The 7th pick belongs to the Vancouver Grizzlies and their GM:
Joshua Sher .
Josh selects:
Corliss Williamson, PF, 6-7. Arkansas
Note: we held a Usenet expansion draft. The team analysis is
based on that fictional draft.
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Overview:
Lacking a team, and accurate information about what players will be
protected (as well as salary info), we went ahead and had a mock
expansion draft anyway.
Here is what I have to work with:
Starting Lineup:
C Benoit Benjamin (A decent starting NBA center, but is probably the
dumbest player in the league and only shows up to play half the time.)
PF Charles Smith (An excellent power forward who was playing out of
position in New York. Should give us at least 5 years as
a starter.)
SF Malik Sealy (Has shown occasional flashes when he was given playing
time. Has a very weak perimeter game. Could be a decent
backup.)
SG Rex Chapman (Has been a dissapointment in the NBA. Still, he is a
very athletic shooting gard with a good outside shot. I
think that he will benefit from the shorter 3 point shot
if he is healthy.
PG Robert Pack (A very quick point guard who, I feel, is a better than
average starting point guard. Denver should have used him
more. He has many years ahead of him.)
The Bench:
PF/C Sam Perkins (I expect one or two years out of him. He will provide
leadership, and leave us with a usefull salary cap slot.)
C Vic Alexander (Solid backup center. Used to start for Golden State but
that does not say much.)
PG Trevor Ruffin (Has a good outside shot. Did not get much PT in Phoenix
but I feel he can be a quality backup.)
SG/SF Rafael Addison (Had his best season yet as a backup in Detroit. A poor
defender with a decent outside shot. He would not play
for most teams.)
SF/PF Danny Ferry (A big dissapointment over his career but usefull to an
expansion team. He provides a very good outside shot and
some flexability. His defense and over all game was much
improved this season. And in a few years we will have his
salary slot...)
PG/SG Tate George (A body on the bench)
PF Doug Edwards (Was a very good player in college, so has some upside)
Needs: Everything. We are an expansion team. The biggest needs are at the
Small Forward position (since Malik Sealy and Danny Ferry do not cut it as
starters). Depth at the two-guard position is needed. Basically, we will
just take the best player available regardless of position.
Other players considered: Gary Trent, Alan Henderson, Lou Roe, Kurt Thomas,
Mario Bennett.
This draft is very rich in good forwards (especially power forwards) and
one of these players would be available 7-10 picks lower. As a result,
Vancouver should consider trading down. Of this list, Gary Trent would be
my first choice.
Corliss Williamson has a powerfull inside game, and while he is a little
small he will be an excellent power forward of the Larry Johnson mold. His
junior year was very inconsistant but I expect great things from him. He can
probably also play a little small forward but it would hurt the teams
transition game. Assuming we take our expansion draft seriously, Charles
Smith or Corliss Williamson will have to play small forward...
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Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner