Just thought I'd share what Ford's top 10 per position is... Top 10 by position By Chad Ford Doing a mock draft, as we proved on Wednesday, is still an overwhelming prospect at this point. There are still too many variables. Trade rumors, promise rumors and continuing workouts continue to skew the picture. Doing a top 10 at this point in the year is usually easier. By now, there's normally some sort of consensus on the best players at each position. This year? Forget about it. Some teams think Chris Paul is the top point guard in the draft. Others think it's Deron Williams. At power forward, things get even messier. We talked to 10 different teams about their rankings of 10 top power forwards Fran Vazquez, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Sean May, Ike Diogu, Wayne Simien, Hakim Warrick, Charlie Villanueva, Andray Blatche, David Lee and Chris Taft. No two teams had the same ranking and some were dramatically different. There are no steadfast rules this year, but after talking to numerous NBA scouts and teams, here's a look at the top 10 players at each position with (sometimes rather large) draft ranges. POINT GUARDS Rank Name Ht, Wt - Age Interested Teams 1. Chris Paul 6-1, 180 - 20 Hornets, Bobcats, Jazz Paul is the complete point guard prospect. He's quick, athletic, shoots the ball extremely well, and most important, is a true floor general who knows how to lead. Draft range: 3-6. 2. Deron Williams 6-3, 200 - 20 Hawks, Hornets, Bobcats Some scouts believe that because of Williams' size, he may be the best point guard prospect in the draft. While he sees the floor as well as Paul, he's not quite the athlete or the shooter. Draft range: 2-6. 3. Raymond Felton 6-0, 200 - 20 Bobcats, Raptors The fastest point guard in the draft. He's strong, athletic and has improved his jump shot, but he's a little small and a little on the wild side. Draft range: 5-13. 4. Roko Ukic 6-6, 185 - 21 Wolves, Raptors, Celtics Had a great season in Croatia and then wowed scouts in Treviso at the Reebok Eurocamp. Has great size for the position and sees the floor extremely well, but still needs to work on that jumper. Draft range: 14-27. 5. Jarrett Jack 6-4, 200 - 21 Wolves, Raptors, Sonics Some teams have Jack ranked ahead of Ukic. Jack is a big, powerful point guard who plays with a lot of toughness, but he turns the ball over way too much. Draft range: 14-25. 6. Luther Head 6-3, 180 - 22 Pacers, Celtics, Heat One of the best players at the Chicago predraft camp. Proved to scouts that he could run the point position, at least some of the time. He tested off the charts athletically and can really stroke it. Probably still underrated at this point. Draft range: 17-31. 7. Monta Ellis 6-3, 175 - 19 Wolves, Raptors, Celtics, Nuggets Who knows. There's been zero buzz about Ellis and now most scouts are conceding that he's not a point guard. After he tested so poorly athleticially in Chicago, the second round sounded like a forgone conclusion. However, a number of GMs have told Insider they believe Ellis has a promise somewhere in the mid-first round. No one, however, seems to have a clue where it is. Draft range: 14-45. 8. Nate Robinson 5-8, 180 - 21 Suns, Clippers, Sonics He's not really a point guard, but like Earl Boykins, he creates so much havoc on both ends of the floor that teams are going to have to consider him. Wouldn't he be awesome on the Suns? He's the only guy in the draft who could actually push the tempo in Phoenix even harder than Steve Nash. Draft range: 22-40. 9. John Gilchrist 6-3, 195 - 21 Unknown A good player whose stock has been killed by attitude issues in college. Played really well at the Chicago predraft camp. Someone should give him a look in the second round. Draft range: 35-60. 10. Will Conroy 6-2, 190 - 22 Unknown He doesn't score much, but he's a pure point guard who defends and gets the offense running. The second coming of Eric Snow? Draft range: 40-60. Best of the rest: Will Bynum, Georgia Tech; Daniel Ewing, Duke; Travis Diener, Marquette; Anthony Roberson, Florida; Cenk Akyol, Turkey; Filiberto Rivera, UTEP; Chris Thomas, Notre Dame; Aaron Miles, Kansas; Orien Green, Louisiana-Lafayette; Ender Arslan, Turkey; Marcelo Huertas, Brazil SHOOTING GUARDS Rank Name Ht, Wt - Age Interested Teams 1. Gerald Green 6-7, 192 - 19 Blazers, Bobcats, Raptors The top high school player in the country and one of the draft's best athletes is still very raw, but once he learns how to play, watch out. The Lakers have been trying to move up to get him. Draft range: 3-7. 