<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Amid reports that Chris Taft's draft stock is dropping faster than a pebble from the Empire State Building, Taft's agent rose to his defense. "Like I told one GM, 'you're going to have a hard time convincing me that if you're looking for a power forward in this draft, there's one who can make the immediate impact of Chris, based on physical make-up and ability,' " said New York-based agent Billy Ceisler, who also represents Chicago Bulls star Ben Gordon, among others. "And as far as potential, he's probably 10 percent of the player he could be." The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Taft left Pitt after an underachieving sophomore season and was widely believed to be a sure-fire lottery pick, meaning he would be selected among the top 14 in the NBA Draft on June 28. However, recent reports have cast doubt on Taft's lottery prospects. The reports -- some based on first-hand observation, some citing NBA team personnel -- claim that Taft's individual workouts in New York and group workouts for various teams were undistinguished, at best. </div> Source
