BRB's Need To Know List For The Draft

I usually like to make predictions on the draft and whether a pick will turn out to be good or a bust this time of year. Sometimes I am 100% correct. Sometimes I really drop the ball (see me saying Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer would struggle in the NBA). Despite my shortcomings, without further ado, here is what you need to know about this years draft:

1. Anyone who thinks Kevin Durant has a shot at the #1 pick is crazy, Oden will be #1 and go down as one of the best defensive centers of all-time when all is said and done.

2. Despite having a log jam at the 4 position, the Atlanta Hawks would be asanine if they don't pick Brandon Wright. That kid has perennial all-star written all over him and could be a player that could turn that franchise around in a few years.

3. Brandon Wright will be a better player than Al Horford. To me, Horford could end up like so many great Duke players of the early 90's and that means having an average career after being highly-tauted after being on great collegiate teams --> see Christian Laettner.

4. Mike Conley Jr. is the best PG in the draft. However, he is nowhere good enough to be going in the Top 5 especially in this draft.

5. Joakim Noah will be a great role player in the NBA. Key word is "role". You can't take a role player in the Top 5 or 6. Not when talent like Yi, Corey Brewer, Spencer Hawes would still be on the board.

6. If Josh McRoberts lands on a half-court team, he might as well be dead and buried. Give him fast breaks or give him death.

7. Thaddeus Young is the steal of the draft if he's taken outside of the lottery. My buddy and I saw him at the Jordan Classic and the consensus between the both of us was that he was better than Durant. Their freshman years proved us wrong for the time being but Young has the talent and ability of a Top 5 pick.

8. If Sean Williams is on the board at #27, Detroit will grab him up because four straight losses due to LeBron penetration made the Pistons realize how important Ben Wallace was to their team and they need a big-time defensive presence.

9. Even though he lacks athleticism, if Jared Dudley is around at #25, the Jazz need to grab him. He fits their mold perfectly and he would fit in nicely off the bench especially with Kirilenko on the trading block after drastically underachieving this season.

10. A few words on the careers of the possible lottery picks:
Greg Oden: moment he steps on the floor, he's 1st-team All-Defense, whether or not he develops offensively is another story.
Kevin Durant: will have his spectacular moments early on but won't dazzle until he puts on added muscle, his lack of strength will force him to take a ton of fade away jumpers.
Brandon Wright: in any other draft, he could be #1, the Hawks shouldn't have sobbed when they got the #3 pick because if they pick the best player available, which is Wright, they'll have a stud for years to come.
Al Horford: undecided about Horford, could either be a Boozer-type or on the flipside, could end up like Marcus Fizer or Mike Sweetney.
Yi: I've only watched one abridged workout but I love his talent. Could be as good as Gasol...
Joakim Noah: The JJ Redick of this year, overhyped, overachieving college career will land him in the lottery where he doesn't belong...prominent role player on a good team, useless on a bad team.
Mike Conley Jr: Must get drafted by the right team, he is suited for run and gun type of offense, a half court offense does him no good and the defense will dare him to sink jumpers all day long until he can, could be as good as TJ Ford but is more like an Avery Johnson.
Spencer Hawes: very, very skilled big man who underachieved in Washington's system. Given the right system, he'll be a solid pro. However, if he gets stuck in the middle of a run and gun system like he did in college, he won't fit in and get to utilize his skill set.
Corey Brewer: easily the most complete player in the draft, can do it on the offensive end and more importantly, on the defensive end. At the worst, he's Stacy Augmon, another defensive minded, long width guy on a national championship team that was stacked. At best, he could be Scottie Pippen. He's that talented.
Acie Law: reminds me of Chauncey Billups because of his ability to hit the clutch shot in college. He was the Mr. Big Shot of college bball last year. I think he enjoys a successful career anywhere he goes but not an all-star.
Julian Wright: supremely talented but the "tinman" of college bball - no heart whatsoever. He only turned it on when he wanted to in college and I see him taking the same approach in the pros.
Nick Young: what is good about Young is that he has a mid-range game, something that lacks in bball these days. I didn't see him much since he's on the West Coast but no one can deny his talent.
Al Thorton: a superfreak athlete who really made himself into a great player in college. One thing that bothers you is that despite his enormous talent, he never pushed Florida St. off the bubble and into the tourney. A guy like that can put teams on his back and he seemingly only did it against Duke and one game against a very bad Miami team when he scored 45.
Jeff Green: very versatile in college, did everything correct and played the game the way it was supposed to be played. I think he'll be a good pro but I tend to be tentative on guys who are "system" guys and at G'Town, the system exposed all of his strengths and minimized weaknesses.

Only time will tell how these guys perform at the next level but one thing is for sure, I'll be right on some and wrong on others. The question is: who will those guys be? Wait and see...