2. Antoine Wright 6-6, 202 - 21 Bobcats, Clippers, Wolves Do-it-all swingman has been working out great, but some red flags were raised by his less-than-impressive athletic performance at the Chicago combine. Draft range: 7-14. 3. Martell Webster 6-8, 230 - 18 Lakers, Magic, Bobcats One of the best two or three shooters in the draft. He already has an NBA body and is mature beyond his years. He should be able to play immediately. Think a young Glen Rice. Draft range: 10-16. 4. Francisco Garcia 6-7, 190 - 23 Pacers, Nuggets, Suns Garcia was an inconsistent college player, but so far his workouts have gone great. He has great size and shooting touch for the position and will attract a team in need of a shooter. Draft range: 16-22. 5. Rashad McCants 6-4, 200 - 20 Lakers, Clippers, Pacers, Kings Next to Chris Taft and Charlie Villanueva, he's got to be the toughest guy in the draft to project at this point. He has the skills of a lottery pick, but background-check red flags combined with some workout problems could tank his stock. Draft range: 10-35. 6. Julius Hodge 6-7, 202 - 21 Grizzlies, Kings, Spurs Another first-round sleeper. Everyone knows he can't shoot, but more and more teams seem to feel that he'll be able to play point guard, at least part-time. Jerry West is a big fan. Draft range: 19-28. 7. Salim Stoudamire 6-1, 190 - 22 Spurs, Heat, Lakers The best shooter in the draft. Stoudamire has unlimited range. Questions about his size and attitude will likely push him into the second round, though there are some rumblings that a team late in the first is in love. Draft range: 23-45. 8. C.J. Miles 6-6, 207 - 18 Nuggets, Rockets, Blazers No one has a clue why Miles decided to stay in the draft. He may get some consideration from the Nuggets in the first round, but it's much more likely he'll be somewhere in the second round. He's a talented kid, but does nothing great. A long-term project in the same way DeShawn Stevenson was. Draft range: 22-60. 9. Eddie Basden 6-5, 205 - 22 Clippers, Raptors, Magic Has the ability to be a Bruce Bowen-type perimeter defender in the league. Like Bowen, his defense is way ahead of his offense. Draft range: 32-60. 10. Louis Williams 6-1, 175 - 18 Hawks, Pistons, Celtics If Louis Williams thinks the Pistons really are drafting him, he must be talking about the 45th pick, not the 26th. Draft range: 45-60. Best of the rest: Alan Anderson, Michigan State; Von Wafer, Florida State; Kelenna Azubuike, Kentucky; Bracey Wright, Indiana; Tiras Wade, Louisiana-Lafayette; Alex Acker, Pepperdine; Jackie Manuel, Kansas; Nikolaos Zissis, Greece; SMALL FORWARDS Rank Name Ht, Wt - Age Interested Teams 1. Marvin Williams 6-9, 230 - 19 Bucks, Hawks, Blazers Williams is Insider's No. 1-ranked player in the draft. He's a versatile forward who can play both inside and out. Still developing but has the trappings of a superstar. Draft range: 1-3. 2. Danny Granger 6-9, 225 - 22 Hornets, Bobcats, Jazz, Raptors Some scouts laughed at us when we put Granger in the lottery in February. Now it looks like he could go as high as No. 4. A versatile forward who does just about everything well. Draft range: 4-9. 3. Joey Graham 6-7, 216 - 23 Warriors, Bobcats, Wolves He's the top-rated athlete in the draft and has an emerging perimeter game. The comparisons to a young Corey Maggette are hard to ignore. His draft stock is still a little volatile, but he shouldn't last past the lottery. Draft range: 9-18. 4. Yaroslav Korolev 6-9, 215 - 17 Clippers, Wolves, Celtics Everyone believes the Clippers have promised him at 12. It makes some sense because Korolev has to remind head coach Mike Dunleavy of his son. Still, he could be several years away from contributing. If the Clips don't grab him, though, he could free fall. Draft range: 12-26. 5. Ersan Ilyasova 6-9, 210 - 19 Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, Kings Many veteran international scouts actually believe that Ilyasova is a better prospect than Korolev and is more NBA-ready. If Ilyasova didn't have so many questions about a bum ankle, he'd be in the lottery. However, with questions still swirling about him, he's not a lock for the first round. Draft range: 18-34. 