Some final thoughts and predictions from the draft

With people starting to get a better feel for the draft, and who the winners and losers were, I'll just take a quick look at who I expect to have some of the most success next year, and perhaps in the careers of some of these young guys.

Top Scorers as Rookies
1) Adam Morrison
2) Randy Foye
3) Brandon Roy

Kinda obvious, but that's how I see it, because these guys can score well, and they will get playing time. Morrison's strongest (or some might say only) strength is that he can score in so many different ways, and he will certainly get a chance for Charlotte, who I suspect will start him from day 1. In Minnesota, Foye should get lots of minutes with Jaric possibly on the way out, and McCants likely done for the year. In Portland, Martell Webster still realistically isn't ready to contribute much yet, so Brandon Roy should slide right in there and be a good player.

Top Rebounders
1) Shelden Williams
2) Tyrus Thomas
3) Paul Millsap

Like Morrison, Williams should step right in and play a lot of minutes, as he appears to be the most polished of the big men. The Bulls don't have a lot of depth up front, so Thomas should get his share of minutes and he is athletic enough to get the rebounds down there. At 3rd is Paul Millsap, taken by the Jazz in round 2. He led the NCAA in rebounds for 3 straight years, pulling down 13.3 per game last year. He can fla-out rebound, even if he won't see tons of minutes.

Top Assist Men
1) Randy Foye
2) Marcus Williams
3) Jordan Farmer

As I said with regards to scoring, Foye should get a lot of minutes which would allow him to lead rookies in assists despite his passing not being his greatest asset. Williams should get a fair amount of minutes behind an again Jason Kidd with bad knees, and Farmar should also be able to get good minutes because Smush Parker just really isn't that good. (another Laker piece: my thoughts go out to Lamar Odom after the tragic accident yesterday)

Gilbert Arenas Award (2nd rounder most likely to turn into a star)
Daniel Gibson - I don't necessarily think he will become a real good player in the NBA (in fact, I don't at all), but I think he's got the most chance if he can reach the potential he seemingly had after his first year at Texas. Coming into the year, he was looked at as a lottery pick at PG... and then it turned out he really couldn't play PG, he can't get to the rim enough, and his outside shot is inconsistent. But still, there was a reason he was so highly thought of, and if he can put things together and reach that potential, he can be a steal at 42.

Ryan Gomes Award (2nd rounder who has the best chance to step into a starting lineup in Year 1)
Paul Millsap - This all depends on what goes on with Carlos Boozer of course. But the last time Utah took a PF from La. Tech, that turned out pretty well. Now obviously Millsap isn't in the same stratosphere as Malone, but with his excellent rebounding and decent low post play, he can be a very effective player in the NBA.

Marquis Daniels Award (undrafted player that can make an impact)
I mentioned him yesterday, but I think Mike Gansey can be an effective NBA Player. He's not that athletic, but he's smart and quick defensively, and he's a very solid shooter. I still can't figure out how a guy like Danilo Pinnock gets taken over Gansey. And that's my story there.

Anyway, these are my final thoughts on the NBA Draft (although I reserve the right to have some more if I want!) What are your picks for some of these categories?