Of course, the biggest name in this year's draft is 6'9" forward Kenyon Martin of Cincinnati. He was one of the few college seniors this year to enter the draft. It seems like the number of seniors seems to drop every year. Anyway, the extra year has definitely paid off for Martin. He has a very polished game, has the maturity to contribute right away, and has enormous talent. The only catch here is his size and the leg injury before the NCAA tournament. Martin is the favorite to be taken with the first pick, most likely by the Nets. However, the Nets also have an eye for another big man.
Chris Mihm of Texas is one of the more intriguing picks of this year's draft. He has a wide arsenal of weapons, and is a polished post player. At 7'1" and pretty bulky, he is hard to pass up. However, some question his toughness. He has stated that he does have the necessary tools to become a star in the NBA, but could he have benefited from staying for his senior year, much like Tim Duncan did? The Nets may take him with the first pick, just because of his upside and the fact that there are few true centers left in this league.
Other likely top picks include Stromile Swift of LSU, Marcus Fizer of Iowa State, Courtney Alexander of Fresno State, DerMarr Johnson of Cincinnati, and Quentin Richardson of DePaul. Swift is said to be the best player coming out of LSU since a little guy named Shaq. His team beat Mihm's Texas team in the NCAA's, and a lot of people are impressed with this skills. Fizer was a terror, especially last season, where he was nearly unstoppable and almost beat eventual champion Michigan State all by himself. However, he lacks size, and his game may not be suited for the NBA. Johnson, who is a 6'9" shooting guard, has a lot of skills and talent, but after only a year of college, he will be somewhat of a project. Alexander is the real deal. Although he did not get much exposure at Fresno, he is the complete player who will be dynamite in the NBA. Quentin Richardson's stock dropped somewhat after last season, because he played power forward, but at 6'5", he will have to be guard in the NBA. Still, he was the freshman player of the year, and he was once considered a top lottery pick, so there is no reason why he can't adjust with his talent and abilities.
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