Re-Do - 2007 NBA Draft

You can't really judge any professional sports draft until after three years. I have done "NBA Draft Re-Do" posts since the 2005 Draft and they are always eye-opening. When you start to weed out the busts and players that never achieve their potential due to injury, sometimes you're left with mixed bag. This year was not different, luckily I didn't have to add Josh McRoberts as a potential NBA Lottery pick, that would have been ugly. Does Greg Oden even make the cut? Here is my 2007 NBA Draft Lottery, if the draft were held today.

After taking out guys like Brendan Wright, Acie Law, Spencer Hawes, and Yi Jianlian from the draft, after pick #6, it starts to get ugly, you have been warned.

1. Kevin Durant – Portland Trail Blazers - Portland would be a legit contender in the Western Conference with Durant as the leader of the team. They thought they had a sure thing by picking Greg Oden #1 in 2007, but he has been made of glass. Durant is an MVP candidate and will be for many years to come. (Durant went #2 to Seattle)

2. Al Horford – Seattle Supersonics – Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly Seattle) would have a true inside force with Horford in the paint. He has been improving every year since he's been in the league and who knows what kind of player he'll be in five years. (Horford went #3 to Atlanta)

3. Joakim Noah – Atlanta Hawks - Would Atlanta be a better team with Noah instead of Horford? That's a tough question because Horford is a much better offensive player, but Noah's defensive skills are more advanced. The Hawks would matchup better against Orlando if Noah went to the Hawks with this pick. (Noah went #9 to Chicago)

4. Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies – Well, I guess if Gasol was drafted here, Memphis would still have Pau Gasol and he never got a ring. Marc Gasol is still improving and has helped Memphis become a playoff team in the West. (Gasol went #48 to L.A. Lakers)

5. Carl Landry – Boston Celtics (traded to Seattle) - If this draft re-do happened, the Thunder would have Horford and Landry being one of the best rebounding tandems in the league. The team would be cleaning the glass and would be a tough team to beat in when it comes to rebounds. (Landry went #31 to Seattle - traded to Houston)

6. Jeff Green – Milwaukee Bucks - A scorer that can make his own shot? It sounds exactly what Milwaukee has been missing since Rashard Lewis took the money and got out of town. (Green was picked #5 by Boston)

7. Thaddeus Young – Minnesota Timberwolves - This is the part of the draft where this re-do starts to go downhill. Young, due to injuries and busts in this draft lands at this pick. He would be serviceable in Minnesota, but not a big piece of the puzzle in the big picture. (Young went #12 to Philadelphia)

8. Rodney Stuckey – Charlotte Bobcats (traded to Golden State) - Stuckey would have been a godsend in a Don Nelson offense. He can score in bunches, but he has the tendency to disappear every few games. He would have been a nice compliment to Monta Ellis. A backcourt of Stuckey and Ellis would fill up the boxscore. (Stuckey was chosen #15 by Detroit)

9. Mike Conley Jr. - Chicago Bulls - Conley Jr. isn't the ninth best player in this draft, but the Bulls needed a point-guard (this was pre-Derrick Rose) and they would have picked him. He would have filled the need and they could have moved Kirk Hinrich to shooting guard. Conley would have probably been a bust here, they are lucky to have picked Joakim Noah here instead. (Conley was picked #4 by Memphis)

10. Wilson Chandler – Sacramento Kings - Chandler is a proven scorer in the NBA and the Kings needed a perimeter scorer in 2007. Chandler has been a solid player in the up-tempo offense for the Knicks and would have been a better choice for them than Spencer Hawes was. They wish this re-do was real life. (Chandler was picked #23 by New York)

11. Glen Davis – Atlanta Hawks - A frontcourt of Noah & Davis seems a bit outlandish, but it would work. Josh Smith could handle the offensive duties and help defensively by blocking shots. The paint would have a lot of bodies in it and they would forget that they actually picked Acie Law with this pick. I think all Atlanta fans would wish to forget Law and you would have funny YouTube videos to watch from Davis. (Davis was picked #35 by Seattle - traded to Boston)

12. Jared Dudley – Philadelphia 76ers - It took Dudley a few seasons to find his role in the NBA and he has been a solid player for the Phoenix Suns. Would the Sixers welcome a dead-eye 3-point shooter right now? Of course they would. (Dudley was picked #22 by Charlotte)

13. Aaron Brooks – New Orleans Hornets - I doubt having Brooks and Chris Paul on the same team would work in real-life, but it would be a lot of fun to watch. I would make sure that I would watch every game on League Pass. Their backcourt would be over-matched by bigger guards, but they could find a way to make it work. Hey, Brooks would be a better pick than Julian Wright. (Brooks was picked #22 by Houston)

14. Corey Brewer – Los Angeles Clippers - Brewer is a streaky player that some would say is a headcase, he would have been perfect for the Clippers! Brewer has been bouncing in and out of the rotation on Minnesota and he could have been a starter on the 2007 Clippers. Al Thornton, their actual pick, didn't stick with the team, but I have a feeling that Brewer would still be on the team today. (Brewer was picked #7 by Minnesota)

Next Three Picks - Marco Belinelli, Al Thornton, Ramon Sessions


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