Surprises Are Selection of Day

By Mark Heisler

June 29, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Everything went smoothly ... for five picks.

Then, after Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton went to their expected teams (Milwaukee, Atlanta, Utah, New Orleans and Charlotte, respectively), the surprises started.

Danny Granger, Gerald Green and Hakim Warrick, projected as top 10 picks, wound up dropping all the way to Indiana, Boston and Memphis, respectively, at Nos. 17, 18 and 19.

In other words, assuming the scouting reports on Granger, Green and Warrick were as good as the others, Indiana, Boston and Memphis wound up getting lottery picks in the high teens.

As upsets go, said one general manager, this was “huge.”

“We were shocked, to be honest, that he was at 18,” said Celtic Coach Doc Rivers of Green. “It was a no-brainer once he was there.”

Some players fell further than that. Chris Taft, the 6-8 1/2 Pitt center who started the season as the top-rated prospect, didn’t even go in the first round, falling to Golden State at No. 42. Dropping to the second round with him was 7-1 Lithuanian Martynas Andriuskevicius, who went No. 44 to Orlando.

The fun started at No. 6. Portland, which had flopped its No. 3 pick with Utah, dropping down ostensibly to take prep shooting guard Green. Instead, the Trail Blazers took prep shooting guard Martell Webster, choosing the supposed “next Paul Pierce” over the supposed “next Tracy McGrady.”

At No. 7, Toronto, expected to take Granger, shocked many by taking Charlie Villanueva, the Connecticut sophomore who’s big (6-9, 240), athletic and flighty.

On the other hand, Toronto GM Rob Babcock is a known eccentric. Last year, he used the No. 8 pick for BYU’s Rafael Araujo, recently described in the Toronto press as “the Brazilian bust.”

Villanueva’s going at No. 7 dropped Channing Frye to the Knicks at No. 8 ... and dropped prep center Andrew Bynum to the Lakers at No. 10. The Lakers feared that the Raptors would take Frye, the conventional pick, rather than Villanueva, and Knick boss Isiah Thomas would then take Bynum.

At No. 9, in between the Knicks and Lakers, the Warriors had their choice of Granger and Green and took ... Ike Diogu?

Diogu, a power player for his three seasons at Arizona State, was measured in bare feet at 6-6 1/2 at the Chicago pre-draft camp.

Granger wound up dropping all the way to Indiana at No. 17, where the Pacers were looking for a replacement for Reggie Miller but accepted the gift, even if he was a forward.

Green dropped to Boston at No. 18. GM Danny Ainge is going young and got an unexpected bonus. Warrick dropped all the way to Memphis at No. 19, where Jerry West pounced on him.

The maneuvering began before the draft when the Trail Blazers traded their No. 3 pick for Utah’s No. 6 and No. 27 and a future No. 1. Then the Trail Blazers traded their Nos. 27 and 35 picks, Linas Kleiza and Ricky Sanchez, to Denver for its No. 22 pick, point guard Jarrett Jack.

The surprises continued to the end of the first round. With Taft, Andriuskevicius and Croatian point guard Roko Ukic, who had been projected to go in the teens, still on the board, San Antonio took an unknown, 6-10 Ian Mahinmi of France, who wasn’t among the 129 prospects listed in the NBA’s draft handbook.

The maneuvering continued into the night. The Suns sent their No. 21 pick, Washington’s Nate Robinson, and Quentin Richardson to the Knicks for their No. 54 pick, UCLA’s Dijon Thompson, and Kurt Thomas.

As expected, four North Carolina players -- Marvin Williams (2), Felton (5), Sean May (13) and Rashad McCants (Minnesota at No. 14), went in the top 14 picks. The only other school to do that was rival Duke, which had four in the top 14 in 1999 (Elton Brand at No. 1, Trajan Langdon at 11, Corey Maggette at 13, William Avery at 14).

With Wake Forest’s Paul, Georgia Tech’s Jack and North Carolina State’s Julius Hodge, that made seven first-round picks from the ACC, as many as from overseas.

