2005 NBA Draft Slippery Sliders

1. Gerald Green-when Portland didn't take him he was doomed to fall.
2. Chris Taft-He's been sliding for weeks, and didn't stop for draft day.
3. Danny Granger-We all thought he was going in the top of the lottery and teams might even move up to take him as high as six....Wrong!
4. Martynas Andriuskevicius-I guess he's been sliding for years.
5. Andray Blatche-He didn't listen to the right people.
6. Calvin Miles Jr.-he didn't get his guaranteed money, but should look to a couple of other high schoolers for consolation.
7. Joey Graham-He actually stopped sliding at a decent spot 17.
8. Francisco Garcia-From the bottom of the lottery to the 20s...a modest slide, but worth mentioning.
9. Roko-Leni Ukic-We didn't really know when he was going anyhow.
10. Hakim Warrick-He could have gone as high as #9, so 19 was disappointing.

1. Charlotte-UNC alums Raymond Felton and Sean May will get the fans in the door, and how else can you measure a winner if not by money! (Oh I guess actual athletic ability and skills, but they have those too.-yes I do have a UNC connection.)
2. Boston-not since Paul Pierce has a team stolen someone like Gerald Green...that was the Celtics too huh? They also got Ryan Gomes, and we won't talk about Orien Green.
3. Nate Robinson-He made a huge leap into the money. Lets hope he lives up to it.
4. Indiana-Danny Granger and Erazem Lorbek with not really much of a draft position at all.
5. Toronto-They did it rather quietly, but added some players that can all help their team-Charlie Villanueva, Joey Granger, Roko-Leni Ukic and Uros Slokar.
6. Chalie Villanueva-Another big leaper, but not so dramatic as he was a lottery pick anyhow.
7. New Orleans-Chris Paul and #4 could be a steal....even though he was still taken at 4.
8. Ike Diogu-He worked hard and got himself in the perfect situation to be drafted in the lottery.
9. Deron Williams and The Utah Jazz-We have to at least talk about the trade that brought him to Utah. Deron gets in maybe the best situation to become a star of any draft pick, and by taking deron, Utah will probably make the playoffs this year.
10. Miami-A modest late first round pick nets them Wayne Simien. I might be in the minority but I like it, and think its worth mentioning.

1. Martynas Andriuskevicius-He should have stayed in the draft last year.
2. John Gilchrist-probably the player with the most potential who was not drafted. (see Matt Walsh, Randolph Morris and Kennedy Winston)
3. Denver-Portland seems to have robbed them blind taking Jarrett Jack off their hands for...doodoo. I mean, Julius Hodge was a nice pick...maybe in the second round...but the rest of them....
4. Houston-They always make this list and you can see why...they come away with Luther Head in the first round, who will be the FIFTH undersized shooting guard off of their bench.
5. LA Clippers-Another team perennially on my list. Yaroslav Korolev followed up by Daniel Ewing. I'll spare the commentary.
6. San Antonio-Since they are the world champs I should cut them some slack, and they seem to do pretty good with these picks, but Ian Mahinmi!
7. Chris Taft-If he was going to declare he should have at least showed up....
8. Andray Blatche-He is probably the most disappointed high school senior who declared.
9. Gerald Green-How can you complain about being drafted as a high schooler in the first round of the NBA draft? If you missed out on a few million dollars because Porland liked another high schooler more.
10. LA Lakers-I gotta do it...c'mon Bynum. You're not #1 on the list cuz you took Ronnie Turiaf.