in Jerry Sloan's man-up, vanilla offense.

26. Houston, Kyrlo Fesenko, C, Ukraine. Fesenko worked out really, REALLY late for most NBA teams (including the afore-mentioned Jazz, who didn't have anyone his size to work out with) but he did work out for Miami and Houston, thus placing him as Yao's backup. Another guy who could go here is Aaron Gray of Pittsburgh, but Fesenko, if he's still around, is a lock here.

27. Detroit, Aaron Brooks, PG, Oregon. The undersized but mighty Brooks escapes his death-defying drop out of the first round entirely and lands with a winner. That's what you get when you wait this long, you know.

28. San Antonio, Marco Belinelli, SG. Italy. Continuing the proud tradition of nabbing Euro stars before anyone knows they even exist, the Spurs continue to do so, knowing Belinelli can shoot lights-out and is being compared to future teammate Ginobili. Phoenix will not be happy. They know about this kid.

29. Phoenix, Rudy Fernandez, PG, Spain. The Suns will either trade out of the first round after discovering that San Antonio (again!) beat them to the punch--or beat them, whatever the case may be. Or they'll get Fernandez, a floor leader who is somewhat tall for a point guard but also a project. He could be taken as insurance for Steve Nash, who isn't getting any younger, you know.

30. Philadelphia, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, PF/C, LSU. Believe me, the way Davis is talking, he's gonna make everyone pay for not taking him earlier. I'd tend to believe him, since he's got potential written all over that big body and Philly needs bodies, as we've already discussed. Well, Philly just got more mean. Meanwhile, Alando Tucker completes his death drop into the second round and the D-League. That's probably where Sean Williams will end up as well, in addition to other deserving prospects. But that's why people will be tuning into this year's NBA Draft. There is plenty of intrigue, deception and surprises, much like a good James Bond movie. So grab a bag of chips, a six-pack, sit down and enjoy.