6. Ryan Gomes 6-8, 230 - 22 Pistons, Spurs, Hornets A first-round sleeper. He put up big numbers in college, but will have to make the transition to the three in the NBA. Teams have walked away impressed with his progress in workouts. Could be the next Corliss Williamson. Draft range: 26-45. 7. Linas Kleiza 6-8, 222 - 20 Nuggets, Pistons, Spurs He's kept a relatively low profile during draft workouts, but every team we've talked to that has worked him out has been impressed. The Nuggets have been especially interested. If he doesn't make it in the first round, he could have a great international career. Draft range: 21-45. 8. Kennedy Winston 6-6, 230 - 20 Pistons, Spurs, Hornets Winston is a good athlete with a sweet outside stroke, but he's struggled to get any real traction in workouts. Right now, it's looking like he'll be making a living on second-rounder money. Draft range: 26-50. 9. Matt Walsh 6-7, 205 - 22 Heat, Blazers, Magic The sharpshooter from southern Florida is getting love from only one team, the Heat, in the first round, but should be a popular commodity in the second. Draft range: 29-50. 10. Mickal Gelabale 6-7, 210 - 22 Pistons, Spurs, Magic Athletic forward from France has greatly improved this season. Has a slim chance of sneaking into the first, but it's much more likely he'll be a steal somewhere in the mid-second round. Draft range: 26-50. Best of the rest: Rawle Marshall, Oakland; Sean Banks, Memphis; Milan Majstorovic, Serbia; Dijon Thompson, UCLA; Mindaugas Katelynas, UT-Chattanooga; Jawad Williams, North Carolina; Quemont Greer, DePaul; Mike Bell, Florida Atlantic; Carlos Powell, South Carolina; Omar Thomas, UTEP; Stefano Mancinelli, Italy POWER FORWARDS Rank Name Ht, Wt - Age Interested Teams 1. Fran Vazquez 6-11, 230 - 22 Raptors, Knicks, Bobcats, Nets Long, athletic Spaniard is a rarity an international big man who actually plays and produces. He's ready to step in and help right away, if a team can convince him to leave Europe this summer. Draft range: 8-15. 2. Ike Diogu 6-8, 255 - 21 Warriors, Nets, Raptors A little undersized but makes up for it with freakishly long arms that give him the reach of a 7-footer. Some teams love him and claim that he's the second coming of Elton Brand. Others, not so much. May be one of the most difficult players in the draft to project. Draft range: 9-23. 3. Sean May 6-9, 260 - 21 Warriors, Magic, Raptors He's skilled around the basket, rebounds and has great hands. He also has weight and height issues, plays below the rim and has been an underachiever in college until recently. Doesn't quite have the huge draft window of Diogu, but doesn't have the upside either. Draft range: 9-16. 4. Hakim Warrick 6-9, 215 - 22 Warriors, Nets, Suns, Nuggets Super athlete who plays like he's on a trampoline, but he's trying to make the switch to small forward. His shot is improving, but his ballhandling and perimeter defense still need a lot of work. Just needs to find the right up-tempo team. Draft range: 9-22. 5. Martynas Andriuskevicius 7-3, 230 - 19 Clippers, Nuggets, Suns Andriuskevicius may have the most upside of anyone on the board, but he's also the furthest away. He'll have to spend a minimum of two years overseas or in the NBDL bulking up. But once he does, he has everything else. Big risk, high reward means that his draft stock will be all over the place. The Suns almost promised him at No. 7 last year; getting him at No. 21 this year seems like a steal. Draft range: 12-22. 6. Charlie Villanueva 6-10, 240 - 20 Wolves, Pacers, Kings Villanueva has the skill and intelligence to go very high but questions about work ethic and so-so athleticism have dogged him. He's all over the board, though many teams believe he has a suitor in the teens. Draft range: 14-28. 7. Wayne Simien 6-9, 242 - 22 Nets, Raptors, Rockets May be the most NBA-ready power forward in the draft, but a relative lack of size and athletic ability, coupled with a history of injuries, is hurting his stock. It's doubtful he'd slip past the Rockets at 23. Draft range: 15-23. 8. Andray Blatche 6-11, 240 - 19 Nets, Celtics, Nuggets Blatche is another player who is all over draft boards. He has great size, is very skilled and has been working out great but he's a project. Many teams believe he'll be one of the first 20 players off the board. The Celtics have shown a lot of interest. Draft range: 15-30. 