Guards aplenty, where will they fall? NBA Draft Preview Part 4

Explosive guard Terrence Williams could be a steal late in the first round and could be selected by the Atlanta Hawks.

What will the Portland Trail Blazers do? Their General Manager Kevin Pritchard was quoted as saying “if we can find those guys [that fit], we’ll go after them hard.” To do this, he said “it’s a possibility” that the team could trade all five of their picks in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Here are my predictions for who will be selected 19th through 24th in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft and who those teams will choose with their remaining picks.

19. Atlanta Hawks: Terrence Williams- A prolific scorer with Louisville, Williams can rebound, pass, collect steals, and boasts range well beyond the three-point line. Also a tremendous defensive player, he could be a solid backup to Joe Johnson, and because of his versatility, could also do the same for point guard Mike Bibby.

He has an NBA-build at 6′6″, 220, and has all of the intangibles. In his senior season at Louisville, Williams averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, while possessing an astounding vertical leap. With the perfect frame for a shooting guard, and the unselfishness of a point guard, Williams would fit in nicely with the rest of Atlanta’s young talent.

20. Utah Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough- One of the players I loved to hate in the college game, Hansbrough has opened some eyes in his workouts. To me, in his early days with North Carolina, Hansbrough had a single move: he would draw contact then fling up a mid-range shot thrown like a shot-put would. Yet, in the latter part of his four year career with the Tar Heels, he developed a jump-shot that increased in distance as his senior year progressed. Now, he boasts a consistent 18-foot jumper, and to go along with his tenacity, defense, and rebounding, he is clearly deserving of a top-20 selection.

The Jazz will most likely lose starting power forward Carlos Boozer to free agency this summer. That means they will need someone to fill his shoes. Hansbrough may not be able to do so right away, but he fits head coach Jerry Sloan’s style perfectly. Hansbrough admitted following the season that he had a lot to work on, and, as the hard-worker he is, he can become a starting forward in the NBA. He is of good size and muscular, so if his offense still needs improvement, he can still make an impact with his rebounding ability and defense.

40th pick: Tyrese Rice- An outstanding scorer at Florida State, Rice could give the Jazz the backup point guard they desperately need. He’s of the score-first, pass-later variety, but that would contrast starting point guard Deron Williams unselfish style nicely. He gets lost in the pack of guards, and could be a steal this late in the second round.

21. New Orleans Hornets: Nick Calathes- Calathes decided to remain in the NBA Draft, which could pay immense dividends. The 6′5″ guard out of Florida can play both point guard and shooting guard. He could give the point guard they currently lack behind starter Chris Paul. As a deadly three-point shooter, he could give the Hornets a stellar 1-2 combo on the perimeter alongside Peja Stojakovic. Because he can play both positions, New Orleans would have so much flexibility: spelling Paul, he could provide the leadership and passing ability of a point guard, then, if the likes of Rasual Butler, James Posey, or Stojakovic need a breather, he could become a threat offensively.

Since I find the hype surrounding Jrue Holiday perplexing, I have him slipping considerably.

22. Dallas Mavericks: Jrue Holiday- Clearly, I am not too high on Holiday, a defensive-oriented guard out of UCLA. ESPN’s Chad Ford, at one point, had Hoiday going to the Sacramento Kings with the fourth overall selection. In reality, Holiday will probably not slip this far, but with the many guards he has to contend with, and the fact that he never really proved his worth with the Bruins, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fell to the Mavericks, a team in desperate need of a point guard.

At 6′4″, he’s more of a combo-guard, but considers himself a “floor general”. He has an NBA-body, but doesn’t have a scorers mentality necessary for his position. His jump-shot is below average, but his upside is tremendous. With Jason Kidd at the tail end of his career, Holiday could fill his shoes nicely.

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Derrick Brown- This pick will most likely be traded by the Blazers, presumably packaged with other picks in order to move up in the first round. There is pretty much no chance that Brown, a guard with a smooth jumper and physical build out of Xavier, dons a Blazers uniform. Becuase of this, they would choose him, a player that would just add to their surplus at that position if kept, only to entice other teams. Look for Portland to make a huge splash, which, in recent years, has been the case.

33rd pick: DeMarre Carroll- Though Carrol, like Brown, would add to the Blazers roster-ful of guards/forwards, he would be worth holding on to. At 6′8″, Carrol is undersized for the power-forward position, but would give Portland the toughness and “grit” that star guard Brandon Roy is pleading for.

Size certainly isn’t a concern for Portland. This means Carroll, with his rebounding and scoring ability, could be an adequate backup for LaMarcus Aldridge, thereby saving the Blazers the trouble of trading up for the likes of Dejuan Blair.

38th pick: Leo Lyons- Taller than Carrol, Lyons is a prototypical power forward. Since Channing Frye hasn’t lived up to expectations, and Travis Outlaw might be trade bait, Lyons could deepen the Blazers bench along with Carroll, his former teammate at Missouri, and provide the scoring and defense their second unit currently lacks.

55th pick: Jodie Meeks- Surprisingly, Meeks decided to stay in the draft. He’s well-built and a versatile scorer with three-point range, but he doesn’t fit into the Blazers current rotation. They already have plenty of guards, so unless Portland decides to trade both Outlaw and Martell Webster, which is unlikely, and keep this late pick, Meeks could find his way into their rotation.

56th pick: Chris Johnson- Wiry thin, but with tremendous upside, Johnson would be a project for Portland to tackle. At 6′11″, 205 pounds, he needs to put on some muscle if he wants to have an impact in the NBA. A skilled defensive player who average three blocks per game at LSU, Johnson may not make it to Portland, as Pritchard is sure to trade this pick. If not, as Pritchard remains abnormally calm, Johnson, with some development, could be a defensive-stopper down the road for the Blazers.

Though each player the Blazers select in this draft could improve their team, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Pritchard trades four of the five picks. Two, along with Sergio Rodriguez could be used to move into the top-ten of the first round. The other two selections could be traded either for future picks or cash considerations that could help them make a big splash on the free-agent market, if Pritchard chooses to.