1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin PF, Oklahoma - Mike Dunleavy has already come out and said that Griffin will be the pick here, basically casting away any sort of drama leading up to the draft. The Clips organization is so sure of the pick that they are using Griffin as a ploy to hope sell season tickets. Even though they have a ton of power forwards, they could ship one of them (Kaman or Camby) to a team possibly like Chicago for a point guard like Kirk Hinrich.
2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet C, UConn - Call me crazy, but after reading this from RealGM, it appears Rubio has no intent on playing for either Memphis or Oklahoma City Thunder to the point where he would pull his name out of the draft or just decide to not come over. He can because of certain clauses in his contract. Rubio and his agent want him to end up somewhere in Cali and I got to believe that this is for real. The Grizz #1 priority is not a point guard but rather it is size. They have Marc Gasol who is more of an offensive forward so adding Thabeet's defense is a great pick here.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Jordan Hill PF, Arizona - The Thunder could go for James Harden here but I still believe they really want a big man. They tried to swing a trade for Tyson Chandler in mid-season but that fell through. Hill is a guy who will add energy and toughness to a team who currently sports Nick Collison and Nenad Kristic as their frontline. Hill won't change a franchise around but the Thunder already have Durant for that.
4. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio PG, Spain - After Tuesday night, the Kings appeared to be the biggest losers of the lotto. Projected to pick at number one, they slip all the way down to number four. However, Rubio's "holdout", if true, can land the Kings with their point guard of the future. Rubio will impact Kevin Martin's game right from the start and also improve guys like Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes.
5. Washington Wizards - James Harden SG, Arizona State - Washington appears to want the trade pick badly but since we can't predict what happens, assuming they keep it, Harden is a great fit. Washington along with Oklahoma City are the two teams in the top seven or eight that have the brightest future in my opinion. Harden fits nicely in the 2 in which he will be playing along side Agent Zero and Caron Butler. Best pure scorer in the draft IMO.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Demar Derozan SF, USC - Their last pick they used on a small forward, Corey Brewer was a bust. Now, the Timberwolves will pick Derozan who is the best athlete in the draft but has battled through inconsistencies in college. Depending on his workouts, he can go as high as 5 but perhaps as low as 12. I think adding him to a lineup with K Love, Al Jefferson, and a healthy Randy Foye, is certainly a nice nucleus in Minnesota.
7. Golden State - Brandon Jennings PG, Italy - Jennings is one of my favorites in the Draft. Very quick and has great instinctive point guard skills. He will have one of the fastest crossovers in the NBA once he steps on the court. However, at 170 pounds, the dude needs to add some serious weight. Was not consistent across the pond in Rome.
8. New York Knicks - Stephen Curry PG, Davidson - Like Anthony DeFranco and I said on Sports Talk 4 Dummies last night, the best pick here, would be Ty Lawson. However, I think the rumors we are hearing about Curry and the Knicks are true. D'Antoni and Walsh are infatuated with his scoring ability and basketball IQ. He is going to be able to spread the floor like few people in the draft. However, will he make his teammates better? Probably not. Are the comparisons to Reggie Miller justified? No.
9. Toronto Raptors - Tyreke Evans PG, Memphis - Anthony Parker is a free agent at the end of the summer and he isn't even the best baller in his family (so that should tell you something). However, Evans is a guy who can be a combo guard and play alongside of Jose Calderon. For that to happen, Evans is going to have to work on his shot but for a guy who has top ten talent easily, you cannot pass him up here.
10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jrue Holliday PG, UCLA - Holliday is a guy I think should have stayed in school for another year. With Darren Collison and Josh Shipp leaving, Holliday would have been the man. However, scouts will probably see Russell Westbrook in Holliday which will give him a lottery bid.
11. New Jersey Nets - Earl Clark SF/PF, Louisville - His 6-10 frame is deceiving because Clark is no means a power forward. With his unselfish passing ability, vision, and IQ, Clark projects to be more of a point forward. Insert Clark into a lineup with Harris, Carter, and Brook "Lawrence Frank?!?!" Lopez, the Nets future suddenly looks bright.
12. Charlotte Bobcats - Gerald Henderson SG, Duke - Henderson averaged 17 points in his final season with Duke but had an abysmal tournament. He is an effective slasher who will get his points that way and has above average on the ball defensive skills. Would MJ seriously draft a Dukie?
13. Indiana Pacers - Ty Lawson PG, North Carolina - Jarret Jack is hitting free agency this season so the Pacers could look for a replacement. Lawson is a guy who fits in well with the Pacers and could eventually complement Danny Granger really well. The Pacers could also give Johnny Flynn and Eric Maynor a look here.
14. Phoenix Suns - Johnny Flynn PG, Syracuse -Flynn becomes the heir apparent to Steve Nash with the final pick in the lottery. Although some people love Flynn, I have a few questions about his shot selection and his shot making ability. When it comes to ball handling and quickness, few are better than Flynn. Apparently the Suns are reported to be "enamored" with Flynn.