In the last year that high school players can make themselves available for the draft, only Webster and Green went in the first round, but six -- Sanchez, C.J. Miles, Monta Ellis, Louis Williams, Andray Blatche and Westchester High’s Amir Johnson -- went in the second.

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THE OVERVIEW

Utah center Andrew Bogut, as expected, is the first player chosen, joining the Milwaukee Bucks. There is a distinct blue feeling as four North Carolina Tar Heels -- Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants -- go in the top 14. Deron Williams, meet John Stockton.

THE NBA DRAFT

THE OVERVIEW

NBA DRAFT ROUND 1

No.; TEAM ; PLAYER ; P; HT ; WT ; FROM; IT’S A FACT; THE WORD FROM THE TIMES’ JERRY CROWE

1.; Milwaukee; Andrew Bogut; C; 7-0; 245; Utah; Sophomore averaged 20.4 points, 12.2 rebounds.; Versatile center has been called a more skilled Vlade Divac.

2.; Atlanta; Marvin Williams; F; 6-9; 230; North Carolina; Freshman shot 50.6% from the field, 84.7% from foul line.; Didn’t start at North Carolina but might have more potential than any other player in draft.

3.; Utah-a; Deron Williams; G; 6-3; 210; Illinois; Junior averaged 6.8 assists. Highest pick in school history.; Draft-day trade lands Jazz the point guard it coveted most.

4.; New Orleans; Chris Paul; G; 6-0; 185; Wake Forest; Sophomore (15.3 ppg, 6.6 apg) was first team All-American.; Slight frame could be a problem but playmaking ability unquestioned.

5.; Charlotte; Raymond Felton; G; 6-1; 198; North Carolina; School-first 1,000 pts., 600 ast., 300 reb., 150 steals, 100 3-pt.; Bobcats go with a local favorite to run their offense in new arena.

6.; Portland-b; Martell Webster; G; 6-7; 210; Seattle Prep; Averaged 27.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists for 19-5 team.; First high school player selected called best shooter in draft.

7.; Toronto; Charlie Villanueva; F; 6-11; 240; Connecticut; Sophomore (13.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) had team-high 12 double-doubles.; Surprisingly high pick never reached potential in two years at Connecticut.

8.; New York; Channing Frye; C; 6-11; 250; Arizona; Averaged 14.3 points, 9.6 rebounds in 12 NCAA tournamnet games.; No. 2 center in draft could provide Knicks size and toughness they need.

9.; Golden State; Ike Diogu; F; 6-8; 250; Arizona State; First consecutive Pac-10 scoring champ since Stan Love (Oregon 1969-71).; Pac-10 player of the year has drawn comparisons to Elton Brand.

10.; LAKERS; Andrew Bynum; C; 6-11; 285; St. Joseph’s High, N.J.; Youngest player ever drafted (17 years 8 months 2 days).; He’s no Shaq, but he’s the closest they have.

11.; Orlando; Fran Vazquez; F; 6-10; 238; Spain; Shot 61.8% from the field in Spanish ACB league.; Spaniard might have been the most NBA-ready player in the draft.

12.; CLIPPERS; Yaroslav Korolev; F; 6-9; 203; Russia;

Averaged 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds in Russian Junior League.; No Russian has ever been taken higher than Muscovite teenager.

13.; Charlotte-c ; Sean May; F; 6-8; 266; North Carolina; Junior voted MVP of Syracuse Regional and Final Four.; What’s better than one Tar Heel for the Bobcats? How about two?

14.; Minnesota; Rashad McCants; G; 6-4; 207; North Carolina; Junior made three-pointer in 46 of last 48 games, including 30 in a row. ; Timberwolves betting that Kevin Garnett can keep him in line.

15.; New Jersey; Antoine Wright; G; 6-7; 210; Texas A&M; Junior was first-team All-Big 12, first in school history. Shot 50.1% from field.; Joins Carter and Jefferson to give the Nets another athletic wingman.

16.; Toronto-d ; Joey Graham; F; 6-7; 225; Oklahoma State; Senior (17.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) voted MVP of the Big 12 Tournament. ; Terrific athlete made 47% of his three-pointers in last two seasons.

