Portland, Seattle come up big on draft night

By Warren Blatt Jun 29, 2007, 14:25 GMT

- The 2007 NBA Draft is history. There were plenty of trades and surprising picks which should keep NBA fans talking throughout the offseason.

The top two picks went as expected, and then the fun started. An All-Star guard was traded back to the Eastern Conference, while another team from the East added an impact big man in what appears to be a one-sided deal.

Some franchises had big nights and will be applauded by the media and their fan base. Other clubs seemed to be lacking direction and made decisions that will have most scratching their heads in disbelief.

Which teams had slam dunk evenings, and what front offices were off their game?

WINNERS:

1. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS - This franchise hopes center Greg Oden is the savior. Portland selected the Ohio State product with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The seven-foot Oden is one of those players who comes along once in a decade. Oden, who is just 19-years-old, is very athletic, plays strong on the defensive end around the basket and runs the floor effectively. He is still developing his low-post game offensively, but with more experience he will polish his moves and should become a dominant force in the paint.

The selection of Oden makes this draft a slam dunk for Portland. However, the Trail Blazers also added Spaniard Rudy Fernandez, who was originally selected by Phoenix with the 24th overall pick in round one, and Duke product Josh McRoberts with the 12th pick in the second round. Fernandez has drawn comparisons to San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, while McRoberts was projected to be a first-round selection and is a strong pick at No. 37 overall.

Portland did deal forward Zach Randolph and guards Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the New York Knicks for Steve Francis and Channing Frye. The 25-year-old Randolph led the team in scoring (23.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg) in the 2006-07 campaign. The Randolph trade favors New York, but nothing can take away from the addition of Oden.

2. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS - Want to rebuild on draft night? Teams will be looking at what Seattle did at the 2007 NBA Draft for many years to come. The SuperSonics grabbed multi-talented forward Kevin Durant of Texas with the second overall pick, and dealt All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen, who turns 32 on July 20th, to Boston for guard Delonte West, forwards Wally Szczerbiak and Georgetown's Jeff Green, who was chosen with the No. 5 overall pick. Boston also received Seattle's No. 35 pick in the second round, LSU forward Glen Davis, while the SuperSonics will receive a future second-round pick.

Durant was the most talented offensive player in the draft, while Green is also expected to make an immediate impact. In one night, Seattle, which has missed the playoffs two straight years, changed the face of its franchise and started the rebuilding process. Durant and Green will both play big minutes right away and will give the SuperSonics an exciting duo at the forward spots.

A seven-time All-Star, Allen, who averaged a team-best 26.4 points in 55 games this past season, is still one of the best outside shooters in the NBA, but the SuperSonics were not winning with him. Forward Rashard Lewis is an unrestricted free agent and is expected to be playing in a new uniform in 2007-08. The time for change had arrived, and Seattle's front office did a great job by adding two future stars.

3. ATLANTA HAWKS - Florida's Al Horford and Acie Law of Texas A&M will step in right away and help the Hawks get back into playoff contention. Atlanta had a pair of first-round picks in this year's draft, and put them to good use. Horford was selected with the third overall pick, while Law was taken at No. 11.

Horford, who joins young forwards Josh Smith and Marvin and Shelden Williams in the Atlanta frontcourt, is a power forward. He can score in the low post, plays physical defense and is a monster on the boards. The Florida product can knock down a mid-range jumper and will put up big numbers right away for the Hawks, who have not qualified for the playoffs since 1998.

Law was the second point guard selected in the draft, as Memphis took Ohio State's Mike Conley Jr. with the fourth overall pick. Law fills a void for the Hawks, and will team with All-Star Joe Johnson to give the Hawks an athletic and talented backcourt.

4. NEW YORK KNICKS - Isiah Thomas drafted a player he had targeted, as the Knicks added DePaul forward Wilson Chandler with the 23rd overall pick. While Chandler is a solid pick, his selection does not make New York a winner. The acquisition of Zach Randolph from Portland has landed the Knicks in the winner circle.

Randolph, who turns 26 on July 16th, is a proven commodity. He can score down low and is a strong rebounder. Thomas wanted to make a big move, and that is just what he did. And don't forget, New York also got rid of Steve Francis and his big contract in the deal. Channing Frye had a disappointing 2006-07 campaign for the Knicks and may benefit from a change of scenery.

Thomas needs to win now. He survived last season, as the Knicks showed improvement even though they finished just 33-49. With Randolph in the fold, they actually have a legitimate shot at getting back to the postseason. A great night for Knicks' fans.

LOSERS:

1. BOSTON CELTICS - What else can Danny Ainge do to this franchise? The fear of Paul Pierce, who averaged 25.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists this past season, asking for a trade may have made Ainge trade away the fifth overall pick for an aging star in Allen. Yes, the Celtics have a good shot at getting back to the postseason next year, but a quick fix was not what this team needed.

Allen and Pierce will makeup a potent one-two scoring punch. Did Ainge forget that they are a shooting guard and small forward? Boston needed a young frontcourt player to complement 22-year-old Al Jefferson, who averaged 16.0 points and a team-best 11.0 rebounds in just his third year in the league.

If Boston would have kept the fifth overall pick, Jeff Green, Florida's Corey Brewer, Yia Jianlian of China and North Carolina's Brandan Wright would have all been excellent choices. The Celtics want to get back to the glory days, and the deal with Seattle was not a step in that direction.

Keeping the fifth pick and seeing if Pierce would ask for a trade would not have been the worst thing for the Celtics.

2. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS - North Carolina's Brandan Wright slipped to No. 8 and the Bobcats were lucky enough to be there to take him. But, to trade him to Golden State for Jason Richardson. What was Charlotte thinking?

The 26-year-old Richardson's production was down big time last season for the Warriors. He averaged 16.0 points, down from his 23.2 points per game in 2005-06. Richardson was hampered by a knee injury and missed 31 contests.

Wright was a steal at No. 8. He is athletic and would have fit well with Emeka Okafor and Adam Morrison. Gerald Wallace, who led Charlotte in scoring (18.1 ppg) this past season, is testing the free agent market, which probably made the Bobcats pull the trigger on the deal with Golden State.

Bottom line, Wright is loaded with that dangerous word, potential. Another young player from a winning program would have been perfect for the Bobcats. Jared Dudley of Boston College was a nice pick at No. 22 for Charlotte. Unfortunately, the trade with Golden State makes this club a loser on draft night.

3. LOS ANGELES LAKERS - The Kobe Bryant/Lakers soap opera will definitely continue into the summer. Draft night was the perfect time for the Lakers to make a statement to their superstar. Kobe wants to win now. He has questioned the team's directions and commitment to winning.

For the second year in a row the Lakers picked a point guard in the first round. They picked UCLA's Jordan Farmar with the 26th overall selection in 2006, and grabbed Javaris Crittenton of Georgia Tech at No. 19 this year. Guaranteed, Bryant isn't jumping for joy.

The Lakers needed to make a trade. They had to do something that showed Kobe that help was on the way. Trade talk was alive and well at the draft, but the Lakers couldn't turn the rumors into reality. Not a good night for Lakers' fans.

© 2007 The Sports Network