In case you weren’t aware, Scout.com has a free preview going through July 4. A chance to read all those firewall protected stories and look at video clips at PantherDigest.com.

[Disclaimer: I don’t subscribe to either Scout.com or Rivals.com. Initially it was because I was too cheap and broke, but now it is primarily because I don’t want to be accused of stealing their subscription stuff.]

So, let’s talk the 2007 NBA draft (Insider subs.).

Oh, stop screaming.

Conclusion: Overall the 2007 draft looks loaded, especially with quality bigs. The draft also appears to be strong at the small forward position. Guard play, however, looks to be a little weaker, especially at point guard for the second straight year.

Anyone who thinks Aaron Gray isn’t risking a lot in NBA cash, not just in earning money a year earlier, but in the expected high quality of the 2007 draft that could lower his status in the draft isn’t paying attention.

The 2007 draft will be loaded. There will be the various players from Florida (Noah, Brewer and Horford) who all came back for another season and all the high schoolers who had to spend a year in college killing time before turning pro (Oden, Durant, Young and Harris). Not to mention the various big men who will come out after this coming season (Hibbert, McRoberts and Hawes) and of course the Euros that no one actually knows anything about.

Just in the preliminary projections for 2007, Gray is already down at #25. Judging by the fact that 4 centers were taken in the first 12 picks in 2006, Gray made a hell of a bold choice to come back to Pitt for this season.

Meanwhile in the future range, Seth Davis at SI.com looks at some stand outs from the NBA Players Association Camp.

DeJuan Blair, 6-8 forward, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Blair didn’t show a ton of flash in Richmond, just a solid ability to rebound and score in traffic. The recruiting gurus I spoke with indicated he is one of the fastest-rising players in his class. Blair recently told rivals.com that his top five schools are Florida, Kansas State, Wake Forest, Indiana and Pittsburgh.
…
Herb Pope, 6-8 forward, Alquippa, Pa.
I’ve included Pope because he is on most national top 20 lists, but to be honest he seems a bit suspect to me. Despite his size and quickness, Pope hangs too much on the perimeter, and when he drives to the basket he never looks to pass. He also never stops running his mouth. Pope recently backed out of his oral commitment to Pitt and is currently considering Pitt, Louisville, UConn and Kansas State, among others.

Confirming the feeling of many Pitt fans to ignore Pope at this point and focus on Blair and his teammate DJ Kennedy for the 2007 recruiting class.