17.; Indiana; Danny Granger; F; 6-8; 225; New Mexico; Senior first at school to record 60 assists, 60 blocks, 60 steals in a season.; Had been projected for top 10, so Pacers have to be delighted.

18.; Boston; Gerald Green; F; 6-8; 200; Gulf Shores Acad., Texas; Averaged 33.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists as high school senior. ; How could the Celtics pass on a major talent with that last name?

19.; Memphis; Hakim Warrick; F; 6-9; 219; Syracuse; Senior second all-time at Syracuse for career free throws made, attempted. ; Brings power to power forward position but will have to learn to play on perimeter.

20.; Denver-e ; Julius Hodge; G; 6-7; 210; N.C. State; Senior set school records with 4,258 career minutes, 596 free throws made.; George Karl would have loved to land McCants, settles for Hodge.

21.; *Phoenix-f ; Nate Robinson; G; 5-9; 180; Washington; Junior first signed with school to play football. Father Jacque played in NFL.; Diminutive dynamo gives the Knicks desperately needed toughness in the backcourt.

22.; **Denver; Jarrett Jack; G; 6-3; 202; Georgia Tech; Junior is sixth player at school to record 1,000 points, 500 assists.; Point guard lands with Trail Blazers as backup to Telfair.

23.; Sacramento; Francisco Garcia; G; 6-7; 195; Louisville; Junior averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 assists in five NCAA tournament games.; Shooting guard could move right into Cuttino Mobley’s spot.

24.; Houston; Luther Head; G; 6-3; 185; Illinois; Senior set school single-season record with 116 three-pointers made. ; Combo guard is a deadeye shooter with point guard skills.

25.; Seattle; Johan Petro; C; 7-0; 247; France; 19-year-old averaged 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.6 blocks in 13.0 minutes.; The French Bynum adds size to team in desperate need of it.

26.; Detroit; Jason Maxiell; F; 6-7; 260; Cincinnati; Senior averaged 17.3 points, shot 60.7% from field in the postseason. ; If Larry Brown returns, here’s another youngster he can keep on bench.

27.; **Portland-g; Linas Kleiza; F; 6-8; 245; Missouri; Sophomore All-Big 12 tournament, averaging 29.5 points, 9.0 rebounds. ; Lithuanian winds up in Denver after two seasons at Missouri.

28.; San Antonio; Ian Mahinmi; F; 6-10; 230; France; Shot 60% from the field and 70% from the foul line. ; Have Popovich & Co. uncovered another hidden gem?

29.; Miami; Wayne Simien; F; 6-9; 255; Kansas; Senior unanimously voted Big 12 player of year. First team All-American. ; College career was marred by injuries, but he’s physical and skilled.

30.; New York-h ; David Lee; F; 6-9; 249; Florida; Senior led club in field-goal percentage all four seasons (58.1% career).; Knicks add more size with forward who was Gators’ top shooter in each of his four seasons.

a-from Portland; b- from Utah; c-from Cleveland; d-from Philadelphia through Denver and New Jersey; e-from Washington through Orlando; f-from Chicago; g-from Utah through Dallas; h-from Phoenix through San Antonio.

*New York traded forward-center Kurt Thomas and the rights to guard Dijon Thompson (No. 54) to Phoenix for guard-forward Quentin Richardson and the rights to guard Nate Robinson (No. 21).

** Denver traded the rights to guard Jarrett Jack (No. 22) to the Portland Trail Blazers for the rights to Linas Kleiza (No. 27) and Ricky Sanchez (No. 35)

NBA DRAFT ROUND 2

No.; TEAM ; PLAYER ; P; HT ; WT ; FROM

31.; Atlanta; Salim Stoudamire; G; 6-1; 179; Arizona

32.; CLIPPERS-i; Daniel Ewing; G; 6-3; 185; Duke

33.; New Orleans; Brandon Bass; F; 6-8; 240; Louisiana State

34.; Utah; C.J. Miles; G; 6-6; 210; Skyline High, Texas

35.; Portland; Ricky Sanchez; F; 6-11; 215; IMG Academy, Fla.

