Oden's The One

Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
The Blazers went big with the No. 1 pick, selecting center Greg Oden.
How did one of the most-anticipated NBA drafts ever go down? Chad Ford breaks down every pick. Pick Analysis | Team Grades 
• Sheridan: 1-2 combo | Trades | DraftCast | Ford: Winners/losers 
• Vote: '07 class | Hollinger: Int'l prospect ratings
| Ford's Top 100
• Chat wrap: Top draft picks | Gallery | Bilas: Video analysis
•
Oden | Durant | Horford | Conley | Noah | Green | Brewer | More
• Vote: '07 class | Hollinger: Int'l prospect ratings
• Chat wrap: Top draft picks | Gallery | Bilas: Video analysis
•
Chad Ford's Big Board
| NAME | HT | POS | FROM | STOCK |
| 1. Greg Oden | 7-0 | C | Ohio State | ![]() |
| The best big-man prospect to enter the draft since Tim Duncan. He's the favorite to be the No. 1 pick. | ||||
| 2. Kevin Durant | 6-10 | SF | Texas | ![]() |
| He is the most talented prospect in the draft. He has it all: size, athleticism and a beautiful jump shot. But will someone really take him over Oden? | ||||
| 3. Al Horford | 6-10 | PF | Florida | ![]() |
| Horford is a prototypical power forward with the strength, athleticism and size to play in the NBA right away. | ||||
| 4. Yi Jianlian | 7-0 | PF | China | ![]() |
| Yi is the best international prospect in the draft this year. He has the potential to be better than Yao Ming. | ||||
| 5. Mike Conley | 6-1 | PG | Ohio State | ![]() |
| Best friend of Greg Oden will be the first point guard off the board. | ||||
| 6. Thaddeus Young | 6-8 | SF | Georgia Tech | ![]() |
| An exciting forward who can do almost everything. He just needs strength and experience and define his game a little more. | ||||
| 7. Rodney Stuckey | 6-5 | SG | Eastern Wash. | ![]() |
| 8. Joakim Noah | 7-0 | PF | Florida | ![]() |
| After an amazing run in the NCAA tournament last year, Noah's star has begun to tarnish a little. He hasn't improved the way scouts had hoped and a so-so 2007 NCAA tournament didn't help his stock. | ||||
| 9. Julian Wright | 6-9 | SF | Kansas | ![]() |
| An athletic hybrid that reminds some of a more aggressive Boris Diaw. May have the most upside of anyone in the draft not named Oden or Durant. But he also has pretty big risks. | ||||
| 10. Jeff Green | 6-10 | SF | Georgetown | ![]() |
| Scouts love his versatility and all-around game. He could be the Brandon Roy of this year's draft. | ||||
| • Top 100 | ||||
More on ESPN.com
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Chad Ford has five reasons a team might consider taking Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick. Ford: Five reasons to take Oden with the No. 1 pick
Is Greg Oden the real deal? Chad Ford has five reasons an NBA team should take him No. 1 in the draft. Ford: Lotto love for Gators?
Florida's four star juniors are going pro, so how high will they go? Chad Ford has the latest word. Katz: Celtics slide to No. 5
After suffering through another miserable season, the Celtics are disappointed to get the No. 5 pick. Katz: Conley Sr. ready to represent OSU freshmen
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Spring has sprung and that means college basketball players are declaring for the NBA draft. Jay Bilas breaks down the early-entry decisions. Ford: Who's No. 1 -- Oden or Durant?
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Fourteen of the NBA draft's 30 first-round picks were upperclassmen, a reversal of recent years. Suddenly, the well-schooled player is hip again, writes Andy Katz. Vitale: Draft night thoughts
College basketball analyst Dick Vitale has some thoughts on NBA Draft night. Katz: Negative attention hardened Noah
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Al Horford probably didn't need to work out for Boston. But he did anyway, and he impressed, writes Andy Katz. The Sports Guy: Logic and the lottery
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What high jinks ensued when Joakim Noah, Kevin Durant & Co. went to Vancouver to make their "NBA Live" debut? Page 2's Mary Buckheit was on hand. Noah impresses while playing through pain
Joakim Noah has a slight tear in his rotator cuff, but he's playing through the pain to impress teams in the lottery. It worked Monday in Boston. Ford: Eurocamp prospects who could make 2008 cut
Chad Ford takes a closer look at eight prospects playing at Eurocamp who could be selected in the 2008 NBA draft. Ford: Five potential draft prospects at Eurocamp
Chad Ford takes a closer look at five prospects playing at Eurocamp who could be selected in the NBA Draft. Diaz serves as cautionary tale for other early entrants
Former Miami guard Guillermo Diaz expected to be a first-round pick. Instead, he spent last year in the Czech Republic and Greece. Tucker failed to get right second-round fit
Daniel Gibson, Paul Millsap and Dee Brown were successful second-rounders from last year. So why not PJ Tucker? Ford: Draft lottery aftermath
With all of the draft lottery surprises, Chad Ford breaks down some of the ramifications. Ford's Draft Watch: Sky's the limit for Greg Oden
After watching Greg Oden work out, Chad Ford sees big-time upside in the draft's best big man. Draft watch: Conley, Cook, Landry
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Chad Ford spends some quality time with Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian and comes away amazed. Draft watch: Wright, Young, Tucker
Chad Ford checks out a workout involving Julian Wright, Thaddeus Young, Alando Tucker and more. Draft Watch: Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah
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Is Greg Oden the real deal? Chad Ford has five reasons an NBA team should take him No. 1 in the draft. Ford: Lotto love for Gators?
