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Sometimes one great skill is enough to earn you a spot on an NBA roster. Fran Fraschilla breaks down this year's crop of shooters, shot-blockers and energy guys as teams look to fill specific needs in both rounds of Thursday's NBA draft.

Blog | Conversation | June 22, 2010

When smart teams draft, they don't use a 1-to-30 ranking; they utilize a tier system that accounts for team need and player talent. Chad Ford, after talking to numerous teams, divides this year's crop into tiers and explains how the system works.

Blog | Conversation | June 18, 2010

Darko Milicic -- the name will be forever linked to the term "draft bust," but he is far from the only flop. It turns out there are common traits among draft busts, and Chad Ford talks to GMs around the league to uncover them.

Blog | Conversation | June 11, 2010

The top draft picks aren't necessarily the ones who will have the greatest impact next season. Rookie Watch author David Thorpe takes us through the 10 most NBA-ready players in this year's draft.

Blog | Conversation | June 09, 2010

Chad Ford examines why NBA teams usually turn up their noses at college seniors come draft day and names the top 10 four-year players with a chance to crack the first round in June. Plus, other updates to his Big Board.

Blog | Conversation | November 24, 2009

Here's a look at all four conference semifinal series and which teams are now favored to advance.

Story | Conversation | May 13, 2013

Which West team is best positioned to beat the Heat in the Finals?

Story | Conversation | May 12, 2013

Amin Elhassan outlines five top players in the 2013 NBA playoffs, breaking down their top skills while examining what makes them so effective. Stephen Curry's shooting and Zach Randolph's offensive rebounding prowess rank at the top.

Story | Conversation | May 10, 2013

The Warriors' postseason surge has shaken up our panel's NBA Finals prediction.

Chad Ford offers his second mock draft of 2013, and Nerlens Noel is still the top pick.

Story | Conversation | May 08, 2013

It's inevitable the Heat will emerge from the East. But which Western team will join them? And how much of a fighting chance do they have?

Our ESPN Forecast panel votes for which teams will win the NBA's conference semifinal series.

Our ESPN Forecast panel votes for which teams will win the West's first-round series.

Who has the most to prove in these playoffs? J.A. Adande examines each West series.

Which team will win each of the four Western Conference playoff series? Kevin Pelton examines.

Story | Conversation | April 18, 2013

5-on-5 roundtable: Our experts pick the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.