36.; Milwaukee; Ersan Ilyasova ; F; 6-9; 235; Turkey

37.; LAKERS-j ; Ronny Turiaf; F; 6-10; 249; Gonzaga

38.; Orlando-k; Travis Diener; G; 6-1; 175; Marquette

39.; LAKERS; Von Wafer; G; 6-5; 210; Florida State

40.; Golden State; Monta Ellis; G; 6-3; 175; Lanier High, Miss.

41.; Toronto-l; Roko Ukic ; G; 6-5; 183; Croatia

42.; Golden State-m; Chris Taft; F; 6-10; 260; Pittsburgh

43.; New Jersey; Mile Ilic ; C; 7-1; 230; Bosnia-Herzegovina

44.; Orlando-n ; Martynas Andriuskevicius ; C; 7-2; 240; Lithuania

45.; Philadelphia; Louis Williams; G; 6-2; 175; South Gwinnett High, Ga.

46.; Indiana; Erazem Lorbek ; F; 6-10; 240; Slovenia

47.; Minnesota; Bracey Wright; G; 6-3; 210; Indiana

48.; Seattle-o ; Mickael Gelabale ; F; 6-7; 215; France

49.; Washington; Andray Blatche; F; 6-11; 240; South Kent Prep, Conn.

50.; Boston; Ryan Gomes; F; 6-7; 250; Providence

51.; Utah-p; Robert Whaley; C; 6-10; 260; Walsh

52.; Denver; Axel Hervelle ; G; 6-8; 230; Belgium

53.; Boston-q ; Orien Green; G; 6-4; 208; Louisiana Lafayette

54.; New York-r; Dijon Thompson; F; 6-7; 195; UCLA

55.; *Seattle; Lawrence Roberts; F; 6-9; 240; Mississippi State

56.; Detroit; Amir Johnson; F; 6-9; 210; Westchester High

57.; Phoenix-s ; Marcin Gortat ; F-C; 6-11; 240; Poland

58.; Toronto-t; Uros Slokar ; F; 6-10; 238; Slovenia

59.; Atlanta-u ; Cenk Akyol; G; 6-4; 195; Turkey

60.; Detroit-v; Alex Acker; G; 6-5; 185; Pepperdine

i-from Charlotte; j-from Charlotte; k-from Toronto; l-from Orlando; m-from Clippers via New Jersey; n-from Cleveland; o-from Memphis; p-from Chicago through Houston; q-from Sacramento; r-from Houston; s-from Dallas through New Orleans; t-from Miami; u-from San Antonio; v-from Phoenix through Philadelphia and Utah

*Seattle traded the rights to forward Lawrence Roberts (No. 55) to Memphis for a 2006 second-round pick, a 2007 second-round pick and cash considerations.

BY THE NUMBERS

Number of schools in history to have a player taken first in the NBA and NFL draft (Utah, this year, Andrew Bogut, NBA; and Alex Smith, NFL).

High school players selected in the first round (Martell Webster, No. 6, by Portland; Andrew Bynum, No. 10, by Lakers; Gerald Green, No. 18, by Boston.)

Pacific 10 Conference players selected in the top 10 (Arizona’s Channing Frye, No. 8, by New York; Arizona State’s Ike Diogu, No. 9, by Golden State).

Draft position at which UCLA Bruin Dijon Thompson was selected, by New York (he was then traded to Phoenix).

Years since a Bruin has been selected in the first round (2000, Jerome Moiso by Boston with 11th pick).

Facts and figures

BLUE CHIPS

North Carolina tied Duke Tuesday for

most first-round selections in an NBA

draft with four:

NORTH CAROLINA, 2005

*--* Player Pos. Team 2. Marvin Williams F Atlanta 5. Raymond Felton G Charlotte 13. Sean May F Charlotte 14. Rashad McCants G Minnesota

*--*

DUKE, 1999

*--* Player Pos. Team 1. Elton Brand F Chicago 11. Trajan Langdon G Cleveland 13. Corey Maggette F Seattle 14. William Avery G Minnesota