15. Detroit Pistons - Austin Daye SF, Gonzaga - Some people actually believe Daye could be a top seven pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. His versatility is a forte of his as he is 6'10'' with a great post and outside game. Daye could be an asset on the Detroit bench to start out, but eventually after a year or so, work his way into the starting lineup and turn out to be something special.
16. Chicago Bulls - DeJuan Blair PF, Pittsburgh - Blair would be a great fit in Chicago. According to RealGM, Tyrus Thomas is eligible to receive an extension from Chicago but the Bulls may have doubts about doing so. There are few left in the league who have the ability to grab offensive rebounds the way Blair does.
17. Philadelphia 76ers - Eric Maynor PG, Virginia Commonwealth - This pick basically falls in the Sixers lap. Out of the great point guards in the draft, (Lawson, Flynn, Evans, Jennings) Maynor might not be on par with them, but he is not too far away. Maynor is a veteran when it comes to big situations from his VCU days. Andre Miller is aging and the Sixers need a replacement.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Miami) - James Johnson PF, Wake Forest - Johnson has great versatility at both the small forward and power forward position. Some people believe that he is a lottery pick somewhere between 11-14. The T-Wolves adding Johnson would give them a nice rotation on the frontline with Jefferson and Love.
19. Atlanta Hawks - Jeff Teague PG, Wake Forest - The Hawks have swung and missed on three point guards. Marvin Williams over Chris Paul. Shelden Williams over Rajon Rondo. Acie Law over Rodney Stuckey. They can't make the same mistake 4 times in a row can they? Mike Bibby is a free agent and Jeff Teague can provide the exact same scoring that Bibby did.
20. Utah Jazz - B.J. Mullens C, Ohio State - Mullens is a prospect because of his size and you simply cannot teach height. However, the Jazz do have a clear need at the 4 or the 5 with Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap both hitting the free agent market. Mullens is definitely going to be a project and will take a few years to develop.
21. New Orleans Hornets - Nick Calathes PG, Florida - The Hornets need to draft a point guard in order to save Chris Paul's legs. Calathes is a guy who is going to give you offense but not much defense. He is also an above average passer.
22. Dallas Mavericks - Terrence Williams SF, Louisville - Williams drops a little bit from my first mock draft. To me, he is just so hard to get a read on because he as lottery talent but was so inconsistent throughout his four years in Louisville. Williams has some point forward in him which I think the Mavs will value.
23. Sacramento Kings (via Houston) - Omri Cassipi SF, Israel - Let's see, have not seen any of him besides some Youtube clips but he's a good shooter with some quick feet. Maybe has some Gallo in him.
24. Portland Trail Blazers - Patrick Mills PG, St. Mary's - Jerryd Bayless does not seem to be the type of point guard that Kevin Pritchard was looking for. He has been dangled in some trade reports. Mills is quick and has great vision to excel at the point for Portland.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via San Antonio) - Wayne Ellington SG, North Carolina - Ellington provides the Thunder with some scoring off the bench and could eventually work himself into a rotation with Westbrook, Durant, and Jeff Green. Ellington, behind Curry has one one of the purest shots in the country.
26. Chicago Bulls (via Denver) - Chase Budinger SG, Arizona - With Ben Gordon and Luol Deng's future in doubt, the Bulls need to get another scorer who can provide help for Derrick Rose. Budinger has great range on his shot and offensively improved this season averaging 18 points and 6 boards. And I'll correct myself, Chase Budinger could not guard a chair.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (via Orlando) - Tyler Hansbrough PF, North Carolina -Hansbrough is going to survive in this league because of his work ethic, toughness, and hustle. I am not saying he will be a star because he is not as skilled as the other people he will be competing against but he will be a serviceable role player.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Boston) - Darren Collison PG, UCLA - The T-Wolves have three first round picks and right now having selected DeRozan and James Johnson, the Wolves would love to add a point guard. Collison at this point seems to be a steal. He is experienced, knows what it takes to play in the big game and is tough. With Telfair not working out and Foye always fighting an injury bug, Collison could be a perfect fit.
29. Los Angeles Lakers - Marcus Thornton SG, LSU - Apparently teams have fallen in love with Thornton and as many as 25 teams are waiting to work him out. That being said, I would be stunned to still see him on the board. However, Thornton can provide scoring off the bench for a Lakers unit who has seen decreased production from that unit.
30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Toney Douglas SG, Florida State - Douglas is a dynamic scorer and shooter and showed his ability to take over games late especially in the ACC tournament. Cleveland can use his offense coming off the bench.
So there you have it, please feel free to comment with any thoughts you have. Remember, continuing draft coverage will be on Off the Glass which you can listen to on wcwpsports.com from 8-10 pm on Tuesday nights.
Mock Draft 3.0 will be coming at you in the first week of June.
-Matt Soldano
as a kings fan, i would love to see rubio fall to us, but there is a zero chance of that happening, if nothing else a teem will take him knowing we want him and work out a trade
ReplyDeletegary, when i made the mock, reports had surfaced that rubio did not want to play for the thunder or the grizzlies and would even stay in spain for another year so that's why I had him slipping. Now it seems, rubio is going to at least work out for the grizz so I think he will probably go 2. But the grizz biggest need is size and the Grizz GM LOVES thabeet
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