Florida's four star juniors are going pro, so how high will they go? Chad Ford has the latest word. Katz: Celtics slide to No. 5
After suffering through another miserable season, the Celtics are disappointed to get the No. 5 pick. Katz: Conley Sr. ready to represent OSU freshmen
He just got into the business, but Mike Conley Sr. has plenty on his plate in representing Greg Oden and possibly others, Andy Katz writes. Ford: The 10 best international NBA prospects
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Spring has sprung and that means college basketball players are declaring for the NBA draft. Jay Bilas breaks down the early-entry decisions. Ford: Who's No. 1 -- Oden or Durant?
Chad Ford evaluates each lottery team to figure out whether it would take Greg Oden or Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick. Ford's Draft Watch: Seniors getting the squeeze?
Chad Ford breaks down the top college seniors and sees if they have a shot at the first round. Katz: Shortened process could impact Hawes' decision
The NBA moved to shorten the time period between the predraft camp and the deadline to withdraw from the draft, and that could make decisions tough for players like Spencer Hawes, writes Andy Katz. Katz: Taking stock of the early entries
The one-and-done crowd is flooding the NBA draft market, but that's just causing more underclassmen to be on the fence, Andy Katz writes. Broussard: Pick Oden before Durant
Chris Broussard thinks teams should pick Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick even though Kevin Durant will be better than KG. Hollinger: To tank or not to tank
John Hollinger crunches the numbers to find out whether NBA teams should tank games for a better shot at the top pick in the draft.
2007 NBA Draft Order - 1st Round
Look Back: 2006 NBA draft
| Grades: | Chad Ford grades all 30 teams |
| Analysis: | Pick-by-pick breakdown |
| Index: | Full coverage of the 2006 NBA Draft |
John Hollinger's Draft Do-overs (Insider)
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2005 | • 2005: Passing on CP3 • Draft history |
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2004 | • High-school studs belong • Draft history |
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2003 | • 2003: LeBron, Melo, D-Wade
• Draft history |
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2002 | • Amare, Yao come on strong • Draft history |
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2001 | • Kwame, Baby Bulls gone bad • Draft history |
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2000 | • The second-round wonder • Draft history |
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1999 | • Elton Brand vs. Andrei Kirilenko • Draft history |
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1998 | • The draft of head cases • Draft history |
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1997 | • Duncan, T-Mac, not much else • Draft history |
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1996 | • Twelve teams pass on Kobe • Draft history |
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1995 | • Wolves get a steal in KG • Draft history |
Chad Ford's Draft Podcasts
![]() Listen to Chad Ford's most recent draft podcasts. DRAFT PROSPECTS • 6/20: Glen "Big Baby" Davis • 5/22: Kansas' Julian Wright • 5/21: Greg Oden, Mike Conley • 5/18: Thaddeus Young • 5/16: Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer • 5/15: Colorado State's Jason Smith • 5/14: USC's Nick Young PLAYER AGENTS • 6/26: Bill Duffy on Oden, clients • 6/12: Mike Conley Sr. on Oden • 5/24: Marc Cornstein on clients SCOUTING • 6/27: Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard • 6/06: Thorpe on Kevin Durant • 6/04: Weltman on predraft camp • 5/18: Athletic trainer Tim Grover • 5/17: Athletic trainer Joe Abunassar |
Draft Conversation
![]() Which NBA prospect would be a good fit on your team? Wanna talk 2008 NBA draft? Join the conversation. EASTERN CONFERENCE • Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Charlotte Bobcats • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New Jersey Nets • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards |
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WESTERN CONFERENCE • Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Lakers • Los Angeles Clippers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Hornets • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Seattle SuperSonics • Utah Jazz |