9. Chris Taft 6-10, 260 - 20 Warriors, Nuggets On potential, he's a lottery pick. On heart and desire, he's a second-rounder. Right now, most teams seem to be down on him, but we've heard his name everywhere from Golden State at No. 9 to the second round. I'm not sure anyone in the history of the draft has had such a dramatic gap in the draft range. Draft range: 9-40. 10. David Lee 6-9, 230 - 22 Suns, Jazz, Spurs The MVP of the Chicago predraft camp also tested as the most athletic power forward. If his offense were further along, he'd be higher on the list. As it stands, he has to wonder whether 10 power forwards can make it into the first round. Draft range: 21-40. Best of the rest: Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga; Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati; Brandon Bass, LSU; Axel Hervelle, Belgium; Erazem Lorbek, Skipper Bologna (Italy); Angelo Gigli, Italy; Drago Pasalic, Croatia; Uros Slokar, Slovenia; Lucas Tischer, Brazil; Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State; Ivan McFarlin, Oklahoma State; Jeremiah Massey, Kansas State; Chuck Hayes, Kentucky; Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont; Juan Mendez, Niagara; Yiannis Bouroussis, Greece CENTERS Rank Name Ht, Wt - Age Interested Teams 1. Andrew Bogut 7-0, 255 - 20 Bucks, Hawks It appears the Bucks are leaning strongly toward making Bogut the No. 1 pick in the draft. If they don't, there's no way he gets past the Hawks at No. 2. Draft range: 1-2. 2. Channing Frye 6-11, 250 - 22 Jazz, Knicks, Warriors He has great size, athleticism and he's a legit shot-blocker in the post. The fact that he averaged just seven rebounds a game doesn't seem to be scaring anyone off. The Jazz will give him serious consideration at No. 6 and it appears the Knicks have made him a promise at No. 8. Draft range: 6-9. 3. Andrew Bynum 7-0, 300 - 19 Lakers, Wolves, Nets The big kid is raw, but he's stunned teams with his skills and size in workouts. Rumors abound that the Lakers have made him a promise at No. 10. Draft range: 10-20. 4. Johan Petro 7-1, 250 - 19 Grizzlies, Suns, Nuggets He has a great body and NBA athleticism, but is still very raw. He's all over the draft board, but it's doubtful he slips past the Suns at No. 21. Draft range: 13-25. 5. Mile Ilic 7-1, 240 - 20 Nuggets, Suns, Heat, Knicks Surprised everyone by leaving his name in the draft. Nuggets and Heat both walked away impressed after a recent dominating performance in the Serbia playoffs. He's very skilled, but a little on the soft side. Draft range: 22-30. 6. Randolph Morris 6-11, 250 - 19 Sonics, Spurs, Hawks Morris may have made a big mistake by leaving Kentucky this year. He has zero buzz after so-so workouts. Could slip into the second round. The Hawks could be tempted to take him at 31. Draft range: 25-40. 7. Dwayne Jones 6-10, 242 - 22 Hawks, Blazers, Pacers If he were an inch or two taller, he'd work his way into the first round. As it stands, the athletic shot-blocker will have suitors in the second round. Draft range: 35-46. 8. Marcin Gortat 7-0, 250 - 21 Pistons, Suns, Not your typical Euro center. He's tough, bouncy and athletic, but still pretty raw offensively. Draft range: 40-56. 9. Deji Akindele 6-11, 236 - 22 Warriors, Nuggets He laid a pretty big egg at the Chicago predraft camp during the games, but showed enough in the drills for a team to take a flyer on him in the second. Has great size, strength and athleticism, but he's a big-time project. Draft range: 40-52. 10. Jared Homan 6-9, 250 - 22 Unknown Tough, gritty big man may just be too undersized to make it in the NBA. Draft range: 40-undrafted. Best of the Rest: Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Fresno State; D'or Fischer, West Virginia; Mohammed Kone, Southern Idaho (juco); Edu Hernandez-Sonseca, Spain; Luke Schenscher, Georgia Tech; Matt Nelson, Colorado State; Ioannis Bourousis, AEK (Greece); Moussa Badiane, East Carolina; Milan Pupovic, Serbia; Rob Rothbart, France; Ante Tomic, Croatia I think Chad Ford is incompetent but since its "insider" information I end up reading it. Its interesting how he has nate robinson as a possible late 1st rounder..i would love to get the kid at 40 Has there been anyone that went from possible first overall pick to possible 2nd rounder??? Taft Draft Range: 9-40........he really messed up
Martynas and Taft both earned round 2 spots,but there are teams desperate enough to shut their eyes and make a wish if a guy is tall.
